UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
FORM 10 - Q
x | QUARTERLY REPORT UNDER SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
o | TRANSITION REPORT UNDER SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
Commission file number 0-28180
SPECTRALINK CORPORATION
Delaware (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
84-1141188 (IRS Employer Identification Number) |
5755 Central Avenue, Boulder, Colorado (Address of principal executive office) |
80301-2848 (Zip code) |
303-440-5330
(Issuers telephone number)
(Former name, former address and former fiscal year, if changed from last report)
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, and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes x No o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an accelerated filer (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes x No o
Applicable only to corporate issuers:
As of April 30, 2004, there were 19,041,349 shares outstanding of SpectraLink Corporations Common Stock - par value per share $0.01.
SPECTRALINK CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARY
INDEX
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28 | ||||||||
30 | ||||||||
Certifications |
32 | |||||||
Certification by John H. Elms - Section 302 | ||||||||
Certification by David I. Rosenthal - Section 302 | ||||||||
Certification by John H. Elms - Section 906 | ||||||||
Certification by David I. Rosenthal - Section 906 |
2
PART I - ITEM 1
March 31, |
December 31, |
|||||||
2004 |
2003 |
|||||||
ASSETS |
||||||||
CURRENT ASSETS: |
||||||||
Cash and cash equivalents |
$ | 52,569 | $ | 51,861 | ||||
Trade accounts receivable, net of allowance of $351 and $341, respectively |
14,371 | 14,470 | ||||||
Income taxes receivable |
| 204 | ||||||
Inventories, net |
9,267 | 7,653 | ||||||
Deferred income taxes - current portion |
1,649 | 1,562 | ||||||
Other |
933 | 800 | ||||||
Total current assets |
78,789 | 76,550 | ||||||
PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT, at cost: |
||||||||
Furniture and fixtures |
2,651 | 2,312 | ||||||
Equipment |
9,390 | 9,245 | ||||||
Leasehold improvements |
1,016 | 989 | ||||||
13,057 | 12,546 | |||||||
Less - accumulated depreciation |
(8,849 | ) | (8,463 | ) | ||||
Net property and equipment |
4,208 | 4,083 | ||||||
DEFERRED INCOME TAXES, net of current portion |
153 | 151 | ||||||
OTHER |
401 | 387 | ||||||
TOTAL ASSETS |
$ | 83,551 | $ | 81,171 | ||||
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS EQUITY |
||||||||
CURRENT LIABILITIES: |
||||||||
Accounts payable |
$ | 1,991 | $ | 1,453 | ||||
Accrued payroll, commissions and employee benefits |
1,991 | 3,114 | ||||||
Accrued sales, use and property taxes |
733 | 724 | ||||||
Accrued warranty expenses |
594 | 493 | ||||||
Other accrued expenses |
2,434 | 2,269 | ||||||
Income taxes payable |
875 | | ||||||
Deferred revenue |
6,691 | 6,319 | ||||||
Total current liabilities |
15,309 | 14,372 | ||||||
LONG-TERM LIABILITIES |
249 | 250 | ||||||
TOTAL LIABILITIES |
15,558 | 14,622 | ||||||
STOCKHOLDERS EQUITY: |
||||||||
Preferred stock, 5,000 shares authorized, none issued and outstanding |
| | ||||||
Common stock, $0.01 par value, 50,000 shares authorized, 22,932 and 22,800 shares
issued, respectively, and 19,003 and 18,871 shares outstanding, respectively |
229 | 227 | ||||||
Additional paid-in capital |
72,251 | 71,010 | ||||||
Retained earnings |
24,907 | 24,706 | ||||||
Treasury stock, 3,929 shares, at cost |
(29,394 | ) | (29,394 | ) | ||||
TOTAL STOCKHOLDERS EQUITY |
67,993 | 66,549 | ||||||
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS EQUITY |
$ | 83,551 | $ | 81,171 | ||||
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.
3
SPECTRALINK CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARY
Three Months Ended |
||||||||
March 31, |
||||||||
2004 |
2003 |
|||||||
SALES: |
||||||||
Product Sales, net |
$ | 15,206 | $ | 11,276 | ||||
Service Sales |
4,107 | 3,292 | ||||||
Net Sales |
19,313 | 14,568 | ||||||
COST OF SALES: |
||||||||
Cost of Product Sales |
4,325 | 3,205 | ||||||
Cost of Service Sales |
2,441 | 1,713 | ||||||
Total Cost of Sales |
6,766 | 4,918 | ||||||
Gross Profit |
12,547 | 9,650 | ||||||
OPERATING EXPENSES: |
||||||||
Research and Development |
2,066 | 1,903 | ||||||
Marketing and Selling |
6,033 | 5,144 | ||||||
General and Administrative |
1,216 | 995 | ||||||
Total Operating Expenses |
9,315 | 8,042 | ||||||
INCOME FROM OPERATIONS |
3,232 | 1,608 | ||||||
INVESTMENT INCOME AND OTHER: |
||||||||
Interest Income |
116 | 122 | ||||||
Other Income (Expense), net |
41 | (27 | ) | |||||
Total Investment Income and Other |
157 | 95 | ||||||
INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES |
3,389 | 1,703 | ||||||
INCOME TAX EXPENSE |
1,288 | 647 | ||||||
NET INCOME |
$ | 2,101 | $ | 1,056 | ||||
BASIC EARNINGS PER SHARE (Note 3) |
$ | 0.11 | $ | 0.06 | ||||
BASIC WEIGHTED AVERAGE SHARES OUTSTANDING |
18,940 | 18,590 | ||||||
DILUTED EARNINGS PER SHARE (Note 3) |
$ | 0.11 | $ | 0.06 | ||||
DILUTED WEIGHTED AVERAGE SHARES OUTSTANDING |
19,770 | 18,800 | ||||||
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.
4
SPECTRALINK CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARY
Three Months Ended |
||||||||
March 31, |
||||||||
2004 |
2003 |
|||||||
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES: |
||||||||
Net income |
$ | 2,101 | $ | 1,056 | ||||
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by
operating activities: |
||||||||
Depreciation and amortization |
386 | 257 | ||||||
Income tax benefit from the exercise of stock options |
194 | 12 | ||||||
Provision for bad debts |
35 | 11 | ||||||
Provision for excess and obsolete inventories |
128 | 90 | ||||||
Deferred income taxes |
(89 | ) | | |||||
Changes in operating assets and liabilities
|
||||||||
Decrease in trade accounts receivable |
64 | 471 | ||||||
Increase in inventories |
(1,742 | ) | (322 | ) | ||||
Decrease (increase) in other assets and income taxes receivable |
57 | (158 | ) | |||||
Increase in accounts payable |
538 | 81 | ||||||
Increase in accrued liabilities, income taxes payable and
deferred revenue |
383 | 712 | ||||||
Net cash provided by operating activities |
2,055 | 2,210 | ||||||
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES: |
||||||||
Purchases of property and equipment |
(490 | ) | (388 | ) | ||||
Net cash used in investing activities |
(490 | ) | (388 | ) | ||||
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES: |
||||||||
Principal payments under long-term obligation |
(6 | ) | | |||||
Proceeds from exercises of common stock options |
1,049 | 64 | ||||||
Dividends paid |
(1,900 | ) | | |||||
Purchases of treasury stock |
| (1,789 | ) | |||||
Net cash used in financing activities |
(857 | ) | (1,725 | ) | ||||
INCREASE IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS |
708 | 97 | ||||||
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, beginning of period |
51,861 | 44,211 | ||||||
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, end of period |
$ | 52,569 | $ | 44,308 | ||||
SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURE OF CASH FLOW INFORMATION: |
||||||||
Cash paid for income taxes |
$ | 106 | $ | 79 | ||||
SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURE OF NON-CASH INVESTING AND FINANCING ACTIVITIES: |
||||||||
Assets acquired under long-term obligation |
$ | 21 | $ | | ||||
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.
5
SPECTRALINK CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARY
1. Basis of Presentation
The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements as of March 31, 2004 and December 31, 2003, and for the three months ended March 31, 2004 and 2003, have been prepared from the books and records of SpectraLink Corporation and its wholly owned subsidiary, SpectraLink International Corporation (together SpectraLink or the Company) and are unaudited. In managements opinion, these financial statements include all adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring adjustments, necessary to fairly present SpectraLinks financial position, results of operations and cash flows for the periods presented. The results of operations for the period ended March 31, 2004, are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for any subsequent quarter or for the entire fiscal year ending December 31, 2004.
The financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited financial statements and notes thereto as of and for the year ended December 31, 2003, which are included in SpectraLinks Annual Report on Form 10-K. The accounting policies utilized in the preparation of the financial statements herein presented are the same as set forth in SpectraLinks annual financial statements.
2. Stock-Based Compensation Plans
The Company accounts for its stock-based compensation plans under Accounting Principles Board Opinion (APB) No. 25 (APB No. 25), Accounting for Stock Issued to Employees. Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 123 (SFAS 123), Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation defines a fair value based method of accounting for stock options and similar equity instruments. As allowed by SFAS 123, the Company has continued to apply APB No. 25 to account for its employee stock based compensation plans and has adopted the disclosure requirements of SFAS 123 and Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 148, Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation Transition and Disclosure, an amendment of SFAS 123. Had the Company determined compensation expense for its stock-based compensation plans based on fair value at the date of grant under SFAS 123, the Companys consolidated net income, and basic and diluted earnings per share, would have been the pro forma amounts as follows:
Three months ended March 31, |
||||||||
2004 |
2003 |
|||||||
(In thousands, except per share | ||||||||
amounts) | ||||||||
Net Income, as reported |
$ | 2,101 | $ | 1,056 | ||||
Deduct stock based employee compensation
expense under the fair value based method,
net of related tax effect: |
||||||||
Compensation expense for stock options |
(455 | ) | (581 | ) | ||||
Compensation expense for the stock purchase plan |
(45 | ) | (43 | ) | ||||
Net Income, pro forma |
$ | 1,601 | $ | 432 | ||||
Earnings Per Share: |
||||||||
Basic as reported |
$ | 0.11 | $ | 0.06 | ||||
Basic pro forma |
$ | 0.08 | $ | 0.02 | ||||
Diluted as reported |
$ | 0.11 | $ | 0.06 | ||||
Diluted pro forma |
$ | 0.08 | $ | 0.02 | ||||
6
3. Inventories
Inventories include the cost of raw materials, direct labor and manufacturing overhead, and is stated at the lower of cost (first-in, first-out) or market. Inventories as of March 31, 2004 and December 31, 2003, consisted of the following:
March 31, |
December 31, |
|||||||
2004 |
2003 |
|||||||
(In thousands) | ||||||||
Raw materials |
$ | 4,254 | $ | 3,276 | ||||
Work in progress |
| 25 | ||||||
Finished goods |
5,013 | 4,352 | ||||||
$ | 9,267 | $ | 7,653 | |||||
The reserve for potential excess and/or obsolete inventories was $697,000 and $591,000 as of March 31, 2004 and December 31, 2003, respectively.
4. Earnings Per Share
Basic earnings per share is computed by dividing the net income by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding for the period. Diluted earnings per share is determined by dividing the net income by the sum of the weighted average number of common shares outstanding, and if not anti-dilutive, the effect of outstanding stock options and/or other common stock equivalents as determined utilizing the treasury stock method. Potentially dilutive common stock options excluded from the calculation of dilutive income per share because they were anti-dilutive, totaled 151,161 and 2,030,485 for the three months ended March 31, 2004 and 2003, respectively. A reconciliation of the numerators and denominators used in computing earnings per share is as follows:
Three months ended March 31, | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
(In thousands, except per share amounts) |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
2004 |
2003 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||
Income |
Shares |
Per Share |
Income |
Shares |
Per Share |
|||||||||||||||||||
Basic EPS |
$ | 2,101 | 18,940 | $ | 0.11 | $ | 1,056 | 18,590 | $ | 0.06 | ||||||||||||||
Effect of dilutive securities: |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
Stock purchase plan |
| | | | 13 | | ||||||||||||||||||
Stock options outstanding |
| 830 | | | 197 | | ||||||||||||||||||
Diluted EPS |
$ | 2,101 | 19,770 | $ | 0.11 | $ | 1,056 | 18,800 | $ | 0.06 | ||||||||||||||
5. Product Warranties and Service
The Company provides warranties against defects in materials and workmanship for SpectraLinks products generally ranging from 90 days to 15 months, but in limited cases up to 24 months. At the time the product is shipped, the Company establishes a provision for estimated expenses of providing service under these warranties based on historical warranty experience. A summary of activity for accrued product warranty and service is as follows:
Three months ended |
||||||||
March 31, |
||||||||
2004 |
2003 |
|||||||
(In thousands) | ||||||||
Beginning Balance, Accrued Product Warranty and Service |
$ | 493 | $ | 274 | ||||
Additions to the accrual for product warranties |
314 | 145 | ||||||
Reductions for incurred warranty charges |
(213 | ) | (137 | ) | ||||
Ending Balance, Accrued Product Warranty and Service |
$ | 594 | $ | 282 | ||||
7
6. Advertising Costs
The Company expenses all advertising costs as they are incurred. Advertising expense for the three months ended March 31, 2004 and 2003, were approximately $168,000 and $133,000, respectively.
7. Stockholders Equity
In the first quarter of 2004, SpectraLink did not repurchase any outstanding common stock. During the first quarter of 2003, 226,500 shares of outstanding common stock (classified as treasury stock) were repurchased at a cost of $1,789,000.
8. Reclassifications
Certain reclassifications have been made to the prior year financial statements to conform to current year presentation.
9. Legal Proceedings
On January 14, 2002, SpectraLink issued a press release announcing preliminary financial results for the fourth quarter of 2001 and revising downward its estimates for year 2002 results of operations. Shortly after the press release, the Companys stock price declined and the Company and certain of its officers and directors were named as defendants in four lawsuits filed between February 7, 2002 and March 6, 2002, three of which were filed in the United States District Court for the District of Colorado and one of which was filed in the Colorado District Court for the City and County of Denver. In each of the lawsuits, plaintiffs, who purport to be purchasers or holders of SpectraLink common stock, initially sought to assert claims either on behalf of a class of persons who purchased securities in SpectraLink between July 19, 2001 and January 11, 2002, or in the case of two of the lawsuits (one filed in the United States District Court and one in the Colorado District Court), derivatively on behalf of SpectraLink. Two of the lawsuits filed in the United States District contained essentially identical claims alleging that SpectraLink and certain of its officers and directors violated Sections 10(b) and 20(a) and Rule 10b-5 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as a result of alleged public misstatements and omissions, accompanied by insider stock sales made in the months prior to the decline in the price of SpectraLinks stock after the January 14, 2002 press release. In the cases brought as derivative actions, the plaintiffs allege that the officers and directors of SpectraLink violated fiduciary duties owed to SpectraLink and its stockholders under state laws by allowing and/or facilitating the issuance of these same alleged public misstatements and omissions, misappropriating nonpublic information for their own benefit, making insider stock sales, wasting corporate assets, abusing their positions of control, and mismanaging the corporation. The plaintiffs in these derivative cases allege that SpectraLink has and will continue to suffer injury as a result of these alleged violations of duty for which the officers and directors should be liable.
The cases are designated as follows: Wilmer Kerns, Individually And On Behalf of All Others Similarly Situated, Plaintiff, vs. SpectraLink Corporation, Bruce Holland and Nancy K. Hamilton, Defendants (United States District Court Civil Action Number 02-D-0263); Danilo Martin Molieri, Individually and On Behalf of All Others Similarly Situated, Plaintiff, v. SpectraLink Corporation, Bruce Holland and Nancy K. Hamilton, Defendants (United States District Court Civil Action Number 02-D-0315); Evie Elennis, derivatively on behalf of SpectraLink Corporation, Plaintiff(s), v. Bruce M. Holland, Anthony V. Carollo, Jr., Gary L. Bliss, Michael P. Cronin, Nancy K. Hamilton and John H. Elms, Defendants), and SpectraLink Corporation, Nominal Defendant (United States District Court Civil Action Number 02-D-0345); and Roger Humphreys, Derivatively on Behalf of Nominal Defendant SpectraLink Corporation, Plaintiff, v. Carl D. Carman, Anthony V. Carollo, Jr., Bruce M. Holland, Burton J. McMurtry, Gary L. Bliss, Michael P. Cronin, John H. Elms, and Nancy K. Hamilton, Defendants (Colorado District Court Case. No. 02CV1687).
The Kerns and Molieri purported class actions were consolidated, and the plaintiffs filed a Consolidated Amended Complaint in these Consolidated Actions. In January of 2003, the Court denied a motion to dismiss that amended pleading, and discovery commenced. The Court has certified a class of all purchasers of publicly traded common stock of SpectraLink from April 19, 2001 through January 11, 2002, inclusive. On November 26, 2003, the Lead Plaintiffs in these Consolidated Actions moved the court for permission to file a second consolidated amended class action, which would have deleted certain of the original claims, would have extended the class period so that it would commence on February 1, 2001 instead of April 19, 2001, and would have added more detail on claims relating to alleged improper revenue recognition. The Company filed an opposition to that motion. On March 5, 2004, the Magistrate Judge entered his Order denying plaintiffs motions, and plaintiffs have appealed that decision to the district court.
8
On April 16, 2004, the parties to these Consolidated Actions held a mediation in San Francisco. The parties entered into a Memorandum of Understanding settling the case for $1.5 million, subject to certain terms and conditions, including approval by the court. The settlement will be paid from insurance proceeds.
The two derivative actions were stayed pending resolution of the motion to dismiss in the consolidated class action, and plaintiffs counsel in the Elennis derivative action filed an unopposed motion for relief from the stay and filed an amended complaint and then a corrected amended complaint. Prior to the entry of the stays in each of the derivative cases, the defendants had filed motions to dismiss. In August of 2003, Defendants moved to dismiss the amended and corrected Elennis complaint. The Court denied that motion on March 22, 2004. No discovery has been conducted in either of the derivative actions. The Company expects to engage in settlement discussions with the derivative plaintiffs in light of the settlement of the Consolidated Actions.
SpectraLink believes that the lawsuits are without merit and it intends to vigorously defend itself and its officers and directors if the two derivative cases are not settled in light of the settlement of the Consolidated Actions, and/or if the settlement of the Consolidated Actions is not approved by the court. SpectraLink does not believe that its interests and that of the named officers and directors are adverse to each other as of this time. However, no assurance can be given that SpectraLink will be successful in defending the claims being asserted in these suits, or that the interests of the various parties will remain aligned. If SpectraLink is not successful in its defense of these suits, it could be required to make significant payments to its stockholders and their lawyers, which could have a material adverse effect on SpectraLinks business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, the litigation could result in substantial costs, divert managements attention and resources, or ultimately result in the interests of SpectraLink becoming adverse to those of certain of its officers and directors. In either case, SpectraLinks business could be adversely affected, even if the plaintiffs are not successful in their claims against SpectraLink and/or its officers and directors.
The Company has incurred a loss related to the directors and officers insurance deductible of which the majority of the expense was reflected in 2002. As noted, the settlement of the Consolidated Actions will be funded by insurance proceeds. Based on current facts and circumstances, the Company is unable to estimate future losses, if any, it may incur if the cases are not settled, after considering the amounts that will be covered by insurance.
SpectraLink is not presently a party to any other material pending legal proceedings of which it is aware.
9
PART I ITEM 2
MANAGEMENTS DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
SPECTRALINK CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARY
This Form 10-Q contains forward-looking statements within the context of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Each and every forward-looking statement involves a number of risks and uncertainties which are described in this report. The actual results that SpectraLink achieves may differ materially from those described in any forward-looking statement due to such risks and uncertainties. Certain statements in this Form 10-Q, as well as statements made by SpectraLink in periodic press releases, oral statements made by SpectraLinks officials to analysts and stockholders in the course of presentations about SpectraLink, and conference calls following earnings releases, constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the Reform Act). Words such as believes, anticipates, expects, intends, could, might, and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, but are not the exclusive means of identifying such statements. These projections and forward-looking statements are based on assumptions, which are believed reasonable but are, by their nature, inherently uncertain. In all cases, results could differ materially from those projected. Accordingly, caution should be taken not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements since such statements speak only as of the date of the making of such statements. Some of the important factors that could cause actual results to differ from any of these projections or other forward-looking statements are detailed below, and in other reports filed by SpectraLink under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Certain risks and uncertainties relating to forward-looking statements are set forth below in Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and in Item 3 under the caption Forward-Looking Statement Factors. SpectraLink undertakes no obligation to revise any forward-looking statements in order to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date of this report, except as may be required under law. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which apply only as of the date of this quarterly report on Form 10-Q.
Business Description and Overview
SpectraLink commenced operations in April 1990 to design, manufacture and sell unlicensed wireless telephone communication systems for businesses. SpectraLinks product portfolio consists of two product categories differentiated by the wireless technology implemented: Link WTS and NetLink Wireless Telephones. Link WTS targets organizations that require a dedicated wireless voice solution for their on-premises mobile workforce. NetLink Wireless Telephones target organizations that want both a wireless voice and wireless data solution on a single network. Because of the recent advances in wireless local area network (LAN) technology, SpectraLinks future focus will be on its existing NetLink products as well as products it is currently developing that operate on a wireless LAN. SpectraLinks primary sales efforts currently focus on home improvement, grocery and other retail store chains, hospitals, nursing homes, distribution centers, manufacturing and service facilities, corporate offices, government and education facilities.
For the three months ended March 31, 2004, SpectraLinks earnings per diluted share were $0.11 on net income of $2.1 million and revenue of $19.3 million. This represents 99% growth in quarterly year-over-year net income, and over 33% growth in quarterly year-over-year revenue. A driver of revenue growth for the three months ended March 31, 2004 was the increased sales of NetLink Wireless Telephones. Sales of this product line grew by approximately $1.9 million or a 67.4% increase for the three months ended March 31, 2004 compared to the same period in 2003.
SpectraLink introduced new NetLink products in 2003. All of these products are based on the global 802.11 standard and are expected by SpectraLink to be a foundation for targeted future growth. Over time, SpectraLink expects that sales of NetLink Wireless Telephones will become a majority of its product sales.
For the three months ended March 31, 2004, sales through SpectraLinks distributors accounted for 69.9% of total product sales. The vast majority of sales during the three months ended March 31, 2004 occurred in North America. International sales are expected to grow as a percentage of total revenue with the introduction of SpectraLink products that utilize VoIP that are offered at a much-reduced price to the customer as compared to its past products.
The i640 NetLink handset, which is targeted at vertical markets that need extensive features and durability, was enhanced with a push-to-talk feature allowing broadcast messaging where needed. The new e340 NetLink handset, which is a smaller, lighter option than previously offered products, was designed to expand SpectraLinks presence into the small- to medium- sized enterprise markets, as well as international markets. With its dramatically reduced price, this handset is intended to capitalize on the price elasticity of demand and drive overall product volume. The
10
other main product announced in 2003 was the wireless deskset. This product will appeal to the growing interest in totally wireless office facilities.
On March 23, 2004, SpectraLink used $1,900,000 of its cash to pay a cash dividend to its stockholders.
SpectraLinks ongoing success is dependent upon its ability to build solid partnerships and relationships. SpectraLinks commitment to this strategy resulted in two OEM relationships being finalized in the first quarter of 2004: one with Alcatel and one other with Nortel Networks. These relationships complement SpectraLinks existing agreements with Avaya, Inter-Tel, and NEC. The Original Equipment Manufacturer Program Management Office established in 2003, will continue to seek relationships that will not only distribute SpectraLink products but also co-brand and private label these products. The goal of this strategy is to provide greater exposure to SpectraLinks products through the reach these partners have with their customers. These relationships also help to establish an international presence for SpectraLink products. SpectraLink expects to see an increase in indirect sales related to OEM customers in the second half of 2004.
SpectraLink expects that its gross margin in 2004 will range between 60 and 65%. SpectraLink realizes relatively lower margins on products sold through OEM relationships. Therefore, if SpectraLink succeeds in expanding these relationships, it will experience downward pressure on gross margins from historical amounts ranging from 66 to 69%. Another factor that will directly affect gross margins is product mix. The NetLink e340 handset carries a much lower margin than any other SpectraLink product. As a result, if SpectraLink succeeds in penetrating new enterprise markets, and sales of the NetLink e340 handset increase as a result, gross margins will decline. These two factors may potentially push gross margins below the forecast range of 60 to 65%.
Results of Operations
Net Sales
Three Months | Three Months | |||||||||||
Ended March 31, | % Change | Ended March 31, | ||||||||||
2004 |
2003 to 2004 |
2003 |
||||||||||
Net sales |
$ | 19,313,000 | 32.6 | % | $ | 14,568,000 |
Product Sales, Net. SpectraLink derives its product revenue principally from the sale of wireless, on-premises telephone systems.
Product sales for the three months ended March 31, 2004 increased 34.9% to $15,206,000 from $11,276,000 for the same period last year. The increase in product sales dollars was primarily due to SpectraLinks increased product sales through SpectraLinks indirect channels and increased penetration in the commercial, healthcare and retail markets, as well as an increase in the overall marketplaces acceptance of 802.11 technology.
Service Sales. SpectraLink derives its service revenue principally from the installation and service of wireless, on-premises telephone systems.
Service sales for the three months ended March 31, 2004 increased 24.8% to $4,107,000 from $3,292,000 in the same period last year. The increase in service sales was primarily due to increased revenue from maintenance contracts relating to products previously sold to a larger installed base of customers, which continue to use SpectraLinks products and purchase its maintenance contracts. Service sales also increased due to additional installations and time and material service repairs.
11
The customer mix shows a decrease in the percentage of indirect sales compared to an offsetting increase in the percentage of direct sales. The increase in direct sales was primarily due to an increase in retail sales to direct customers. The following table details the sales to different customer types as a percentage of total net sales.
Three Months Ended | ||||||||
March 31, |
||||||||
Customer Mix Table (As a Percentage of Net Sales) |
2004 |
2003 |
||||||
Customer Type: |
||||||||
Indirect Sales |
55.1 | % | 57.6 | % | ||||
Direct Sales |
23.6 | % | 19.8 | % | ||||
Service Sales |
21.3 | % | 22.6 | % | ||||
Total Net Sales |
100.0 | % | 100.0 | % | ||||
The following table summarizes sales to major customers:
Three Months Ended | ||||||||
March 31, |
||||||||
Sales to Major Customers (As a Percentage of Net Sales) |
2004 |
2003 |
||||||
Customer A: |
10.8 | % | 9.7 | % | ||||
Customer B: |
8.4 | % | 10.0 | % |
Total Cost of Sales
Three Months | Three Months | |||||||||||
Ended March 31, | % Change | Ended March 31, | ||||||||||
2004 |
2003 to 2004 |
2003 |
||||||||||
Total cost of sales |
$ | 6,766,000 | 37.6 | % | $ | 4,918,000 |
Product. SpectraLinks cost of product sales consists primarily of direct material, direct labor, product packaging, third party royalties, and manufacturing overhead.
In the three months ended March 31, 2004, cost of product sales increased by 34.9% to $4,325,000 from $3,205,000 in the same period last year. Cost of product sales as a percentage of product sales, net was 28.4% for each of the three months ended March 31, 2004 and 2003. Gross profit from product sales, net increased by 34.8% to $10,881,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2004 from $8,071,000 in the same period last year. For each of the three months ended March 31, 2004 and 2003, gross profit from product sales, net (gross profit from product sales, net as a percentage of product sales, net) was 71.6%.
Service. SpectraLinks cost of service sales consists primarily of employee-related costs and the associated costs incurred to provide installation, maintenance, training, and product repair and support.
Cost of service sales for the three months ended March 31, 2004 increased by 42.5% to $2,441,000 from $1,713,000 in the same period last year. Cost of service sales as a percentage of service sales was 59.4% for the three months ended March 31, 2004 compared to 52.0% for the same period last year. Gross profit from service sales increased by 5.5% to $1,666,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2004 from $1,579,000 for the same period last year. For the three months ended March 31, 2004 and 2003, respectively, gross profit from service sales (gross profit from service sales as a percentage of service sales) decreased to 40.6% from 48.0%. The decrease in gross profit percentage from service sales was primarily due to increasing SpectraLinks service infrastructure to support future growth, which resulted in an increase in salaries and employee benefits due to an increase in headcount to hire and retain personnel, an increase in travel to install, train and support SpectraLinks customer base, an increase in write-offs and reserves for obsolete inventory and an increase in costs for materials and freight.
12
Gross Profit
Three Months | Three Months | |||||||||||
Ended March 31, | % Change 2003 | Ended March 31, | ||||||||||
2004 |
to 2004 |
2003 |
||||||||||
Gross Profit |
$ | 12,547,000 | 30.0 | % | $ | 9,650,000 |
For the three months ended March 31, 2004, SpectraLinks gross profit margin (gross profit as a percentage of net sales) decreased to 65.0% from 66.2% in the same period last year. The decrease in gross profit margin was primarily due to an increase in service inventory reserves and other service related costs.
Operating Expenses
Research and Development
Three Months | Three Months | |||||||||||
Ended March 31, | % Change 2003 | Ended March 31, | ||||||||||
2004 |
to 2004 |
2003 |
||||||||||
Expenses |
$ | 2,066,000 | 8.6 | % | $ | 1,903,000 | ||||||
Percentage of total net sales |
10.7 | % | | 13.1 | % |
Research and development expenses consist primarily of employee costs, professional services, and supplies necessary to develop, enhance and reduce the cost of SpectraLinks systems. SpectraLink expects that research and development expenses will be approximately 10% to 12% of net sales for fiscal 2004.
For the three months ended March 31, 2004 compared to the same period last year, the increase in dollars spent was primarily due to increases in headcount, merit raises and the rising cost of employee benefits. Additionally, consulting fees, patent and miscellaneous parts and supplies increased with the development of the desktop docking station and performance enhancements to existing products. The percentage of net sales decreased from the prior year due to an increase in sales.
Marketing and Selling
Three Months | Three Months | |||||||||||
Ended March 31, | % Change 2003 | Ended March 31, | ||||||||||
2004 |
to 2004 |
2003 |
||||||||||
Expenses |
$ | 6,033,000 | 17.3 | % | $ | 5,144,000 | ||||||
Percentage of total net sales |
31.2 | % | | 35.3 | % |
Marketing and selling expenses consist primarily of salaries and other expenses for personnel, commissions, travel, advertising, trade shows, sales meetings and market research.
The increase in dollars spent for the three months ended March 31, 2004 compared to the same period last year for both domestic and international sales, was primarily due to an increase in salaries and employee benefits to hire new personnel and to retain existing personnel, and increases related to sales meetings, travel, commissions, marketing and promotional costs and legal fees. Marketing and selling expenses as a percentage of net sales decreased from the prior year due to an increase in sales.
13
General and Administrative
Three Months | Three Months | |||||||||||
Ended March 31, | % Change 2003 | Ended March 31, | ||||||||||
2004 |
to 2004 |
2003 |
||||||||||
Expenses |
$ | 1,216,000 | 22.2 | % | $ | 995,000 | ||||||
Percentage of total net sales |
6.3 | % | | 6.8 | % |
General and administrative expenses consist primarily of salaries and other expenses for management, finance, accounting, contract administration, order processing, investor relations, and human resources, as well as legal and other professional services.
The increase in dollars spent for the three months ended March 31, 2004 compared to the same period last year, was primarily due to increasing SpectraLinks infrastructure to support future growth, which resulted in increased headcount, salaries and employee benefits to hire and retain personnel, as well as increases in insurance, legal, professional fees, and amounts for corporate governance and disclosure requirements related to Sarbanes-Oxley legislation. The percentage of net sales decreased from the prior year due to an increase in sales.
Other Non-Operating Income and Expenses
Investment Income and Other, Net
Three Months | Three Months | |||||||||||
Ended March 31, | % Change 2003 | Ended March 31, | ||||||||||
2004 |
to 2004 |
2003 |
||||||||||
Other |
$ | 157,000 | 65.3 | % | $ | 95,000 | ||||||
Percentage of total net sales |
0.8 | % | | 0.7 | % |
Investment income is the result of SpectraLinks investment in money market, investment-grade debt securities, government securities, and corporate bonds, while reduced by typical banking fees.
The increase in other income was primarily due to a refund for certain banking fees.
Income Tax
Three Months | Three Months | |||||||||||
Ended March 31, | % Change 2003 | Ended March 31, | ||||||||||
2004 |
to 2004 |
2003 |
||||||||||
Income tax expense |
$ | 1,288,000 | 99.1 | % | $ | 647,000 | ||||||
Percentage of total net sales |
6.7 | % | | 4.4 | % | |||||||
Effective tax rate |
38.0 | % | | 38.0 | % |
The increase in income tax expense for the three months ended March 31, 2004 compared to the same period last year was primarily related to an increase in pretax income.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Three Months | Three Months | |||||||
Ended March 31, | Ended March 31, | |||||||
2004 |
2003 |
|||||||
Cash from operating activities |
$ | 2,055,000 | $ | 2,210,000 | ||||
Cash used in investing activities |
(490,000 | ) | (388,000 | ) | ||||
Cash used in financing activities |
(857,000 | ) | (1,725,000 | ) |
SpectraLink has funded its operations since inception with cash provided by operations, supplemented by equity financing and leases on capital equipment. As of March 31, 2004, SpectraLink had $52,569,000 of cash and cash equivalents. During the first quarter of 2004, SpectraLink paid its quarterly cash dividend to holders of common
14
stock and intends to use some of its cash provided by operations to pay future quarterly dividends during a yet to be determined period of time as determined by the Board of Directors. SpectraLink may also use its cash and cash equivalents to purchase treasury stock in accordance with its stock repurchase program approved by the Board of Directors. SpectraLinks repurchase program will be evaluated by management on a quarterly basis. Under SpectraLinks stock repurchase plan, SpectraLink may repurchase up to an additional 2.070 million shares of its common stock.
During the three month period ending March 31, 2004, SpectraLink generated cash from operations of $2,055,000 consisting principally of net income of $2,101,000, adjustments for depreciation and amortization, income tax benefit from exercises of stock options, deferred income taxes and provisions for bad debt and excess and obsolete inventories that reconcile net income to cash generated by operating activities, as well as increases in accounts payable, accrued liabilities, income taxes payable and deferred revenue and decreases in trade accounts receivable and was offset by increases in inventories and other assets and income tax receivable. SpectraLinks inventories increased in the quarter to $9.3 million resulting from business changes related to satisfying OEM demands for increased volume and expanded product mix.
Investing activities used cash of $490,000 for purchases of property and equipment primarily related to purchases of manufacturing tooling and molds for the desktop docking station and office equipment.
SpectraLink used $857,000 of cash in financing activities during the three month period ended March 31, 2004, which was a direct result of the issuance and payment of a cash dividend of $1,900,000 and payments on an obligation of $6,000. These cash outflows were offset by proceeds of $1,049,000 received from common stock option exercises.
As of March 31, 2004, SpectraLink had no debt outstanding, and there were no off-balance sheet arrangements, unconsolidated subsidiaries, commitments or guarantees, except as disclosed in the notes to the consolidated financial statements included in the 2003 Form 10-K or as noted in the Aggregate Contractual Obligations and Commercial Commitments section. Stockholders equity at March 31, 2004 was $67,993,000, which represented 81.4% of total assets.
As of March 31, 2004, SpectraLink had working capital of $63,480,000 compared to $62,178,000 at December 31, 2003. The increase in working capital of $1,302,000 occurred primarily from cash flows from operations and proceeds from common stock option exercises, offset by the purchase of capital assets and the cash dividend paid. As of March 31, 2004, SpectraLinks current ratio (ratio of current assets to current liabilities) was 5.15:1, compared with a current ratio of 5.33:1 as of December 31, 2003.
SpectraLink believes that its current cash, cash equivalents and cash generated from operations will be sufficient, based on SpectraLinks presently anticipated needs, to fund necessary capital expenditures, to provide adequate working capital, pay dividends, repurchase shares of its common stock and to finance its expansion for the foreseeable future (next 12 months). There can be no assurance, however, that SpectraLink will not require additional financing. There can be no assurance that any additional financing will be available to SpectraLink on acceptable terms, or at all, when required by SpectraLink. If additional funds were to be raised through the sale of equity securities, additional dilution to the existing stockholders would be likely to result.
Aggregate Contractual Obligations and Commercial Commitments
SpectraLink incurs various contractual obligations and commercial commitments in its normal course of business. Such obligations and commitments consist primarily of the following:
Lease Commitments. SpectraLink leases its facilities under noncancelable operating lease arrangements that expire at various dates through 2007. SpectraLink has other obligations for office equipment that expire at various dates through 2008.
Purchase Commitments. SpectraLink incurs various purchase obligations with vendors and suppliers for the purchase of inventory, as well as goods and services, in the normal course of business. These obligations are generally evidenced by purchase orders with delivery dates from six to twelve months from the purchase date, and in certain cases, purchase orders that contain non-cancelable/non-returnable terms and conditions associated with these purchase arrangements. SpectraLink is committed to accept delivery of such materials pursuant to such purchase orders subject to various contract provisions which allow SpectraLink to delay receipt of such orders. Such orders may or may not include cancellation costs payable by SpectraLink. In the past, SpectraLink has been required to take delivery of materials from its suppliers that were in excess of demand requirements and SpectraLink has
15
previously recognized charges and expenses related to such excess material, related primarily to engineering changes. If SpectraLink is not able to adequately manage its supply chain and adjust such commitments for changes in demand, SpectraLink may incur additional inventory expenses related to excess and obsolete inventory. Such expenses could have a material adverse effect on SpectraLinks business, financial condition and results of operations.
Indemnifications. SpectraLink provides indemnifications of varying scope and size to certain customers against claims of intellectual property infringement made by third parties arising from the use of its products. SpectraLink evaluates estimated losses for such indemnifications under SFAS 5, Accounting for Contingencies, as interpreted by FASB Interpretation 45, Guarantors Accounting and Disclosure Requirements for Guarantees, Including Indirect Guarantees of Indebtedness of Others (FIN 45). SpectraLink considers such factors as the degree of probability of an unfavorable outcome and the ability to make a reasonable estimate of the amount of loss. To date, SpectraLink has not encountered material costs as a result of such obligations and has not accrued any liabilities related to such indemnifications in SpectraLinks financial statements.
As of March 31, 2004, expected future cash payments related to contractual obligations and commercial commitments were as follows:
2004 |
2005 |
2006 |
2007 |
Thereafter |
Total |
|||||||||||||||||||
Operating leases |
$ | 828,000 | $ | 837,000 | $ | 828,000 | $ | 280,000 | $ | | $ | 2,773,000 | ||||||||||||
Purchase commitments |
320,000 | | | | | 320,000 | ||||||||||||||||||
Other obligations |
22,000 | 34,000 | 35,000 | 35,000 | 14,000 | 140,000 | ||||||||||||||||||
Total contractual
obligations and
commercial
commitments |
$ | 1,170,000 | $ | 871,000 | $ | 863,000 | $ | 315,000 | $ | 14,000 | $ | 3,233,000 | ||||||||||||
SpectraLink believes its existing cash balances and funds expected to be generated from future operations will be sufficient to satisfy these contractual obligations and commercial commitments and that the ultimate payments associated with these commitments will not have a material adverse effect on SpectraLinks liquidity position.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
Below is a summary of SpectraLinks most critical accounting policies. SpectraLink determined the critical accounting principles by considering accounting policies that involve the most complex or subjective decisions or assessments. This discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with SpectraLinks unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and related notes beginning on page 3 of this report and in conjunction with SpectraLinks consolidated financial statements and related notes included in SpectraLinks Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2003, which was filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on March 11, 2004 (2003 Form 10-K).
SpectraLinks discussion and analysis of its financial condition and results of operations are based upon SpectraLinks consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. The preparation of these financial statements requires SpectraLink to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses, and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. SpectraLink evaluates its estimates, on an on-going basis, including those related to revenue recognition, receivables, product warranty obligations, inventories and income taxes. SpectraLink bases its estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that it believes to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions.
SpectraLink considers an accounting estimate to be critical if:
| It requires SpectraLink to make assumptions about matters that were uncertain at the time of making the estimate, and | |||
| Changes in the estimate or assumptions in the estimate could have a material impact on SpectraLinks financial condition or results of operations. |
16
The following table presents information about the nature and rationale for SpectraLinks critical accounting policies and estimates used in the preparation of its consolidated financial statements: |
Financial Statement | Critical Estimate | Nature of Estimates | Assumptions/Approaches | |||||
Caption(s) |
Item |
Required |
Used |
Key Factors |
||||
Sales and deferred
revenue
|
Collectibility | SpectraLink is required to estimate the collectibility of invoiced amounts based upon its assessment of the ability of the customer to pay. | SpectraLink
determines whether
collectibility is
reasonably assured
based on possible
credit
deterioration, the
customers ability
to sell through the
products purchased
and the
relationship
SpectraLink has
with its customer. SpectraLinks revenue recognition policy is based on complex and dynamic rules established by the Securities and Exchange Commission and other governing bodies. These rules require SpectraLink to make judgments with regard to post delivery obligations. When post delivery obligations exist, revenue is deferred until such obligations are fulfilled. |
Customer ability to pay
Customer ability to sell to end-user |
Financial Statement | Critical Estimate | Nature of Estimates | Assumptions/Approaches | |||||
Caption(s) |
Item |
Required |
Used |
Key Factors |
||||
Accounts receivable
|
Collectibility of invoiced amounts | Estimating the collectibility of accounts receivable requires SpectraLink to make judgments about the credit quality and economic viability of customers based on information available to SpectraLink. | SpectraLink uses
all applicable
information
available at the
time of credit
issuance, such as
D&B, payment
history, or
financial
information
provided by the
customer. For ongoing customers and past due balances, discussions with SpectraLinks customers to determine if economic conditions have deteriorated, resulting in an impairment of their ability to make payments. SpectraLink maintains a provision for estimated credit losses based upon its historical experience and any specific customer collection issues that SpectraLink has identified. |
Historical
experience
regarding payment
history
Customer creditworthiness Monitoring collections and payments from customers Deterioration of customers economic condition after date of invoice Changes in credit loss rates from historical rates used |
17
Financial Statement | Critical Estimate | Nature of Estimates | Assumptions/Approaches | |||||
Caption(s) |
Item |
Required |
Used |
Key Factors |
||||
Cost of goods sold
and Inventory
|
Obsolete, unmarketable or excess inventory |
Estimating obsolete, unmarketable or excess inventory requires SpectraLink to forecast future demand and market conditions. | SpectraLink bases its estimate on the difference between the cost of held inventory and the expected market value of the inventory. | Product lifecycle
Evaluation of customer demand for various product types Analysis of inventory on hand with no estimated future demand from customer base |
Financial Statement | Critical Estimate | Nature of Estimates | Assumptions/Approaches | |||||
Caption(s) |
Item |
Required |
Used |
Key Factors |
||||
Deferred income taxes
|
Recoverability of deferred tax assets | SpectraLink is required to estimate whether recoverability of deferred tax assets is more likely than not based on forecasts of taxable earnings in the related tax jurisdictions. | SpectraLink uses historical and projected future operating results, including a review of the eligible carryforward period, tax planning opportunities and other relevant considerations. | Tax law changes Variances in future projected profitability, including by taxing entity |
In addition, there are other items within SpectraLinks financial statements that require estimation, but are not as critical as those discussed above. Revisions to any of the discussed estimates, or other non-critical items, could have a significant effect on SpectraLinks consolidated financial statements.
Recently Issued or Proposed Accounting Pronouncements
In December 2003, the Staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 104 (SAB 104), Revenue Recognition, which supersedes SAB 101, Revenue Recognition in Financial Statements. SAB 104s primary purpose is to rescind accounting guidance contained in SAB 101 related to multiple element arrangements, superseded as a result of the issuance of EITF 00-21, Accounting for Revenue Arrangements with Multiple Deliverables. Additionally, SAB 104 rescinds the SECs Revenue Recognition in Financial Statements Frequently Asked Questions and Answers (the FAQ) issued with SAB 101 that had been codified in SAB Topic 13, Revenue Recognition. Selected portions of the FAQ have been incorporated into SAB 104. While the wording of SAB 104 has changed to reflect the issuance of EITF 00-21, the revenue recognition principles of SAB 101 remain largely unchanged by the issuance of SAB 104. The adoption of SAB 104 in December 2003 did not have an effect on the consolidated results of operations or financial position of SpectraLink.
On March 31, 2004, the FASB issued a proposed Statement, Share-Based Payment, which addresses the accounting for share-based payment transactions. The proposed Statement would eliminate the ability to account for share-based compensation transactions using APB Opinion No. 25, Accounting for Stock Issued to Employees, and generally would require instead that such transactions be accounted for using a fair-value-based method. Since SpectraLink currently reports stock-based compensation using the intrinsic-value method, should the FASB require companies to expense stock-based compensation on fair-value measurements rather than allow voluntary reporting, this potential change could reduce SpectraLinks future earnings or increase future losses.
Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk.
Market risk represents the risk of loss that may impact the financial position, results of operations or cash flows of SpectraLink due to adverse changes in financial and commodity market prices and rates. SpectraLink is exposed to market risk due to changes in United States interest rates. These exposures are directly related to SpectraLinks
18
normal operating and funding activities. As of March 31, 2004, SpectraLink has not used derivative instruments or engaged in hedging activities, and is not currently impacted significantly by fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates.
Interest Rate Risk
As part of SpectraLinks cash management strategy, at March 31, 2004, SpectraLink had cash and cash equivalents of approximately $52,569,000 mainly in the form of bank demand deposits and money markets. SpectraLink has completed a market risk sensitivity analysis of these cash and cash equivalents based on an assumed 1% point increase in interest rates. If market rates had increased or decreased 1% during the three month period ended March 31, 2004, SpectraLinks interest income would have increased or decreased by approximately $131,000.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENT FACTORS
Certain statements in this Form 10-Q, as well as statements made by SpectraLink in periodic press releases, oral statements made by SpectraLinks officials to analysts and stockholders in the course of presentations about SpectraLink, and conference calls following earnings releases, constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the Reform Act). Words such as believes, anticipates, expects, intends, could, might, and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, but are not the exclusive means of identifying such statements. These projections and forward-looking statements are based on assumptions, which are believed reasonable but are, by their nature, inherently uncertain. In all cases, results could differ materially from those projected. Accordingly, caution should be taken not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements since such statements speak only as of the date of the making of such statements. Some of the important factors that could cause actual results to differ from any of these projections or other forward-looking statements are detailed below and in other reports filed by SpectraLink under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. SpectraLink undertakes no obligation to revise any forward-looking statements in order to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date of this report.
The factors discussed below are cautionary statements that identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by the forward-looking statements contained in this report.
If SpectraLink is unable to fulfill quarter end customer orders,
then SpectraLink could lose revenue and customers. The volume of
customer orders for SpectraLinks products typically increases
significantly at the end of each quarter. Generally, sales in a given
quarter are distributed approximately as follows: 15% in the first
month, 25% in the second month, and 60% in the third month.
SpectraLink faces significant challenges in meeting this demand. It
is difficult to ensure that SpectraLink has the resources available to
meet any such increase in order volume since it is very difficult to
predict what the level of demand will be. SpectraLink may not have
the personnel and/or systems necessary to fulfill the large order
volume or the ability to upgrade and develop its systems and
infrastructure to meet an increased order volume. If SpectraLink is
unable to meet demand from its customer for its products in a cost
effective manner, then SpectraLink might lose revenue and customers or
incur increased operating costs, either of which would harm
SpectraLinks business. |
Many of the orders for SpectraLinks products are realized at the
end of the quarter, which makes it difficult to estimate or adjust
SpectraLinks operating activities quickly in response to an
unexpected increase or decrease in customer demand. Due to the timing
of orders from customers, SpectraLink has often recognized a
substantial portion of its revenue in the last month of a quarter. As
a result, minor fluctuations in the timing of orders and the shipment
of products may, in the future, cause operating results to vary
significantly from quarter to quarter. The demand for SpectraLinks
products depends upon many factors and is difficult to forecast.
Significant unanticipated fluctuations in demand could cause problems
in SpectraLinks operations. The lead-time required to assemble
SpectraLinks systems is often longer than the lead-time SpectraLinks
customers provide to SpectraLink for delivery of their product
requirements. Therefore, SpectraLink often must place orders in
advance of expected purchase orders from SpectraLinks customers. As
a result, SpectraLink has only a limited ability to react to
fluctuations in demand for its products, which could cause it to have
either too much or too little inventory of a particular product.
Further, the business relationship which SpectraLink has with Offshore
Group to use a Mexico facility to assemble SpectraLinks products may
not be able to provide product in a timely manner. Additionally, once
SpectraLink receives an order, it requires sufficient time to complete
the configuration of its product to the phone systems of the customer. |
19
Spectralinks inability to satisfy customer demand in a timely manner
would lead to lost sales and impede SpectraLinks ability to increase
its revenue. Conversely, a large portion of SpectraLinks expenses,
including rent and salaries, is fixed and difficult to reduce.
SpectraLinks expenses are based in part on expectations for its
revenue. If SpectraLinks revenue does not meet its expectations, the
adverse effect of the revenue shortfall upon SpectraLinks operating
results may be acute in light of the fixed nature of its expenses. It
is possible that due to fluctuations in revenue, SpectraLinks operating
results could be below the expectations of securities analysts and
investors. For instance, SpectraLinks stock price declined
substantially after its preliminary announcement of its fourth quarter
2001 financial results reported in January 2002. In such an event, or
in the event that adverse market conditions prevail or are perceived to
prevail either generally or with respect to SpectraLinks business, the
price of SpectraLinks common stock would likely decline further. |
SpectraLinks reliance on sole or limited sources of supply for
many components and equipment used in its manufacturing process.
SpectraLink relies on sole or limited sources of supply for many
components and equipment used in its manufacturing process. The
delay, inability, or refusal of any of these suppliers to ship these
components or equipment could interrupt SpectraLinks manufacturing
process and ability to manufacture products in a timely manner to meet
customer demand. The limited number of sources for many of these
components may also prevent SpectraLink from decreasing its reliance
on certain suppliers and finding other sources at competitive prices.
Unforeseen price increases by any of the sole or limited source
suppliers could negatively impact product margins and the financial
performance of SpectraLink. |
Because many of SpectraLinks current and planned products are or
will be highly complex, they may contain defects or errors that are
detectable only after deployment in complex networks and which, if
detected, could have a negative effect on SpectraLinks business,
operating results or financial condition. Many of SpectraLinks
complex products can only be fully tested when deployed in commercial
networks. As a result, end-users may discover defects or errors or
experience breakdowns in their networks after the products have been
deployed. If any of these products contains defects, or has
reliability, quality or compatibility problems, SpectraLinks
reputation might be damaged significantly and customers might be
reluctant to buy SpectraLink products. These defects could interrupt
or delay sales. SpectraLink may have to invest significant capital
and other resources to correct these problems. If SpectraLink fails to
provide solutions to the problems, it will also incur product recall,
repair, warranty or replacement costs. These problems might also
result in claims against SpectraLink by its customer or others. In
addition, the occurrence of any defects or errors in these products,
could result in: failure to achieve market acceptance and loss of
market share; cancellation of orders; difficulty in collecting
accounts receivable; increased service and warranty costs in excess of
SpectraLinks estimates; diversion of resources, and; increased
insurance costs and other losses to SpectraLinks business or to
end-users. |
If SpectraLink experiences warranty failure that indicates either
manufacturing or design deficiencies, SpectraLink may be required to
recall units in the field and/or stop producing and shipping such
products until the deficiency is identified and corrected. In the
event of such warranty failures, SpectraLinks business could be
adversely affected resulting in reduced revenue, increased costs and
decreased customer satisfaction. End-users have discovered errors in
SpectraLinks products in the past and may discover errors in
SpectraLinks products in the future. In addition, if SpectraLinks
costs of remediating problems experienced by SpectraLinks customers
exceed SpectraLinks warranty reserves, these costs may adversely
affect SpectraLinks operating results. Consequently, SpectraLinks
warranty failure could have a material adverse impact on SpectraLinks
operations and financial results. |
SpectraLinks ability to attract and retain personnel, including
key technical and management personnel. Much of the future success of
SpectraLink depends on the continued service and availability of
skilled personnel, including technical, marketing and staff positions.
Experienced personnel in the information technology industry are in
high demand and competition for their talents is intense. There can
be no assurance that SpectraLink will be able to successfully retain
and attract the key personnel it needs. Many of SpectraLinks key
personnel receive a total compensation package that includes stock
options and other equity awards. New regulations, volatility in the
stock market and other factors could diminish the value of
SpectraLinks equity awards, putting SpectraLink at a competitive
disadvantage or forcing SpectraLink to use more cash compensation. |
20
The risk of business interruption arising from SpectraLinks
dependence on its manufacturing facility located in Boulder, Colorado,
and the business relationship SpectraLink has with Offshore Group to
use a facility in Empalme, Sonora, Mexico which provides assembly
services. SpectraLink is highly dependent on its Boulder, Colorado
manufacturing facility, which is home to the majority of SpectraLinks
manufacturing operations. SpectraLink is also highly dependent upon
its business relationship with Offshore Group to provide management
services and a facility located in Empalme, Sonora, Mexico which
assembles SpectraLinks products. Any event that may disrupt or
indefinitely discontinue either of the facilities capacity to
manufacture, assemble and repair SpectraLinks products could greatly
impair SpectraLinks ability to generate revenues, fulfill orders and
attain financial goals. For instance, SpectraLink may experience
delays in the receipt of assembled product from the facility in Mexico
should the border between the U.S. and Mexico close. |
SpectraLinks ability to respond to rapid technological changes
within the on-premises wireless telephone industry. The wireless
communications industry is characterized by rapid technological
change, short product life cycles, and evolving industry standards. To
remain competitive, SpectraLink must: |
| develop or gain access to new technologies in order to increase product performance and function, reduce product size, and maintain cost-effectiveness; | |||
| develop new products for existing and emerging wireless communications markets, and introduce such products in a timely manner; | |||
| implement emerging wireless standards quickly enough to satisfy market demands and without significant product redesign; | |||
| develop or obtain access to advanced wireless networking capabilities as they become available; and | |||
| design, develop and introduce competitive new products on a timely basis. |
Due to the competitive nature of SpectraLinks business, any failure by SpectraLink to meet these challenges could materially and adversely affect SpectraLinks business, reputation, and operating results. |
Potential fluctuations in SpectraLinks future revenues, gross
margins and operating results. SpectraLink has experienced, and may
in the future continue to experience, significant quarterly
fluctuations in revenue, gross margins and operating results due to
numerous factors, some of which are outside SpectraLinks control.
Among other things, these factors include: |
| changes in customer, geographic or product mix, including mix of configurations within each product group; | |||
| fluctuating market demand for, and declines in the average selling prices of, SpectraLinks products; | |||
| the timing of and delay of significant orders from customers; | |||
| seasonality in demand within SpectraLinks various sectors; | |||
| increases in material or labor costs; | |||
| excess inventory; | |||
| obsolescence charges; | |||
| changes in shipment volume; | |||
| loss of cost savings due to changes in component pricing or charges incurred due to inventory holding periods if parts ordering does not correctly anticipate product demand; | |||
| increases in price competition; | |||
| changes in distribution channels including our OEM partners; | |||
| increases in warranty costs; and | |||
| introducing of new products and costs of entering new markets. |
For example, historically SpectraLink has not operated with a significant order backlog and a substantial portion of SpectraLinks revenue in any quarter has been derived from orders booked and shipped in that quarter. Accordingly, SpectraLinks revenue expectations are based almost entirely on its internal estimates of future demand and not on firm customer orders. Planned expense levels are relatively fixed |
21
in the short-term and are based in large part on these estimates, and if orders and revenue do not meet expectations, SpectraLinks revenues, gross margins and operating results could be materially adversely affected. |
The continuing uncertainty about economic prospects in some
sectors of SpectraLinks target customer market, adversely impacts
their information technology spending and SpectraLinks business.
SpectraLinks business has been adversely impacted by the continuing
uncertainty about general economic prospects in some sectors of our
target customer market within the United States and worldwide, because
this uncertainty has resulted in a decline in, or a failure to
increase, their information technology spending. Consumers of
information technology in some of these sectors continue to defer, and
in some cases cancel, their purchase decisions. SpectraLinks
operating results have been adversely affected as a result.
SpectraLink expects the economic uncertainty to continue to adversely
impact its business and operating results for at least the next few
quarters and perhaps significantly longer. The adverse impacts from
economic uncertainty include longer sales cycles, lower average
selling prices, fewer large orders from a single customer and reduced
revenues. |
Changes in rules and regulations of the FCC and other regulatory
agencies. The wireless communications industry, regulated by the
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the United States and
similar government agencies in other countries, is subject to changing
political, economic, and regulatory influences. Regulatory changes,
including changes in the allocation of available frequency spectrum,
could significantly impact SpectraLinks operations in the United
States and internationally. |
The ability of SpectraLink and its current and new distributors
and resellers to develop and execute effective marketing and sales
strategies. SpectraLink offers its products directly and indirectly
through a variety of third-party business partners, including
distributors and resellers. Changes in the financial or business
condition of these distributors and resellers, in addition to the
ability to develop and execute effective marketing and sales
strategies, could subject SpectraLink to lost sales and affect its
ability to bring its products to market. For instance, SpectraLink
experienced a decrease in sales by distributors during the second
quarter of 2002 when those distributors downsized their businesses in
reaction to the economic slowdown and, as a result, had fewer sales
representatives marketing SpectraLink products. |
SpectraLinks revenue and earnings are highly seasonal.
Seasonality and other factors cause significant quarterly fluctuations
in SpectraLinks revenue and net income. SpectraLinks business is
highly seasonal. This causes significant quarterly fluctuations in
SpectraLinks financial results. Generally, revenue and operating
results are sequentially down in the first quarter from the fourth
quarter, sequentially higher in the second quarter, sequentially flat
or slightly higher or lower in the third quarter, and strongest in the
fourth quarter. |
A lower than anticipated rate of acceptance of domestic and
international markets using the 802.11b standard. SpectraLinks
NetLink Wireless Telephones are compatible with the IEEE 802.11b
standard for use on 802.11b compliant wireless LANs. Consequently,
demand for NetLink Wireless Telephones depends upon the acceptance of
markets utilizing 802.11b compliant networks. This depends in part
upon the initial adoption of the 802.11b standard in international
markets, as well as enhancements to that standard in the U.S. and
foreign markets where the standard has already been adopted.
Additionally, the acceptance of 802.11b compliant networks may move
more slowly, if at all, if competing wireless networks are established
and utilized. Additionally, the deployment of wireless voice and data
systems has been inhibited by security concerns including the
potential of unauthorized access to data and communications
transmitted over or accessible through a wireless system. Potential
customers may choose not to purchase SpectraLink products until
wireless systems are developed which provide for greater security.
Further, SpectraLinks products may not be compatible with secure
wireless systems that may be developed in the future. If markets
utilizing 802.11b compliant networks do not grow as SpectraLink
anticipates, SpectraLinks growth would be impeded and it would not be
able to factor the related revenues into its growth in the future. |
The market for on-premises wireless telephone systems may fail to
grow or to grow as quickly as SpectraLink anticipates. SpectraLink
derives its revenue principally from the sale of wireless, on-premises
telephone systems and related installation and other services relating
to those systems. Therefore, SpectraLinks future operating results
depend on the demand for those types of services. If this market does
not grow or grow quickly, SpectraLinks future results of operations
would be significantly harmed. |
22
SpectraLinks reliance on a limited number of significant
customers. A portion of SpectraLinks revenue has been derived from a
limited number of customers. Sales to one customer represented
approximately 10.8% of SpectraLinks revenue during the three months
ended March 31, 2004. SpectraLink also has experienced
quarter-to-quarter variability in sales to each of its major customers
and expects this pattern to continue in the future. |
SpectraLink might not be able to execute on its business plan if
it loses key management or technical personnel, on whose knowledge,
leadership and technical expertise it relies, or if new members of
SpectraLinks management team fail to work effectively together.
SpectraLinks success depends heavily upon the contributions of its
key management and technical personnel, whose knowledge, leadership
and technical expertise would be difficult to replace. Many of these
individuals have been with SpectraLink for several years and have
developed specialized knowledge and skills relating to its technology
and business. Others have been promoted within, or have newly joined,
senior management roles only recently. For example, in September 2003,
John Elms, SpectraLinks Vice President of Operations, was promoted to
President and Chief Executive Officer, while Bruce Holland, the former
President and Chief Executive Officer, continued with SpectraLink as
Chairman of the Board until he resigned from the Board in March 2004.
Additionally, in October 2003, SpectraLink hired John Kelley as Vice
President of Operations. In February 2004, Michael Cronin,
SpectraLinks Vice President of Sales and Marketing decided to resign
his positions of Vice President of Sales and Marketing and Corporate
Officer effective April 1, 2004, although he has agreed to remain an
employee of SpectraLink to assist with the transition through June 30,
2004. In April 2004, Nancy Hamilton, SpectraLinks Vice President of
Finance and Administration and Chief Financial Officer, decided to
resign her positions as Vice President of Finance and Administration
and Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Officer effective April 20,
2004, although she has agreed to remain an employee of SpectraLink to
assist with the transition through July 20, 2004. Additionally, in
April 2004, SpectraLink hired David Rosenthal as Vice President of
Finance and Administration, Chief Financial Officer, and Corporate
Secretary. SpectraLink further announced that Jill Kenney accepted
the position of Vice President of Sales and Marketing effective May
17, 2004. SpectraLinks success depends in part upon the ability of
new executives to work effectively together and with the rest of
SpectraLinks employees to continue to develop its technology and
manage the operation and growth of SpectraLinks business. All of
SpectraLinks executive officers and key personnel are employees at
will. SpectraLink has no employment contracts and does not maintain
key person insurance on any of its personnel. SpectraLink might not be
able to execute on its business plan if it were to lose the services
of any of its key personnel. If any of these individuals were to leave
SpectraLink unexpectedly, SpectraLink could face substantial
difficulty in hiring qualified successors and could experience a loss
in productivity while any such successor develops the necessary
training and experience. |
SpectraLinks reliance on its 802.11b technology partners to
continue to provide the wireless local area network for SpectraLinks
NetLink product, and to provide access points which support
SpectraLink Voice Priority. In the absences of a wireless voice
prioritization standard, SpectraLink relies on 802.11b technology
partners, such as Proxim, Symbol Technologies, and Cisco Systems to
continue to provide wireless local area network support for
SpectraLinks NetLink product and to provide access points that
support SpectraLink Voice Priority. If any of SpectraLinks
technology partners fails to provide voice prioritization support for
SpectraLinks products, the market opportunity for NetLink products
would be reduced and SpectraLinks future results of operations would
be materially harmed until SpectraLink finds new 802.11b technology
partners or voice prioritization standards are adopted. |
The ability of SpectraLink to develop and introduce new products
and transition existing products. SpectraLinks development efforts
may not lead to the successful introduction of new or improved
products. SpectraLink may encounter delays in deploying new or
improved products. For instance, SpectraLinks new products may not
properly function with its customers existing telephone systems or
SpectraLinks new products may contain defects or bugs. These
incompatibilities, defects or bugs may not be detected until
SpectraLinks customers begin to install the products or thereafter.
SpectraLink may need to modify the design of its new or improved
products if they have incompatibilities, defects or bugs, which could
result in significant expenditures by SpectraLink as it seeks to
remedy the problems, delays in the purchase of the products or
cancelled orders. SpectraLink may also encounter delays in the
manufacturing and production of the new products. Additionally, the
new products may not be commercially successful. Demand for existing
products may decrease upon the announcement of new or improved
products. Further, since products under development are often
announced before introduction, these announcements may cause customers
to delay purchases of any products, even if newly introduced,
until the new or improved versions of those products are available. If
customer orders decrease or are |
23
delayed during the product transition,
SpectraLink may experience a decline in revenue and have excess
inventory on hand which could decrease gross profit margins.
SpectraLinks gross margins might decrease if customers, who may
otherwise choose to purchase existing products, instead choose to
purchase lower priced models of new products. Delays or deficiencies in
the development, manufacturing, and delivery of, or demand for, new or
improved products could have a negative effect on SpectraLinks
business, operating results or financial condition. |
SpectraLinks ability to manage potential expansion of operations
in the U.S. and internationally. SpectraLink intends to expand its
existing domestic and international operations and to enter new
markets. This expansion will require significant management attention
and financial resources. SpectraLink currently has limited experience
in marketing and distributing its products internationally and in
developing versions of products that comply with local standards.
SpectraLink may also not be able to maintain or increase international
market demand for its products. International operations are subject
to other inherent risks, including foreign government regulation of
technology or unexpected changes in regulatory and customs
requirements, difficulty and delays in accounts receivable collection,
difficulties and costs of staffing and managing foreign operations,
reduced protection for intellectual property rights, foreign currency
exchange rate fluctuations, and taxation consequences. |
SpectraLink faces increasing competition in the on-premises
wireless telephone system market. The on-premises wireless telephone
system industry is competitive and influenced by the introduction of
new products and new entrants into the industry. The competitive
factors affecting the market for SpectraLinks systems include product
functions and features, frequency band of operation, ease-of-use,
quality of support, product quality and performance, price, network
and application integration capabilities, distribution channels, and
the effectiveness of marketing and sales efforts. Most of
SpectraLinks competitors have significantly greater financial,
technical, research and development, and marketing resources than
SpectraLink. As a result, SpectraLinks competitors may respond more
quickly to new or emerging technologies and changes in customer
requirements, or may devote greater resources to the development,
promotion, sale and support of their products than SpectraLink.
Enterprise adoption of standards for wireless LAN and voice over IP
may lead to the commoditization of wireless telephone technology and
the availability of low-cost alternative products. In addition, some
purchasers may prefer to buy their wireless telephone systems from a
single source provider of telephone systems, such as Alcatel or Cisco
Systems, both of which manufacture and sell enterprise telephone
systems. Other purchasers may prefer to buy their 802.11 wireless
telephone systems from a single source provider of wireless local area
networks, or LANs, such as Cisco Systems or Symbol Technologies, both
of which provide 802.11 wireless infrastructure and wireless
telephones. Because SpectraLink focuses on wireless on-premises
telephone communications, it cannot serve as the sole source for a
complete telephone or data communications system. There is no
assurance that SpectraLink will be able to compete successfully in the
future. Further, if a potential customer is already using a competing
product or system, that potential customer may not be willing or able
to make the investment necessary to replace such a system with a
SpectraLink Wireless Telephone System. In addition, there may be
potential customers who choose another technology because of cost or
their belief that their needs do not require the full function
provided by a SpectraLink Wireless Telephone System. |
The certification and approval process for SpectraLinks NetLink
product for use in countries that support the 802.11b standard.
Foreign countries which support the 802.11b standard could provide
future markets for the NetLink products. However, countries
certification and approval processes for 802.11b compatible products,
such as those of SpectraLink, are typically time consuming and costly.
If SpectraLink has difficulty obtaining certification and approval by
foreign countries for its NetLink product, then SpectraLink may not be
able to gain access to the markets in these countries in a timely
fashion, if at all, which would limit international growth of
SpectraLinks business. |
SpectraLinks ability to protect its intellectual property
rights. SpectraLinks future success depends, in part, upon its
proprietary technology. SpectraLink relies on a combination of
patent, copyright, trade secret and trademark laws, confidentiality
procedures, and nondisclosure and other contractual provisions to
protect its proprietary rights. These legal protections provide only
limited protection and may be time consuming and expensive to obtain
and enforce. There can be no assurance that SpectraLinks issued
patents will not be challenged or circumvented by competitors or
provide meaningful protection against competition. If challenged,
SpectraLinks patents might not be upheld or their claims could be
narrowed. If SpectraLink fails to protect its proprietary rights
adequately, SpectraLinks competitors might gain access to
SpectraLinks technology. As a result, SpectraLinks competitors might
offer similar products and |
24
SpectraLink might not be able to compete
successfully in its market. Moreover, despite SpectraLinks efforts to
protect its proprietary rights, unauthorized parties may copy aspects of
SpectraLinks products and obtain and use information that SpectraLink
regards as proprietary. Also, SpectraLinks competitors may
independently develop similar, but not infringing, technology, duplicate
SpectraLinks products, or design around SpectraLinks patents or its
other intellectual property. In addition, other parties may breach
confidentiality agreements or other protective contracts with
SpectraLink, and SpectraLink may not be able to enforce its rights in
the event of these breaches. Furthermore, SpectraLink expects that it
will increase its international operations in the future, and the laws
of many foreign countries do not protect SpectraLinks intellectual
property rights to the same extent as the laws of the United States.
SpectraLink may be required to spend significant resources to monitor
and protect its intellectual property rights. Any litigation
surrounding SpectraLinks rights could force SpectraLink to divert
important financial and other resources from its business operations. |
The assertion of intellectual property infringement claims
against SpectraLink. SpectraLinks industry is characterized by the
existence of a large number of patents and frequent claims and related
litigation regarding patent and other intellectual property rights.
SpectraLink cannot be certain that its products do not and will not
infringe upon issued patents, patents to be issued in the future, or
other intellectual property rights of others. SpectraLink may in the
future be notified that it is infringing upon certain patent and/or
other intellectual property rights of others. Although there are no
such pending lawsuits against SpectraLink that
SpectraLink is infringing upon intellectual property rights of others,
there can be no assurance that infringement claims will not occur in
the future. From time to time, third parties may assert exclusive
patent, copyright, trademark and other intellectual property rights to
technologies and related methods that are important to SpectraLink.
Litigation may be necessary in the future to defend against claims of
infringement or invalidity, to determine the validity and scope of the
proprietary rights of others, to enforce SpectraLinks intellectual
property rights, or to protect SpectraLinks trade secrets.
SpectraLink may also be subject to claims from customers for
indemnification. Any resulting litigation, regardless of its
resolution, could result in substantial costs and diversion of
resources. If it were determined that SpectraLinks products infringe
upon the intellectual property rights of others, SpectraLink would
need to obtain licenses from these parties or reengineer its products
in order to avoid infringement. SpectraLink might not be able to
obtain the necessary licenses on acceptable terms or at all, or to
reengineer its products successfully. Moreover, if SpectraLink is
sued for infringement and loses the suit, it could be required to pay
substantial damages or be enjoined from licensing or using the
infringing products or technology. Any of the foregoing could cause
SpectraLink to incur significant costs and prevent it from selling its
products. |
Recently enacted and proposed changes in securities laws and
regulations are likely to increase SpectraLinks costs. The
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 that became law in July 2002, as well as
new rules subsequently implemented by the SEC, requires changes in
some of SpectraLinks corporate governance, public disclosure and
compliance practices. The Act also requires the SEC to implement
additional new rules on a variety of subjects. In addition to final
rules and rule proposals already made by the SEC, the Nasdaq National
Market has adopted revisions to its requirements for companies, such
as SpectraLink, that are Nasdaq-listed. These developments have
increased SpectraLinks legal and financial compliance costs, and make
some activities, like SEC reporting obligations, more difficult. In
addition, SpectraLink expects these developments to make it more
difficult and more expensive for SpectraLink to obtain director and
officer liability insurance, and SpectraLink may be required to accept
reduced coverage or incur substantially higher costs to obtain
coverage. These developments could make it more difficult for
SpectraLink to attract and retain qualified members of SpectraLinks
board of directors, particularly to serve on SpectraLinks audit
committee, and qualified executive officers. SpectraLink is presently
evaluating and monitoring regulatory developments and cannot estimate
the timing or magnitude of additional costs SpectraLink may incur as a
result. |
SpectraLinks reported financial results may be adversely
affected by changes in accounting principles generally accepted in the
United States. Generally accepted accounting principles in the United
States are subject to issuance and interpretation by the Financial
Accounting Standards Board, or FASB, the American Institute of
Certified Public Accountants, the Securities and Exchange Commission,
(SEC), and various bodies formed to promulgate and interpret
appropriate accounting principles. A change in these principles or
interpretations could have a significant effect on SpectraLinks
reported financial results, and could affect the reporting of
transactions completed before the announcement of a change. For
example, SpectraLink currently is not required to record stock-based
compensation charges if the employees stock option exercise price is
equal to or exceeds the deemed fair value of
SpectraLinks common stock at the date of grant. However, several
companies have recently elected to |
25
change their accounting policies and
begun to record the fair value of stock options as an expense. Although
the standards have not been finalized and the timing of a final
statement has not been established, FASB published in March 2004 an
exposure draft that would require SpectraLink to record expense for the
fair value of stock options granted. SpectraLinks reported earnings
would be harmed if SpectraLink were required to change its accounting
policy in accordance with the fair-value based concepts of Statement of
Financial Accounting Standards (SFAS) No. 123, Accounting for
Stock-Based Compensation and SFAS No. 148, Accounting for Stock-Based
Compensation-Transition and Disclosure. |
The historic volatility of SpectraLinks stock price, which may
make it more difficult to resell shares at prices attractive to
sellers. The market price of SpectraLinks common stock has been
volatile and is likely to remain subject to wide fluctuations in the
future. For example, during the 12-month period ended March 31, 2004,
the closing price of SpectraLinks common stock has ranged from a high
of $24.80 per share to a low of $6.40 per share. Many factors could
cause the market price of SpectraLinks common stock to fluctuate,
including: |
| variations in SpectraLinks actual or anticipated quarterly or annual results; | |||
| market conditions in SpectraLinks industry, the industries of SpectraLinks customers and the economy as a whole; | |||
| announcements of technological innovations by SpectraLink or by its competitors; | |||
| introduction of new products or product enhancements or new pricing policies by SpectraLink or by its competitors; | |||
| acquisitions or strategic alliances by SpectraLink or by its competitors; | |||
| recruitment or departure of key personnel; | |||
| the gain or loss of significant orders; | |||
| changes in the market valuations of other telecommunications companies; | |||
| the amount of liquid financial resources available to SpectraLink; | |||
| the gain or loss of significant customers; and | |||
| changes in the estimates of SpectraLinks operating performance or changes in recommendations by securities analysts. |
In addition, the stock market in general, and the market for technology-related stocks in particular, could decline, which could cause the market price of SpectraLinks common stock to fall for reasons not necessarily related to SpectraLinks business, results of operations or financial condition. The market price of SpectraLinks stock also might decline in reaction to events that affect other companies in SpectraLinks industry even if these events do not directly affect SpectraLink. Accordingly, you may not be able to resell your shares of common stock at or above the price you paid. Securities class action litigation is often brought against a company following a period of volatility in the market price of its securities, and SpectraLink has previously been sued in several purported securities class action lawsuits. Further, certain of SpectraLinks management and directors were also sued in purported shareholder derivative actions. Although SpectraLink believes that the lawsuits lack merit, due to inherent uncertainties in litigation, SpectraLink cannot accurately predict the outcome of this litigation. An adverse determination could have a significant effect upon SpectraLinks business and materially affect the price of its stock. Moreover, regardless of the ultimate result, it is likely that the lawsuits will require SpectraLink to incur expenses and divert managements attention and resources from other matters, which could also adversely affect SpectraLinks business and the price of its stock. |
Item 4. Controls and Procedures.
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures. Regulations under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 require public companies to maintain disclosure controls and procedures, which are defined to mean a companys controls and other procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the company in the reports that it files or submits under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the Commissions rules and forms. SpectraLinks Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, based on their evaluation of SpectraLinks disclosure controls and procedures as of the end of the period covered by this report (the Evaluation Date), concluded that SpectraLinks disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of the Evaluation Date for this purpose.
Changes in Internal Controls over Financial Reporting. Regulations under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 require public companies to evaluate any change in SpectraLinks internal control over financial reporting, which is defined as a process to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and
26
preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. In connection with their evaluation of SpectraLinks disclosure controls and procedures as of the end of the period covered by this report, SpectraLinks Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer did not identify any change in SpectraLinks internal control over financial reporting during the three-month period ended March 31, 2004 that materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, SpectraLinks internal control over financial reporting.
Part II Other Information
Item 1 Legal Proceedings
On January 14, 2002, SpectraLink issued a press release announcing preliminary financial results for the fourth quarter of 2001 and revising downward its estimates for year 2002 results of operations. Shortly after the press release, the Companys stock price declined and the Company and certain of its officers and directors were named as defendants in four lawsuits filed between February 7, 2002 and March 6, 2002, three of which were filed in the United States District Court for the District of Colorado and one of which was filed in the Colorado District Court for the City and County of Denver. In each of the lawsuits, plaintiffs, who purport to be purchasers or holders of SpectraLink common stock, initially sought to assert claims either on behalf of a class of persons who purchased securities in SpectraLink between July 19, 2001 and January 11, 2002, or in the case of two of the lawsuits (one filed in the United States District Court and one in the Colorado District Court), derivatively on behalf of SpectraLink. Two of the lawsuits filed in the United States District contained essentially identical claims alleging that SpectraLink and certain of its officers and directors violated Sections 10(b) and 20(a) and Rule 10b-5 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as a result of alleged public misstatements and omissions, accompanied by insider stock sales made in the months prior to the decline in the price of SpectraLinks stock after the January 14, 2002 press release. In the cases brought as derivative actions, the plaintiffs allege that the officers and directors of SpectraLink violated fiduciary duties owed to SpectraLink and its stockholders under state laws by allowing and/or facilitating the issuance of these same alleged public misstatements and omissions, misappropriating nonpublic information for their own benefit, making insider stock sales, wasting corporate assets, abusing their positions of control, and mismanaging the corporation. The plaintiffs in these derivative cases allege that SpectraLink has and will continue to suffer injury as a result of these alleged violations of duty for which the officers and directors should be liable.
The cases are designated as follows: Wilmer Kerns, Individually And On Behalf of All Others Similarly Situated, Plaintiff, vs. SpectraLink Corporation, Bruce Holland and Nancy K. Hamilton, Defendants (United States District Court Civil Action Number 02-D-0263); Danilo Martin Molieri, Individually and On Behalf of All Others Similarly Situated, Plaintiff, v. SpectraLink Corporation, Bruce Holland and Nancy K. Hamilton, Defendants (United States District Court Civil Action Number 02-D-0315); Evie Elennis, derivatively on behalf of SpectraLink Corporation, Plaintiff(s), v. Bruce M. Holland, Anthony V. Carollo, Jr., Gary L. Bliss, Michael P. Cronin, Nancy K. Hamilton and John H. Elms, Defendants), and SpectraLink Corporation, Nominal Defendant (United States District Court Civil Action Number 02-D-0345); and Roger Humphreys, Derivatively on Behalf of Nominal Defendant SpectraLink Corporation, Plaintiff, v. Carl D. Carman, Anthony V. Carollo, Jr., Bruce M. Holland, Burton J. McMurtry, Gary L. Bliss, Michael P. Cronin, John H. Elms, and Nancy K. Hamilton, Defendants (Colorado District Court Case. No. 02CV1687).
The Kerns and Molieri purported class actions were consolidated, and the plaintiffs filed a Consolidated Amended Complaint in these Consolidated Actions. In January of 2003, the Court denied a motion to dismiss that amended pleading, and discovery commenced. The Court has certified a class of all purchasers of publicly traded common stock of SpectraLink from April 19, 2001 through January 11, 2002, inclusive. On November 26, 2003, the Lead Plaintiffs in these Consolidated Actions moved the court for permission to file a second consolidated amended class action, which would have deleted certain of the original claims, would have extended the class period so that it would commence on February 1, 2001 instead of April 19, 2001, and would have added more detail on claims relating to alleged improper revenue recognition. The Company filed an opposition to that motion. On March 5, 2004, the Magistrate Judge entered his Order denying plaintiffs motions, and plaintiffs have appealed that decision to the district court
On April 16, 2004, the parties to these Consolidated Actions held a mediation in San Francisco. The parties entered into a Memorandum of Understanding settling the case for $1.5 million, subject to certain terms and conditions, including approval by the court. The settlement will be paid from insurance proceeds.
The two derivative actions were stayed pending resolution of the motion to dismiss in the consolidated class action, and plaintiffs counsel in the Elennis derivative action filed an unopposed motion for relief from the stay and filed an
27
amended complaint and then a corrected amended complaint. Prior to the entry of the stays in each of the derivative cases, the defendants had filed motions to dismiss. In August of 2003, Defendants moved to dismiss the amended and corrected Elennis complaint. The Court denied that motion on March 22, 2004. No discovery has been conducted in either of the derivative actions. The Company expects to engage in settlement discussions with the derivative plaintiffs in light of the settlement of the Consolidated Actions.
SpectraLink believes that the lawsuits are without merit and it intends to vigorously defend itself and its officers and directors if the two derivative cases are not settled in light of the settlement of the Consolidated Actions, and/or if the settlement of the Consolidated Actions is not approved by the court. SpectraLink does not believe that its interests and that of the named officers and directors are adverse to each other as of this time. However, no assurance can be given that SpectraLink will be successful in defending the claims being asserted in these suits, or that the interests of the various parties will remain aligned. If SpectraLink is not successful in its defense of these suits, it could be required to make significant payments to its stockholders and their lawyers, which could have a material adverse effect on SpectraLinks business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, the litigation could result in substantial costs, divert managements attention and resources, or ultimately result in the interests of SpectraLink becoming adverse to those of certain of its officers and directors. In either case, SpectraLinks business could be adversely affected, even if the plaintiffs are not successful in their claims against SpectraLink and/or its officers and directors.
The Company has incurred a loss related to the directors and officers insurance deductible of which the majority of the expense was reflected in 2002. As noted, the settlement of the Consolidated Actions will be funded by insurance proceeds. Based on current facts and circumstances, the Company is unable to estimate future losses, if any, it may incur if the cases are not settled, after considering the amounts that will be covered by insurance.
SpectraLink is not presently a party to any other material pending legal proceedings of which it is aware.
Item 6 Exhibits and Reports on Form 8-K
(a) Exhibits
The following exhibits are filed herewith:
Exhibit Number |
Exhibit Title |
|
31.1
|
Certification by John H. Elms pursuant to 15 U.S.C. Section 7241, as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. | |
31.2
|
Certification by David I. Rosenthal pursuant to 15 U.S.C. Section 7241, as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. | |
32.1 *
|
Certification by John H. Elms pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. | |
32.2 *
|
Certification by David I. Rosenthal pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. |
| Filed herewith. |
* | In accordance with SEC Release No. 33-8238, these exhibits are furnished with this quarterly report on Form 10-Q and are not deemed filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and are not incorporated by reference in any filing of SpectraLink Corporation under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, whether made before or after the date hereof and irrespective of any general incorporation language in any filings. |
Exhibits filed with SpectraLinks 2003 Form 10-K constitute those exhibits currently required to be on file. The reader should refer to the 2003 Form 10-K under Part III, Item 15, for a list of those exhibits. |
(b) Reports on Form 8-K
SpectraLink filed four Current Reports on Form 8-K during the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2004. The first Form 8-K, filed February 2, 2004, reported information under Item 5 Other Events and established a Rule 10b-5 plan for John H. Elms which will allow Mr. Elms to sell up to 255,000 shares of SpectraLink stock options in monthly increments over a three year period ending on February 2, 2007. | ||
The second Form 8-K, filed February 4, 2004, reported information under Items 7 Financial Statements and Exhibits, that was intended to be furnished under Item 12. Results of Operations and Financial Condition in |
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accordance with SEC Release No. 33-8216. This filing included SpectraLinks earnings press release for the year and quarter ended December 31, 2003, and the script used by SpectraLink executives on the conference call explaining the results. The information furnished under that Form 8-K was intended to be furnished and not deemed filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and is not incorporated by reference in any filing of SpectraLink under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, including this quarterly report, whether made before or after the date of that Form 8-K and irrespective of any general incorporation language in any filings. | ||
The third Form 8-K, filed February 11, 2004, reported information under Item 5 Other Events concerning the announcement that: Michael Cronin, Vice President of Sales and Marketing of SpectraLink since 1997 and a corporate officer, will resign his positions to retire effective April 1, 2004. Mr. Cronin will remain an employee of the Company to assist with the transition through June 30, 2004. | ||
The fourth Form 8-K, filed March 10, 2004, reported information under Item 5 Other Events concerning the announcement that: Bruce Holland, Chairman of the Board of Directors, ended his employment relationship with the Company effective March 9, 2004. Mr. Holland is replaced on the Board by Werner Schmuecking. Mr. Schmuecking recently retired from Siemens, where he had held several senior executive roles. Mr. Schmuecking currently serves on several public and private boards of directors in Europe and the United States. |
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SPECTRALINK CORPORATION
In accordance with the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the Registrant caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
SPECTRALINK CORPORATION | ||
Date: May 10, 2004 |
||
By: /s/ DAVID I. ROSENTHAL | ||
David I. Rosenthal, | ||
Vice President of Finance and Administration | ||
and Chief Financial Officer | ||
(Principal Financial and Accounting | ||
Officer and on behalf of the Registrant) |
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EXHIBIT INDEX
Exhibit Number
|
Exhibit Title | |
31.1
|
Certification by John H. Elms pursuant to 15 U.S.C. Section 7241, as adopted pursuant to
Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. |
|
31.2
|
Certification by David I. Rosenthal pursuant to 15 U.S.C. Section 7241, as adopted pursuant to
Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. |
|
32.1 *
|
Certification by John H. Elms pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to
Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. |
|
32.2 *
|
Certification by David I. Rosenthal pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to
Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. |
| Filed herewith. |
* In accordance with SEC Release No. 33-8238, these exhibits are furnished with this quarterly report on Form 10-Q and are not deemed filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and are not incorporated by reference in any filing of SpectraLink Corporation under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, whether made before or after the date hereof and irrespective of any general incorporation language in any filings.
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