FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK

By Trish Williams, EditorA huge Army contract to build a communications infrastructure for its tactical command and control systems is drawing some of the biggest names in the business, and for good reason.Known as the Warfighter Information Network - Tactical (WIN-T), the effort promises the winning team a prize of $5.2 billion over the next 15 years.Add in the fact that the winners get bragging rights to a major systems integration job from an esteemed customer and it is clear why General Dynamics Corp. and TRW Inc. wasted no time chasing prime roles for this effort.On the sidelines for now but following the contract closely are the likes of AT&T Corp., Boeing Co., Litton-PRC Inc., Lockheed Martin Corp. and Raytheon Co., reports Washington Technology Staff Writer Nick Wakeman in a cover story on the contest. Check out his story for a close look at the two teams that already have declared battle in this procurement, which is part of the military's effort to create a digitized battlefield.With this issue, I would like to introduce two new columnists to Washington Technology. Jerry Grossman, managing director of Houlihan Lokey Howard & Zukin's McLean, Va., office, will pen a new column called Market Watch, which makes its debut on page 10. Grossman's perch at the investment banking services company gives him authority to discuss issues and strategies that affect the growth, performance and value of government technology companies as well as the pricing and performance of such companies relative to commercial market companies with similar services, skill sets and technology platforms.His column will be appear in every other issue, rotating with the Market Share column written by Bill Loomis, managing director of the Technology Research Group at Legg Mason Wood Walker Inc. in Baltimore. Loomis' long-standing column is keyed to Washington Technology's TechTicker, which tracks the stock activity of leading integrators and distributors. And do not miss this issue's Infotech and the Law column by Devon Hewitt, a partner of Government Contracts at the law firm ShawPittman, also in McLean. Hewitt's piece on page 20 takes a look at the growing number of Internet companies dotting the Washington region and elsewhere that now must consider rules that typically applied only to government contractors.williams@pnbi.comXXXSPLITXXX-