Revealed: Tech titans of the past 25 years

The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA), a 25-year-old trade body that certifies IT professionals and is funded by major vendors, including Microsoft, has released a poll that claims that Bill Gates is most influential person in tech.

The survey asked IT industry professionals to vote on the most influential personalities in the IT industry during the past 25 years. According to the web-based poll, released late last week, Gates was named by 84 percent of the 473 professionals who participated.

However, CompTIA made no reference to whether Gates's influence had been positive or negative in the main.