# Eric Allman

> American computer programmer

**Wikidata**: [Q92967](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q92967)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Allman)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/eric-allman

## Summary
Eric Allman is an American computer programmer and software engineer best known for creating Sendmail, a foundational email transport agent. He studied at the University of California, Berkeley, and has made lasting contributions to internet infrastructure.

## Biography
- Born: September 2, 1955, in El Cerrito, California
- Nationality: United States
- Education: University of California, Berkeley
- Known for: Creating Sendmail, a widely used email transport agent
- Employer(s): Sendmail, Inc. (founder); University of California, Berkeley (alumnus)
- Field(s): Computer programming, software engineering, computer science

## Contributions
Eric Allman is the creator of Sendmail, an email transport agent that became the backbone of email delivery on the early internet. Developed in the 1980s while he was at UC Berkeley, Sendmail processed a large percentage of global email traffic for decades and remains in use today. He founded Sendmail, Inc. in 1998 to commercialize the software and provide enterprise support. Allman has also contributed to the development of syslog, a standard for message logging in Unix systems. His work has been recognized with honors including induction into the Internet Hall of Fame in 2014 and designation as an ACM Distinguished Member in 2009.

## FAQs
### Q: What is Eric Allman best known for?
A: He is best known for creating Sendmail, a foundational email transport agent used widely across the internet.

### Q: Where did Eric Allman study?
A: He studied at the University of California, Berkeley.

### Q: Has Eric Allman received any major awards?
A: Yes, he was inducted into the Internet Hall of Fame in 2014 and named an ACM Distinguished Member in 2009.

## Why They Matter
Eric Allman's creation of Sendmail was instrumental in shaping how email operates on the internet. Sendmail became the de facto standard for email routing and delivery, enabling reliable communication across diverse networks and systems. His work laid the groundwork for modern email infrastructure, influencing both open-source and commercial software development. By founding Sendmail, Inc., he also helped bridge the gap between academic research and enterprise software, ensuring the sustainability and evolution of his innovations.

## Notable For
- Creator of Sendmail, a foundational email transport agent
- Inducted into the Internet Hall of Fame (2014)
- ACM Distinguished Member (2009)
- Contributor to the development of syslog
- Founder of Sendmail, Inc.

## Body
### Early Life and Education
Eric Allman was born on September 2, 1955, in El Cerrito, California. He attended the University of California, Berkeley, where he began his work on email and network software.

### Creation of Sendmail
While at UC Berkeley in the 1980s, Allman developed Sendmail, an email transport agent that became the backbone of email delivery on the early internet. Sendmail processed a large percentage of global email traffic for decades and remains in use today.

### Professional Impact
Allman founded Sendmail, Inc. in 1998 to commercialize the software and provide enterprise support. His work on Sendmail and syslog has had a lasting impact on internet infrastructure and Unix-based systems.

### Recognition
His contributions have been recognized with honors including induction into the Internet Hall of Fame in 2014 and designation as an ACM Distinguished Member in 2009.

## References

1. Integrated Authority File
2. [Source](http://www.mckusick.com/~mckusick/index.html)
3. [Source](https://www.internethalloffame.org/inductee/eric-allman/)
4. [Source](https://awards.acm.org/distinguished-members/award-winners)
5. International Standard Name Identifier
6. Virtual International Authority File
7. CiNii Research
8. Česko-Slovenská filmová databáze
9. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
10. IdRef