For 15 years, the InformationWeek 500 has tracked the IT practices of the nation's largest and most innovative IT organizations. This annual study identifies the best technology and business practices of companies that demonstrate patterns of technological, procedural, and organizational innovation. Core areas of operations are examined, including IT budgets, technology deployment, E-business, customer knowledge, infrastructure, and business and technology strategies.

This year's study was fielded primarily on the Web by NOP World's U.S. research unit, RoperNOP. The ranking methodology is based on a proprietary weighting system created by InformationWeek editors. In cases where we received incomplete qualifying questionnaires and InformationWeek editors believed that a company merited inclusion on our list, these companies were ranked on the basis of revenue and other qualifying factors.

Although InformationWeek 500 candidates reveal key elements of spending plans and budgets during the research process, the data is aggregated by industry for benchmarking purposes; individual responses are never disclosed. A complete report that encompasses everything published here, plus much more, is available at informationweekresearch.com.

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