The enormity of the changes experienced in the geopolitical and international security environments are equaled, if not surpassed by, the changes brought about by advances in technology associated with the Information Age. These advances have created an Information Age transformation that is unparalleled and is why Information Age Transformation has been chosen for this year's Symposium theme.

Much has been written about the impacts of information and telecommunications technologies on individuals, organizations, and societies. By bringing together experts from both the operational and technical communities of several countries, this Symposium seeks to explore the nature of Information Age Transformation and how we can understand the concerns and remedies related to advances in information technology today, tomorrow, and beyond.

The 8th International Command and Control Research and Technology Symposium (ICCRTS) will span 3 days and include both keynote and plenary speakers, in addition to 137 technical presentations from several countries. The keynote and plenary sessions, along with the technical presentations, are representative of military, government, academic, and industrial communities, and will address the concerns related to Information Age Transformation and the impact on command and control issues.

The 8th ICCRTS venue is of particular interest. National Defense University (NDU) is the premier joint professional military educational institution of the United States and an Information Age university for national security leaders. It is perfectly situated to host this year's event.

The proceedings are available on CD ROM and downloadable from the CCRP Web site: www.dodccrp.org.

Dr. David S. Alberts
Director, Research and Strategic Planning
OASD (NII)