Kazuhira (Kazu) Okumoto, Ph.D.
Expert Profile

Kazuhira (Kazu) Okumoto, Ph.D.

Founder & CEO, Sakura Software Solutions

Software reliability engineering pioneer and creator of predictive quality platforms.

Kazuhira (Kazu) Okumoto, Ph.D. is Founder and CEO of Sakura Software Solutions and a longtime contributor to software reliability engineering, predictive software quality, and system reliability modeling.

His work connects foundational reliability research with operational tools including STAR for software defect prediction, EVR analysis, residual defect forecasting, and FUSION for integrated software and hardware reliability assessment.

Authority signals

Former Bell Labs scientist with 40 years of software quality and reliability work.

Distinguished Member of Technical Staff at Bell Labs, the organization’s highest research rank.

Co-creator of the widely cited Goel-Okumoto NHPP software reliability model.

Co-author of Software Reliability: Measurement, Prediction, Application.

Former Assistant Professor at Rutgers University.

Principal Investigator on NSF-funded research and innovation programs.

Creator of the STAR and FUSION predictive reliability platforms.

Career timeline

1975 - 1979

Ph.D., Syracuse University

  • Funded by Rome Air Development Center (RADC).
  • Co-developed the Goel-Okumoto NHPP software reliability model.
1979 - 1980

Assistant Professor, Rutgers University

  • Secured NSF funding for early software reliability engineering research.
1980 - 2020

Bell Labs / AT&T / Lucent / Alcatel-Lucent / Nokia Bell Labs

  • Served as Distinguished Member of Technical Staff.
  • Co-authored Software Reliability: Measurement, Prediction, Application.
  • Led advanced reliability research and U.S. Navy development programs.
  • Developed BRACE, the original precursor to the STAR predictive platform.
  • Directed international technical programs in Japan and Ireland.
2020 - Present

Founder & CEO, Sakura Software Solutions

  • Founded 3S to operationalize predictive reliability engineering.
  • Created the STAR and FUSION platforms.
  • Serves as Principal Investigator on NSF-funded innovation programs.

Expertise areas

Software defect predictionSoftware reliability growth modelsEVR and backlog stabilityResidual defect forecastingRelease readiness analyticsIntegrated software-hardware reliabilityReliability block diagram analysisPredictive QA decision support

Selected authored publications

These publication pages connect the author entity to the supporting papers, white papers, conference presentations, and book chapters hosted by 3S.

STAR / ADM2026

ADM: An Agile Development Manager for Early Defect Prediction in Small Software Teams

A white paper introducing ADM, an Agile Development Manager approach for early defect prediction and release-risk visibility in small software teams.

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EVR2026

Introducing A Modern Software Metric, EVR, for Predictability, Stability & High-Quality Delivery

A white paper introducing Escape Velocity Rate (EVR) as a software quality metric for backlog stability, predictability, and high-quality delivery.

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ROI2026

Quantifying the Business Value of Predictable Software Delivery: A Two-Year ROI Analysis of 3S Reliability Tools

A two-year ROI analysis explaining how predictive reliability tools can quantify business value, reduce quality risk, and support predictable software delivery.

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FUSION2026

An NSF-awarded Digital Engineering Tool for Integrated System Reliability Assessment

A RAMS 2026 presentation on FUSION, an NSF-awarded digital engineering tool for integrated software and hardware reliability assessment.

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STAR2026

Next-Generation Software Reliability Assessment Using a Cloud-Based Tool

A RAMS 2026 tutorial and paper on next-generation software reliability assessment using cloud-based predictive quality tooling.

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FUSION2025

FUSION: A Cloud-Based Framework for Integrated Software-Hardware Reliability Assessment Using Advanced Analytics and RBDs

A 2025 ISSAT paper and presentation describing FUSION as a cloud-based framework for integrated software-hardware reliability assessment using advanced analytics and reliability block diagrams.

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FUSION2025

Digital Transformation in Software Quality Assurance

A 2025 Springer book chapter on digital transformation in software quality assurance, including reliability analytics and machine learning applications.

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STAR2024

STAR: An Innovative Data-Driven Solution for Software Quality Assurance

A 2024 Springer book chapter presenting STAR as a data-driven solution for software quality assurance and defect prediction.

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Connected pages

STAR

Predictive software quality platform for defect prediction, EVR, and release readiness.

FUSION

Integrated software and hardware reliability forecasting platform.

Research & Publications

Canonical hub for publications, conference papers, and citation pages.

Brand & Citation Kit

Official citation targets, descriptions, and profile references.