Identifying The Innovators:How Companies Are Ranked

Spanning 21 industries and a universe of large U.S. companies, the InformationWeek 500 provides unrivaled insight into the business-technology practices of the nation's most innovative IT users. To qualify for the study, a company completed a comprehensive qualifying application that detailed management priorities, technology strategies, staffing initiatives, and budget plans. InformationWeek editors authored the application and chose the criteria used in the selection process. They also created the proprietary weighting system used to identify and rank the innovators. Companies that filled out the qualifying application completely scored consistently higher than those that didn't.

We would like to thank CIC Research, which hosted the online application and assisted in compiling the 2004 research results. Special thanks also go to Hoover's Online (www.hoovers.com), which provided financial information about eligible companies.

Although InformationWeek 500 candidates reveal key elements about their operations, information is disclosed only in aggregate across the top 100 sites and the full 500 companies, and by industry. Individual company responses are never divulged.

To have your company considered for next year's study, please send an E-mail to [email protected].

Return to main story, InformationWeek 500 Overview: Measure Up, Or Move Out

Photographs by Pete McArthur