The dating game begins

Business development managers have told me over the years that picking teammates is a lot like dating: You see who you are compatible with, who's easy to work with, what benefits or disadvantages the potential partner brings.Stretching that analogy a little bit, this issue of Washington Technology is like a guide on places to take those dates.From Staff Writer Roseanne Gerin's front-page story on biometrics opportunities to the debut of a new report from market research firm Input Inc., this issue is packed with details and analysis of upcoming opportunities.In Gerin's story, the focus is on the ample biometrics business beyond headline-grabbing projects such as U.S. Visit. Systems integrators and biometrics vendors describe how Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 is driving agencies to spend more. The money isn't going just to fingerprint readers and iris scanners, either. An infrastructure that includes servers and networks is being built.Input today is releasing a report on the Top 20 contracts -- with a combined potential value of $250 billion -- that will be awarded in the next 12 months. You'll want to cut out and tack on your wall the page in our federal section that outlines these contracts and their significance. If your company isn't a prime or on a team for several of these contracts, you might find yourself on the outside looking in on some major IT projects over the next decade.Dating isn't always fun ? but not getting out there just isn't good sense.