Technological innovations: endless possibilities. (In focus: a message from the editors).

Thanks to advancements in information technology, we can do things today that some of us never dreamed possible a mere 10 or 15 years ago. We can communicate with colleagues around the world without picking up a telephone; we can conduct business without opening our doors; and we can store massive amounts of data that are -- theoretically, anyway -- easy to retrieve at any given time.

Indeed, the amount of information at our fingertips -- and the task of managing it -- is staggering. Given the speed of innovation, it is imperative that records and information management (RIM) professionals stay abreast of information technology advances and the trends they create. Many of these current trends are the focus of articles in this issue of the Journal.

We begin by looking at how information technology is shaping our profession by changing executives' expectations of the role information management professionals play within the enterprise. In "The Writing on the Wall," we get a glimpse of what is ahead for RIM professionals in light of the changing role of chief information officers and the emerging trend of integrating RIM and information systems functions.

Several technology innovations are the focus of Alan Andolsen's article "On the Horizon." This article provides both short- and long-term views of the technologies that are changing the business landscape. Wireless technology is just one of five technologies Andolsen profiles that has the potential to profoundly impact information management within the next couple of years.

Phase two of the Internet has captured the attention of technology futurist Arthur Esch in "Internet II: The Adventure Continues." As this technology moves into its next stage of development, enabling traditional business functions, such as marketing, customer service, and human resources, to be shifted to the Internet, it brings new challenges and opportunities for businesses and information management professionals alike.

Another challenge associated with the information technology advancements of the past two decades is how to preserve data and ensure its continued access. "Back to the Future" may be a better title for Jeff Rothenberg's "Preservation of the Times," which describes how future access of digital artifacts can be accomplished through emulation. Rothenberg discusses the advantages and disadvantages of using emulation, and he provides two alternative approaches to running emulators.

To round out this look at technology trends, we have included articles on customer relationship management, enterprise application integration, and automated classification and indexing. Each of the articles examine how these innovations directly impact how information is managed enterprise-wide.

Although some of these articles may only scratch the surface, they do have one thing in common: they all present new challenges and opportunities for RIM professionals who want to increase their value and contribution to their enterprises. These are definitely exciting times!