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VONAGE HOLDINGS CORP - 10-Q - Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
(Edgar Glimpses Via Acquire Media NewsEdge)
You should read the following discussion together with our consolidated
financial statements and the related notes included elsewhere in this Form 10-Q
and our audited financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K.
This discussion contains forward-looking statements. These forward-looking
statements are based on information available at the time the statements are
made and/or management's belief as of that time with respect to future events
and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and outcomes
to be materially different. Important factors that could cause such differences
include but are not limited to: the competition we face; our ability to adapt to
rapid changes in the market for voice and messaging services; our ability to
retain customers and attract new customers; our ability to establish and expand
strategic alliances; our dependence on third party facilities, equipment,
systems and services; system disruptions or flaws in our technology and systems;
intellectual property and other litigation that have been and may be brought
against us; failure to protect our trademarks and internally developed software;
our ability to obtain or maintain relevant intellectual property licenses;
results of regulatory inquiries into our business practices; uncertainties
relating to regulation of VoIP services; increased governmental regulation,
currency restrictions, and other restraints and burdensome taxes and risks
incident to foreign operations; our dependence upon key personnel; our history
of net losses and ability to achieve consistent profitability in the future;
fraudulent use of our name or services; our ability to maintain data security;
security breaches and other compromises of information security; our dependence
on our customers' existing broadband connections; differences between our
service and traditional phone services, including our 911 service; any
reinstatement of holdbacks by our vendors; our ability to obtain additional
financing if required; restrictions in our debt agreements that may limit our
operating flexibility; the Company's available capital resources and other
financial and operational performance which may cause the Company not to make
common stock repurchases as currently anticipated or to commence or suspend such
repurchases from time to time without prior notice; and other factors that are
set forth in the "Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K, in our
Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and in our Current Reports on Form 8-K. While we
may elect to update forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we
specifically disclaim any obligation to do so, and therefore, you should not
rely on these forward-looking statements as representing our views as of any
date subsequent to the date this Form 10-Q is filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission.
Financial Information Presentation
For the financial information discussed in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q,
other than per share and per line amounts, dollar amounts are presented in
thousands, except where noted. All trademarks are the property of their owners.
Overview
We are a leading provider of communications services connecting people through
cloud-connected devices worldwide. We rely heavily on our network, which is a
flexible, scalable Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) based Voice over Internet
Protocol, or VoIP, network. This platform enables a user via a single
"identity," either a number or user name, to access and utilize services and
features regardless of how they are connected to the Internet, including over
3G, 4G, Cable, or DSL broadband networks. This technology enables us to offer
our customers attractively priced voice and messaging services and other
features around the world.
In 2009, we shifted our primary emphasis from the domestic home phone
replacement market to the international long distance market. With Vonage World
we offer unlimited calling domestically and to more than 60 countries, including
India, Mexico, and China, for a flat monthly rate. We believe the value and
convenience provided by Vonage World is particularly appealing to international
long distance callers compared to offers from our competitors.
In addition to our landline telephony business, we are leveraging our technology
to offer services and applications for mobile and other connected devices to
address large existing markets. We introduced our first mobile offering in late
2009 and have continued to build upon our mobile services strategy with two
product introductions in mid-2011. In early 2012, we introduced Vonage Mobile,
our all-in-one mobile application that provides free calling and messaging
between users who have the application, as well as low-cost international
calling to more than 200 countries to any other phone. In addition, calls by
users of the mobile application to Vonage home or business lines are also free.
This mobile application works over WiFi, 3G and 4G and in more than 90 countries
worldwide. Vonage Mobile consolidates the best features of our prior
applications, while adding important functionality, better value, and improved
ease of use. Vonage Mobile users can instantly add calling credit from within
the application through iTunes or the Android Market for calls to users without
the application. Vonage Mobile uses the phone's existing mobile number and
contact list, eliminating the need for unique user names and duplicate
identities for contacts and allowing users to build a free global calling and
messaging network from their existing contacts using the application's multiple
invitation system.
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We had approximately 2.4 million subscriber lines for broadband telephone
replacement services as of September 30, 2012. We bill customers in the United
States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Customers in the United States
represented 93% of our subscriber lines at September 30, 2012.
Trends and Key Operating Data
A number of trends have a significant effect on our results of operations and
are important to an understanding of our financial statements.
Broadband adoption. The number of United States households with broadband
Internet access has grown significantly. On March 16, 2010, the Federal
Communications Commission ("FCC") released its National Broadband Plan, which
seeks, through supporting broadband deployment and programs, to encourage
broadband adoption for the approximately 100 million United States residents who
do not have broadband at home. We expect the trend of greater broadband adoption
to continue. We benefit from this trend because our service requires a broadband
Internet connection and our potential addressable market increases as broadband
adoption increases.
Competitive landscape. We face intense competition from traditional telephone
companies, wireless companies, cable companies, and alternative voice
communication providers. Most traditional wireline and wireless telephone
service providers and cable companies are substantially larger and better
capitalized than we are and have the advantage of a large existing customer
base. In addition, because our competitors provide other services, they often
choose to offer VoIP services or other voice services as part of a bundle that
includes other products, such as video, high speed Internet access, and wireless
telephone service, which we do not offer. In addition, such competitors may in
the future require new customers or existing customers making changes to their
service to purchase voice services when purchasing high speed Internet access.
Further, as wireless providers offer more minutes at lower prices, better
coverage, and companion landline alternative services, their services have
become more attractive to households as a replacement for wireline service. We
also compete against alternative voice communication providers, such as
magicJack, Skype, and Google Voice. Some of these service providers have chosen
to sacrifice telephony revenue in order to gain market share and have offered
their services at low prices or for free. As we continue to introduce
applications that integrate different forms of voice and messaging services over
multiple devices, we are facing competition from emerging competitors focused on
similar integration, as well as from alternative voice communication providers.
In addition, our competitors have partnered and may in the future partner with
other competitors to offer products and services, leveraging their collective
competitive positions. We also are subject to the risk of future disruptive
technologies. In connection with our increasing emphasis on the international
long distance market, we face competition from low-cost international calling
cards and VoIP providers in addition to traditional telephone companies, cable
companies, and wireless companies.
Regulation. Our business has developed in a relatively lightly regulated
environment. The United States and other countries, however, are examining how
VoIP services should be regulated. The November 2010 order by the FCC in
response to a request by Kansas and Nebraska that permits states to impose state
universal service fund obligations on VoIP service, discussed in Note 6 to our
financial statements, is an example of efforts by regulators to determine how
VoIP service fits into the telecommunications regulatory landscape. In addition
to regulatory matters that directly address VoIP, a number of other regulatory
initiatives could impact our business. One such regulatory initiative is net
neutrality. In December 2010, the FCC adopted a revised set of net neutrality
rules for broadband Internet service providers. These rules make it more
difficult for broadband Internet service providers to block or discriminate
against Vonage service. Several broadband Internet service providers have filed
appeals of the FCC's new rules at the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals alleging
that the FCC lacks authority to apply its rules to broadband Internet service
providers. In addition, on February 9, 2011, the FCC released a Notice of
Proposed Rulemaking on reforming universal service and the intercarrier
compensation ("ICC") system that governs payments between telecommunications
carriers primarily for terminating traffic. The FCC's adoption of an ICC
proposal will impact Vonage's costs for telecommunications services. On October
27, 2011, the FCC adopted an order reforming universal service and ICC. The FCC
order provides that VoIP originated calls will be subject to interstate access
charges for long distance calls and reciprocal compensation for local calls that
terminate to the public switched telephone network ("PSTN"). The termination
charges for all traffic, including VoIP originated traffic, will transition over
several years to a bill and keep arrangement (i.e., no termination charges). We
believe that the order will positively impact our costs over time.
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The table below includes key operating data that our management uses to measure
the growth and operating performance of our business:
Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended
September 30, September 30,
2012 2011 2012 2011
Gross subscriber line additions 171,628 170,344 500,431 503,736
Change in net subscriber lines 9,440 (8,939 ) (9,363 ) (16,162 )
Subscriber lines (at period end) 2,365,524 2,388,721 2,365,524 2,388,721
Average monthly customer churn 2.5 % 2.7 % 2.6 % 2.6 %
Average monthly operating revenues per
line $ 29.31 $ 30.16 $ 29.79 $ 30.35
Average monthly direct cost of telephony
services per line $ 7.80 $ 8.25 $ 8.21 $ 8.22
Marketing costs per gross subscriber
line addition $ 299.26 $ 299.65 $ 319.20 $ 303.05
Employees (excluding temporary help) (at
period end) 971 1,035 971 1,035
Gross subscriber line additions. Gross subscriber line additions for a
particular period are calculated by taking the net subscriber line additions
during that particular period and adding to that the number of subscriber lines
that terminated during that period. This number does not include subscriber
lines both added and terminated during the period, where termination occurred
within the first 30 days after activation. The number does include, however,
subscriber lines added during the period that are terminated within 30 days of
activation but after the end of the period.
Net subscriber line additions. Net subscriber line additions for a particular
period reflect the number of subscriber lines at the end of the period, less the
number of subscriber lines at the beginning of the period.
Subscriber lines. Our subscriber lines include, as of a particular date, all
paid subscriber lines from which a customer can make an outbound telephone call
on that date. Our subscriber lines include fax lines including fax lines bundled
with subscriber lines in our small office home office calling plans and soft
phones but do not include our virtual phone numbers or toll free numbers, which
only allow inbound telephone calls to customers. Subscriber lines decreased from
2,388,721 as of September 30, 2011 to 2,365,524 as of September 30, 2012. For
the three months ended September 30, 2012, we added 171,628 subscriber lines. We
believe that the decrease in our subscriber lines from the prior year was
primarily due to increasing competition, particularly from cable companies and
alternative voice communication providers.
Average monthly customer churn. Average monthly customer churn for a particular
period is calculated by dividing the number of customers that terminated during
that period by the simple average number of customers during the period, and
dividing the result by the number of months in the period. The simple average
number of customers during the period is the number of customers on the first
day of the period, plus the number of customers on the last day of the period,
divided by two. Terminations, as used in the calculation of churn statistics, do
not include customers terminated during the period if termination occurred
within the first 30 days after activation. Our average monthly customer churn
decreased from 2.7% for the three months ended September 30, 2011 to 2.5% for
the three months ended September 30, 2012 and remained flat compared to the
three months ended June 30, 2012. The decline from September 30, 2011 is the
result of improvements in overall customer satisfaction, as well as changes in
retention processes and the impact of service agreements, which were put in
place in February of 2012. Our average monthly customer churn was flat for the
nine months ended September 30, 2012 compared to the nine months ended
September 30, 2011. During the fourth quarter of 2012, we expect stable
sequential average monthly customer churn, with the potential for mild upward
pressure on churn due to the removal of Pakistan from our Vonage World plan as a
result of significant increases in call completion costs to Pakistan imposed by
regulatory authorities in Pakistan. We monitor churn on a daily basis and use it
as an indicator of the level of customer satisfaction. Other companies may
calculate churn differently, and their churn data may not be directly comparable
to ours. Customers who have been with us for a year or more tend to have a lower
churn rate than customers who have not. In addition, our customers who are
international callers generally churn at a lower rate than customers who are
domestic callers. Our churn will fluctuate over time due to economic conditions,
competitive pressures, marketplace perception of our services, and our ability
to provide high quality customer care and network quality and add future
innovative products and services.
Average monthly revenues per line. Average monthly revenues per line for a
particular period is calculated by dividing our revenues for that period by the
simple average number of subscriber lines for the period, and dividing the
result by the number of months in the period. The simple average number of
subscriber lines for the period is the number of subscriber lines on the first
day of the period, plus the number of subscriber lines on the last day of the
period, divided by two. Our average monthly revenues per line decreased slightly
to $29.31 for the three months ended September 30, 2012 compared to $30.16 for
the three months ended September 30, 2011 due primarily to plan mix, resulting
from the expansion of plan offerings to meet customer segment
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needs, and lower activation fee revenue. We expect selected pricing actions and
higher priced rate plans in the fourth quarter may offset this reduction in
average monthly revenues per line.
Average monthly direct cost of telephony services per line. Average monthly
direct cost of telephony services per line for a particular period is calculated
by dividing our direct cost of telephony services for that period by the simple
average number of subscriber lines for the period, and dividing the result by
the number of months in the period. We use the average monthly direct cost of
telephony services per line to evaluate how effective we are at managing our
costs of providing service. Our average monthly direct cost of telephony
services per line decreased to $7.80 for the three months ended September 30,
2012 compared to $8.25 for the three months ended September 30, 2011, due
primarily to the decrease in domestic termination costs due to a lower customer
base and more favorable rates negotiated with our service providers and the
decrease in our network costs and in our E-911 costs, offset by the increase in
international calling by our growing base of Vonage World customers and the
increase in regulatory fees. Direct cost of telephony services both overall and
on a per line basis is expected to experience upward pressure from increased
international calling by our base of Vonage World customers offset by
intelligent call routing, peering relationships we are implementing, and
improved pricing from various carriers.
Marketing cost per gross subscriber line addition. Marketing cost per gross
subscriber line addition is calculated by dividing our marketing expense for a
particular period by the number of gross subscriber line additions during the
period. Marketing expense does not include the cost of certain customer
acquisition activities, such as rebates and promotions, which are accounted for
as an offset to revenues, or customer equipment subsidies, which are accounted
for as direct cost of goods sold. As a result, it does not represent the full
cost to us of obtaining a new customer. Our marketing cost per gross subscriber
line addition was down slightly at $299.26 for the three months ended
September 30, 2012 compared to $299.65 for the three months ended September 30,
2011.
Employees. Employees represent the number of personnel that are on our payroll
and exclude temporary or outsourced labor.
Revenues
Revenues consists of telephony services revenue and customer equipment and
shipping revenue. Substantially all of our revenues are telephony services
revenue. In the United States, we offer domestic and international rate plans to
meet the needs of our customers, including a variety of residential plans,
mobile plans, and small office and home office calling plans. The "Vonage World"
plan, now available in the United States and Canada, offers unlimited calling
across the United States and Puerto Rico, unlimited international calling to
over 60 countries including India, Mexico, and China, subject to certain
restrictions, and free voicemail to text messages with Vonage Visual Voicemail.
Each of our unlimited plans other than Vonage World offers unlimited domestic
calling as well as unlimited calling to Puerto Rico, Canada, and selected
European countries, subject to certain restrictions. Each of our basic plans
offers a limited number of domestic calling minutes per month. We offer similar
plans in Canada and the United Kingdom. Under our basic plans, we charge on a
per minute basis when the number of domestic calling minutes included in the
plan is exceeded for a particular month. International calls (except for calls
to Puerto Rico, Canada and certain European countries under our unlimited plans
and a variety of countries under international calling plans and Vonage World)
are charged on a per minute basis. These per minute fees are not included in our
monthly subscription fees.
In addition to our landline telephony business, we are leveraging our technology
to offer services and applications for mobile and other connected devices to
address large existing markets. We introduced our first mobile offering in late
2009 and in early 2012 we introduced Vonage Mobile, our all-in-one mobile
application that provides free calling and messaging between users who have the
application, as well as traditional paid international calling to any other
phone. This mobile application works over WiFi, 3G and 4G and in more than 90
countries worldwide. The application consolidates the best features of our prior
applications, while adding important functionality, better value and improved
ease of use including direct payment through iTunes.
We derive most of our telephony services revenue from monthly subscription fees
that we charge our customers under our service plans. We also offer residential
fax service, virtual phone numbers, toll free numbers and other services, and
charge an additional monthly fee for each service. One business fax line is
included with each of our two small office and home office plans, but we charge
monthly fees for additional business fax lines. We automatically charge these
fees to our customers' credit cards, debit cards, or electronic check payments
("ECP"), monthly in advance. We also automatically charge the per minute fees
not included in our monthly subscription fees to our customers' credit cards,
debit cards or ECP monthly in arrears unless they exceed a certain dollar
threshold, in which case they are charged immediately.
By collecting monthly subscription fees in advance and certain other charges
immediately after they are incurred, we are able to reduce the amount of
accounts receivable that we have outstanding, thus allowing us to have lower
working capital requirements. Collecting in this manner also helps us mitigate
bad debt losses, which are recorded as a reduction to revenue. If a customer's
credit card, debit card or ECP is declined, we generally suspend international
calling capabilities as well as the customer's ability to incur domestic usage
charges in excess of their plan minutes. Historically, in most cases, we are
able to correct the problem with the customer within the current monthly billing
cycle. If the customer's credit card, debit card or ECP could not be
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successfully processed during three billing cycles (i.e., the current and two
subsequent monthly billing cycles), we terminate the account.
In the United States, we charge regulatory, compliance, E-911, and intellectual
property-related recovery fees on a monthly basis to defray costs, and to cover
taxes that we are charged by the suppliers of telecommunications services. In
addition, we recognize revenue on a gross basis for contributions to the Federal
Universal Service Fund ("USF") and related fees. All other taxes are recorded on
a net basis.
In addition, historically, we charged a disconnect fee for customers who
terminated their service plan within the first twelve months of service.
Disconnect fees are recorded as revenue and are recognized at the time the
customer terminates service. Beginning in September 2010, we eliminated the
disconnect fee for new customers. In February of 2012 we re-introduced service
agreements as an option for new customers.
Telephony services revenue is offset by the cost of certain customer acquisition
activities, such as rebates and promotions.
Customer equipment and shipping revenue consists of revenue from sales of
customer equipment to our wholesalers or directly to customers and retailers. In
addition, customer equipment and shipping revenue includes the fees, when
collected, that we charge our customers for shipping any equipment to them.
Operating Expenses
Operating expenses consist of direct cost of telephony services, royalties,
direct cost of goods sold, selling, general and administrative expense,
marketing expense, and depreciation and amortization.
Direct cost of telephony services. Direct cost of telephony services primarily
consists of fees that we pay to third parties on an ongoing basis in order to
provide our services. These fees include:
• Access charges that we pay to other telephone companies to terminate
domestic and international calls on the public switched telephone
network. These costs represented approximately 51% and 50% of our total
direct cost of telephony services for the three months ended
September 30, 2012 and 2011, respectively, with a portion of these
payments ultimately being made to incumbent telephone companies. When a
Vonage subscriber calls another Vonage subscriber, we do not pay an
access charge.
• The cost of leasing Internet transit services from multiple Internet
service providers. This Internet connectivity is used to carry VoIP
session initiation signaling and packetized audio media between our
subscribers and our regional data centers.
• The cost of leasing from other telephone companies the telephone
numbers that we provide to our customers. We lease these telephone
numbers on a monthly basis.
• The cost of co-locating our regional data connection point equipment in
third-party facilities owned by other telephone companies, Internet
service providers or collocation facility providers.
• The cost of providing local number portability, which allows customers
to move their existing telephone numbers from another provider to our
service. Only regulated telecommunications providers have access to the
centralized number databases that facilitate this process. Because we
are not a regulated telecommunications provider, we must pay other
telecommunications providers to process our local number portability
requests.
• The cost of complying with FCC regulations regarding VoIP emergency
services, which require us to provide enhanced emergency dialing
capabilities to transmit 911 calls for all of our customers.
• Taxes that we pay on our purchase of telecommunications services from
our suppliers or imposed by government agencies such as Federal USF and
related fees.
Direct cost of goods sold. Direct cost of goods sold primarily consists of costs
that we incur when a customer first subscribes to our service. These costs
include:
• The cost of the equipment that we provide to customers who subscribe to
our service through our direct sales channel in excess of activation
fees when an activation fee is collected. The remaining cost of
customer equipment is deferred up to the activation fee collected and
amortized over the estimated average customer life.
• The cost of the equipment that we sell directly to retailers.
• The cost of shipping and handling for customer equipment, together with
the installation manual, that we ship to customers.
• The cost of certain products or services that we give customers as promotions.
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Selling, general and administrative expense. Selling, general and administrative
expense includes:
• Compensation and benefit costs for all employees, which is the largest
component of selling, general and administrative expense and includes
customer care, research and development, network engineering and
operations, sales and marketing, executive, legal, finance, and human
resources personnel.
• Share-based expense related to share-based awards to employees,
directors, and consultants.
• Outsourced labor related to customer care, kiosk and events sales
teams, and retail support activities.
• Product awareness advertising.
• Transaction fees paid to credit card, debit card, and ECP companies and
other third party billers such as iTunes, which may include a per
transaction charge in addition to a percent of billings charge.
• Rent and related expenses.
• Professional fees for legal, accounting, tax, public relations,
lobbying, and development activities.
• Litigation settlements.
Marketing expense. Marketing expense includes:
• Advertising costs, which comprise a majority of our marketing expense
and include online, television, direct mail, alternative media,
promotions, sponsorships, and inbound and outbound telemarketing.
• Creative and production costs.
• The costs to serve and track our online advertising.
• Certain amounts we pay to retailers for activation commissions.
• The cost associated with our customer referral program.
Depreciation and amortization expenses. Depreciation and amortization expenses
include:
• Depreciation of our network equipment, furniture and fixtures, and
employee computer equipment.
• Amortization of leasehold improvements and purchased and developed software.
• Amortization of intangible assets (patents and trademarks).
• Loss on disposal or impairment of property and equipment.
Loss from abandonment of software assets. Loss from abandonment of software
assets include:
• Impairment of investment in software assets.
Other Income (Expense)
Other Income (Expense) includes:
• Interest income on cash and cash equivalents.
• Interest expense on notes payable, patent litigation judgments and
settlements and capital leases.
• Amortization of debt related costs.
• Accretion of notes.
• Realized and unrealized gains (losses) on foreign currency.
• Gain (loss) on extinguishment of notes.
• Change in fair value of embedded features within stock warrant.
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Results of Operations
The following table sets forth, as a percentage of consolidated operating
revenues, our consolidated statement of operations for the periods indicated:
Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended
September 30, September 30,
2012 2011 2012 2011
Revenues 100 % 100 % 100 % 100 %
Operating Expenses:
Direct cost of telephony services (excluding
depreciation and amortization) 26 27 28 27
Direct cost of goods sold 5 5 5 5
Selling, general and administrative 29 27 28 27
Marketing 25 24 25 23
Depreciation and amortization 4 4 4 5
Loss from abandonment of software assets - - 4 -
89 87 94 87
Income from operations 11 13 6 13
Other Income (Expense):
Interest income - - - -
Interest expense (1 ) (1 ) (1 ) (2 )
Change in fair value of stock warrant - - - -
Loss on extinguishment of notes - (4 ) - (2 )
Other income (expense), net - - - -
(1 ) (5 ) (1 ) (4 )
Income before income tax expense 10 8 5 9
Income tax expense (4 ) - (2 ) -
Net income 6 % 8 % 3 % 9 %
Summary of Results for the Three and Nine Months Ended September 30, 2012 and
September 30, 2011
Revenues, Direct Cost of Telephony Services and Direct Cost of Good Sold
(in thousands,
except percentages) Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended
September 30, September 30,
Dollar Percent Dollar Percent
2012 2011 Change Change 2012 2011 Change Change
Revenues $ 207,584 $ 216,507 $ (8,923 ) (4 )% $ 635,403 $ 654,633 $ (19,230 ) (3 )%
Direct cost of
telephony
services(1) 55,245 59,230 (3,985 ) (7 )% 175,063 177,302 (2,239 ) (1 )%
Direct cost of goods
sold 10,444 10,711 (267 ) (2 )% 29,565 31,631 (2,066 ) (7 )%
141,895 146,566 (4,671 ) (3 )% 430,775 445,700 (14,925 ) (3 )%
(1) Excludes depreciation and amortization of $3,722, $3,864, $11,581,
$11,855, respectively.
Revenues. For the three months ended September 30, 2012, revenues decreased by
$8,923, or 4%, compared to the three months ended September 30, 2011. This was
primarily driven by a decrease of $7,714 in monthly subscription fees resulting
from a decreased number of subscription lines, which reduced from 2,388,721 at
September 30, 2011 to 2,365,524 at September 30, 2012, and plan mix, a decrease
in activation fees of $766, and a decrease in our regulatory fee revenue of
$1,118, which includes an increase of $404 in USF fees offset by a decrease in
regulatory recovery fees and E-911 fees of $1,522. There was a decrease
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in additional features revenue of $278 due primarily to customers opting for our
Vonage World offering, which now includes directory assistance and voice mail to
text, and a decrease in other revenue of $854 due to lower rates from our
revenue sharing partners. In addition, there was a decrease in overage in plan
minutes of $164, a decrease in international minutes of use revenue of $238, and
a decrease of $100 in equipment and shipping revenue due to elimination of
equipment recovery fees for new customers. These decreases were offset by an
increase in fees that we charged for disconnecting our service of $1,055 due to
reinstatement of contracts for new customers beginning in February 2012, a
decrease in credits issued to subscribers of $1,014, and a decrease of $241 in
bad debt expense.
For the nine months ended September 30, 2012, revenues decreased by $19,230, or
3%, compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2011. This was primarily
driven by a decrease of $13,349 in monthly subscription fees resulting from a
decreased number of subscription lines, which reduced from 2,388,721 at
September 30, 2011 to 2,365,524 at September 30, 2012, and plan mix, a decrease
in activation fees of $3,228, and a decrease in overage in plan minutes of $783.
There was a reduction in international minutes of use revenue of $410 and a
decrease in additional features revenue of $1,182 due primarily to customers
opting for our Vonage World offering, which now includes directory assistance
and voice mail to text. In addition, there was a decrease of $1,701 in equipment
and shipping revenue due to lower direct customer additions and elimination of
equipment recovery fees for new customers and a decrease in other revenue of
$1,601 due to lower rates from our revenue sharing partners. These decreases
were offset by a decrease of $582 in bad debt expense due to improved customer
credit quality and lower non-pay churn, an increase in our regulatory fee
revenue of $1,414, which includes an increase of $5,765 in USF fees offset by a
decrease in regulatory recovery fees and E-911 fees of $4,351. There was also a
decrease in credits issued to subscribers of $502 and an increase in fees that
we charged for disconnecting our service of $528 due to reinstatement of
contracts for new customers beginning in February 2012.
Direct cost of telephony services. For the three months ended September 30, 2012
compared to the three months ended September 30, 2011, the decrease in direct
cost of telephony services of $3,985, or 7%, was primarily driven by a decrease
in domestic termination costs of $1,905 due to improved termination rates, which
are costs that we pay other phone companies for terminating phone calls, and
fewer minutes of use and a decrease in our network costs of $2,230, which
includes costs for co-locating in other carriers' facilities, leasing phone
numbers, routing calls on the Internet, E-911 costs, and transferring calls to
and from the Internet to the public switched telephone network due to improved
rates. There was also a decrease in local number portability costs of $193 due
to lower rates and a decrease in other costs of $229. These decreases were
partially offset by an increased cost of $349 from higher international call
volume associated with Vonage World and an increase of USF and related fees
imposed by government agencies of $222.
For the nine months ended September 30, 2012 compared to the nine months ended
September 30, 2011, the decrease in direct cost of telephony services of $2,239,
or 1%, was primarily driven by a decrease in domestic termination costs of
$7,256 due to improved termination rates, which are costs that we pay other
phone companies for terminating phone calls, and fewer minutes of use and a
decrease in our network costs of $6,138, which includes costs for co-locating in
other carriers' facilities, leasing phone numbers, routing calls on the
Internet, E-911 costs, and transferring calls to and from the Internet to the
public switched telephone network due to improved rates. There was also a
decrease in local number portability costs of $666 due to lower rates and a
decrease in other costs of $368. These decreases were partially offset by an
increased cost of $6,232 from higher international call volume associated with
Vonage World and an increased cost of $5,956 for USF and related fees imposed by
government agencies.
Direct cost of goods sold. For the three months ended September 30, 2012
compared to the three months ended September 30, 2011, the decrease in direct
cost of goods sold of $267, or 2%, was primarily due to a decrease in
amortization costs on deferred customer equipment of $555, a decrease in waived
activation fees for new customers of $1,149 due to lower direct customer adds,
and a decrease in shipping costs of $250. These decreases were offset by an
increase in customer equipment costs of $1,686 from additional customers from
our retail expansion started in the second quarter of 2011.
For the nine months ended September 30, 2012 compared to the nine months ended
September 30, 2011, the decrease in direct cost of goods sold of $2,066, or 7%,
was primarily due to a decrease in amortization costs on deferred customer
equipment of $2,461, a decrease in waived activation fees for new customers of
$3,140 due to lower direct customer adds, and a decrease in shipping costs of
$328. These decreases were offset by an increase in customer equipment costs of
$3,860 from additional customers from our retail expansion started in the second
quarter of 2011.
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Selling, General and Administrative
(in thousands, except
percentages) Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended
September 30, September 30,
Dollar Percent Dollar Percent
2012 2011 Change Change 2012 2011 Change Change
Selling, general and
administrative $ 59,676 $ 59,451 $ 225 - % $ 179,907 $ 176,175 $ 3,732 2 %
Selling, general and administrative. For the three months ended September 30,
2012 compared to the three months ended September 30, 2011, there was an
increase in selling, general, and administrative expenses of $225, or 0%. This
increase was primarily due to higher retail kiosk costs of $896 due to the
expansion of event teams and an increase in settlement costs related to
litigation of $158. There was also an increase in salary related expense,
outsourced temporary labor and severance costs of $1,911 and an increase in
in-store support of $520 related to additional customers from our retail
expansion. These increases were offset by a decrease in shared based cost of
$658, a decrease in credit card fees of $1,097, a decrease in uncollected state
and municipal tax expense of $101, and a decrease in facility expense of $100.
There was also a decrease in other costs of $789 and a decrease in professional
fees of $519.
For the nine months ended September 30, 2012 compared to the nine months ended
September 30, 2011, there was an increase in selling, general, and
administrative expenses of $3,732, or 2%. This increase was primarily due to
higher retail kiosk costs of $2,725 due to the expansion of event teams, an
increase in salary related expense, outsourced temporary labor and severance
costs of $1,341, and an increase in product awareness advertising of $2,169
related to our new mobile offering launched in February 2012. There was also an
increase in web hosting cost of $597, an increase in in-store support of $1,329
related to additional customers from our retail expansion, and an increase in
settlement costs related to litigation of $253. These increases were offset by a
decrease in uncollected state and municipal tax expense of $210, and a decrease
in credit card fees of $3,245. There was also a decrease in facility expense of
$330 and a decrease in shared based cost of $859.
Marketing
(in thousands,
except percentages) Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended
September 30, September 30,
Dollar Percent Dollar Percent
2012 2011 Change Change 2012 2011 Change Change
Marketing $ 51,361 $ 51,044 $ 317 1 % $ 159,739 $ 152,659 $ 7,080 5 %
Marketing. For the three months ended September 30, 2012 compared to the three
months ended September 30, 2011, marketing expense increased slightly by $317,
or 1%, mainly due to the increase in investment in retail to reach targeted
ethnic segments and incremental media expenses associated with the market test
of our low-priced domestic offer, offset by the decrease in our investment in
television.
For the nine months ended September 30, 2012 compared to the nine months ended
September 30, 2011, the increase in marketing expense of $7,080, or 5%, resulted
from increasing our marketing investment in television and retail to reach
targeted ethnic segments and incremental media expenses associated with the
market test of our low-priced domestic offer.
Depreciation and Amortization
(in thousands, except
percentages) Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended
September 30, September 30,
Dollar Percent Dollar Percent
2012 2011 Change Change 2012 2011 Change Change
Depreciation and
amortization $ 8,110 $ 8,683 $ (573 ) (7 )% $ 25,272 $ 28,413 $ (3,141 ) (11 )%
Depreciation and amortization. The decrease in depreciation and amortization of
$573, or 7%, for the three months ended September 30, 2012 compared to the three
months ended September 30, 2011, was primarily due to lower depreciation of
network equipment, computer hardware, and furniture of $539 and lower software
amortization of $340 due to certain projects being fully amortized, offset by an
increase in intangible asset amortization of $307 from additional intangible
asset acquired during the fourth quarter of 2011.
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The decrease in depreciation and amortization of $3,141, or 11%, for the nine
months ended September 30, 2012 compared to the nine months ended September 30,
2011, was primarily due to lower depreciation of network equipment, computer
hardware, and furniture of $1,641 and lower software amortization of $2,424 due
to certain projects being fully amortized, offset by an increase in intangible
asset amortization of $922 from additional intangible assets acquired during the
fourth quarter of 2011.
Loss from abandonment of software assets
(in thousands, except
percentages) Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended
September 30, September 30,
Dollar Percent Dollar Percent
2012 2011 Change Change 2012 2011 Change Change
Loss from abandonment of
software assets $ - $ - $ - - % $ 25,262 $ - $ 25,262 *
Loss from abandonment of software assets. The loss from abandonment of software
assets of $25,262 for the nine months ended September 30, 2012 was due to the
write-off of our investment in the Amdocs system, net of settlement amounts to
the Company, during the second quarter of 2012.
Other Income (Expense)
(in thousands, except
percentages) Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended
September 30, September 30,
Dollar Percent Dollar Percent
2012 2011 Change Change 2012 2011 Change Change
Interest income $ 30 $ 33 $ (3 ) (9 )% $ 80 $ 112 $ (32 ) (29 )%
Interest expense (1,402 ) (2,926 ) 1,524 52 % (4,719 ) (15,116 ) 10,397 69 %
Change in fair value of
stock warrant - - - * - (950 ) 950 100 %
Loss on extinguishment
of notes - (7,985 ) 7,985 100 % - (11,806 ) 11,806 100 %
Other income (expense),
net 28 (47 ) 75 160 % 5 (5 ) 10 200 %
$ (1,344 ) $ (10,925 ) $ 9,581 $ (4,634 ) $ (27,765 ) $ 23,131
Interest income. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012 compared
to the three and nine months ended September 30, 2011, the interest income
decreased slightly.
Interest expense. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012
compared to the three and nine months ended September 30, 2011, the decrease in
interest expense was due to lower principal outstanding and the reduced interest
rate on our credit facility (the "2011 Credit Facility") entered into in
connection with our refinancing in July 2011.
Change in fair value of stock warrant. The change in the fair value of our stock
warrant fluctuated with changes in the price of our common stock and was an
expense of $950 for the nine months ended September 30, 2011, as the stock
warrant was exercised during the three months ended March 31, 2011. An increase
in our stock price resulted in expense while a decrease in our stock price
resulted in income.
Loss on extinguishment of notes. The loss on extinguishment of notes for the
three and nine months ended September 30, 2011 was due to the acceleration of
unamortized debt discount and debt related costs in connection with prepayments
of our 2011 Credit Facility.
Other. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012 compared to the
three and nine months ended September 30, 2011, net other income and expense
increased by $75.
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Provision for Income Taxes
(in thousands, except
percentages) Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended
September 30, September 30,
Dollar Percent Dollar Percent
2012 2011 Change Change 2012 2011 Change Change
Income tax expense $ (8,191 ) $ (426 ) $ (7,765 ) (1,823 )% $ (12,167 ) $ (1,790 ) $ (10,377 ) (580 )%
Effective tax rate 38.3 % 2.6 % 33.8 % 2.9 %
Until the fourth quarter of 2011, we recorded a valuation allowance which
reduced our net deferred tax assets to zero. In the fourth quarter of 2011,
based upon our sustained profitable operating performance over the past three
years, excluding certain losses associated with our prior convertible notes and
our December 2010 debt refinancing, and our positive outlook for taxable income
in the future, our evaluation determined that the benefit resulting from our net
deferred tax assets (namely, the net operating loss carry forwards ("NOLs")) are
likely to be usable prior to their expiration. Accordingly, we released the
related valuation allowance against our United States and Canada net deferred
tax assets, and a portion of the allowance against our state net deferred tax
assets as certain NOLs may expire prior to utilization due to shorter
utilization periods in certain states, resulting in a one-time non-cash income
tax benefit of $325,601 that we recorded in our statement of operations and a
corresponding net deferred tax asset of $325,601 that we recorded on our balance
sheet on December 31, 2011. Beginning in the first quarter of 2012, we have
recognized income tax expense, an expense that had not been recognized prior to
the reduction of the valuation allowance.
The effective tax rate is calculated by dividing the income tax expense by
income before income tax expense. The effective rate for the nine months ended
September 30, 2012 was less than the federal statutory rate due, in part, to our
Canadian operations and certain discrete period items, which primarily consisted
of adjustments related to stock compensation, including a non-cash deferred tax
adjustment totaling $4,077, for certain stock compensation previously considered
nondeductible under Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code. The 2012
estimated annual effective tax rate is expected to approximate 35%, but may
fluctuate each quarter due to the timing of other discrete period transactions.
The 2011 provision represents the federal alternative minimum tax and state and
local income taxes currently payable.
Net Income
(in thousands, except
percentages) Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended
September 30, September 30,
Dollar Percent Dollar Percent
2012 2011 Change Change 2012 2011 Change Change
Net income $ 13,213 $ 16,037 $ (2,824 ) (18 )% $ 23,794 $ 58,898 $ (35,104 ) (60 )%
Net income. Based on the explanations described above, our net income of $13,213
for the three months ended September 30, 2012 decreased by $2,824, or 18%, from
net income of $16,037 for the three months ended September 30, 2011.
Based on the explanations described above, our net income of $23,794 for the
nine months ended September 30, 2012 decreased by $35,104, or 60%, from net
income of $58,898 for the nine months ended September 30, 2011.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Overview
The following table sets forth a summary of our cash flows for the periods
indicated:
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
2012 2011
(in thousands)Net cash provided by operating activities $ 58,797 $ 108,141
Net cash used in investing activities (13,461 ) (24,355 )
Net cash used in financing activities (30,128 ) (107,616 )
For the nine months ended September 30, 2012, we generated income from
operations. We expect to continue to balance efforts to grow our customer base
while consistently achieving operating profitability. To grow our customer base,
we continue
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to make investments in marketing, application development as we seek to launch
new services, network quality and expansion, and customer care. Although we
believe we will achieve consistent profitability in the future, we ultimately
may not be successful and we may not achieve consistent profitability. We
believe that cash flow from operations and cash on hand will fund our operations
for at least the next twelve months.
July 2011 Financing
On July 29, 2011, we entered into the 2011 Credit Facility consisting of an
$85,000 senior secured term loan and a $35,000 revolving credit facility. The
co-borrowers under the 2011 Credit Facility are us and Vonage America Inc., our
wholly owned subsidiary. Obligations under the 2011 Credit Facility are
guaranteed, fully and unconditionally, by our other United States subsidiaries
and are secured by substantially all of the assets of each borrower and each of
the guarantors.
Use of Proceeds
We used $100,000 of the net available proceeds of the 2011 Credit Facility, plus
$31,000 of cash on hand, to retire all of the debt under our prior credit
facility entered into in December 2010 (the "2010 Credit Facility"), including a
$1,000 prepayment fee to holders of the 2010 Credit Facility. We also incurred
$2,697 of fees in connection with the 2011 Credit Facility, which is amortized
to interest expense over the life of the debt using the effective interest
method.
Repayments
For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012, we made mandatory
repayments of $7,083 and $21,250, respectively, under the senior secured term
loan.
2011 Credit Facility Terms
The following description summarizes the material terms of the 2011 Credit
Facility:
The loans under the 2011 Credit Facility mature in July 2014. Principal amounts
under the 2011 Credit Facility are repayable in quarterly installments of $7,083
for the senior secured term loan. The unused portion of our revolving credit
facility incurs a 0.50% commitment fee.
Outstanding amounts under each of the senior secured term loan and the revolving
credit facility, at our option, will bear interest at:
• LIBOR (applicable to one-, two-, three- or six-month periods) plus an
applicable margin equal to 3.25% if our consolidated leverage ratio is
less than 0.75 to 1.00, 3.5% if our consolidated leverage ratio is
greater than or equal to 0.75 to 1.00 and less than 1.50 to 1.00, and
3.75% if our consolidated leverage ratio is greater than or equal to
1.50 to 1.00, payable on the last day of each relevant interest period
or, if the interest period is longer than three months, each day that
is three months after the first day of the interest period, or
• the base rate determined by reference to the highest of (a) the federal
funds effective rate from time to time plus 0.50%, (b) the prime rate
of JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., and (c) the LIBOR rate applicable to one
month interest periods plus 1.00%, plus an applicable margin equal to
2.25% if our consolidated leverage ratio is less than 0.75 to 1.00,
2.5% if our consolidated leverage ratio is greater than or equal to 0.75 to 1.00 and less than 1.50 to 1.00, and 2.75% if our consolidated
leverage ratio is greater than or equal to 1.50 to 1.00, payable on the
last business day of each March, June, September, and December and the
maturity date of the 2011 Credit Facility.
The 2011 Credit Facility provides greater flexibility to us in funding
acquisitions and restricted payments, such as stock buybacks, than the 2010
Credit Facility.
We may prepay the 2011 Credit Facility at our option at any time without premium
or penalty. The 2011 Credit Facility is subject to mandatory prepayments in
amounts equal to:
• 100% of the net cash proceeds from any non-ordinary course sale or
other disposition of our property and assets for consideration in
excess of a certain amount subject to customary reinvestment provisions
and certain other exceptions and
• 100% of the net cash proceeds received in connection with other
non-ordinary course transaction, including insurance proceeds not
otherwise applied to the relevant insurance loss.
Subject to certain restrictions and exceptions, the 2011 Credit Facility permits
us to obtain one or more incremental term loans and/or revolving credit
facilities in an aggregate principal amount of up to $60,000 plus an amount
equal to repayments of the senior secured term loan upon providing documentation
reasonably satisfactory to the administrative agent, without the consent
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of the existing lenders under the 2011 Credit Facility. The 2011 Credit Facility
includes customary representations and warranties and affirmative covenants of
the borrowers. In addition, the 2011 Credit Facility contains customary negative
covenants, including, among other things, restrictions on the ability of us and
our subsidiaries to consolidate or merge, create liens, incur additional
indebtedness, dispose of assets, consummate acquisitions, make investments, and
pay dividends and other distributions. We must also comply with the following
financial covenants:
• a consolidated leverage ratio of no greater than 2.00 to 1.00;
• a consolidated fixed coverage charge ratio of no less than 1.75 to 1.00;
• minimum cash of $25,000 including the unused portion of the revolving credit facility; and
• maximum capital expenditures not to exceed $55,000 during any fiscal
year, provided that the unused amount of any permitted capital
expenditures in any fiscal year may be carried forward to the next
following fiscal year, plus a portion of annual excess cash flow up to
$8,000.
As of September 30, 2012, we were in compliance with all covenants, including
financial covenants, for the 2011 Credit Facility.
The 2011 Credit Facility contains customary events of default that may permit
acceleration of the debt. During the continuance of a payment default, interest
will accrue at a default interest rate of 2% above the interest rate which would
otherwise be applicable, in the case of loans, and at a rate equal to the rate
applicable to base rate loans plus 2%, in the case of all other amounts.
State and Local Sales Taxes
We also have contingent liabilities for state and local sales taxes. As of
September 30, 2012, we had a reserve of $1,742. If our ultimate liability
exceeds this amount, it could affect our liquidity unfavorably. However, we do
not believe it will significantly impair our liquidity.
Capital Expenditures
For the nine months ended September 30, 2012, capital expenditures were
primarily for the implementation of software solutions and purchase of network
equipment as we continue to expand our network. Our capital expenditures for the
nine months ended September 30, 2012 were $14,741, of which $10,184 was for
software acquisition and development. The majority of these expenditures are
comprised of investments in information technology and systems infrastructure,
including an electronic data warehouse, online customer service, customer
management platforms, and the new Amdocs billing and order management system. As
previously disclosed, we experienced delays and incremental costs during the
course of the development and implementation of the new billing and ordering
system and the transition of customers to the system. We conducted discussions
with Amdocs to resolve the issues associated with the billing and ordering
system. Based on these discussions, and after our consideration of the progress
made improving our overall IT infrastructure, the incremental time and costs to
develop and implement the Amdocs system, as well as the expected reduction in
capital expenditures, in June 2012 we and Amdocs determined that terminating the
program was in the best interest of both parties. On July 30, 2012, we entered
into a settlement agreement with Amdocs terminating the related license
agreement. As a result, we determined that a write-off of our investment in the
system of $25,262, net of settlement amounts to the Company, was required in the
second quarter of 2012. This charge is recorded as loss from abandonment of
software assets in the statement of operations. For 2012, we believe our capital
and software expenditures will be between $30,000 and $35,000.
Common Stock Repurchases
On July 25, 2012, our board of directors approved a plan to buy back up to
$50,000 of Vonage common stock through December 31, 2013. The specific timing
and amount of repurchases will vary based on available capital resources and
other financial and operational performance, market conditions, securities law
limitations, and other factors. The repurchases will be made using our cash
resources. The repurchase program may be commenced, suspended or discontinued at
any time without prior notice. In any period, cash used in financing activities
related to common stock repurchases may differ from the comparable change in
stockholders' equity, reflecting timing differences between the recognition of
share repurchase transactions and their settlement for cash. For both the three
and nine months ended September 30, 2012, we repurchased $9,137, or 4,090 shares
of Vonage common stock.
Operating Activities
Cash provided by operating activities decreased to $58,797 for the nine months
ended September 30, 2012 compared to $108,141 for the nine months ended
September 30, 2011, primarily due to planned investments in our growth
initiatives, lower revenues and changes in working capital.
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Changes in working capital requirements include changes in accounts receivable,
inventory, prepaid and other assets, accounts payable, accrued and other
liabilities, and deferred revenue and costs. Cash used for working capital
requirements increased by $32,947 during the nine months ended September 30,
2012 compared to the prior year period primarily due to timing of payments.
Investing Activities
Cash used in investing activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2012
of $13,461 was attributable to capital expenditures of $4,557 and development of
software assets of $10,184, offset by a decrease in restricted cash of $1,280
due primarily to the return of part of the security deposit on our leased office
property in Holmdel, New Jersey.
Cash used in investing activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2011
of $24,355 was attributable to capital expenditures of $8,853 and development of
software assets of $16,550, offset by a decrease in restricted cash of $1,048
due primarily to the return of partial security deposit on our leased office
property in Holmdel, New Jersey.
Financing Activities
Cash used in financing activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2012
of $30,128 was primarily attributable to $21,250 in 2011 Credit Facility
principal payments, $1,540 in capital lease payments, and $8,431 in common stock
repurchases, offset by $1,093 in proceeds received from the exercise of stock
options.
Cash used in financing activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2011
of $107,616 was primarily attributable to $200,000 in 2010 Credit Facility
principal payments and $7,083 in 2011 Credit Facility principal payment,
respectively, $1,303 in capital lease payments, and $2,697 in 2011 Credit
Facility debt related cost payments, offset by $100,000 in proceeds received
from the issuance of the 2011 Credit Facility and $4,521 in proceeds received
from the exercise of stock options and a common stock warrant.
Summary of Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
Our significant accounting policies are summarized in Note 1 to our consolidated
financial statements. The following describes our critical accounting policies
and estimates:
Use of Estimates
Our consolidated financial statements are prepared in conformity with accounting
principles generally accepted in the United States, which require management to
make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported and disclosed in
the consolidated financial statements and the accompanying notes. Actual results
could differ materially from these estimates.
On an ongoing basis, we evaluate our estimates, including the following:
• the useful lives of property and equipment, software costs, and
intangible assets;
• assumptions used for the purpose of determining share-based
compensation and the fair value of our prior stock warrant using the
Black-Scholes option pricing model ("Model"), and various other
assumptions that we believed to be reasonable. The key inputs for this
Model are our stock price at valuation date, exercise price, the dividend yield, risk-free interest rate, life in years, and historical
volatility of our common stock; and
• assumptions used in determining the need for, and amount of, a
valuation allowance on net deferred tax assets.
We base our estimates on historical experience, available market information,
appropriate valuation methodologies, and on various other assumptions that we
believed to be reasonable, the results of which form the basis for making
judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities.
Revenue Recognition
The point in time at which revenues are recognized is determined in accordance
with Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 104, Revenue Recognition, and Financial
Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC")
605, Revenue Recognition.
At the time a customer signs up for our telephony services, there are the
following deliverables:
• Providing equipment, if any, to the customer that enables our telephony
services and
• Providing telephony services.
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The equipment is provided free of charge to our customers and in most instances
there are no fees collected at sign-up. We record the fees collected for
shipping the equipment to the customer, if any, as shipping and handling revenue
at the time of shipment.
A further description of our revenues is as follows:
Substantially all of our operating revenues are telephony services revenues,
which are derived primarily from monthly subscription fees that customers are
charged under our service plans. We also derive telephony services revenues from
per minute fees for international calls if not covered under a plan, including
applications for mobile devices and other stand-alone products, and for any
calling minutes in excess of a customer's monthly plan limits. Monthly
subscription fees are automatically charged to customers' credit cards, debit
cards or electronic check payments, or ECP, in advance and are recognized over
the following month when services are provided. Revenues generated from
international calls and from customers exceeding allocated call minutes under
limited minute plans are recognized as services are provided, that is, as
minutes are used, and are billed to a customer's credit cards, debit cards or
ECP in arrears. As a result of our multiple billing cycles each month, we
estimate the amount of revenues earned from international calls and from
customers exceeding allocated call minutes under limited minute plans but not
billed from the end of each billing cycle to the end of each reporting period
and record these amounts as accounts receivable. These estimates are based
primarily upon historical minutes and have been consistent with our actual
results.
We also provide rebates to customers who purchase their customer equipment from
retailers and satisfy minimum service period requirements. These rebates in
excess of activation fees are recorded as a reduction of revenues over the
service period based upon the estimated number of customers that will ultimately
earn and claim the rebates.
Customer equipment and shipping revenues include sales to our retailers, who
subsequently resell this customer equipment to customers. Revenues were reduced
for payments to retailers and rebates to customers, who purchased their customer
equipment through these retailers, to the extent of customer equipment and
shipping revenues.
Inventory
Inventory consists of the cost of customer equipment and is stated at the lower
of cost or market, with cost determined using the average cost method. We
provide an inventory allowance for customer equipment that has been returned by
customers but may not be able to be reissued to new customers or returned to the
manufacturer for credit.
Income Taxes
We recognize deferred tax assets and liabilities at enacted income tax rates for
the temporary differences between the financial reporting bases and the tax
bases of our assets and liabilities. Any effects of changes in income tax rates
or tax laws are included in the provision for income taxes in the period of
enactment. Our net deferred tax assets primarily consist of NOLs. We are
required to record a valuation allowance against our net deferred tax assets to
the extent we conclude that it is more likely than not that taxable income
generated in the future will be insufficient to utilize the future income tax
benefit from our net deferred tax assets (namely, the NOLs) prior to expiration.
In the fourth quarter of 2011, we concluded that it was more likely than not
that taxable income in the future would be sufficient to utilize a significant
portion of the future income tax benefit from our net deferred tax assets
(namely, the NOLs) prior to expiration and we released $325,601 of the valuation
allowance. We periodically review this conclusion, which requires significant
management judgment. In the future, if available evidence changes our
conclusions, we will make an adjustment to the related valuation allowance and
income tax expense at that time.
Net Operating Loss Carry Forwards
As of December 31, 2011, we had NOLs for United States federal and state tax
purposes of $794,714 and $423,963, respectively, expiring at various times from
years ending 2012 through 2030. In addition, we had NOLs for Canadian tax
purposes of $37,564 expiring through 2027. We also had NOLs for United Kingdom
tax purposes of $34,568 with no expiration date.
Our ability to use our tax attributes to offset tax on U.S. taxable income would
be substantially limited if there were an "ownership change" as defined under
Section 382 of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code. In general, an ownership change
would occur if one or more "5-percent shareholders," as defined under Section
382, collectively increase their ownership in us by more than 50 percent over a
rolling three-year period. The Section 382 limitation is applied annually so as
to limit the use of our pre-change NOLs to an amount that generally equals the
value of our stock immediately before the ownership change multiplied by a
designated federal long-term tax-exempt rate. At December 31, 2011, there were
no limitations on the use of our NOLs.
Net Operating Loss Rights Agreement
On June 7, 2012, we entered into a Tax Benefits Preservation Plan ("Preservation
Plan") designed to preserve stockholder value and tax assets. In connection with
the adoption of the Preservation Plan, our board of directors declared a
dividend of one
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preferred share purchase right for each outstanding share of the Company's
common stock. The preferred share purchase rights were distributed to
stockholders of record as of June 18, 2012, as well as to holders of the
Company's common stock issued after that date, but will only be activated if
certain triggering events under the Preservation Plan occur.
Under the Preservation Plan, preferred share purchase rights will work to impose
significant dilution upon any person or group which acquires beneficial
ownership of 4.9% or more of the outstanding common stock, without the approval
of our board of directors, from and after June 7, 2012. Stockholders that own
4.9% or more of the outstanding common stock as of the opening of business on
June 7, 2012 will not trigger the preferred share purchase rights so long as
they do not (i) acquire additional shares of common stock or (ii) fall under
4.9% ownership of common stock and then re-acquire shares that in the aggregate
equal 4.9% or more of the common stock.
The Preservation Plan will expire no later than the close of business June 7,
2013, unless extended by our board of directors. Any extension would be subject
to approval by our stockholders at the 2013 annual meeting.
Share-Based Compensation
We account for share-based compensation in accordance with FASB ASC 718,
"Compensation-Stock Compensation". Under the fair value recognition provisions
of this pronouncement, share-based compensation cost is measured at the grant
date based on the fair value of the award, reduced as appropriate based on
estimated forfeitures, and is recognized as expense over the applicable vesting
period of the stock award using the accelerated method.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
We do not have any off-balance sheet arrangements.
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