Technology marketing executives in both consumer and B2B firms have been working with lead users to identify new product opportunities for years. What's different now? To ensure the success of products, B2B networking vendors are moving beyond requirements gathering to building joint ventures with customers. University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), for example, is purchasing a new network from Alcatel-Lucent at the same time that it has committed cash and resources to a joint venture that will develop new applications for first responders and other medical professionals. Vendors can get started on this path by looking for industries that are in the midst of change.