But we all knew it had to end sometime. The only solace we can take from this past year is that every business sector experienced what the technology space went through. Consider these lean months a learning experience: Steering a business through tough financial times is an art requiring skills that can be acquired only at the school of hard knocks. We now live in an economy where survival is key--making it through each quarter by hitting revenue projections is sometimes more important than having the next "killer app." But times will get better, and if you're an optimist like me, you expect the economy to come full circle and propel us back to the heady days once again. All you need to do is hang tough.

That's where this special issue of Network Computing can help. Just as we did for 2001, we've set out to give our loyal readers some key insight and strategies to survive 2002. We have detailed content in each of our core areas of technology coverage, written by Network Computing editors--people with real-world IT experience who provide key industry insights. No other publication can match our experience and knowledge across so many technology areas, delivered in a manner geared specifically to you, the IT professional. Together we'll not just survive but thrive during 2002.