In November, voters sent the message that they wanted changes in Washington, D.C. As a result, when the 110th Congress convenes this month, there will be new Democratic leadership controlling the House and Senate. While it’s too early to tell exactly how that will affect security legislation, it will clearly affect which measures go forward and what specifics get into those bills. Industry regulation—as opposed to voluntary compliance—and individual privacy safeguards are likely to get more support than in the prior Congress, for example, though the thin margins will militate against any radical shifts in direction. We’ll be watching closely and keeping you apprised of the developments.

Security Management is taking the opportunity of a new year to implement some changes of our own. With these modifications, we continue to refine our redesign with the goal of making information more accessible, relevant, and useful to busy readers.

One change is an addition to the magazine’s monthly departments. Aptly named “International,” it will give you the global perspective on business and security developments that today’s interconnected world demands (see page 42). The department will be written by Assistant Editor Robert Elliott, who previously covered our homeland security beat. As someone who has lived in France and Argentina and traveled extensively, Elliott brings authoritative firsthand insight to his coverage of other cultures.

Picking up the homeland security beat since late last year is a new addition to the staff, Joe Straw, who has nearly a decade of experience in journalism, including experience reporting on the White House, the Supreme Court, and Congress. He strengthens an already strong editorial staff, many of whom have been specializing in security issues for more than a decade.

Another important addition to the editorial mix is a second monthly chart on security market trends. This exclusive proprietary information is from the well-respected market research and management consulting firm J.P. Freeman Co., Inc. Started in 1983 by Joseph P. Freeman, the company publishes comprehensive market reports and provides a wide range of services. These monthly charts will help readers understand and plan for market shifts. The Freeman charts, along with the market information currently provided monthly by The Freedonia Group, Inc., will appear in “Intelligence.”

Other more modest changes that you may notice is that the former “Working Wise” has been renamed “Case Study” to more clearly tell readers its focus. In addition “Managing” moves to the back of the book, replacing “Notable and Quotable.”

Security Management will also be introducing an ancillary product, the Security Management Video Edition, later in 2007. Look for more on this in the coming months. In addition, we’ll be updating the Web site, and we welcome suggestions on ways to make it more useful to you, so don’t hesitate to e-mail ideas to sharowitz@asisonline.org [1]. May your New Year be a good one.