Educational
Ajay Bhatt: Creator of the USB
The Universal Serial Bus (or the USB, as we know it) is 22 years old and is used in more than 10 billion devices around the world-safe to say, it’s been a revolutionizing invention! The man behind the product, Ajay Bhatt, who is Intel’s chief systems technologist, didn’t make a single cent off of the innovation since Intel chose to make the technology accessible to everyone. Today, Bhatt is treated as a kind of “rockstar” in the tech world and is proud to see how his invention has helped people around the world.
Photo courtesy of The European Patent Office
Bhatt received his Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical) in 1980 and his Master’s in 1984. Since then, he has worked in the computer industry for over 38 years, with 25+ of those years being with technology powerhouse, Intel.
While at Intel, Bhatt had the idea to create a single connector that would bypass the need for countless other adaptors, applications, and readers that were the standard then. He pitched it to Apple, Microsoft, and other major companies, but Intel was the only one to invest in the idea. Although they still hold the patent for the USB, Intel chose to keep the product royalty-free and open to everyone.
Although he had the opportunity to make millions of dollars, Bhatt is happy with knowing what a massive contribution he made to the world of technology. Today, he holds over 132 US and international patents and has co-invented or spearheaded other major technological innovations, like the Accelerated Graphics Port, the Thunderbolt, USB Type-C, and many more. He continues to be a thought leader in the industry and has been awarded multiple prestigious awards for his work.