Information technology permeates every aspect of education—from instruction, research, and service, to the infrastructure that supports operations. Students, faculty, staff, and patrons increasingly rely on computers and networks for research, scholarship and to perform administrative tasks. IT touches students at every point along the path of their educational experience—including informational Web pages, registering for classes on-line, monitoring financial account activity, and using IT in the learning environment—through either distance learning or the classroom setting.

Various mandates to improve service to citizens, businesses and other governments, and to enhance interagency data sharing for the public benefit are changing public sector IT strategies. Additionally, public sector enterprises are trying to launch these improvements with stagnant or reduced budgets and increased regulatory and security requirements. Accordingly, the public sector is looking to take advantage of automated systems and new communications media to eliminate inefficiencies and provide services more effectively.

Healthcare is one of the largest information industries in the world. Technology presents many opportunities to advance healthcare delivery and administration. Furthermore, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the increasing computerization of medical information (including picture archiving and communications systems, or PACS, for diagnostic imaging), the trend toward a "paperless" environment, and the vision of a lifetime electronic patient record are driving healthcare system needs for document retention, and data access and integrity controls. So are the complex array of applications that support clinical, financial and back-office functions, Accordingly, healthcare organizations are demanding IT solutions that address their operational needs and cost issues.

Data growth currently affects small and midsize businesses (SMBs) more than any other sector. We were among the first IT solution providers in Kentucky to recognize that SMBs need to change the way they manage their information. For example, server and storage consolidation can drive out cost and complexity of IT infrastructures while helping SMBs respond more rapidly and flexibly to market changes.