Before joining Directions on Microsoft in 2020, Barry worked at Microsoft for 12 years in a variety of roles, including as Chief Technology Officer for Microsoft’s own IT organization for 5 years. Prior to Microsoft, Barry spent several years as CTO for several successful startups, and before that, 11 years at Lotus Development, where he was the lead developer for Lotus 1-2-3, the best-selling application of its time, and a Lotus Fellow.
Barry holds a B.A. and an M.A. from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
Latest Content by Barry Briggs
Webinar
Updated: August 20, 2025 · by Barry Briggs
Microsoft Compliance Update 2025
In the new AI-centric world, it’s easy to overlook how this new technology can open organizations up to regulatory and...
Blog
August 15, 2025 · by Barry Briggs
CIO Talk: What Open-Source Models Mean to Enterprises
What do open-source language models mean to enterprise applications and IT? Directions analyst and former Microsoft IT CTO has some...
Blog
July 30, 2025 · by Barry Briggs
CIO Talk: AI in Five Years – Which Way Will It Go?
Where will enterprise computing and AI be in five years? Directions analyst Barry Briggs envisions a couple of very different...
Blog
Updated: July 18, 2025 · by Barry Briggs
CIO Talk: Vibe Coding and What It Means To You
Do AI assistants really accelerate development? Can they replace your developers? Directions' analyst Barry Briggs has thoughts.
Video
Updated: July 9, 2025 · by Barry Briggs
Data Governance in the Age of AI
In this video, Barry Briggs dive into why data governance is absolutely essential—not just an optional add-on—when building a successful...
Blog
June 27, 2025 · by Barry Briggs
CIO Talk: What Is AGI and Why Should You Care?
What Is AGI and Why Should You Care? Directions analyst Barry Briggs explains one of the key technologies at the...
Webinar
June 19, 2025 · by Barry Briggs
Microsoft’s AI-Native Applications Strategy
Microsoft thinks that everything we know about application architecture will change as AI permeates every layer of the stack. What...
Analyst Report
Updated: May 6, 2025 · by Barry Briggs
Executive Focus: Introduction to Data Governance in the Age of AI
This Executive Focus provides an overview of data governance including what it is, the key issues, and how Purview helps...
Video
Updated: May 2, 2025 · by Multiple Authors
Directions Podcast. Season 4. Episode 7. Microsoft: A Look Back From Inside.
This year marks Microsoft's 50th anniversary and several of the Directions analysts were part of the company's history. Barry Briggs,...
Analyst Report
Updated: April 8, 2025 · by Barry Briggs
Executive Focus: Microsoft’s AI Strategy
An executive overview of Microsoft's AI strategy, plans, and investments.