If you're familiar with our sister publications, including Java Developer's Journal, .NET Developer's Journal, and WebSphere Developer's Journal, then you know the extremely high standards for content we strive for at SYS-CON Media. LWM will be no different. We'll be working hard every issue to help you understand what's happening in the Linux world.

But really, our goal is more ambitious than that. It seems you can get information on Linux everywhere today - not a day goes by without more Linux news hitting the wires and popping up on technology sites. We don't want to add to the noise. We want to rise above it and tell you what's important. We want to help you learn how to maximize the impact of Linux.

So finding information on Linux is easy. But finding value from Linux is harder. It requires you to know which actions to take and, sometimes more important, when to take them. That's where LWM comes in. That's the value we provide to you.

We talk to the industry experts. We have relationships both high and deep inside the companies that are changing the technology landscape using Linux. For example, when Larry Ellison needed to know how Oracle Corporation could benefit from Linux, he asked Wim Coekaerts to investigate for him. Wim now leads Oracle's Linux technology group - and he's here in the premier issue of LWM as well.

IBM is getting into Linux in a big, industry-changing way. They run Linux on a whole range of hardware, from low-end workstations all the way up to the mainframe. They have an entire portfolio of applications that run under Linux and literally thousands of software developers working on Linux. Scott Handy is director of Linux Software Solutions for IBM and when you hear IBM discussing Linux, it's most likely Scott doing the talking. If you're interested in what Scott thinks are the low hanging fruit' projects with which companies can get started and realize great returns using Linux, you need to check out our interview with Scott here in the premier issue of LWM.

Interested in why you should migrate to Linux? Why not get the word straight from Gaël Duval, creator of Mandrake Linux and cofounder of MandrakeSoft? Gaël is a member of our International Board of Advisors and authored the article "Why Migrate to Linux?" that appears in this issue.

Have you been looking for a straight head-to-head comparison of Windows and Linux for use as a desktop operating system? You should read "Introduction to the Linux Desktop" by Mark Hinkle, also in this issue. Mark does a great job comparing the two side by side, with screen shots and application notes. Mark is vice president of operations for NeTraverse, a consulting company specializing in Windows-to-Linux migrations, and is on the Formation Board of the Desktop Linux Consortium.

We'll also be bringing you useful and practical information on other important projects in the open source community. For example, in this issue Alan Williamson (editor-in-chief of Java Developer's Journal, and deputy editor of LWM) interviews Eric Allman, the original developer of sendmail, the open source e-mail processing application that dominates e-mail processing on the Internet. And in "Linux Virtual Private Networking Fundamentals," JC Utter, president of ImageStream Internet Solutions, and Josh Snyder, also of ImageStream, go over the pros and cons of using Poptop, one of the most popular Linux VPN server solutions, which is fully open source and free. Want to know when it makes sense to use Poptop and when it won't meet your needs? JC and Josh lay it all out to help you make an informed decision.

What do all of these articles have in common? They're all written by experts and they all give you firsthand, practical information on what's really important.

Linux has arrived. It's ready for prime time. Think of us as your source of information on what the real opportunities are, how to leverage them, and how to manage the associated risks. Linux is poised for an explosion of growth in the next 18-24 months - we'll have the thought leaders here, helping you make sense of it all.

Thanks again for picking us up. Hang on for a wild ride!

• LinuxWorld