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Table of Contents

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

 


 

FORM 10-Q

 


 

(MARK ONE)

x QUARTERLY REPORT UNDER SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

FOR THE QUARTERLY PERIOD ENDED: SEPTEMBER 30, 2004

 

OR

 

¨ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

FOR THE TRANSITION PERIOD FROM              TO             

 

COMMISSION FILE NUMBER 000-28009

 


 

RAINMAKER SYSTEMS, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 


 

Delaware   33-0442860

(State or other jurisdiction of

incorporation or organization)

 

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification Number)

 

1800 Green Hills Road

Scotts Valley, California 95066

(address of principal executive offices) (zip code)

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (831) 430-3800

 


 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.

 

(1)    Yes  x    No  ¨

 

(2)    Yes  x    No  ¨

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an accelerated filer (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.    ¨  Yes    x  No

 

As of October 29, 2004, the registrant had 44,374,039 shares of Common Stock outstanding.

 



Table of Contents

RAINMAKER SYSTEMS, INC.

 

FORM 10-Q

AS OF AND FOR THE QUARTER ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2004

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

          Page

PART I.

   FINANCIAL INFORMATION     

Item 1.

   Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements:     
     Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets –September 30, 2004 and December 31, 2003    3
     Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations – Quarters and Nine months Ended September 30, 2004 and 2003    4
     Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows – Quarters and Nine months Ended September 30, 2004 and 2003    5
     Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements    6

Item 2.

   Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations    12

Item 3.

   Qualitative and Quantitative Disclosures About Market Risk    29

Item 4.

   Controls and Procedures    29

PART II.

   OTHER INFORMATION     

Item 6.

   Exhibits    29
     Signatures    30

 

2


Table of Contents

PART I. - FINANCIAL INFORMATION

 

ITEM 1. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

RAINMAKER SYSTEMS, INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(Unaudited)

(in thousands except share and per share data)

 

     September 30,
2004


    December 31,
2003*


 
ASSETS                 

Current assets:

                

Cash and cash equivalents

   $ 11,856     $ 4,854  

Restricted cash and designated cash to be remitted to others for non-service payments

     1,811       1,096  

Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts of $124 as of September 30, 2004 and $207 as of December 31, 2003

     7,855       5,952  

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

     949       1,007  
    


 


Total current assets

     22,471       12,909  

Property and equipment, net

     2,963       2,808  

Other noncurrent assets

     446       100  
    


 


Total assets

   $ 25,880     $ 15,817  
    


 


LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY                 

Current liabilities:

                

Accounts payable

   $ 14,269     $ 9,055  

Accrued compensation and benefits

     386       369  

Other accrued liabilities

     2,792       1,931  

Obligations under financing arrangements

     102       504  

Current portion of capital lease obligations

     138       80  
    


 


Total current liabilities

     17,687       11,939  

Capital lease obligations, less current portion

     61       31  

Stockholders’ equity:

                

Preferred stock, $0.001 par value; 20,000,000 shares authorized, none issued and outstanding

     —         —    

Common stock, $0.001 par value; 80,000,000 shares authorized, 44,366,589 and 39,168,429 outstanding at September 30, 2004 and December 31, 2003

     44       39  

Additional paid-in capital

     63,459       56,847  

Accumulated deficit

     (55,371 )     (53,039 )
    


 


Total stockholders’ equity

     8,132       3,847  
    


 


Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity

   $ 25,880     $ 15,817  
    


 


 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

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Table of Contents

RAINMAKER SYSTEMS, INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(In thousands, except per share amounts)

(Unaudited)

 

     Quarter Ended
September 30,


    Nine Months Ended
September 30,


 
     2004

    2003

    2004

    2003

 

Net services revenue

   $ 10,828     $ 10,973     $ 32,290     $ 31,039  

Cost of services revenue

     7,131       7,279       21,264       20,967  
    


 


 


 


Total gross profit

     3,697       3,694       11,026       10,072  

Operating expenses:

                                

Sales and marketing

     2,545       1,989       6,841       5,349  

Technology

     274       473       813       1,365  

General and administrative

     1,508       1,560       4,473       4,622  

Depreciation and amortization

     452       363       1,262       1,131  
    


 


 


 


Total operating expenses

     4,779       4,385       13,389       12,467  

Operating loss

     (1,082 )     (691 )     (2,363 )     (2,395 )

Interest and other (expense) income, net

     9       (1 )     31       (28 )
    


 


 


 


Loss before income taxes

     (1,073 )     (692 )     (2,332 )     (2,423 )

Income tax expense/(benefit)

     —         1       —         (22 )
    


 


 


 


Net loss

   $ (1,073 )   $ (693 )   $ (2,332 )   $ (2,401 )
    


 


 


 


Basic and diluted net loss per share

   $ (0.02 )   $ (0.02 )   $ (0.06 )   $ (0.06 )
    


 


 


 


Weighted average common shares outstanding - basic and diluted

     44,319       38,996       42,325       38,901  
    


 


 


 


 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

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Table of Contents

RAINMAKER SYSTEMS, INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOW

(in thousands)

(Unaudited)

 

     Quarter Ended
September 30,


    Nine Months Ended
September 30,


 
     2004

    2003

    2004

    2003

 

Operating activities:

                                

Net loss

   $ (1,073 )   $ (693 )   $ (2,332 )   $ (2,401 )

Adjustment to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:

                                

Depreciation and amortization of property and equipment

     452       363       1,262       1,131  

Amortization of deferred stock compensation

     —         —         —         —    

Provision (credit) for sales returns and allowances for doubtful accounts

     99       (45 )     71       (128 )

Gain on disposal of fixed assets

     (2 )     —         (2 )     (6 )

Changes in operating assets and liabilities:

                                

Accounts receivable

     (713 )     213       (1,820 )     385  

Income taxes receivable

     —         —         —         211  

Prepaid expenses and other assets

     (338 )     150       (288 )     446  

Accounts payable

     1,726       1,175       5,214       568  

Accrued compensation and benefits

     48       (155 )     17       (380 )

Accrued restructuring and related charges

     —         (26 )     —         (197 )

Other accrued liabilities

     285       (39 )     414       —    
    


 


 


 


Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities

     484       943       2,536       (371 )
    


 


 


 


Investing activities:

                                

Purchases of property and equipment

     (643 )     (163 )     (1,414 )     (429 )

Restricted cash, net

     153       256       840       190  

Sale of long-term investments

     —         —         —         10  
    


 


 


 


Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities

     (490 )     93       (574 )     (229 )
    


 


 


 


Financing activities:

                                

Proceeds from issuance of common stock from option exercises

     56       33       277       40  

Proceeds from issuance of common stock from ESPP

     —         6       38       19  

Proceeds from issuance of common stock and warrants from private placement

     —         —         6,302       —    

Change in liability for cash to be remitted to others

     —         (697 )     (488 )     (314 )

Borrowings under capital lease agreements

     102       —         252          

Repayment of capital lease and debt obligations

     (184 )     (201 )     (566 )     (1,002 )
    


 


 


 


Net cash used in financing activities

     (26 )     (859 )     5,815       (1,257 )
    


 


 


 


Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents

     (32 )     177       7,777       (1,857 )
    


 


 


 


Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period

     12,663       5,133       4,854       7,167  

Less: Designated cash to be remitted to others for non-service payments

     (775 )     —         (775 )     —    
    


 


 


 


Cash and cash equivalents at end of period

   $ 11,856     $ 5,310     $ 11,856     $ 5,310  
    


 


 


 


 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

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Table of Contents

RAINMAKER SYSTEMS, INC.

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

— UNAUDITED —

 

1. BASIS OF PRESENTATION

 

The accompanying financial statements of Rainmaker Systems, Inc. (“Rainmaker,” “we,” “our,” “us”) have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in annual financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations. The interim financial statements are unaudited but reflect all normal recurring adjustments that are, in the opinion of management, necessary for the fair presentation of the results of these periods. The results of operations for the quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2004 are not necessarily indicative of results to be expected for the year ending December 31, 2004, or any other period. These financial statements should be read in conjunction with Rainmaker’s financial statements and notes thereto included in Rainmaker’s Annual Report on Form 10-K/A for the year ended December 31, 2003.

 

Certain prior year amounts in 2003 have been reclassified to conform to the 2004 presentation. Such reclassifications had no effect on previously reported results of operations, total assets or accumulated deficit.

 

2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

 

Use of Estimates

 

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect reported amounts of assets and liabilities, and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Our estimates are based on historical experience, input from sources outside the company, and other relevant facts and circumstances. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Areas that are particularly significant include revenue recognition and presentation policies, valuation of accounts receivable, and the assessment of the recoverability and measuring impairment of long-lived assets.

 

Revenue Recognition and Presentation

 

Revenue from the sale of service contracts and maintenance renewals is recognized when a purchase order from our client’s customer is received; the service contract or maintenance agreement is delivered; the fee is fixed or determinable; the collection of the receivable is reasonably assured; and no significant post-delivery obligations remain unfulfilled. Revenue from product sales is recognized at the time of shipment of the product directly to the client’s customer, if all other revenue recognition criteria have been met. Revenue from services we perform is recognized as the services are accepted, if all other revenue recognition criteria has been met. Revenue from fee-based activities is recognized once these services have been delivered, if all other revenue recognition criteria has been met. A substantial amount of our sales transactions are reported based on the gross amount we bill to our clients’ customers for products and services, since we take title to and assume risk of loss for products and service contracts sold, we can sell the products or service contracts at prices we determine, and we assume the full credit risk for the products and service contracts. However, we also sell products and services on behalf of our clients whereby, based on the evaluation of the specific facts and circumstances, we record revenue equal to the net amount we earn in the transaction.

 

We follow Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 101 “Revenue Recognition” (“SAB 101” and “SAB 104”). We also follow the Financial Accounting Standards Board’s Emerging Issues Task Force Issue No. 99-19, “Reporting Revenue Gross as a Principal versus Net as an Agent” (“EITF 99-19”). EITF 99-19 addresses when a company should report revenue as the gross amount billed versus the net amount earned by the company in the transaction. Specific indicators should be used by companies to determine if it is more appropriate for them to record revenues at the gross amount versus the net amount. These indicators include, but are not limited to, 1) whether the vendor is the primary obligor in the transaction, 2) whether the vendor assumes general inventory risk, 3) whether the vendor has latitude for setting the pricing for the goods or services it sells to its customers, and 4) whether the vendor bears the credit risk in the transaction. The absence of these indicators might indicate that revenue should be recorded at the net amount earned in the transaction. We believe our current revenue reporting practices are consistent with the revenue reporting criteria established in EITF 99-19.

 

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Table of Contents

A significant amount of the Company’s sales transactions are reported based upon the gross amounts Rainmaker bills its customers for client services and products; however, the Company also sells products and services on behalf of its clients whereby it records revenue equal to the net amount that it earns in the transaction. The Company believes that gross billings, a measurement of the total volume of amounts billed by the Company to its customers for its clients’ products and services; provides a meaningful indication of the volume of Rainmaker’s business activity. The following table reconciles our net services revenue in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (U.S. GAAP) and our gross billings for the quarters and nine months ended September 30, 2004 and 2003 (in thousands):

 

     Quarter Ended
September 30,


   Nine Months Ended
September 30,


     2004

   2003

   2004

   2003

Net services revenue

   $ 10,828    $ 10,973    $ 32,290    $ 31,039

Difference between the amount invoiced to our clients’ customers and the amount earned by us under the transaction

     11,823      5,819      32,169      15,488
    

  

  

  

Gross billings

   $ 22,651    $ 16,792    $ 64,459    $ 46,527
    

  

  

  

 

Effective in fiscal year 2003, the Company established an allowance for sales returns. The amount provided in the allowance is an estimate based in part on recent historical experience. As of September 30, 2004 and December 31, 2003, the balance of the allowance for sales returns was $213,000 and $59,000, respectively.

 

Cost of Revenue

 

Cost of revenue consists of the cost of products and service arrangements sold to our client’s customers, costs of designing, producing and delivering marketing services, and salaries and other personnel expenses related to fee-based activities. Cost of revenue also includes the cost of inbound and outbound shipping, net of amounts recovered from our client’s customers.

 

Advertising

 

We expense the production costs of advertising as incurred, except for direct response advertising, which we capitalize. Direct response advertising consists primarily of the costs to produce emails, faxes and mailings. The capitalized production costs are amortized over the three-month period following the commencement of the advertising campaign.

 

Stock-Based Compensation

 

As of September 30, 2004, we had two active stock-based compensation plans, the 2003 Stock Incentive Plan, described below, and the 1999 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, which is more fully described in Note 8 “Stockholders’ Equity” to the financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K/A for the year ended December 31, 2003. We account for our stock-based awards to employees using the intrinsic value method and we disclose the pro forma effect on operations of using the fair value method of valuing these awards. The fair value of these awards is calculated using the Black-Scholes option pricing model, which requires that we estimate the volatility of our stock, an appropriate risk-free interest rate, and our dividend yield. The calculation of fair value is highly sensitive to the expected life of the stock-based award and the volatility of our stock, both of which we estimate based primarily on historical experience.

 

As permitted under FASB Statement No. 123, “Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation” (“SFAS No. 123”), the Company has elected to continue to follow APB No. 25 “Accounting for Stock Issued to Employees”, and related interpretations in accounting for its stock-based awards to employees. Under APB No. 25, the Company uses the intrinsic value method and generally recognizes no compensation expense with respect to such awards.

 

Pro forma information regarding net income (loss) and earnings (loss) per share is required by SFAS No. 148 and has been determined as if the Company had accounted for awards to employees under the fair value method of SFAS No. 123. The fair value of stock options under the Company’s 2003 Stock Incentive Plan and stock purchase rights under the Company’s 1999 Employee Stock Purchase Plan was estimated as of the grant date using the Black-Scholes option pricing model.

 

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Table of Contents

Had we recognized compensation expense for the grant date fair value of stock-based awards granted to employees and non-employee members of our Board of Directors in accordance with SFAS 123, our net loss and net loss per share would have increased to the pro forma amounts below (in thousands, except per share data):

 

     Quarters Ended
September 30,


    Nine Months Ended
September 30,


 
     2004

    2003

    2004

    2003

 

Net loss as reported

   $ (1,073 )   $ (693 )   $ (2,332 )   $ (2,401 )

Total stock-based employee compensation expense determined under the fair value method

     (270 )     (102 )     (573 )     (346 )
    


 


 


 


Pro forma net loss

   $ (1,343 )   $ (795 )   $ (2,905 )   $ (2,747 )
    


 


 


 


Basic and diluted net loss per share as reported

   $ (0.02 )   $ (0.02 )   $ (0.06 )   $ (0.06 )
    


 


 


 


Basic and diluted net loss per share pro forma

   $ (0.03 )   $ (0.02 )   $ (0.07 )   $ (0.07 )
    


 


 


 


 

For pro forma purposes, the estimated fair value of our stock-based grants is amortized using the graded method over the options’ vesting period for stock options granted under the 2003 and 1999 Stock Incentive Plans and the purchase period for stock purchases under the employee stock purchase plan.

 

The Black-Scholes option pricing model was developed for use in estimating the fair value of traded options that do not have specific vesting schedules and are ordinarily transferable. The Black-Scholes model requires the input of highly subjective assumptions, including the expected stock price volatility and estimated time to exercise, which can significantly impact the fair value on the grant date. As a result, the pro forma disclosures are not necessarily indicative of pro forma effects on reported financial results for future years.

 

Recently Issued Accounting Standards

 

In January 2003, the FASB issued FIN 46 – “Consolidation of Variable Interest Entities, an Interpretation of ARB No. 51.” FIN 46 requires certain variable interest entities (VIEs) to be consolidated by the primary beneficiary of the entity if the equity investors in the entity do not have the characteristics of a controlling financial interest or do not have sufficient equity at risk for the entity to finance its activities without additional subordinated financial support from other parties. FIN 46 is effective for all new VIEs created or acquired after January 31, 2003. For VIEs created or acquired prior to February 1, 2003, the provisions of FIN 46 must be applied for the first interim or annual period beginning after June 15, 2003. However, in October 2003, the FASB deferred the effective date of FIN 46 to the end of the first interim or annual period ending after March 15, 2004. We do not conduct business or have not entered into transactions with parties having characteristics of VIE’s, the adoption of FIN 46 did not have a material impact on our results of operations or financial position.

 

3. NET LOSS PER SHARE

 

Basic earnings per common share is computed using the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the year, less shares subject to repurchase. Diluted earnings per common share also gives effect, as applicable, to the potential dilutive effect of outstanding stock options, using the treasury stock method, and convertible securities, using the if converted method, as of the beginning of the period presented or the original issuance date, if later.

 

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Table of Contents

The following table presents the calculation of basic and diluted net loss per common share (in thousands, except per share data):

 

     Quarters Ended
September 30,


    Nine Months Ended
September 30,


 
     2004

    2003

    2004

    2003

 

Basic and diluted:

                                

Net loss

   $ (1,073 )   $ (693 )   $ (2,332 )   $ (2,401 )
    


 


 


 


Weighted-average common shares outstanding

     44,319       38,996       42,325       38,901  

Less: weighted-average shares subject to repurchase

     —         —         —         —    
    


 


 


 


Weighted-average common shares outstanding - basic and diluted

     44,319       38,996       42,325       38,901  
    


 


 


 


Net loss per share - basic and diluted

   $ (0.02 )   $ (0.02 )   $ (0.06 )   $ (0.06 )
    


 


 


 


 

Options and warrants to purchase 6,359,568 shares and options to purchase 4,410,369 shares of common stock were outstanding at September 30, 2004 and 2003, respectively, and were not included in the diluted net loss per share computation, as the effect of including such options and warrants would be antidilutive because of the net loss recorded in each period. At September 30, 2004 and 2003, respectively, there were no common shares subject to repurchase.

 

4. STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

 

On February 20, 2004, the Company completed an offering of its common stock and warrants to a group of private investment funds. The offering resulted in net proceeds to the Company of $6.3 million after selling expenses. The Company issued 4,666,700 common shares and warrants for the purchase of 970,673 shares of common stock. The shares reserved for issuance upon exercise of the warrants are not included for the purpose of computing the weighted average common shares outstanding used in the net loss per share calculation.

 

5. BALANCE SHEET COMPONENTS (in thousands)

 

Cash and cash equivalents and Designated cash to be remitted to others for non-service payments

 

Prior to July 1, 2004, the Company’s cash and cash equivalents included amounts related to cash received for non-service payments inadvertently paid to the Company by its customers instead of paid directly to the Company’s clients. At the time of cash receipt the Company records a liability for the amount of non-service payments received. While cash received from non-service payments is not restricted, as of July 1, 2004, the Company designated that all cash received for non-service payments will be classified in the balance sheet as designated cash to be remitted to others for non-service payments. As a result, at July 1, 2004, cash and cash equivalents was reduced by $775,000 when un-remitted cash received for non-service payments was classified as designated cash to be remitted to others for non-service payments. At September 30, 2004, designated cash to be remitted to others for non-service payments was $1,555,000. Designated cash to be remitted to others for non-service payments increased significantly during the third quarter as a result of a change in the Company’s banking services. The Company has implemented procedures to quickly identify and remit these payments and it does not expect the un-remitted balances to be significant in future periods.

 

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Table of Contents
     September 30,
2004


    December 31,
2003


 

Prepaid expenses and other current assets:

                

Prepaid insurance

   $ 170     $ 582  

Prepaid support and maintenance contracts

     82       167  

Deferred contract costs

     350       52  

Other prepaid expenses and other current assets

     347       206  
    


 


     $ 949     $ 1,007  
    


 


Property and equipment:

                

Computer equipment

   $ 5,152     $ 4,920  

Capitalized software and development

     8,078       6,926  

Furniture and fixtures

     937       917  

Leasehold improvements

     331       321  
    


 


       14,498       13,084  

Accumulated depreciation and amortization

     (11,535 )     (10,276 )
    


 


     $ 2,963     $ 2,808  
    


 


 

6. SEGMENT REPORTING

 

We operate in one market segment, the marketing and sale of companies’ products and services to their customers, primarily for hardware and software manufacturers and communications equipment manufacturers. We primarily operate in one geographical segment, North America. Substantially all of our sales are made to our clients’ customers in the United States.

 

7. INCOME TAX BENEFIT

 

In March 2002, the Internal Revenue Service issued the Job Creation and Worker Assistance Act of 2002 which extended the regular and alternative minimum tax net operating loss carryback period from two years to five years for losses arising in 2001 or 2002 tax years. As a result of this new law, we recorded an income tax benefit of $23,000 during the three months ended March 31, 2003, attributable to previously unrecognized prior year research and development credits released as a result of this new law.

 

8. CAPITAL LEASE AND FINANCING OBLIGATIONS, GUARANTEES, AND RESTRICTED CASH

 

Capital Leases

 

During September 2004, we entered into a capital lease in connection with the acquisition of computing and network storage equipment in the amount of $20,000 with an effective interest rate of 17.0%. The lease is for a period of 24 months and payments are made monthly.

 

During September 2004, we entered into a capital lease in connection with the acquisition of computing and network storage equipment in the amount of $14,000 with an effective interest rate of 17.0%. The lease is for a period of 24 months and payments are made monthly.

 

During July 2004, we entered into a capital lease in connection with the acquisition of computing and network storage equipment in the amount of $27,000 with an effective interest rate of 17.9%. The lease is for a period of 12 months and payments are made monthly.

 

During May 2004, we entered into a capital lease in connection with the acquisition of computing and network storage equipment in the amount of $190,000 with an effective interest rate of 14.5%. The lease is for a period of 24 months and payments are made monthly.

 

Financing Obligations

 

In November 2003, we entered into a Commercial Insurance Premium Finance and Security Agreement (“2004 Financing Agreement”) to finance certain of our liability insurance premiums in the amount of $605,000. Amounts owed under the 2004 Financing Agreement bear interest at an annual rate of 3.25% and principal and interest are payable in monthly installments of $51,000, through October 2004. At September 30, 2004, our liability related to the 2004 Financing Agreement was $102,000, all of which will be paid in 2004.

 

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Table of Contents

On April 30, 2004, the Company and Bridge Bank N.A. (the “Lender”) executed a Business Loan Agreement and a Commercial Security Agreement in connection with a $3 million secured revolving line of credit that includes a $1 million Letter of Credit facility. These agreements authorize the Lender to perfect a security interest in substantially all of the Company’s assets including intellectual property. As of this date, the Company has incurred no indebtedness to the Lender.

 

Guarantees

 

In December 2003, we entered into a standby letter of credit in the original amount of $563,000 as security for our liability under the Commercial Insurance Premium Finance and Security Agreement (“2004 Financing Agreement”). The letter of credit decreases over time in accordance with the remaining balance payable under the 2004 Financing Agreement. At September 30, 2004, the letter of credit had a current value of $256,000.

 

From time to time, we enter into certain types of contracts that contingently require us to indemnify parties against third party claims. These obligations primarily relate to certain agreements with our officers, directors and employees, under which we may be required to indemnify such persons for liabilities arising out of their employment relationship. The terms of such obligations vary. Generally, a maximum obligation is not explicitly stated. Because the obligated amounts of these types of agreements often are not explicitly stated, the overall maximum amount of the obligations cannot be reasonably estimated. Historically, we have not had to make any payments for these obligations, and no liabilities have been recorded for these obligations on our balance sheets as of September 30, 2004 or December 31, 2003.

 

Restricted Cash

 

Restricted cash includes the pledge of a Certificate of Deposit (“CD”) as security for the establishment of standby letters of credit required for the benefit of the lender and lessor in certain financing and or lease arrangements discussed above. As of September 30, 2004 and December 31, 2003, we had pledged CD’s in the amount of $256,000 and $1.1 million, respectively, to secure financing and lease obligations. The requirement to secure obligations generally declines in proportion to the outstanding balance of the underlying financing arrangement.

 

9. COMMITMENTS

 

As of September 30, 2004, we have operating leases related to our facility and certain property and equipment that expire at various times through 2007. These arrangements allow us to obtain the use of the equipment and facilities without purchasing them. If we were to acquire these assets, we would be required to obtain financing and record a liability related to the financing of these assets. Leasing these assets under operating leases allows us to use these assets for our business while minimizing the obligations and cash flow related to purchasing the assets. During the quarters ended September 30, 2004 and 2003, we recorded rent expense related to these leases of $75,000 and $122,000, respectively. During the nine months ended September 30, 2004 and 2003, we recorded rent expense related to these leases of $230,000 and $363,000 respectively.

 

10. SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

 

During the third quarter, the Company was engaged in discussions to acquire a private company until October 31, 2004, at which time the discussions were terminated. As a result of this activity, the Company incurred approximately $375,000 in professional fees through September 30, 2004. These amounts are included in other non-current assets and in accrued liabilities on the Company’s consolidated condensed consolidated balance sheet at September 30, 2004. From October 1, 2004 through October 31, 2004, the Company estimates that it incurred additional professional fees of approximately $300,000 associated with this acquisition activity. This amount together with the amounts incurred through September 30, 2004 aggregating approximately $675,000 will be recorded as expense during the quarter ended December 31, 2004.

 

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ITEM 2. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

 

SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

 

This Form 10-Q contains forward-looking statements in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and elsewhere. These statements relate to future events or our future financial performance. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may”, “will”, “should,” “expects,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “potential” or “continue” or the negative of such terms or other comparable terminology. These statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, including the risks outlined under “Factors That May Affect Future Results and Market Price of Stock”, that may cause our, or our industry’s, actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activities, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.

 

Among the important factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements are general market conditions, unfavorable economic conditions, our ability to execute our business strategy, the effectiveness of our sales team and approach, our ability to target, analyze and forecast the revenue to be derived from a client and the costs associated with providing services to that client, the date during the course of a calendar year that a new client is acquired, the length of the integration cycle for new clients and the timing of revenues and costs associated therewith, our client concentration given that the Company is currently dependent on a few large client relationships, potential competition in the marketplace, the ability to retain and attract employees, market acceptance of our service programs and pricing options, our ability to maintain our existing technology platform and to deploy new technology, our ability to sign new clients and control expenses, the possibility of the discontinuation of some client relationships, the financial condition of our clients’ business and other factors detailed in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Moreover, neither we nor any other person assumes responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of such statements. We assume no obligation to update such forward-looking statements publicly for any reason even if new information becomes available in the future.

 

Overview

 

We are a leading outsource provider of sales and marketing programs for service contracts. Our cost-effective programs generate service revenue and promote customer retention for our clients. Core services include professional telesales, direct marketing, and hosted ecommerce. Additional services include customer database enhancement, CRM technology integration, and order management. These services are available individually or as an integrated solution.

 

As a result of the focus on our core service contracts business and restructuring activities during the past several years, we have been able to increase our gross profit at a greater rate than the increase in underlying operating expenses. During the nine months ended September 30, 2004, our total gross profit increased by 9.5% as compared to the comparable period in 2003. At the same time, our operating expenses in total grew by only 7.4%.

 

Our business primarily consists of marketing and selling our clients’ products and services to their customers. In addition, most of our revenue is derived from a “pay for performance” model in which our revenue is based on the amount of our clients’ products and services that we sell. Accordingly, if a particular client’s products and services fail to appeal to its customers for reasons beyond our control, such as preference for a competing product or service, our revenue from the sale of the client’s products and services may decline.

 

The majority of our revenues are derived from marketing and selling our client service contracts. Because of this, our quarterly revenues may fluctuate based on the total service contracts available for renewal or conversion in that period. As a result of this as well as the unfavorable economic conditions in the United States, our net revenue has, and may continue to, decline. If the economic conditions in the United States worsen or if a wider or global economic slowdown occurs, we may experience a material adverse impact on our business, operating results, and financial condition. During unfavorable economic periods, it may be more difficult to sign new clients or expand relationships with existing clients. In addition, during unfavorable economic periods, spending on existing and new technology may decrease, resulting in downgrades of service contracts or fewer new service contracts, which may have a material adverse impact on our business. This impact may be offset as technology companies may compensate for decreased spending on new technology and technology upgrades with more robust service contracts on their existing technology.

 

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Terrorist acts or acts of war (wherever located around the world) may cause damage or disruption to our facilities, employees, clients or clients’ customers. The potential for future terrorist attacks, the national and international response to terrorist attacks or perceived threats to national security, and other acts of war or hostility have created many uncertainties that could adversely affect our business or results of operations in ways that cannot presently be predicted.

 

Our quarterly operating results may continue to fluctuate in the future based on a number of factors, many of which are beyond our control. We believe that period-to-period comparisons of operating results should not be relied upon as predictive of future performance. Our operating results are expected to vary significantly from quarter to quarter and are difficult to predict. Our historical revenue has tended to fluctuate based on seasonal buying patterns of our clients and their customers. Our prospects must be considered in light of the risks, expenses and difficulties encountered by technology companies, particularly given that we operate in new and rapidly evolving markets, and face an uncertain economic environment. We may not be successful in addressing such risks and difficulties. See “Factors That May Affect Future Results and Market Price of Stock.”

 

Critical Accounting Policies/Estimates

 

Our discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations are based upon our 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 us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts in our consolidated financial statements. We evaluate our estimates on an on-going basis, including those related to our revenues, allowance for doubtful accounts, asset impairments, income taxes, commitments and contingencies. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities. Although actual results have historically been reasonably consistent with management’s expectations, the actual results may differ from these estimates or our estimates may be affected by different assumptions or conditions.

 

Management has discussed the development of our critical accounting policies with the audit committee of the board of directors and they have reviewed the disclosures of such policies and management’s estimates in this Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

 

Management believes there have been no significant changes during the quarter ended September 30, 2004 to the items that we disclosed as our critical accounting policies and estimates in Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in our Annual Report on Form 10-K/A for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2003.

 

Revenue Recognition and Presentation

 

Revenue from the sale of service contracts and maintenance renewals is recognized when a purchase order from the client’s customer is received; the service contract or maintenance agreement is delivered; the fee is fixed or determinable; the collection of the receivable is reasonably assured; and no significant post-delivery obligations remain unfulfilled. Revenue from product sales is recognized at the time of shipment of the product directly to the client’s customer, if all other revenue recognition criteria have been met. Revenue from services we perform is recognized as the services are accepted, if all other revenue recognition criteria has been met. Revenue from fee-based activities, such as customized integration and development, is recognized once these services have been delivered if all other revenue recognition criteria have been met. A significant amount of our sales transactions are reported based on the gross amount we bill to our clients’ customers for products and services, since we take title and assume risk of loss for products and service contracts sold, we can sell the products or service contracts at prices we determine, and we assume the full credit risk for the products and service contracts. However, we also sell products and services on behalf of our clients whereby, based on the evaluation of the specific facts and circumstances, we record revenue equal to the net amount that we earn in the transaction. The difference between our gross billings, a measurement of the total volume of products and services billed by us to our clients’ customers, and our net revenue earned was $11.8 million and $32.2 million in the quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2004, respectively. For the quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2003, the difference between our gross billings and our net revenue earned was $5.8 million and 15.5 million, respectively. The following table reconciles our net services revenue in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (U.S. GAAP) and our gross billings for the quarters and nine months ended September 3, 2004 and 2003 (in thousands):

 

     Quarter Ended
September 30,


   Nine Months Ended
September 30,


     2004

   2003

   2004

   2003

Net services revenue

   $ 10,828    $ 10,973    $ 32,290    $ 31,039

Difference between the amount invoiced to our clients’ customers and the amount earned by us under the transaction

     11,823      5,819      32,169      15,488
    

  

  

  

Gross billings

   $ 22,651    $ 16,792    $ 64,459    $ 46,527
    

  

  

  

 

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The aspects of our revenue recognition policy that involve significant judgments and estimates include the following:

 

Gross versus Net Presentation - We evaluate each arrangement with our clients to determine whether we should report revenue as the gross amount billed to our client’s customer versus the net amount earned in the transaction. In determining whether to report revenue at the gross amount or net amount, we evaluate the existence of specific indicators as provided in the Financial Accounting Standards Board’s Emerging Issues Task Force Issue No. 99-19, “Reporting Revenue Gross as a Principle versus Net as an Agent” (“EITF No. 99-19”). The primary indicators include, but are not limited to, 1) whether the Company is the primary obligor in the transaction, 2) whether the Company assumes general inventory risk, 3) whether the Company has latitude for setting the pricing for the goods or services it sells to its customers, and 4) whether the vendor bears credit risk in the transaction. The evaluation of the indicators involves significant management judgment. To the extent that facts or circumstances change, our conclusion as to whether to report revenue at the gross amount or net amount may change, which could have a significant impact on our reported net revenues, although it would not impact our gross billings, net income (loss), financial position or cash flows.

 

Collectibility - We assess the probability of collection based on a number of factors, including past transaction history and/or the creditworthiness of our clients’ customers, which is based on current published credit ratings, current events and circumstances regarding the business of our client’s customer and other factors that we believe are relevant. If we determine that collection is not reasonably assured, we defer recognition until such time as collection becomes reasonably assured, which is generally upon receipt of cash payment.

 

Use of Estimates

 

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect reported amounts of assets and liabilities, and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Our estimates are based on historical experience, input from sources outside the company, and other relevant facts and circumstances. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Areas that are particularly significant include revenue recognition and presentation policies, valuation of accounts receivable, and the assessment of the recoverability and measuring impairment of long-lived assets.

 

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

 

We maintain allowances for doubtful accounts based upon estimated losses resulting from the inability of our clients’ customers to make required payments of amounts due to us. The allowance is comprised of specifically identified account balances for which collection is currently deemed doubtful. In addition to specifically identified accounts, estimates of amounts that may not be collectible from those accounts whose collection is not yet deemed doubtful but which may become doubtful in the future are made based on historical bad debt write-off experience. The allowance for doubtful accounts at September 30, 2004 and December 31, 2003 was $124,000 and $207,000, respectively.

 

Allowance for Sales Returns.

 

We evaluate quarterly the adequacy of the allowance for sales returns based upon historical experience. This reserve is reflected as part of other accrued liabilities in our consolidated balance sheets. The allowance for sales returns at September 30, 2004 and December 31, 2003 was $213,000 and $59,000, respectively.

 

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Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

 

We review all of our long-lived assets, including fixed assets, for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable. Factors we consider important which could trigger an impairment review include, but are not limited to, significant underperformance relative to historical or projected future operating results, significant changes in the manner of use of the acquired assets or the strategy for our overall business, significant negative industry or economic trends, a significant decline in our stock price for a sustained period, and a significant change in our market capitalization relative to our net book value. An asset or a group of assets is determined to be impaired if the estimated future undiscounted net cash flows attributable to the asset or group of assets are less than their carrying value. If impairment exists, it is measured as the difference between the carrying value of the asset or group of assets and their estimated fair values. Fair values are determined using third party valuations, discounted cash flow analyses or other generally accepted methods. Estimating future cash flows attributable to a particular asset or group of assets is difficult, and requires the use of significant judgment.

 

Concentrations

 

We generate a significant portion of our net revenues from the marketing and selling of products and services for a limited number of clients. For the quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2004, sales to customers of Dell Products, L.P. (“Dell”), Hewlett-Packard Company (“HP”), Nortel Networks, Inc. (“Nortel”) and Sybase, Inc. (“Sybase”), each accounted for more than 10% of our net revenues. For the quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2003, sales to customers of HP, Nortel and Sybase each accounted for more than 10% of our net revenues. For the quarters ended September 30, 2004 and 2003, customers of the previously mentioned clients collectively accounted for 99% and 90%, respectively, of net revenues and for the nine months ended September 30, 2004 and 2003, sales to the customers of the previously mentioned clients collectively accounted for 99% and 91%, respectively, of our net revenues. In the quarters ended September 30, 2004 and 2003, no individual client’s customers accounted for more than 37% and 45%, respectively, of net revenues.

 

As a percentage of gross billings, Dell, HP and Nortel, each accounted for more than 10% of our gross billings in the quarter ended September 30, 2004. As a percentage of gross billings, Dell, HP, Nortel and Sybase each accounted for more than 10% of our gross billings in the quarter ended September 30, 2003. For the quarter ended September 30, 2004 and 2003, sales to customers of the previously mentioned clients collectively accounted for 92%, and 99%, respectively, of gross billings, and for the nine months ended September 30, 2004 and 2003, sales to customers of the previously mentioned clients collectively accounted for 91% and 99% respectively, of gross billings. In the quarters ended September 30, 2004 and 2003, no individual client’s customers accounted for more than 60% and 40% of our gross billings, respectively. Gross billings represent the amount we invoice to our clients’ customers and we believe it provides a meaningful indication of the volume of our business. See the reconciliation of net services revenue to gross billings under the captions “Comparison of Quarters Ended September 30, 2004 and 2003”.

 

We have outsource services agreements with our clients that expire at various dates ranging from March 2005 to April 2007. Many of our client agreements contain automatic renewal clauses. These clients may, however, terminate their contracts in accordance with the provisions of each contract. In most cases, a client must provide us with advance written notice of its intention to terminate.

 

We expect that a small number of clients will continue to account for a significant portion of our net revenue and gross billings. In addition, our technology clients operate in industries that are experiencing consolidation, which may reduce the number of our existing and potential clients.

 

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Financial Statement Categories

 

Net services revenue consists of sales of our clients’ hardware and software support and service contracts, licenses and license upgrades to our clients’ customer base. Most of our revenue is based on a “pay for performance” model in which we generate revenue only when we complete the sale of our clients’ products and services. A significant amount of our sales transactions are reported based on the gross amount we bill to our clients’ customers for products and services, since we take title and assume risk of loss for products and services we sell, we can sell the products or service contracts at prices we determine, and we assume the full credit risk for the products and service contracts. However, we also sell products and services on behalf of our clients whereby, based on the evaluation of the specific facts and circumstances, we record revenue equal to the net amount we earn in the transaction.

 

Cost of services revenue includes payments for our clients’ products and services that we sell, based on the specific pricing terms of each contract and costs associated with fee-based revenues. Costs associated with fee-based revenues consist primarily of salaries and other personnel-related expenses. Some client relationships may be structured such that the costs of these products and services may be higher during the start up phase of our relationship until higher purchase discounts are achieved from increased sales volume. In these relationships, once we integrate a client’s customer database and begin to meet targeted sales volumes, our gross margins from that client may improve. Cost of revenue also consists of the cost of inbound and outbound shipping, net of amounts recovered from our clients’ customers, as well as the costs of designing, producing and delivering marketing services.

 

Sales and marketing expenses include costs associated with the marketing and selling of our services and costs associated with promoting and selling our clients’ products and services. Included in these costs are client integration costs, compensation costs of marketing and sales personnel, sales commissions, bonuses, marketing and promotional expenses and costs related to product and service development. Also included are unreimbursed client-related marketing expenses. Most of the costs are personnel related. Staffing levels, bonuses and sales commissions will typically change in proportion to revenue.

 

Technology expenses include costs associated with systems and telecommunications, including compensation and related costs for technology personnel, consultants, purchases of non-capitalizable software and hardware, and support and maintenance costs related to our systems. A significant proportion of our technology resources are capitalized as part of the internally developed software and expansion of our core technology platform. In addition, a portion of our IT-related overhead costs are allocated to other functional departments on the basis of headcount. This financial statement category excludes all depreciation on systems hardware and software.

 

General and administrative expenses include costs associated with the administration of our business and consist primarily of compensation and related costs for administrative personnel, insurance, and legal and other professional fees. Most of these costs relate to personnel, insurance and facilities and are relatively fixed.

 

Depreciation and amortization expenses consist of depreciation and amortization of property, equipment and software licenses.

 

Interest and other income (expense), net, reflects income received on cash and cash equivalents, interest expense on leases to secure equipment, software and other financing agreements, and other income and expense.

 

Results of Operations

 

The following table sets forth for the periods given selected financial data as a percentage of our revenue. The table and discussion below should be read in connection with the financial statements and the notes thereto which appear elsewhere in this report as well as with our financial statements and notes thereto included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K/A for the year ended December 31, 2003.

 

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     Quarter Ended
September 30,


    Nine Months Ended
September 30,


 
     2004

    2003

    2004

    2003

 

Net services revenue

   100.0 %   100.0 %   100.0 %   100.0 %

Cost of services revenue

   65.9 %   66.3 %   65.9 %   67.6 %
    

 

 

 

Gross profit

   34.1 %   33.7 %   34.1 %   32.4 %

Sales and marketing

   23.5 %   18.1 %   21.2 %   17.2 %

Technology

   2.5 %   4.3 %   2.5 %   4.4 %

General and administrative

   13.9 %   14.2 %   13.8 %   14.9 %

Depreciation and amortization

   4.2 %   3.3 %   3.9 %   3.6 %
    

 

 

 

     44.1 %   39.9 %   41.4 %   40.1 %
    

 

 

 

Operating loss

   -10.0 %   -6.2 %   -7.3 %   -7.7 %

Interest and other (expense) income, net

   0.1 %   0.0 %   0.1 %   -0.1 %
    

 

 

 

Loss before income taxes

   -9.9 %   -6.2 %   -7.2 %   -7.8 %

Income tax benefit

   0.0 %   0.0 %   0.0 %   -0.1 %
    

 

 

 

Net loss

   -9.9 %   -6.2 %   -7.2 %   -7.7 %
    

 

 

 

 

Comparison of Quarters Ended September 30, 2004 and 2003

 

Net Services Revenue. Net services revenue decreased to $10.8 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2004 from $11.0 million for the comparable period in 2003. The decrease in net revenue was primarily the result of a decline in business with clients for which we account for revenue on the gross basis.

 

A significant amount of our net services revenue is reported based on the gross amounts we bill to our clients’ customers for their products and services. We also sell products and services on behalf of our clients whereby we record revenue equal to the net amount that we earn in the transaction. Pursuant to guidance in EITF No. 99-19, we also disclose gross billings in our financial statements, a measurement of the total volume of products and services billed by us to our clients’ customers for their products and services. We believe that gross billings, a non-GAAP financial measure, provides a meaningful indication of the volume of our business activity. Gross billings increased 34.9% to $22.7 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2004, from $16.8 million for the comparable period of 2003. The increase is primarily due to increased volume arising from expansions of certain client engagements into new product and market segments. The following table reconciles our net services revenue in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (U.S. GAAP) and our gross billings for the quarters ended September 30, 2004 and 2003 (in thousands):

 

     Quarter Ended
September 30,


     2004

   2003

Net services revenue

   $ 10,828    $ 10,973

Difference between the amount invoiced to our clients’ customers and the amount earned by us under the transaction

     11,823      5,819
    

  

Gross billings

   $ 22,651    $ 16,792
    

  

 

Gross Profit. Gross profit remained unchanged at $3.7 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2004 as compared to the same period in 2003. Gross margin increased to 34.1% for the quarter ended September 30, 2004, compared to 33.7% during the comparable period of the prior year. The increase in gross margin was primarily due to a change in the mix of existing clients and the increased proportion of net services revenues being reported as the amount we earn in the transaction as compared to that being reported based on the amount we bill to our clients’ customers. In addition, gross margin increased as a result of the mix of our clients’ products and services that we sell. We expect our gross margins to continue to vary based on the mix of clients and the services provided.

 

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Sales and Marketing Expenses. Sales and marketing expenses increased 28% to $2.55 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2004 from $1.99 million for the comparable period of 2003. This increase is due, in part, to an increase in telesales payroll costs to support higher transaction volumes and to support new clients in the current quarter. Telesales staffing as of September 30, 2004 increased to 60 total headcount from 46 as of September 30, 2003. We also increased our marketing expenditures on behalf of certain clients in connection with newly expanded product and market segments and incurred an increase in costs driven by an increase in the volume of credit card transactions.

 

Technology Expenses. Technology expenses decreased 42% to $274,000 for the quarter ended September 30, 2004 from $473,000 for the comparable period of 2003. The majority of the decline in expenses recognized in the current year period was due to an increase in capitalized costs related to internal development incurred to create client-specific website, e-commerce or other facilities in support of business expansion and for development of our core technology platform. Capitalized internal payroll costs for internally developed software for the quarters ended September 30, 2004 and 2003 were $290,000 and $61,000, respectively. These internally developed assets are capitalized, placed in service upon completion, and amortized generally over the shorter of the useful life of the asset or the term of the specific client agreement.

 

General and Administrative Expenses. General and administrative expenses declined 3% to $1.51 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2004, as compared to $1.56 million for the comparable period of 2003. The decrease is primarily due to reduced staffing costs of $48,000 because of a reduction in headcount, and a decline in liability insurance costs by $36,000, partially offset by higher sales taxes, which increased by $14,000 as compared to the same quarter in the prior year.

 

Depreciation and Amortization Expenses. Depreciation and amortization expenses increased 25% to $452,000 for the quarter ended September 30, 2004, from $363,000 for the comparable period in 2003. The increase is primarily the result of higher amortization expense on internally developed software asset balances in 2004 as compared to 2003.

 

Interest and Other (Expense) Income, Net. The components of interest and other (expense) income, net are as follows (dollars in thousands):

 

     Quarter Ended September 30,

    Increase/(Decrease)

 
     2004

    2003

    $ Amt

    %

 

Interest income

   $ 22     $ 13     $ 9     69.2 %

Interest expense

     (7 )     (14 )     7     -50.0 %

Other income

     (6 )     —         (6 )   na  
    


 


 


 

     $ 9     $ (1 )   $ 10     -1000.0 %
    


 


 


 

 

The increase in interest income was attributable to higher invested balances offset slightly by lower interest rates. The decrease in interest expense was the result of lower average capital lease and financing obligation balances outstanding for the quarter ended September 30, 2004, as compared to the comparable period in 2003.

 

Comparison of Nine months Ended September 30, 2004 and 2003

 

Net Services Revenue. Net services revenue increased 4% to $32.3 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2004, from $31.0 million in comparable period in 2003. The growth in net revenue is attributable to the expansion of service offerings to existing clients.

 

A substantial amount of our net services revenue is reported based on the gross amounts we bill to our clients’ customers for their products and services. We also sell products and services on behalf of our clients whereby we record revenue equal to the net amount that we earn in the transaction. Pursuant to EITF No. 99-19, we also disclose gross billings in our financial statements, a measurement of the total volume of products and services billed by us to our clients’ customers for their products and services. We believe that gross billings, a non-GAAP financial measure, provides a meaningful indication of the volume of our business activity. Gross billings increased 39% to $64.5 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2004, from $46.5 million for the comparable period of 2003. The increase is primarily due to expansions into new product and service areas for existing clients. The following table reconciles our net services revenue and our gross billings for the nine months ended September 30, 2004 and 2003 (in thousands):

 

     Nine Months Ended September 30,

     2004

   2003

Net services revenue

   $ 32,290    $ 31,039

Difference between the amount invoiced to our clients’ customers and amount reported as net services revenue

     32,169      15,488
    

  

Gross billings

   $ 64,459    $ 46,527
    

  

 

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Gross Profit. Gross profit increased 10% to $11.0 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2004, from $10.0 million for the comparable period in 2003. Gross margin increased to 34.1% for the nine months ended September 30, 2004, compared to 32.4% during the comparable period of the prior year. The increase in gross margin was due primarily to a change in the mix of existing clients and the increased proportion of net services revenues being reported at the amount we earn in the transaction as compared the being reported based on the amount we bill to our clients’ customers. We expect our gross margins to continue to vary based on the mix of clients and the services provided.

 

Sales and Marketing Expenses. Sales and marketing expenses increased 28% to $6.8 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2004, from $5.3 million for the comparable period of 2003. This increase is primarily due to an increase in compensation and benefits costs, which increased $404,000 for the nine months ended September 30, 2004 as compared to the comparable period in 2003 as a result of an increase in headcount. The average sales and marketing headcount increased from 49 in the nine months ended September 30, 2003 to 60 in the nine months ended September 30, 2004. An increase in client marketing and selling activities associated with expansions of services to existing clients resulted in increased direct marketing expenses of $528,000 and an increase in the costs associated with higher order processing costs due to increased transaction volume in the amount of $214,000 for the nine months ended September 30, 2004 as compared to the comparable period in 2003. Temporary staffing costs increased by $180,000 for the nine months ended September 30, 2004 as compared to the comparable period in 2003. Allocations of certain administrative and facilities costs also increased by $157,000 from $1,004,000 in the nine months ended September 30, 2003 to $1,161,000 in the nine months ended September 30, 2004, primarily as a result of the growth in sales and marketing headcount.

 

Technology Expenses. Technology expenses decreased 40% to $0.81 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2004, from $1.37 million for the comparable period of 2003. The decrease is primarily attributable to a change in the allocation of the Company’s core applications development resources. Due to significant client expansion activities during the nine months ended September 30, 2004, the level of investment in internally developed software increased to $734,000 from $230,000 during the comparable period in 2003. These internally developed assets are capitalized, placed in service upon completion, and amortized generally over the shorter of the useful life of the asset or the term of the specific client agreement.

 

General and Administrative Expenses. General and administrative expenses decreased 3% to $4.47 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2004, as compared to $4.62 million for the comparable period of 2003. Decreased staffing costs of $189,000 and insurance premiums of $134,000 were partially offset by increased professional services fees of $110,000 during the nine months ending September 30, 2004 as compared to the comparable period in 2003.

 

Depreciation and Amortization Expenses. Depreciation and amortization expenses increased 12% to $1.26 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2004, from $1.13 million for the comparable period in 2003. The increase is primarily the result of higher amortization expense related to internally developed software.

 

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Interest and Other (Expense) Income, Net. The components of interest and other (expense) income, net are as follows (dollars in thousands):

 

     Nine Months Ended September 30,

    Increase/(Decrease)

 
     2004

    2003

    $ Amt

    %

 

Interest income

   $ 58     $ 47     $ 11     23.4 %

Interest expense

     (21 )     (82 )     61     -74.4 %

Other income

     (6 )     7       (13 )   -185.7 %
    


 


 


 

     $ 31     $ (28 )   $ 59     -210.7 %
    


 


 


 

 

The decrease in interest expense was the result of lower average capital lease and financing obligation balances outstanding for the nine months ended September 30, 2004, as compared to the comparable period in 2003.

 

Liquidity and Sources of Capital

 

Cash and cash equivalents, excluding amounts related to designated cash to be remitted to others, increased to $11.9 million at September 30, 2004 as compared to $4.9 million at December 31, 2003, primarily as a result of proceeds from the sale of our common stock and warrants in a private placement completed in February 2004. Working capital was $4.8 million and $1.0 million at September 30, 2004 and December 31, 2003, respectively. Net accounts receivable increased $1.9 million or 32% from December 31, 2003 to September 30, 2004, primarily as a result of increased revenue during the period. Our days sales outstanding, on a net services revenue basis, were 64 days at September 30, 2004, as compared to 51 days at December 31, 2003. A significant amount of our net services revenue is reported based on the gross amounts we bill to our clients’ customers. We also sell products and services on behalf of our clients whereby we record revenue equal to the net amount that we earn in the transaction. Pursuant to Emerging Issues Task Force Consensus No. 99-19, we disclose gross billings in our financial statements, a measurement of the total volume of products and services billed by us to our clients’ customers. We believe that gross billings, a non-GAAP financial measure, provides a meaningful indication of the volume of our business activity. Our accounts receivable balance is predominantly comprised of the amounts we bill to our clients’ customers, regardless of whether we record revenue equal to the gross amount we bill to our clients’ customer or the amount that we earn in the transaction. As a result, we also disclose our days sales outstanding on a gross billings basis. On a gross billings basis, our days sales outstanding were 30 days at September 30, 2004, as compared to 30 days at December 31, 2003. The following table reconciles net services revenue to gross billings and net services revenue days sales outstanding to days sales outstanding on a gross billings basis for the quarter September 30, 2004 and 2003, respectively (dollars in thousands):

 

     Quarter Ended
September 30,


     2004

   2003

Net services revenue (U.S. GAAP)

   $ 10,828    $ 10,973

Difference between the amount invoiced to our clients’ customers and the amount earned by us under the transaction

     11,823      5,819
    

  

Gross billings

   $ 22,651    $ 16,792
    

  

Net accounts receivable June 30

   $ 7,119    $ 5,546

Net accounts receivable September 30

     7,855      5,390
    

  

Average net accounts receivable

   $ 7,487    $ 5,468
    

  

Number of days in quarter

     92      92

Net services revenue per day

   $ 118    $ 119
    

  

Gross billings per day

   $ 246    $ 183
    

  

Net revenue days sales outstanding

     64      46
    

  

Gross billings days sales outstanding

     30      30
    

  

 

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Prior to July 1, 2004, the Company’s cash and cash equivalents included amounts related to cash received for non-service payments inadvertently paid to the Company by its customers instead of paid directly to the Company’s clients. As of July 1, 2004, the Company designated that all cash received for non-service payments will be classified in the balance sheet as designated cash to be remitted to others for non-service payments. As a result, at July 1, 2004, cash and cash equivalents was reduced by $775,000 when un-remitted cash received for non-service payments was classified as designated cash to be remitted to others for non-service payments. See Note 5 in the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

Cash provided by operating activities during the nine months ended September 30, 2004 was $2.5 million as compared to cash used in operating activities of $371,000 during the nine months ended September 30, 2003. Cash provided by operating activities of $2.5 million during the nine months ended September 30, 2004 was primarily the result of an increase in accounts payable of $5.2 million offset by increased accounts receivable of $1.8 million and our net loss, adjusted for non cash items of $1.3 million.

 

Cash used in investing activities during the nine months ended September 30, 2004 was $574,000 compared to cash used in investing activities of $229,000 during the nine months ended September 30, 2003. For the nine months ended September 30, 2004, cash used in investing activities was the result of an increase in purchases of property and equipment of $1.4 million offset by a reduction in restricted cash of $840,000.

 

Cash provided by financing activities during the nine months ended September 30, 2004 was $5.8 million as compared to cash used in financing activities of $1.3 million during the same nine months of 2003. For the nine months ended September 30, 2004, cash provided by financing activities of $5.8 million was primarily the result of the sale of common stock in a private placement completed in February. Cash used in financing activities of $1.3 million during the nine months ended September 30, 2003 was primarily the result of repayments of debt obligations.

 

Our principal source of liquidity as of September 30, 2004 consisted of $11.9 million of cash and cash equivalents. We anticipate that our existing capital resources and cash flow expected to be generated from future operations will enable us to maintain our current level of operations, our planned operations and our planned capital expenditures for at least the next twelve months.

 

On April 30, 2004, the Company and Bridge Bank N.A. (the “Lender”) executed a Business Loan Agreement and a Commercial Security Agreement in connection with a $3 million secured revolving line of credit that includes a $1 million Letter of Credit facility. The Lender has perfected a security interest in substantially all of the Company’s assets including intellectual property. As of this date, the Company has incurred no indebtedness to the Lender.

 

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Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

 

Operating Leases

 

As of September 30, 2004, we have operating leases of our facility and certain property and equipment that expire at various times through 2007. These arrangements allow us to obtain the use of the equipment and facilities without purchasing them. If we were to acquire these assets, we would be required to obtain financing and record a liability related to the financing of these assets. Leasing these assets under operating leases allows us to use these assets for our business while minimizing the obligations and cash flow related to purchasing the assets. During the quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2004, we recorded rent expense related to these leases of $75,000 and $230,000, respectively.

 

Guarantees

 

In December 2003, we entered into a standby letter of credit in the original amount of $563,000 as security for our liability under the 2004 Financing Agreement. The standby letter of credit declines over time in accordance with the balance payable under the 2004 Financing Agreement. At September 30, 2004, the amount of the standby letter of credit is $256,000 and is fully secured by the pledge of a certificate of deposit.

 

From time to time, we enter into certain types of contracts that contingently require us to indemnify parties against third party claims. These obligations primarily relate to certain agreements with our officers, directors and employees, under which we may be required to indemnify such persons for liabilities arising out of their employment relationship. The terms of such obligations vary. Generally, a maximum obligation is not explicitly stated. Because the obligated amounts of these types of agreements often are not explicitly stated, the overall maximum amount of the obligations cannot be reasonably estimated. Historically, we have not had to make any payments for these obligations, and no liabilities have been recorded for these obligations on our balance sheets as of September 30, 2004 or December 31, 2003.

 

Contractual Obligations

 

During May 2004, we entered into a capital lease facility in connection with the acquisition of computing and network storage equipment. As of September 30, 2004, we have acquired such equipment under the lease facility in the amount of $252,000 with an effective interest rate of 8.6%. The leases range from 12 to 24 months and payments are made monthly. Future minimum lease payments in the remainder of 2004 are $43,000 and for 2005 are $138,000 and for 2006 are $43,000.

 

Factors That May Affect Future Results and Market Price of Stock

 

We have incurred recent losses and expect to incur losses in the future.

 

We have incurred operating losses and net losses since fiscal 1999, and most recently we recorded an operating loss of $2.4 million and net loss of $2.3 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2004 and an operating loss and net loss of $3.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2003, respectively. We may incur losses in the future, depending on the timing of signing of new clients, impact of new and existing clients, our decisions to further invest in our technology or infrastructure, and our ability to continue to increase our operating efficiencies.

 

Because we depend on a small number of clients for a significant portion of our revenue, the loss of a single client could result in a substantial decrease in our revenue.

 

We generate a significant portion of our net revenues from the marketing and selling of products and services for a limited number of clients. For the quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2004, sales to customers of Dell Products, L.P. (“Dell”), Hewlett-Packard Company (“HP”), Nortel Networks, Inc. (“Nortel”) and Sybase, Inc. (“Sybase”), each accounted for more than 10% of our net revenues. For the quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2003, sales to customers of HP, Nortel and Sybase each accounted for more than 10% of our net revenues. For the quarters ended September 30, 2004 and 2003, customers of the previously mentioned clients collectively accounted for 99% and 90%, respectively, of net revenues and for the nine months ended September 30, 2004 and 2003, sales to

 

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the customers of the previously mentioned clients collectively accounted for 99% and 91%, respectively, of our net revenues. In the quarters ended September 30, 2004 and 2003, no individual client’s customers accounted for more than 37% and 45%, respectively, of net revenues.

 

As a percentage of gross billings, Dell, HP and Nortel, each accounted for more than 10% of our gross billings in the quarter ended September 30, 2004. As a percentage of gross billings, Dell, HP, Nortel and Sybase each accounted for more than 10% of our gross billings in the quarter ended September 30, 2003. For the quarter ended September 30, 2004 and 2003, sales to customers of the previously mentioned clients collectively accounted for 92%, and 99%, respectively, of gross billings, and for the nine months ended September 30, 2004 and 2003, sales to customers of the previously mentioned clients collectively accounted for 91% and 99% respectively, of gross billings. In the quarters ended September 30, 2004 and 2003, no individual client’s customers accounted for more than 60% and 40% of our gross billings, respectively. Gross billings represent the amount we invoice to our clients’ customers and we believe it provides a meaningful indication of the volume of our business. See the reconciliation of net services revenue to gross billings under the captions “Comparison of Quarters Ended September 30, 2004 and 2003”.

 

We expect that a small number of clients will continue to account for a significant portion of our revenue for the foreseeable future. The loss of any of our principal clients could cause a significant decrease in our revenue. In addition, our software and technology clients operate in industries that experience consolidation from time to time, which could reduce the number of our existing and potential clients.

 

Our revenue will decline if demand for our clients’ products and services decreases.

 

Our business primarily consists of marketing and selling our clients’ products and services to their customers. In addition, most of our revenue is based on a “pay for performance” model in which our revenues are based on the amount of our clients’ products and services that we sell. Accordingly, if a particular client’s products and services fail to appeal to its customers for reasons beyond our control, such as preference for a competing product or service, our revenue from the sale of the client’s products and services may decline.

 

We are exposed to general economic conditions.

 

In part, as a result of recent unfavorable economic conditions in the United States, our revenue has declined and may continue to do so in the future. If the economic conditions in the United States worsen or if a wider or global economic slowdown occurs, we may experience a material adverse impact on our business, operating results, and financial condition. During these unfavorable economic periods, it has been, and may continue to be more difficult to sign new clients or expand relationships with existing clients.

 

Terrorist acts and acts of war may harm our business and revenue, costs and expenses, and financial position.

 

Terrorist acts or acts of war my cause damage to our employees, facilities, clients, our clients’ customers, and vendors, which could significantly impact our revenues, costs and expenses and financial position. The potential for future terrorist attacks, the national and international responses to terrorist attacks or perceived threats to national security, and other acts of war or hostility have created many economic and political uncertainties that could adversely affect our business and results of operations in ways that cannot be presently predicted. We are predominantly uninsured for losses and interruptions caused by terrorist acts and acts of war.

 

Our quarterly operating results may fluctuate, and if we do not meet market expectations, our stock price could decline.

 

We believe that quarter-to-quarter comparisons of our operating results are not a good indication of future performance. Although our operating results have generally improved from quarter to quarter until recently, our future operating results may not follow past trends in every quarter, even if they continue to improve overall. In any future quarter, our operating results may be below the expectation of public market analysts and investors.

 

Factors which may cause our future operating results to be below expectations include:

 

  the growth of the market for outsourced sales and marketing solutions;

 

  the demand for and acceptance of our services;

 

  the demand for our clients’ products and services;

 

  the length of the sales and integration cycle for our new clients;

 

  our ability to expand relationships with existing clients;

 

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  our ability to train, develop and ramp our telesales staff;

 

  our ability to develop and implement additional services, products and technologies; and

 

  the success of our direct sales force.

 

The length and unpredictability of the sales and integration cycles for our full solution service offering could cause delays in our revenue growth.

 

Selection of our services often entails an extended decision-making process on the part of prospective clients. We often must provide a significant level of education regarding the use and benefit of our services, which may delay the evaluation and acceptance process. The selling cycle can extend to approximately nine to twelve months or longer between initial client contact and signing of a contract for our services. Additionally, once our services are selected, the integration of our services often can be a lengthy process, which further impacts the timing of revenue. Because we are unable to control many of the factors that will influence our clients’ buying decisions or the integration of our services, the length and unpredictability of the sales and integration cycles make it difficult for us to forecast the growth and timing of our revenue.

 

If we are unable to attract and retain highly qualified management, sales and technical personnel, the quality of our services may decline, and our ability to execute our growth strategies may be harmed.

 

Our success depends to a significant extent upon the contributions of our executive officers and key sales and technical personnel and our ability to attract and retain highly qualified sales, technical and managerial personnel. Competition for personnel is intense as these personnel are limited in supply. We have at times experienced difficulty in recruiting qualified personnel, and there can be no assurance that we will not experience difficulties in the future. Any difficulties could limit our future growth. The loss of certain key personnel, particularly Michael Silton, our chief executive officer, Martin Hernandez, our president and Steve Valenzuela, our chief financial officer could seriously harm our business. We have obtained life insurance policies in the amount of $6.3 million on Michael Silton and $3.0 million on Martin Hernandez.

 

We have strong competitors and may not be able to compete effectively against them.

 

Competition in CRM services is intense, and we expect such competition to increase in the future. Our competitors include system integrators, ecommerce solutions providers, and other outsource providers of different components of customer interaction management. We also face competition from internal marketing departments of current and potential clients. Additionally, we may face competition from outsource providers with substantial offshore facilities which may enable them to compete aggressively with similar service offerings at a substantially lower price. Many of our existing or potential competitors have greater name recognition, longer operating histories, and significantly greater financial, technical and marketing resources, which could further impact our ability to address competitive pressures. Should competitive factors require us to increase spending for, and investment in, client acquisition and retention or for the development of new services, our expenses could increase disproportionately to our revenues. Competitive pressures may also necessitate price reductions and other actions that would likely affect our business adversely. Additionally, there can be no assurances that we will have the resources to maintain a higher level of spending to address changes in the competitive landscape. Failure to maintain or to produce revenue proportionate to any increase in expenses would have a negative impact on our financial results.

 

The demand for outsourced sales and marketing services is highly uncertain.

 

Demand and acceptance of our sales and marketing services is dependent upon companies’ willingness to outsource these processes. It is possible that these outsourced solutions may never achieve broad market acceptance. If the market for our services does not grow or grows more slowly than we currently anticipate, our business, financial condition and operating results may be materially adversely affected.

 

Our success depends on our ability to successfully manage growth.

 

Any future growth will place additional demands on our managerial, administrative, operational and financial resources. We will need to improve our operational, financial and managerial controls and information systems and procedures and will need to train and manage our overall work force. If we are unable to manage additional growth effectively, our business will be harmed.

 

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Our business strategy may ultimately include expansion into foreign markets, which would require increased expenditures, and if our international operations are not successfully implemented, they may not result in increased revenue or growth of our business.

 

Our growth strategy may include expansion into international markets. As a result, we may need to establish international operations, hire additional personnel and establish relationships with additional clients and customers in those markets. This expansion may require significant financial resources and management attention and could have a negative effect on our earnings. In addition, we may be exposed to political risks associated with operating in foreign markets. We cannot assure you that we will be successful in creating international demand for our CRM services or that we will be able to effectively sell our clients’ products and services in international markets.

 

Any business combinations in which we participate could result in dilution, unfavorable accounting charges and difficulties in successfully managing our business.

 

As part of our business strategy, from time to time we review business combination prospects that would complement our existing business or enhance our technological capabilities. Future business combinations by us could result in potentially dilutive issuances of equity securities, large and immediate write-offs, the incurrence of debt and contingent liabilities or amortization expenses related to goodwill and other intangible assets, any of which could cause our financial performance to suffer. Furthermore, business combinations entail numerous risks and uncertainties, including:

 

  difficulties in the assimilation of operations, personnel, technologies, products and the information systems of the combined companies;

 

  diversion of management’s attention from other business concerns;

 

  significant costs incurred in connection with potential acquisitions;

 

  risks of entering geographic and business markets in which we have no or limited prior experience; and

 

  potential loss of key employees of acquired organizations.

 

We cannot be certain that we would be able to successfully integrate any businesses, products, technologies or personnel that might be acquired in the future, and our failure to do so could limit our future growth. Although we do not currently have any definitive agreement with respect to any material business combinations, we may enter into business combinations with complementary businesses, products or technologies in the future. However, we may not be able to locate suitable business combination opportunities.

 

We rely heavily on our communications infrastructure, and the failure to invest in or the loss of these systems could disrupt the operation and growth of our business and result in the loss of clients or our clients’ customers.

 

Our success is dependent in large part on our continued investment in sophisticated computer, Internet and telecommunications systems. We have invested significantly in technology and anticipate that it will be necessary to continue to do so in the future to remain competitive. These technologies are evolving rapidly and are characterized by short product life cycles, which require us to anticipate technological developments. We may be unsuccessful in anticipating, managing, adopting, and integrating technological changes on a timely basis, or we may not have the capital resources available to invest in new technologies. Temporary or permanent loss of these systems could limit our ability to conduct our business and result in lost revenue.

 

If we are unable to safeguard our networks and clients’ data, our clients may not use our services and our business may be harmed.

 

Our networks may be vulnerable to unauthorized access, computer hacking, computer viruses, and other security problems. A user who circumvents security measures could misappropriate proprietary information or cause interruptions or malfunctions in our operations. We may be required to expend significant resources to protect against the threat of security breaches or to alleviate problems caused by any breaches. Although we intend to continue to implement industry-standard security measures, these measures may be inadequate.

 

Damage to our single facility may disable our operations.

 

Our operations are housed in a single facility in Scotts Valley, California. We have taken precautions to protect ourselves from events that could interrupt our services, such as off-site storage of computer backup data and a backup power source, but there can be no assurance that an earthquake, fire, flood, or other disaster affecting our facility would not disable these operations. Any significant damage to this facility from an earthquake or other disaster could prevent us from operating our business. While we maintain insurance coverage for business interruptions, such coverage does not extend to losses caused by earthquake and such coverage may not be sufficient to cover all possible losses.

 

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If we fail to adequately protect our intellectual property or face a claim of intellectual property infringement by a third party, we may lose our intellectual property rights and be liable for significant damages.

 

We cannot guarantee that the steps we have taken to protect our proprietary rights will be adequate to deter misappropriation of our intellectual property. In addition, we may not be able to detect unauthorized use of our intellectual property and take appropriate steps to enforce our rights. If third parties infringe or misappropriate our trade secrets, copyrights, trademarks, service marks, trade names or other proprietary information, our business could be seriously harmed. In addition, although we believe that our proprietary rights do not infringe the intellectual property rights of others, other parties may assert infringement claims against us that we violated their intellectual property rights. These claims, even if not true, could result in significant legal and other costs and may be a distraction to management. In addition, protection of intellectual property in many foreign countries is weaker and less reliable than in the United States, so if our business expands into foreign countries, risks associated with protecting our intellectual property will increase. We have applied to register the RAINMAKER SYSTEMS, RAINMAKER (and Design), CONTRACT RENEWALS PLUS, and EDUCATION SALES PLUS services marks in the United States and certain foreign countries, and have received registrations for the RAINMAKER SYSTEMS service mark in the United States, Canada, Australia, the European Community, Switzerland, Norway, and New Zealand, the RAINMAKER (and Design) in the United States and the European Community, the CONTRACTS RENEWALS PLUS mark in the United States and Switzerland, and the EDUCATION SALES PLUS mark in the United States and Switzerland.

 

Increased government regulation of the Internet could decrease the demand for our services and increase our cost of doing business.

 

The increasing popularity and use of the Internet and online services may lead to the adoption of new laws and regulations in the U.S. or elsewhere covering issues such as online privacy, copyright and trademark, sales taxes and fair business practices or which require qualification to do business as a foreign corporation in certain jurisdictions. Increased government regulation, or the application of existing laws to online activities, could inhibit Internet growth. A number of government authorities are increasingly focusing on online privacy issues and the use of personal information. Our business could be adversely affected if new regulations regarding the use of personal information are introduced or if government authorities choose to investigate our privacy practices. In addition, the European Union has adopted directives addressing data privacy that may limit the collection and use of some information regarding Internet users. Such directives may limit our ability to target our clients’ customers or collect and use information. A decline in the growth of the Internet could decrease demand for our services and increase our cost of doing business and otherwise harm our business.

 

We are subject to government regulation of direct marketing, which could restrict the operation and growth of our business.

 

The Federal Trade Commission’s (“FTC’s”) telemarketing sales rules prohibit misrepresentations of the cost, terms, restrictions, performance or duration of products or services offered by telephone solicitation and specifically addresses other perceived telemarketing abuses in the offering of prizes. Additionally, the FTC’s rules limit the hours during which telemarketers may call consumers. The Federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 contains other restrictions on facsimile transmissions and on telemarketers, including a prohibition on the use of automated telephone dialing equipment to call certain telephone numbers. A number of states also regulate telemarketing and some states have enacted restrictions similar to these federal laws. In addition, a number of states regulate email and facsimile transmissions. The failure to comply with applicable statutes and regulations could result in penalties. There can be no assurance that additional federal or state legislation, or changes in regulatory implementation, or judicial interpretation of existing or future laws would not limit our activities in the future or significantly increase the cost of regulatory compliance.

 

Our directors and their affiliates own a large percentage of our stock and can significantly influence all matters requiring stockholder approval.

 

Our directors, executive officers and entities affiliated with them together beneficially control approximately 24.1% of our outstanding shares (based on the number of shares outstanding as of September 30, 2004). As a result, any significant combination of those stockholders, acting together, may have the ability to control all matters requiring stockholder approval, including the election of all directors, and any merger, consolidation or sale of all or substantially all of our assets. Accordingly, such concentration of ownership may have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control of Rainmaker, which, in turn, could depress the market price of our common stock.

 

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Our charter documents and Delaware law contain anti-takeover provisions that could deter takeover attempts, even if a transaction would be beneficial to our stockholders.

 

The provisions of Delaware law and of our certificate of incorporation and bylaws could make it difficult for a third party to acquire us, even though an acquisition might be beneficial to our stockholders. Our certificate of incorporation provides our board of directors the authority, without stockholder action, to issue up to 20,000,000 shares of preferred stock in one or more series. Our board determines when we will issue preferred stock, and the rights, preferences and privileges of any preferred stock. In addition, our bylaws establish an advance notice procedure for stockholder proposals and for nominating candidates for election as directors. Delaware corporate law also contains provisions that can affect the ability to take over a company.

 

Our stock price may be volatile resulting in potential litigation.

 

If our stock price is volatile, we could face securities class action litigation. In the past, following periods of volatility in the market price of their stock, many companies have been the subjects of securities class action litigation. If we were sued in a securities class action, it could result in substantial costs and a diversion of management’s attention and resources and could cause our stock price to fall. The trading price of our common stock could fluctuate widely due to:

 

  quarter-to-quarter variations in results of operations;

 

  loss of a major client;

 

  announcements of technological innovations by us or our competitors;

 

  changes in, or our failure to meet, the expectations of securities analysts;

 

  new products or services offered by us or our competitors;

 

  changes in market valuations of similar companies;

 

  announcements of strategic relationships or acquisitions by us or our competitors; or

 

  other events or factors that may be beyond our control.

 

In addition, the securities markets in general have experienced extreme price and trading volume volatility in the past. The trading prices of securities of many business process outsourcing companies have fluctuated broadly, often for reasons unrelated to the operating performance of the specific companies. These general market and industry factors may adversely affect the trading price of our common stock, regardless of our actual operating performance.

 

Recently enacted and proposed changes in securities laws and regulations are likely to increase our costs.

 

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 became law in July 2002 and requires changes in some of our corporate governance and securities disclosure or compliance practices. That Act also requires the SEC to promulgate new rules on a variety of subjects, in addition to rule proposals already made, and Nasdaq issued revisions to its requirements for companies that are Nasdaq-listed. These developments increased our legal and accounting compliance costs and will continue to do so in the future. These developments have also made it more difficult and more expensive for us to obtain director and officer liability insurance, and we may be required to accept reduced coverage or incur substantially higher costs to obtain coverage. These developments could make it more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified members of our board of directors, or qualified executive officers. We are presently evaluating and monitoring regulatory developments and cannot estimate the timing or magnitude of additional costs we may incur as a result.

 

Failure to achieve and maintain effective internal controls in accordance with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act could have a material adverse effect on our business and stock price.

 

We are in the process of documenting and testing our internal control procedures in order to satisfy the requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which requires annual management assessments of the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting and a report by our Independent Auditors addressing these assessments. During the course of our testing we may identify deficiencies which we may not be able to remediate in time to meet the deadline imposed by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act for compliance with the requirements of Section 404. In addition, if we fail to maintain the adequacy of our internal controls, as such standards are modified, supplemented or amended from time to time, we may not be able to ensure that we can conclude on an ongoing basis that we have effective internal controls over financial reporting in accordance with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Failure to achieve and maintain an effective internal control environment could have a material adverse effect on our stock price.

 

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We may have difficulty obtaining director and officer liability insurance in acceptable amounts for acceptable rates.

 

Like most other public companies, we carry insurance protecting our officers and directors and us against claims relating to the conduct of our business. This insurance covers, among other things, the costs incurred by companies and their management to defend against and resolve claims relating to management conduct and results of operations, such as securities class action claims. These claims typically are extremely expensive to defend against and resolve. Hence, as is customary, we purchase and maintain insurance to cover some of these costs. We pay significant premiums to acquire and maintain this insurance, which is provided by third-party insurers. Since 1999, the premiums we have paid for this insurance have increased substantially. One consequence of the current recent economic downturn and decline in stock prices has been a substantial general increase in the number of securities class actions and similar claims brought against public corporations and their management, including our company and certain of our current and former officers and directors. Many, if not all, of these actions and claims are, and will likely continue to be, at least partially insured by third-party insurers. Consequently, insurers providing director and officer liability insurance have in recent periods sharply increased the premiums they charge for this insurance, raised retentions (that is, the amount of liability that a company is required to itself pay to defend and resolve a claim before any applicable insurance is provided), and limited the amount of insurance they will provide. Moreover, insurers typically provide only one-year policies. We renewed our director and officer insurance in the fourth quarter of 2003 for a one-year term. In the fourth quarter of 2004, we will be required to do the same. Particularly in the current economic environment, we cannot assure that we will be able to obtain sufficient director and officer liability insurance coverage at acceptable rates and with acceptable deductibles and other limitations. Failure to obtain such insurance could materially harm our financial condition in the event that we are required to defend against and resolve any future securities class actions or other claims made against us or our management. Further, the inability to obtain such insurance in adequate amounts may impair our future ability to retain and recruit qualified officers and directors.

 

Our business may be subject to additional obligations to collect and remit sales tax and, any successful action by state authorities to collect additional sales tax could adversely harm our business.

 

We file sales tax returns in certain states within the United States as required by law and certain client contracts for a portion of the outsourced sales and marketing services that we provide. We do not collect sales or other similar taxes in other states and many of the states do not apply sales or similar taxes to the vast majority of the services that we provide. However, one or more states could seek to impose additional sales or use tax collection and record-keeping obligations on us. Any successful action by state authorities to compel us to collect and remit sales tax, either retroactively or prospectively or both, could adversely affect our results of operations and business.

 

If we fail to meet Nasdaq SmallCap Market listing requirements, our common stock will be delisted.

 

Our common stock is currently listed on the Nasdaq SmallCap Market. Nasdaq has requirements that a company must meet in order to remain listed on the Nasdaq SmallCap Market. If we continue to experience losses from our operations, or are unable to raise additional funds or our stock price does not meet minimum standards, we may not be able to maintain the standards for continued listing on the Nasdaq SmallCap Market, which include, among other things, that our stock maintain a minimum closing bid price of at least $1.00 per share (subject to applicable grace and cure periods). If as a result of the application of such listing requirements our common stock is delisted from the Nasdaq SmallCap Market, our stock would become harder to buy and sell. Consequently, if we were removed from the Nasdaq SmallCap Market, the ability or willingness of broker-dealers to sell or make a market in our common stock might decline. As a result, the ability to resell shares of our common stock could be adversely affected.

 

Shares eligible for sale in the future could negatively affect our stock price.

 

The market price of our common stock could decline as a result of sales of a large number of shares of our common stock or the perception that these sales could occur. This might also make it more difficult for us to raise funds through the issuance of securities. As of September 30, 2004, there were an aggregate of 6,359,568 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of outstanding stock options and warrants, including 5,388,895 shares issuable upon exercise of options outstanding under our option plan and 970,673 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the outstanding warrants issued to certain selling stockholders in our private placement transaction completed on February 20, 2004. Under our existing stock option plan and employee stock purchase plan, we may issue up to an additional 6,864,572 shares and 2,021,055 shares of our common stock, respectively, subject to the terms and conditions of such plans. We may issue and/or register additional shares, options, or warrants in the future in connection with acquisitions, compensation or otherwise. We have not entered into any agreements or understanding regarding any future acquisitions and cannot ensure that we will be able to identify or complete any acquisition in the future.

 

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ITEM 3. QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK

 

No material changes have occurred from our report on Form 10-K/A for the year ended December 31, 2003.

 

ITEM 4. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

 

(a) Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

 

Rainmaker’s management, with the participation of its Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, evaluated the effectiveness Rainmaker’s disclosure controls and procedures as of the end of the period covered by this report. Based on that evaluation, the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that Rainmaker’s disclosure controls and procedures as of the end of the period covered by this report have been designed and are functioning effectively to provide reasonable assurance that the information required to be disclosed by Rainmaker in reports filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms.

 

(b) Change in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

 

No change in Rainmaker’s internal control over financial reporting occurred during Rainmaker’s most recent fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, Rainmaker’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

PART II. – OTHER INFORMATION

 

ITEM 6. EXHIBITS

 

  (a) Exhibits

 

The following exhibits are filed with this report as indicated below:

 

31.1    Certification of Chief Executive Officer, pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, filed under Exhibit 31 of Item 601 of Regulation S-K.
31.2    Certification of Chief Financial Officer, pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, filed under Exhibit 31 of Item 601 of Regulation S-K.
32.1    Certification of Chief Executive Officer, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, furnished under Exhibit 32 of Item 601 of Regulation S-K.
32.2    Certification of Chief Financial Officer, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, furnished under Exhibit 32 of Item 601 of Regulation S-K.

 

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SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

 

    RAINMAKER SYSTEMS, INC.
Dated: November 12, 2004  

/s/ MICHAEL SILTON


    Michael Silton
    Chief Executive Officer
    (Principal Executive Officer)
   

/s/ STEVE VALENZUELA


    Steve Valenzuela
    Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
    (Chief Accounting Officer)

 

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