I’d like to thank everyone for the feedback and kind words about our premier issue. I found it both complimentary and encouraging. So in this issue, number two, we’re pledging to try even harder to deliver more ROI (Reader Opportunity Information) every month.

It’s been my experience that business decisions have been based on the other ROI (Return on Investment) since… forever! But now we have an official race to the ROI bottom line.

The WebSphere Developer’s Journal is not one to turn its back on the latest trends. We like to jump right into the mix, too. We have all sorts of opinions and commentary, facts and figures, all with the thought that developers, system administrators, ISVs, executives, and market analysts need this kind of knowledge to make sound business decisions.

ýI want your time spent with this magazine to reap a healthy return in knowledge. Apply it to what you do every day. We’re trolling the marketplace for valuable insights pertinent to WebSphere and its supporting technologies. This way you’ll get code and technical advice with a dash of business purposefully placed and conveniently contained within this publication.

In this spirit we introduce, “Why They Buy” (see page 18), a recurring column that looks at customer rationale in consummating the deal. Get your customers to the Yes/Yes stage and walk them through the decision process. This information becomes powerful knowledge to the savvy software designer who wants to understand business demands and how a company makes a technology investment.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Don Ferguson, “the Father of WebSphere,” in his Somers, New York, office. He’s a gentleman who understands the business use of technology better than most technical/engineering types. The first part of his interview appears this month. It was an incredible amount of information and clearly requires a continuance in future issues. Don discusses his insight into WebSphere, Portlets, Flow Composition Modeling, and more. He tells us where it may all end up two to three years out. Isn’t that something you’d like to get your hands on?

From where I sit, there’s no better time to be in the WebSphere business than today! I believe that the current U.S. economic condition is a fertile field for the technology sector.

There are unprecedented IT budgets for federal, state, and local governments. Whether it’s for homeland defense, military initiatives, or public safety, there appears to be great opportunity as many government agencies review their ability to protect and serve our citizens. Systems need to be integrated. Architecture needs to be reassessed. Standards must be employed. Those holding the purse strings are now better educated in technology. They are also more experienced at preparing bids and understanding how a technology project is implemented.

In the private sector, companies always need to save money. In the push for faster, better, and cheaper (meaning less expensive), the answer is found in leveraging technology.

Begin with improved communications with suppliers. Orders can be placed, manufacturing tracked, and delivery confirmed through WebSphere and its ancillary products. Internally, workflows can be streamlined and peers updated on shared projects. HR can get information disseminated in record speed. Custom portals can deliver the right mix of data to the desktop. Customer service is improved by greater flexibility in comparing data, sharing records, and customizing offers based on up-to-the-moment conditions. And WebSphere is on target to deliver the goods.

IBM has charted its course and we, the developer community, have awakened to the possibilities – the full capabilities of WebSphere in our future. The opportunities are as numerous as we are. Whether it’s in groundbreaking, pervasive inventions, the creation of the many portlets that will combine seamlessly to deliver customized content, or something else just hitting our imaginations, we have the tools and the standards to get the job done.