The old and new guards

One of the gratifying things about my move from deputy editor to editor of Washington Technology is that it gave me a chance to move someone up into my old spot.That someone is William Welsh, who was our long time state and local reporter. I won't list Welsh's many skills, but I will say that the payoff for promoting him in July is evident on the cover of this issue.Our annual State and Local Who's Who report was a major part of his beat as a reporter. Now, working with his own successor, Ethan Butterfield, Welsh has raised the project to a new level.Butterfield concentrated on the companies on the Who's Who list and how they see the market. His story and sidebars illuminate where the major opportunities are and how the companies are positioning themselves to win more business.Meanwhile, Welsh looked beyond the list at some of the potential rising stars in the state and local market. These companies don't have the $100 million minimum revenue ?some lack the systems integration muscle required ? to crack the Who's Who list. Not yet anyway.The fusion of their efforts in this year's Who's Who package elucidates the vibrancy and magnitude of the state and local market.For any companies eager to break into this growing market ? worth an estimated $47.3 billion this year ? or companies eager to increase their share of it, this issue is a must read.