Editor's Note

OUTSOURCING can be a taxing experience at best. Whether it's a single project or your entire technology infrastructure, there's a lot at stake. With technology the number three expenditure for most firms, the wrong decision (of hardware, software, or consultant) can cost dearly, and not only in the pocketbook.

How can you best choose consultants, and how can you maximize your investment once you've decided to use outside help? Consultants Catherine Pennington Paunov, Dale Tincher, and Rick Herron offer concrete suggestions for finding and using consultants, and for the best training options.

Also on this month's agenda: We tackle time-and-billing issues in our Second Opinions, SO/HO and Compare & Contrast columns. We also take a look at storage trends, and research options, in addition to our usual panoply of information about the latest products and services.

Next month: Reports on Bill Gates' San Francisco launch of Windows 2000; financing technology; "What's Hot in Handhelds;" and much more! Stay tuned!

Cordially,

Monica Bay
Editor-in-Chief