I love technology. Whether the technology is a new product, a new development method, a new process, or even a new tool, I enjoy learning about, studying, and using it. The word technology itself seems so encompassing. It is the creative element for engineers and scientists, the power behind programming, and the glue that bonds the triad of people, process, and product. Most importantly, technology allows adults to connect with their inner child and play with a new toy. Since I'm a part of the Software Technology Support Center, I believe I have a responsibility to stay abreast of the latest hardware, software, etc. However, I'm often accused of playing with toys. My response is invariably, "I'm just doing my job."

At home, my quest to work with new technology has allowed me to become skilled at home repair. I gladly assist in fixing anything broken, but one must have the proper tools to do the proper job. Searching for the prop- er tools can be a time-consuming process, which I have found from actual experience can consume the better part of a Saturday morning. I try to explain to my wife that selecting the proper tools is part of project planning. I think she believes me.

In this month's CrossTalk , we spotlight some new technologies by featuring some of the presentations from the 2004 Systems and Software Technology Conference (SSTC) held April 19-22 in Salt Lake City. The conference allowed thousands of professionals a chance to learn about new technologies related to building systems and software, and gave them some new tools to use. If you missed SSTC, this issue provides some highlights.

If you develop systems, don't miss the discussion of the Win-Win Spiral Development Model by Dr. Barry Boehm, A. Winsor Brown, Dr. Victor Basili, and Dr. Richard Turner in Spiral Acquisition of Software-Intensive Systems of Systems. Next, Gregory S. Shelton, Randy Case, Louis P. DiPalma, and Dan Nash share information regarding the ontology of various architectures in Advanced Software Technologies for Protecting America. In Bridging Agile and Traditional Development Methods:A Project Management Perspective by Paul E. McMahon, you will learn about strategies for managing a project based on agile development methods. Next, Udai K. Kudikyala and Dr. Rayford B. Vaughn Jr. explain some of the issues that relate to pathfinder networks in Understanding Software Requirements Using Pathfinder Networks. Dr. Richard Bechtold details some of the pitfalls of testing com- mercial off-the-shelf products in Efficient and Effective Testing of Multiple COTS-Intensive Systems. Also, don't miss Theron R. Leishman's and Dr. David A. Cook's discus- sion of managing risks in Risk Factor: Confronting the Risks That Impact Software Project Success.

I hope this issue of CrossTalk sparks an idea or two that will be useful to you in your work. It may not be as fun as a trip to Home Depot, but it won't require an entire Saturday morning either. As for me, I'm off to explore more technology.