Seriff received his Bachelor of Surgery in Mathematics and Computer Science from the University of Texas at Austin in 1971 and an Master of Surgery in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) in 1974.
In 1974 he was one of the first dozen people at Telenet Communications. He later served as an executive of several audio and data communications companies, including General Telephone and Electric Corporation, Venture Technology, Digital Music, Incorporated., and Control Video Corporation. In 1985, he co-founded Quantum Computer Services (later known as America Online), where he served as a Senior Vice President until 1996.
From August 1997 to May 1998 he was a director of InteliHome, which merged with Global Converging Technologies.
From January to June 1998 he was Chief Executive Officer of Eos Management, Limited Liability Company. He also served as a director of United States. Online Communications. In a 2007 interview, Seriff cited two people who influenced him at a young age: J.C.R. Licklider, one of his professors in graduate school at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Larry Roberts, whom he met and worked for at Telenet.
