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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

FORM 10-K

For the transition period from            to           .

Commission file number: 0-17972

DIGI INTERNATIONAL INC.

11001 Bren Road East
Minnetonka, Minnesota 55343

(952) 912-3444

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: None
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
Common stock, $.01 par value
(Title of each class)

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 [   ]

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of Registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. [X]

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an accelerated filer (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).

Yes [X] No [   ]

The aggregate market value of voting stock held by non-affiliates of the Registrant as of the last business day of the Registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter was $120,008,000, based on a closing price of $5.45 per share as reported on the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation System National Market System.

Shares of common stock outstanding as of December 6, 2002: 22,309,283

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INDEX

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

The following table shows, except as otherwise noted, the location of information required in this Form 10-K, in the Registrant’s Annual Report to Stockholders for the year ended September 30, 2002 and Proxy Statement for the Registrant’s Annual Meeting of Stockholders scheduled for January 22, 2003, a definitive copy of which will be filed on or about December 23, 2002. All such information set forth below under the heading “Page/Reference” is incorporated herein by reference, or included in this Form 10-K on the pages indicated.

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PART I

ITEM 1. BUSINESS

Digi International Inc. (Digi or the Company) was formed in 1985 as a Minnesota corporation and reorganized as a Delaware corporation in 1989 in conjunction with its initial public offering. Digi, the leader in Connectware, is a worldwide provider of device networking solutions. Businesses use Digi products to create, customize and control retail operations, industrial automation and other applications.

Prior to the acquisition of NetSilicon, Inc. (NetSilicon) in February 2002, the Company operated in a single reportable business segment known as Connectivity Solutions. The Company sells its Connectivity Solutions products through a global channel of Distributors, Systems Integrators, Solution Providers, Direct Marketers and direct to strategic OEM, Government and Commercial partners.

With the acquisition of NetSilicon, the Company now operates in a second reportable segment known as Embedded Networking Solutions. Revenues are derived primarily from the sale of products to OEM customers and to a lesser extent from the sale of software licenses, fees associated with technical support, training and engineering services and royalties.

The common stock of Digi is traded on the Nasdaq National Market under the symbol DGII. The Company has its worldwide headquarters in Minnetonka, Minnesota, with regional and sales offices throughout the U.S. and worldwide, including Germany, France, Denmark, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, China and Japan.

Products

Digi is a worldwide leader in connecting peripherals to networks. From multi-port serial control to Universal Serial Bus (USB) connectivity to embedded networking, Digi’s products enable a virtually unlimited number of devices or users to be connected locally or remotely to multi-user systems, networks, and the Internet. The Company entered the system-on-silicon and software market with its acquisition of NetSilicon, providing for a broad family of next generation solutions for connecting devices to networks. The Company’s products are compatible with all PC platforms, including Compaq, IBM, Hewlett-Packard and Sun Microsystems, as well as popular operating systems, such as Microsoft Windows NT/95/2000, Novell NetWare, Linux and UNIX.

The Company has sales offices located throughout North America, Europe and Asia. Digi products are available through 180 distributors in more than 65 countries.

The application markets where these products are most prominently used are point-of-sales systems (POS), industrial automation, medical, hospitality, building automation, network cameras, information displays, and office networking. The Company’s product lines are its multi-port serial adapters, device servers, terminal servers, USB, and embedded networking semiconductors and controller products.

Multi-Port Serial Adapters

The Company is the market leader in this product category and offers one of the most comprehensive multi-port serial adapter families of products. The Company’s products support a wide range of operating systems, port-densities, bus types, expansion options, and applications.

As Ethernet connections extend beyond current applications, the internal multi-port serial adapter products are expected to gradually transition to network-attached terminal server devices. The Company has strengthened its product offering to meet customer needs and believes that although this market is maturing, multi-port serial adapters will continue to be an important product category.

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ITEM 1. BUSINESS (CONTINUED)

Products (continued)

Terminal Server / Device Server

The Company’s terminal server and device server families offer flexible and easy solutions for providing access to serial devices over Ethernet networks. As Ethernet-based serial connections extend beyond their current applications and into new market uses such as building automation, health care, process control and console port management on servers, routers, switches, and other network equipment, the Company believes that terminal servers and device servers will continue to be a major growth area.

Universal Serial Bus

The Company expanded its product lines with its acquisition of Inside Out Networks, Inc. (Inside Out Networks) in October 2000. The acquisition gave the Company the most comprehensive and sophisticated USB product line in the industry. Furthermore, Inside Out Networks’ pioneering EPIC software provides seamless transition between legacy software/systems and next-generation USB-attached devices, supporting feature-rich hardware and software flow control signaling. This software provides ease of use and integration while protecting technology investments. In 2002, the Company introduced the industry’s first USB over IP concentrator called AnywhereUSB Remote I/O Concentrator. The AnywhereUSB Remote I/O Concentrator is the first remote networking solution to utilize USB-Over-IP™ technology, breaking the traditional five meter distance limitation of USB to connect USB devices anywhere on an existing wired or wireless LAN — without a locally attached host PC.

Embedded Semiconductor Networking and Controller Boards

With the acquisition of NetSilicon in February 2002, the Company entered the embedded system market. NetSilicon designs and manufactures integrated device networking platforms for manufacturers who want to build intelligence and network connectivity into their products. The platforms integrate high performance microprocessors and advanced networking software to provide complete networking solutions.

LAN Connectivity

On March 25, 2002, the Company sold substantially all of the assets of its former MiLAN Technology division (MiLAN), to Communications Systems, Inc. (CSI) for $8,059,000. The MiLAN product line included wireless access points and clients, managed and unmanaged switches, media converters, print servers and fault tolerant transceivers.

Distribution and Partnerships

Significant U.S. distributors include: Ingram Micro, Tech Data Corporation, Arrow Distributing, Avnet/Hallmark and Synnex.

Significant Canadian distributors include: EMJ Data Systems, Ingram Micro Canada and Tech Data Canada.

Significant European distributors include: Miel, Westbase Technology, Sphinx Computer, Mitrol, Euroline, Comstor, Stemmer, ESA Opensoft, and Dupaco.

Significant Asia Pacific distributors include: Tech Pacific, SC ComTex, Inc., T-Data, DI Systems, Sigma Infocom, Modern Tech, LDL, and SNS.

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ITEM 1. BUSINESS (CONTINUED)

Distribution and Partnerships (continued)

Significant Latin American distributors include: Ingram Micro Mexico, Ingram Micro Miami, Ingram Micro Chile, Tech Data Miami, Integral, Computacion BKO, Integrade, and Solutions Box.

Digi maintains strategic alliances with other industry leaders to develop and market technology solutions. These include most major communications software vendors, operating system suppliers, and computer hardware manufacturers. Key partners include: Microsoft, Citrix Systems, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Intel, Lotus, Micron, Motorola, Novell, Red Hat, Santa Cruz Operation, and Sun Microsystems.

Customers

The Company’s customer base includes many of the world’s largest companies. Long-time customer IBM made the Company’s adapter boards the first integrated communications offering for the iSeries (previously named AS400) in 2000, in addition to the products currently being sold into the pSeries (previously named RS6000). The Company has strategic sales relationships with leading vendors, allowing them to ship the Company’s board and network products as component parts of their overall networking solutions. These vendors include NCR, Sun Microsystems and Hewlett Packard, among others. Many of the world’s leading telecommunications companies and Internet service providers also rely on the Company’s products, including Lucent, AT&T, Sprint, Verizon and Seimens. Through the NetSilicon acquisition, the Company now has many of the world’s largest office networking companies on its customer list, including Minolta, Ricoh, Sharp, Hitachi, Toshiba, Xerox, and Konica.

During the year ended September 30, 2002, two customers, that are distributors, comprised at least 10% of net sales each: Tech Data at 14.0% and Ingram Micro at 13.8%. During the year ended September 30, 2001, these two customers comprised at least 10% of net sales each: Tech Data at 13.9% and Ingram Micro at 11.3%. During the year ended September 30, 2000, these two customers comprised at least 10% of net sales each: Tech Data at 13.4% and Ingram Micro at 10.0%.

Competitive Conditions

The computer industry is characterized by rapid technological advances and evolving industry standards. The market can be significantly affected by new product introductions and marketing activities of industry participants. The Company competes for customers on the basis of product performance in relation to compatibility, support, quality and reliability, product development capabilities, price and availability.

The Company believes that it is a global market leader in multi-port serial adapters. As this market continues to mature, the Company will focus on key applications, customers, and markets to manage applications as they transition to other technologies such as Ethernet, USB, and wireless connectivity products. The Company also believes it is a leader in connecting peripheral devices to Ethernet LANs with its terminal server and device server product lines. The Company is an early entrant to the embedded system market, and believes that the complementary nature of the NetSilicon device connectivity products will provide an expanded range of products and technology.

Some of the Company’s competitors and potential competitors may have greater financial, technological, manufacturing, marketing and personnel resources than the Company. Present and future competitors may be able to identify new markets and develop products more quickly, which are superior to those developed by the Company. They may also adapt new technologies faster, devote greater resources to research and development, promote products more aggressively and price products more competitively than the Company. There are no

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ITEM 1. BUSINESS (CONTINUED)

Competitive Conditions (continued)

assurances that competition will not intensify or that the Company will be able to compete effectively in the markets in which the Company competes.

Operations

The Company’s manufacturing operations, excluding those of NetSilicon, procure all parts and certain services involved in production and subcontract most of its product manufacturing to outside firms that specialize in such services. The Company believes that this approach is beneficial because the Company can reduce its fixed costs, maintain production flexibility and maximize its profit margins.

The Company’s products are manufactured to their designs with standard and semi-custom components. Most of these components are available from multiple vendors. The Company has several single-sourced supplier relationships, either because alternative sources are not available or because the relationship is advantageous to the Company. If these suppliers are unable to provide a timely and reliable supply of components, the Company could experience manufacturing delays that adversely affect its results of operations.

NetSilicon relies on third party foundries for its semiconductor device. Currently Atmel Corporation and Toshiba Corporation manufacture the NET + ARM semiconductor devices. Furthermore, NetSilicon contracts with a subcontractor to assemble printed circuit boards.

During fiscal years 2002, 2001 and 2000, the Company’s research and development expenditures were $19.5, $18.3 and $20.2 million, respectively.

Due to rapidly changing technology in the computer industry, the Company believes that its success depends primarily upon the engineering, marketing, manufacturing and support skills of its personnel, rather than upon patent protection. Although the Company may seek patents where appropriate and has certain patent applications pending for proprietary technology, the Company’s proprietary technology or products are generally not patented. The Company relies primarily on the copyright, trademark and trade secret laws to protect its proprietary rights in its products. The Company has established common law and registered trademark rights on a family of marks for a number of its products.

As of September 30, 2002, the Company had backlog orders which management believed to be firm in the amount of $7.2 million, of which $3.6 million related to the NetSilicon business. All of these orders are expected to be shipped in fiscal 2003. Backlog as of September 30, 2001 and September 30, 2000 was $1.4 million and $4.4 million, respectively.

The Company had 407 employees at September 30, 2002 compared to 425 at September 30, 2001. The decrease in the number of employees is the result of the acquisition of NetSilicon, which added 120 employees, the sale of MiLAN reduced headcount by 60 employees, the September 2002 restructuring plans reduced headcount by 88 employees, and a net addition of 10 employees were added during the year due to normal activity.

ITEM 2. PROPERTIES

The Company’s headquarters and research facilities are located in a 130,000 square foot office building in Minnetonka, Minnesota, which the Company acquired in August 1995 and has occupied since March 1996.

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ITEM 2. PROPERTIES (CONTINUED)

The Company’s primary manufacturing facility is located in a 58,000 square foot building in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, which the Company purchased in May 1993 and has occupied since August 1993. Additional office and research facilities include a 63,000 square foot facility in Dortmund, Germany, which the Company owns, and a leased 5,000 square foot facility in Champaign, Illinois, the lease for which expires in February 2005. In connection with the acquisition of Inside Out Networks in October 2000, the Company assumed an additional 10,465 square foot facility in Austin, Texas and a 3,655 square foot facility in Torrance, California. The leases on these facilities expire in October 2005 and September 2003, respectively. In connection with the Net Silicon acquisition in February 2002, the Company assumed the leases for an additional 21,759 square foot facility in Waltham, Massachusetts, and a 1,371 square foot facility in Tokyo, Japan. The Waltham and Tokyo leases expire on September 30, 2007 and November 30, 2003, respectively.

Management believes that the Company’s facilities are suitable and adequate for current office, research and warehouse requirements. Management believes that the Company has some excess square footage at its primary manufacturing facility in Eden Prairie, Minnesota and is currently evaluating various opportunities, one of which includes selling the facility. The Company is also attempting to sell the Dortmund, Germany facility.

ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

On April 19, 2002, a consolidated amended class action complaint was filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. The complaint, which supersedes three virtually identical complaints that had been filed from August 7, 2001 to August 31, 2001, is captioned “In re NETsilicon, Inc. Initial Public Offering Securities Litigation” (21 MC 92, 01 Civ. 7281 (SAS)). The complaint names as defendants NetSilicon, certain of its officers and directors, certain underwriters involved in NetSilicon’s initial public offering (“IPO”), and the Company, and asserts, among other things, that NetSilicon’s IPO prospectus and registration statement violated federal securities laws because they contained material misrepresentations and/or omissions regarding the conduct of NetSilicon’s IPO underwriters in allocating shares in NetSilicon’s IPO to the underwriters’ customers, and that NetSilicon and the two named officers engaged in fraudulent practices with respect to this underwriter’s conduct. Pursuant to a stipulation between the parties, the two named officers were dismissed from the lawsuit, without prejudice, on October 9, 2002. The action seeks damages, fees and costs associated with the litigation, and interest. We understand that various plaintiffs have filed substantially similar lawsuits against over 300 other publicly traded companies in connection with the underwriting of their IPOs. The Company and its officers and directors believe that the allegations in the complaint are without merit and intend to contest them vigorously. On July 15, 2002, the Company, along with the other 300-plus publicly-traded companies that have been named in substantially similar lawsuits, filed a collective motion to dismiss the complaint on various legal grounds common to all or most of the issuer defendants. The Court heard oral argument on this motion on November 1, 2002. The litigation process is inherently uncertain and unpredictable, and there can be no guarantee as to the ultimate outcome of this pending lawsuit. However, the Company maintains liability insurance for such matters and the Company expects that the liability insurance will be adequate to cover any potential unfavorable outcome, less the applicable deductible amounts. In the event the Company has losses that exceed the limits of the liability insurance, such losses could have a material effect on the business, results of operations, or financial condition of the Company.

In the normal course of business, the Company is subject to various claims and litigation, including patent and intellectual property claims. Management of the Company expects that these various litigation items will not have a material adverse effect on the results of operations or financial position of the Company.

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ITEM 4. SUBMISSION OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITY HOLDERS

There were no matters submitted to the vote of security holders during the quarter ended September 30, 2002.

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PART II

ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY AND RELATED STOCKHOLDERS’ MATTERS

Stock Listing

The Company’s Common Stock trades on the Nasdaq National Market tier of the Nasdaq Stock Market™ under the symbol “DGII.” On December 6, 2002, the number of holders of the Company’s Common Stock was approximately 8,875, consisting of 325 record holders and approximately 8,550 stockholders whose stock is held by a bank, broker or other nominee.

High and low sale prices for each quarter during the years ended September 30, 2002 and 2001, as reported on the Nasdaq Stock Market, were as follows:

Stock Prices

Dividend Policy

The Company has never paid cash dividends on its Common Stock. The Board of Directors presently intends to retain all earnings for use in the Company’s business and does not anticipate paying cash dividends in the foreseeable future.

The Company does not have a Dividend Reinvestment Plan or a Direct Stock Purchase Plan.

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ITEM 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

(IN THOUSANDS EXCEPT PER SHARE AMOUNTS AND NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES)

For the fiscal years ended September 30

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SAFE HARBOR STATEMENT UNDER THE PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM ACT OF 1995

This Annual Report contains certain statements that are “forward-looking statements” as that term is defined under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The words “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “estimate,” “target,” “may,” “will,” “expect,” “plan,” “project,” “should,” or “continue” or the negative thereof or other expressions, which are predictions of or indicate future events and trends and which do not relate to historical matters, identify forward-looking statements. Such statements are based on information available to management as of the time of such statements and relate to, among other things, expectations of the business environment in which the Company operates, projections of future performance, perceived opportunities in the market and statements regarding the Company’s mission and vision. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to differ materially from anticipated future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

The future operating results and performance trends of the Company may be affected by a number of factors, including, without limitation, those described under “Risk Factors” below. Those risk factors, and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions identified from time to time in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including without limitation, its quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and its registration statements, could cause the Company’s actual future results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of the factors set forth in the Company’s various filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and of changes in general economic conditions, changes in interest rates and/or exchange rates and changes in the assumptions used in making such forward-looking statements.

RISK FACTORS

The Company’s dependence on new product development and the rapid technological change that characterizes the Company’s industry make it susceptible to loss of market share resulting from competitors’ product introductions and similar risks.

The data communications industry is characterized by rapidly changing technologies, evolving industry standards, frequent new product introductions, short product life cycles and rapidly changing customer requirements. The introduction of products embodying new technologies and the emergence of new industry standards can render existing products obsolete and unmarketable. The Company’s future success will depend on its ability to enhance its existing products, to introduce new products to meet changing customer requirements and emerging technologies, and to demonstrate the performance advantages and cost-effectiveness of its products over competing products. Any failure by the Company to modify its products to support new alternative technologies or any failure to achieve widespread customer acceptance of such modified products could cause the Company to lose market share and cause its revenues to decline.

The Company may experience delays in developing and marketing product enhancements or new products that respond to technological change, evolving industry standards and changing customer requirements. There can be no assurance that the Company will not experience difficulties that could delay or prevent the successful development, introduction, and marketing of these products or product enhancements, or that its new products

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and product enhancements will adequately meet the requirements of the marketplace and achieve any significant or sustainable degree of market acceptance in existing or additional markets. Failure by the Company, for technological or other reasons, to develop and introduce new products and product enhancements in a timely and cost-effective manner could have a material adverse effect on the Company. In addition, the future introductions or announcements of products by the Company or one of its competitors embodying new technologies or changes in industry standards or customer requirements could render the Company’s then-existing products obsolete or unmarketable. There can be no assurance that the introduction or announcement of new product offerings by the Company or one or more of its competitors will not cause customers to defer the purchase of the Company’s existing products, which could cause its revenues to decline.

The Company intends to continue to devote significant resources to its research and development, which, if not successful, could cause a decline in its revenues and harm its business.

The Company intends to continue to devote significant resources to research and development in the coming years to enhance and develop additional products. For the fiscal years ended 2002, 2001, and 2000, the Company’s research and development expenses comprised 19.2%, 14.1%, and 15.2%, respectively, of total net sales. If the Company is unable to develop new products as a result of its research and development efforts, or if the products the Company develops are not successful, its business could be harmed. Even if the Company develops new products that are accepted by its target markets, the net revenues from these products may not be sufficient to justify its investment in research and development.

Certain of the Company’s products that generate a substantial amount of its revenue are sold into mature markets, which could limit the Company’s ability to generate revenue from these products.

Certain of the Company’s products provide asynchronous and synchronous data transmissions via add-on cards. The market for add-on asynchronous and synchronous data communications cards is a mature market. These products currently generate about one-half of the Company’s revenues. As the overall market for these products decreases due to the adoption of newer technologies, the Company expects that its revenues from these products will continue to decline. As a result, the Company’s future prospects depend in large part on its ability to acquire or develop and successfully market additional products that address growth markets.

The Company’s failure to effectively manage product transitions could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s revenues and profitability.

From time to time, the Company or its competitors may announce new products, capabilities, or technologies that may replace or shorten the life cycles of the Company’s existing products. Announcements of currently planned or other new products may cause customers to defer or stop purchasing the Company’s products until new products become available. Furthermore, the introduction of new or enhanced products requires the Company to manage the transition from older product inventories and ensure that adequate supplies of new products can be delivered to meet customer demand. The Company’s failure to effectively manage transitions from older products could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s revenues and profitability.

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The Company’s failure to compete successfully in its highly competitive market could result in reduced prices and loss of market share.

The market in which the Company operates is characterized by rapid technological advances and evolving industry standards. The market can be significantly affected by new product introductions and marketing activities of industry participants. The Company competes for customers on the basis of product performance in relation to compatibility, support, quality and reliability, product development capabilities, price, and availability. Certain of the Company’s competitors and potential competitors may have greater financial, technological, manufacturing, marketing, and personnel resources than the Company. Present and future competitors may be able to identify new markets and develop products more quickly, which are superior to those developed by the Company. They may also adapt new technologies faster, devote greater resources to research and development, promote products more aggressively, and price products more competitively than the Company. There are no assurances that competition will not intensify or that the Company will be able to compete effectively in the markets in which the Company competes.

The Company’s concentrated customer base increases the potential adverse effect on the Company from the loss of one or more customers.

The Company’s products have historically been sold into highly concentrated customer markets. Two customers comprised more than 10% of net sales each during the fiscal years ended 2002, 2001, and 2000: Tech Data at 14.0%, 13.9%, and 13.4%, respectively, and Ingram Micro at 13.8%, 11.3%, and 10.0%, respectively. The Company’s sales are primarily made on the basis of purchase orders rather than under long-term agreements, and therefore, any customer could cease purchasing the Company’s products at any time without penalty. The decision of any key customer to cease using the Company’s products or a material decline in the number of units purchased by a significant customer could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s revenues.

The long and variable sales cycle for certain of the Company’s products makes it more difficult for the Company to predict its operating results and manage its business.

The sale of the Company’s products typically involves a significant technical evaluation and commitment of capital and other resources by potential customers and end users, as well as delays frequently associated with end users’ internal procedures to deploy new technologies within their products and to test and accept new technologies. For these and other reasons, the sales cycle associated with certain of the Company’s products is typically lengthy and is subject to a number of significant risks, including end users’ internal purchasing reviews, that are beyond the Company’s control. Because of the lengthy sales cycle and the large size of customer orders, if orders forecasted for a specific customer for a particular quarter are not realized in that quarter, the Company’s operating results for that quarter could be materially adversely affected.

The Company depends on manufacturing relationships and on limited-source suppliers, and any disruptions in these relationships may cause damage to the Company’s customer relationships.

The Company procures all parts and certain services involved in the production of its products and subcontracts most of its product manufacturing to outside firms that specialize in such services. Although most of the components of the Company’s products are available from multiple vendors, the Company has several single-source supplier relationships, either because alternative sources are not available or because the relationship is

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advantageous to the Company. There can be no assurance that the Company’s suppliers will be able to meet the Company’s future requirements for products and components in a timely fashion. In addition, the availability of many of these components to the Company is dependent in part on the Company’s ability to provide its suppliers with accurate forecasts of its future requirements. Delays or lost sales could be caused by other factors beyond the Company’s control, including late deliveries by vendors of components. If the Company is required to identify alternative suppliers for any of its required components, qualification and pre-production periods could be lengthy and may cause an increase in component costs and delays in providing products to customers. Any extended interruption in the supply of any of the key components currently obtained from limited sources could disrupt the Company’s operations and have a material adverse effect on the Company’s customer relationships and profitability.

The Company’s ability to compete could be jeopardized if the Company is unable to protect its intellectual property rights.

The Company’s ability to compete depends in part on its proprietary rights and technology. Although the Company has certain patents and patent applications and may seek additional patents where appropriate for proprietary technology, the Company’s proprietary technology and products are generally not patented. The Company relies primarily on the copyright, trademark, and trade secret laws to protect its proprietary rights in its products.

The Company generally enters into confidentiality agreements with its employees, and sometimes with its customers and potential customers, and limits access to the distribution of its proprietary information. There can be no assurance that the steps taken by the Company in this regard will be adequate to prevent the misappropriation of its technology. The Company’s pending patent applications may be denied and any patents, once issued, may be circumvented by the Company’s competitors. Furthermore, there can be no assurance that others will not develop technologies that are superior to the Company’s technologies. Despite the Company’s efforts to protect its proprietary rights, unauthorized parties may attempt to copy aspects of its products or to obtain and use information that the Company regards as proprietary. In addition, the laws of some foreign countries do not protect the Company’s proprietary rights as fully as do the laws of the United States. There can be no assurance that the Company’s means of protecting its proprietary rights in the United States or abroad will be adequate or that competing companies will not independently develop similar technology. The Company’s failure to adequately protect its proprietary rights could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s competitive position and result in loss of revenue.

From time to time, the Company is subject to claims and litigation regarding intellectual property rights, which could seriously harm the Company and require the Company to incur significant costs.

The data communications industry is characterized by frequent litigation regarding patent and other intellectual property rights. From time to time, the Company receives notification of a third-party claim that its products infringe other intellectual property rights. Any litigation to determine the validity of third-party infringement claims, whether or not determined in the Company’s favor or settled by the Company, may be costly and divert the efforts and attention of the Company’s management and technical personnel from productive tasks, which could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s ability to operate its business and service the needs of its customers. There can be no assurance that any infringement claims by third parties, if proven to have merit, will not materially adversely affect the Company’s business or financial condition. In the event of an adverse ruling in any such matter, the Company may be required to pay substantial damages,

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cease the manufacture, use and sale of infringing products, discontinue the use of certain processes or be required to obtain a license under the intellectual property rights of the third party claiming infringement. There can be no assurance that a license would be available on reasonable terms or at all. Any limitations on the Company’s ability to market its products, or delays and costs associated with redesigning its products or payments of license fees to third parties, or any failure by the Company to develop or license a substitute technology on commercially reasonable terms could have a material adverse effect on its business and financial condition.

The Company faces risks associated with its international operations and expansion that could impair its ability to grow its revenues abroad.

In the fiscal years ended September 30, 2002, 2001, and 2000, net sales to customers outside the United States, primarily in Europe, were approximately 31.4%, 33.0%, and 34.8%, respectively, of total net sales.

The Company believes that its future growth is dependent in part upon its ability to increase sales in international markets. These sales are subject to a variety of risks, including fluctuations in currency exchange rates, tariffs, import restrictions and other trade barriers, unexpected changes in regulatory requirements, longer accounts receivable payment cycles and potentially adverse tax consequences, and export license requirements. In addition, the Company is subject to the risks inherent in conducting business internationally, including political and economic instability and unexpected changes in diplomatic and trade relationships. There can be no assurance that one or more of these factors will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business strategy and financial condition.

If the Company loses key personnel it could prevent the Company from executing its business strategy.

The Company’s business and prospects depend to a significant degree upon the continuing contributions of its executive officers and its key technical personnel. Competition for such personnel is intense, and there can be no assurance that the Company will be successful in attracting and retaining qualified personnel. Failure to attract and retain key personnel could result in the Company’s failure to execute its business strategy.

Any acquisitions the Company has made or will make could disrupt its business and seriously harm its financial condition.

The Company will continue to consider acquisitions of complementary businesses, products or technologies. In the event of any future purchases, the Company could:

•		issue stock that would dilute the Company’s current stockholders’ percentage ownership;
•		incur debt;
•		assume liabilities; or
•		incur large and immediate write-offs.

The Company’s operation of any acquired business will also involve numerous risks, including:

•		problems combining the purchased operations, technologies, or products;
•		unanticipated costs;
•		diversion of management’s attention from the Company’s core business;

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•		difficulties integrating businesses in different countries and cultures;
•		adverse effects on existing business relationships with suppliers and customers;
•		risks associated with entering markets in which the Company has no or limited prior experience; and
•		potential loss of key employees, particularly those of the purchased organization.

The Company cannot assure that it will be able to successfully integrate any businesses, products, technologies, or personnel that the Company has acquired or that the Company might acquire in the future and any failure to do so could disrupt its business and have a material adverse effect on its financial condition and results of operations. Moreover, from time to time the Company may enter into negotiations for a proposed acquisition, but be unable or unwilling to consummate the acquisition under consideration. This could cause significant diversion of management’s attention and out-of-pocket expenses to the Company. The Company could also be exposed to litigation as a result of an unconsummated acquisition, including claims that it failed to negotiate in good faith or misappropriated confidential information.

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The following table sets forth selected information from the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Operations, expressed as a percentage of net sales and as a percentage of change from year-to-year for the years indicated.

NET SALES

Net sales were $101.5 million in fiscal 2002 compared to $130.4 million in fiscal 2001. The $28.9 million or 22.2% decrease in net sales from 2001 to 2002 and the $2.1 million or 1.6% decrease in net sales from 2000 to 2001 occurred within the Company’s principal product groups as follows:

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NET SALES (CONTINUED)

(1)

The Company sold its MiLAN Technology division on March 25, 2002. MiLAN sales included in connectivity solutions were $5.8 million, $22.6 million, and $13.4 million for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2002, 2001, and 2000, respectively.

In addition to the discussion below, the industry-wide decline in demand, as a result of the continued economic downturn, again impacted the Company’s net sales in 2002. Connectivity solution sales for fiscal 2002 were $86.8 million compared to $130.4 million in fiscal 2001. Sales by the MiLAN business, which the Company sold on March 25, 2002, were $16.8 million lower in 2002 relative to 2001. Sales of the Company’s Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN), Remote Access Server (RAS), and synchronous products declined $11.5 million in 2002 relative to 2001 as the Company phased these products out. Continued erosion of the asynchronous product market accounted for $16.8 million of the decline in 2002 net sales relative to 2001. Net sales of the Company’s terminal server, USB, and device server products increased $1.5 million in 2002 relative to 2001. The acquisition of NetSilicon in February 2002 allowed the Company to enter into the embedded networking market, contributing $14.7 million to net sales.

In addition to the factors discussed below, the Company’s net sales in 2001 were lower than fiscal year 2000 net sales, partially due to an industry-wide decline in demand associated with the economic downturn. Connectivity solution sales for fiscal 2001 were $130.4 million compared to $132.5 million in fiscal year 2000. Due to erosion of the asynchronous product market, offset partially by market share gain, asynchronous sales declined by $10.5 million in fiscal 2001. Sales of the Company’s synchronous and RAS products declined $4.1 million in 2001 relative to 2000. The Company phased out its ISDN product line from which revenues declined $5.0 million relative to 2000. Repositioning of the Company’s product lines and acquired expertise in USB and device server connectivity solutions added to fiscal year 2001 net sales. Net sales of the terminal server, USB, and device server product lines increased by $8.3 million. Net sales from the Company’s MiLAN product line also increased. The MiLAN increase of $9.2 million in fiscal 2001 relative to 2000 was primarily due to increases in volumes of media conversion products that were delivered to the education market.

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NET SALES (CONTINUED)

The Company’s revenue is generated from these distribution channels; OEM, distributors, and direct. The following tables present the Company’s revenue, by reporting segments, by channel and by geographic location of the customers:

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NET SALES (CONTINUED)