Finding the industry linchpins of federal IT

Federal IT, like any corner of government, has its share of inherently governmental functions that fall to agency employees. But vast swaths of government technology are essentially owned and operated by private firms, and rare is the mission that doesn't involve commercial technologies of some sort.

Industry, in other words, is integral to the federal IT community. And in September, FCW will showcase the firms that are truly making their presence felt.

FCW's Hot Companies to Watch is a proudly subjective list. Working with our sister publication Washington Technology, we look for companies that are transforming the business of federal technology in any number of ways. Size alone won't do it, but past companies have claimed their spot on the list by:

• Bringing truly transformative new technologies into federal IT.
• Reshaping the marketplace through acquisitions, mergers or rapid growth.
• Establishing themselves as a partner of choice for other firms.
• Powering a particularly important agency program.
• Winning one or more cornerstone IT contracts.
• Building a team that's especially active and influential in the community.

We've got quite the list already in the works but are open to suggestions. So if there's a company you think has been especially hot in 2016, please email me at tschneider@fcw.com with a few sentences explaining why that firm should be on our radar. Then check out our Sept. 30 issue to see who made the final cut!