We're not even at the end of the first quarter yet, and 2006 seems already to have brought with it as much change in the world of Internet technologies as all four quarters of 2005 combined. Despite the headline-grabbing mega-deals of '05, in '06 the mid-market is still the engine room of technology M&A, with 95% of deals valued at less than $600M - and there have been dozens of them already.

 Many fundamentals seem to be changing too. Whereas private sector compensation increased only about 2% over the 12 months ending December 2005, there's a sense already that in 2006 salaries will maybe rise - IT sector salaries too, especially with the U.S. unemployment rate now having fallen below 5%.

No matter how the economic cycles might ebb and flow, SYS-CON Media's passionate coverage of the i-Technologies that are increasingly shaping our businesses, our education, our society, and therefore our lives remains consistent. We have added AjaxWorld Magazine already this year, along with Web 2.0 Journal; and we have redoubled our effort to offer high-quality education nationwide through SYS-CON Events such as the "Real-World AJAX" series of seminars (in March, April, June, and October) and our innovative conference program: SOA Web Services Edge 2006 Conference & Expo, Enterprise Open Source 2006 Conference & Expo, and AjaxWorld Conference & Expo 2006.

As far as .NET Developer's Journal goes, there is change too, with our esteemed Founding Editor, Derek Ferguson, moving to the position of Mobility Editor in order to permit him to live up to the requirements of his demanding new position as an associate director in the Information Technology Group at Bear Stearns. The incoming editor-in-chief is known to all of you…but rather than steal his thunder here let me allow him to introduce himself next issue.

Besides it is only fitting that the last issue of .NETDJ with Derek as E-i-C be an opportunity for me on behalf of SYS-CON Media to repeat what I have declared elsewhere:

"Even though I have for so many years enjoyed the rare honor of working with top-rate technologists and writers from all over the world, many of them as brilliant at writing as they are at technology, I wouldn't have the slightest hesitation in naming Derek Ferguson to be in the top percentile of achievers within that group: a remarkably gifted communicator and developer - it's a winning combo!"

If anyone is in the slightest doubt as to the width and depth of Derek's accomplishments during his four-year reign in the hot seat, just glance back through your back issues - or trawl through the digital archives at http://dotnet.sys-con.com - and remind yourself how amazingly thorough his interviews were, whether with the Father of C#, Anders Hejlsberg (October 2002 and March 2004), or the vice president of Microsoft's entire Developer Division, "Soma" Somasegar (May 2004).

I know that I speak for Derek when I say that throughout those years he has considered himself privileged to have been supported by such an outstanding collection of Microsoft VIPs and regional directors. It's highly characteristic that he still in his day job - then at Expand Beyond - managed to find time to write code so well that in July 2004, Microsoft named him a Most Valuable Professional (MVP) for the .NET Compact Framework.

The last words of this editorial, as is right and proper, come from Derek himself:

So, here we are in March of 2006, ready for .NETDJ, Phase II. I look forward to being able to read the magazine purely for enjoyment and - like any parent - to see if the "child" I helped to bring into the world is able to exist and, hopefully, even thrive in my absence.

Please continue to be in touch via derek@sys-con.com. I look forward to continuing to see everyone at various industry and Microsoft events. Bear Stearns obligations notwithstanding, I will of course continue to go anywhere that free pizza and soda is provided. :-)

Thanks Derek! We look forward to seeing Mobility articles, news, and commentary featured strongly in .NETDJ in the rest of 2006.

“The art of progress,” said Alfred North Whitehead, “is to preserve order amid change and to preserve change amid order.” Here at .NET Developer’s Journal, we are happy to announce that we’ll with our usual passion be doing just that!