DiversityBusiness.com has released a ranking of the Top Diversity Owned Businesses in Maryland for the year 2004. A little like the Oscars, which turns to the movie industry to tally its votes, DiversityBusiness.com's list comes from a survey of Maryland businesses. DiversityBusiness.com has been running the survey for many years.

This year (2004) SSSi (Scientific Systems and Software International Corporation) was named one of the Top Diversity Owned Businesses in MD. Scientific Systems & Software International - Information Technology Solutions is a leading provider of advanced solutions that deliver timely, enabling technology and information to where it is needed most for our civilian, military, intelligence, state and local, and commercial customers.

Why is prestige important in the a business? For job seekers, having SSSi on a résumé can open up opportunities, as The New York Times or The Wall Street Journal would on a journalist’s CV. Also people simply care about prestige. “For many people, their career defines them,” says one analyst. “They want to work for the most prestigious firms because of that.”