Bill Baker

Bill Baker
Baker, William
Born	Indianapolis, Indiana
Occupation	Founder, Executive

Career

Early Life and Education

William "Bill" Baker was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. As a youth, he developed an interest in ham radio. He pursued a business degree at a university in Indiana, where computers were still exclusive, expensive machines managed by specialists in controlled environments. In his senior year, Baker encountered a kit-built microcomputer, sparking his fascination with affordable pa simple device with minimal controls, which he assembled and programmed with limited documentation.

Founding Information Unlimited Software

In 1977, Baker founded Information Unlimited Software (IUS) as a side venture while still a student. Initially, IUS was a letterhead operation used to secure discounts on microcomputer hardware, reflecting his hobbyist passion. In 1977, Baker attended a computer seminar in New Jersey, his first airplane trip, funded as a college graduation gift. There, he met Lyall Morill, an MIT graduate who had developed Whatsit?, a primitive database management system for hobbyist computers like the Poly 88. His father helped name the company after Baker described Whatsit?, a program capable of storing unlimited data with additional storage media. Baker negotiated a deal to sell Whatsit?, with Morill receiving royalties, marking IUS’s first commercial product. By Christmas Eve 1977, Morill had refined Whatsit? for platforms like the Northstar and Sol, and Baker arranged for its manual to be printed.

Breakthrough at the West Coast Computer Faire

In spring 1978, Baker attended the second West Coast Computer Faire in San Francisco, one of only two software publishers present. Selling over $25,000 worth of Whatsit? copies, he realized software publishing could be a full-time career. This success prompted him to seek additional products to expand IUS’s portfolio. At the third West Coast Computer Faire in 1979, Baker met John Draper, a notorious phone phreak known as “Captain Crunch,” and his partner Matthew McIntosh. Draper had developed EasyWriter, a pioneering word processor for the Apple II. Recognizing its potential, Baker offered an advance to publish EasyWriter, fronting Draper with funds for living expenses and a printer. EasyWriter, released in 1979, became IUS’s flagship product, praised for its user-friendly interface despite performance limitations, establishing IUS as a key player in the early productivity software market.

Relocation and IBM PC Deal

Initially balancing IUS with a banking job in Indianapolis for financial security, Baker relocated to San Francisco when his bank transferred him, aligning with IUS’s move to California. In 1981, IBM approached Baker for a secret project— the IBM PC. In negotiations at a Berkeley Marina hotel, Baker, advised by his friend and lawyer Dan Remer, secured a royalty deal to adapt EasyWriter as a launch title for the IBM PC. Despite proposing a $5 million outright sale, Baker and Remer agreed to royalties, anticipating significant sales. Working with programmer Larry Weiss, Draper converted EasyWriter under tight deadlines, but the 1981 release of EasyWriter 1.0 was buggy, earning poor reviews. IUS quickly released EasyWriter 1.10, which resolved most issues, followed by EasyWriter II in 1982, rewritten in C with added features like a spell checker and mail-merge.

IUS Product Expansion

Under Baker’s leadership, IUS expanded its portfolio with business applications for the Apple II and IBM PC, including EasyPlanner, EasySpeller, EasyFiler, IUS General Ledger, IUS Accounts Receivable, and IUS Accounts Payable. These tools primarily targeted small businesses. By 1983, IUS was ranked 16th among software publishers by Publishers Weekly, with estimated sales of $10 million, driven by EasyWriter’s success and the growing demand for business software.

Acquisition by Computer Associates

In 1983, Computer Associates approached Baker to acquire IUS. Retaining primary ownership due to the IBM deal’s capital, Baker negotiated a sale valued at over $10 million, depending on future product sales. The deal made Baker a multimillionaire at 27, allowing him to purchase a Marin County estate near George Lucas’s Skywalker Ranch. He briefly stayed with Computer Associates, overseeing new product acquisitions with a significant salary and stock options, but left soon after, finding employment less fulfilling than entrepreneurship.

Island Graphics and California Software

In 1984, Baker and Remer invested in Island Graphics, a startup led by Homebrew Computer Club co-founder Steven Dompier, focusing on advanced computer graphics software. Recognizing the growing importance of visual communication in computing, Baker saw potential in Island Graphics’ products. However, the venture coincided with the 1984 software market “shakeout,” a period of declining demand that challenged many companies. Baker retained his interest in Island Graphics, with Remer taking a leadership role, but the company faced difficulties in the turbulent market.

Following the sale of Island Graphics to DiNippon Screens in 1989, Baker founder California Software, Inc., a company focused on selling BABY brand software products, designed to support the migration of IBM Midrange (AS/400, System/36, System/38) applications to the PC environment.

HireRight and Ocean Group

Later in his career, Baker founded HireRight Inc., pioneering the first internet-based background screening solution, which grew into a global leader with revenues exceeding $3 billion. He then founded Ocean Group LLC, a real estate investment firm managing a diverse portfolio of residential and oceanfront properties. His entrepreneurial ventures demonstrated a knack for identifying and capitalizing on emerging market opportunities across software and real estate.

Philanthropy and Legacy

Beyond business, Baker actively supported charitable organizations, including the Free Wheelchair Mission, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, the Presbyterian Church, and the DeMolay Foundation. His career exemplifies the “marketing-genius” archetype of the software gold rush, complementing technical innovators like John Draper.

Baker’s foresight in recognizing software’s commercial potential, coupled with his business acumen, resulted in the IUS-IBM deal followed by the Computer Associates deal, considered legendary amongst rival software publishers of the time.

External links

Software People, Bill Baker, and EasyMailer, Page 114
Software People, Bill Baker, and EasyWriter, Page 114
Software People, Bill Baker, first computer by, Pages 111-12
Software People, Bill Baker, growth of company, Page 117
Software People, Bill Baker, homebrew by, Page 111
Software People, Bill Baker, IBM, negotiations with, Pages 114-15
Software People, Bill Baker, IBM PC, Pages 115-16
Software People, Bill Baker, and McIntosh, Matthew, Pages 113-14
Software People, Bill Baker, meeting with Draper, Pages 113-14
Software People, Bill Baker, success of, Pages 110-11
Software People, Bill Baker, at West Coast Computer Faire, Page 113