Mark Spencer (computer engineer)

<h2 id="early-life">Early life</h2>
<p>Spencer was born and raised in <a href="/facts/Auburn,_Alabama/342zVyHS">Auburn</a>, <a href="/facts/Alabama/1Xk8EveN">Alabama</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:1" href="#fn:1"><sup>1</sup></a> He attended Auburn University where both his parents were professors.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2"><sup>2</sup></a> In high school, he was mentored by another Auburn professor, Thaddeus Roppel,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3"><sup>3</sup></a> and Mark Smith, co-founder of <a href="/facts/ADTRAN/FfYtDLKJ">Adtran</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a>
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<h2 id="career">Career</h2>
<p>While attending <a href="/facts/Auburn_University/kz4YvffX">Auburn University</a>, Spencer co-oped at Adtran when he wrote l2tpd. He went on to start a Linux technical support business. Spencer did not have enough money to buy a PBX (private branch exchange) for his company so he decided to write Asterisk and later founded <a href="/facts/Digium/pUV4xUeL">Digium</a>.
</p><p>As a pilot, Mark founded Avilution, LLC. to create Android apps including QuickWeather and AviationMaps. AviationMaps was later spun out to FlightPro, then DroidEFB. Adapting a similar strategy as Asterisk, he developed the eXtensible Flight System, XFS, a cross-platform avionics architecture. XFS has already been integrated in the Zenith CH750 STOL aircraft in the form of both a three-screen panel and the "Unpanel," a portrait-orientation (also landscape) screen to replace the entire traditional glass cockpit.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a>
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<h2 id="external-links">External links</h2>
<ul><li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.marko.net/">Mark Spencer's previous homepage</a> (copies at the <a href="/facts/Internet_Archive/PHStU8Lo">Internet Archive</a>)</li>
<li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20060315171520/http://osdir.com/Article8156.phtml">Interview with Mark Spencer</a> at OSDir.com</li>
<li><a href="https://archive.today/20130119194857/http://news.com.com/Is+the+telephone+industry+ready+for+open+source/2008-1082_3-5737703.html?part=rss&tag=5737703&subj=news">Interview with Mark Spencer</a> at <a href="/facts/Archive.today/B9vA7Vmt">archive.today</a> (archived 2013-01-19) at CNet</li>
<li><a href="https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20081218180926/http://tllts.org/mirror.php?fname=tllts_108-11-02-05.mp3">Linux Link Tech Show interview (audio), 2005</a></li>
<li><a href="https://archive.today/20130222165733/http://www.techistan.net/2009/12/28/global-open-source-enthusiasts-interview-mark-spencer/">Global open source enthusiasts interview Mark Spencer December 2009</a></li>
<li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20070930014735/http://www.al.com/business/huntsvilletimes/index.ssf?%2Fbase%2Fbusiness%2F1170238940197250.xml&coll=1">News story regarding changing roles at Digium</a></li></ul>

<h2 id="references">References</h2>

<ol>
<li id="fn:1"><p>Marshall, Mike (November 17, 2011). "Mark Spencer of Digium: 'You have to have internal inspiration to do exceptional work'". The Huntsville Times. Retrieved 2018-03-29. <a href="http://www.al.com/42/index.ssf/2011/11/mark_spencer_of_digium_you_hav.html" target="_blank">http://www.al.com/42/index.ssf/2011/11/mark_spencer_of_digium_you_hav.html</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:2"><p>Hardy, Quentin (March 24, 2006). "Dial D for Disruption". Forbes. Retrieved 2018-03-29. <a href="https://www.forbes.com/forbes/2006/0410/063.html#2ab1ef1e45fe" target="_blank">https://www.forbes.com/forbes/2006/0410/063.html#2ab1ef1e45fe</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:3"><p>Hardy, Quentin (March 24, 2006). "Dial D for Disruption". Forbes. Retrieved 2018-03-29. <a href="https://www.forbes.com/forbes/2006/0410/063.html#2ab1ef1e45fe" target="_blank">https://www.forbes.com/forbes/2006/0410/063.html#2ab1ef1e45fe</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:4"><p>Marshall, Mike (November 17, 2011). "Mark Spencer of Digium: 'You have to have internal inspiration to do exceptional work'". The Huntsville Times. Retrieved 2018-03-29. <a href="http://www.al.com/42/index.ssf/2011/11/mark_spencer_of_digium_you_hav.html" target="_blank">http://www.al.com/42/index.ssf/2011/11/mark_spencer_of_digium_you_hav.html</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:5"><p>"'Unpanel' replaces traditional instruments on new Zenith model". www.aopa.org. 2017-07-24. Retrieved 2021-04-08. <a href="https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2017/july/24/unpanel-replaces-traditional-instruments-on-new-zenith-model" target="_blank">https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2017/july/24/unpanel-replaces-traditional-instruments-on-new-zenith-model</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
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Mark Spencer (computer engineer) open-in-new

Mark Spencer (computer engineer)