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<DIV><FONT size=3>Charles asks:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=3>I guess I do not understand why Hirsch and
Associates is willing to invest its own resources in eQuest, when the SCE plan
is to offer it for free. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3>Answer:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3>Our main current business is the development of tools for this
industry and the expert use of those tools in real building design; the more the
number of users of these tools grows, the more our tools are in demand, and the
more our services are in demand for both tool development and tool
application. We invest in "free" or "inexpensive" tools because we believe
that such an investment will help an emerging market grow, which in turn will
increase the demand for our products and services; we take the "long" view when
deciding how to invest our dollars even though sometimes the daily pressures of
paying our bills makes that choice difficult. In any business, sustaining
growth translates in sustaining market share growth; in this business the game
is also market size growth - the desired result requires "long view" investment.
(Also, we REALLY enjoy what we do, so tend to want to do more than we can
f</FONT>ind someone to pay us to do - within limits)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3>Also we do engines, interfaces, and specialized applications -
we do not see a policy that allows public investment in engines but not
interfaces logical. Again, the policy for public funding should be to do
what is needed most, but in a way that enhances the private sector not competes
with it; use of public funding for enabling technology is almost always welcome,
for products is ONLY welcome if it is spend within the private sector through
competitive awards.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>---<BR>Jeff Hirsch<BR>James J. Hirsch & Associates<BR>Building
Performance Analysis Software & Consulting<BR>12185 Presilla
Road<BR>Camarillo, CA 93012-9243 USA<BR>phone: (805)
553-9000<BR>fax: (805) 532-2401<BR>email: <A
href="mailto:Jeff.Hirsch@DOE2.com">Jeff.Hirsch@DOE2.com</A><BR>web: <A
href="http://DOE2.com">http://DOE2.com</A></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV><PRE>
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