UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
D.C. 20549
FORM
10-Q
(Mark
One)
x
|
QUARTERLY
REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE
ACT OF
1934
|
For
the Quarterly Period Ended September 30, 2005
OR
¨
|
TRANSITION
REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE
ACT OF
1934
|
For
the transition period from __________
to
_________
Commission
File Number: 000-50958
CallWave
Inc.
(Exact
name of registrant as specified in its charter)
|
|
|
Delaware
|
|
77-0490995
|
(State
or other jurisdiction of
incorporation
or organization)
|
|
(I.R.S.
Employer
Identification
Number)
|
136
West Canon Perdido Street, Suite A, Santa Barbara, California
93101
(Address
of principal executive offices)
(Zip
code)
(805)
690-4100
(Registrant’s
telephone number, including area code)
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required
to be
filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during
the
preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required
to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements
for
the past 90 days. YES x NO ¨
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is an accelerated filer (as defined
in Rule
12b-2 of the Exchange Act) YES ¨ NO x
At
October 31, 2005, the number of shares outstanding of the registrant’s common
stock, $0.0001 par value, was 20,611,714.
CALLWAVE
INC.
Form
10-Q
For
the Quarter Ended September 30, 2005
INDEX
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Page No.
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Condensed
Consolidated Balance Sheets—September 30, 2005 (unaudited) and June 30,
2005
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|
1
|
|
|
2
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|
|
4
|
|
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12
|
|
|
33
|
|
|
33
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
34
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|
|
35
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|
|
35
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|
|
35
|
|
|
35
|
|
|
36
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|
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37
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|
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38
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Certifications
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|
|
PART
I. FINANCIAL
INFORMATION
ITEM
1. FINANCIAL
STATEMENTS
CALLWAVE,
INC.
CONDENSED
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(in
thousands, except par value)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
As
of
September
30,
2005
|
|
As
of
June
30,
2005
|
|
|
|
(unaudited)
|
|
|
|
ASSETS
|
|
|
|
|
|
Current
assets:
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash
and cash equivalents
|
|
$
|
34,883
|
|
$
|
16,828
|
|
Marketable
securities
|
|
|
26,653
|
|
|
39,996
|
|
Restricted
cash
|
|
|
335
|
|
|
335
|
|
Accounts
receivable; net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $347 and
$370
|
|
|
4,867
|
|
|
5,676
|
|
Inventory
|
|
|
--
|
|
|
454
|
|
Prepaid
income tax
|
|
|
336
|
|
|
113
|
|
Other
current assets
|
|
|
199
|
|
|
476
|
|
Total
current assets
|
|
|
67,273
|
|
|
63,878
|
|
Property
and equipment, net
|
|
|
1,867
|
|
|
2,024
|
|
Deferred
tax asset
|
|
|
2,295
|
|
|
2,929
|
|
Other
assets
|
|
|
156
|
|
|
414
|
|
Total
assets
|
|
$
|
71,591
|
|
$
|
69,245
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Liabilities
And Stockholders’ Equity
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Current
liabilities:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Accounts
payable
|
|
$
|
798
|
|
$
|
801
|
|
Accrued
payroll
|
|
|
1,037
|
|
|
1,014
|
|
Deferred
revenue
|
|
|
1,398
|
|
|
1,587
|
|
Income
taxes payable
|
|
|
2
|
|
|
--
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|
Other
current liabilities
|
|
|
1,526
|
|
|
1,447
|
|
Total
current liabilities
|
|
$
|
4,761
|
|
$
|
4,849
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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|
Commitments
and contingencies
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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|
|
|
|
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Stockholders’
equity:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Common
stock, $0 par value; 100,000 and 50,000 shares authorized at September
30,
2005 and June 30, 2005, respectively; 20,599 and 19,799 shares
issued and
outstanding at September 30, 2005 and June 30, 2005,
respectively
|
|
|
71,311
|
|
|
70,296
|
|
Deferred
compensation
|
|
|
--
|
|
|
(545
|
)
|
Accumulated
comprehensive income (loss)
|
|
|
(82
|
)
|
|
(24
|
)
|
Accumulated
deficit
|
|
|
(4,399
|
)
|
|
(5,331
|
)
|
Total
stockholders’ equity
|
|
|
66,830
|
|
|
64,396
|
|
Total
liabilities and stockholders’ equity
|
|
$
|
71,591
|
|
$
|
69,245
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
See
accompanying notes
CALLWAVE,
INC.
CONDENSED
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(in
thousands, except per share amounts)
|
|
|
Three
Months ended
September
30,
|
|
|
|
|
2005
|
|
|
2004
|
|
|
|
|
(unaudited)
|
|
Revenues
|
|
$
|
10,572
|
|
$
|
11,045
|
|
Cost
of sales
|
|
|
3,761
|
|
|
3,202
|
|
Gross
profit
|
|
|
6,811
|
|
|
7,843
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating
expenses:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sales
and marketing
|
|
|
2,109
|
|
|
2,116
|
|
Research
and development
|
|
|
1,216
|
|
|
1,668
|
|
General
and administrative
|
|
|
2,182
|
|
|
1,276
|
|
Impairment
of long-lived assets
|
|
|
243
|
|
|
--
|
|
Total
operating expenses
|
|
|
5,750
|
|
|
5,060
|
|
Operating
income
|
|
|
1,061
|
|
|
2,783
|
|
Interest
income
|
|
|
505
|
|
|
52
|
|
Income
before income taxes
|
|
|
1,565
|
|
|
2,835
|
|
Income
tax expense (benefit)
|
|
|
633
|
|
|
(66
|
)
|
Net
income
|
|
$
|
932
|
|
$
|
2,901
|
|
Net
income per share:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Basic
|
|
$
|
.05
|
|
$
|
0.44
|
|
Diluted
|
|
|
.04
|
|
|
0.17
|
|
|
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|
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Weighted-average
common shares outstanding:
|
|
|
|
|
|
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Basic
|
|
|
20,374
|
|
|
6,540
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|
Diluted
|
|
|
21,160
|
|
|
17,365
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|
See
accompanying notes.
CALLWAVE,
INC.
CONDENSED
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(in
thousands)
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|
|
|
|
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|
Three
Months Ended
September
30,
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|
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|
2005
|
|
2004
|
|
|
|
(unaudited)
|
|
Cash
flows from operating activities:
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
income
|
|
$
|
932
|
|
$
|
2,901
|
|
Adjustments
to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating
activities:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Depreciation
and amortization
|
|
|
217
|
|
|
194
|
|
Impairment
of long-lived assets
|
|
|
243
|
|
|
--
|
|
Share
based compensation
|
|
|
107
|
|
|
46
|
|
Deferred
tax asset
|
|
|
634
|
|
|
485
|
|
Inventory
writeoff
|
|
|
314
|
|
|
--
|
|
Bad
debt expense
|
|
|
542
|
|
|
191
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Changes
in operating assets and liabilities:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Accounts
receivable, net of bad debt expense
|
|
|
267
|
|
|
(759
|
)
|
Inventory
|
|
|
140
|
|
|
--
|
|
Prepaid
income tax
|
|
|
(223
|
)
|
|
(58
|
)
|
Other
assets
|
|
|
292
|
|
|
608
|
|
Accounts
payable
|
|
|
(3
|
)
|
|
(42
|
)
|
Accrued
payroll
|
|
|
23
|
|
|
(133
|
)
|
Deferred
revenues
|
|
|
(189
|
)
|
|
(54
|
)
|
Income
taxes payable
|
|
|
2
|
|
|
(781
|
)
|
Accrued
other liabilities
|
|
|
79
|
|
|
571
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
cash provided by operating activities
|
|
|
3,377
|
|
|
3,169
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash
flows from investing activities:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Purchases
of marketable securities
|
|
|
(3,180
|
)
|
|
(2,997
|
)
|
Sales
of marketable securities
|
|
|
16,465
|
|
|
--
|
|
Purchases
of property and equipment
|
|
|
(60
|
)
|
|
(159
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
cash provided by (used in) investing activities
|
|
|
13,225
|
|
|
(3,156
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash
flows from financing activities:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Exercises
of stock options and warrants
|
|
|
1,453
|
|
|
137
|
|
Costs
incurred in initial public offering
|
|
|
--
|
|
|
(1,522
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
cash provided (used) by financing activities
|
|
|
1,453
|
|
|
(1,385
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents
|
|
|
18,055
|
|
|
(1,372
|
)
|
Cash
and cash equivalents at beginning of the period
|
|
|
16,828
|
|
|
6,187
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash
and cash equivalents at end of the period
|
|
$
|
34,883
|
|
$
|
4,815
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Supplemental
disclosures of cash flow information
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash
paid for:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Income
taxes
|
|
$
|
223
|
|
$
|
288
|
|
Interest
|
|
|
--
|
|
|
--
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Supplemental
schedule of non-cash transactions
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Equity
based deferred compensation
|
|
$
|
107
|
|
$
|
515
|
|
See
accompanying notes.
CallWave
Inc.
NOTES
TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(unaudited)
1.
The Company and Basis of Presentation
Description
of business—CallWave,
Inc. (CallWave, or the Company), was incorporated in August 1998, first marketed
its free services in February 1999 and began marketing paid subscription
services in April 2001. CallWave provides software-based communications
application services that bridge calls across existing landline, mobile and
Internet networks.
Basis
of Presentation—The
accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been
prepared on the same basis as the annual financial statements and, in the
opinion of management, reflect all adjustments, which include only normal
recurring adjustments, necessary to present fairly the Company’s financial
position, results of operations and cash flows for the periods shown. The
results of operations for such periods are not necessarily indicative of
the
results expected for a full year or for any future period.
These
financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated
financial statements and related notes included in the Company’s year end
financial statements included in the Form 10-K filed with the Securities
and
Exchange Commission.
Use
of estimates—The
preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles
generally accepted in the United States necessarily requires management to
make
estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and
liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date
of
the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses
during the reporting period. The primary accounts that are particularly
sensitive to changes in estimates are the allowance for doubtful accounts,
inventory allowance, net realizable value of investments and the valuation
allowance for the deferred tax asset. Actual results could differ from those
estimates.
Revenue
recognition—The
Company earns revenues from paid subscriber services, and to a lesser extent,
fees earned from local exchange carrier call termination access charges,
advertisements and the offering of third-party products and services to our
subscribers. Beginning in fiscal year 2005, the Company entered the prepaid
mobile phone market by selling prepaid phones to a distributor and on a
subsidized basis directly to its subscriber.
The
Company recognizes revenue in accordance with accounting principles generally
accepted in the United States and with Securities and Exchange Commission
Staff
Accounting Bulletin 104 (SAB 104), Revenue
Recognition,
which
clarifies certain existing accounting principles for the timing of revenue
recognition and classification of revenues in the financial statements. The
Company recognizes revenue ratably beginning when there is persuasive evidence
of an arrangement, delivery has occurred or services have been rendered,
the
fees are fixed and determinable and collection is reasonably
assured.
In
addition to the direct relationship that the Company has with the majority
of
its paid subscribers, the Company also has channel relationship agreements
with
Internet service providers (ISPs) and other companies whereby those companies’
customers are offered a co-branded subscription service. When the agreement
provides that the Company is the party responsible for providing the service,
has control over the fees charged to customers and bears the credit risk,
the
company records the gross amount billed as revenue in accordance with Emerging
Issues Task Force 99-19 (EITF 99-19),
Reporting Revenues Gross as a Principal Versus Net as an Agent.
When
the agreement provides that CallWave receive a net payment from those companies,
based upon the number of their customers registered for CallWave’s services,
CallWave records the net amount received from those companies as revenue
in
accordance with EITF 99-19.
In
the
third quarter of fiscal 2005, the Company purchased prepaid phones and phone
cards with the intention of reselling them with a 30-day free trial of
CallWave’s application-based services and entered into an agreement to sell a
portion of these prepaid phones and phone cards to a distributor. Revenue
from
the sale of prepaid phones and phone cards is recognized when the SAB 104
criteria are met. The Company recognizes sales to this distributor on a
sell-through basis and when the cash is collected from the distributor. The
Company recognized $133,000 of revenue related to the sale to this distributor
in the quarter ended September 30, 2005.
Beginning
in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2005, the Company began selling prepaid phones
into which the CallWave technology is embedded to its subscriber base. These
transactions contain multiple elements, including the phone, the minutes,
and
our CallWave service, to which we have applied EITF 00-21, Revenue
Arrangements with Multiple Deliverables. The
various elements of the arrangement are separable and each element is recognized
separately in accordance with SAB 104. In accounting for multiple deliverables,
management’s judgment is necessary when identifying the nature of deliverables
in an arrangement as well as measuring and allocating fair value to the multiple
deliverables.
Deferred
revenue—Deferred
revenue consists of customer prepayments of subscription fees, which will
be
earned in the future under agreements existing at the balance sheet date.
Deferred revenue is amortized ratably over the period in which services are
provided.
Marketable
securities—Marketable
securities consist of investment grade government agency and corporate debt
securities due within one year. Investments with maturities beyond one year
are
classified as short-term based on their highly liquid nature and because
such
investments represent the investment of cash that is available for current
operations. All investments are classified as available-for-sale and are
recorded at market value. Unrealized gains and losses are reflected in other
comprehensive income.
Comprehensive
income (loss):
Comprehensive net income was $874,000 and $2,901,000 for the three months
ended
September 30, 2005 and 2004, respectively. The comprehensive net income differs
from the net income by the net unrealized gain or loss on short-term
investments.
Inventories:
Inventories consist of finished goods and are stated at the lower of cost
or
market, cost being determined under the first-in, first-out method. Inventory
at
September 30, 2005 consisted of the following:
|
|
Inventory
- Distributors
|
|
Inventory
-
CallWave
|
|
Total
Inventory
|
|
At
Cost
|
|
$
|
153,000
|
|
$
|
236,000
|
|
$
|
389,000
|
|
Valuation
Allowance
|
|
|
(153,000
|
)
|
|
(236,000
|
)
|
|
(389,000
|
)
|
Total
inventory
|
|
|
--
|
|
|
--
|
|
|
--
|
|
For
the
quarter ended September 30, 2005 we recorded an impairment allowance against
inventory in the amount of $389,000, an increase of $314,000 from the balance
at
June 30, 2005, to reduce the inventory balance to its net realizable value.
Management’s judgment is required in determining net realizable value and the
extent of any impairment to our inventory. Judgment is also required in
determining the collectibility of amounts that are due from our distributors
as
a result of selling our inventory through to end customers.
Concentrations
of credit risk—The
Company has a concentration of credit risk from an agreement with a vendor
for
billing and collection services provided for a portion of the Company’s paid
users. The Company would be subject to sustaining a loss relative to its
current
receivable balance if the vendor failed to perform under the terms of the
agreement. The receivable from the vendor at September 30, 2005 and June
30,
2005 was $4,422,000 and $5,152,000, respectively.
The
Company’s cash balances at financial institutions exceed the maximum amounts
insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
Investments
in minority owned companies—The
Company accounts for investments in minority interests of other companies
over
which it does not exercise significant influence on the cost method in
accordance with SFAS
115,
Accounting for Certain Investments in Debt and Equity
Securities.
Under
the cost method, an investment is carried at cost until it is sold or there
is
evidence that changes in the business environment or other facts and
circumstances suggest it may be other than temporarily impaired. In the event
of
other than temporary impairment, the Company will reduce the carrying amount
to
the estimated fair value measured by comparing the carrying amount of an
asset
to future net cash flows expected to be generated by the asset in accordance
with SFAS 144, Accounting
for the Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets.
Share-Based
Compensation—The
Company adopted FAS 123(R), Share-Based
Payment, using
the
modified-prospective-transition-method as of July 1, 2005. Historically,
the
company elected to account for employee stock compensation under the fair
value
method in accordance with SFAS 123, Accounting
for Stock-Based Compensation,
and had
reflected compensation expense related to the fair value of options issued
to
employees in the statement of operations. See further discussion in Note
4.
Income
taxes—Income
taxes are recorded in accordance with SFAS 109,
Accounting for Income Taxes.
SFAS
109 requires the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities to reflect
the future tax consequences of events that have been recognized in the Company’s
financial statements or tax returns. Measurement of the deferred items is
based
on enacted tax laws. In the event the future consequences of differences
between
financial reporting bases and tax bases of the Company’s assets and liabilities
result in a deferred tax asset, SFAS 109 requires an evaluation of the
probability of being able to realize the future benefits indicated by such
assets. A valuation allowance related to a deferred tax asset is recorded
when
it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax asset
will not be realized.
Net
income per share—The
Company computes net income per share in accordance with SFAS 128,
Earnings per Share.
Under
the provisions of SFAS 128, basic net income per share is computed using
the
weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted
net income per share is computed using the weighted-average number of common
shares and, if dilutive, potential common shares outstanding during the period.
Potential common shares consist of shares issuable upon exercise of stock
options and warrants and conversion of convertible preferred stock. The dilutive
effect of outstanding stock options and warrants is reflected in diluted
income
per share by application of the treasury stock method. As of July 1, 2005,
the
date the Company adopted FAS 123(R), deferred compensation related to unvested
outstanding options is included as a component of proceeds upon exercise
in
calculation of the diluted shares under the treasury stock method. This
inclusion had an immaterial effect on net income per share for the quarter
ended
September 30, 2005. Convertible preferred stock is reflected on an if-converted
basis.
The
following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted net income
per
share:
|
|
Three
Months Ended
September
30,
|
|
|
|
2005
|
|
2004
|
|
|
|
|
|
(unaudited,
in thousands except per share data)
|
|
Basic
and diluted net income per share:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
income attributable to common stockholders
|
|
$
|
932
|
|
$
|
2,901
|
|
Weighted-average
common shares outstanding
|
|
|
20,374
|
|
|
6,540
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Effect
of dilutive securities:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Add:
Stock options and warrants
|
|
|
796
|
|
|
2,379
|
|
Add:
Convertible preferred shares
|
|
|
--
|
|
|
8,446
|
|
Weighted-average
common shares outstanding for diluted calculation
|
|
|
21,160
|
|
|
17,365
|
|
Net
income per share:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Basic
|
|
$
|
0.05
|
|
$
|
0.44
|
|
Diluted
|
|
|
0.04
|
|
|
0.17
|
|
Options
to purchase 1,073,000 and 154,000 shares with exercise prices equal to or
greater than the average fair value of common stock were outstanding during
the
three months ended September 30, 2005 and 2004, respectively. These options
were
excluded from the respective computations of diluted earnings per share because
their effect would be anti-dilutive.
2.
Related Party Transactions
In
February 2004, the Company entered into an agreement with Insight Venture
Management, LLC, an affiliate of Insight Venture Associates IV, LLC, a
shareholder of the Company, to make available to it certain of Insight’s
business development personnel to assist the Company with market assessment,
research and analysis. Under the terms of this agreement, the Company paid
Insight $75,000 per year, payable in four quarterly installments at the end
of
each calendar quarter. The price paid in this transaction was determined
by
considering the market rate for business development personnel possessing
similar skills and experience. The Company terminated this agreement in February
2005.
3.
Stockholders’ Equity
Common
Stock
As
of
September 30, 2005, the Company is authorized to issue 100,000,000 shares
of
common stock. As of September 30, 2005, 2,448,000 shares of common stock
are
reserved for the 120,000 warrants and 2,328,000 stock options issued and
outstanding.
The
Company’s board of directors has the authority without further action by the
stockholders, to issue up to 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock in one
or more
series, to establish from time to time the number of shares to be included
in
each such series, to fix the rights, preferences and privileges of the shares
of
each wholly unissued series and any qualifications, limitations or restrictions
thereon, and to increase or decrease the number of shares of any such series
(but below the number of shares of such series then outstanding).
Warrants
As
of
September 30, 2005, the Company has issued and outstanding warrants to purchase
up to 120,000 shares of common stock at exercise prices of between $0.55
-
$4.00. The Company had 293,000 warrants issued and outstanding at June 30,
2005,
and 173,000 warrants were exercised during the three months ended September
30,
2005.
4.
Share-Based Payments
FAS
123(R) Adoption
At
September 30, 2005, the Company has three stock-based employee compensation
plans which are described more fully below. Prior to July 1, 2005, the Company
accounted for those plans under the recognition and measurement provisions
of
FASB Statement No. 123, Accounting
for Stock-Based Compensation. Effective
July 1, 2005, the Company adopted the fair value recognition provisions of
FASB
Statement No. 123(R), Share-Based
Payment,
using
the modified-prospective-transition method. Under that transition method,
compensation cost recognized in the three months ended September 30, 2005
includes the compensation expense that had been recognized under FAS 123
reduced
by the amount of (a) estimated forfeitures related to the share-based payments
granted prior to, but not yet vested as of July 1, 2005, and (b) estimated
forfeitures for all share based payments granted subsequent to July 1, 2005.
Results for prior periods have not been restated.
As
a
result of adopting FAS 123(R) on July 1, 2005, the Company’s income before
income taxes and net income for the three months ended September 30, 2005,
are
$43,600 higher than if it had continued to account for forfeitures as they
occurred which was permissible under FAS 123 but not under FAS 123(R).
FAS
123(R) requires companies to record as paid-in-capital, any tax benefits
resulting from tax deductions in excess of the compensation cost recognized
for
those options (excess tax benefits) unless the company has net operating
losses.
In accordance with FAS 123(R) guidance regarding companies with net operating
losses, the Company will not record any excess tax benefits until the deduction
actually reduce taxes payable.
Stock
Option Plans
At
September 30, 2005, the Company has three share-based compensation plans,
which
are described below. Compensation cost that has been charged against income
for
those plans was $107,000 and $42,000 for the three months ended September
30,
2005 and 2004, respectively.
The
Company’s stock option plans consist of the 2004 Option Plan, the 2000 Option
Plan and the 1999 Option Plan. Shares reserved under these plans at September
30, 2005, consist of 1,700,000 shares, 2,250,000 shares and 1,350,000 shares
authorized of which 724,548, 1,268,343 and 335,370 options are outstanding
under
the 2004, 2000 and 1999 Option Plans, respectively.
The
Company’s board of directors grants options at an exercise price equal to the
fair market value of the Company’s common stock at the date on which the grant
is approved by the board. Stock options granted prior to the Company’s initial
public offering had a term of ten years from the date on which the grant
is
approved by the board. Options granted subsequent to the Company’s initial
public offering have a term of five years. Generally, stock options vest
1/8th
after six months, and 1/48th per month thereafter, becoming fully vested
in four
years. The weighted-average fair value of stock options granted is estimated
at
the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option pricing model and the following
assumptions:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Three Months Ended
September
30,
|
|
|
|
2005
|
|
|
2004
|
|
Weighted
average fair value of stock options granted
|
|
$
|
1.98
|
|
|
$
|
1.57
|
|
Risk
free interest rate
|
|
|
4.12
|
%
|
|
|
4.28
|
%
|
Expected
life (in years)
|
|
|
4.0
|
|
|
|
4.0
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Expected
volatility
|
|
|
50.00
|
%
|
|
|
0.00
|
%
|
Expected
dividend yield
|
|
|
0.00
|
%
|
|
|
0.00
|
%
|
Expected
volatilities are based on the historical volatility of the Company’s stock and
other factors. The Company uses historical data to estimate option exercise
and
employee termination within the model. Separate groups of options with similar
pricing are considered separately for valuation purposes. The expected term
of
options granted represents the period of time that options granted are expected
to be outstanding. The risk-free rate for periods within the contractual
life of
the option is based on the U.S. Treasury rate in effect at the time of the
grant.
A
summary
of option activity under the plans as of September 30, 2005, and changes
during
the quarter then ended is presented below:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Number of Shares
|
|
Weighted-
Average Exercise
Price
|
|
Weighted-
Average Contractual
Term
|
|
Aggregate
Intrinsic Value
|
|
Balance
June 30, 2005
|
|
|
2,502,189
|
|
$
|
3.48
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Options
granted
|
|
|
471,826
|
|
|
4.56
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Options
exercised
|
|
|
(627,923
|
)
|
|
1.63
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Options
forfeited or expired
|
|
|
(17,403
|
)
|
|
3.49
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Balance
September 30, 2005
|
|
|
2,328,689
|
|
$
|
4.20
|
|
|
6.2
|
|
$
|
995,000
|
|
Exercisable
at September 30, 2005
|
|
|
1,132,413
|
|
$
|
3.13
|
|
|
6.1
|
|
$
|
995,000
|
|
The
total
intrinsic value of options exercised during the quarters ended September
30,
2005 and 2004, was $1,924,000 and $13,000, respectively.
A
summary
of the status of the Company’s nonvested shares as of September 30, 2005 and
changes during the three month period ended September 30, 2005, is presented
below:
Nonvested
Shares
|
|
Shares
|
|
Weighted-Average
Grant-Date Fair Value
|
|
Nonvested
at July 1, 2005
|
|
|
828,737
|
|
$
|
1.36
|
|
Granted
|
|
|
471,826
|
|
|
1.98
|
|
Vested
|
|
|
(88,054
|
)
|
|
1.13
|
|
Forfeited
|
|
|
(16,233
|
)
|
|
0.58
|
|
Nonvested
at September 30, 2005
|
|
|
1,196,276
|
|
$
|
1.63
|
|
As
of
September 30, 2005, there was $1.4 million of total unrecognized compensation
cost related to nonvested share-based compensation arrangements granted under
the plans. That cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average
period
of 2.3 years. The total fair value of shares vested during the three months
ended September 30, 2005 and 2004 was $99,500 and $50,700,
respectively.
5.
Investment in Minority Owned Company
On
January 6, 2005, the Company acquired a minority interest in a UK company
(the
investee) for $125,000 which was recorded on the cost method of accounting
for
investments in accordance with SFAS No. 115,
Accounting for Certain Investments in Debt and Equity
Securities.
Additionally, the investee issued to the Company a $125,000 promissory note
due
January 6, 2011. The promissory note is convertible into common stock in
certain
circumstances and bears interest at 4% per year, compounded monthly. The
Company
also purchased a license to the investee’s technology for five years for
$125,000, which is amortized to expense over the life of the license. A total
of
$375,000 was recorded as Other Assets. At September 30, 2005, the Company
determined that the investment in and receivable from the investee was other
than temporarily impaired and recorded an impairment loss in the amount of
$253,000. This impairment loss was partially offset by a gain of $10,000
on the
sale of an asset that had been previously written off.
6.
Commitments and Contingencies
Leases
The
Company leases office space under non-cancelable operating leases. Rental
expense under operating lease agreements was $127,000 and $119,000 for the
three
months ended September 30, 2005 and 2004, respectively.
Future
minimum commitments remaining under these agreements as of September 30,
2005,
are as follows:
|
|
|
|
|
|
Minimum
Commitment
|
|
|
(in thousands)
|
Fiscal
Year Ending September 30:
|
|
|
|
2005
|
|
$
|
572
|
2006
|
|
|
645
|
2007
|
|
|
591
|
2008
|
|
|
429
|
2009
|
|
|
368
|
Other
Commitments and Contingencies
The
Company has long-distance service agreements with four carriers. As of September
30, 2005, minimum obligations under these agreements due within one year
total
$708,000. However, the Company expects to maintain some form of long-distance
service agreements indefinitely, and will likely assume similar obligations
following the expiration of these agreements. As of September 30, 2005, minimum
obligations due within one year under agreements with providers of billing
and
collection services total $54,000.
The
Company and its subsidiaries are subject to certain claims and may encounter
future legal claims in the normal course of business. In the opinion of the
Company’s management, the resolution of existing legal claims are not expected
to have a material adverse impact on the Company’s financial position, results
of operations or cash flows. See Note 8 for additional discussion of
litigation.
7.
Income Taxes
The
provision for income taxes consists of the following for each of the periods
ended:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Three Months Ended
September
30,
|
|
|
|
2005
|
|
|
2004
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Current
federal provision
|
|
$
|
--
|
|
|
$
|
208
|
|
Current
state
|
|
|
--
|
|
|
|
151
|
|
Deferred
(benefit)
|
|
|
633
|
|
|
|
(425
|
)
|
|
|
$
|
633
|
|
|
$
|
(66
|
)
|
In
assessing the realizability of deferred tax assets, management considers
whether
it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets
will be realized. The ultimate realization of deferred tax assets is dependent
upon the generation of future taxable income during periods in which temporary
differences and net operating losses become deductible and tax credits become
usable. Use of net operating loss and other carryforwards are limited by
the
“change of ownership” rules described below. Due to the uncertainty surrounding
the timing of realizing the benefits of its favorable tax attributes in future
tax returns, the Company has placed a valuation allowance against its otherwise
recognizable deferred tax assets. The valuation allowance increased by
approximately $750,000 during the quarter ended September 30, 2005, primarily
due to the increase in deferred tax assets relating to temporary timing
differences, stock-based tax deductions and tax credit carryforwards.
As
of
September 30, 2005, the Company has cumulative net operating loss carryforwards
for federal and California income tax purposes of approximately $5 million
and
$6.6 million, respectively. The losses begin to expire in fiscal year 2009
if
unused. In addition, the Company has available tax credit carryforwards of
approximately $2,000,000 and $500,000 for federal and California tax purposes,
respectively. The federal tax credits begin to expire in 2028. California
tax
credits can be carried over indefinitely.
Due
to
the “change of ownership” provision of the Tax Reform Act of 1986, utilization
of the Company’s net operating loss and tax credit carryforwards are subject to
an annual limitation against taxable income in future periods. As a result
of
the annual limitation, a portion of these carryforwards may expire before
ultimately becoming available to reduce future income tax liabilities. In
addition, the Company is preparing an analysis of the change of ownership
provision on its California state operating loss carryforwards. Management
believes that such analysis may result in the recording of an additional
deferred tax asset with a corresponding valuation allowance subject to the
realization analysis discussed above.
On
September 11, 2002, the Governor of California signed into law new tax
legislation that suspended the use of California net operating loss
carryforwards in the Company’s tax years ending June 30, 2003 and 2004. As a
result, the Company cannot use its California net operating loss carryforwards
to offset its taxable income for the years ended June 30, 2003 and 2004.
The
Company eliminated its California tax using tax credit carryforwards for
both
periods. This suspension will not apply to the Company’s tax years ending June
30, 2005, and beyond.
8.
Litigation
In
July
2004, a licensing agent for j2 Global Communications, Inc., or j2, sent to
the
Company a letter suggesting that an aspect of its services may employ inventions
covered by U. S. Patent No. 6,350,066, or the ‘066 patent, and offering a
non-exclusive license for that patent. On August 24, 2004, j2 filed
a
complaint against the Company in the United States District Court for the
Central District of California alleging that the Company’s operations infringe
the ‘066 patent. j2’s complaint seeks unspecified damages and permanent
injunctive relief, among other relief. On December 30, 2004, the Company
agreed to stipulate to amend the above-referenced complaint to include two
additional patents, specifically U. S. Patent Nos. 6,564,321, or the ‘321
patent, and 6,208,638, or the ‘638 patent. On April 19, 2005, the Company
agreed to stipulate to a further amendment to the above-referred complaint
to
include an allegation that the Company infringes the claims of U.S. Patent
No. 6,857,074, or the ‘074 patent. Although the Company is confident that
it does not infringe the asserted patents, the Company’s efforts to defend
against j2’s assertions will be expensive and time-consuming. The Company
presently projects that if the litigation continues at its present pace,
then
the Company is likely to incur a material amount of attorneys’ fees and costs in
the litigation, and that the amount of litigation costs and fees incurred
in the
next twelve months may be in the range of $1 million.
The
Company in October 2004 received a letter from counsel to Web Telephony,
LLC, or
Web Telephony, implying that our operations infringe certain claims in U.S.
Patent No. 6,445,694, “Internet Controlled Telephone System,” or the ‘694
patent, and U.S. Patent No. 6,785,266, “Internet Controlled Telephone
System,” or the ‘266 patent. On January 19, 2005, the Company filed in the
United States District Court for the Central District of California an action
for declaratory relief, in which the Company is seeking to have the court
declare that the Company does not infringe the ‘694 patent or the ‘266 patent.
The Company has received an opinion of counsel that the Company’s operations do
not infringe ‘694 patent or ‘266 patent, although the Company can offer no
assurance that a court would agree with that opinion. Web Telephony has filed
a
motion to dismiss the complaint, alleging that the court lacks personal
jurisdiction over Web Telephony. The Company filed a First Amended Complaint
on
May 2, 2005, adding a cause of action for interference with prospective economic
advantage. Web Telephony filed an Answer to the First Amended Complaint on
September 6, 2005, and counterclaimed, alleging infringement of the ‘694 and
‘266 patents.
On
July
1, 2005, Catch Curve, Inc., a Delaware corporation, or Catch Curve, filed
a
complaint against the Company in the United States District Court for the
Central District of California (Action No. CV05-4819) alleging that the
Company’s operations infringe U.S. Patents No 6,785,021, or the ‘021 Patent,
U.S. Patent No. 6,643,034, or the ‘034 Patent, U.S. Patent No. 5,291,302,
or the ‘302 Patent, and U.S. Patent No. 4,994,926, or the ‘926 Patent. The
Company has obtained an extension of time in which to file its answer to
that
complaint. The Company has received from intellectual property counsel opinions
that the Company’s present operations do not infringe the claims of the ‘021
patent, the ‘034 patent, the ‘302 patent, or the ‘926 patent. By reason thereof,
the Company is confident that it does not infringe the asserted patents of
Catch
Curve.
In
the
event of an adverse result in the j2 litigation, the Web Telephony litigation,
the Catch Curve litigation, or in any other litigation between the Company
and
third parties that may arise in the future with respect to intellectual property
rights relevant to the Company’s services, the Company could be required to pay
substantial damages, including treble damages if a court determines that
the
Company has willfully infringed a third party’s patent rights, to cease the use
and sale of infringing services, to expend significant resources to develop
non-infringing technology, or to obtain licenses to the infringing technology.
The Company cannot be certain that licenses will be available on commercially
reasonable terms, or at all, from j2 or Web Telephony or Catch Curve, or
any
third party that has such intellectual property claims against us. In addition,
litigation frequently involves substantial expenditures and can require
significant management attention even if the Company ultimately prevails.
Accordingly, the Company cannot predict whether the j2 litigation, the Web
Telephony litigation or the Catch Curve litigation will have a material adverse
effect on the Company’s business, operating results, financial condition or cash
flows. Due to the early stage of these three actions, and because neither
j2,
nor Web Telephony, nor Catch Curve has sought specified damages, the Company
cannot determine with precision the outcome of the litigation or any costs
or
payments resulting from the litigation or the settlement of any of those
actions. Accordingly, no provision for any loss which may result from the
j2
litigation or the Web Telephony litigation or the Catch Curve litigation
has
been recorded in the accompanying financial statements. In addition, the
Company
and its subsidiary in the future may encounter legal claims in the normal
course
of business. In the opinion of the Company, the costs associated with the
resolution of existing legal claims cannot be precisely estimated at this
time,
and the Company has not yet determined whether such costs will have a material
adverse impact on the Company’s financial position, results of operations or
cash flows.
ITEM
2. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF
OPERATIONS
This
section and other parts of this Form 10-Q contain forward-looking statements
that involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements can be
identified by words such as
“anticipates,”“expects,”“believes,”“plans,”“predicts,” and similar terms.
Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and our
actual results may differ significantly from the results discussed in the
forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause such differences include,
but are not limited to, those discussed in the subsection entitled “Risk
Factors” below. The following discussion should be read in conjunction with our
Annual Report on Form 10-K filed September 15, 2005, and the consolidated
financial statements and notes thereto included elsewhere in this Form 10-Q.
We
assume no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements for
any
reason, except as required by law.
Overview
Historically,
we have provided application services on a subscription basis that add features
and enhanced functionality to the telecommunications services used by mainstream
consumers and small and home offices. Our software-based services are delivered
on our proprietary Enhanced Services Platform, which allows subscribers to
manage calls across existing landline, mobile and Internet networks. As of
September 30, 2005, we had approximately 790,000 total subscribers
for
these application services. Because our services improve the utilization
of
existing telecommunications services by our subscribers, we believe that
our
application services complement the efforts of landline, mobile and Internet
service providers to reduce their subscriber churn. This has allowed us to
establish cooperative relationships with network service providers.
In
the
fourth quarter of fiscal 2005, we began test marketing a new mobile product
that
was officially launched in the first quarter of fiscal 2006. We provide mobile
subscribers with subsidized cell phones in the first month of service. As
of
September 30, 2005, we had approximately 10,000 paying subscribers for the
mobile service. We account for the cell phones and fulfillment expenses as
cost
of sales which affects our gross margin.
Critical
Accounting Policies and the Use of Estimates
Revenue
recognition.
We earn
revenues primarily from paid subscriber services and to a lesser extent,
fees
earned from local exchange carrier call termination access charges and the
offering of third-party products and services to our subscribers. Beginning
in
2005, we entered the prepaid mobile phone market by selling prepaid phones
directly to its subscriber base and to a distributor.
We
recognize revenue in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted
in
the United States and with Securities and Exchange Commission Staff Accounting
Bulletin 104 (SAB 104),
Revenue Recognition,
which
clarifies certain existing accounting principles for the timing of revenue
recognition and classification of revenues in the financial statements, we
recognize revenue beginning when there is persuasive evidence of an arrangement,
delivery has occurred or services have been rendered, the fees are fixed
and
determinable and collection is reasonably assured. Our subscriber revenues
consist of monthly recurring subscription fees. We recognize revenue ratably
over the subscription period when the SAB 104 criteria are met.
In
addition to the direct relationship that we have with the majority of our
paid
subscribers, we also have indirect relationship agreements with Internet
service
providers (ISPs) and other companies whereby those companies’ customers are
offered a co-branded subscription service. When the agreement provides that
we
are the party responsible for providing the service, we have control over
the
fees charged to customers and bear the credit risk, we record the gross amount
billed as revenue in accordance with Emerging Issues Task Force 99-19 (EITF
99-19),
Reporting Revenues Gross as a Principal Versus Net as an Agent.
When
the agreement provides that we receive a net payment from those companies,
based
upon the number of their customers registered for our services, we record
the
net amount received from those companies as revenue in accordance with EITF
99-19.
In
the
third quarter of fiscal 2005, we purchased prepaid phones and phone cards
with
the intention of reselling them with a 30-day free trial of our
application-based services and entered into an agreement to sell the prepaid
phones and a portion of the phone cards to a distributor. Revenue from the
sale
of prepaid phones and phone cards is recognized when the SAB 104 criteria
are
met. We recognize sales to distributors on a sell-through basis when we collect
the cash from the distributor. We have recognized $133,000 of revenue related
to
the sale to this distributor in the quarter ended September 30,
2005.
In
the
fourth quarter of fiscal 2005, we began selling prepaid phones embedded with
our
technology to our subscriber base. These transactions contain multiple elements,
including the phone, the minutes, and our service, to which we have applied
EITF
00-21,
Revenue Arrangements with Multiple Deliverables.
The
various elements of the arrangement are separable and each element is recognized
separately in accordance with SAB 104. In accounting for multiple deliverables,
management’s judgment is necessary when identifying the nature of deliverables
in an arrangement as well as measuring and allocating fair value to the multiple
deliverables.
Allowances
for Doubtful Accounts
We
record
an allowance for doubtful accounts based on our historical experience with
bad
debts. We periodically review and negotiate bad debt reserves held by the
local
telephone companies and the third party that manages our billing relationship
with the telephone companies. Judgment is required when we assess the
realization of receivables, including assessing the probability of collection.
Our allowance for doubtful accounts totaled $347,000 as of September 30,
2005 and $370,000 as of June 30, 2005. Our allowance for doubtful
accounts
is correlated with our aggregate billings through the local telephone
companies.
Investments
in minority owned companies—We
account for investments in minority interests of other companies over which
we
do not exercise significant influence on the cost method in accordance
with
Accounting for Certain Investments in Debt and Equity Securities (SFAS
115).
Under
the cost method, an investment is carried at cost until it is sold or there
is
evidence that changes in the business environment or other facts and
circumstances suggest it may be other than temporarily impaired. In the event
of
other than temporary impairment, we will reduce the carrying amount to the
estimated fair value measured by comparing the carrying amount of an asset
to
future net cash flows expected to be generated by the asset in accordance
with
SFAS 144, Accounting
for the Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets.
Inventories
Inventories
consist of finished goods and are stated at the lower of cost or net realizable
cost, cost being determined under the first-in, first-out method. For the
quarter ended September 30, 2005, we have recorded an impairment allowance
against inventory in the amount of $389,000, an increase of $314,000 from
the
balance at June 30, 2005. Of this amount, a total of $153,000, or an increase
of
$78,000 from June 30, 2005, relates to sales to distributors made in March
2005
and accounted for on the sell-through method. This reflects that amount in
inventory at September 30, 2005, for which no payment has been received.
Additionally, we recorded an impairment allowance of $236,000 related to
CallWave-owned inventory as the marketing strategy related to this inventory
changed in the first quarter of fiscal 2006 to fully subsidize these sales.
Management’s judgment is required in determining net realizable value and the
extent of any impairment to our inventory. Judgment is also required in
determining the collectibility of amounts that are due from our distributors
as
a result of selling our inventory through to end customers.
Accounting
for Income Taxes
We
account for income taxes using the asset and liability method in accordance
with
SFAS 109,
Accounting for Income Taxes,
which
requires the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected
future tax consequences of temporary differences between the carrying amounts
and tax bases of the assets and liabilities. At September 30, 2005, we had
deferred tax assets of $6.6 million. Due to the uncertainty of realizing
a
portion of these deferred tax assets, we have maintained a valuation allowance
of $4.3 million as an offset against the deferred tax assets. Such uncertainty
primarily relates to the potential for future taxable income as well as the
amount, limitation, and expiration of loss carryforwards and tax credits
which
begin expiring in 2009. In addition, pursuant to Sections 382 and 383 of
the
Internal Revenue Code, annual use of our net operating loss carryforwards
may be
limited in the event of a cumulative change in ownership of more than 50%
within
a three-year period. Management has determined that it is more likely than
not
that the net $2.3 million deferred tax assets will be realized within the
2006
and 2007 fiscal years. We will continue to assess the likelihood of realization
of such assets. As future events and estimates change, we will adjust the
valuation allowance pursuant to SFAS 109, if necessary, which may impact
the tax
provision or equity or both.
Share-Based
Compensation—We
adopted FAS 123(R), Share-Based
Payment, using
the
modified- prospective-transition-method. Historically, we elected to account
for
employee stock compensation under the fair value method in accordance with
SFAS
123, Accounting
for Stock-Based Compensation,
and had
reflected compensation expense related to the fair value of options issued
to
employees in the statement of operations. Under FAS 123(R), stock-based
compensation is recorded based upon the fair value of the awards granted,
using
a Black-Scholes option pricing model, which includes the fair value of the
underlying shares on the date of grant, an estimate of the options to be
forfeited and the exercise price. Adoption of FAS 123(R) had an immaterial
impact on our financial statements as we have been recording share-based
compensation expense under FAS 123 since inception and as we have net operating
loss carryforwards which prevent us from recognizing excess tax benefits
until
the excess tax benefits are used to offset income taxes payable.
Results
of Operations
The
following tables set forth our statement of operations data for each of the
periods indicated.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Three
Months Ended
September
30,
|
|
|
|
2005
|
|
2004
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Statement
of Operations Data:
|
|
|
|
|
|
Revenues
|
|
$
|
10,572
|
|
$
|
11,045
|
|
Cost
of sales
|
|
|
3,761
|
|
|
3,202
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gross
profit
|
|
|
6,811
|
|
|
7,843
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating
expenses:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sales
and marketing
|
|
|
2,109
|
|
|
2,116
|
|
Research
and development
|
|
|
1,216
|
|
|
1,668
|
|
General
and administrative
|
|
|
2,182
|
|
|
1,276
|
|
Impairment
of long-lived assets
|
|
|
243
|
|
|
--
|
|
Total
operating expenses
|
|
|
5,750
|
|
|
5,060
|
|
Operating
income
|
|
|
1,061
|
|
|
2,783
|
|
Interest
income (expense), net
|
|
|
506
|
|
|
52
|
|
Income
before income taxes
|
|
|
1,565
|
|
|
2,835
|
|
Income
tax expense (benefit)
|
|
|
633
|
|
|
(66
|
)
|
Net
income
|
|
$
|
932
|
|
$
|
2,901
|
|
Three
Months Ended September 30, 2005 and September 30,
2004
Revenues.
Revenues
were $10,572,000 for the three months ended September 30, 2005, compared
to
$11,045,000 for the three months ended September 30, 2004, a decrease of
$473,000, or 4%. Subscription revenues were $9,830,000 for the three months
ended September 30, 2005, representing 93% of revenues, compared to $10,657,000
for the three months ended September 30, 2004, representing 96% of revenues,
a
decrease of $827,000, or 8%. The decrease in our subscription revenues for
the
three months ended September 30, 2005 was attributable primarily to a decrease
in the number of total subscribers from approximately 823,000 at September
30,
2004 to approximately 790,000 at September 30, 2005. Revenues from sales
to
distributors were $133,000 for the quarter ended September 30, 2005. Revenues
from our newly-launched sales of mobile phones were $207,000 for the quarter
ended September 30, 2005, reflecting 10,000 subscribers to the mobile phone
service.
Cost
of sales.
Cost of
sales was $3,761,000 for the three months ended September 30, 2005, compared
to
$3,202,000 for the three months ended September 30, 2004, an increase of
$559,000, or 17%. Cost of sales increased as mobile customer acquisition
costs,
such as the cost of mobile phones and fulfillment expenses, are charged to
cost
of sales. Cost of sales also includes impairment charges to reduce to fair
value
inventory at distributors accounted for under the sell-through method and
to the
mobile phones in inventory of $78,000 and $36,000, respectively. For the
three
months ended September 30, 2005, the total cost of sales related to mobile
subscriptions was $525,000, which was partially offset by the decreased cost
of
sales related to the decreased number of landline subscribers. As a result,
our
gross margins decreased from 71% for the three months ended September 30,
2004
to 64% for the three months ended September 30, 2005.
Sales
and marketing.
Sales
and marketing expenses were $2,109,000, or 20% of revenues, for the three
months
ended September 30, 2005, compared to $2,116,000, or 19% of revenues, for
the
three months ended September 30, 2004, a decrease of $7,000. Sales and marketing
expenses decreased due to reduced customer acquisition spend of $627,000
(net of
an increase to customer acquisition costs due to recording an impairment
allowance on phone cards in the amount of $201,000) offset by additional
expenses related to our call center of $499,000. Previously, the call center
performed a technical support role and its expenses were allocated across
all
three operating expense categories. The focus of our call center has shifted
from technical support to landline customer retention and mobile sales and
the
related costs are now charged to sales and marketing.
Research
and development.
Research
and development expenses were $1,216,000, or 12% of revenues, for the three
months ended September 30, 2005, compared to $1,668,000, or 15% of revenues,
for
the three months ended September 30, 2004, a decrease of $452,000, or 27%.
The
decrease in research and development expenses was due in part to the shift
in
focus and in costs of the call center to sales and marketing which reduced
research and development costs by $361,000. Additionally, staffing costs
decreased by $133,000 related to employee turnover. We expect research and
development costs to increase in future quarters.
General
and administrative.
General
and administrative expenses were $2,182,000, or 21% of revenues for the three
months ended September 30, 2005, compared to $1,276,000, or 12% of revenues,
for
the three months ended September 30, 2004, an increase of $906,000, or 71%.
The
increase in general and administrative expenses was due primarily to an increase
in legal, bad debt, insurance, investor relations, employee-related and Board
of
Directors costs. Specifically, directors & officers liability insurance
costs increased $171,000, legal costs increased $150,000 and bad debts expense
increased $350,000 in the three months ended September 30, 2005 as compared
to
the same period in 2004. Bad debts expense for the three months ended September
30, 2004, reflected the benefit of a reduced estimate of bad debts expense.
Impairment
loss.
As of
September 30, 2005, we determined based on an analysis of future cash flows
that
our investment in and receivable from a company in which we had a minority
interest was other than temporarily impaired. Accordingly, we recorded an
impairment loss in the amount of $253,000 which was partially offset by a
gain
of $10,000 on the sale of an asset that had previously been written
off.
Income
tax provision.
We
recognized an income tax provision for the three months ended September 30,
2005
and an income tax benefit for the three months ended September 30, 2004 of
$633,000 and $(66,000), respectively. In prior periods we have recognized
a tax
provision benefit related to the reduction of the valuation allowance associated
with the deferred tax asset. The total deferred tax asset is $6.6 million
and
has been offset by a valuation allowance of $4.3 million with the net deferred
tax asset representing our best estimate of the realization of our deferred
tax
assets. We have not recognized the benefit of the remaining deferred tax
assets
as we have not determined that it is more likely than not that we will be
able
to use them to offset income taxes payable as it is uncertain as to when
these
deferred tax assets will be realized. We will continue to assess the likelihood
of realization of our net deferred tax assets and will adjust the balance
accordingly.
Net
income.
Net
income was $932,000 for the three months ended September 30, 2005, compared
to
$2,901,000 for the three months ended September 30, 2004, a decrease of
$1,969,000 or 68%. This decrease in net income was primarily the result of
an
increase in cost of sales related to our entry into the mobile phone market,
increased general and administrative expenses related to operating as a public
company and a tax provision of $633,000 in the three months ended September
30,
2005, an increase of 699,000 over the same period in 2004. During the three
months ended September 30, 2005, our revenues decreased by $473,000, while
our
cost of sales increased by $559,000 and operating expenses increased by
$690,000. Our net margin was 9% and 26% for the three months ended September
30,
2005 and 2004, respectively.
Liquidity
and Capital Resources
At
September 30, 2005, our principal sources of liquidity were cash and cash
equivalents of $34,883,000, marketable securities of $26,653,000, and accounts
receivable net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $4,867,000.
Accounts
Receivable.
Our
accounts receivable were $4,867,000 as of September 30, 2005, compared to
$4,258,000 as of September 30, 2004, an increase of $609,000, or 15%. This
increase is attributable to a number of factors, none of which reflect, in
our
view, any deterioration in our expected realization of those accounts
receivable. In the last half of fiscal 2005 and continuing into 2006, we
billed
installation fees which has the effect of increasing accounts receivable
but the
fees are amortized to revenue over the period the subscriber is estimated
to be
a customer. This has caused accounts receivable balances to increase as a
percent of revenues. Substantially all of our accounts receivable represent
amounts owing from our subscribers’ local exchange carriers, or LECs, which
collect and remit to us charges due to us from our subscribers. This increase
is
due to decreased billing and collections costs per dollars billed through
phone
companies. Amounts billed per subscriber through telephone companies increased
during the first quarter of fiscal 2006, and because billing and collection
costs through telephone companies is driven primarily by the number of
subscribers billed and not by the dollars billed, billing and collection
costs
per dollars billed decreased. Billing and collections costs are netted against
accounts receivable since we receive payments from customers net of the fees
charged by the billing companies.
Net
cash
provided by operating activities was $3,377,000 for the three months ended
September 30, 2005 and consisted of $932,000 of net income, $324,000 in
depreciation and amortization, $809,000 in accounts receivable, net of bad
debt
expense, $634,000 decrease in our net deferred tax asset, and a decrease
in
inventory and other assets of $454,000 and $292,000, respectively.
Net
cash
provided by investing activities was $13,225,000 for the three months ended
September 30, 2005, which consisted of purchases of $3,180,000 of marketable
securities and $60,000 of property and equipment offset by sales of marketable
securities of $16,465,000.
Net
cash
provided by financing activities was $1,453,000 for the three months ended
September 30, 2005, and consisted of proceeds from exercises of stock options
and warrants.
We
expect
that our cash on hand at September 30, 2005, along with cash generated from
operations, will be adequate to fund our operations for at least the next
twelve
months. However, we reexamine our cash requirements periodically in light
of
changes in our business.
Risks
Related To Our Business
Our
ability to expand our revenues and profitability will be dependent upon our
ability to successfully market our services to mobile phone
users.
We
grew
our business by developing a base of subscribers who use our services to
manage
their telecommunications services on their traditional, or “landline,”
telephone. In the future, however, we intend to devote substantial resources
to
marketing our services to users of mobile telecommunications services. Those
mobile telecommunications services are in a different market segment than
that
in which we traditionally have competed, and therefore we will need to
understand this new market segment in order to be successful. In
offering our services to customers in this new market segment, we may make
investments in assets that will not prove to have long-term value, we therefore
may need to write off those investments prior to the end of their useful
life,
and such write-offs may adversely affect our results of operations. In addition,
our ability to successfully implement
and
market our mobile telephone services is dependent upon a number of technical
factors that are beyond our control, including the cooperation of service
providers in allowing our customers to transition the use of their existing
mobile telephone number to our service, as well as a number of operating
challenges beyond our control, including the marketing of our new services
to
mobile telephone users. Finally, the cost structure of that new market segment
is different from that of the landline segment in which we traditionally
have
competed. If we fail to understand the demands of consumers in this new market
segment, or if we fail to understand and adapt to the cost structure or
technical demands of operating in this new market segment, then we will not
be
able to achieve growth in our revenues and profits, and our results of
operations and financial condition would be adversely affected.
Our
ability to successfully market our services to mobile phone users will be
dependent upon our success in entering into and managing indirect distribution
relationships.
We
grew
our business by directly marketing our landline services to consumers and
small
businesses through Internet advertising. We intend to promote our services
to
mobile phone users through “indirect” distribution arrangements in which we
enter into distribution agreements with telecommunications service providers,
who agree to distribute our services to their subscribers. We do not have
significant experience in developing and managing those indirect relationships.
There typically is a long lead time required to conclude agreements for such
arrangements, additional time is thereafter required to implement each
agreed-upon arrangement, and the actual pace of implementation is dependent
upon
cooperation and support from the companies with which we enter into those
arrangements. In addition, even if we are able to put such indirect distribution
relationships in place, the extent to which the service provider’s customers
subscribe for our services will be dependent in substantial part upon the
pace
and manner in which the service provider implements and promotes our services,
which are outside of our control. If we are unable to successfully implement
those indirect distribution relationships, then we may not realize substantial
growth in our subscribers for our mobile services, we will not realize
substantial growth in revenues or profitability, and our results of operations
and financial condition will be adversely affected.
Our
ability to successfully implement indirect distribution arrangements is
dependent upon our ability to integrate our technology with that of the
companies that distribute our services.
In
order
for our indirect distribution arrangements to be successful, the companies
with
whom we enter into indirect distribution arrangements must be able to integrate
our services with their own service offerings. That integration process requires
that our technology operate effectively with the service platforms from which
those companies deliver telecommunications services to their customers. The
integration of our services with the service platform of those other companies
is a complex process that requires not only that our respective technology
platforms operate together, but also that our engineering departments work
effectively together at a technical level in integrating our respective
services. Those tasks require time, we may encounter technical difficulties
that
occasion delay, and we may uncover other technical difficulties that adversely
affect the customer's ability to fully utilize our services or even our ability
to integrate our services at all. If we are unable to overcome those challenges,
then our indirect distribution strategy may be adversely affected, and we
may
not be able to achieve the revenue and profitability gains that we are seeking
to achieve from our mobile services.
The
use of indirect distribution arrangements may cause us to realize lower revenues
and profitability than we traditionally have realized from “direct” distribution
of our services.
We
expect
that the principal growth in subscribers to our mobile services will come
primarily from the implementation of indirect distribution arrangements.
While
these arrangements typically deliver subscribers to us at a lower subscriber
acquisition cost than our traditional sources of subscribers, they also tend
to
generate a lower average revenue per user, or “ARPU,” than the traditional
“direct” sources of subscribers. In order to achieve substantial future revenue
growth from these “indirect” distribution arrangements, we will need to
implement indirect distribution arrangements that afford us broad exposure
to
significant potential subscribers, and we will need the other parties to
those
arrangements to cooperate with us in distributing our services to their
customers. If we are unable to accomplish those objectives, then we may not
achieve future revenue growth, and our results of operations will be adversely
affected.
If
telecommunications customers integrate their landline and mobile services
at a
rate that is slower than what we predict, then we may experience delays in
realizing growth in revenues and profitability from our mobile
services.
We
have
decided to devote substantial resources to our services for mobile telephone
users because we believe that consumers are making more substantial use of
their
mobile phones and are reducing their use of traditional landline phones.
If the
pace of that changeover to mobile telecommunications services unfolds more
slowly than we currently foresee it occurring, then the proportion of mass
market consumers who are ready to subscribe for our mobile services may be
much
smaller than is necessary to support substantial growth in our revenues and
profitability. If the proportion of consumers who subscribe for our mobile
services is correspondingly lower, then our results of operations and financial
condition will be adversely affected.
Because
we are unable to predict with precision the rate at which consumers will
subscribe for our mobile services, our results of operations may be
correspondingly less predictable, our stock price therefore may be more
volatile, and our stockholders may suffer losses.
For
the
past several years we have marketed our landline services directly to consumers
and have assembled a substantial amount of data that allowed us to predict
our
subscriber counts, revenues, and profits with some reliability. As our business
increasingly emphasizes the delivery of mobile services, however, we will
be
operating in a new market segment and offering to potential customers new
services that have not been marketed or sold by us or any other company.
As a
result, we have little historical data with which to predict with any precision
the rate at which our services will be accepted by consumers or the prices
at
which consumers may be willing to subscribe for those services. Consequently,
we
may experience significantly greater swings in our revenues and profitability
than in the past, our stock price may become increasingly volatile, and our
stockholders may realize losses in the value of their shares.
As
we market our mobile services through pre-paid mobile telephone arrangements,
our results from operations will be dependent upon our ability to manage
inventories.
We
are
implementing our new mobile calling services, in part, by purchasing mobile
telephones and prepaid phone cards, packaging our mobile services with those
items, and selling those items to distributors, who then re-sell them to
end
users. This method of distribution requires that we actually purchase and
own
those phones prior to the time when we sell them to our distributors. Our
ability to sell those phones at an acceptable gross margin may be adversely
affected by a number of factors, including increases in material or labor
costs,
excess inventory, obsolescence charges from our vendors, prolonged holding
periods, our inability to anticipate product demands, and price competition
in
the market for such items. If we are unable to successfully manage those
factors, then our results of operations may be adversely affected as we purchase
and market increasing numbers of those pre-paid mobile phones and phone
cards.
If
network service providers elect to bundle services similar to ours that they
obtain from other providers or to develop such services themselves as part
of
their product offering, we could lose many of our paid
subscribers.
The
market for communications and information services is competitive, and many
service providers attempt to attract and retain subscribers by offering a
variety of services. While service providers that provide Internet call waiting
and call management services generally impose a separate charge, those service
providers may in the future bundle such services with their other service
offerings, thereby effectively offering these services for no incremental
fee.
If we lose subscribers to those network service providers that bundle services
that are competitive with ours and we are unable to find replacement subscribers
willing to pay for our services, our business, revenues and profitability
would
be adversely affected.
As
the subscribers for and revenues from our traditional landline business erode
over time, any growth in our profitability and revenues will be increasingly
dependent upon our ability to successfully market our services to subscribers
for our mobile services.
Consumers
and small and home office, or SOHO, users are switching from dial-up to
broadband at an increasing pace. As a result, we expect that the number of
actual and prospective subscribers for our landline services will decline
over
time. We therefore have made a conscious decision to reduce the amount of
resources that we traditionally have devoted to attracting and retaining
subscribers for our landline services, and instead we are investing those
resources in expanding our mobile services. Consequently, the number or our
landline subscribers is likely to decline over time. As a result, if we are
unable to successfully increase our revenues and profits from subscribers
for
our mobile service, then our overall revenues and profits may decline over
time.
Increased
marketing costs for Internet advertising may cause further erosion in our
traditional landline business.
Our
subscriber acquisition costs for our traditional land-line customers are
dependent largely upon our ability to purchase multiple types of advertising
at
a reasonable cost. Our advertising costs vary over time, depending upon a
number
of factors, some of which are beyond our control, such as seasonality, the
particular mix of advertising we use and the rate at which we convert potential
subscribers into paid subscribers, and consolidation among companies that
control advertising channels. We have experienced an increase in subscriber
acquisition costs in the recent periods. Given our belief that our revenues
from
our traditional landline business will decline over time, we have decided
not to
increase the amount of money that we spend on Internet advertising for our
landline services. As a result, we are realizing both reduced marketing
expenditures and a higher unit cost for the advertising services that we
purchase. We expect that those two factors will occasion an acceleration
in the
decline of our landline business over time.
We
are dependent upon billing arrangements with regional telephone companies
for
collecting fees from many of our subscribers.
We
currently collect the majority of our revenues through billing arrangements
in
which our subscribers’ regional telephone companies collect our service fees
from our subscribers and forward those fees to us. We collect the remainder
of
our revenues through our subscribers’ credit cards and checks. If the telephone
companies terminated those billing arrangements, or if the cost of those
arrangements increased significantly, we may be unable to continue to collect
a
significant portion of our revenues in this manner, and instead would have
to
collect those revenues through use of subscribers’ credit cards, by having
subscribers mail checks to us, or by other means. Because many subscribers
prefer to pay for our services through their telephone bills, any need to
rely
upon alternative means to collect a significant portion of our revenues may
lead
to a loss of a substantial portion of the subscribers who currently pay for
our
services as part of their monthly bill from their telephone company, a decline
in the rate at which we increase the number of our paid subscribers, or
significant delinquencies in payments by our subscribers. If we are not able
to
successfully manage and maintain these billing relationships, our bad debt
reserves may increase and we may lose subscribers that prefer paying for
our
services on their local telephone bill.
If
we fail to maintain effective internal financial and managerial systems and
procedures, our results of operations may be adversely
affected.
As
we
expand our operations and offer new services, there is a risk that our systems
and procedures may not be adequate to support our operations or ensure proper
identification of and proper accounting treatment for our activities. Our
failure to maintain and implement such adequate systems and procedures could
adversely affect the information on which we base our decisions, thereby
causing
us to make inappropriate business decisions. Those incorrect decisions in
turn,
could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of
operation.
We
face competition from well-capitalized hardware vendors, software vendors
and
service providers against whom we may not be able to successfully
compete.
Competition
in the communications and information services industries is intense. We
face
competition for our offerings from Internet service providers, such as AOL,
landline and wireless telephone companies, such as AT&T, cable companies and
other communications hardware, software and services vendors. These companies
are better capitalized, have greater name recognition and significantly larger
existing subscriber bases than we do. We may also face competition in the
future
from communications hardware and software companies that are currently focused
on other markets. If these or other companies provide services similar to
ours,
we may not be able to compete effectively, which would harm our results of
operations and financial condition.
There
are limited barriers to entry for other companies to provide services that
compete with ours.
Telecommunications
services were historically provided by companies that made substantial capital
investments in their networks. The size of those investments and the time
required to deploy those networks served as significant barriers to entry
into
such markets. In contrast, we provide software-based enhanced services that
do
not require substantial capital expenditures to deploy and maintain. As a
result, other companies with strong technical staffs and knowledge of the
communications and information services industries could compete with us
without
facing significant capital expenditures or other barriers to entry. As a
result,
we may face increasing competition from companies with significantly greater
resources than we have, which may force us to reduce our prices and increase
our
operating expenses to remain competitive. If we are not able to compete
successfully with these companies, we may lose customers or fail to grow
our
business as we anticipate, either of which could harm our financial condition,
results of operations and prospects.
We
rely upon the networks of numerous long-distance and local carriers to provide
services to our subscribers. If the cost of these services were to increase,
we
may not be able to profitably provide our services to our
subscribers.
In
providing services to our subscribers, we incur a number of underlying
telecommunications costs which are beyond our control. In order to deliver
our
services to our subscribers, our customers must subscribe to certain ancillary
services from their telecommunications providers that re-route certain telephone
calls from our subscribers’ telephone lines to toll-free numbers that we have
leased at our software-based switching facility, which facilitates the receipt
of the call by the number that the subscribers designate. Our services rely
in
part upon the toll-free long-distance and local services that we purchase
from
network service providers. The cost of these services, which we integrate
into
our service offerings, or which subscribers assume directly, is beyond our
control and may increase for a number of reasons, including:
|
•
|
|
a
general increase in wholesale long-distance rates or charges for
call
forwarding services;
|
|
|
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an
election by service providers to implement a new pricing structure
on the
services that we currently purchase;
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an
election by third-party service providers to impose charges for
services
which are currently toll-free; and
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an
increase in subscriber usage patterns that increases the cost of
the
services that we purchase
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Our
ability to offer services to our subscribers at competitive rates is partially
dependent upon our ability to use that toll-free telephone network and our
subsidiary’s ability to procure telephone network access and services on a
reliable basis and at reasonable prices. If we are unable to effectively
manage
the cost of our underlying network services, then our pricing structure with
a
significant number of our subscribers would increase, which could make it
difficult to conduct business at attractive margins.
There
are a limited number of long-distance and interconnection service providers
that
are able to provide the services on which we rely.
We
currently have contracts with four service providers for long-distance services,
and our wholly-owned subsidiary, Liberty Telecom, LLC also has interconnection
agreements with other telecommunications companies, which together provide
us
with services that we integrate into our enhanced offerings. Each of those
contracts may be terminated without cause by the service provider upon advance
written notice. The required notice period, in each instance, is less than
the
amount of time that we would likely need to negotiate a contract with a
successor provider and modify our system to re-route our subscribers’ inbound
calls to that successor’s network. In addition, there are only a limited number
of service providers with which we can contract to provide these services.
As a
result, if one or more of the service providers from which we currently procure
long-distance or interconnection services were to terminate our existing
contractual relationships, we may not be able to locate a substitute provider
on
a timely basis and upon reasonable terms, if at all, in order to avoid a
disruption or loss of service to our subscribers. If we are not able to purchase
access to sufficient long-distance and interconnection services at reasonable
prices, we may not be able to profitably provide our services to our subscribers
and our operating results and financial condition would be harmed.
We
rely upon the Internet and other networks controlled by third parties to
provide
our services and if we are not able to maintain access to these networks
at
reasonable rates, we may not be able to profitably provide our
services.
We
provide our services by integrating and enhancing underlying services on
other
companies’ networks that rely on the public switched telephone network, across
the private networks constructed and owned by other companies such as those
in
the cable industry, and across the Internet. If the owners of any one or
more of
those networks were either to refuse to transport calls to our subscribers,
or
were to impose significantly higher charges for those calls, or if applicable
regulations were to impose significantly higher charges for those calls,
we
would likely face increased operating costs, our profitability could suffer
and
our business could be harmed.
Because
a significant portion of our subscribers are price sensitive, we may not
be able
to increase the charges for our services without adversely affecting our
ability
to attract and retain paid subscribers.
Our
subscribers are generally price sensitive. In response to that sensitivity,
we
have attempted to control our costs in order to be able to charge low
subscription rates for our landline services, which generally range from
$1.50
to $7.95 per month, and are as high as $9.95 per month in limited circumstances.
We expect that recruiting new subscribers may become more expensive on average
if we increase our marketing efforts. If we experience significant cost
increases or otherwise want to increase our margins, we may be unable to
increase our monthly charges by an amount sufficient to allow us to maintain
margins or our profitability, and our business and operating results could
be
adversely affected.
We
are dependent upon the availability of reasonably priced call-forwarding
services to provide our services to the majority of our subscribers in a
cost-effective manner.
Customers
who subscribe to certain of our services typically subscribe to call-forwarding
services from their local telephone service provider. Generally, these
call-forwarding services are available to our subscribers at a reasonable
price.
If the service providers do not provide these services at a reasonable price,
the overall price of obtaining our services may exceed the amount that our
current and potential subscribers are willing to pay. If the prices for these
services increase, a significant number of our subscribers may terminate
their
subscriptions for our services.
Because
the secondary facility for our subsidiary’s existing telephone switching
equipment is not yet fully operational, a catastrophic event at Liberty
Telecom’s primary facility would cause the disruption of our services to
subscribers.
Our
enhanced services currently depend on telecommunications services from our
subsidiary, Liberty Telecom, which are provided using a single call-switching
facility in Reno, Nevada. A catastrophic event, such as an earthquake or
a fire,
that destroys part or all of the facility would disrupt our business and
prevent
us from providing services to our subscribers for an extended period of time.
While Liberty Telecom is nearing completion of our secondary call-switching
facility and we already are using this facility to provide some data and
voice
services to our subscribers, the second facility may not be fully operational
on
a timely basis, or at all. Because our subscribers expect our services to
match
the high reliability that characterizes services in the communications and
information services industries generally, any failure in our ability to
service
our subscribers could cause us to lose significant numbers of subscribers,
and
make it more difficult to obtain new paid subscribers.
A
system failure or a breach of our network security could delay or interrupt
service to our subscribers or lead to a misappropriation of our confidential
information.
Our
operations are dependent upon our ability to protect our computer network
from
interruption, unauthorized entry, computer viruses and other similar events.
In
the past, we experienced one outage of our entire system which occurred
following the failure of redundant components and lasted approximately two
hours. From time to time, we have also experienced limited system interruptions.
While these interruptions did not significantly harm our business, our existing
and planned precautions may not be adequate to prevent a significant
interruption in the operation of our network in the future. Despite the
implementation of security measures, our infrastructure also may be vulnerable
to computer viruses, hackers or similar disruptive problems caused by our
subscribers, employees or other Internet users who attempt to invade public
and
private data networks. A system failure or a breach of our security measures
may
lead to a disruption in service, or the misappropriation of confidential
information, which may result in significant liability to us and also may
deter
current and potential subscribers from using our services. Any system failure
or
security breach that causes interruptions or data loss in our operations
or in
the computer systems of our subscribers could cause us to lose paid subscribers
and harm our business, prospects, financial condition and results of
operations.
If
we do not successfully anticipate the service demands of our subscribers,
we may
be unable to successfully attract and retain subscribers.
We
must
accurately forecast the features and functionality required by our current
and
potential subscribers. In addition, we must design and implement service
enhancements that meet subscriber requirements in a timely and efficient
manner.
We may not successfully determine subscriber requirements and, therefore,
may
not be able to satisfy subscriber demands. Furthermore, as our current
subscribers’ needs change, we may not be able to identify, design and implement
in a timely and efficient manner services incorporating the type and level
of
features desired by our subscribers. If we fail to accurately determine or
effectively market subscriber feature requirements or service enhancements,
we
may lose current subscribers or fail to attract new subscribers, and may
be
unable to grow our revenues.
Other
persons may assert claims that our business operations or technology infringe
or
misappropriate their intellectual property rights, which could increase our
costs of operation and distract management and could result in expensive
settlement costs.
Other
companies or individuals, including our competitors, may claim that we infringe
or misappropriate their intellectual property rights. From time to time,
third
parties have contacted us, asserting that we may infringe their intellectual
property rights. For example, in December 2003 and April 2004, a major
communications infrastructure company delivered to one of our distributors
two
letters, in which we were not named, offering to negotiate with our distributor
a nonexclusive license to certain patents that the infrastructure company
believed to be relevant to our service and implying that our service may
infringe those patents. As part of this process, we have received a legal
opinion from our intellectual property counsel that our services do not infringe
the patents of this infrastructure company, although there is no assurance
that
a court would agree with that opinion.
We
received a letter from America Online, Inc., or AOL, in September 2004 in
which
AOL offered to discuss with us a license to U. S. Patent No. 5,809,128, “Method
and apparatus permitting notification and control of blocked incoming calls
over
a data network,” or the ‘128 patent, and implying that our services may infringe
the ‘128 patent. In 2000 and 2001, we had periodically discussed a license for
the ‘128 patent with Infointeractive Services, the company that owned the ‘128
patent and was subsequently acquired by AOL. We have received an opinion
of
counsel that our operations did not and do not infringe the ‘128 patent,
although we can offer no assurance that a court would agree with that opinion.
AOL has substantial resources, and may elect to assert a claim that our
operations infringe the ‘128 patent. If such a claim is asserted and we are
unable to resolve the matter by agreement, then we would likely incur
substantial attorneys’ fees to defend against any such claim. The outcome of any
such claim is uncertain, and an adverse judgment would likely have a material
adverse impact upon our business and results of operations.
In
addition, in July 2004, the licensing agent for j2 Global Communications,
Inc.,
or j2, sent to us a letter suggesting that an aspect of our services may
employ
inventions covered by U.S. Patent No. 6,350,066, “Systems and methods for
storing, delivering and managing messages,” or the ‘066 patent, which j2
recently had acquired, and offering a non-exclusive license for that patent.
On
August 24, 2004, j2 filed a complaint against us in the United States District
Court for the Central District of California, alleging that our operations
infringe the ‘066 patent. j2’s complaint seeks injunctive relief and unspecified
damages, among other relief. We have reviewed the ‘066 patent and believe that
although the claims of the ‘066 patent disclose systems and methods that may
resemble portions of our prior operations, we believe that we do not infringe
any claim of the ‘066 patent in our present operations. On December 30, 2004, we
agreed to stipulate to amend the above-referenced complaint to include two
additional patents, specifically U. S. Patent No. 6,564,321, “Systems and
methods for storing, delivering and managing messages,” or the ‘321 patent, and
U.S. Patent No. 6,208,638, “Method and apparatus for transmission and retrieval
of facsimile and audio messages over a circuit or packet switched network,” or
the ‘638 patent. We believe that we do not infringe any of those claims, and
have also received opinions from our patent counsel that the claims of those
three j2 patents are not infringed by our operations. On April 19, 2005,
the
Company agreed to stipulate to a further amendment to the above-referenced
complaint, to include an allegation that we infringe the claims of U.S. Patent
No. 6,857,074, or the ‘074 patent. However, the outcome of any litigation is
inherently uncertain. We can offer no assurance that our present operations
or
past operations will not be determined to infringe or to have infringed j2’s
patents, and we anticipate that j2 will continue to pursue litigation with
respect to its claims. Accordingly, we cannot predict whether j2’s claims will
have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results, financial
conditions and cash flows. We do presently project that if the litigation
continues at its present pace, then we are likely to incur a material amount
of
attorneys’ fees and costs in the litigation. Please see the section titled
“Legal Proceedings” on page 14 for additional disclosure regarding the j2
litigation.
In
October 2004, we received a letter from counsel to Web Telephony, LLC, or
Web
Telephony, implying that our operations infringe certain claims in U.S. Patent
No. 6,445,694, “Internet Controlled Telephone System,” or the ‘694 patent, and
U.S. Patent No. 6,785,266, “Internet Controlled Telephone System,” or the ‘266
patent. On January 19, 2005, we filed in the United States District Court
for
the Central District of California an action for declaratory relief, in which
we
are seeking to have the court declare that we do not infringe the ‘694 patent or
the ‘266 patent. We have received an opinion of counsel that our operations do
not infringe ‘694 patent or ‘266 patent, although we can offer no assurance that
a court would agree with that opinion. The Court recently rejected Web
Telephony’s motion to dismiss and held that the Court has personal jurisdiction
over Web Telephony. We filed a First Amended Complaint on May 2, 2005, adding
a
cause of action for interference with prospective economic advantage. Web
Telephony filed an Answer to the First Amended Complaint on September 6,
2005,
and counterclaimed, alleging infringement of the ‘694 and ‘266 patents.
Nonetheless, the outcome of the Web Telephony litigation is uncertain, and
an
adverse judgment would likely have a material adverse impact upon our business
and results of operations.
On
July
1, 2005, Catch Curve, Inc., a Delaware corporation, or Catch Curve, filed
a
complaint against us in the United States District Court for the Central
District of California (Action No. CV05-4819) alleging that our operations
infringe U.S. Patents No 6,785,021, or the ‘021 Patent, U.S. Patent No.
6,643,034, or the ‘034 Patent, U.S. Patent No. 5,291,302, or the ‘302 Patent,
and U.S. Patent No. 4,994,926, or the ‘926 Patent. We have obtained an extension
of time in which to file our answer to that complaint. We have received from
intellectual property counsel opinions that our present operations do not
infringe the claims of the 021 patent, the ‘034 patent, the ‘302 patent, or the
‘926 patent. By reason thereof, we presently do not believe it is probable
that
we will suffer, by reason of such litigation, a material loss. However, the
outcome of any litigation is uncertain, and it is premature to reach any
definitive conclusions in that regard and an adverse outcome may have a material
adverse effect upon our business and results of operations.
A
determination that we have infringed the intellectual property rights of
a third
party, including in any of the above-referenced matters, could expose us
to
substantial damages, restrict our operations or require us to procure costly
licenses to the intellectual property that is the subject of the infringement
claims. Such a license may not be available to us on acceptable terms or
at all.
Any effort to defend ourselves from assertions of infringement or
misappropriation of a third party’s intellectual property rights, whether or not
we are successful, would be expensive and time-consuming and would divert
management resources. Any adverse determination that we have infringed the
intellectual property rights of a third party, or the costs we incur to defend
ourselves against such claims, whether or not we are successful, would have
a
material adverse impact on our business and results of operations.
Our
customers or other companies with whom we have a commercial relationship
could
also become the target of litigation relating to the patent and other
intellectual property rights of others. This could trigger support and
indemnification obligations, which could result in substantial expenses,
including the payment by us of costs and damages relating to patent
infringement. In addition to the time and expense required for us to meet
our
support and indemnification obligations, any such litigation could hurt our
relations with our customers and other companies. Thus, the sale of our services
could decrease. Claims for indemnification may be made by third parties with
whom we do business and such claims may harm our business, prospects, financial
condition and results of operations.
We
may not be able to protect and enforce our intellectual property rights,
which
could impair our ability to compete and reduce the value of our
services.
We
rely
primarily upon a combination of trademark, trade secret, copyright and patent
law protections, and contractual restrictions to protect our proprietary
technology. Those measures may not provide meaningful protection. For example,
any rights granted under any of our existing or future patents may not provide
meaningful protection or any commercial advantage to us. Such patents could
be
challenged or circumvented by our competitors or declared invalid or
unenforceable in judicial or administrative proceedings. The failure of any
patents to adequately protect our technology would make it easier for our
competitors to offer similar services. With respect to our proprietary rights,
it may be possible for third parties to copy or otherwise obtain and use
our
proprietary technology or marks without authorization or to develop similar
technology independently. Monitoring unauthorized use of our proprietary
technology or marks is difficult and costly. We may not be able to detect
unauthorized use of, or to take appropriate steps to enforce, our intellectual
property rights, particularly in foreign countries where the laws may not
protect our proprietary rights as fully as in the United States. If we commence
an action to terminate a third party’s authorized use of our intellectual
property rights, we may face challenges to the validity and enforceability
of
our proprietary rights and may not prevail in any litigation regarding those
rights. Any efforts to enforce or determine the scope of our intellectual
property rights, whether initiated by us or a third party, would be expensive
and time-consuming, would divert management resources and could adversely
affect
our business, whether or not such litigation results in a determination
favorable to us.
If
we are unable to obtain additional telephone numbers, we may not be able
to grow
our subscriber base.
Our
future success will depend in part upon our ability to procure sufficient
quantities of telephone numbers in area codes where our subscribers are located
at costs we can afford. The ability of telecommunications carriers to provide
us
with telephone numbers to be used in conjunction with our services depends
on
applicable regulations, the practices of telecommunications carriers that
provide telephone numbers, and the level of demand for new telephone numbers.
In
addition, the Federal Communications Commission, or FCC, has regulations
concerning numbering resource utilization. If Liberty Telecom does not
sufficiently utilize the numbers assigned to it, it may have to relinquish
control of those unused numbers. Furthermore, the FCC and state public utility
commissions periodically review numbering utilization, and may in the future
propose additional changes to regulations governing number assignment and
availability. Failure to have access to telephone numbers in a timely and
cost-effective manner, or the loss of use of numbers we have accessed or
may
access, could prevent us from entering some markets or slow our growth in
the
markets in which we currently sell our services.
Our
Enhanced Services Platform is a complex hardware and software system that
could
fail and cause service interruptions to our subscribers.
Our
hardware and software systems are complex and are critical to our business.
If
our systems fail, our subscribers might experience reduced levels of service
or
service interruptions. Software-based services, such as ours, may contain
undetected errors or failures when introduced or when new versions are released.
Errors may be found in our software before or after commercial release, and,
as
a result, we may experience development delays or a disruption of our services.
Failures in our system or interruptions to our service could cause us to
lose
paid subscribers and harm our business, prospects, financial condition and
results of operations.
If
we are unable to maintain access to national IP-protocol based networks,
then
our business and results of operations may be adversely
affected.
Historically,
to obtain our services, our subscribers had their calls routed on long-distance
circuits through the public switched telephone network to our software switching
facilities in Nevada. That structure requires that we often pay for
long-distance telephone service. We expect to increasingly rely upon the
public
Internet or third-party managed Internet protocol networks, which would not
change how we provision services to our subscribers, but would allow us to
reduce our cost of sales by using more of the less expensive Internet and
local
telephone network minutes and fewer of the more expensive long-distance
telephone network minutes. We recently entered into a contract with a provider
of these Internet and managed Internet protocol network services, which is
a
privately managed Internet where access is controlled to ensure quality of
service. If we are unable to establish and effectively manage such relationships
on a cost-effective basis, or if the costs associated with Internet and local
telephone network minutes increase, then our ability to manage our costs
may be
adversely affected and our results of operations may suffer.
Our
success depends in large part upon our retention of our executive officers
and
our ability to hire and retain additional key personnel.
Our
future performance depends in large part upon the continued services of our
executive officers and other key technical, operations and management personnel.
Our future success also depends on our continuing ability to attract and
retain
highly qualified technical, operations and managerial personnel. Competition
for
such personnel is intense, and we may not be able to retain our key employees
or
attract or retain other highly qualified technical, operations and management
personnel in the future. The loss of the services of one or more of our
executive officers or other key employees or our inability to attract and
retain
additional qualified personnel could harm our business and
prospects.
We
may need to raise additional capital to support the growth of our operations,
but such additional funds may not be available.
Our
future capital needs are difficult to predict. We may require additional
capital
in order to take advantage of opportunities, including strategic alliances
and
potential acquisitions, or to respond to changing business conditions and
unanticipated competitive pressures. Additionally, funds generated from our
operations may be less than anticipated. As of June 30, 2005, we had total
working capital of $59.0 million and $16.8 million of cash and cash equivalents
and $40.0 million of marketable securities. For the twelve months ending
June
30, 2006, we anticipate making capital expenditures of approximately $1.0
million. While we believe that our current capital resources will be sufficient
to fund our operations through the end of June 30, 2006, we may need to raise
additional funds either by borrowing money or issuing additional equity in
order
to handle unforeseen contingencies or take advantage of new opportunities.
We
may not be able to raise such funds on favorable terms, if at all. If we
are
unable to obtain additional funds, then we may be unable to take advantage
of
new opportunities or take other actions that otherwise might be important
to our
business or prospects.
We
may acquire other businesses or license technologies, and if we do, they
could
prove difficult to integrate, disrupt our business, dilute stockholder value
and
adversely affect our operating results.
Our
business strategy in the future may include the acquisition of other businesses
or licensing of technologies. We may not be able to identify, negotiate,
integrate or finance any such future acquisition or license successfully.
We
have not acquired any companies to date and have no arrangements or agreements
with respect to any potential acquisition and, therefore, have no experience
with integrating other business operations or technologies with ours. If
we
engage in any such strategic transaction, then we may encounter unforeseen
operating challenges and expenses that may require a significant amount of
management time that otherwise would be devoted to running our operations.
If we
undertake acquisitions or other strategic transactions, then we may issue
shares
of stock that dilute the interests of existing stockholders; and we may incur
debt, assume contingent liabilities, or create additional expenses related
to
amortizing intangible assets, any one or more of which may harm our business
and
results of operations.
Risks
Related To Our Industry
We
may not be able to respond to the rapid technological change of the
communications and information services industries and, as a result, our
business may be adversely affected.
The
communications and information services industries are undergoing rapid and
significant technological change. We cannot predict the effect of technological
changes on our business. We expect that new services and technologies will
emerge in the markets in which we compete. Those new services and technologies
may be superior to the services and technologies that we provide or those
new
services may render our services and technologies obsolete. In addition,
those
services and technologies may not be compatible with ours. If we are not
able to
effectively respond to technological changes, the services we provide may
no
longer be attractive to our current and potential subscribers and our business,
prospects, financial condition and results of operations may be
harmed.
We
may be required to incur significant costs to modify our systems in order
to
meet the requirements of the Communications Assistance to Law Enforcement
Act.
The
Communications Assistance to Law Enforcement Act, or CALEA, requires
telecommunications carriers to have the capability to perform wiretaps and
to
record other call identifying information. There is substantial uncertainty
within the industry as to how to implement these requirements with respect
to
packet-switched networks, such as that operated by Liberty Telecom. As Liberty
Telecom expands its service offerings, further modifications to its local
switching equipment may be necessary to comply with applicable laws and
regulations. On March 12, 2004, the FCC issued a public notice seeking public
comment with respect to a Petition for Rulemaking (Docket RM-10865) filed
by the
Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Drug Enforcement
Agency, seeking to resolve various outstanding issues associated with the
implementation of CALEA. In response to the issues raised by the Department
of
Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and other law enforcement
agencies, the FCC, on August 12, 2004, issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
and Declaratory Ruling addressing various outstanding issues associated with
the
implementation of CALEA. That proceeding could result in additional regulatory
burdens for us and for Liberty Telecom. Complying with CALEA and rules
implementing CALEA may require us to incur substantial costs, which could
negatively impact our results of operations.
Our
services may become subject to burdensome regulations that could increase
our
costs or restrict our service offerings.
We
provide our services through data transmissions over public telephone lines
and
other facilities provided by telecommunications companies. The underlying
transmissions are typically subject to regulation by the FCC, state public
utility commissions and, in the future, could become subject to regulation
by
foreign governmental authorities. These regulations affect the prices that
we
pay for transmission services, the competition we face from communications
service providers that may choose to offer enhanced services similar to ours
and
other aspects of our market. As a software-based provider of enhanced services,
we believe we are not currently subject to direct regulation by the FCC or
generally by state public utility commissions, although our wholly-owned
subsidiary, Liberty Telecom, is a telecommunications carrier subject to state
and federal regulation as a Competitive Local Exchange Carrier. As
communications services increasingly are delivered over the Internet and
as we
expand the services that we offer, our business may become increasingly
regulated. Liberty Telecom is required to have a certificate of public
convenience and necessity in order to operate in the state of Nevada as a
Competitive Local Exchange Carrier. If Liberty Telecom were to lose its
certificate, we may not be able to obtain access to telecommunications services
at rates or on other terms and conditions that are as favorable as those
that we
currently have. As we introduce new offerings, it is possible that some of
them
may fall within existing telecommunications regulations, increasing our costs.
Changes in the federal and state regulatory rules, or developments in the
interpretation of existing regulations, could decrease our revenue, increase
our
costs or restrict our service offerings.
Future
legislation, regulation, or legal decisions affecting the Internet, Internet
telephony or IP-enabled services could restrict our business, prevent us
from
offering our services or increase our cost of doing
business.
At
present there are few laws, regulations or rulings that specifically address
access to or commerce on the Internet, including the provision of Internet
protocol-based telephony and other IP-enabled services. We are unable to
predict
the impact, if any, that future legislation, regulations or legal decisions
may
have on our business. However, the growth in the market for IP-based telephony
and other IP-enabled communications, and the popularity of these services,
create the risk that governments and agencies increasingly will seek to regulate
services such as our current offerings. Many legislative and regulatory actions
are underway or are being contemplated by federal and state authorities,
including the FCC and various state regulatory agencies. For
example:
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On
March 10, 2004, the FCC released a notice of proposed rulemaking
(Docket
04-36) and sought public comment regarding the regulatory classification,
rights and obligations of services supported by IP
technologies.
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On
April 21, 2004, the FCC released a narrow declaratory ruling finding
that
certain Internet protocol telephony services are telecommunications
services upon which interstate access charges may be assessed.
Prior to
this decision, the FCC had never ruled that a service relying on
Internet-protocol technology was a telecommunications service.
The ruling
illustrates that certain Internet-protocol based services may become
subject to costs and regulations that, previously, were not thought
to be
applicable. This ruling, however, is not likely to have any direct
effect
on us in the near future.
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At
an open meeting on August 5, 2005, the FCC unanimously adopted
an order
reclassifying wireline broadband Internet access services as information
services, thereby placing wireline broadband Internet access services
within the same general regulatory framework as cable modem services.
As
an information service, wireline broadband Internet access, like
cable
modem service, no longer is subject to regulation under Title II
of the
Communications Act of 1934, as amended, or the FCC’s Computer Inquiry
rules, but is subject to specific obligations imposed under Title
I of the
Act. Until the Commission releases the text of the decision, many
important details regarding the decision will remain unclear. However,
the
decision could potentially could enable ILECs to (1) refuse to
permit
subscribers to their broadband transmission services to use our
enhanced
services, (2) charge higher rates for underlying broadband transmission
service to subscribers to our enhanced services, or (3) bundle
enhanced
services that are similar to our enhanced services with their broadband
transmission services at such a rate that it becomes economically
unfeasible for us to compete with the ILEC. If one or more ILECs
take any
of those actions with explicit or tacit permission from the FCC,
then it
could have a material adverse impact upon our profitability and
the
results of our operations.
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November
12, 2004, the FCC released an order preempting the September 11,
2003
order of the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission. In the preempted
Minnesota Order, the Minnesota Commission had asserted regulatory
jurisdiction over Vonage’s DigitalVoice service and ordered Vonage to
comply with all state statues and regulations relating to the offering
of
telephone service in Minnesota, which could have required Vonage,
among
other things, to obtain operating authority, file tariffs, and
provide and
fund 911 emergency services. In addition to preempting the Minnesota
Order, the FCC concluded that “comparable regulations of other states must
likewise yield to important federal objectives,” although the agency did
not identify, or preempt, any specific state regulations or orders
apart
from the Minnesota Order. Specifically, the FCC explained that,
“to the
extent that other VoIP services are not the same as Vonage’s but share
similar basic characteristics, we believe it highly unlikely that
the
Commission would fail to preempt state regulation of those services
to the
same extent.” The FCC, however, did not determine whether DigitalVoice or
any other IP-enabled service is an information or telecommunications
service, and thus the regulatory classification of these services
under
the Act remains an open issue. An appeal of the FCC’s preemption order is
currently pending.
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The
specific services at issue in the FCC’s preemption order referenced above were
offered to the public as substitutes for, or as substantially equivalent
to,
existing telecommunications services. In contrast, the services that we
currently offer are not offered to the public as substitutes for, or as
substantially equivalent to, existing telecommunications services. Our
IP-enabled services allow our customers to manage calls which are initiated
by
third parties to our customers and completed over the local service facilities
of our customers’ existing telecommunications service providers. As such, our
customers could not use our service unless they are also separately receiving
telecommunications services from their own service provider. Certain decisions
adopted by state commissions before the FCC issued its preemption order
suggested an increased interest by some state commissions in regulating services
that may be perceived as the functional equivalent of local phone service.
If
state regulators attempt to regulate the enhanced services that we provide
or
determine that the enhanced services that we provide are currently subject
to
their regulatory provisions, then we may be faced with substantially increased
regulatory burdens and costs.
Regulatory
proceedings, legislative efforts and adjudications, including but not limited
to
some of those described above, may lead to the imposition of additional
regulatory obligations and requirements on us in the provision of our services,
including but not limited to certification requirements, interstate or
intrastate access charges, regulatory fees, payments to universal service
support funds, taxes related to Internet or IP-enabled communications,
requirements to provide free access to certain users, regulations based on
encryption concerns, consumer protection requirements and certain minimum
service levels. We could conceivably become subject to requirements and
obligations not only at the federal level, but also in any of the states
in
which we have customers or from which third persons initiate communications
to
call our customers, as well as in any of those jurisdictions in which facilities
exist or activities occur which support our offerings. Further, if we expand
into additional lines of business or make new service offerings, we could
become
subject to existing or future regulation or other legal requirements, including
but not limited to those which apply to telecommunications services and the
providers of such services. The impact of federal or state legislative,
regulatory, or adjudicatory actions or requirements may include an increase
in
our costs, adversely affect how we conduct our business, and adversely affect
our financial condition and results of operations.
Risks
Related To Our Common Stock
Our
executive officers, directors and 5% stockholders own a significant percentage
of our stock and will be able to exercise significant influence over stockholder
votes.
Our
executive officers, directors and 5% stockholders together beneficially own
approximately 63.6% of our common stock, including shares subject to options
and
warrants that confer beneficial ownership of the underlying shares. Accordingly,
these stockholders, for the foreseeable future will continue to have significant
influence over our affairs including the election of directors and significant
corporate transactions, such as a merger or other sale of our company or
its
assets. This concentrated control will limit the ability of shareholders
to
influence corporate matters and, as a result, we may take actions that our
stockholders do not view as beneficial. For example, this concentration of
ownership could have the effect of delaying or preventing a change in control
or
otherwise discouraging a potential acquirer from attempting to obtain control
of
us, which in turn could cause the market price of our common stock to decline
or
prevent our stockholders from realizing a premium over the market price for
their shares of our common stock.
Provisions
in Delaware law and our charter documents may make it difficult for a third
party to acquire us and could depress the price of our common
stock.
Provisions
of Delaware law, our certificate of incorporation and our bylaws could make
it
more difficult for a third party to acquire control of us. For
example:
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we
are subject to Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation
Law,
which would make it difficult for another party to acquire
us without the
approval of our board of directors;
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§
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our
certificate of incorporation authorizes our board of directors
to issue
preferred stock without requiring stockholder approval, and
preferred
stock could be issued as a defensive measure in response to
a takeover
proposal; and
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§ |
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our
certificate of incorporation or
bylaws:
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§ |
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creates
a classified board of directors;
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§ |
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prohibits
cumulative voting in the election of directors
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§ |
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limits
the persons who may call special meetings of our stockholders;
and
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imposes
advance notice requirements for nominations for election to
our board of
directors and for proposing matters to be acted upon by our
stockholders.
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These
and
other provisions of Delaware law, our certificate of incorporation and
our
bylaws may make it more difficult for a third party to acquire us even
if an
acquisition might be in the best interests of our stockholders, and the
price at
which shares of our common stock are purchased and sold therefore may
be
depressed.
We
are incurring increased costs as a result of being a public
company.
As
a
public company, we are incurring significant additional legal, accounting
and
other expenses. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as well as new rules
subsequently implemented by the Securities and Exchange Commission and the
Nasdaq National Market, require changes in corporate governance practices
of
public companies. These new rules and regulations have resulted in increased
legal and financial compliance costs and management efforts and we expect
those
costs and efforts to continue to increase. It has become more expensive for
us
to obtain director and officer liability insurance, and it may become more
difficult to obtain such insurance in the future, which may cause us to accept
reduced policy limits and reduced coverage or to incur substantially higher
costs to obtain the same or similar coverage. As a result, it may be more
difficult for us to attract and retain qualified persons to serve on our
board
of directors or as executive officers. We cannot predict or estimate the
amount
of additional costs we may incur, but these additional costs and demands
on
management time and attention may harm our business and results of
operations.
ITEM
3. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET
RISK
Foreign
currency exchange risk.
We do
not currently do any business denominated in foreign currencies and, therefore,
are not subject to any significant foreign currency exchange risk.
Interest
rate sensitivity.
We had
cash and cash equivalents totaling $34.9 million and marketable securities
totaling $26.7 million at September 30, 2005, and cash and cash equivalents
totaling $4.8 million and marketable securities totaling $10.0 million at
September 30, 2004. Cash and cash equivalents were held for working
capital
purposes in depository accounts at FDIC-regulated banking institutions.
Marketable securities consist of investment grade securities, corporate bonds,
and government and agency securities. We do not enter into investments for
trading or speculative purposes. Due to the short-term nature of these
investments, we believe that we do not have any material exposure to changes
in
the fair value of our cash and cash equivalents or marketable securities
as a
result of changes in interest rates. Declines in interest rates, however,
will
reduce our future interest income.
ITEM
4. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
None.
Item
9A. Controls and Procedures
(a)
Evaluation of disclosure controls and procedures.
Our
management, with the participation of our chief executive officer and chief
financial officer, evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls
and
procedures pursuant to Rule 13a-15 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
as
of the end of the period covered by this report. The evaluation included
certain
internal control areas in which we have made and are continuing to make changes
to improve and enhance controls. In designing and evaluating the disclosure
controls and procedures, management recognized that any controls and procedures,
no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance
of achieving the desired control objectives, and management is required to
apply
its judgment in evaluating the cost benefit relationship of possible controls
and procedures.
Our
chief
executive officer and chief financial officer concluded that our disclosure
controls and procedures are effective, in all material respects, to ensure
that
information we are required to disclose in reports that we file or submit
under
the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the
time
periods specified in Securities and Exchange Commission rules and forms,
and
that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management,
including our chief executive officer and chief financial officer, as
appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required
disclosure.
(b)
Changes in internal controls over financial reporting.
There
were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred
during the period covered by this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q that have
materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal
control over financial reporting.
We
have
identified areas of our internal controls requiring improvement, and are
in the
process of designing enhanced processes and controls. Areas for improvement
include streamlining our billing processes, further limiting internal access
to
certain data systems and continuing to improve coordination across business
functions. We plan to continue this initiative as well as prepare for our
first
management report on internal control over financial reporting, as required
by
Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. As a result, we expect to
make
changes in our internal control over financial reporting.
Item
9B. Other Information
None.
PART
II—OTHER INFORMATION
ITEM
1. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
On
July
1, 2005, Catch Curve, Inc., a Delaware corporation, or Catch Curve, filed
a
complaint against us in the United States District Court for the Central
District of California (Action No. CV05-4819), or the Action, alleging that
the
Company’s operations infringe U.S. Patents No 6,785,021, or the ‘021 patent,
U.S. Patent No. 6,643,034, or the ‘034 patent, U.S. Patent No. 5,291,302, or the
‘302 patent, and U.S. Patent No. 4,994,926, or the ‘926 patent. We have obtained
an extension of time in which to file an answer to that complaint. We have
received from intellectual property counsel opinions that our present operations
do not infringe the claims of the 021 patent, the ‘034 patent, the ‘302 patent,
or the ‘926 patent. By reason thereof, we presently do not believe it is
probable that we will suffer a material loss. However, it is premature to
reach
any definitive conclusions in that regard.
On
August
24, 2004, j2 filed a complaint against us in the United States District Court
for the Central District of California (Action No. CV04-7068), or the Action,
alleging that our operations infringe U.S. Patent No. 6,350,066, or the ‘066
patent. We have filed an answer, denying the claims asserted by j2 in that
Action. On or about December 30, 2004, we agreed to a stipulated amendment
to
j2’s Complaint, permitting j2 to add allegations that we infringe U.S. Patents
Nos. 6,208,638, or the ‘638 patent, and 6,564,321, or the ‘321 patent. On April
20, 2005, we agreed to a stipulated amendment to j2’s complaint, permitting j2
to add allegations that we infringe U.S. Patent No. 6,857,074, or the ‘074
patent. We have received from intellectual property counsel opinions that
our
present operations do not infringe the claims of the ‘066 patent, the ‘638
patent, the ‘321 patent, or the ‘074 patent. By reason thereof, we presently do
not believe it is probable that we will suffer, by reason of such litigation,
a
material loss. However, it is premature to reach any definitive conclusions
in
that regard. Moreover, we presently project that if the litigation continues
at
this present pace, then we are likely to incur a material amount of attorneys’
fees and costs in that litigation.
On
October 4, 2004, we received a letter from counsel to Web Telephony, LLC,
or Web
Telephony, asserting that our operations infringe U.S. Patents Nos. 6,445,694
and 6,785,266, and demanding that we cease all infringing conduct. Our
intellectual property counsel has issued to us an opinion that our operations
do
not infringe the claims of those patents. We and officials of Web Telephony
engaged in discussions regarding those patents; in those discussions, Web
Telephony asserted that our operations infringe the claims of those patents
and
proposed that we either purchase the patents or acquire a license to the
patents. On January 19, 2005, we filed in the United States Federal District
Court for the Central District of California a declaratory relief action
(Action
No. CV05-0443) against Web Telephony, seeking to have the Court declare that
our
operations do not infringe the claims of those patents. We filed a First
Amended
Complaint on May 2, 2005, adding a cause of action for interference with
prospective economic advantage. Web Telephony filed an Answer to the First
Amended Complaint on September 6, 2005, and counterclaimed, alleging
infringement of the ‘694 and ‘266 patents. By reason of the opinions of counsel
that we have obtained, we presently do not believe it is probable that we
will
suffer a material loss by reason of this matter.
In
September 2004, we received a letter from America Online, Inc., in which
AOL
offered to grant to us a license to U.S. Patent No. 5,809,128, or
the ‘128
patent. We and AOL are engaged in business discussions at the present time,
and
it is unclear how those negotiations will be concluded. We have received
from
intellectual property counsel an opinion that our operations do not infringe
the
claims of the ‘128 patent. By reason thereof, we presently do not believe it is
probable that we will suffer a material loss by reason of this
matter.
ITEM
2. UNREGISTERED SALES OF EQUITY SECURITIES AND USE OF
PROCEEDS
Sales
of Unregistered Securities
In
the
first quarter of fiscal 2006, warrant holders exercised stock purchase warrants
previously issued by us, resulting in the issuance of 172,000 shares in exchange
for $431,000. These shares of common stock were not registered under the
Securities Act in reliance upon the exemption contained in Section 4(2) of
the
Securities Act. The recipients of securities in these transactions represented
their intention to acquire the securities for investment only and not with
a
view to or for sale in connection with any distribution thereof, each such
recipient had access to information about us and we had reasonable grounds
for
determining that each such recipient was an “accredited investor” as defined in
Rule 501(a) under the Securities Act. Appropriate legends were affixed to
share
certificates and other instruments issued in such transactions. The sales
of
these securities were made without general solicitation or
advertising.
Use
of Proceeds
On
October 5, 2004, we closed the sale of 4,000,000 shares of our common
stock
in our initial public offering. The registration statement on Form S-1 (Reg.
No.
333-115438) we filed to register our common stock in the offering was declared
effective by the SEC on September 29, 2004. After deducting expenses of the
offering, we received net offering proceeds of approximately $35.2 million.
From
the time of receipt, October 5, 2004, through September 30, 2005,
we have
not used the proceeds of this offering but have invested them into investment
grade government agency and corporate debt securities.
ITEM
3. DEFAULTS UPON SENIOR SECURITIES
Not
applicable.
ITEM
4. SUBMISSION OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITY HOLDERS
None.
ITEM
5. OTHER INFORMATION
None.
ITEM
6. EXHIBITS
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Exhibit
Number
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Description
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3.1 |
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Bylaws
of CallWave, Inc.
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10.1 |
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First
Amendment to 2004 Stock Incentive Plan.
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31.1
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Certification
of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Securities Exchange Act
Rules
13a-14 and 15d-14, as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
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31.2
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Certification
of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Securities Exchange Act
Rules
13a-14 and 15d-14, as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
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32.1
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Certification
of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350,
as adopted
pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of
2002.
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32.2
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Certification
of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350,
as adopted
pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of
2002.
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant
to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the
registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned thereunto duly authorized.
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CALLWAVE,
INC.,
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Date:
November 14, 2005
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By:
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/s/
David F. Hofstatter
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David
F. Hofstatter,
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President
and Chief Executive Officer
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Date:
November 14, 2005
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By:
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/s/
C. Stephen Cordial
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C.
Stephen Cordial
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Chief
Financial Officer
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(principal
financial and accounting officer)
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EXHIBIT
INDEX
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Exhibit
Number
|
|
Description
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3.1 |
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Bylaws
of CallWave, Inc.
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10.1 |
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First
Amendment to 2004 Stock Incentive Plan.
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31.1
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Certification
of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Securities Exchange Act
Rules
13a-14 and 15d-14, as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
|
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31.2
|
|
Certification
of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Securities Exchange Act
Rules
13a-14 and 15d-14, as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
|
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32.1
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Certification
of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350,
as adopted
pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of
2002.
|
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32.2
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Certification
of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350,
as adopted
pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of
2002.
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