TechCrunch’s Michael Arrington recently published his list of must have web 2.0 applications for 2008. This is the third year the popular tech blogger has created the annual must-have list and you’ll notice that there are some repeats from years past.

Wordpress, the blogging platform (and the engine behind Executive Biz) is one of five web 2.0 application that has made it on the list all three years. “It would be hard to underestimate how much Wordpress makes my life easier. It is the blogging platform that runs all of the TechCrunch network sites, and has been on the list all three years,” Arrington said.

Flickr, the photo sharing website is another three year denizen. It’s been a steady and reliable way to post and share photos online for years. Some users, Arrington included, wish that Flickr and Facebook photos could somehow be housed under one roof. “There should just be one place in the cloud for photos, and all my social networks should access them there,” he said.

There are some new applications this year, one of the most notable is Zoho. Zoho is best described an online office product suite and an affordable solution for small businesses facing costly investments in Microsoft’s Office products. From Wikis, to Calendars, to Presentations – it’s all there and fairly easy to use. Arrington noted Zoho’s spreadsheet application was particularly well used around TechCrunch.

Head over to TechCrunch to check out the full list and don’t hesitate to offer up your must have list in the comments section below.

Many readers had the pleasure of meeting Om Malik when he came into town to speak at the ExecutiveBiz Web 2.0 Conference. I’ve known Om for a few years, and it is heartening to see that he is on the mend after suffering a heart attack on December 28th.

Few bloggers can match Om’s ability to cut through the trends, companies and people driving technology and business, and then disarm the topic in a way readers can consume enthusiastically.

It doesn’t surprise me that Om will look to make the best of the situation with some healthy life adjustments, always a challenge for someone who follows a news cycle that never ends. Om has served as inspiration for many industry bloggers, and while some doctor-ordered rest might be hard to swallow, I think he will emerge better and stronger for it in the long run.

Best wishes on a speedy recovery from the ExecutiveBiz team.

Read a few pages into the Washington Post, Washington Business Journal, the government technology pubs (or the ExecutiveBiz Spotlights) and you are bound to run across the area’s most prominent IT employers announcing billion dollar contract wins, executives outlining their strategic vision or announcing new acquisitions. But beyond the expected - Computer Sciences Corporation, SRA International, Perot Systems Government Services, Stanley, American Systems, Alion Science and Technology and roughly ten others - there are some less familiar names that are employing a significant number of Washington-area information technology professionals.

The Washington Business Journal recently put out their annual 2008 Book of Lists, including the top 25 area information technology employers. Scroll down past the giants and you will find some rising stars popping up increasingly in local conversations. I’ve highlighted a few of those firms below:

#18 - Presidio Networked Solutions (212 Metro Area IT Professionals)

Presidio Networked Solutions, based in Greenbelt, MD, is the largest subsidiary of Presidio, Incorporated, a Value Added Solutions Providers (VASP) focused on advanced technologies for enterprise, commercial and government customers. Presidio Networked Solutions’ focuses on delivering unified communications, wireless, security, optical, telepresence, storage, managed and hosted services as well as supporting network, systems and Microsoft infrastructure solutions.

The company partners with a number of large tech companies, and is especially close with Cisco as it ranks as the eighth largest Cisco partner and third largest Cisco Unified Communications reseller in the country.

As a recent Washington Technology profile points out, Presidio is a recently repositioned umbrella company spawned from M&A activity, and, led by Divisional President Rudy Casasola, Presidio Networked Solutions has nabbed some strategic wins lately - including a NASA Solutions governmentwide acquisition contract for IT services.

#20 - Terrapin Systems (174 Metro Area IT Professionals)

Based on the slew of accolades bestowed upon Terrapin Systems for its work environment, it is clear the executive team at Terrapin Systems puts as much effort into winning over employees as it does clients. Last year - for the third consecutive time - TerpSys was named a “Great Place to Work” by The Washingtonian, which cited “interesting work, good pay and benefits, collegial staff, employee development, and flexibility.” It also was recognized as one of 50 “Best Places to Work” and “Top Corporate Philanthropists” in the greater Washington, DC area by the Washington Business Journal.

Given all of this, it isn’t surprising to see that employee ranks swelled - and remain so - as the Rockville, MD-based IT solutions provider continues make a name for itself since being founded in 2000. Read the corporate mission statement and the emphasis placed on challenging its staff and interacting with the community and it is easy to see that in amidst a sea of IT solutions providers, TerpSys is one determined to stand out from the fleet.

#24 - Dataprise (70 Metro Area IT Professionals)

It would be nice if all the companies I profiled would be as kind as Dataprise to conveniently assemble the prior year’s highlights in a tidy end-of-year momentum release. Dataprise is an IT services provider focused on the SMB market, and its head count is up to match the its impressive growth story - Inc. Magazine’s Top 5000, Deloitte’s “Fast 50” for the fourth time, Washington Smart CEO’s “Future 50” and, most recently, Dataprise CEO David Eisner was named to Washington SmartCEO magazine’s “Smart CTO” for the February 2008 issue.

Privately held and founded in 1995, Dataprise has delivered a decidedly personalized approach to IT support to their clients - an one that has clearly paid dividends.