e10vq
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
Form 10-Q
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QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For the Quarterly Period Ended March 31, 2006
or
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o |
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TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For the Transition period from to
Commission File Number 000-26241
BackWeb Technologies Ltd.
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)
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Israel
(State or Other Jurisdiction of
Incorporation or Organization)
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51-2198508
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification Number) |
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10 Haamal Street, Park Afek, Rosh Haayin, Israel
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)
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48092
(Zip Code) |
(972) 3-6118800
(Registrants 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 þ No o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an
accelerated filer, or a non-accelerated filer. See definition of accelerated filer and large
accelerated filer in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act (Check One):
Large accelerated filer o Accelerated filer o Non-accelerated filer þ
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of
the Exchange Act). Yes o No þ
The registrant had 41,248,346 Ordinary Shares outstanding as of May 2, 2006.
BACKWEB TECHNOLOGIES LTD.
REPORT ON FORM 10-Q
FOR THE QUARTER ENDED MARCH 31, 2006
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q contains express or implied forward-looking statements
within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements are those that predict or describe future events
or trends and that do not relate solely to historical matters. For example, our statements
regarding revenue and expense trend expectations in this Quarterly Report under the caption
Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations are
forward-looking statements. The words believes, expects, anticipates, intends, forecasts,
projects, plans, estimates, anticipates, or similar expressions may identify
forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these
forward-looking statements, as they involve many risks and uncertainties. Factors that may cause or
contribute to such differences include those discussed in Item 1A of Part II of this Quarterly
Report under the caption Risk Factors. Although we believe that the assumptions underlying our
forward-looking statements are reasonable, any of the assumptions could prove inaccurate, and,
therefore, our actual results may differ materially from such statements. Forward-looking
statements reflect our current views with respect to future events and financial performance or
operations and speak only as of the date of this report. We undertake no obligation to issue any
updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect any change in our expectations
with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions, or circumstances on which any such
statements are based.
2
PART I FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Item 1. Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements
BACKWEB TECHNOLOGIES LTD.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(in thousands)
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March 31, |
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December 31, |
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2006 |
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2005 |
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(Unaudited) |
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ASSETS |
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Current assets: |
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Cash and cash equivalents |
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$ |
2,375 |
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$ |
1,583 |
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Short-term investments |
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4,090 |
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6,293 |
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Trade accounts receivable, net |
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2,421 |
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1,554 |
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Other accounts receivable and prepaid expenses |
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285 |
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325 |
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Total current assets |
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9,171 |
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9,755 |
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Long-term investments and long-term assets |
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44 |
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35 |
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Property and equipment, net |
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194 |
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213 |
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Total assets |
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$ |
9,409 |
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$ |
10,003 |
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LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS EQUITY |
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Current liabilities: |
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Accounts payable |
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$ |
270 |
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$ |
247 |
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Accrued liabilities |
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1,696 |
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1,731 |
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Deferred revenue |
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1,219 |
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976 |
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Total current liabilities |
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3,185 |
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2,954 |
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Long-term liabilities |
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8 |
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Commitments and contingencies (Note 2) |
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Shareholders equity: |
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Ordinary Shares |
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151,788 |
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151,763 |
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Accumulated other comprehensive income |
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(1 |
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(2 |
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Accumulated deficit |
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(145,563 |
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(144,720 |
) |
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Total shareholders equity |
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6,224 |
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7,041 |
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Total liabilities and shareholders equity |
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$ |
9,409 |
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$ |
10,003 |
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Note: The balance sheet at December 31, 2005 has been derived from the audited financial statements
at that date.
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the condensed consolidated financial statements
3
BACKWEB TECHNOLOGIES LTD.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(in thousands, except per share data)
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Three Months Ended |
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March 31, 2006 |
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March 31, 2005 |
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(Unaudited) |
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Revenue: |
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License |
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$ |
791 |
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$ |
767 |
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Service |
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865 |
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890 |
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Total revenue |
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1,656 |
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1,657 |
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Cost of revenue: |
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License |
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21 |
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5 |
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Service |
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240 |
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159 |
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Total cost of revenue |
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261 |
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164 |
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Gross profit |
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1,395 |
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1,493 |
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Operating expenses: |
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Research and development |
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582 |
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593 |
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Sales and marketing |
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1,075 |
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725 |
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General and administrative |
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605 |
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404 |
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Total operating expenses |
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2,262 |
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1,722 |
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Loss from operations |
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(867 |
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(229 |
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Interest and other income/(expense), net |
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25 |
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(20 |
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Net loss |
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$ |
(842 |
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$ |
(249 |
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Basic and diluted net loss per share |
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$ |
(0.02 |
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$ |
(0.01 |
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Weighted average number of shares used in computing basic and diluted net loss per share |
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41,143 |
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40,877 |
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The accompanying notes are an integral part of the condensed consolidated financial statements.
4
BACKWEB TECHNOLOGIES LTD.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(in thousands)
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Three Months Ended |
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March 31, 2006 |
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March 31, 2005 |
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Unaudited |
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Operating Activities |
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Net loss |
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$ |
(842 |
) |
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$ |
(249 |
) |
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities: |
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Depreciation |
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40 |
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21 |
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Gain on
disposal of property and equipment |
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128 |
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Changes in operating assets and liabilities: |
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Trade accounts receivable |
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(867 |
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590 |
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Other receivables, prepaid expenses, and other long-term assets |
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31 |
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76 |
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Accounts payable and accrued liabilities |
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(12 |
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(250 |
) |
Deferred revenue and long-term liabilities |
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235 |
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(446 |
) |
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Net cash used in operating activities |
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(1,415 |
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(386 |
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Investing Activities |
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Proceeds from disposals / (purchases) of property and equipment |
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(21 |
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128 |
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Proceeds from sales / (purchases) of short-term investments |
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2,203 |
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(31 |
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Net cash provided by investing activities |
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2,182 |
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97 |
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Financing Activities |
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Proceeds from issuance of Ordinary Shares, net |
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25 |
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31 |
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Net cash provided by financing activities |
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25 |
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31 |
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Increase / (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents |
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792 |
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(258 |
) |
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the period |
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1,583 |
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5,213 |
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Cash and cash equivalents at end of the period |
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$ |
2,375 |
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$ |
4,955 |
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The accompanying notes are an integral part of the condensed consolidated financial statements.
5
BACKWEB TECHNOLOGIES LTD.
NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
1. Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Organization BackWeb Technologies Ltd. was incorporated under the laws of Israel in August
1995 and commenced operations in November 1995. BackWeb Technologies Ltd., together with its
subsidiaries (collectively, BackWeb or the Company), is a provider of offline Web
infrastructure and application-specific software that enables companies to extend the reach of
their Web assets to the mobile community of their customers, partners, and employees. The Companys
products address the need of mobile users who are disconnected from a network to access and
transact with critical enterprise Web content, such as sales tools, forecast management, contact
lists, service repair guides, expense report updates, pricing data, time sheets, collaboration
sessions, work orders, and other essential documents and applications. The Companys products are
designed to reduce network costs and improve the productivity of increasingly mobile workforces.
BackWeb sells its products primarily to end users in a variety of industries, including the
telecommunications, financial and computer industries, through its direct sales force, resellers,
OEMs and sales/marketing partners.
Basis of Presentation The unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements
include the accounts of BackWeb Technologies Ltd. and its wholly owned subsidiaries. They have been
prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles for interim financial
reporting and with the instructions of Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. All significant
intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated on consolidation. In the opinion of
management, the interim condensed consolidated financial statements reflect all adjustments
(consisting of normal recurring adjustments) required to fairly state the Companys financial
position, results of operations and cash flows for the periods indicated. The condensed
consolidated balance sheet at December 31, 2005 has been derived from the audited consolidated
financial statements at that date, but does not include all of the information and footnotes
required by U.S. generally accepted accounting principles for complete financial statements. The
interim condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the notes to
the consolidated financial statements included in the Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K for the
fiscal year ended December 31, 2005. The results of the Companys operations for the interim
periods presented are not necessarily indicative of operating results for the full fiscal year
ending December 31, 2006 or any future interim period.
Revenue Recognition To date, the Company has derived its revenue from license fees for its
products, maintenance, training, and rendering of consulting services. The Company sells its
products primarily through its direct sales force, resellers, and OEMs.
The Company recognizes software license revenue in accordance with Statement of Position 97-2,
Software Revenue Recognition, as amended (SOP 97-2), and SOP 98-9, Modification of SOP 97-2,
Software Revenue Recognition with Respect to Certain Transactions (SOP 98-9). SOP 98-9 requires
that revenue be recognized under the Residual Method when vendor specific objective evidence
(VSOE) of fair value exists for all undelivered elements and no VSOE exists for the delivered
elements. Under the Residual Method, any discounts in the arrangement are allocated to the
delivered elements.
Revenue from software license agreements is recognized when all of the following criteria are
met as set forth in SOP 97-2: (1) persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists; (2) delivery has
occurred; (3) the fee is fixed or determinable; and (4) collectibility is probable. The Company
does not generally grant a right of return to its customers. When a right of return exists, the
Company defers revenue until the right of return expires, at which time revenue is recognized
provided that all other revenue recognition criteria have been met. If the fee is not fixed or
determinable, revenue is recognized as payments become due from the customer provided that all
other revenue recognition criteria have been met.
As noted above, when contracts contain multiple elements wherein VSOE of fair value exists for
all undelivered elements, the Company accounts for the delivered elements in accordance with the
Residual Method prescribed by SOP 98-9. Maintenance revenue included in these arrangements is
deferred and recognized on a straight-line basis over the term of the maintenance agreement. The
VSOE of fair value of the undelivered elements (maintenance, training, and consulting services) is
determined based on the price charged for the undelivered element when sold separately.
The Company licenses its products on a perpetual and on a term basis. The Company recognizes
license revenue arising from the sale of perpetual licenses and multi-year term licenses upon
delivery. For term licenses with a contract period of less than two years, revenue arising from the
sale of such licenses is recognized ratably on a monthly basis.
6
The Company derives revenue primarily from software license fees paid by corporate customers
and resellers, and from royalty fees from OEMs earned upon delivery of products. Revenue derived
from resellers is not recognized until the software is sold through to the end user. Royalty
revenue is recognized when reported to the Company by the OEM after delivery of the applicable
products. In addition, the Company has granted the right to use the Companys products to OEMs and
distributors, from which royalty revenue can arise.
Service revenue is primarily comprised of revenue from standard maintenance agreements,
consulting and training fees. Customers licensing products generally purchase the standard annual
maintenance agreement for the products. The Company recognizes revenue from maintenance over the
contractual period of the maintenance agreement, which is generally one year. Maintenance is
available at multiple levels of support and is priced as a percentage of the license revenue. For
those agreements where the maintenance and license is quoted as one fee, the Company values the
maintenance as an undelivered element at standard rates and defers this over the contractual
maintenance period for revenue recognition purposes. The customer may choose to buy a maintenance
contract at its option. Consulting services are billed at an agreed upon rate, plus out-of-pocket
expenses, and training services are billed on a per session basis. The Company recognizes service
revenue from consulting and training when provided to the customer.
Deferred revenue includes amounts billed to customers or cash received from customers for
which revenue has not been recognized.
Net Loss Per Share Basic net loss per share is calculated using the weighted average number
of Ordinary Shares outstanding during each period. Diluted net loss per share is computed based on
the weighted average number of Ordinary Shares outstanding during the period plus potentially
dilutive Ordinary Shares considered outstanding during the period in accordance with Statement of
Financial Accounting Standard (SFAS) No. 128, Earnings per Share. The total number of Ordinary
Shares subject to outstanding options excluded from the diluted net loss per share calculation
because they would be considered anti-dilutive was 6,090,821 and 6,712,016 at March 31, 2006 and
2005, respectively.
The following table presents the calculation of the basic and diluted net loss per share (in
thousands, except per share data):
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Three Months Ended |
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March 31, |
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March 31, |
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2006 |
|
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2005 |
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Unaudited |
|
Net loss |
|
$ |
(842 |
) |
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$ |
(249 |
) |
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Basic and diluted: |
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Weighted-average shares |
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41,143 |
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40,877 |
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Less weighted-average shares subject to forfeiture |
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Weighted average number of shares used in computing basic and diluted net loss per share |
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41,143 |
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40,877 |
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Basic and diluted net loss per share |
|
$ |
(0.02 |
) |
|
$ |
(0.01 |
) |
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Comprehensive Loss The following table presents the components of comprehensive loss (in
thousands):
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Three Months Ended |
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|
March 31, |
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March 31, |
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|
|
2006 |
|
|
2005 |
|
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|
Unaudited |
|
Net loss |
|
$ |
(842 |
) |
|
$ |
(249 |
) |
Change in net unrealized gain (loss) on investments |
|
|
1 |
|
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|
14 |
|
Total comprehensive loss |
|
$ |
(841 |
) |
|
$ |
(236 |
) |
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|
|
|
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|
Stock-Based Compensation In December 2004, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued
SFAS 123R. SFAS 123R requires all share-based payments to employees, or to non-employee directors
as compensation for service on the Board of Directors, to be recognized as compensation expense in
the consolidated financial statements based on the fair values of such payments. The Company
maintains shareholder approved stock-based compensation plans, pursuant to which it grants
stock-based compensation to its employees, and to non-employee directors for Board service. These
grants are primarily in the form of options that allow a grantee to purchase a fixed number of
shares of the Companys common stock at a fixed exercise price equal to the market price of the
shares at the date of the grant. The options may vest on a single date or in tranches over a period
of time, but normally they do not vest unless the grantee is still employed by, or is a director
of, the Company on the vesting date. The compensation expense for these grants will be recognized
over the requisite service period, which is typically the period over which the stock-based
compensation awards vest.
7
The Company made no modifications to outstanding options with respect to vesting periods or
exercise prices prior to adopting SFAS 123R. In March 2005, the Securities and Exchange Commission
(SEC) issued Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 107 (SAB 107), which provides guidance on the
implementation of SFAS 123R. The Company applied the principles of SAB 107 in conjunction with its
adoption of SFAS 123R.
The Company adopted SFAS 123R effective January 1, 2006, using the modified-prospective
transition method. Under this transition method, compensation expense will be recognized based on
the grant date fair value estimated in accordance with the provisions of SFAS 123R for all new
grants effective January 1, 2006, and for options granted prior to but not vested as of December
31, 2005. Prior periods were not restated to reflect the impact of adopting the new standard and
therefore do not include compensation expense related to stock option grants for those periods. In
accordance with SFAS 123R, the Company recognized stock option related compensation expense of
approximately $108,000 for the three-month period ended March 31, 2006. All options granted in the
three-month period ended March 31, 2006 were stock options and the related compensation expense was
recognized on a straight-line basis over the vesting period of each grant, net of estimated
forfeitures. The Companys estimated forfeiture rates are based on its historical experience. The
estimated fair value of the options granted during the first quarter of 2006 and prior years was
calculated using a Black Scholes Merton option pricing model (Black Scholes model). The following
summarizes the assumptions used in the Black Scholes model as applied in the first quarter of 2006:
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Three Months Ended |
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March 31, |
|
March 31, |
Stock Options |
|
2006 |
|
2005 |
Risk-free interest rates (1) |
|
|
4.7 |
% |
|
|
4.2 |
% |
Expected lives (in years) (2) |
|
|
5 |
|
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|
5 |
|
Dividend yield (3) |
|
|
0 |
% |
|
|
0 |
% |
Expected volatility (4) |
|
|
83 |
% |
|
|
76 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Three Months Ended |
|
|
March 31, |
|
March 31, |
Stock Purchase Shares |
|
2006 |
|
2005 |
Risk-free interest rates (1) |
|
|
4.7 |
% |
|
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4.2 |
% |
Expected lives (in years) (2) |
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|
.5 |
|
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|
.5 |
|
Dividend yield (3) |
|
|
0 |
% |
|
|
0 |
% |
Expected volatility (4) |
|
|
82 |
% |
|
|
76 |
% |
|
|
|
(1) |
|
The risk-free interest rate is based on U.S. Treasury debt securities with maturities close to the expected term of the option. |
|
(2) |
|
The expected term represents the estimated period of time until exercise and is based on historical experience of similar
awards, giving consideration to the contractual terms, vesting schedules and expectations of future employee behavior |
|
(3) |
|
No cash dividends have been declared on the Companys common stock since the Companys inception, and the Company currently
does not anticipate paying cash dividends over the expected term of the option. |
|
(4) |
|
Expected volatility is based on relevant historical volatility of the Companys stock factoring in daily share price
observations. |
At March 31, 2006, approximately $400,000 of unrecognized compensation expense related to stock
options is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of approximately 4.7 years. The
resulting effect on net loss and net loss per share attributable to common shareholders is not likely to be representative of the effects in future
periods, due to additional grants and subsequent periods of vesting.
Prior to January 1, 2006, the Company accounted for its stock-based compensation plans under
Accounting Principles Board Opinion No. 25 (APB 25), Accounting for Stock Issued to Employees. In
accordance with APB 25, the Company recognized no compensation expense for qualified stock option
grants. For options issued with an exercise price less than the fair market value of the shares at
the date of grant, the Company recognized the difference between the exercise price and fair market
value as compensation
expense in accordance with APB 25. Prior to January 1, 2006, the Company provided pro forma
disclosure amounts in accordance with SFAS No. 123 Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation, (SFAS
123) as amended by
8
SFAS No. 148 Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation Transition and Disclosure (SFAS 148). As
compensation expense was disclosed but not recognized in periods prior to January 1, 2006, no
cumulative adjustment for forfeitures was recorded in the first quarter of 2006. The following
table illustrates the effect on net loss and net loss per share if the Company had applied the fair
value recognition provisions of SFAS 123 to stock-based employee compensation in the prior
three-month period ended March 31, 2005:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
March 31, |
|
|
|
2005 |
|
Net loss as reported |
|
$ |
(249 |
) |
Stock based compensation expense determined under the fair value method |
|
|
(156 |
) |
|
|
|
|
Pro forma net loss |
|
$ |
(405 |
) |
|
|
|
|
Net loss per share: |
|
|
|
|
Basic and diluted as reported |
|
$ |
(0.01 |
) |
|
|
|
|
Basic and diluted pro forma |
|
$ |
(0.01 |
) |
|
|
|
|
The Company accounts for stock options granted to non-employees in accordance with SFAS 123
and Emerging Issues Task Force (EITF) 96-18 Accounting For Equity Instruments That Are Issued To
Other Than Employees For Acquiring, Or In Conjunction With Selling, Goods Or Services, and,
accordingly, recognizes as expense the estimated fair value of such options as calculated using the
Black Scholes model. The fair value is remeasured during the service period and is amortized over
the vesting period of each option or the recipients contractual arrangement, if shorter. No stock
options were issued to non-employees other than options granted to non-employee members of the
Board of Directors for service as Board members.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements.
In December 2004, the FASB issued Staff Position SFAS No. 109-1, Application of FASB
Statement No. 109, Accounting for Income Taxes (FSP No. 109-1) to the Tax Deduction on Qualified
Production Activities Provided by the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 which was signed into law
by the President of the United States on October 22, 2004. Companies that qualify for the tax laws
deduction for domestic production activities must account for it as a special deduction under SFAS
No. 109 and reduce their tax expense in the period or periods the amounts are deductible, according
to FSP No. 109-1. FSP No. 109 is effective for the Company in fiscal 2006. The FASBs guidance is
not expected to have a material impact on the Companys financial results.
In December 2004, the FASB also issued Staff Position SFAS No. 109-2, Accounting and
Disclosure Guidance for the Foreign Earnings Repatriation Provision (FSP No. 109-2) within the
American Jobs Creation Act of 2004. The Act provides for a one-time deduction of 85 percent of
certain foreign earnings that are repatriated in either an enterprises last tax year that began
before the date of enactment, or the first tax year that begins during the one-year period
beginning on the date of enactment. FSP No. 109-2 allows companies additional time to evaluate
whether foreign earnings will be repatriated under the repatriation provisions of the new tax law
and requires specified disclosures for companies needing the additional time to complete the
evaluation. The Company is currently evaluating the repatriation provisions of the Act and will
complete its evaluation once guidance has been issued by the Treasury Department on the
repatriation provision.
Note 2. Contingencies
Litigation
On November 13, 2001, BackWeb, six of its officers and directors, and various underwriters for
its initial public offering were named as defendants in a consolidated action captioned In re
BackWeb Technologies Ltd. Initial Public Offering Securities Litigation, Case No. 01-CV-10000, a
purported securities class action lawsuit filed in the United States District Court, Southern
District of New York. Similar cases have been filed alleging violations of the federal securities
laws in the initial public offerings of more than 300 other companies, and these cases have been
coordinated for pretrial proceedings as In re Initial Public Offering Securities Litigation, 21 MC
92. A consolidated amended complaint filed in the BackWeb case asserts that the prospectus from our
June 8, 1999 initial public offering failed to disclose certain alleged improper actions by the
underwriters for the offering, including the receipt of excessive brokerage commissions and
agreements with customers regarding aftermarket purchases of shares of our stock. The
complaint alleges violations of Sections 11 and 15 of the Securities Act of 1933, Sections
10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and Rule 10b-5 promulgated under the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934. On or about July 15, 2002, an omnibus motion
9
to dismiss was filed
in the coordinated litigation on behalf of defendants, including BackWeb, on common pleadings
issues. In October 2002, the Court dismissed all six individual defendants from the litigation
without prejudice, pursuant to a stipulation. On February 19, 2003, the Court denied the motion to
dismiss with respect to the claims against BackWeb. No trial date has yet been set.
A proposal has been made for the settlement and for the release of claims against the issuer
defendants, including BackWeb, has been submitted to the Court. BackWeb has agreed to the proposal.
The settlement is subject to a number of conditions, including approval by the proposed settling
parties and the court.
If the settlement does not occur, and litigation against BackWeb continues, BackWeb believes
it has meritorious defenses and intends to defend the case vigorously. However, the results of any
litigation are inherently uncertain and can require significant management attention, and BackWeb
could be forced to incur substantial expenditures, even if it ultimately prevails. In the event
there were an adverse outcome, BackWebs business could be harmed. Thus, BackWeb cannot assure you
that this lawsuit will not materially and adversely affect its business, results of operations, or
the price of its Ordinary Shares.
Additionally, BackWeb was jointly named in a judgment during September 2005 for approximately $500,000
related to a claim against its dormant French subsidiary. The judgment is related to a dispute
between a former French distributor of BackWeb and one of the distributors end user customers.
While BackWeb believes it has additional defenses against the claim and will ultimately not be
responsible for payments under the judgment, BackWeb accrued approximately $250,000, or
approximately one-half of the total judgment against the distributor and Backweb, in the third quarter of 2005.
From time to time, BackWeb is involved in litigation incidental to the conduct of its
business. Apart from the litigation described above, we are not party to any lawsuit or proceeding
that, in our opinion, is likely to seriously harm our business.
Significant Risks
Due to uncertainties in the technology market in particular and the economy in general, the
Company has limited visibility to forecast future revenues. While the Company believes there is a
market for its products, this lack of revenue visibility exposes the Company to risk should it not
be able to adjust its expenditures to mitigate unfavorable trends in its revenue.
Letter of Credit
In February 2001, the Company signed a thirty-day revolving letter of credit of $300,000
in favor of Equity Office LLC (formerly Speiker Properties LLC). In conjunction with its lease
renegotiation in San Jose, CA, the Company extended this letter of credit to a total of $500,000 in
favor of Equity Office LLC in October 2003. The letter of credit extends to the end of the lease in
January 2007.
Line of Credit
As of March 31, 2006, the Company had a $500,000 line of credit with a lender. The amount of
borrowings available under the line of credit is based on a formula using accounts receivable. The
line of credit has a stated maturity date of January 31, 2007 and provides that the lender may
demand payment in full of the entire outstanding balance of the loan at any time. The line of
credit is secured by substantially all of the Companys assets. The line requires that the Company
meet certain financial covenants, provides payment penalties for noncompliance and prepayment,
limits the amount of other debt the Company can incur, and limits the amount of spending on fixed
assets. During the third quarter of 2004, the Company moved the $500,000 deposit related to its
lease space in San Jose, California under the line of credit. At March 31, 2006, the Company had no
unused borrowing capacity.
10
Note 3. Restructuring Liabilities
During the fourth quarter of 2004, the Company recorded a charge of approximately $500,000
related to the termination of 19 employees throughout the Company, including the Companys Chief
Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer. All amounts related to this action were expensed in
2004, and at March 31, 2005, there was an accrual of approximately $20,000 related to severance and
other payments yet to be distributed. At March 31, 2006, there was no balance remaining related to
restructuring charges and all amounts had either been disbursed or reversed.
The following table summarizes the costs and activities related to the 2004 restructuring (in
thousands):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Involuntary |
|
|
|
Terminations |
|
Total charge 2004 restructuring |
|
|
500 |
|
Cash payments 2004 restructuring |
|
|
(400 |
) |
Balance at December 31, 2004 |
|
$ |
100 |
|
|
|
|
|
Cash payments 2005 restructuring |
|
|
(100 |
) |
Balance at December 31, 2005 |
|
$ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
11
Note 4. Segments and Geographic Information
BackWeb operates in one industry segment, the development, marketing and sales of network
application software. Operations in Israel are primarily related to research and development.
Operations in North America and Europe include sales and marketing and administration. The
following is a summary of operations within geographic areas based on the location of the legal
entity making that sale (in thousands):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Three Months Ended |
|
|
|
March 31, |
|
|
March 31, |
|
|
|
2006 |
|
|
2005 |
|
|
|
Unaudited |
|
Revenue: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
North America |
|
$ |
1,627 |
|
|
$ |
1,510 |
|
Israel |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
Europe |
|
|
29 |
|
|
|
146 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
1,656 |
|
|
$ |
1,657 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
March 31, |
|
|
December 31, |
|
|
|
2006 |
|
|
2005 |
|
|
|
Unaudited |
|
Long-lived assets: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
North America |
|
$ |
163 |
|
|
$ |
173 |
|
Israel |
|
|
65 |
|
|
|
74 |
|
Other |
|
|
10 |
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
238 |
|
|
$ |
248 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Revenue generated in the U.S. and Canada (collectively, North America) and Europe is all to
customers located in those geographic regions. Revenue generated in Israel consists of export sales
to end-customers located in the rest of the world, excluding North America and Europe. OEM sales
are made to all geographic regions. One customer accounted for approximately $340,000, or 21% of
our total revenue, and another accounted for approximately $285,000, or 17% of our total revenue,
in the three months ended March 31, 2006. One customer accounted for approximately $375,000, or
23% of our total revenue, and another accounted for approximately $330,000, or 20% of our total
revenue, in the three months ended March 31, 2005.
Note 5. Guarantees
Under the terms of the Companys standard contract with its customers, the Company agrees to
indemnify the customer against certain liabilities and damages to the extent such liabilities and
damages arise from claims that such customers use of the Companys software or services infringes
intellectual property rights of a third party. The Company believes that these terms are common in
the high technology industry. The Company does not record a liability for potential litigation
claims related to indemnification obligations with its customers as it has not had any claims and
does not believe any are likely.
Item 2. Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
The following discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with, and is qualified by,
our Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes thereto included elsewhere in this
report, as well as the Risk Factors section that is set forth in Item 1A of Part II below. In
addition, this discussion contains forward-looking statements and is, therefore, subject to the
overall qualification on forward-looking statements that appears at the beginning of this report.
Overview
We compete in the mobility and mobile applications market and offer a solution allowing users
of enterprise Web applications to synchronize those Web applications to their PCs for use while
disconnected from the network. Our enabling software is designed to integrate with web applications
in a loosely-coupled way that requires no changes in a companys enterprise web architecture and
applications. This approach has the potential to bring mobile functionality to enterprise web
applications quickly and with low total
12
cost of ownership. Our products address the need of mobile users who spend important parts of
their work time in situations in which fixed or wireless network connectivity is not practical.
This includes mobile workers engaged in field sales, services, consulting and operational roles.
Many of these people must frequently disconnect from and reconnect to the network but require
consistent access to their important web-based business applications. Examples of such critical
business applications include customer relationship management, or CRM, systems, service management
systems, service document repositories, training and e-learning applications, human resources, or
HR, applications, service repair guides, expense report updates, pricing data, time sheets, work
orders, and other essential documents and information. Our products are designed to capitalize on
the potential business and return on investment benefits of mobile applications, including improved
productivity of mobile workforces, faster completion of company workflows and increased levels of
sales and customer satisfaction. They are also designed to reduce the cost of distributing
information to field personnel and to minimize the impact and costs on enterprise networks to
support mobile users.
The BackWeb Offline Access Server (OAS) integrates with Web applications in any web-based
architecture, including portal frameworks, intranets, and websites, so the applications may be used
by users who are frequently disconnected from the network. Its two-way synchronization capability
enables people to access content from, publish to and conduct transactions on web applications
while disconnected, enabling the productive combination of fully-featured enterprise applications
and mobile use cases. This can be less expensive and easier to implement than the alternative of
writing special client-server applications for use by mobile personnel.
Using HTML-type tags (called Offline Tagging Markup Language, or OTML), our customers can
offline-enable their websites and portals without rewriting code, creating an offline end-user
experience that is essentially the same as the online user experience. The BackWeb Polite Sync
Server, formerly known as BackWeb Foundation, uses network-sensitive background content delivery
that can deliver large amounts of data without impacting the performance of other network
applications. This allows organizations to efficiently target and deliver sizeable digital data to
users desktops throughout the extended enterprise. The Polite Sync Server utilizes our patented
polite synchronization technology that is designed to distribute large amounts of data over very
good or very low quality network connections.
We derive revenue from licensing our products and from maintenance, consulting and training
services. Our products are marketed worldwide primarily through our direct sales force. We also
have generated revenue through business partners via our reseller, OEM and co-sales/marketing
partners. Since 2002, our direct sales force has accounted for a significant majority of our
revenue. However, the revenue from partner activities increased in 2005 and the first quarter of
2006, and we believe it could continue to increase in absolute dollars and in percentage of overall
revenue.
Business Overview
The first quarter of 2006 was a transition quarter for BackWeb. Following a stabilization
period in 2005, we added headcount and related expenses to our sales and marketing team in the
fourth quarter of 2005 and the first quarter of 2006 with a view towards expanding our presence in
the mobility space. In our business, it generally takes two to three quarters before we realize
any significant revenue from the investments we make in our sales and marketing team. As we
integrate the new employees in our sales and marketing team and they become more productive, we
will have an opportunity to expand revenue in future quarters. From an expense standpoint, we
anticipated a higher level of spending in the first quarter of 2006 and expect spending to remain
at approximately this increased level for the next several quarters as we integrate our new sales
and marketing employees.
In the first three months of 2006, our total revenue remained consistent as compared to the
first quarter of 2005, and decreased only 6% as compared to the fourth quarter of 2005 even though
our first fiscal quarter is traditionally weaker seasonally than our fourth fiscal quarter. License
revenue in the first quarter of 2006 increased 3% and 6% compared to the same period last year and
the fourth quarter of 2005, respectively. This increase in license revenue was offset by a 23%
decrease in our professional services revenue compared to the fourth quarter of 2005, which
reflected the completion of key customer implementation projects by the professional services
organization during the first quarter, and a decrease in maintenance revenue as we replace
customers using older product lines with new customers using our current product offerings.
During the first quarter of 2006, we expanded a key relationship within our partner channel by
certifying our second offline web application solution with Oracle. We believe this further
validates the integration of BackWeb Offline Access Server with Oracles PeopleSoft Enterprise
Learning Management application. The partnership with Oracle contributed substantially to new
license revenue in the first quarter of 2006, as we executed a license transaction with Booz Allen
Hamilton, a strategic management and technology consulting firm. We believe this partnership with
Oracle, like other strategic partnerships we maintain, provides important future sales
opportunities as we leverage the partners market presence and customer relationships to distribute
our products. We plan to continue to invest in these relationships and expect to derive a
significant amount of our revenue in future quarters through them.
13
Our net loss for the first quarter of 2006 was impacted by several important factors. First,
in connection with our ongoing efforts to streamline our operations, in the first quarter of 2006,
we terminated our relationship with certain unproductive sales territories, resulting in one-time
charges of approximately $100,000 that we do not expect to recur in the second quarter of 2006 or
beyond. Second, the first quarter of 2006 was the initial adoption quarter of Statement of
Financial Accounting Standard, or SFAS, 123R for the expensing of stock option related expenses.
The impact of SFAS 123R to our statement of operations for the first quarter of 2006 was
approximately $100,000, and this expense was distributed across all departments. Lastly, we closed
and announced a significant transaction in late 2004 in which we received the entire license fee
upon execution of the agreement, but we recognized this license as revenue during the fourth
quarter of 2004 and in each quarter of 2005. This timing difference between cash collection and
revenue recognition provided a gap in cash flow during each quarter of 2005 of approximately
$375,000, where our typical loss for each quarter was approximately $200,000, and our typical cash
used in our operations was approximately $600,000. In 2006, we will not recognize any revenue
related to that 2004 transaction, so our net loss will more closely approximate our cash burn. Our
net loss for the first quarter of 2006 was $842,000, which included $100,000 of SFAS 123R non-cash
expense and approximately $50,000 of traditional non-cash expense items such as depreciation. As a
result, our net cash used in our operations in the first quarter of 2006 was approximately
$700,000.
After the close of business on March 31, 2006, we collected four significant accounts
receivable from sales made in the fourth quarter of 2005 and the first quarter of 2006. Because
these collections were not made during the first quarter of 2006 resulted in an increase in our
traditional levels of accounts receivable which led in a correspondingly greater than normal
decrease in our cash balance at the end of the first quarter of 2006. As these accounts receivable
were collected subsequent to quarter end, we expect to have a cash flow positive second quarter of
2006, and assuming normal cash collection patterns in the second quarter of 2006, we expect our net
cash used in operations to be approximately $700,000.
We remain focused on the market to mobilize enterprise Web applications. Enterprise
applications have migrated almost entirely to web-based architectures, and with the advancement of
Service Oriented Architectures (SOA), web services and composite applications, we believe that the
web-based enterprise architecture is becoming the foundation upon which all business processes will
be enabled or automated. Concurrently, professional workers are becoming increasingly mobile,
accomplishing their work on laptops while they work with customers, partners and in remote work
environments. In their mobile work, they are occasionally connected via wireless networking but
require their key applications to be always available, even between wireless connections.
Our ability to achieve revenue and profitability in this market will depend on our ability to
identify and penetrate the application and industry market segments for which the need for mobile
web application usage is most acute. Key applications include e-learning, human resources talent
management/performance management, customer relationship management, knowledge management, clinical
trials and content portals. Key industry segments include pharmaceuticals, manufacturing and
consulting.
An important factor in our success will be our ability to establish partnerships with
application vendors in these market segments. We believe that our recent personnel additions will
help us address these market segments and partnerships. We intend to manage our expenses
carefully while engaging and executing in productive market segments to pursue revenue growth.
Critical Accounting Policies
Our critical accounting policies are as follows:
|
|
Estimating valuation allowances and accrued liabilities, including the allowance for doubtful accounts; and |
|
|
Accrued restructuring charges. |
Revenue Recognition
We derive revenue primarily from software license fees, maintenance service fees, and
consulting services paid to us directly by corporate customers and resellers and, to a lesser
extent, from royalty fees from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). Revenue derived from
resellers is not recognized until the software is sold through to the end user. Royalty revenue is
recognized when reported to us by the OEM after delivery of the applicable products. In addition,
royalty revenue can arise from the right of
14
OEMs and other distributors to use our products. As described below, management estimates must
be made and used in connection with the revenue we recognize in any accounting period.
We recognize software license revenue in accordance with Statement of Position 97-2, Software
Revenue Recognition (SOP 97-2), as amended, and SOP 98-9, Modification of SOP 97-2, Software
Revenue Recognition with Respect to Certain Transactions (SOP 98-9). SOP 98-9 requires that
revenue be recognized under the Residual Method when vendor specific objective evidence (VSOE) of
fair value exists for all undelivered elements and no VSOE of fair value exists for the delivered
elements. Under the Residual Method, any discounts in the arrangement are allocated to the
delivered element.
When contracts contain multiple elements wherein VSOE of fair value exists for all undelivered
elements, we account for the delivered elements in accordance with the Residual Method prescribed
by SOP 98-9. Maintenance revenue included in these arrangements is deferred and recognized on a
straight-line basis over the term of the maintenance agreement. The VSOE of fair value of the
undelivered elements (maintenance, training, and consulting services) is determined based on the
price charged for the undelivered element when sold separately.
Revenue from software license agreements is recognized when all of the following criteria are
met as set forth in SOP 97-2: (1) persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists; (2) delivery has
occurred; (3) the fee is fixed or determinable; and (4) collectibility is probable. We do not
generally grant a right of return to our customers. When a right of return exists, we defer revenue
until the right of return expires, at which time revenue is recognized provided that all other
revenue recognition criteria have been met. If the fee is not fixed or determinable, revenue is
recognized as payments become due from the customer provided that all other revenue recognition
criteria have been met.
We license our products on a perpetual and on a term basis. We recognize license revenue
arising from perpetual licenses and multi-year term licenses in the accounting period that all
revenue recognition criteria have been met, which is generally upon delivery of the software to the
end user. For term licenses with a contract period of less than two years, revenue is recognized on
a monthly basis.
At the time of each transaction, we assess whether the fee associated with our license sale is
fixed or determinable. If the fee is not fixed or determinable, we recognize revenue as payments
become due from the customer provided that all other revenue recognition criteria have been met. In
determining whether the fee is fixed or determinable, we compare the payment terms of the
transaction to our normal payment terms. We assess the likelihood of collection based on a number
of factors, including past transaction history, the credit worthiness of the customer and, in some
instances, a review of the customers financial statements. We do not request collateral from our
customers. If credit worthiness cannot be established, we defer the fee and recognize revenue at
the time collection becomes reasonably assured, which is generally upon the receipt of cash.
15
Service revenue is primarily comprised of revenue from standard maintenance agreements and
consulting services. Customers licensing products generally purchase the standard annual
maintenance agreement for the products. We recognize revenue from maintenance over the contractual
period of the maintenance agreement, which is generally one year. Maintenance is priced as a
percentage of the license revenue. For those agreements where the maintenance and license is quoted
as one fee, we value the maintenance as an undelivered element at standard rates and recognize this
revenue over the contractual maintenance period. Consulting services are billed at an agreed-upon
rate, plus out-of-pocket expenses. We generally charge for our consulting services on a time and
materials basis and recognize revenue from such services as they are provided to the customer. We
account for fixed fee service arrangements in a similar manner to an agreement containing an
acceptance clause. Our arrangements do not generally include acceptance clauses. However if an
acceptance provision exists, then we defer revenue recognition until we receive written acceptance
of the product from the customer.
Deferred revenue includes amounts billed to customers and cash received from customers for
which revenue has not been recognized.
Estimating Valuation Allowances and Accrued Liabilities, Including the Allowance for Doubtful
Accounts
Management continually reviews the collectibility of trade accounts receivable and the
adequacy of the allowance for doubtful accounts against trade accounts receivable. Management
specifically analyzes customer accounts, accounts receivable aging reports, history of bad debts,
the business or industry sector to which the customer belongs, customer concentration, customer
credit-worthiness, current economic trends, and any other pertinent factors. Generally, we make a
provision for doubtful accounts when a trade receivable becomes 90 days past due. In exceptional
cases, we will waive a provision after a trade receivable is 90 days or more past due when, in the
judgment of management, after conducting due diligence with the management of the customer, the
receivable is still collectible and the customer has demonstrated that payment is imminent.
Management believes it is able to make reasonably objective judgments on the adequacy of other
provisions relating to trade accruals. We have not made any provision for contingent liabilities
which has involved significant management judgment that either we will prevail in the case of
material litigation or that we have sufficient insurance to cover any adverse outcome. A discussion
of our outstanding material litigation is contained in Part II, Item 1 Legal Proceedings of this
Form 10-Q.
16
Results of Operations
The following table sets forth our results of operations for the three months ended March 31,
2006 and 2005 expressed as a percentage of total revenue.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Three Months Ended |
|
|
March 31, |
|
March 31, |
|
|
2006 |
|
2005 |
|
|
Unaudited |
Revenue: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
License |
|
|
48 |
% |
|
|
46 |
% |
Service |
|
|
52 |
|
|
|
54 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total revenue |
|
|
100 |
|
|
|
100 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cost of revenue: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
License |
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
Service |
|
|
15 |
|
|
|
10 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total cost of revenue |
|
|
16 |
|
|
|
10 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gross profit |
|
|
84 |
|
|
|
90 |
|
Operating expenses: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Research and development |
|
|
35 |
|
|
|
36 |
|
Sales and marketing |
|
|
65 |
|
|
|
44 |
|
General and administrative |
|
|
37 |
|
|
|
24 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total operating expenses |
|
|
137 |
|
|
|
104 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Loss from operations |
|
|
(53 |
) |
|
|
(14 |
) |
Interest and other income, net |
|
|
2 |
|
|
|
(1 |
) |
Net loss |
|
|
(51 |
%) |
|
|
(15 |
%) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Revenue
Total revenue
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Three months ended, |
|
|
March 31, |
|
Change |
|
March 31, |
|
|
2006 |
|
$ |
|
% |
|
2005 |
|
|
(in thousands, except percentages) |
Total revenue |
|
$ |
1,656 |
|
|
|
($1 |
) |
|
|
|
% |
|
$ |
1,657 |
|
As a percentage of total revenue |
|
|
100 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
100 |
% |
We derive revenue from license, maintenance, and consulting services for BackWeb OAS, BackWeb
Polite Sync Server, and BackWeb e-Accelerator Suite. Total revenue in the three months ended March
31, 2006 was relatively flat as compared to the same period in 2005 primarily due to an increase in
license revenue, which was offset by a decrease in services fees. We have limited visibility to
forecast revenue and therefore we are unable to quantify future overall trends in our total
revenue. However, in the sections below we discuss the changes in the individual components of
total revenue and expected trends in these individual components.
In the three months ended March 31, 2006, two customers accounted for approximately 21% and
17% of total revenue. One customer accounted for approximately $375,000, or 23% of our total
revenue, and another accounted for approximately $330,000, or 20% of our total revenue, in the
three months ended March 31, 2005.We expect that a small number of customers will continue to
account for a substantial portion of our total revenue for the foreseeable future and revenue from
one or more of these customers may represent more than 10% of our total revenue in future periods.
License revenue
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Three months ended, |
|
|
March 31, |
|
Change |
|
March 31, |
|
|
2006 |
|
$ |
|
% |
|
2005 |
|
|
(in thousands, except percentages) |
License revenue |
|
$ |
791 |
|
|
$ |
24 |
|
|
|
3.1 |
% |
|
$ |
767 |
|
As a percentage of total revenue |
|
|
48 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
% |
|
|
46 |
% |
17
The increase in license revenue in the three months ended March 31, 2006 as compared to the
same periods in 2005 was primarily due to a license sale of our OAS product made to a new customer
which accounted for approximately $315,000, or 40%, of license revenue for the three months ended
March 31, 2006. The first quarter of 2005 included $375,000 of license recognition from the
significant agreement signed with one customer in late 2004; we did not recognize any revenue from
this transaction in the first quarter of 2006.
Service revenue
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Three months ended, |
|
|
March 31, |
|
Change |
|
March 31, |
|
|
2006 |
|
$ |
|
% |
|
2005 |
|
|
(in thousands, except percentages) |
Service revenue |
|
$ |
865 |
|
|
|
($25 |
) |
|
|
(3 |
%) |
|
$ |
890 |
|
As a percentage of total revenue |
|
|
52 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(2 |
%) |
|
|
54 |
% |
Service revenue, which includes maintenance and consulting services, decreased for the three
months ended March 31, 2006 when compared to the same period in 2005 due to a decrease in
maintenance fees. The decrease in maintenance fees was primarily related to customers on our older
product lines declining maintenance services at a faster rate than customers of our newer product
lines are being signed. This decrease was partially offset by an increase in consulting services
fees. The vast majority of our consulting revenue during the period was associated with our BackWeb
OAS product.
During the balance of 2006, we expect service revenue to grow commensurately with our license
sales. We expect that maintenance revenue associated with our older products will continue to
decrease, offset by an increase in maintenance revenue associated with BackWeb OAS. Any increase in
maintenance revenue from BackWeb OAS, however, is dependent upon an absolute dollar level increase
in license revenue from that product, which may not occur. Further, while we expect consulting
revenue to remain relatively flat over the balance of 2006, this too is dependent on increased
licenses of our BackWeb OAS.
Cost of Revenue
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Three months ended, |
|
|
|
March 31, |
|
Change |
|
March 31, |
|
|
|
2006 |
|
$ |
|
% |
|
2005 |
|
|
|
(in thousands, except percentages) |
|
Cost of revenue |
|
|
$ |
261 |
|
|
$ |
97 |
|
|
|
59 |
% |
|
$ |
164 |
|
As a
percentage of total revenue |
|
|
|
16 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
6 |
% |
|
|
10 |
% |
Cost of revenue increased both in absolute dollars and as a percentage of revenue during the
three months ended March 31, 2006 as compared to the same period in 2005. This increase was due to
an increase in the size of the service team performing maintenance and consulting work, as well as
increased use of resources within our research and development team on our professional services
engagements.
Cost of License Revenue
Cost of license revenue consists primarily of expenses related to media duplication, packaging
of products and royalty payables to OEM vendors.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Three months ended, |
|
|
March 31, |
|
Change |
|
March 31, |
|
|
2006 |
|
$ |
|
% |
|
2005 |
|
|
(in thousands, except percentages) |
Cost of license revenue |
|
$ |
21 |
|
|
$ |
16 |
|
|
|
320 |
% |
|
$ |
5 |
|
As a percentage of license revenue |
|
|
3 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
% |
|
|
1 |
% |
As a percentage of total revenue |
|
|
1 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
% |
|
|
|
|
18
Cost of license revenue increased as a percentage of revenue during the three months ended
March 31, 2006 as compared to the same period in 2005 primarily due to royalties associated with
the Office of the Chief Scientist program (OCS) in Israel. Under this program BackWeb receives
cash in the form of reimbursement of research and development expenses from the OCS to develop
technology within Israel, and then as sales of the product developed under the program are made,
royalty payments are made back to the OCS to provide a return on their investment.
Cost of Service Revenue
Cost of service revenue consists primarily of expenses related to the personnel expenses and
overhead of our customer support and professional service organizations, including related expenses
of BackWeb consultants, third party consultants, and contractors.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Three months ended, |
|
|
March 31, |
|
Change |
|
March 31, |
|
|
2005 |
|
$ |
|
% |
|
2006 |
|
|
(in thousands, except percentages) |
Cost of service revenue |
|
$ |
240 |
|
|
$ |
81 |
|
|
|
51 |
% |
|
$ |
159 |
|
As a percentage of service revenue |
|
|
28 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
10 |
% |
|
|
18 |
% |
As a percentage of total revenue |
|
|
15 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
5 |
% |
|
|
10 |
% |
Cost of service revenue increased as a percentage of total revenue as well as in absolute
dollars during the three months ended March 31, 2006 as compared to the same period in 2005
primarily due to a greater number of professional services employees than in prior periods due to
hiring in recent periods, and the relative inexperience of these new employees, as well as an
increased use of resources within our research and development team on our professional services
engagements.
Operating Expenses
Research and Development
Research and development expenses consist of personnel costs, equipment and supply costs for
our development efforts. We charge these expenses to operations as they are incurred. We operate
our research and development facilities in Israel.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Three months ended, |
|
|
March 31, |
|
Change |
|
March 31, |
|
|
2006 |
|
$ |
|
% |
|
2005 |
|
|
(in thousands, except percentages) |
Research and development |
|
$ |
582 |
|
|
|
($11 |
) |
|
|
(2 |
%) |
|
$ |
593 |
|
As a percentage of total revenue |
|
|
35 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1 |
%) |
|
|
36 |
% |
Research and development expenses during the three months ended March 31, 2006 remained
relatively consistent as compared to the same period in 2005 primarily due to consistent expense
monitoring and controls. In the latter portion of 2004, we significantly reduced our use of outside
contractors and reduced headcount in our research and development department through attrition and
personnel management, and this has continued into 2005 and 2006.
We believe that continued investment in research and development is important in order to
attain our strategic objectives. However, we intend to continually monitor expenses across the
organization and continually strive for cost reductions, particularly in areas such as facilities,
travel and entertainment, and telecommunications expenses.
Sales and Marketing
Sales and marketing expenses consist of personnel and related costs for our direct sales
force, product management, marketing, business development and operations management employees,
together with the costs of marketing programs, including trade shows and other related direct
expenses and general overhead.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Three months ended, |
|
|
March 31, |
|
Change |
|
March 31, |
|
|
2006 |
|
$ |
|
% |
|
2005 |
|
|
(in thousands, except percentages) |
Sales and marketing |
|
$ |
1,075 |
|
|
$ |
350 |
|
|
|
48 |
% |
|
$ |
725 |
|
As a percentage of total revenue |
|
|
65 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
21 |
% |
|
|
44 |
% |
19
The increase in sales and marketing expenses during the three months ended March 31, 2006 as
compared to the same period in 2005 resulted primarily from an increase of approximately $250,000
in personnel related costs as a result of the addition of two vice presidents and five field level
staff as compared to the same period in 2005. Additionally in the first quarter of 2006, we
recognized approximately $100,000 of one-time separation costs related to the termination of
certain employees, and recognized approximately $50,000 in expenses in connection with the
implementation of SFAS 123R.
We consider maintaining a marketing presence and an effective sales organization to be vital
to the achievement of our strategic objectives. Though we intend to continually monitor expenses
across the organization and continually strive for cost reductions, we expect to selectively
increase our direct sales organization when and where appropriate, particularly in connection with
our realigned sales strategy and personnel towards our focus on selling to line of business
executives as opposed to our previous focus on information technology, or IT, organizations.
General and Administrative
General and administrative expenses consist primarily of personnel and related costs and
outside services for general corporate functions, including finance, accounting, general
management, human resources, information services, legal, and the provision for doubtful accounts
receivable.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Three months ended, |
|
|
March 31, |
|
Change |
|
March 31, |
|
|
2006 |
|
$ |
|
% |
|
2005 |
|
|
(in thousands, except percentages) |
General and administrative |
|
$ |
605 |
|
|
$ |
201 |
|
|
|
50 |
% |
|
$ |
404 |
|
As a percentage of total revenue |
|
|
37 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
13 |
% |
|
|
24 |
% |
The increase in general and administrative expenses during the three months ended March 31,
2006 as compared to the same period in 2005 was primarily due to the reclassification of our Chief
Executive Officer into the general and administrative department following the hiring of our Vice
President of Sales and Business Development, the adoption of SFAS 123R in the first quarter of
2006, and larger than usual professional services fees.
Interest and Other Income (Expense), Net
Interest and other income, net includes interest income earned on our cash, cash equivalents
and short-term investments, offset by interest expense and the effects of exchange gains and losses
arising from the re-measurement of transactions in foreign currencies.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Three months ended, |
|
|
March 31, |
|
Change |
|
March 31, |
|
|
2006 |
|
$ |
|
% |
|
2005 |
|
|
(in thousands, except percentages) |
Interest and other income (expense), net |
|
$ |
25 |
|
|
$ |
45 |
|
|
|
225 |
% |
|
|
($20 |
) |
As a percentage of total revenue |
|
|
2 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
3 |
% |
|
|
(1 |
)% |
The increase in interest and other income (expense), net during the three months ended March
31, 2006 as compared to the same period in 2005 was primarily due to a reduction in bank service
fees.
Income Taxes
There was no provision for income taxes because we have incurred operating losses. As of March
31, 2006, we had approximately $100 million of Israeli net operating loss carry forwards and $7
million of U.S. federal net operating loss carry forwards available to offset future taxable
income. The U.S. net operating loss carry forwards expire in varying amounts between the years 2011
and 2024. The Israeli net operating loss carry forwards have no expiration date.
20
Off-Balance Sheet Financings and Liabilities
Other than operating lease commitments, we do not have any off-balance sheet financing
arrangements or liabilities, retained or contingent interests in transferred assets or any
obligation arising out of a material variable interest in an unconsolidated entity. We do provide
standard indemnification agreements to our customers related to our product. We do not have any
majority-owned subsidiaries that are not included in the consolidated financial statements.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
As of March 31, 2006, we had approximately $6.5 million of cash, cash equivalents and
short-term investments as compared to $7.9 million as of December 31, 2005.
Net cash used in operating activities was approximately $1.4 million and $386,000 for the
three months ended March 31, 2006 and 2005, respectively, and was primarily used to fund our
ongoing operational needs. The increase in cash used in operating activities was primarily due to
the delay in collection of certain large receivables during the first quarter of 2006 that were
subsequently collected in April 2006. Cash provided by investing activities was approximately $2.2
million and $97,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2006 and 2005, respectively, and primarily
represents the net proceeds from the purchases and sales of short-term investments to fund
operational needs. Cash provided by financing activities in the three months ended March 31, 2006
and 2005 was approximately $25,000 and $31,000, respectively. These amounts consisted primarily of
proceeds from the issuance of Ordinary Shares under our 1999 Employee Stock Purchase Plan and as a
result of the exercise of stock options issued under our 1998 Employee Stock Option Plan.
In May 2004, we entered into a $1.5 million line of credit with Silicon Valley Bank. The
amount of borrowings available under the line of credit is based on a formula using accounts
receivable. The line of credit has a stated maturity date of January 31, 2007 and provides that the
lender may demand payment in full of the entire outstanding balance of the loan at any time. The
line of credit is secured by substantially all of our assets. The line requires that we meet
certain financial covenants, provides payment penalties for noncompliance and prepayment, limits
the amount of other debt we can incur, and limits the amount of spending on fixed assets. During
the third quarter of 2004, we moved the $500,000 deposit related to our lease space in San Jose,
California under the line of credit. In June 2005, we amended the line of credit down from a
borrowing capacity of $1.5 million to $500,000. At March 31, 2006, we had no unused borrowing
capacity. We do not expect to renew this line of credit beyond the maturity date, as it is
primarily used to support the lease deposit commitment and has the same expiration date as the
building lease it supports. We also do not intend to extend the credit facility nor draw further
upon it. At the termination of the underlying office lease, we expect the lease deposit of the same
space or a new space to be substantially reduced to reflect the current market rates for our lease
space requirements.
As of March 31, 2006, we had no material commitments for capital expenditures. Our capital
requirements depend on numerous factors, including market acceptance of our products, the resources
we devote to developing, marketing, selling and supporting our products and the timing and extent
of establishing additional operations. As a result of the restructuring we implemented in October
2004, we believe that our current cash, cash equivalent and short-term investment balances will be
sufficient to fund our operations for at least the next 12 months. However, our business may not go
as planned, and we may need to or we may elect to raise additional funds prior to the expiration of
this period. If we decide to raise additional funds, it could be difficult to obtain additional
financing on favorable terms, if at all. We may try to obtain additional financing by issuing
Ordinary Shares or convertible debt securities, which could dilute our existing shareholders. If we
cannot raise needed funds on acceptable terms, or at all, we may not be able to develop or enhance
our products, respond to competitive pressures or grow our business, or could even be obligated to
further reduce our expenditures which could harm our business.
Contractual Obligations
The following summarizes our contractual obligations which consisted solely of operating
leases at March 31, 2006 (in thousands):
Payments Due by Period
|
|
|
|
|
2006 |
|
|
650,000 |
|
2007 |
|
|
65,000 |
|
2008 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
715,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
21
Effective Corporate Tax Rates
Our tax rate reflects a mix of the U.S. statutory tax rate on our U.S. income, European
country tax rates on our individual European country income and the Israeli tax rate discussed
below. We expect that most of our future taxable income will be generated in Israel. Israeli
companies were generally subject to corporate tax at the rate of 34% of their taxable income in
2005. Pursuant to tax reform legislation that came into effect in 2003, the corporate tax rate is
to undergo further staged reductions to 25% by the year 2010. In order to implement these
reductions, the corporate tax rate is scheduled to decline to 31% in 2006, 29% in 2007, 27% in
2008, and 26% in 2009. However, the rate is effectively reduced for income derived from an Approved
Enterprise. The majority of our income is derived from our capital investment program with
Approved Enterprise status under the Law for the Encouragement of Capital Investments, and is
eligible therefore for tax benefits. As a result of these benefits, we expect to have a tax
exemption on income derived during the first two years in which this investment program produces
taxable income, provided that we do not distribute such income as a dividend, and a reduced tax
rate of 10% to 25% for the following five to eight years, depending upon the proportion of foreign
ownership of BackWeb.
On April 1, 2005, an amendment to the Law for the Encouragement of Capital Investments in
Israel came into effect, which revised the criteria for investments qualified to receive tax
benefits. An eligible investment program under the amendment will qualify for benefits as a
Privileged Enterprise (rather than the previous terminology of Approved Enterprise). Among other
things, the amendment provides tax benefits to both local and foreign investors and simplifies the
approval process. The amendment does not apply to investment programs approved prior to December
31, 2004. The new tax regime will apply to new investment programs only.
As a result of the amendment, tax-exempt income generated under the provisions of the new law
will subject us to taxes upon distribution or liquidation and we may be required to record deferred
tax liability with respect to such tax-exempt income. We are currently evaluating the impact the
amendment will have on us. Based on our preliminary analysis, it will not adversely affect our 2006
financial statements.
All of these tax benefits are subject to various conditions and restrictions. See Note 12
Income Taxes Israeli Income Taxes Tax Benefits under the Law for the Encouragement of Capital
Investments, 1959, of Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements reporting our Annual Report
on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2005. We cannot assure you that we will obtain
approval for additional Approved Enterprise Programs, or that the provisions of the law will not
change.
Impact of Inflation and Currency Fluctuations
Most of our sales are denominated in U.S. dollars. However, we incur a large portion of our
costs from our operations in Israel. A substantial portion of our operating expenses, primarily our
research and development costs, are denominated in NIS. Costs not denominated in U.S. dollars are
translated to U.S. dollars when recorded, at prevailing rates of exchange. This is done for the
purposes of our financial statements and reporting. Costs not denominated in U.S. dollars will
increase if the rate of inflation exceeds the devaluation of the foreign currency as compared to
the U.S. dollar or if the timing of such devaluations lags considerably behind inflation.
Consequently, we are, and will be, affected by changes in the prevailing exchange rate. We might
also be affected by the U.S. dollar exchange rate to the major European currencies due to the fact
that we do business in Europe. To date these fluctuations have not been material.
Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
We develop products in Israel and sell them in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Israel. As a
result, our financial results could be affected by factors such as changes in foreign currency
exchange rates or weak economic conditions in foreign markets. As most of our sales are currently
made in U.S. dollars, a strengthening of the dollar could make our products less competitive in
foreign markets. Our interest income is sensitive to changes in the general level of U.S. interest
rates, particularly since the majority of our investments are in short-term instruments. We
regularly assess these risks and have established policies and business practices to protect
against the adverse effects of these and other potential exposures. As a result, we do not
anticipate material losses in these areas. Due to the nature of our short-term investments, we have
concluded that there is no material market risk exposure. Therefore, no quantitative tabular
disclosures are required.
Foreign Currency Exchange Rate Risk
We conduct our business and sell our products directly to customers primarily in North America
and Europe. In the normal course of business, our financial position is routinely subject to market
risks associated with foreign currency rate fluctuations due to balance sheet positions in other
local foreign currencies. Our policy is to ensure that business exposures to foreign exchange risks
are
22
identified, measured and minimized using foreign currency forward contracts to reduce such
risks, should the risks of such exposure outweigh the cost of forward contracts. The foreign
currency forward contracts, when placed, generally expire within 90 days. The change in fair value
of these forward contracts is recorded as income/loss in our Consolidated Statements of Operations
as a component of interest and other income, net. There were no forward contracts placed in 2005 or
2006.
Item 4. Controls and Procedures
Evaluation of disclosure controls and procedures. We maintain disclosure controls and
procedures, as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
(the Exchange Act), that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by us
in reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized, and
reported within the time periods specified in Securities and Exchange Commission rules and forms,
and that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Chief
Executive Officer and Vice President, Finance, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding
required disclosure. In designing and evaluating our disclosure controls and procedures, management
recognized that disclosure controls and procedures, no matter how well conceived and operated, can
provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the disclosure controls and
procedures are met. Additionally, in designing disclosure controls and procedures, our management
necessarily was required to apply its judgment in evaluating the cost-benefit relationship of
possible disclosure controls and procedures. The design of any disclosure controls and procedures
also is based in part upon certain assumptions about the likelihood of future events, and there can
be no assurance that any design will succeed in achieving its stated goals under all potential
future conditions.
Based on their evaluation as of the end of the period covered by this Quarterly Report on Form
10-Q, our Chief Executive Officer and Vice President, Finance have concluded that, subject to the
limitations noted above, our disclosure controls and procedures were effective to ensure that
material information relating to us, including our consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to them
by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this Quarterly Report on
Form 10-Q was being prepared.
Changes in internal control over financial reporting. There was no change in our internal
control over financial reporting that occurred during the period covered by this Quarterly Report
on Form 10-Q that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our
internal control over financial reporting.
PART II OTHER INFORMATION
Item 1. Legal Proceedings
On November 13, 2001, BackWeb, six of our officers and directors, and various underwriters for
our initial public offering were named as defendants in a consolidated action captioned In re
BackWeb Technologies Ltd. Initial Public Offering Securities Litigation, Case No. 01-CV-10000, a
purported securities class action lawsuit filed in the United States District Court, Southern
District of New York. Similar cases have been filed alleging violations of the federal securities
laws in the initial public offerings of more than 300 other companies, and these cases have been
coordinated for pretrial proceedings as In re Initial Public Offering Securities Litigation, 21 MC
92. A consolidated amended complaint filed in the case asserts that the prospectus from our
September 8, 1999 initial public offering failed to disclose certain alleged improper actions by
the underwriters for the offering, including the receipt of excessive brokerage commissions and
agreements with customers regarding aftermarket purchases of shares of our stock. The complaint
alleges violations of Sections 11 and 15 of the Securities Act of 1933, Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and Rule 10b-5 promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act
of 1934. On or about July 15, 2002, an omnibus motion to dismiss was filed in the coordinated
litigation on behalf of defendants, including BackWeb, on common pleadings issues. In October 2002,
the Court dismissed all six individual defendants from the litigation without prejudice, pursuant
to a stipulation. On February 19, 2003, the Court denied the motion to dismiss with respect to the
claims against BackWeb. No trial date has yet been set.
A proposal has been made for the settlement and release of claims against the issuer
defendants, including BackWeb. The settlement is subject to a number of conditions, including
approval of the proposed settling parties and the court. In September 2004, an agreement of
settlement was submitted to the court for preliminary approval.
If the settlement does not occur, and litigation against us continues, we believes we have
meritorious defenses and intend to defend the case vigorously. However, the results of any
litigation are inherently uncertain and can require significant management attention, and we could
be forced to incur substantial expenditures, even if we ultimately prevail. In the event there were
an adverse outcome, our business could be harmed. Thus, we cannot assure you that this lawsuit will
not materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations or the price of our
Ordinary Shares.
23
Additionally, BackWeb was jointly named in a judgment during September 2005 for approximately $500,000
related to a claim against its dormant French subsidiary. The judgment is related to a dispute
between a former French distributor of BackWeb and one of the distributors end user customers.
While BackWeb believes it has additional defenses against the claim and will ultimately not be
responsible for payments under the judgment, BackWeb accrued approximately $250,000, or
approximately one-half of the total judgment against the distributor and BackWeb, in the third quarter of 2005.
From time to time we are involved in litigation incidental to the conduct of our business.
Apart from the litigation described above, we are not party to any lawsuit or proceeding that, in
our opinion, is likely to seriously harm our business.
Item 1A. Risk Factors
We operate in a rapidly changing environment that involves numerous risks and uncertainties,
some of which are beyond our control. The following discussion highlights some of these risks and
uncertainties. You should consider the following factors, as well as other information set forth in
this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, in connection with any investment in our Ordinary Shares. If
any of the risks described below occurs, our business, results of operations and financial
condition could be adversely affected. In such cases, the price of our Ordinary Shares could
decline, and you could lose part or all of your investment.
Risks Relating to Our Business
We have a history of losses and we expect future losses.
Since our inception, we have not achieved profitability and we expect to continue to incur net
losses for the foreseeable future. In addition, our net loss significantly increased during the
first quarter of 2006 as compared to our quarterly losses during 2005. We incurred net losses of
approximately $842,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2006, $1.0 million for the year ended
December 31, 2005, $5.1 million in the year ended December 31, 2004 and $10.7 million in the year
ended December 31, 2003. As of March 31, 2006, we had an accumulated deficit of approximately $146
million. We expect to continue to incur significant sales and marketing, research and development,
and general and administrative expenses through the remainder of 2006. As a result, we will need to
significantly increase our revenue to achieve and maintain profitability, and we may not be able to
do so. Failure to achieve profitability or achieve and sustain the level of profitability expected
by investors and securities analysts may adversely affect the market price of our common stock.
Wireless networking technology and geographic coverage could limit our market.
Emerging wireless technologies, such as wireless fidelity, or WiFi, and cellular data
networks, may pose a competitive challenge as an alternative to BackWebs capabilities or they may
be a source of growth to BackWeb as they raise awareness of the benefits of mobility and
potentially highlight increased needs for solutions like BackWeb. While we believe that many of our
potential mobile business customers needs will not be met by wireless networking for the
foreseeable future, the reality and promise of wireless connectivity will make it necessary for
BackWeb to target and educate its prospects intelligently. If we fail to successfully target those
market segments which are not served by wireless networking, then our operating results could
suffer.
Our business strategy requires that we derive a significant amount of license revenue from our OAS
product. If demand for OAS does not increase, our total revenue will not increase and our business
will suffer.
Our business strategy requires that we derive a significant amount of license revenue from
licensing our OAS product and derive additional related revenue through providing related
consulting and maintenance services. Accordingly, our future operating results will depend on the
demand for OAS by future customers. While our OAS revenue accounted for the majority of our license
revenue for the first time in 2005, which continued in the first quarter of 2006, we need to
realize additional growth during the remainder of 2006 and beyond or our operating results will be
negatively impacted. If our competitors release products that are superior to OAS in performance or
price, OAS does not become widely accepted by the market, or we fail to enhance OAS and introduce
new versions in a timely manner, we may never generate significant license revenue from this
product. If demand for our OAS product does not significantly increase, as a result of competition,
technological change or other factors, it would significantly and adversely affect our business,
financial condition, and operating results.
The economic outlook has adversely affected, and may continue to adversely affect, the demand for
our current products and our results of operations.
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General economic indicators suggest continued uncertain economic conditions for the near
future. Weak or uncertain economic conditions may continue to cause a reduction in or irregular
information technology spending generally. In addition, some of our customers continue to operate
Internet-centric businesses, and these companies have been more acutely affected by uncertain
economic conditions and have encountered significant difficulties in raising additional capital. If
our customers experience financial difficulties, it could have an adverse impact on the demand for
our products, which would adversely affect our results of operations. In addition, predictions
regarding economic conditions have a low degree of certainty, and further predicting the effects of
the changing economy is even more difficult. We may not accurately gauge the effect of the general
economy on our business. As a result, we may not react to changing conditions in a timely manner,
which could adversely impact our business and results of operations and cause the price of our
Ordinary Shares to decline.
Our business is difficult to evaluate because our operating history is limited, and we have changed
our strategic focus and repositioned our product line.
We have a limited operating history generally and an even more limited history operating our
business in our current markets. We cannot be certain that our business strategy will be
successful. We were incorporated on August 31, 1995, and did not begin generating revenue until
December 1996. In early 1998, we changed our strategic focus from a consumer-oriented to an
enterprise-oriented Internet communications company. In 2001, we again re-positioned our products
to focus on the portal market. During 2003, we expanded our market focus to include corporate
intranets and other Web-based applications. During 2004, we realigned our sales strategy to focus
on selling to the line of business owner as opposed to the IT department. These changes required us
to adjust our business processes and make a number of significant personnel changes. To date, we
have only generated limited revenue from our new strategic focus, and we do not know if we will
ever generate significant revenue from our new products. To the extent we do not succeed in
generating significant revenue from licensing our new products, particularly our OAS product, our
business, operating results and financial conditions will suffer.
If we require additional financing for our future capital needs but are not able to obtain it, we
may be unable to develop or enhance our products, expand operations or respond to competitive
pressures.
Our cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments balances declined from $7.9 million as
of December 31, 2005 to $6.5 million as of March 31, 2006, our cash used in our operations
increased in the first quarter of 2006 compared to previous quarters, and we expect to continue to
use cash in our operations for the foreseeable future. As a result, we might need to raise
additional capital to fund expansion, product development, acquisitions or working capital. This
need may arise sooner than we anticipate if our revenue does not grow in line with our
expectations, particularly revenue from licensing our OAS product, if our costs are higher than we
expect or if we change our strategic plans. If we were required to raise additional funds, it could
be difficult to obtain additional financing on favorable terms, or at all, due to our financial
condition. In the event that we obtain additional financing by issuing Ordinary Shares or
securities that are convertible into Ordinary Shares, the interests of existing shareholders would
be diluted. If we cannot raise needed funds on acceptable terms, or at all, we may not be able to
develop or enhance our products, respond to competitive pressures or grow our business or we may be
required to further reduce our expenditures, any of which could harm our business.
Our long and unpredictable sales cycle depends on factors outside our control and may cause our
license revenue to vary significantly.
To date, our average engagement with our customers have typically taken between 3 and 12 months for
them to evaluate our products before making their purchasing decisions. The long, and often
unpredictable, sales and implementation cycles for our products have caused, and may continue to
cause, our license revenue and operating results to vary significantly from period to period. Sales
of licenses and implementation schedules are subject to a number of risks over which we have little
or no control, including customer budgetary constraints, customer internal acceptance reviews, the
success and continued internal support of customers own development efforts, the sales and
implementation efforts of businesses with which we have relationships, the nature, size and
specific needs of a customer and the possibility of cancellation of projects by customers. Along
with our distributors, we spend significant time educating and providing information to our
prospective customers regarding the use and benefits of our products with no guarantee that such
investment will result in a sale. In addition, our customers often begin by purchasing our products
on a pilot basis before they decide whether or not to purchase additional licenses for full
deployment. For example, even after purchase, our customers tend to deploy our OAS solution slowly,
depending upon the skill set of the customer, the size of the deployment, the stage of the
customers deployment of a portal, the complexity of the customers network environment and the
quantity of hardware and the degree of hardware configuration necessary to deploy the products.
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Our quarterly operating results are subject to fluctuations.
Our operating results are difficult to predict. Our revenue and operating results have
fluctuated in the past and may, in the future, vary significantly from quarter to quarter due to a
number of factors, including:
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demand for our products and services; |
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effectiveness of sales efforts by sales and marketing partners; |
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internal budget constraints and the approval processes of our current and prospective customers; |
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the timing and mix of revenue generated by product licenses and professional services; |
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the length and unpredictability of our sales cycle; |
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loss of customers; |
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new product introductions or internal development efforts by competitors or partners; |
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costs related to acquisitions of technology or businesses; and |
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economic conditions generally, as well as those specific to the Internet and related industries. |
Due to the foregoing factors, we believe that quarter-to-quarter comparisons of our operating
results are not necessarily a good indication of our future performance. We incur expenses based
predominantly on operating plans and estimates of future revenue. Our expenses are to a large
extent fixed and we may not be able to adjust them quickly to meet a shortfall in revenue during
any particular quarter. Any significant shortfall in revenue in relation to our expenses would
decrease our net income or increase our operating losses and would also harm our financial
condition. In some recent quarters our operating results have been below the expectations of public
market analysts and investors. It is likely that in some future quarters, our operating results may
also be below such expectations, which would likely cause our stock price to decline.
Our quarterly license revenue typically depends on a small number of large orders, and any failure
to complete one or more substantial license sales in a quarter could materially and adversely
affect our operating results.
We typically derive a significant portion of our license revenue in each quarter from a small
number of relatively large orders. For example, in the three months ended March 31, 2006, we
derived approximately 74% of our license revenue from sales to two existing customers. Our
operating results for a particular fiscal quarter could be materially and adversely affected if we
are unable to complete one or more substantial license sales forecasted for that quarter.
Additionally, we also offer volume-based pricing, which may adversely affect our operating margins.
We typically have very little backlog and, accordingly, generate substantially all of our revenue
for a given quarter in that quarter.
If we lose a major customer, our revenue could suffer because of our customer concentration.
We have historically generated a substantial portion of our revenue from a limited number of
customers, and we expect this to continue for the foreseeable future. As a result, if we lose a
major customer, or if there is a decline in the use of our products within our existing customers
organizations, our revenue would be adversely affected. In the three months ended March 31, 2006,
two customers accounted for 38% of our total revenue. In 2005, our two largest customers accounted
for 43% of our total revenue. In 2004, our three largest customers represented approximately 34%
of our total revenue. In 2003, our three largest customers represented approximately 28% of our
total revenue.
We depend on increased business from new customers, as well as additional business from existing
customers, and if we fail to grow our customer base or generate repeat business, our operating
results could be harmed.
Our business model generally depends on the sale of our products to new customers as well as
expanded use of our products within our existing customers organizations. If we fail to grow our
customer base or to generate repeat and expanded business from our current and future customers,
our business and operating results will be seriously harmed. In some cases, our customers initially
make a limited purchase of our products and services for trials, pilot or proof of concept
programs. These customers might not choose to acquire additional licenses to expand their use of
our products.
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In addition, as we have introduced new versions of our products or new products, such as our
OAS, we have experienced a decline in licensing revenue generated from our older products, such as
Polite Sync Server and e-Accelerator, and we anticipate future declines in licensing revenue from
these products. However, it is also possible that our current customers might not require the
functionality of our new products and might not ultimately license these products. Because the
total amount of maintenance and support fees we receive in any period depends, in large part, on
the size and number of licenses that we have previously sold, any downturn in our software license
revenue would negatively affect our future maintenance and support revenue. In addition, if
customers elect not to renew their maintenance agreements, our services revenue will decline
significantly. Further, some of our customers are telecommunications or information technology
companies, which have been forced to significantly reduce their operations in light of limited
access to sources of financing and the national and global economic uncertainty. If customers are
unable to pay for their current products or are unwilling to purchase additional products, our
revenue will decline, which would likely materially and adversely affect our revenue, operating
results and stock price.
Rapid technological changes could cause our products to become obsolete.
The Internet communications market is characterized by rapid technological change, frequent
new product introductions, changes in customer requirements and evolving industry standards. If we
are unable to develop and introduce products or enhancements in a timely manner to meet these
technological changes, we may not be able to successfully compete. In addition, our products may
become obsolete, in which event we may not remain a viable business.
Our market is susceptible to rapid changes due to technology innovation, evolving industry
standards, and frequent new service and product introductions. New services and products based on
new technologies or new industry standards expose us to risks of technical or product obsolescence.
For example, emerging technologies, such as wireless, that take a different approach to the
challenge of offline Web access by, for example, re-engineering platforms and applications, pose a
competitive challenge. In addition, other companies, including some of our partners, also approach
the issue of offline Web architecture differently than we do in some cases, and such approaches may
achieve a greater degree of market acceptance. If we do not use leading technologies effectively,
meet the challenges posed by emerging technologies or other architectures, continue to develop our
technical expertise and enhance our existing products on a timely basis, we may be unable to
compete successfully in this industry, which would adversely affect our business and results of
operations.
Our inability to integrate our products with other third-party software could adversely affect
market acceptance of our products.
Our ability to compete successfully depends on the continued compatibility and
interoperability of our products with products and systems sold by various third parties, such as
portal framework vendors. Currently, these vendors have open applications program interfaces, which
facilitate our ability to integrate with their systems. These vendors have also been willing to
license to us rights to build integrations to their products and use their development tools. If
any one of them were to close their programs interfaces or fail to grant us necessary licenses,
our ability to provide a close integration of our products could become more difficult and could
delay or prevent our products integration with future systems.
Failure to successfully develop versions and updates of our products that run on the operating
systems used by our current and prospective customers could reduce our sales.
Many of our products run on the Microsoft Windows NT, Microsoft Windows 2000 or certain
versions of the Sun Solaris Unix operating systems, and some require the use of third party
software. Any change to our customers operating systems could require us to modify our products
and could cause us to delay product releases. In addition, any decline in the market acceptance of
these operating systems we support may require us to ensure that all of our products and services
are compatible with other operating systems to meet the demands of our customers. If potential
customers do not want to use the Microsoft or Sun Solaris operating systems we support, we will
need to develop more products that run on other operating systems adopted by our customers. If we
cannot successfully develop these products in response to customer demands, our business could be
adversely impacted. The development of new products in response to these risks would require us to
commit a substantial investment of resources, and we might not be able to develop or introduce new
products on a timely or cost-effective basis, or at all, which could lead potential customers to
choose alternative products.
In addition, our products may face competition from operating system software providers, which
may elect to incorporate similar technology into their own products.
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Competition in the Internet communications market may reduce the demand for, or price of, our
products.
The Internet communications market is intensely competitive and rapidly changing. We expect
that competition will intensify in the near-term because there are very limited barriers to entry.
Our primary long-term competitors may not have entered the market yet because the Internet
communications market is relatively new. Competition could impact us through price reductions,
fewer customer orders, reduced gross margin and loss of market share, any of which could cause our
business to suffer. Many of our current and potential competitors have greater name recognition,
longer operating histories, larger customer bases and significantly greater financial, technical,
marketing, public relations, sales, distribution and other resources than we do. Some of our
potential competitors are among the largest and most well capitalized software companies in the
world. For example, both Microsoft and IBM have announced product plans addressing the offline Web
application market segment served by our OAS product. If such companies enter this market segment,
we may not be able to compete successfully, and competitive pressures may harm our business.
The loss of our right to use software licensed to us by third parties could harm our business.
We license technology that is incorporated into our products from third parties, including
security and encryption software. Any interruption in the supply or support of any licensed
software could disrupt our operations and delay our sales, unless and until we can replace the
functionality provided by this licensed software. Because our products incorporate software
developed and maintained by third parties, we depend on these third parties to deliver and support
reliable products, enhance their current products, develop new products on a timely and
cost-effective basis and respond effectively to emerging industry standards and other technological
changes.
Our growth may suffer because of the complexities involved in implementing our products.
The use of our products by our customers often requires implementation services, and our
growth will be limited in the event we are unable to expand our implementation services personnel
or subcontract these services to qualified third parties. In addition, customers could delay
product implementations. In the second half of 2003, 2004, 2005 and the first quarter of 2006,
there were a greater number of deployments of our OAS solution by customers, and that solution is
being subjected to actual commercial use and implementation. Initial implementation typically
involves working with sophisticated software, computers and communications systems. If we
experience difficulties with implementation or do not meet project milestones in a timely manner,
we could be obligated to devote more customer support, engineering and other resources to a
particular project at the expense of other projects.
Our business will suffer if the Internet infrastructure cannot support the demands placed on it.
Our future revenue and profits, if any, depend upon the widespread acceptance and use of the
Internet as an effective medium of business and communication by our customers. Rapid growth in the
use of, and interest in, the Internet has placed increased demands on its infrastructure. Our
success will depend, in large part, on the acceptance of the Internet in the commercial marketplace
and on the ability of third parties to provide a reliable Internet infrastructure network with the
speed, data capacity, security and hardware necessary for reliable Internet access and services. To
the extent that the Internet continues to experience increased numbers of users, increased
frequency of use or increased bandwidth requirements, the Internet infrastructure may not be able
to support the demands placed on it and the performance or reliability of the Internet could
suffer.
Factors outside our control may cause the timing of our license revenue to vary from
quarter-to-quarter, possibly adversely affecting our operating results.
We recognize license revenue when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, the product
has been delivered, the license fee is fixed or determinable, and collection of the fee is
probable. If an arrangement requires acceptance testing or specialized professional services,
recognition of the associated license and service revenue would be delayed. The timing of the
commencement and completion of these services is subject to factors that may be beyond our control,
such as access to the customers facilities and coordination with the customers personnel after
delivery of the software. If new or existing customers have difficulty deploying our products or
require significant amounts of our professional services support for specialized features, our
revenue recognition could be further delayed and our costs could increase, causing increased
variability in our operating results.
We may experience difficulties managing our operations and geographic dispersion.
Our ability to successfully offer products and services and to implement our business plan in
the rapidly evolving Internet communications market requires an effective planning and management
process. These factors, together with our anticipated future
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operations and geographic dispersion, will continue to place a significant strain on our
management systems and resources. We expect that we will need to continue to improve our financial
and managerial controls and reporting systems and procedures, and expand, train and manage our work
force worldwide.
Our international operations are subject to additional risks.
Revenue from customers outside the United States represented approximately $410,000, or 25% of
our total revenue, for the three months ended March 31, 2006, and $1.2 million, or 75% of our total
revenue, for the year ended December 31, 2005. Our international operations will continue to be
subject to a number of risks, including, but not limited to:
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laws and business practices favoring local competition; |
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compliance with multiple, conflicting and changing laws and regulations; |
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longer sales cycles; |
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greater difficulty or delay in accounts receivable collection; |
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import and export restrictions and tariffs; |
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difficulties in staffing and managing foreign operations; |
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difficulties in investing in foreign operations at appropriate levels to compete effectively; and |
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political and economic instability. |
Our international operations also face foreign-currency-related risks. To date, substantially
all of our revenue has been denominated in U.S. dollars, but we believe that, in the future, an
increasing portion of our revenue may be denominated in foreign currencies, including the Euro and
the British Pound. Fluctuations in the value of foreign currencies may cause further volatility in
our operating results, reduce the accuracy of our financial forecasts and could have a material
adverse effect on our business, operating results and financial condition.
Our business could suffer if we lose the services of key personnel.
Our executive officers and other key employees may seek employment with larger, more
established companies or companies they perceive to have better prospects. If this were to occur,
our revenue could decline and our operations in general could be impacted. None of our executive
officers or key employees is bound by an employment agreement for any specific term. Our
relationships with these officers and key employees are at will. Moreover, we do not have key
person life insurance policies covering any of our employees. Additionally the economic
environment in Israel and the United States is improving, making it more challenging to retain our
people. As a result of these factors, we have recently experienced an increased level of employee
departures and our remaining personnel may seek other employment opportunities in the future.
Our efforts to protect our proprietary rights may be inadequate.
To protect our proprietary rights, we rely primarily on a combination of patent, copyright,
trade secret and trademark laws, confidentiality agreements with employees and third parties, and
protective contractual provisions such as those contained in license agreements with customers,
consultants and vendors. However, these parties could breach such confidentiality agreements and
other protective contracts. In addition, we have not signed confidentiality agreements in every
case. Despite our efforts to protect our proprietary rights, unauthorized parties may copy aspects
of our products and obtain and use information that we regard as proprietary. We may not become
aware of, or have adequate remedies in the event of, such breaches.
We pursue the registration of some of our trademarks and service marks in the United States
and in certain other countries, but we have not secured registration of all our marks. We license
certain trademark rights to third parties. Such licensees may not abide by compliance and quality
control guidelines with respect to such trademark rights and may take actions that would adversely
affect our trademarks.
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We do not conduct comprehensive patent searches to determine whether the technology used in
our products infringes patents held by third parties. Product development is inherently uncertain
in a rapidly evolving technological environment in which there may be numerous patent applications
pending, which are confidential when filed, with regard to potentially similar technologies. We
expect that software products may be increasingly subject to third-party infringement claims as the
number of competitors in our industry segment grows and the functionality of products in different
industry segments overlaps. Although we believe that our products do not infringe the proprietary
rights of any third parties, third parties could assert infringement claims against us in the
future. The defense of any such claims would require us to incur substantial costs and would divert
managements attention and resources, which could materially and adversely affect our financial
condition and operations. If a party succeeded in making such a claim we could be liable for
substantial damages, as well as injunctive or equitable relief that could effectively block our
ability to sell our products and services. Royalty or licensing agreements, if required, may not be
available on acceptable terms, if at all. Any such outcome could have a material adverse effect on
our business, financial condition, operating results and stock price.
We may experience tax liabilities in connection with the liquidation of wholly owned subsidiaries
that have ceased operations.
As a result of the restructuring plans we announced on July 1, 2001 and September 30, 2002, we
ceased commercial operations of the following subsidiaries: BackWeb Technologies B.V., BackWeb
Technologies (U.K.) Ltd., BackWeb Technologies S.a.r.l., BackWeb Technologies A.B., BackWeb Canada
Inc., and BackWeb K.K. Ltd. We decided to liquidate these companies in order to further streamline
our operations and to simplify our legal entity structure. We cannot assure you that we will not
have any termination liability issues with the appropriate tax authorities in each jurisdiction. If
such termination liability issues were to arise and we did not prevail, we might be required to pay
significant taxes and penalties, which could adversely affect our cash balances and results of
operations.
Our products may be used in an unintended and negative manner.
Our products are used to transmit information through the Internet. Our products could be used
to transmit harmful applications, negative messages, unauthorized reproduction of copyrighted
material, inaccurate data, or computer viruses to end users in the course of delivery. Any such
transmission could damage our reputation or could give rise to legal claims against us. We have
received emails from certain of our customers end users, claiming that our technology is a form of
spyware, and we are actively engaged in challenging such accusations. In the event such allegations
result in litigation, we could spend a significant amount of time and money pursuing or defending
legal claims, which could have a material adverse effect on our business.
We may not have sufficient insurance to cover all potential product liability and warranty claims.
Our products are integrated into our customers networks. The sale and support of our products
may entail the risk of product liability or warranty claims based on damage to these networks. In
addition, the failure of our products to perform to customer expectations could give rise to
warranty claims. Although we carry general commercial liability insurance, our insurance may not
cover potential claims of this type or may not be adequate to protect us from all liability that
may be imposed.
Legislation and regulatory changes may cause us to incur increased costs, limit our ability to
obtain director and officer liability insurance, and make it more difficult for us to attract and
retain qualified officers and directors.
Changes in the laws and regulations affecting public companies, including the provisions of
the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and rules adopted by the SEC and Nasdaq, have required changes in
some of our corporate governance and accounting practices. We expect these laws, rules, and
regulations to continue to increase our legal and financial compliance costs and to make some
activities more difficult, time consuming and costly. These rules could also make it more difficult
for us to obtain certain types of insurance, including director and officer liability insurance,
and we may be forced to accept reduced policy limits and coverage or incur substantially higher
costs to obtain the same or similar coverage. The impact of these events could also make it more
difficult for us to attract and retain qualified persons to serve on our board of directors,
particularly on our audit committee, or as executive officers.
Risks Relating to Our Location in Israel
Any major developments in the political or economic conditions in Israel could cause our business
to suffer because we are incorporated in Israel and have important facilities and resources located
in Israel.
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We are incorporated under the laws of the State of Israel. Our research and development
facilities, as well as one of our executive offices, are located in Israel. Although substantial
portions of our sales are currently made to customers outside of Israel, any major hostilities
involving Israel or the interruption or curtailment of trade between Israel and its present trading
partners could significantly harm our business. Since September 2000, a continuous armed conflict
with the Palestinian Authority has been taking place. We cannot predict the effect on BackWeb of an
increase in the degree of violence in Israel or of any possible military action elsewhere in the
Middle East.
Because our revenues are generated in U.S. dollars but a large portion of our expenses is incurred
in New Israeli Shekels (NIS), our results of operations may be seriously harmed by currency
fluctuations.
We incur a large portion of our costs from operations in Israel in NIS. If Israels economy is
impaired by a high inflation rate or if the timing of the devaluation of the NIS against the U.S.
dollar were to lag considerably behind inflation, our operations and financial condition may be
negatively impacted to the extent that the inflation rate exceeds the rate of devaluation of the
NIS against the U.S. dollar.
Any future profitability may be diminished if tax benefits from the State of Israel are reduced or
withheld.
Pursuant to the Law for the Encouragement of Capital Investments, the Israeli Government has
granted Approved Enterprise status to our existing capital investment programs. Consequently, we
are eligible for tax benefits for the first several years in which we generate taxable income. Our
future profitability may be diminished if all or portions of these tax benefits are reduced or
eliminated. These tax benefits may be cancelled if we fail to comply with requisite conditions and
criteria. Currently the most significant conditions that we must continue to meet include making
specified investments in fixed assets, financing at least 30% of these investments through the
issuance of capital stock, and maintaining the development and production nature of our facilities.
We cannot assure you that the benefits will be continued in the future at their current levels or
at any level.
Israeli regulations may limit our ability to engage in research and development and export our
products.
Under Israeli law, we are required to obtain an Israeli government license to engage in
research and development and the export of the encryption technology incorporated in our products.
Our research and development activities in Israel, together with our ability to export our products
out of Israel, would be limited if the Israeli government revokes our current license, our current
license is not renewed, our license fails to cover the scope of the technology in our products, or
Israeli law regarding research and development or export of encryption technologies were to change.
Israeli courts might not enforce judgments rendered outside of Israel that may make it difficult to
collect on judgments rendered against us.
Some of our directors and executive officers are not residents of the United States and some
of their assets and our assets are located outside the United States. Service of process upon these
directors and executive officers, and enforcement of judgments obtained in the United States
against us, and these directors and executive officers, may be difficult to obtain within the
United States.
We have been informed by our legal counsel in Israel, Naschitz, Brandes & Co., that there is
doubt as to the enforceability of civil liabilities under U.S. securities laws in original actions
instituted in Israel. However, subject to certain time limitations, an Israeli court may declare a
foreign civil judgment enforceable if it finds that:
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the judgment was rendered by a court that was, according to the laws of the state of the
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the judgment is no longer able to be appealed; |
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the obligation imposed by the judgment is enforceable according to the rules relating to
the enforceability of judgments in Israel and the substance of the judgment is not contrary
to public policy; and |
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the judgment is executory in the state in which it was given. |
Even if the above conditions are satisfied, an Israeli court will not enforce a foreign
judgment if it was given in a state whose laws do not provide for the enforcement of judgments of
Israeli courts (subject to exceptional cases) or if its enforcement is likely to prejudice the
sovereignty or security of the State of Israel. An Israeli court also will not declare a foreign
judgment enforceable if:
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the judgment was obtained by fraud; |
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there was no due process; |
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the judgment was rendered by a court not competent to render it according to the laws of private international law in Israel; |
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the judgment is at variance with another judgment that was given in the same matter
between the same parties and which is still valid; or |
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at the time the action was brought in the foreign court a suit in the same matter and
between the same parties was pending before a court or tribunal in Israel. |
If a foreign judgment is enforced by an Israeli court, it generally will be payable in NIS,
which can then be converted into non-Israeli currency and transferred out of Israel. The usual
practice in an action to recover an amount in non-Israeli currency is for the Israeli court to
render judgment for the equivalent amount in NIS at the rate of exchange on the date of payment,
but the judgment debtor also may make payment in non-Israeli currency. Pending collection, the
amount of the judgment of an Israeli court stated in NIS ordinarily will be linked to the Israel
consumer price index plus interest at the annual rate (set by Israeli law) prevailing at that time.
Judgment creditors bear the risk of unfavorable exchange rates.
We have adopted anti-takeover provisions that could delay or prevent an acquisition of BackWeb,
even if an acquisition would be beneficial to our shareholders.
Provisions of Israel corporate and tax law and of our articles of association, such as our
staggered Board, may have the effect of delaying, preventing or making more difficult a merger or
other acquisition of BackWeb, even if an acquisition would be beneficial to our shareholders.
Israeli corporate law regulates acquisitions of shares through tender offers, requires special
approvals for transactions involving significant shareholders and regulates other matters that may
be relevant to these types of transactions. Furthermore, Israeli tax considerations may make
potential transactions unappealing to us or to some of our shareholders. In addition, our articles
of association provide for a staggered board of directors.
Tax reform in Israel may reduce our tax benefit, which might adversely affect our profitability.
On January 1, 2003, a comprehensive tax reform took effect in Israel. We performed an analysis
of the likely implications of the tax reform legislation on our results of operations. Our
evaluation concluded that the impact of the tax reform on both our corporate and income tax
framework would not have a material effect on our results and operations. This evaluation was
based, in part, on the assumptions that we would not expand beyond the countries in which we
already operate and that we would remain in a net operating loss for tax purposes for at least the
next three years. We cannot assure you that these assumptions will be met, and the tax reform will
not materially and adversely affect our results of operations.
32
Our results of operations may be negatively affected by the obligation of key personnel to perform
military service.
Certain of our officers and employees are currently obligated to perform annual reserve duty
in the Israel Defense Forces and are subject to being called for active military duty at any time.
Although we have operated effectively under these requirements since our inception, we cannot
predict the effect these obligations will have on us in the future. Our operations could be
disrupted by the absence, for a significant period, of one or more of our officers or key employees
due to military service. Such military requirement could be increased in the event of war or
military action involving Israel.
Risks Relating to Our Ordinary Shares
Our stock price has been volatile and could fluctuate in the future.
The market price of our Ordinary Shares has been volatile. We expect our stock price to
continue to fluctuate:
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in response to quarterly variations in operating results; |
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in response to announcements of technological innovations or new products by us or our competitors or partners; |
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because of market conditions in the enterprise software or portal industry; |
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in reaction to changes in financial estimates by securities analysts, and our failure to
meet or exceed the expectations of analysts or investors; |
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in response to our announcements of strategic relationships or joint ventures; and |
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in response to sales of our Ordinary Shares. |
In the past, following periods of volatility in the market price of a particular companys
securities, securities class action litigation has often been brought against that company. We are
currently subject to a securities class action described in Part II, Item 1 Legal Proceedings of
this Quarterly Report, and the volatility of our stock price could make us a target for additional
suits. Securities class action litigation could result in substantial costs and a diversion of our
managements attention and resources, which could seriously harm our business and results of
operations.
Our stock is listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market and our continued listing on the Nasdaq Capital
Market listing is not assured.
Effective on September 23, 2002, we transferred the listing of our Ordinary Shares from the
Nasdaq National Market System and began trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market. We will remain
eligible to be quoted on the Nasdaq Capital Market, subject to our compliance with the applicable
continued listing requirements which require, among other things, that (i) we have shareholders
equity of $2.5 million, (ii) we have $500,000 in net income, or (iii) the market value of our
publicly held shares be $35 million or more. At March 31, 2006, we met the shareholder equity test
and were eligible for continued listing. However, we cannot assure you that we will be able to
maintain the continued listing requirements, and, as a result, may be delisted from trading on the
Nasdaq Capital Market. If our Ordinary Shares are delisted from trading on the Nasdaq Capital
Market, then the trading market for our Ordinary Shares, and the ability of our shareholders to
trade our shares and obtain liquidity for their shares, may be significantly impaired and the
market price of our Ordinary Shares may decline significantly.
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Holders of our Ordinary Shares who are United States residents face income tax risks.
We believe that we will be classified as a passive foreign investment company, or PFIC, for
U.S. federal income tax purposes. Our treatment as a PFIC could result in a reduction in the
after-tax return to the holders of our Ordinary Shares and may cause a reduction in the value of
such shares. For U.S. federal income tax purposes, we will be classified as a PFIC for any taxable
year in which either (i) 75% or more of our gross income is passive income, or (ii) at least 50% of
the average value of all of our assets for the taxable year produce or are held for the production
of passive income. For this purpose, cash is considered to be an asset, which produces passive
income. Passive income also includes dividends, interest, royalties, rents, annuities and the
excess of gains over losses from the disposition of assets, which produce passive income. As a
result of our cash position and the decline in the value of our stock, we might be considered a
PFIC under a literal application of the asset test that looks solely to market value. If we are a
PFIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes, holders of our Ordinary Shares who are residents of the
United States (U.S. Holders) would be required, in certain circumstances, to pay an interest
charge together with tax calculated at maximum rates on certain excess distributions, including
any gain on the sale of Ordinary Shares.
The consequences described above can be mitigated if the U.S. Holder makes an election to
treat us as a qualified electing fund, or QEF. A shareholder making the QEF election is required
for each taxable year to include in income a pro rata share of the net capital gain of the QEF as
long-term capital gain, subject to a separate election to defer payment of taxes, which deferral is
subject to an interest charge. We have agreed to supply U.S. Holders with the information needed to
report income and gain pursuant to a QEF election. The QEF election is made on a
shareholder-by-shareholder basis and can be revoked only with the consent of the United States
Internal Revenue Service, or IRS.
As an alternative to making the QEF election, the U.S. Holder of PFIC stock which is publicly
traded could mitigate the consequences of the PFIC rules by electing to mark the stock to market
annually, recognizing as ordinary income or loss each year an amount equal to the difference as of
the close of the taxable year between the fair market value of the PFIC stock and the U.S. Holders
adjusted tax basis in the PFIC stock. Losses would be allowed only to the extent of net
mark-to-market gain previously included by the U.S. Holder under the election for prior taxable
years.
All U.S. Holders are advised to consult their own tax advisers about the PFIC rules generally
and about the advisability, procedures and timing of their making any of the available tax
elections, including the QEF or mark-to-market elections.
Our officers, directors and affiliated entities own a large percentage of BackWeb and could
significantly influence the outcome of actions.
Our executive officers, directors and entities affiliated with them, in the aggregate,
beneficially owned approximately 27% of our outstanding Ordinary Shares as of March 31, 2006. These
shareholders, if acting together, would be able to significantly influence all matters requiring
approval by our shareholders, including the election of directors and the approval of mergers or
other business combination transactions.
Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds
None.
Item 3. Defaults Upon Changes of Senior Securities
None.
Item 4. Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders
None.
Item 5. Other Information
None.
Item 6. Exhibits
The exhibits filed as part of this quarterly report on Form 10-Q are listed in the Exhibit
Index immediately preceding the exhibits and are incorporated herein.
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Exhibit |
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No. |
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Description |
31.1
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Certification of BackWebs Chief Executive Officer, pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 |
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31.2
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Certification of BackWebs Chief Financial Officer, pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 |
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32.1
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Certifications, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley
Act of 2002, of BackWebs Chief Executive Officer and Vice President, Finance |
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SIGNATURE
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.
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BACKWEB TECHNOLOGIES LTD. |
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By:
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/s/ KEN HOLMES |
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Ken Holmes |
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Date: May 15, 2006
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Vice President, Finance |
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(Mr. Holmes is the Principal Financial Officer and has been |
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duly authorized to sign on behalf of Registrant.) |
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36
EXHIBIT INDEX
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Exhibit |
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No. |
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Description |
31.1
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Certification of BackWebs Chief Executive Officer, pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 |
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31.2
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Certification of BackWebs Vice President, Finance, pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 |
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32.1
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Certifications, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley
Act of 2002, of BackWebs Chief Executive Officer and Vice President, Finance |