From the Editor's Desk

By Trish Williams, EditorLooking out at trends shaping the national information technology landscape in the government arena, a few things ring clear.Government organizations at all levels are racing to adopt commercial business models and to jump on the Internet bandwagon as quickly as possible, all in the name of efficiency and delivering improved services to the citizens.And as government officials seek to overhaul their images with taxpayers, online tax filing is an increasingly attractive option. Among its benefits, online filing offers immediate payment of taxes and quick refunds for citizens, while reducing paperwork and improving accuracy within the agencies.Washington Technology Staff Writer Steve LeSueur takes a close look at the governments and industry players taking the first steps with online tax filing projects, which are just beginning in earnest. Four large integrators, Andersen Consulting, American Management Systems, IBM Corp. and Unisys Corp., are leading the charge. But industry experts predict the majority of states will start something soon.In another cover story, Raytheon Co.'s information systems division chief discusses his strategy to land contracts that crown his unit the fastest-growing division in the company.Frank Marchilena tells Staff Writer Nick Wakeman that his Command, Control, Communication and Information Systems Division is chasing high profile efforts, such as the Air Force's $1.5 billion integrated space command and control contract.Thanks to a restructuring late last year, Marchilena now reports directly to Raytheon Chief Executive Officer Dan Burnham. Such network centric warfare projects will be the division's bread and butter as the company strives to improve its financial performance and restore its reputation on Wall Street. XXXSPLITXXX-