User:Michael A. Simmons

Michael A. Simmons (born 8 April 1978) is an American entrepreneur, businessman, investor, author, public speaker, inventor, and computer scientist. He is the grandson of 20th century business and radio mogul Allen T. Simmons.

Most recently he is the CEO of Techprise, one of the largest privately-held Computer, Information Technology, and Internet products and solutions companies in the United States. Techprise celebrated its 20th year anniversary in 2010 (1990-2010).

Simmons started his first business with $5,000.00 from his father (Perry LaSpina), when he was just 12 years old. He is still the youngest (12-yrs. old) individual to obtain a business license in the State of California. At age 16, he made his first million before graduating his sophomore year from Palm Springs High School.

In late 1991, as one of the pioneers of the World Wide Web, Simmons operated one of the first commercial Web servers on the Internet. He worked with Tim Berners-Lee and CERN in the development of the open standards for the World Wide Web and the Web browser and Web server. He also worked closely with Marc Andreessen and the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) in the development of Mosaic, the first widely-used Web browser. Andreessen later founded Netscape Communications where Mosaic became known as Netscape. The Netscape Web browser later became known today as Mozilla Firefox.

In 1993, Simmons was the chief supervisor of telecommunications services for the City Online pilot project in Diamond Bar, California, where he managed the design and implementation of all telecommunications systems for making all city government and public records available electronically and online. The City Online - Diamond Bar, CA project was a huge success and became the standard for all other state, city, and local governments wanting to put their information in electronic form and online. He received Commendation and City Title from Diamond Bar Mayor Gary G. Miller and California Governor Pete Wilson on September 21, 1993, for making the city the "first digital city" in the U.S.

On August 23, 1993 at ONE BBSCON in Colorado Springs, CO, Simmons was the recipient of the John C. Dvorak Excellence in Telecommunications Award, one of the most prestigious awards given in the Internet and Telecommunications industries. He is still the youngest recipient of the award at the age of 15 years. Other past recipients of the award include, America Online, Prodigy, CompuServe, Dennis Hayes, Ward Christensen, Phil Katz, Vinton Cerf, Tim Berners-Lee, Douglas C. Engelbart.

In early 1994, Simmons developed the first consumer high-speed Internet broadband access system utilizing the existing traditional “1-way” cable TV system. The system was client/host based by integrating a “2-way” cable modem and a “telco-return” modem together. The telco-return modem was used for the upstream (upload) side for the client (computer user) to request or send “data” at speeds up to 56 Kbps to the host (cable headend). The cable modem was used for the downstream (download) side for the client to receive the response or “data” at speeds up to 1 Mbps from the host. The system initially used the vertical blanking interval (VBI) of the TV broadcast analog signal for the “data” download transfer from the host to the client. He worked closely with Norpak, Harris, Samsung Semiconductor, Texas Instruments, Micronas Intermetall, WavePhore, Time Warner Cable, PBS, and Microsoft on further development of the system.

The “2-way / telco-return cable modem” technologies and systems developed by Simmons and his company were later acquired by Hayes Microcomputer Products, and then licensed to Internet broadband satellite provider Direct PC, which later became DIRECWAY, and is now known today as HughesNet. The first version of Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification (DOCSIS) utilized a lot of Simmons’ architecture. Today, DOCSIS has become the standard for cable TV operators providing high-speed Internet broadband access to its customers through the cable TV system.

In 1994, Simmons and his company became a member of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) at MIT, an organization founded by Tim Berners-Lee that same year. He also became a member (after being invited by the Clinton Administration) of the prestigious Cross Industry Working Team (XIWT) which advised U.S. Vice President Al Gore on the development of the National Information Infrastructure / Information Superhighway.

In 1995, Simmons was named Young Entrepreneur and Millionaire of the Year by Entrepreneur Magazine. Later that year on December 27, 1995, he appeared as a guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show.

In 1996, Simmons and his company worked closely with the network design and infrastructure of MCI’s Internet Backbone, adding over 13,000 ports and bringing its effective bandwidth speed from 155 Mbps to 622 Mbps worldwide. He also worked with the National Science Foundation (NSF) and MCI on the initial design and infrastructure of Internet2, a dynamic, robust, and cost-effective hybrid optical and packet network capable of supporting bandwidth speeds in excess of 100 Gbps.

In 1997, Simmons appeared in a cover story titled "Generation Techs" along with Yahoo! co-founder Jerry Yang in Income Opportunities magazine.

In 1998, Simmons worked with Philippe Kahn (creator of the first camera phone) on the Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) open standards platform which allows users to capture, view, annotate, and share multimedia content to and from mobile phones, email addresses, regardless of the device, file type, or service provider.

In 1999, Simmons worked with Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) on the Internet Domain Name Shared Registry System project featuring five initial test registrars.

In 2000, Simmons worked with International Telecommunication Union (ITU) on the final specifications and adoption of the V.92 and V.90 modem standards. Previously, he worked with modem manufacturers 3Com, US Robotics, Lucent, and Rockwell on such other modem standards as V.FC, V.34, V.42, X2, and K56Flex.

In 2001, Simmons worked with a team of network engineers to complete the first uncompressed real-time HDTV gigabit transmission across a wide-area IP network. The IP network used was Internet2, which he helped design 5 years earlier.

In 2002, Simmons worked as senior IT project manager and designer for building the Broadcast IT infrastructure for CBS TV affiliate, KPSP-TV (CD) in Thousand Palms, California which needed to be built and go on-air in less than six months. KPSP-CD original owner was Jackie Lee Houston, and was given to her as a gift from her husband Jim Houston. The Houston's are one of the highest-profile philanthropists and socialites in the Coachella Valley.

Simmons has been a member of organizations such as Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP), Association of Online Professionals (AOP), Software Publishers Association (SPA), Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), MIT World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), World Wide Web Foundation, Who's Who in the Computer Industry, Who’s Who in the Internet Industry, Computer Press Association, Boston Computer Society, Capital PC Users Group, and many more.

Simmons has contributed articles and technical works for publications such as CNET, PC Magazine, Boardwatch Magazine, Computer Currents, Computer Shopper, Microsoft Press, Dvorak's Guide books published by Osborne/McGraw-Hill, and many more.

Simmons has appeared in hundreds of newspapers, magazines, radio and television programs worldwide, including The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, The Washington Post, San Jose Mercury News, The Desert Sun, USA Today, Boardwatch, PC Magazine, Entrepreneur Magazine, Forbes, KPSI-AM NewsTalk 920, CNN, KPSP-LP Local 2 (CBS), KESQ NewsChannel 3 (ABC), and The Oprah Winfrey Show.

Simmons was born 4/8/78 to Maria S. Simmons (mother) and Perry A. LaSpina (father), they are now divorced. His father (a retired auto-dealer) currently resides in Fernandina Beach on the very beautiful and prestigious Amelia Island in N.E. Florida and his mother currently resides in Naples, Florida. His father now appraises collector cars for the Concours d'Elegance and R.M. Auctions every March at the Ritz Carlton Hotel. He has two siblings, his younger brother, Joshua L. LaSpina received a full-scholarship to play college football for the University of W. Virginia in 2009. His younger sister, Nina Ann Simmons resides in Palm Desert, California. His aunt, Allene Simmons passed away in Wellington, West Palm Beach, Florida on February 2, 2012 after a long fight with cancer. She was a professional interior decorator and in her early years she was an actress. One of her famous roles was playing Jackie in the 1982 hit movie comedy Porky's. She was also known to have had a relationship with George Hamilton (actor). His grandmother, Nina Simmons (the widow of Allene T. Simmons) is a former radio host and is now retired and enjoys traveling around the world abroad.

Simmons currently resides in Palm Springs, California.