As we near the dawn of a new millennium, advances made possible by computing, information, and communications research and development R and D ? once barely noticeable to the general public ? are reaching dramatically past the scientists, engineers, and educators who fostered them, forever transforming every aspect of our work and our lives in ways that are exciting but unpredictable. Seemingly overnight, the Industrial Age has become the Information Age, and a shining future beckon on the horizon, a future where neither distance, disability, nor economic difficulties will be barriers to a brighter tomorrow. All citizens, wherever they may live or work, will have equal access to the developing knowledge and learning tools that will assure U.S. competitiveness and economic well-being far into the next century. Much of this promising future is a direct result of decades of investments in information technology research by the Federal government, working cooperatively with academia and the private sector.