What's in your crystal ball?

How would you like to be Dick Rowe? He's the Decca Records executive who in early 1962 turned down a chance to sign The Beatles, famously asserting that "groups with guitars are on their way out."With technology changing as rapidly as teen-agers' musical tastes, high-tech companies face constant pressure not only to stay current, but to correctly forecast technological innovations and trends that may not bear fruit for years to come.In our cover story, Staff Writer Joab Jackson examines four new technologies that could dramatically shape applications and solutions in the government market: Internet Protocol version 6, dynamic frequency allocation, 64-bit processing and the Semantic Web.While widespread adoption of these technologies is neither immediate nor entirely certain, integrators ignore them at their own risk. The reward for 20/20 foresight includes new products, new markets and new customers.Rowe, I'm sure, had limited resources and had to choose carefully which performers he signed.Joab's story could help you decide how much of your time and resources to devote to these emerging technologies.