This paper explains why Grid is the IT infrastructure solution being used by leading organizations around the world to 
enable this knowledge-based, global economy. It explains the role of grid technologies within the broader distributed 
computing landscape and defines the three common categories of grid use today. It identifies the evolution of Grid 
technologies from application-specific solutions to dynamic, shared and service-oriented infrastructures. Finally, it 
describes the role that the Open Grid Forum plays in accelerating grid adoption in partnership with the grid community 
and the industry at large.