form10q111708.htm
UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
D.C. 20549
FORM
10-Q
(Mark
One)
[X]
QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT
OF 1934
For the
quarterly period ended September 30,
2008
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: 001-22302
ISCO
INTERNATIONAL, INC.
(Exact
name of registrant as specified in its charter)
|
|
|
DELAWARE
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36-3688459
|
(State
or other jurisdiction of
incorporation
or organization)
|
|
(I.R.S.
Employer
Identification
No.)
|
|
|
1001
CAMBRIDGE DRIVE
ELK
GROVE VILLAGE, ILLINOIS
|
|
60007
|
(Address
of principal executive offices)
|
|
(Zip
Code)
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(847) 391-9400
(Registrant’s
telephone number, including area code)
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports
required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act
of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the
registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to
such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes [X] No
[ ]
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an
accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See
the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” and “smaller
reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act
|
|
|
|
|
Large
accelerated filer [ ]
|
|
Accelerated
filer [ ]
|
|
|
Non-accelerated
filer [ ] (Do
not check if a smaller reporting company)
|
|
Smaller reporting company [ X]
|
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule
12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes [ ] No
[X]
Indicate
the number of shares outstanding of each of the issuer’s classes of common
stock, as of the latest practicable date:
Class
|
|
Outstanding
at November 12, 2008
|
Common
Stock, par value $0.001 per share
|
|
228,471,174
|
ISCO
INTERNATIONAL, INC.
(UNAUDITED)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
September
30,
|
|
|
December
31,
|
|
|
|
2008
|
|
|
2007
|
|
Assets:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Current
Assets:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash
and Cash Equivalents
|
$
|
789,986
|
|
$
|
1,789,953
|
|
Inventory,
net
|
|
2,686,143
|
|
|
3,043,230
|
|
Accounts
Receivable, net
|
|
1,001,327
|
|
|
2,311,110
|
|
Prepaid
Expenses and Other
|
|
228,807
|
|
|
149,659
|
|
Total
Current Assets
|
|
4,706,263
|
|
|
7,293,952
|
|
Property
and Equipment
|
|
1,735,964
|
|
|
1,437,030
|
|
Less:
Accumulated Depreciation and Amortization
|
|
(1,182,546)
|
|
|
(940,328)
|
|
Net
Property and Equipment
|
|
553,418
|
|
|
496,702
|
|
Restricted
Certificates of Deposit
|
|
132,372
|
|
|
129,307
|
|
Other
Assets
|
|
-
|
|
|
587,824
|
|
Goodwill
|
|
13,370,000
|
|
|
13,370,000
|
|
Intangible
Assets, net
|
|
2,732,360
|
|
|
850,811
|
|
Total
Assets
|
$
|
21,494,413
|
|
$
|
22,728,596
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Liabilities
and Stockholders’ Equity:
|
|
|
|
|
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Current
Liabilities:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Accounts
Payable
|
$
|
522,855
|
|
$
|
904,910
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|
Inventory-related
Material Purchase Accrual
|
|
45,952
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|
|
240,126
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Employee-related
Accrued Liability
|
|
276,127
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|
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331,522
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|
Accrued
Professional Services
|
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23,530
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|
|
106,921
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|
Other
Accrued Liabilities and Current Deferred Revenue
|
|
1,013,858
|
|
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452,581
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Current-portion
of Notes Payable
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12,703,612
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|
|
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Total
Current Liabilities
|
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14,585,934
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2,036,060
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|
|
|
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|
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Deferred
Facility Reimbursement
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80,000
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|
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87,500
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Deferred
Revenue - Non Current
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115,280
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104,940
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Notes
and Related Accrued Interest with Related Parties, Net of
Current-portion
|
|
8,598,323
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|
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15,939,229
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|
Stockholders’
Equity:
|
|
|
|
|
|
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Preferred
Stock; 300,000 shares authorized; No shares issued and outstanding at
September 30, 2008 and December 31, 2007
|
|
|
|
|
|
Common
Stock ($.001 par value); 500,000,000 shares authorized; and 224,684,526
and 202,259,359 shares issued and outstanding at September 30, 2008 and
December 31, 2007, respectively
|
|
229,685
|
|
|
202,260
|
|
Additional
Paid-in Capital
|
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182,516,090
|
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|
175,281,340
|
|
Treasury
Stock
|
|
(139,345)
|
|
|
(95,050)
|
|
Accumulated
Deficit
|
|
(184,491,554)
|
|
|
(170,827,683)
|
|
Total
Stockholders’ Equity
|
|
(1,885,124)
|
|
|
4,560,867
|
|
Total
Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity
|
$
|
21,494,413
|
|
$
|
22,728,596
|
|
See the
accompanying Notes which are an integral part of the Condensed Consolidated
Financial Statements.
ISCO
INTERNATIONAL, INC.
(UNAUDITED)
|
|
Three
Months Ended
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|
Nine
Months Ended
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|
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September 30,
|
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September
30,
|
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2008
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2007
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2008
|
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2007
|
|
Net
sales
|
$
|
1,867,170
|
$
|
1,924,401
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$
|
7,109,977
|
$
|
6,300,357
|
|
Costs
and Expenses:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cost
of Sales
|
|
1,000,779
|
|
1,220,913
|
|
3,857,749
|
|
3,633,283
|
|
Research
and Development
|
|
1,075,353
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|
721,241
|
|
3,949,444
|
|
2,004,003
|
|
Selling
and Marketing
|
|
795,086
|
|
554,494
|
|
2,429,186
|
|
1,808,800
|
|
General
and Administrative
|
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985,906
|
|
1,003,762
|
|
3,430,620
|
|
3,185,141
|
|
Goodwill
Impairment |
|
6,195,268 |
|
|
|
6,195,268 |
|
- |
|
Total
Costs and Expenses
|
|
10,052,392
|
|
3,500,410
|
|
19,862,267
|
|
10,631,227
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating
Loss
|
|
(8,185,222)
|
|
(1,576,009)
|
|
(12,752,290)
|
|
(4,330,870)
|
|
Other
Income (Expense):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Interest
Income
|
|
3,899
|
|
34,182
|
|
14,097
|
|
70,387
|
|
Interest
(Expense)
|
|
(343,954)
|
|
(248,712)
|
|
(926,456)
|
|
(759,501)
|
|
Other
Income
|
|
210
|
|
-
|
|
778
|
|
-
|
|
Other
Income (Expense), net
|
|
(339,845)
|
|
(214,530)
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(911,581)
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|
(689,114)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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|
Net
Loss
|
$
|
(8,525,067)
|
$
|
(1,790,539)
|
$
|
(13,663,871)
|
$
|
(5,019,984)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Basic
and diluted loss per share
|
$
|
(0.04)
|
$
|
(0.01)
|
$
|
(0.06)
|
$
|
(0.03)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Weighted
average number of common
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
shares
outstanding
|
|
222,246,000
|
|
200,154,000
|
|
215,814,000
|
|
193,433,000
|
|
See the
accompanying Notes which are an integral part of the Condensed Consolidated
Financial Statements.
ISCO
INTERNATIONAL, INC.
(UNAUDITED)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Nine
Months Ended
|
|
|
Nine
Months Ended
|
|
|
|
|
September
30, 2008
|
|
|
September
30, 2007
|
|
OPERATING
ACTIVITIES
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
loss
|
|
$
|
(13,663,871)
|
|
$
|
(5,019,984)
|
|
Adjustments
to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating
activities:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Depreciation
and amortization
|
|
|
539,799
|
|
|
138,488
|
|
Stock-based
compensation charges
|
|
|
499,525
|
|
|
1,217,769
|
|
Goodwill Impairment
|
|
|
6,195,268
|
|
|
- |
|
Changes
in operating assets and liabilities
|
|
|
3,281,204
|
|
|
3,750,119
|
|
Net
cash provided by (used in) operating activities
|
|
|
(3,148,075)
|
|
|
86,392
|
|
INVESTING
ACTIVITIES
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Increase
in restricted certificates of deposit
|
|
|
(3,065)
|
|
|
(8,208)
|
|
Payment
of patent costs
|
|
|
(42,882)
|
|
|
(47,722)
|
|
Acquisition
of property and equipment, net
|
|
|
(17,118)
|
|
|
(69,577)
|
|
Acquisition
of Clarity
|
|
|
(2,193,432)
|
|
|
-
|
|
Net
cash provided by (used in) investing activities
|
|
|
(2,256,497)
|
|
|
(125,507)
|
|
FINANCING
ACTIVITIES
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Issuance
of common stock
|
|
|
12,650
|
|
|
-
|
|
Proceeds
from loan
|
|
|
2,200,000
|
|
|
-
|
|
Proceeds
from note payable
|
|
|
3,250,000
|
|
|
-
|
|
Payment
of loan
|
|
|
(1,013,750)
|
|
|
-
|
|
Treasury
stock purchased
|
|
|
(44,295)
|
|
|
(64,600)
|
|
Net
cash provided by (used in) financing activities
|
|
|
4,404,605
|
|
|
(64,600)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Decrease)/Increase
in cash and cash equivalents
|
|
|
(999,967)
|
|
|
(103,715)
|
|
Cash
and cash equivalents at beginning of period
|
|
|
1,789,953
|
|
|
2,886,476
|
|
Cash
and cash equivalents at end of period
|
|
$
|
789,986
|
|
$
|
2,782,761
|
|
See the
accompanying Notes which are an integral part of the Condensed Consolidated
Financial Statements.
ISCO
INTERNATIONAL
(UNAUDITED)
Ended
September 30, 2008
|
Common
Stock Shares
|
Common
Stock Amount
|
Additional
Paid-In Capital
|
Treasury
Stock
|
Accumulated
Deficit
|
Total
|
Balance
as of December 31, 2005
|
183,252,036
|
$183,252
|
$170,387,752
|
$ -
|
$
(160,040,288)
|
$
10,530,716
|
Exercise
of Stock Options
|
2,582,826
|
2,583
|
427,330
|
-
|
-
|
429,913
|
Equity
Financing
|
3,787,271
|
3,787
|
(3,787)
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Section
16b recovery
|
-
|
-
|
3,124
|
-
|
-
|
3,124
|
Stock-Based
Compensation
|
-
|
-
|
1,565,423
|
-
|
-
|
1,565,423
|
Net
Loss
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
(4,364,984)
|
(4,364,984)
|
Balance
as of December 31, 2006
|
189,622,133
|
$189,622
|
$172,379,842
|
$ -
|
$
(164,405,272)
|
$ 8,164,192
|
Vesting
of Restricted Stock
|
4,303,893
|
4,304
|
(4,304)
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
1.5M
Accrued Interest Converted to Equity
|
8,333,334
|
8,334
|
1,491,666
|
-
|
-
|
1,500,000
|
Stock-Based
Compensation
|
-
|
-
|
1,414,136
|
-
|
-
|
1,414,136
|
Purchase
of Treasury Shares
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
(95,050)
|
-
|
(95,050)
|
Net
Loss
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
(6,422,411)
|
(6,422,411)
|
Balance
as of December 31, 2007
|
202,259,360
|
$202,260
|
$175,281,340
|
$(95,050)
|
$(170,827,683)
|
$4,560,867
|
Vesting
of Restricted Stock
|
2,310,168
|
2,310
|
(2,310)
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Exercised
of Stock Options
|
115,000
|
115
|
12,535
|
-
|
-
|
12,650
|
Stock-Based
Compensation
|
-
|
-
|
499,525
|
-
|
-
|
499,525
|
Purchase
of Treasury Shares
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
(44,295)
|
-
|
(44,295)
|
Shares
issued for acquisition
|
20,000,000
|
25,000
|
6,725,000
|
-
|
-
|
6,750,000
|
Net
Loss
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
(13,663,871)
|
(13,663,871)
|
Balance
as of September 30, 2008
|
224,684,528
|
$229,685
|
$182,516,090
|
$(139,345)
|
$(184,491,554)
|
$(1,885,124)
|
(UNAUDITED)
Note
1 – Organization
ISCO
International, Inc., (“ISCO” and, together with its subsidiary Clarity
Communication Systems Inc. (“Clarity”), the “Company” or “we,” “our,” or “us”)
addresses RF (Radio Frequency) and radio link optimization issues, including
interference issues, within wireless communications, as well as provides product
and service offerings based on Push-To-Talk (“PTT”) and Location-Based Services
(“LBS”), including a proprietary combination of the two technologies in its
Where2Talk (“W2T”) solution. Two inactive subsidiaries, Spectral Solutions, Inc.
and Illinois Superconductor Canada Corporation, were terminated during early
2008 as the Company’s new subsidiary, Clarity, was acquired in connection with
the merger that closed on January 3, 2008. The Company uses unique
products, including ANF (Adaptive Interference Management, or AIM, family of
solutions), RF² and other solutions, as well as service expertise, in improving
the RF handling of a wireless system, particularly the radio link (the signal
between the mobile device and the base station). A subset of this capability is
mitigating the impact of interference on wireless communications systems. These
solutions are designed to enhance the quality, capacity, coverage and
flexibility of wireless telecommunications services. The Company has
historically marketed its products to cellular, PCS and wireless
telecommunications service providers and original equipment manufacturers
(“OEMs”) located both in the United States and in international
markets.
Note
2 – Basis of Presentation
The
condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of ISCO and its
wholly-owned subsidiary, Clarity. All significant intercompany
balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. The
two inactive subsidiaries were included in these results in a similar fashion,
up until the time of their termination in January 2008. The
termination of these subsidiaries had no impact upon the consolidated financial
results.
The
accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been
prepared by the Company in accordance with accounting principles generally
accepted in the United States of America (“US GAAP”) for interim financial
information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Rule 8-03 of Regulation
S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and notes required
by US GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all
adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) considered necessary for a
fair presentation of results for the interim periods have been included. These
financial statements and notes included herein should be read in conjunction
with the Company’s audited financial statements and notes for the year ended
December 31, 2007 included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, as
amended, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). The
results of operations for the interim periods presented are not necessarily
indicative of the results to be expected for any subsequent quarter of, or for,
the entire year ending December 31, 2008. For further information, refer to
the financial statements, including the notes thereto, included in the Company’s
Annual Report on Form 10-K, as amended, for the fiscal year ended
December 31, 2007 and filed with the SEC.
Recent
Accounting Pronouncements
In June
2008, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued FSP EITF 03-6-1,
“Determining Whether Instruments Granted in Share-Based Payment Transactions Are
Participating Securities” (“FSP EITF 03-6-1”). FSP EITF 03-6-1 addresses whether
instruments granted in share-based payment transactions are participating
securities prior to vesting and, therefore, need to be included in computing
earnings per share under the two-class method described in SFAS No. 128,
“Earnings Per Share.” The Company is currently in the process of evaluating the
impact of adopting this pronouncement.
In May 2008, FASB issued Statement
No. 162, “The Hierarchy of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles". The new
standard is intended to improve financial reporting by identifying a consistent
framework, or hierarchy, for selecting accounting principles to be used in
preparing financial statements that are presented in conformity with US GAAP for
nongovernmental entities. Statement 162 is effective 60 days following the
Securities and Exchanges Commission's approval of the Public Company Accounting
Oversight Board Auditing amendments to AU Section 411, The Meaning of Present
Fairly in Conformity with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. The adoption
of SFAS 162 will not have a material effect on the Company’s financial position
or results of operations.
In
May 2008, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued FASB
Staff Position (“FSP”) APB 14-1, Accounting for Convertible Debt
Instruments That May Be Settled In Cash upon Conversion (Including Partial Cash
Settlement). FSP APB 14-1 specifies that issuers of such instruments
should separately account for the liability and equity components in a manner
that will reflect the entity’s nonconvertible debt borrowing rate when interest
cost is recognized in subsequent periods. FSP APB 14-1 is effective for
financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15,
2008 and interim periods within those fiscal years. We are currently in the
process of evaluating the impact of adopting this pronouncement.
In April 2008, the FASB issued FSP Statement of Financial
Accounting Standards (“SFAS”) No. 142-3, “Determination of the Useful Life
of Intangible Assets” (“FSP SFAS 142-3”). FSP SFAS 142-3 amends the factors that
should be considered in developing renewal or extension assumptions used to
determine the useful life of a recognized intangible asset under SFAS
No. 142, “Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets” (“SFAS 142”). The intent of
FSP SFAS 142-3 is to improve the consistency between the useful life of a
recognized intangible asset under SFAS 142 and the period of expected cash flows
used to measure the fair value of the asset under SFAS No. 141 (revised
2007), “Business Combinations” (“SFAS 141(R)”), and other applicable accounting
literature. FSP SFAS 142-3 is effective for financial statements issued for
fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2008 and must be applied
prospectively to intangible assets acquired after the effective date. We are
currently evaluating the provisions of FSP SFAS 142-3.
In
February 2008, the FASB issued Staff Position No. FAS 157-2
(“SFAS157-2”) which provides for a one-year deferral of the effective date of
SFAS No. 157, “Fair Value
Measurements,” for non-financial assets and liabilities that are
recognized or disclosed at fair value in the financial statements on a recurring
basis. We adopted FAS 157-2 upon its issuance.
In
December 2007, the FASB issued SFAS 141(R), and SFAS No. 160,
“Noncontrolling Interests in
Consolidated Financial Statements” (“SFAS 160”). SFAS 141(R)
requires an acquirer to measure the identifiable assets acquired, the
liabilities assumed and any non-controlling interest in the acquiree at their
fair values on the acquisition date, with goodwill being the excess value over
the net identifiable assets acquired. SFAS 160 clarifies that a non-controlling
interest in a subsidiary should be reported as equity in the consolidated
financial statements. The calculation of earnings per share will continue to be
based on income amounts attributable to the parent. SFAS 141(R) and SFAS 160 are
effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after
December 15, 2008. Early adoption is prohibited. We have not yet determined
the effect on our consolidated financial statements, if any, upon adoption of
SFAS 141(R) or SFAS 160.
In
December 2007, the FASB issued FAS 160, “Noncontrolling Interests in
Consolidated Financials, an Amendment of ARB No. 51,” which is
intended to improve the relevance, comparability and transparency of the
financial information that a reporting entity provides in its consolidated
financial statements by establishing certain required accounting and reporting
standards. FAS 160 is effective for fiscal years beginning on or after
December 15, 2008. The Company is evaluating the options provided under FAS
160 and their potential impact on its financial condition and results of
operations if implemented. The Company does not expect the adoption of FAS 160
to significantly affect its consolidated financial condition or results of
operations.
In
February 2007, the FASB issued SFAS No. 159, “The Fair Value Option for Financial
Assets and Financial Liabilities” (“SFAS 159”). SFAS 159
provides the option to report certain financial assets and liabilities at fair
value, with the intent to mitigate volatility in financial reporting that can
occur when related assets and liabilities are recorded on different
bases. As of January 1, 2008, we elected not to adopt the fair value
option under SFAS 159.
In
September 2006, the FASB issued SFAS No. 157, “Fair Value Measurements”
(“SFAS 157”). This statement defines fair value as used in
numerous accounting pronouncements, establishes a framework for measuring fair
value in US GAAP and expands disclosure related to the use of fair value
measures in financial statements. SFAS 157 does not expand the use of fair value
measures in financial statements, but standardizes its definition and guidance
in US GAAP. SFAS 157 is effective for fiscal years beginning after November 15,
2007. We adopted SFAS 157 as of January 1, 2008, with the exception of the
application of the statement to non-recurring nonfinancial assets and
nonfinancial liabilities. Non-recurring nonfinancial assets and nonfinancial
liabilities for which we have not applied the provisions of SFAS 157 include
those measured at fair value in goodwill impairment testing, indefinite lived
intangible assets measured at fair value for impairment testing, asset
retirement obligations initially measured at fair value, and those initially
measured at fair value in a business combination.
SFAS 157
establishes a valuation hierarchy for disclosure of the inputs to valuation used
to measure fair value. This hierarchy prioritizes the inputs into three broad
levels as follows. Level 1 inputs are quoted prices (unadjusted) in active
markets for identical assets or liabilities. Level 2 inputs are quoted prices
for similar assets and liabilities in active markets or inputs that are
observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly through
market corroboration, for substantially the full term of the financial
instrument. Level 3 inputs are unobservable inputs based on our own assumptions
used to measure assets and liabilities at fair value. A financial asset or
liability’s classification within the hierarchy is determined based on the
lowest level input that is significant to the fair value
measurement.
Note
3 - Realization of Assets
The accompanying financial statements
have been prepared in conformity with US GAAP, which contemplates continuation
of the Company as a going concern. However, the Company has sustained
substantial losses from operations in recent years, and such losses have
continued through the year ended December 31, 2007 and the most recent
quarter ended September 30, 2008. In addition, the Company has used, rather than
provided, cash in its operations. Consistent with these facts, the Company’s
most recent annual report filed on Form 10-K, as amended, reflects that there is
substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going
concern.
In view of the matters described in the
preceding paragraph, recoverability of a major portion of the recorded asset
amounts shown in the accompanying balance sheet is dependent upon a successful
sale of Clarity and continued operations of the Company, which in turn is
dependent upon the Company’s ability to meet its financing requirements on a
continuing basis, to maintain present financing, and to succeed in its future
operations. The financial statements do not include any adjustments relating to
the recoverability and classification of recorded asset amounts or amounts and
classification of liabilities that might be necessary should the Company be
unable to continue in existence.
The Company has incurred, and continues
to incur, losses from operations. For the years ended December 31, 2007,
2006, and 2005, the Company incurred net losses of $6.4 million, $4.4 million,
and $3.0 million, respectively. The quarter ended September 30, 2008 showed an
additional net loss from operations of $8.5 million, which results in a loss of
$ 13.7 million year to date, included in this amount is a goodwill impairment
charge of $6.2 million(see note 5 for additional discussion). Historically,
the Company has implemented strategies to reduce its cash used in operating
activities. Changes have included the consolidation of its research
and development facilities, and a targeted reduction of the employee workforce,
increasing the efficiency of the Company’s processes, focusing development
efforts on products with a greater probability of commercial sales, reducing
professional fees and discretionary expenditures, and negotiating favorable
payment arrangements with suppliers and service providers. More importantly, the
Company configured itself along an outsourcing model, thus allowing for
relatively large, efficient production without the associated overhead and has
developed an increasing number of offshore suppliers providing lower cost
components. Beginning in 2005, the Company began to invest in
additional product development (engineering) and sales and marketing resources
as it began to increase its volume of business. While viewed as a positive
development, these expenditures have added to the funding
requirements. During the second quarter of 2008, the Company launched
several initiatives to refocus the entire organization to become more sales and
market focused. These efforts included the addition of new sales
channels focused on international customers, focused pursuit of new OEM
relationships, development and implementation of marketing programs targeted as
specific customers and customer applications and sales resources targeted at all
major domestic carriers. While over time the Company believes that
this refocus will eventually result in increased sales and an improvement in
financial performance, there are no guarantees that these strategies will yield
expected results.
On
January 3, 2008, the Company acquired Clarity. There have been many
implementation issues associated with this business that have required
substantial investments of time and incremental cash resources that have added
to the expense structure and cash usage of Clarity’s business. On
October 1, 2008, ISCO’s Board of Directors directed management to actively
pursue the sale of, or other strategic partnership for, the Clarity business
unit.
The continuing development of our
product lines and operations, ramping up additional sales channels, as well as
any required defense of our intellectual property, will require an immediate
commitment and/or availability of funds. The actual amount of our future funding
requirements will depend on many factors, including: the amount and timing of
future revenues, the economy and the impact on the wireless carriers network
deployment plans, customer acceptance of our product offerings, the level of
product marketing and sales efforts to support our commercialization plans, the
magnitude of our research and product development programs, our ability to
improve or maintain product margins, and the costs involved in protecting our
patents or other intellectual property. We continue to look into
augmenting our existing capital position by evaluating potential short-term and
long-term sources of capital, including from debt, equity, hybrid, or other
methods. The primary covenant in our existing debt arrangement involves the
right of the lenders to receive debt repayment from the proceeds of new
financing activities. This covenant may restrict our ability to obtain
additional financing to be used in the operations of our business.
Note 4
- Business Combinations
On January 3, 2008, the Company
completed its acquisition of Clarity by merger for a total of $8.9 million
(which includes repayment of Clarity’s indebtedness, transaction expenses and
stock issuances).
The Clarity acquisition has been
accounted for as a business combination under, SFAS No. 141, “Business
Combinations”. The assets acquired and liabilities assumed have been recorded at
the date of acquisition at their respective fair values.
The
results of operations of Clarity are included in the accompanying consolidated
statements of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2008.
The total purchase for the acquisition subject to the finalization of the
working capital adjustment as defined in the merger agreement, is $8.9million,
and is broken down as follows:
Stock
issuance (25 million shares)
|
$
6,750,000
|
Payment
of Clarity’s indebtedness (includes closing costs)
|
1,593,000
|
Acquisition-related
transaction costs
|
600,000
|
Total
purchase price
|
$
8,943,000
|
The above purchase price has been
allocated to the tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed
based on management’s estimates of their current fair values.
Acquisition-related transaction costs include legal and accounting fees and
other external costs directly related to the Clarity acquisition.
The purchase price has been allocated
as follows:
Acquired
cash
|
|
$
|
62,000
|
|
Account
receivable, net
|
|
|
425,000
|
|
Prepaids
and other current assets
|
|
|
60,000
|
|
Fixed
assets and other long term assets
|
|
|
289,000
|
|
Goodwill
|
|
|
6,195,000
|
|
Intangible
assets
|
|
|
2,140,000
|
|
Account
payable and accrued liabilities
|
|
|
(228,000)
|
|
Net
assets acquired
|
|
$
|
8,943,000
|
|
Goodwill was determined based on the
residual difference between the purchase cost and the value assigned to tangible
and intangible assets and liabilities, and is not deductible for tax purposes.
Among the factors that contributed to a purchase price resulting in the
recognition of goodwill were Clarity’s history of profitability prior to 2007,
strong sales force and overall employee base, and leadership position in the
technology market.
Note
5 - Goodwill and Intangible Assets
During
January 2008, ISCO acquired Clarity by issuing up to 40 million shares of ISCO’s
common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Common Stock”), in exchange for
all of Clarity’s stock and satisfaction of employee rights and interests. The
Company recorded $6.2 million in goodwill and $2.1 million in identifiable
intangible assets. Intangible assets are included in the Company’s condensed
consolidated balance sheets. The Company also has goodwill resulting from the
acquisitions of Spectral Solutions, Inc. and Illinois Superconductor Canada
Corporation in 2000. Beginning January 1, 2002, goodwill was no longer to be
amortized but rather to be tested for impairment on an annual basis and between
annual tests, whenever there is an indication of potential impairment.
Impairment losses would be recognized whenever the implied fair value of
goodwill is determined to be less than its carrying value.
SFAS 142
prescribes a two-step impairment test to determine whether the carrying value of
the Company’s goodwill is impaired. The first step of the goodwill impairment
test is used to identify potential impairment, while the second step measures
the amount of the impairment loss. Step one requires the comparison of the fair
value of each reporting unit with its carrying amount, including
goodwill.
The
Company conducts its annual impairment testing as of September 30th each year.
Historically, the Company performed impairment testing as a single reporting
unit, by determining whether the fair value of the Company, based
on market value, as measured by market capitalization, exceeded
stockholders’ equity. In prior years, the excess of the Company’s market
capitalization over its reported stockholders’ equity indicated the goodwill of
the Company was not impaired.
With the
acquisition of Clarity in 2008, the Company is comprised of two reporting units,
the hardware segment which includes historical ISCO operations and the software
segment which includes Clarity operations. As a result of the significant
reduction in the Company's market capitalization as well as the subsequent
decision to pursue the sale of, or others partnership or strategic
options for the software business, the Company determined
that a potential impairment of goodwill may exist as of September 30, 2008
and decided to perform impairment testing for each reporting unit.
The Company is still in the process of performing an extenstive
analysis but has made a preliminary estimate of impairment as
discussed below.
Software Segment:
Subsequent to September 30, 2008, the Company received a
non-binding Letter Of Intent (LOI) related to the purchase of all of the
outstanding common stock of Clarity. The Company deemed this LOI to
be the best estimate of fair value for the purpose of an impairment
analysis of the software reporting unit. The consideration in this LOI
consists of a cash payment at the closing of the transaction with the remainder
of the purchase price based on future financial performance. There are a number
of uncertainties surrounding the consummation of the transaction and
if the transaction is consummated, the receipt of total consideration for
this proposed transaction, including customer acceptance of the
software, minimal revenues currently under contract, operational execution by
the new owner and current global economic conditions. All of these
considerations were included in the measurement of the goodwill associated with
the software segment and a range of potential impairment was
developed. The impairment range was determined between $3.0 million
and $6.2 million, the upper range equaling the carrying value of the software
segment goodwill as of September 30, 2008. There are several conditions
precedent to the closing of the transaction and there can be no assurance that
the transaction will be consummated on the proposed terms, if at all. The
Company's management determined that the upper amount of the range represents
the best estimate of the impairment as of September 30, 2008 given the contigent
nature of the consideration expected to be received.
Hardware Segment:
The
Company is in process of determining fair value of its hardware reporting unit
in taking consideration for both a market and income approach. The
evaluation has not been completed at this
time. While the potential exists that there is impairment to the carrying value
of this asset, since the evaluation is in progress, management is unable to make
a good faith estimate of impairment, if any. It is
anticipated that the evaluation will be completed prior to year end with any
impairment amount included in year end financial results.
The
intangible assets are being amortized over periods ranging from two to ten years
on a straight-line basis. Amortization expense on intangible assets for the
three and nine months ended September 30, 2008 was $86,500 and $259,500,
respectively. The Company’s other intangible assets are derived
from patents and trademarks which represent costs, primarily legal fees and
expenses, incurred in order to prepare and file patent applications related to
various aspects of the Company’s technology and to its current and proposed
products. Patents and trademarks are recorded at cost and are amortized using
the straight-line method over the shorter of their estimated useful lives or 17
years. The recoverability of the carrying values of patents and trademarks is
evaluated on an ongoing basis by Company management. Factors involved in this
evaluation include whether the item is in force, whether it has been directly
threatened or challenged in litigation or administrative process, continued
usefulness of the item in current and/or expected utilization by the Company in
its solution offerings, perceived value of such material or invention in the
marketplace, availability and utilization of alternative or other technologies,
the perceived protective value of the item, and other factors. Patent and
trademarks were reported net of accumulated amortization of approximately
$846,900 at September 30, 2008 and $851,000 as of December 31,
2007.
Note
6 - Net Loss Per Share
Basic and
diluted net loss per share is computed based on the weighted average number of
common shares outstanding. Common shares issuable upon the exercise of options
are not included in the per share calculations since the effect of their
inclusion would be antidilutive.
Note
7 - Inventories
Inventories
consisted of the following:
|
|
|
September
30, 2008
|
|
|
December
31, 2007
|
|
Raw
materials
|
|
$
|
1,154,220
|
|
$
|
1,695,745
|
|
Work
in process
|
|
|
946,014
|
|
|
655,676
|
|
Finished
product
|
|
|
585,909
|
|
|
691,809
|
|
Total
|
|
$
|
2,686,143
|
|
$
|
3,043,230
|
|
Inventory
balances are reported net of a reserve for obsolescence. This reserve is
computed by taking into consideration the components of inventory, the recent
usage of those components, and anticipated usage of those components in the
future. This reserve was approximately $312,161 and $325,000 as of September 30,
2008 and December 31, 2007, respectively.
Note
8 - Stock Options and Warrants
At
September 30, 2008, a total of 2.7 million stock options were outstanding under
the Company’s equity compensation plans. No options were granted during the
first nine months of 2008 or during 2007.
Restricted
Share Rights
Restricted
share grants offer employees the opportunity to earn shares of the Company’s
stock over time. For grants that occurred during the periods ended September 30,
2008 and December 31, 2007, the typical vesting period for employees
was two to four years while the vesting period of non-employee
directors was linked to the one-year service period. We recognize the
issuance of the shares related to these stock-based compensation awards and the
related compensation expense on a straight-line basis over the vesting period,
or on an accelerated basis in those cases where the actual vesting is faster
than the proportional straight-line value. Included within these grants are also
performance-based shares, which are shares that vest based on accomplishing
particular objectives, as opposed to vesting over time. No
performance-based shares were vested during the first nine months of
2008.
The
following table summarizes the restricted stock award activity during the first
nine months of 2008.
|
|
|
Shares
|
|
|
Weighted
Average Grant Date Fair Value (per share)
|
|
Oustanding,
December 31, 2007
|
|
|
3,557,000
|
|
$
|
0.29
|
|
Granted
|
|
|
6,998,001
|
|
|
0.17
|
|
Forfeited
or canceled
|
|
|
(3,822,499)
|
|
|
0.23
|
|
Vested
|
|
|
(2,310,168) |
|
|
0.20 |
|
Outstanding,
September 30, 2008 |
|
|
4,421,583 |
|
|
0.18 |
|
b
The total
fair value of restricted shares vested during the three months ended September
30, 2008 and 2007 was $134,000 and $379,000, respectively. Total non-cash equity
compensation expense recognized during the third quarter 2008 was $134,000,
including $67,000 for vested restricted share grants and $67,000 for the
straight-line amortization of restricted share grants that did not vest during
the third quarter 2008.
Note
9 – Debt and Financial Position
As
of September 30, 2008, the Company’s debt position is described on the following
table (includes accrued interest):
|
|
|
Short-Term
|
|
|
Long-Term
|
|
August
2008 Loan Agreement
|
|
|
|
|
$
|
1,010,292
|
|
May
2008 Loan Agreeement
|
|
|
|
|
|
2,003,992
|
|
January
2008 Loan Agreement
|
|
$ |
1,580,612
|
|
|
|
|
June
2007 Loan Agreement |
|
|
11,123,000 |
|
|
|
|
June
2006 Loan Agreement |
|
|
|
|
|
5,584,039 |
|
Total
|
|
$ |
12,703,612 |
|
$ |
8,598,323 |
|
August 2008 Loan
Agreement
On August
18, 2008, the Company entered into a new financing agreement (the “August
Loan Agreement”) with Manchester Securities Corporation (“Manchester”) and
Alexander Finance, L.P. (“Alexander” and together with Manchester, the
“Lenders”), who, together with their affiliates, are our two largest
stockholders. Under the terms of the August Loan Agreement, the
Lenders provided to the Company a credit line in the aggregate principal amount
of $3 million and reduced the amount of advances that may be made under the May
2008 Loan Agreement, dated May 29, 2008, between the Company and the Lenders, by
$550,000.
The
indebtedness under the August Loan Agreement is evidenced by the Company’s 9½%
Secured Convertible Notes (each a “2008 Convertible Note,” together the “2008
Convertible Notes”) due August 1, 2010. The Company issued a 2008 Convertible
Note to Alexander in the principal amount not to exceed $1.65 million and a 2008
Convertible Note to Manchester in the principal amount not to exceed $1.35
million. Interest on the outstanding principal balance of the 2008 Convertible
Notes accrues at 9½% per annum and the holders of the 2008 Convertible Notes
have the right to convert the outstanding principal amount under the 2008
Convertible Notes, and all accrued but unpaid interest, at any time, in whole or
in part, into shares of the Company’s common stock at an original conversion
price of $0.20 per share, subject to certain anti-dilution adjustments.
The 2008
Convertible Notes are secured by the Seventh Amended and Restated Security
Agreement, dated as of August 18, 2008, entered into by and among the Company,
Manchester, Alexander and Clarity. The Company’s obligations under the 2008
Convertible Notes are guaranteed by Clarity under the Amended and Restated
Guaranty of Clarity.
On August
22, 2008, the Company drew down $450,000 of principal under Manchester’s 2008
Convertible Note, which is convertible into 2,250,000 shares of the Company’s
common stock. On the same day, the Company drew down $550,000 under Alexander’s
2008 Convertible Note, which is convertible into 2,750,000 shares of Company’s
common stock.
On August
18, 2008, in connection with the August Loan Agreement and the issuance of the
2008 Convertible Notes, the Company entered into a Registration Rights Agreement
(as amended effective as of November 12, 2008, the “Registration Rights
Agreement”) with the Lenders. Pursuant to the Registration Rights
Agreement, the Company is required to file a registration statement under the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) by June 1, 2009,
covering the resale of at least 15,000,000 shares of our Common Stock (the
“Registrable Securities”), representing the potential number of shares of our
Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the maximum principal amount due on the
2008 Convertible Notes ($3 million) at the initial conversion price of $0.20 per
share. Under the Registration Rights Agreement, the registration statement must
be declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) by
September 1, 2009 if the registration statement is not reviewed by the SEC, or
by November 1, 2009 if the registration statement is reviewed by the SEC, or the
Company will be obligated to make certain delay payments. In addition, at any
time after March 31, 2009 either Lender may demand by written notice to the
Company (a “Demand Notice”), that the Company prepare and file such registration
statement not later than the date that is 30 days following the date of the
Demand Notice (the “Demand Date”). Thereafter, the Company shall use its best
efforts to have the registration statement declared effective as soon as
possible, but not later than 60 days from the Demand Date. The Company is also
required to list the Registrable Securities on the NYSE Alternext US, formerly
The American Stock Exchange (the “Exchange”) by the same date the registration
statement is required to be declared effective by the SEC.
The above
agreements and their related documents are more fully described in the Company’s
Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on August 18, 2008.
May
2008 Loan Agreement
On May
29, 2008, the Company entered into a financing agreement (the “May
2008 Loan Agreement”) with the Lenders. Under the terms of the May
2008 Loan Agreement, the Lenders provided to the Company a credit line in the
aggregate principal amount of $2.5 million. A portion of this line
was immediately drawn upon by the Company in order to repay the outstanding
$500,000 short-term loan between the Lenders and the Company under a receivables
factoring arrangement, as well as $8,056 in accrued interest on the
loan. The Company withdrew a total of $975,000 from each Lender for
use as working capital under the 2008 Loan Agreement.
The
indebtedness under the May 2008 Loan Agreement is evidenced by the Company’s
9.5% Secured Grid Notes (each a “Grid Note,” together the “Grid
Notes”). The Company issued a Grid Note to each of Alexander and
Manchester in the aggregate principal amount of $1,250,000.
To secure
and guarantee payment of the Grid Notes, on May 29, 2008, the Company, the
Lenders, and Clarity entered into a Sixth Amended and Restated Security
Agreement and an Amended and Restated Guaranty of Clarity, in favor of the
Lenders. The Amended and Restated Guaranty of Clarity adds the
Grid Notes to the list of obligations for which Clarity is guaranteeing the full
payment and performance by the Company to the Lenders.
The
material terms of the May 2008 Loan Agreement and the Grid Notes include the
following:
·
|
The
advances made pursuant to the 2008 Loan Agreement (the “Loans”) bear
interest at a rate of 9.5%. Interest is calculated on a 360 day
year simple interest basis and paid for the actual number of days
elapsed. All interest due on such Loans is payable on August 1,
2010, the maturity date of the May 2008 Loan Agreement. After
the occurrence and during the continuance of an event of default, the
interest rate on the Loans is increased to the lesser of 20% per annum,
compounded annually, or the highest rate permitted by law and is payable
on the demand of the Lenders.
|
·
|
The
repayment of the principal amount of the Grid Notes, as well as the notes
issued in connection with the previous financings (the “Prior ISCO Notes”)
and all accrued and unpaid interest may be accelerated in the event of (i)
a failure to pay any principal amount on the Grid Notes; (ii) a failure to
pay the principal amount or accrued but unpaid interest upon any of the
Prior ISCO Notes as and when such notes become due and payable; (iii) a
failure by the Company for ten (10) days after notice to it, to comply
with any other material provision of any of the Grid Notes, the 2008 Loan
Agreement, or any of the Prior ISCO Notes and related agreements; (iv) a
default under the Sixth Amended and Restated Security Agreement or any of
the Grid Notes or Prior ISCO Notes; (v) a breach by the Company of its
representations or warranties under the 2008 Loan Agreement or under the
Amended and Restated Guaranty of Clarity; (vi) defaults under any other
indebtedness of the Company in excess of $500,000; (vii) a final judgment
involving, in the aggregate, liability of the Company in excess of
$500,000 that remains unpaid for a period of 45 days; or (viii) bankruptcy
event.
|
·
|
Any
payments or prepayments by the Company or any guarantor permitted or
required under the May 2008 Loan Agreement shall be applied to each
Lender, pro rata in relation to the total amount of the Company’s
indebtedness to the Lenders then outstanding under the Grid Notes, in the
following order: first, to the payment of any fees, costs, expenses, or
charges of the Lenders with respect to the Grid Notes arising under the
loan documents; second, to the payment of interest accrued on the
outstanding advances represented by the Grid Notes; and third,
to the principal balance. Any prepayments, whether
optional or mandatory, permanently reduce the Lenders’ commitments under
the Grid Notes, pro rata, to the extent of such
prepayments.
|
·
|
Upon
30 days prior written notice to the Lenders, the Company may prepay
outstanding amounts under the Loans, provided that the minimum amount of
any prepayment must generally be at least $250,000. Upon
receipt of net cash proceeds from (i) certain sales, leases, transfers or
other dispositions of any assets of the Company, (ii) the incurrence or
issuance of debt to third parties, (iii) the sale or issuance of capital
stock, warrants, rights or options to acquire capital stock, or any other
securities other than upon the exercise of outstanding options and
warrants or the issuance of options pursuant to the Company’s equity
incentive plan, in excess of 5% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock:
(iv) any judgment, award or settlement; or (v) a merger or share exchange
pursuant to which 50% of the Company’s voting power is transferred, the
Company must prepay the lesser of the amount outstanding on the Grid Notes
or the amount of such net cash
proceeds.
|
·
|
The
Company is required to pay all of the reasonable fees and expenses
incurred by the Lenders in connection with the transaction
documents.
|
March
2008 Trade Receivables Factoring Agreement
On March
20, 2008, the Company entered into an agreement with the Lenders to assign, or
factor, certain of its trade receivables (the “Assignment
Agreement”). If the Company requests such a transaction and the
Lenders agree, monies will be advanced to the Company based on the Company’s
trade receivables assigned to the Lenders. Under the Assignment
Agreement, as the assigned accounts are collected by the Company (approximately
30 days from the date of the invoice), the Company will promptly pay the Lenders
the amount of the collected account, plus interest at an implied annual rate of
10%. In connection with the Assignment Agreement, the Company and its Lenders
agreed to a $500,000 advance with funding to occur on March 20, 2008. Future
transactions would be subject to the desire of both the Company and
Lenders. An additional $500,000 was borrowed under this arrangement
on April 2, 2008. The first $500,000 borrowed was repaid, with
approximately $6,000 of accrued interest, on May 1, 2008.
January
2008 Clarity Merger Financing
As a
condition to the Clarity merger, ISCO was required to obtain financing (the
“Financing”) in an amount equal to $1.5 million to fund the initial operations
of the combined entity after the merger and transaction expenses of the Company
incurred in connection with the merger and (ii) to pay off the
amount outstanding under Clarity’s line of credit agreement (as described
below). Pursuant to the Financing, on January 3, 2008, the Company
issued a new Amended and Restated Note (the “Note”) to Alexander in aggregate
principal amount of $1.5 million. The Note matures on August 1,
2009, bears interest of 7% per annum and is convertible, together with all
accrued and unpaid interest thereon, into shares (the “Additional Conversion
Shares”) of the Company’s Common Stock at an initial conversion price of $0.20
per share. The note contains substantially similar terms and
conditions as the Amended and Restated Notes (defined below) previously issued
to the Lenders.
In connection with the Financing, the Company, the Lenders, Spectral
Solutions, Inc. and Illinois Superconductor Canada Corporation entered into an
Amendment to and Waiver and Consent Under the Loan Documents (the “Loan
Amendment”), pursuant to which the Lenders waived, among other things, (i) the
requirement under the Company’s existing line of credit arrangement (the “Loan
Agreement”) to use such cash proceeds received in connection with the merger,
the issuance of the shares, the issuance of the Note, and the transactions
contemplated thereby to prepay the outstanding Amended and Restated Notes
issued to the Lenders, and (ii) the prohibition of the Company pursuant to the
Loan Agreement to directly or indirectly create, assume, guarantee, or otherwise
become or remain directly or indirectly liable with respect to any indebtedness
other than the exceptions described therein, upon paying the amount outstanding
under Clarity’s line of credit at the closing of the merger.
Before
Alexander may exercise its right to convert the Note into the Additional
Conversion Shares, the Company is required to obtain the approval of the
Company’s stockholders to issue the Additional Conversion Shares as well as to
obtain the approval of the Exchange to list the Additional Conversion Shares on
the Exchange. ISCO is required to obtain these approvals within one
year of the issuance date of the Note. In the event that these
required approvals are not obtained by that time, then the interest rate on the
Note will increase to a rate of 15% per annum. If the resale of the
Additional Conversion Shares is not registered under the applicable Registration
Rights Agreement, as described below, by the 15 month anniversary of the
issuance date of the Note if the SEC does not review the registration statement
or the 17 month anniversary if the SEC does conduct a review, then
the then-current interest rate will increase by a rate of 1% per annum each
month thereafter until the Additional Conversion Shares are registered, up to
the default rate of the lower of 20% per annum or the highest amount permitted
by law.
The
conversion rate of the Note is subject to customary anti-dilution protections.
The Note does not contain market or trading-based ratchet or reset provisions.
The Company has the right to redeem the Note in full in cash at any time
beginning June 26, 2009. The Note is secured on a first
priority basis by all the Company’s intangible and tangible property and assets,
including the assets acquired from Clarity in the
merger.
In
connection with Financing, the Company entered into a Registration Rights
Agreement with Alexander. Pursuant to the Registration Rights
Agreement, we are required to file a registration statement under the Securities
Act covering the resale of the shares of the Additional Conversion Shares with
the SEC within 30 days after both the stockholders’ and the Exchange approvals
have occurred. The Registration Rights Agreement contains customary
covenants, including registration delay payments, in addition to certain
interest rate increases under the Note, under certain events for failing to
maintain the effectiveness of a registration statement covering the resale of
the Additional Conversion Shares. Assuming the Additional Conversion
Shares are approved as described above and the Note is held to maturity,
approximately 8.4 million shares of Common Stock would be required to be issued
upon conversion, for both principal and interest.
2007
Convertible Debt that replaced the 2002 Credit Line
On June
26, 2007, the Company, and the Lenders, entered into an agreement to restructure
the $11.7 million credit line debt and accrued interest which was to mature
August 2007.
The
Company issued amended and restated notes (the “Amended and Restated Notes”) in
aggregate principal amount, including accrued interest on the maturing notes, of
approximately $10.2 million to replace all of the maturing credit line notes and
to reflect the amendments to the Company’s previous loan agreements,
including: (i) the extension of the termination dates and maturity dates for all
the maturing notes that were set to mature August 1, 2007 to a new maturity date
of August 1, 2009; (ii) the reduction of the interest rate on each of the
maturing notes from 9% to 7% per annum; and (iii) provision for the conversion
of the aggregate principal amount outstanding on each of the maturing notes at
the election of the Lenders, together with all accrued and unpaid interest
thereon into shares of our Common Stock (the “Conversion Shares”) at an initial
conversion price of $0.20 per share. In addition, pursuant to the amendments to
the Company’s previous loan agreements, each of the Lenders immediately
converted $750,000 in principal amount and accrued interest outstanding under
the aforementioned notes held by such Lender prior to the
restructuring into shares (the “Initial Conversion Shares”) of Common Stock at a
conversion price of $0.18, the 10 day volume weighted average closing price of
the Company’s Common Stock on the Exchange as of June 21, 2007. Assuming the
Amended and Restated Notes are not converted until maturity, approximately 58.5
million shares of Common Stock would be required to be issued upon conversion,
for both principal and interest.
Assuming
these additional Amended and Restated Notes are not converted until maturity,
approximately 8.4 million shares of Common Stock would be required to be issued
upon conversion, for both principal and interest.
2006
Convertible Debt
During
June 2006, the Company entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement (the
“Securities Purchase Agreement”) and convertible notes (the “2006 Notes”) with
the Lenders, pursuant to which the Lenders agreed to loan an aggregate of
$5,000,000 to the Company, $2,500,000 by each Lender, in convertible debt.
The 2006
Notes will mature on June 22, 2010 and bear an interest rate of 5% due at
maturity. Both Lenders have the right to convert the 2006 Notes, both principal
and accrued interest, into shares of Common Stock at the rate of $0.33 per share
at any time. The Company has the right to redeem the 2006 Notes in full in cash
at any time beginning two years after the date of the Securities Purchase
Agreement (June 2008). The conversion rate of the 2006 Notes is subject to
customary anti-dilution protections, provided that the number of additional
shares of Common Stock issuable as a result of changes to the conversion rate
will be capped so that the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock issuable
upon conversion of the 2006 Notes will not exceed 19.99% of the aggregate number
of shares of Common Stock presently issued and outstanding.
The 2006
Notes are secured on a first priority basis by all the Company’s intangible and
tangible property and assets. Payment of the 2006 Note was guaranteed by our two
inactive subsidiaries, Spectral Solutions, Inc. and Illinois Superconductor
Canada Corporation, and is now guaranteed by all the assets in Clarity. The
Company filed a registration statement with the SEC, which was declared
effective in September 2006, covering the resale of the shares of Common Stock
issuable upon conversion of the 2006 Notes. Concurrently with the execution of
the Securities Purchase Agreement, the Lenders waived their right under the 2002
Credit Line to receive the financing proceeds from the issuance of the 2006
Notes, allowing the Company to use the funds for product development or general
working capital purposes.
Assuming
the 2006 Notes are held for the full four-year term, approximately 18.5 million
shares of Common Stock would be required to be issued upon conversion, for both
principal and interest.
Note
10 – Income Taxes
The
Company adopted the provisions of FASB Interpretation 48 (“FIN 48”), “Accounting for Uncertainty in Income
Taxes,” on January 1, 2007. Previously, the Company had accounted for tax
contingencies in accordance with SFAS No. 5, “Accounting for
Contingencies.” As required by FIN 48, which clarifies FASB Statement
109, “Accounting for Income
Taxes,” the Company recognizes the financial statement benefit of a tax
position only after determining that the relevant tax authority would more
likely than not sustain the position following an audit. For tax positions
meeting the more-likely-than-not threshold, the amount recognized in the
financial statements is the largest benefit that has a greater than 50%
likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement with the relevant tax
authority. At the adoption date, the Company applied FIN 48 to all tax positions
for which the statute of limitations remained open. As a result of the
implementation of FIN 48, there was no effect on the Company’s financial
statements as of January 1, 2008 and there have been no material changes in
unrecognized tax benefits through September 30, 2008.
The
Company is subject to income taxes in the U.S. federal jurisdiction and various
states jurisdictions. Tax regulations within each jurisdiction are subject to
the interpretation of the related tax laws and regulations and require
significant judgment to apply. As the Company has sustained losses since
inception, a large number of tax years are open as the losses have not been
utilized by the Company.
The
Company is currently not aware of any current or threatened examination by any
jurisdiction. The Company has elected to classify interest and
penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits as a component of income tax
expense, if applicable. No accrual is required as of January 1, 2008 and
September 30, 2008 for interest and penalties.
Note
11 – Business Segments
The
Company operates in two business segments: Hardware and Software. The Company’s
chief operating decision maker, its President and Chief Executive Officer, uses
the following measures in deciding how to allocate resources and assess
performance among the segments:
The
results of operations by segments are as follows:
Three
Months ended September 30, 2008
|
Hardware
|
Software
|
Total
|
Revenue
|
$1,315,924
|
$551,246
|
$1,867,170
|
Gross
Profit
|
$533,720
|
$332,672
|
$866,392
|
Operating
Expenses
|
|
|
$9,051,614
|
Operating
Income (loss)
|
|
|
$(8,185,222)
|
Nine
Months ended September 30, 2008
|
Hardware
|
Software
|
Total
|
Revenue
|
$5,836,739
|
$1,273,238
|
$7,109,977
|
Gross
Profit
|
$2,603,677
|
$648,550
|
$3,252,227
|
Operating
Expenses
|
|
|
$16,004,517
|
Operating
Income (loss)
|
|
|
$(12,752,290)
|
Segment information is not presented
for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2007, since the segments were
created with the acquisition of Clarity in 2008.
Note
12 – Subsequent Events
On
October 1, 2008, the Board met to discuss the current status and future outlook
for Clarity. Management believes the long-term outlook for the
Clarity business is favorable. However, based on management’s
financial projections, optimal execution of the Clarity business plan will
require additional funding for some period of time. The Board of
Directors has recognized the current challenging conditions in the financial and
credit markets and the impact of those conditions on the ability to raise the
required funding to execute the business plan. Given these
conditions, the Board of Directors has directed management to actively pursue
the sale of, or other partnership or strategic options for, this
business unit. On October 31, 2008, the Company entered into a non-binding
letter of intent for the sale of the outstanding stock of Clarity to an
unrelated third party buyer. The consideration in this letter of
intent consists of a cash payment at closing with the remainder of the purchase
price based on future financial performance. Subject to the fulfillment of
several conditions precedent, the terms of the letter of intent anticipate a
potential closing during the fourth quarter of 2008, if at all. There can be no
assurance that the transaction will be consummated on the proposed terms, if at
all.
On
October 24, 2008, the Company drew an additional $1 million under the August
Loan Agreement.
On October 27, 2008, management took
action to reduce the monthly cash expenditure associated with Clarity by
reducing headcount under a plan of termination pursuant to which charges will be
incurred under FASB Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 146
“Accounting For Costs Associated With Exit or Disposal Activities.” The
headcount reductions were effective immediately and will result in a charge for
one time termination benefits of approximately $75,000. As strategic
options continue to be evaluated, a retention program has been provided for the
remaining employees. The costs associated with this retention program
are estimated at $100,000. In addition, approximately 1.1 million shares of our
Common Stock vested immediately upon such termination. These shares were
granted in January 2008 as part of the acquisition of Clarity. The vesting was
accelerated due to the headcount reductions. The vesting of these shares
will result in a non-cash charge of approximately $75,000.
In accordance with the reporting provisions of SFAS No. 144, “Accounting for the Impairment or
Disposal of Long-Lived Assets,” (“SFAS 144”), the Company will classify
the results of Clarity as discontinued operations in the fourth quarter
2008. On the final disposition of the Clarity assets, if and
when such disposition takes place, the Company may incur an impairment of the
carrying value of these assets.
Forward
Looking Statements
Because
we want to provide investors with more meaningful and useful information, this
Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q contains, and incorporates by reference, certain
forward-looking statements that reflect our current expectations regarding our
future results of operations, performance and achievements. We have tried,
wherever possible, to identify these forward-looking statements, as defined in
the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, by using words
such as “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “expects,” “designs,” “plans,”
“intends,” “looks,” “may,” and similar expressions. These statements reflect our
current beliefs and are based on information currently available to us.
Accordingly, these statements are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and
contingencies, including the factors set forth under Item 1A, Risk Factors,
of our Annual Report on Form 10-K, as amended, for the year ended
December 31, 2007, which could cause our actual results, performance or
achievements for 2008 and beyond to differ materially from those expressed in,
or implied by, any of these statements. You should not place undue reliance on
any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this
Quarterly Report. Except as otherwise required by federal securities laws, we
undertake no obligation to release publicly the results of any revisions to any
such forward-looking statements that may be made to reflect events or
circumstances after the date of this Quarterly Report or to reflect
the occurrence of unanticipated events. If one or more of these risks or
uncertainties materialize, or if the underlying assumptions prove incorrect, our
actual results may vary materially from those expected or
projected.
General
We have employed an outsourced manufacturing model in which we
sometimes supply raw materials to external parties and products are then
completed, and in other cases purchase the material and labor from the
outsourced manufacturer. This system allows us to more completely
outsource procurement in the future if we choose to do so. Manufacturing
partners then produce to specification with Company personnel on hand to assist
with quality control. Our products are designed for efficient production in this
manner, emphasizing solid-state electronics over mechanical devices with moving
parts. The cost benefits associated with these developments, coupled with
enhanced product functionality, have allowed us to realize good margins and
efficiently manage overhead costs. Extensions of developed technology, based on
substantial input from customers, have allowed us to launch the RF² product
family and consider additional solutions while generally controlling total
research and development (also referred as
“R&D”) cost.
We recognize the current challenging conditions of the financial and
credit markets and the impact of those conditions on our ability to raise the
required funding to develop the software business. Accordingly,
management decided to begin efforts to sell the Clarity business unit in the
fourth quarter of 2008. We acquired Clarity in January 2008 through a
merger transaction in which we acquired all of the outstanding stock of Clarity,
and Clarity became a wholly-owned subsidiary. On October 31, 2008, we
entered into a non-binding letter of intent for the sale of the outstanding
stock of Clarity to an unrelated third party buyer. There can be no
assurance that the transaction will be consummated on the proposed terms, if at
all.
We have defined numerous new applications for our Adaptive
Interference Management (AIM) platform that are compelling in a digital hardware
package. We also believe the underlying software technology and
algorithms constituting the Company’s intellectual property could potentially
reach a far broader audience if it could be delivered solely in
software. Such an adaptation would open additional markets such as
mobile devices, small cell sites and repeaters, WiFi nodes, WiMax, and other
architectures in other markets that employ wireless communications.
Wireless telecommunications have undergone significant merger activity
in recent years, a trend which we believe will continue. These activities often
result in operators with disparate technologies and spectrum assets, and the
need to integrate those assets. In addition, the deployment of data applications
is adding to the industry requirement to integrate disparate technologies into
base stations and other fixed points of access, resulting in the need to manage
multiple wireless signals and keep them from interfering with each other. We are
focused on providing solutions that address these types of
requirements. We believe that spectrum re-mining in Europe will soon
be a very significant event in the RF conditioning and management space, with
operators deploying Universal Mobile Telecommunications Systems (UMTS) in
conjunction with existing Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM)
networks, which we believe will create challenges for these
operators. We believe these operators may find significant benefit
from deploying our AIM solution. We see other areas as likewise
benefiting from our RF management solutions, including active engagements in
Latin America and Asia.
We announced several significant events during 2008, including the
merger with Clarity, the addition of Gordon Reichard, Jr., as the Chief
Executive Officer, the resignation of John Thode and James Fuentes from our
Board of Directors and the addition of Torbjorn Folkebrant, formerly of LM
Ericsson Telephone Company, and Stephen McCarthy formerly of Tellabs, Inc., to
our Board of Directors. In addition, Frank Cesario resigned as the
Chief Financial Officer and was replaced by Gary Berger. As we expand our focus
on sales both domestically and internationally we entered agreements with the
magis group, L.L.C, and Sales Force Europe. Late in the second quarter of 2008,
several engineers who were working on development of our DIF product voluntarily
left the business. The departure of these individuals caused delays in the
availability of this new product. During the third quarter of 2008, these
vacancies in the engineering team were filled, which augmented the resources
dedicated to development efforts associated with the DIF product.
As discussed in greater detail in Note 5 above, the Company is in the
process of evaluating potential impairment of the carrying value of its goodwill
and intangible assets. It is anticipated that this valuation will be completed
prior to year-end with any impairment amounts included in year-end financial
results.
As discussed in greater detail in Note 12 above, on October 31, 2008,
the Company received a non-binding letter of intent for all of the outstanding
common stocks of Clarity subject to fulfillment of several conditions precedent,
the terms of the LOI anticipate a potential closing during the fourth quarter of
2008.
b
Early in the fourth quarter of 2008, we hired two new sales people, Bill
Calvert, as the Western Regional Account Manager, and Fred Fanini, as the
Northeast Regional Account Manager. We introduced a special marketing promotion
for “CoW-CoLT” (Cellular on Wheels/Cellular on Light Trucks/Trailers) solutions
making it easier to implement. The special promotion is designed to enable
mobile operators to realize the benefits possible from the implementation of
ISCO’s dANF adaptive interference mitigation and management product. The
intelligent spectrum conditioning provided by the Company’s dANF (Digital
Adaptive Notch Filter) product is ideal for the unpredictable environments where
CoW-CoLT are deployed.
We have
seen reports of operator spending reductions in North America, with relatively
higher spending outside North America. Market diversification is one
of the primary reasons why we have been more active in exploring international
opportunities. During the second quarter of 2008, it was announced
that Verizon Wireless would be acquiring Alltel Corporation. Alltel Corporation
is one of the largest customers of our hardware business. At this point, we have
been unable to determine the impact of this transaction on our
sales.
Critical
Accounting Policies
The
preparation of these financial statements requires us to make estimates and
judgments that affect the reported amount of assets and liabilities, revenues
and expenses, and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the
date of our financial statements. Actual results may differ from these estimates
under different assumptions or conditions.
Critical
accounting policies are defined as those that are reflective of significant
judgments and uncertainties, and potentially result in materially different
results under different assumptions and conditions. We believe that our critical
accounting policies are limited to those described below.
Revenue
Recognition
In
accordance with Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 104, we recognize revenue when the
following criteria are met: persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists,
delivery has occurred or services have been rendered, price is fixed and
determinable, and collectibility is reasonably assured. Revenues from product
sales are generally recognized at the time of shipment and are recorded net of
estimated returns and allowances. Revenues from services are generally
recognized upon substantial completion of the service and acceptance by the
customer. We have, under certain conditions, granted customers the right to
return products during a specified period of time after shipment. In these
situations, we establish a liability for estimated returns and allowances at the
time of shipment and make the appropriate adjustment in revenue recognized for
accounting purposes. During the nine months ended on September 30, 2008 and
2007, no revenue was recognized on products that included a right to return or
otherwise required customer acceptance after September 30, 2008. We have
established a program which, in certain situations, allows customers or
prospective customers to field test our products for a specified period of time.
Revenues from field test arrangements are recognized upon customer acceptance of
the products.
During
2006, we began to sell the dANF product which contains software that is
essential to the functionality of the product and as such is required to be
accounted for in accordance with Statement of Position (“SOP”) 97-2, “Software Revenue
Recognition,” as amended by SOP 98-9, “Modification of SOP 97-2, Software
Revenue Recognition, With Respect to Certain Transactions.” The revenue
recognized for each separate element of a multiple-element software contract is
based upon vendor-specific objective evidence of fair value, which is based upon
the price the customer is required to pay when the element is sold separately.
The dANF product is recognized as revenue upon shipment while the maintenance is
deferred and recognized on a straight line basis during the applicable
maintenance period, typically one to three years.
Certain of our software agreements encompass multiple
deliverables. Accounting for these agreements is in accordance
with Emerging Issues Task Force (“EITF”) No. 00-21, “Accounting for Revenue Arrangements
with Multiple Deliverables” (“EITF 00-21”). If the
deliverables meet the criteria in EITF 00-21, the deliverables are separated
into separate units of accounting and revenue is allocated to the deliverables
based on their relative fair values. In order for this accounting
treatment to apply, the deliverables must have value to the customer on a
stand-alone basis, there must be objective and reliable evidence of the fair
value of the undelivered item, and if the arrangement includes a general right
of return relative to the delivered item, delivery or performance of the
undelivered item is considered probable and substantially in the control of the
Company. If the deliverables do not meet the above criteria, they are
treated as a single multiple-element arrangement. The accounting
treatment for single multiple-element arrangements means that any milestone
payments made by the customer are recognized over the remaining term of the
arrangement at each milestone date and the proportional amount of the support
fee is recognized monthly starting at the milestone date through the end of the
agreement. Management applies judgment to ensure appropriate application of EITF
00-21, including value allocation among multiple deliverables, determination of
whether undelivered elements are essential to the functionality of the delivered
elements and timing of revenue recognition among others.
We
warrant our products against defects in materials and workmanship typically for
a one to two year period from the date of shipment, though these terms may be
negotiated on a case by case basis. A provision for estimated future costs
related to warranty expenses is recorded when revenues are recognized. We
accrued warranty cost of $34,000 for the first nine months of 2008 and 2007.
This warranty reserve is based on the cost to replace a percentage of products
in the field at a given point, adjusted by actual experience. Returns and
allowances were not significant in any period reported, and form a data point in
establishing the reserve. Should this warranty reserve estimate be deemed
insufficient, by new information, experience, or otherwise, an increase to
warranty expense would be required.
Goodwill
and Intangible Assets
During January 2008, ISCO acquired Clarity by issuing up to 40 million
shares of ISCO’s common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Common Stock”),
in exchange for all of Clarity’s stock and satisfaction of employee rights and
interests. The Company recorded $6.2 million in goodwill and $2.1 million in
identifiable intangible assets. Intangible assets are included in the Company’s
condensed consolidated balance sheets. The Company also has goodwill resulting
from the acquisitions of Spectral Solutions, Inc. and Illinois Superconductor
Canada Corporation in 2000. Beginning January 1, 2002, goodwill was no longer to
be amortized but rather to be tested for impairment on an annual basis and
between annual tests, whenever there is an indication of potential impairment.
Impairment losses would be recognized whenever the implied fair value of
goodwill is determined to be less than its carrying value.
SFAS 142 prescribes a two-step impairment test to determine whether
the carrying value of the Company’s goodwill is impaired. The first step of the
goodwill impairment test is used to identify potential impairment, while the
second step measures the amount of the impairment loss. Step one requires the
comparison of the fair value of each reporting unit with its carrying amount,
including goodwill.
The Company conducts its annual impairment testing as of September
30th each year. Historically, the Company performed impairment testing as a
single reporting unit, by determining whether the fair value of the
Company, based on market value, as measured by market capitalization,
exceeded stockholders’ equity. In prior years, the excess of the Company’s
market capitalization over its reported stockholders’ equity indicated the
goodwill of the Company was not impaired.
With
the acquisition of Clarity in 2008, the Company is comprised of two reporting
units, the hardware segment which includes historical ISCO operations and the
software segment which includes Clarity operations. As a result of the
significant reduction in the Company's market capitalization as well as the
subsequent decision to pursue the sale of, or others partnership or
strategic options for the software business, the Company
determined that a potential impairment of goodwill may exist as of
September 30, 2008 and decided to perform impairment testing for each reporting
unit. The Company is still in the process of performing an extenstive
analysis but has made a preliminary estimateof impairment as
discussed below.
Software Segment:
Subsequent to September 30, 2008, the Company received a
non-binding Letter Of Intent (LOI) related to the purchase of all of the
outstanding common stock of Clarity. The Company deemed this LOI to
be the best estimate of fair value for the purpose of an impairment
analysis of the software reporting unit. The consideration in this LOI
consists of a cash payment at the closing of the transaction with the remainder
of the purchase price based on future financial performance. There are a number
of uncertainties surrounding the consummation of the transaction and
if the transaction is consummated, the receipt of total consideration for
this proposed transaction, including customer acceptance of the
software, minimal revenues currently under contract, operational execution by
the new owner and current global economic conditions. All of these
considerations were included in the measurement of the goodwill associated with
the software segment and a range of potential impairment was
developed. The impairment range was determined between $3.0 million
and $6.2 million, the upper range equaling the carrying value of the software
segment goodwill as of September 30, 2008. There are several conditions
precedent to the closing of the transaction and there can be no assurance that
the transaction will be consummated on the proposed terms, if at all. The
Company's management determined that the upper amount of the range represents
the best estimate of the impairment as of September 30, 2008 given the contigent
nature of the consideration expected to be received. On November 19, 2008,
management determined that the entire amount of goodwill associated with
the software segment should be written off in the quarter ended September 30,
2008. There are no current or future cash expenditures associated with
this adjustment. There
are no current or future cash expenditures associated with this adjustment.
There does not appear to be an impairment to the carrying value of the
intangible assets associated with the software reporting unit. as of September
30,2008. A final determination will be made prior to year end with any
impairment included in year-end financial
results
Hardware
Segment: The
Company is in process of determining fair value of its hardware reporting unit
in taking consideration for both a market and income approach. The
evaluation has not been
completed at this time. While the potential exists that there is impairment to
the carrying value of this asset, since the evaluation is in progress,
management is unable to make a good faith determination of the potential range
of impairments, if any. It is anticipated that the evaluation will be
completed prior to year end with any impairment amount included in year end
financial results.
Allowance
for Doubtful Receivables
An
allowance for doubtful receivables may be maintained for potential credit
losses. Management specifically analyzes accounts receivable, on a client by
client basis, when evaluating the adequacy of our allowance for doubtful
receivables, including customer creditworthiness and current economic trends,
and records any necessary bad debt expense based on the best estimate of the
facts known to date. Should the facts regarding the collectibility of
receivables change, the resulting change in the allowance would be charged or
credited to income in the period such determination is made. There was no bad
debt allowance recorded as of September 30, 2008 and 2007.
Stock-Based
Compensation
Effective
January 1, 2006, we adopted the provisions of SFAS No. 123R, “Share-Based Payment,” (“FAS
123R”) which establishes accounting for equity instruments exchanged for
employee services. Under the provisions of FAS 123R, share-based compensation
cost is measured at the grant date, based on the calculated fair value of the
award, and is recognized as an expense over the employee’s requisite service
period (generally the vesting period of the equity grant). Performance-based
grants (grants that vest upon a future event and not due to the passage of time)
are not expensed until we believe it probable that vesting will occur. We
elected to adopt the modified prospective transition method as provided by FAS
123R and, accordingly, financial statement amounts for the prior periods have
not been retroactively adjusted to reflect the fair value method of expensing
share-based compensation. Under the modified prospective method, share-based
expense recognized after adoption includes: (a) share-based expense for all
awards granted prior to, but not yet vested as of January 1, 2006, based on the
grant date fair value and (b) share-based expense for all awards granted
subsequent to January 1, 2006. We changed our equity compensation practices at
the same time to emphasize grants of restricted stock as opposed to stock
options. As most options were fully vested as of January 1, 2006, only a small
portion of the Company’s total equity compensation expense came from stock
options, with the vast majority coming from grants of restricted stock. Grants
of restricted stock are valued at the market price on the date of grant and
amortized during the service period on a straight-line basis or the vesting of
such grant, whichever is higher.
Results of
Operations
Three
months ended September 30, 2008 and 2007
Our net
sales decreased $57,000 or 3% to $1,867,000 for the three months ended September
30, 2008 from $1,924,000 for the same period in 2007, which we attribute largely
to a 32% reduction in hardware shipments partially offset by the
addition of software related revenues from our software
segment. Gross margins increased $163,000 for the third quarter of
2008, compared to the third quarter of 2007. Gross margin rates
increased to 46% from 37% in the prior year due to the inclusion of the software
business as well as a higher proportion of hardware revenues derived from the
sale of our Adaptive Interference Mitigation (AIM) products which have a higher
gross margin than other hardware products. Our AIM product line exceeded 50% of
our recognized hardware revenue during 2008 compared to less than 15% in the
2007 period.
Cumulative
deferred revenue that will be recognized in future periods increased to $929,000
at September 30, 2008, which was up from $281,000 at September 30,
2007. Deferred software revenues totaled $506,000 and deferred
hardware revenues totaled $423,000
Cost of
goods sold decreased by $220,000 or 18% to $1,001,000 for the quarter ended
September 30, 2008 from $1,221,000 for the same period in 2007. The
decrease in cost of goods sold was due to the decline in sales volumes as well
as the change in product mix.
Our
research and development expenses increased $354,000, to a total of $1,075,000
compared to total research and development expenses in the same period in 2007,
which totaled $721,000. The entire increase in R&D expenditures
is attributed to the addition of Clarity, which totaled $555,000 for the
quarter. Expenditures in the hardware segment declined due to
lower headcount and travel expenses along with lower prototype expenses
partially offset by higher consulting expense.
Sales and
marketing expenses totaled $795,000 for the quarter ended September 30, 2008
compared to $554,000 for the same period in 2007. The expense increase in
this category was all related to inclusion of software sales and marketing
expenses which totaled $327,000. Hardware related sales and marketing
expenses were lower due to lower headcounts and lower sales commission expense
associated with lower sales order volumes.
General
and administrative expenses decreased by $18,000 or 2%, compared to the same
period in 2007. A reduction of $249,000 in compensation-related
charges associated with stock grants was the primary driver of the lower
expense, which was offset primarily with an increase in the following: inclusion
of software segment general and administrative expenses of $86,000, $70,000 in
franchise tax expense primarily related to the Clarity acquisition and
information technology expenses that were reclassified from another department
during the third quarter. Stock compensation expense for all
employees is included in general and administrative expenses.
Asset
impairment loss of $6,195,000 was incurred due to the write-down on
Clarity goodwill for which there is no prior period comparison as
Clarity was acquired in January 2008.
Net other
expenses increased $125,000 or 58% to $340,000 for the period ended September
30, 2008 compared to $215,000 for the same period in 2007. Higher
interest expense due to higher outstanding debt, along with lower interest
income associated with less excess cash, were the causes of the
increase. Average debt outstanding was $20.3 million for the three months
ended September 30, 2008 compared to $15.6 million for the same period in
2007.Nine
months ended September 30, 2008 and 2007
Our net
sales totaled $7,110,000 for the nine months ended September 30, 2008, which
represented an increase of $810,000 or 13% from the same year-to-date period in
2007. Hardware segment revenues were $464,000 (7%) lower than the
same nine month period in 2007. Gross margins were $586,000 more for the first
nine months of 2008 compared to the prior year. This increase in
gross margin included software segment margins of $649,000. Lower
hardware margins were the result of lower hardware volumes partially offset by
higher gross margin rates associated with sales of our AIM product
line. Gross margin rates on hardware sales were 44.6% in the 2008
period, an increase from 42.3% in 2007. The improvement is attributed
to the increase in the portion of our total hardware revenue coming from the AIM
product family. For the current year to date period, AIM products exceeded 40%
of total hardware revenue compared to 14% in the nine months ended September 30,
2007.
Research
and development spending totaled $3,949,000 for the nine months ended September
30, 2008, an increase of $1,945,000 from the same period in the prior
year. R&D spending on the software segment totaled $2.1
million. Lower spending for payroll due to lower headcount along with
lower equipment repairs and maintenance were the causes of lower spending in the
hardware segment.
Sales
and marketing expenses for the first nine months of 2008 totaled $2,429,000,
which is $620,000 or 34% higher than the prior year. Sales and marketing efforts
for the software segment totaled $912,000 for current year. The inclusion
of the software segment was partially offset by reductions in spending on
hardware sales and marketing efforts due to lower sales and marketing headcounts
and travel expenses along with lower sales commissions associated with lower
order volumes.
General
and administrative expenses totaled $3,431,000 for the first nine months of
2008, which was $250,000 or approximately 8% higher than the comparable period
in 2007. General and administrative expenses in the software segment
totaled $496,000. Hardware related expenses were lower by $280,000
primarily due to lower stock compensation expense partially offset by increases
in depreciation, franchise taxes, and professional services fees.
Other
expenses increased $222,000 or 32% from the first nine months in the prior
year. The increase was caused by higher outstanding borrowings along
with lower interest income due to lower excess cash balances available for
investing. Net loss for the first nine months of 2008 totaled $13,664,000.
Net loss associated with the software business totaled $9,100,000, and net loss
associated with the hardware segment totaled $4,569,000. Net loss
from the hardware segment was $451,000 or 9% lower than the prior year’s
period.
Liquidity
and Capital Resources
At
September 30, 2008, cash and cash equivalents were approximately $0.8 million, a
decrease of $1 million from the December 31, 2007 balance. This
decrease was associated with the costs of the combined business operations of
the Company and Clarity during the period and is in addition to the $1.5 million
borrowed to finance closing costs as required by the merger agreement the
Company entered with Clarity. During the third quarter, $0.75 million
was drawn from the $2.5 million credit line with Manchester Securities
Corporation (“Manchester”) and Alexander Finance, L.P. (“Alexander”) and
$1 million was drawn from the $3 million credit line dated August 18,
2008.
To date,
the Company has financed its operations primarily through public and private
equity and debt financings. The Clarity acquisition significantly
increased the cash required to fund new product development and for ongoing
operations of the business. The continued operations of our combined
entity will require an immediate commitment and/or availability of funds, as
will continuing development of our hardware product lines and any required
defense of our intellectual property. Even if Clarity is sold or otherwise
liquidated, additional funds will be required before the hardware business
reaches cash flow positive results. The actual amount of our immediate and
future funding requirements depends on many factors, including: the amount and
timing of future sales along with the timing of customer payments, the level of
spending required to develop products, the level of product marketing and sales
efforts to support our commercialization plans, our ability to maintain and
improve product margins, the level of deferred revenue and the costs involved in
protecting our patents and other intellectual property. While the
Company has historically been successful in raising additional operating funds,
there can be no guarantees that we will be successful in raising funds at levels
sufficient to support all of our operating activities. As we continue
to evaluate strategic options for the business, efforts are on-going to obtain
additional funding in amounts adequate to support future operating needs from
the current Lenders as well as alternative sources.
Net cash
used in operating activities increased $3,234,000 for the nine months ended
September 30, 2008 compared to the nine-month period ended September 30,
2007. The increase was primarily due to the operating loss of $2.9 million
associated with the software segment which was not included in 2007 results.
Accounts receivable balances increased slightly due to the
inclusion of software customers. Inventory levels were lower
due to inventory reduction programs along with continued outsourcing of some
production activities. A significant increase in deferred revenue
primarily associated with the software segment along with higher trade payables
also contributed to the improvement in working capital results.
Investing
activities consisted primarily of the acquisition of all of the outstanding
stock of Clarity by merger. Financing activities consisted of the issuance of
our Common Stock for option exercises. Loan proceeds represent
borrowing used to fund operating activities during the period. Loan
repayment activities reflect repayment of borrowings under the accounts
receivable factoring arrangement with the Lenders.
On
November 12, 2008, during a preliminary review by the NYSE Alternext US (the
“Exchange”) of the Company’s earnings release for the third quarter of 2008, the
Company notified the Exchange that it no longer satisfies one of the Exchange’s
standards for the continued listing of its common stock, as set forth in Part 10
of the Exchange’s Company Guide (the “Company Guide”). Specifically,
the Company informed the Exchange that it does not satisfy Section 1003(a)(iii)
of the Company Guide because its stockholders’ equity is less than $6,000,000
and the Company has sustained losses from continuing operations and/or net
losses in the five most recent fiscal years. Unless the Company meets
its standards for continued listing, the Exchange, in its sole discretion, could
at any time (i) commence a proceeding to delist the Company’s securities or (ii)
include the Company in the list of companies that are not in compliance with the
Exchange’s continued listing standards. Delisting from the Exchange may
adversely impact the Company’s ability to raise capital in the future, and the
Company may be unable to list its common stock on another national exchange or
market. As of the date of this filing, the Company has not received a
formal notice from the Exchange but it is evaluating its options and
how it will respond to such a notice. There
are limited measures available to the Company to resolve the deficiency
described above and any such resolution would likely involve raising
additional capital. There can be no assurance that the Company will be able to
raise such capital on acceptable terms, if at all.
Off
Balance Sheet Arrangements
We did
not engage in any off-balance sheet arrangements during the period ended
September 30, 2008.
The
Company is a smaller reporting company as defined by Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange
Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) and is not required to provide the
information required under this item.
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(a)
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An
evaluation was performed under the supervision and with the participation
of the Company’s management, including its Chief Executive Officer, or
CEO, and Chief Financial Officer, or CFO, of the effectiveness of the
Company’s disclosure controls and procedures, as defined under Rule
13a-15(e) promulgated under the Exchange Act ,as of September 30, 2008.
Based on that evaluation, the Company’s management, including the CEO and
CFO, concluded that the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures are
effective to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the
Company in reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act, is
recorded, processed, summarized and reported as specified in Securities
and Exchange Commission rules and forms.
The
Company’s management, including its CEO and CFO, believes that a control
system, no matter how well designed and operated, is based in part upon
certain assumptions about the likelihood of future events, and therefore
can only provide reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives
of the control system are met, and no evaluation of controls can provide
absolute assurance that all control issues and instances of fraud, if any,
within a company have been detected.
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(b)
|
There
were no significant changes in the Company’s internal control over
financial reporting identified in connection with the evaluation of such
controls that occurred during the Company’s most recent fiscal quarter
that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially
affect, the Company’s internal control over financial
reporting.
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None.
The
Company is a smaller reporting company as defined by Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange
Act and is not required to provide the information required under this
item.
None.
None.
None.
2009
Annual Meeting of Stockholders
At the
time of this filing we expect to hold our 2009 Annual Meeting of Stockholders
(the “2009 Annual Meeting”) during September 2009. Any submission by
a stockholder who wishes for a proposal to be considered for inclusion in our
proxy materials for the 2009 Annual Meeting pursuant to Rule 14a-8 of Exchange
Act must be received by us a reasonable time before we begin to print and mail
our proxy materials. We have set the deadline for receipt of such proposals as
the close of business on May 15, 2009. Proposals should be sent to our Corporate
Secretary at ISCO International, Inc., 1001 Cambridge Drive, Elk Grove Village,
IL 60007, and must otherwise comply with the requirements of Rule 14a-8 in order
to be considered for inclusion in our 2009 proxy statement and
proxy.
In
addition, in order for proposals of stockholders made outside the processes of
Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) to be
considered “timely” for purposes of Rule 14a-4(c) under the Exchange Act, you
must comply with the various requirements established in the Company’s
By-Laws. Among other things, the By-Laws require that a stockholder
submit a written notice to the Corporate Secretary of the Company at the address
in the preceding paragraph ten days after the Company’s public disclosure of the
date for the 2009 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.
Exhibit
Number
|
Description
of Exhibit
|
10.1
|
Letter
Agreement by and between ISCO International, Inc. and Gary Berger, dated
as of May 28, 2008.
|
31.1
|
Certification
by Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) and 15d-14(a), as
adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of
2002.
|
31.2
|
Certification
by Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) and 15d-14(a), as
adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of
2002.
|
32.1
|
Certification
pursuant to 18 U.S.C Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of
the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
|
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 on the 19th day
of November 2008.
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|
|
ISCO
International, Inc.
|
|
|
By:
|
|
/s/ Gordon Reichard, Jr.
|
|
|
Gordon
Reichard, Jr.
|
|
|
President
and Chief Executive Officer
|
|
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(Principal
Executive Officer)
|
|
|
By:
|
|
/s/ Gary Berger
|
|
|
Gary
Berger
|
|
|
Chief
Financial Officer
|
|
|
(Principal
Financial and Accounting Officer)
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EXHIBIT
INDEX
|
|
|
Exhibit
Number
|
|
Description
of Exhibit
|
|
|
10.1
|
|
Letter
Agreement by and between ISCO International, Inc. and Gary Berger, dated
as of May 28, 2008.
|
|
|
31.1
|
|
Certification
by Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) and 15d-14(a), as
adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of
2002.
|
|
|
31.2
|
|
Certification
by Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) and 15d-14(a), as
adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of
2002.
|
|
|
32.1
|
|
Certification
pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of
the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
|