When we sat down late last year to create the editorial calendar for 2009, we deliberated on how appropriate a year this would be to schedule an issue where we would focus on effective user deployment of technology. On the one hand we had the slowdown staring at us in the face, with companies not being too thrilled about spending money on new IT projects; while, on the other, it was argued that this would be the perfect time as vendors and solution providers would go to great lengths to close a sale, which could mean they might throw in a whole lot of add-on products and services to entice the user to buy their key products.

Standing at the edge of innovation to stare into the abyss beyond requires not only foresight but also conviction of ones abilities. Discarding big brand names to create inexpensive solutions which ensure that the task is achieved, requires not only conviction about the technology being deployed, but it also means putting your reputation on the line. This is in no way to suggest that products and services under the umbrella of big brand names do not deliver what they promise, or are ineffective.

As our tribute to those who think out of the box, we have created EDGE, an acronym for Enterprises Driving Growth and Excellence through IT. The search that we have initiated will highlight those unique deployments that have harnessed various technologies in their purest form, to deliver the maximum business impact.
For our readers, this will be a rare insight into the minds of those who deploy technology as an actual, on-the-ground working solution; the best analogy of what technology fits where. A cut though the haze of jargon to put things in perspective.

Since this will be our first such effort, we are aware that we will falter, stumble and fall, but our grit will tide us through. The perseverance will pay off.
We at Network Computing, look forward to this effort.