Sylvia Carr, silicon.com analysis & reports editor and panel chairman
This year is Sylvia's second as the Agenda Setters host and her third editing the annual project. One of the editorial team for silicon.com, she oversees all non-news content including columnists, special reports and analysis. Sylvia has nearly 10 years' experience in business and technology journalism, eight of which have been spent at CNET Networks publications.

Kate Bulkley, journalist
Kate is an award-winning business journalist specialising in the media and telecommunications sectors and with experience on TV and radio and in print. She regularly contributes to national UK newspapers as well as specialist titles. Kate has served as international editor for Cable World magazine and was a correspondent on CNBC Europe from 1998 to 2001. She is the chairman of the Broadcasting Press Guild. This is her third time on the Agenda Setters panel.

Peter Cochrane, consultant
Peter is a silicon.com columnist, consultant, business advisor and investor. As part of a career in telecoms spanning 38 years, he was the former chief technologist and head of research at BT. Peter has also been the professor for the public Understanding of Science and Technology at the University of Bristol. This is his first year on the Agenda Setters panel.

Tony Hallett, silicon.com editor and site director
Tony has taken part in the Agenda Setters panel for six of the seven years silicon.com has undertaken the annual project - three times as panel host and four consecutive years as editor. One of the editorial team behind the launch of silicon.com in 1998, Tony is now responsible for all silicon.com content.

Mark Kobayashi-Hillary, outsourcing expert
Mark is a writer, researcher and teacher with expertise in outsourcing and offshoring. He's a board member on the National Outsourcing Association, a founding member of the British Computer Society and lecturer at South Bank University. This is his first appearance on the Agenda Setters panel.

Clive Longbottom, analyst
Clive is service director at analyst house Quocirca where he covers the technologies that facilitate the core processes in companies' value chains - from collaborative tools and service-based architectures to outsourcing and security. An IT analyst for more than 10 years including a stint as VP at Meta Group, Clive has served on the Agenda Setters panel four times.

David Naylor, lawyer
David is a partner at Field Fisher Waterhouse, one of the premier law firms working in the IP and technology sectors. His areas of legal expertise include intellectual property, ecommerce, online liability and communications regulations. This is his second time on the Agenda Setters panel.

Benjamin Schmittzehe, consultant
Benjamin is chief executive and UK partner of Schmittzehe & Partners, a consultancy which focuses on business issues in China. He has 15 years of experience in general management, corporate and business development roles at companies such as Microsoft and the Swire Group. This is his first year on the Agenda Setters panel.

Richard Sykes, consultant
The chairman of several start-ups and also a not-for-profit arts venture, Richard chairs the Outsourcing and Offshoring Group at Intellect, the UK IT, telecoms and electronics industry trade association. He is a champion of services over technologies. A 27-year veteran at ICI, where he finished his career as Group VP IT, and for five years chair of the sourcing consultancy Morgan Chambers, Richard worked with Ralph Nader in the US in the early 1970s, and is unique in that he has served on every Agenda Setters panel.

Phil Young, IT director
Phil is head of IT operations for Amtrak Express Parcels, a position he's held for the past four years. Previously he ran his own IT consulting business specialising in programme management and has worked in IT for more than 20 years, as an engineer, analyst and lecturer. This is his first time on the Agenda Setters panel.

Process
The panel convened in central London on 29 August 2006. Post-discussion, all 10 panellists chose 20 Agenda Setters in order. Results were aggregated to come up with the final top 50.