ach year we get a chance to recognize the companies we believe best exemplify the ideals of true knowledge management—the ones whose products and services continue to fundamentally transform the way organizations operate. As I outlined on page 1 of our previous issue, we assemble an informal committee to keep their eyes on companies that show promise for inclusion. We chat and e-mail, all the while sharing the success stories we hear about. And beginning in December, we start honing our list down from more than 1,000 to 100.

Everyone involved in the process has his or her prejudices, of course, but we set those aside (for the most part) and assemble what you see here—100 companies whose products and services best meet the needs of our readership. I’m sure not all of you are familiar with each company, but I’d wager you’re knowledgeable about a good majority of them. And I promise that each of you can find a solution to critical business problems through the products and services of at least one of these companies.

I've described in the past the criteria behind the selection process, so there’s no need to plow that ground again. I will say, though, that one quality unites each of the companies here: They listen to their customers. Long gone are the days of developing elegant software in a vacuum and expecting the world to beat a path to the door. Decision makers and users are far more savvy than even a year ago, and these companies honestly realize that without their customers they would be nothing.

The process for assembling next year’s list has already begun, and we welcome input from you, our customers.

We urge you to spend some time on the Web sites of this year’s list of 100 Companies That Matter in Knowledge Management.

And in our special View From the Top section, you can read the stories of many of the companies listed. There, CEOs and other top officials talk about how their solutions help customers achieve their business goals.