LETTERS

reat New Look

I love the new look of Washington Technology. It's very classy and eye catching and easy to read. Editor Beau Brendler and the others who led the transformation are to be congratulated.

The organization is a real plus; it's easy to find exactly what you want, such as Staff Writer Ellen Moffett's excellent article on BTG's acquisition of ACTech. The use of color is great -- and essential in such stories as Assistant Editor/Infotech Andy Jenks' report on fractal databases. And even the black-and-white ads look better on the slick paper. One small caveat: the graduated screens are very sophisticated-looking, but when they are black/gray and the type is black, they're difficult to read.

I appreciated the articles on the Netplex -- while it's still not a perfect name for the entire technology sector in the region, it beats the others I've heard. Staff Writer Jorgen Wouters neatly captured the region's strengths and weaknesses and Staff Writer Neil Munro's article about the lack of investment capital is very timely.

There's just one oversight that I want to bring to your attention. The Hypertext item in the July 14 on the entrepreneur of the year awards left out two very visible members of the technology community -- BTG's own Ed Bersoff, who was named Socially Responsible Entrepreneur of the Year and Stephen Case, president of America Online, who was named Service Entrepreneur of the Year.

Again, congratulations on a superb newspaper. I remember the first edition and, while the look and feel and size of the latest is a quantum leap forward, some things haven't changed. From the beginning, Washington Technology has been the primary source of accurate and complete news about this region's technology sector.

Theda Parrish

Corporate Communications

BTG Inc.,Vienna, Va.

Hot Stuff

Your new format is hot! And I couldn't let another issue go by without writing you. Washington Technology started about the same time I came to town and its been great watching it evolve to the publication it is today. This latest change compliments the writing of what has become a very strong editorial staff.

Congratulations and keep up the good work.

Bob Bishop

GTE Federal

via Internet bishop.bob@gtefsd.com

Appearances &amp auditors

I'm diametrically opposed to the opinion articulated here in your July 14 issue -- that the selection of an auditing firm is an investor relations issue.

I believe that the selection of an auditor should be made entirely on the merits of the quality, reputation and fees of the auditing firm and the quality of the working relationship between the firm and company management. To select the auditor on the basis of how Wall Street will react is a classic case of letting the tail wag the dog. Not only is this imprudent in operating terms, but ultimately it will be counter-productive in investor relations terms.

The best way to enhance shareholder value -- which is in the final analysis what an investor relations program is all about -- is to operate your business well, and communicate the company's achievements and challenges realistically and candidly in an on-going fashion.

I have always been of the opinion that a company has the stockholders it deserves. This means that if your decisions are made on the basis of how the investment community will react in the short term, you will end up with short-term traders instead of long-term investors. The former will be constantly worried about whether your next earnings statement will be up or down by a penny or two; the latter will be more concerned about the progress you are making toward the realization of your corporate vision. Due to the prospects of volatility as technology and markets shift rapidly, emerging growth technology companies especially should act in such a way as to attract the investor rather than the trader.

Doug Poretz

Douglas Poretz Ltd.

Corporate Relations Consulting

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