A message from the Editor

Welcome to the new Nextgov. We’ve redesigned the website to better showcase our award-winning journalism and bring you a broader array of information about technology and the business of government.

While the new site is a dramatic visual departure from our previous design, the improvements are more than cosmetic. We’ve made a significant investment in expanding the breadth and depth of our coverage and you’ll find it’s much easier to share the information you find here, using Twitter, Facebook and other social tools. There will be more video and photos, as well as more voices from experts both inside and outside government. And as always, we encourage you to give us your feedback and engage in discussions in the comments section on each article.

These are critical times for federal agencies and the services they deliver, nearly all of which involve technology in one form or another. The White House estimates agencies will spend $80 billion on IT this year. This goes way beyond the CIO shop. As the Nextgov editor, I believe it’s critical that we continue to tell that larger story. If we’re just covering widgets and gizmos for the sake of writing about interesting things, we’re not doing our job. Technology matters. It matters to taxpayers, to government leaders, and to the individuals who depend on what agencies buy and how they use it -- soldiers in Afghanistan who count on surveillance technology working; Medicare patients who expect hospitals to administer the correct drugs; unemployed engineers looking to fill critical positions posted on USAJobs. The list of stakeholders is long and varied.

However you may have arrived at Nextgov, we’re glad you’re here and we hope you’ll come back frequently. The stories will always change, but our commitment to serving you will remain constant.