Eric Knorr

I don't mean to disparage the work that engineers do every day. But many would admit, with rare exception, they take scientists' fundamental research and use it to extend the capabilities of established technologies.

The bigger the house, the harder it is to keep in order. General Motors Corp., number two on the Fortune 500, "has one of the largest system integration challenges of probably anybody on the planet," according to GM's plainspoken CTO, Tony Scott.

"Our primary focus is writing apps that people use all day, every day," says Jeff Murray, proprietor of Jeff Murray's Programming Shop. That's one reason he decided againstrn an HTML interface for his Ryan White CareWare, an application used by more than 250 providers of services to HIV patients in the United States.