Re:Viewing 2006: Looking back - and forward

silicon.com's end-of-year stories wrap up the highlights of 2006 and hint at what's to come in 2007.

Sector round-ups:

Mobile and Wireless
Convergence finally took hold. 'Quad-players' were born. Mobile TV, some fetching handsets and plenty of 'free' services launched. Jo Best wraps up the highlights.

Security
The year lacked 'old school' security scares but saw the biggest threats to our data mature. Sophisticated, targeted attacks are the future. Will Sturgeon looks back.

Outsourcing
2006 was about India (again), the rise of China and embracing 'multi-sourcing'. But, says Andy McCue, outsourcing remains a contentious and divisive issue.

Public Sector
Will the public sector ever learn? 2006 was ruled by two mega IT projects which both received opposition from their intended users. Steve Ranger chronicles the year.

Financial Services
Outsourcing, security and compliance dominated once again while biometric payments, robo-trading and 'green' workstations spiced up the mix, says Tim Ferguson.

Retail and Leisure
Chip and PIN. RFID. Contactless payments. Wi-fi. The sector was rife with new technologies - not to mention a new Microsoft rival. Gemma Simpson reports.

Best of:

Stories of the year
What the year will be remembered for

Photos of the year
The best snaps from the past 12 months

CIO quotes of the year
Straight from the horse's mouth

Commentary:

Leader: The big issues of 2006
It's about more than just bits and bytes

The Yearly Round-Up
"There's no one quite like Grandma..."

Peter Cochrane's Christmas Wish List
A few things that would make a big difference

Upwardly Mobile: Jo Best's Christmas List
Dear Santa - Please no more lumps of coal

Etc:

Caption Competition 9: Intrigue at the Tower of London
Can you explain this unusual pair?