UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-Q
(Mark One)
x | QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For the quarterly period ended March 31, 2010
or
¨ | TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For the transition period from to
Commission File Number: 000-51595
Web.com Group, Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware | 94-3327894 |
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) | (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
| |
12808 Gran Bay Parkway, West, Jacksonville, FL | 32258 |
(Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip Code) |
(904) 680-6600
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
(Former name, former address and former fiscal year, if changed since last report)
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. x Yes ¨ No
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). ¨ Yes ¨ No
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer ¨ | | Accelerated filer x |
Non-accelerated filer ¨ | | Smaller reporting company ¨ |
(Do not check if a smaller reporting company) | | |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). ¨ Yes x No
Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share, outstanding as of April 30, 2010: 26,602,643
Web.com Group, Inc.
Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q
For the Quarterly Period ended March 31, 2010
Index
Part I | | Financial Information | | 3 |
| | | | |
Item 1. | | Financial Statements (unaudited) | | 3 |
| | | | |
| | Consolidated Statements of Operations | | 3 |
| | | | |
| | Consolidated Balance Sheets | | 5 |
| | | | |
| | Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows | | 6 |
| | | | |
| | Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements | | 7 |
| | | | |
Item 2. | | Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations | | 16 |
| | | | |
Item 3. | | Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk | | 26 |
| | | | |
Item 4. | | Controls and Procedures | | 26 |
| | | | |
Part II | | Other Information | | 27 |
| | | | |
Item 1. | | Legal Proceedings | | 27 |
| | | | |
Item 1A. | | Risk Factors | | 27 |
| | | | |
Item 2. | | Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds | | 34 |
| | | | |
Item 3. | | Defaults Upon Senior Securities | | 34 |
| | | | |
Item 4. | | (Removed and Reserved) | | 34 |
| | | | |
Item 5. | | Other Information | | 34 |
| | | | |
Item 6. | | Exhibits | | 35 |
| | |
Signatures | | 36 |
PART I—FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Item 1. | Financial Statements. |
Web.com Group, Inc.
Consolidated Statements of Operations
(in thousands except per share amounts)
(unaudited)
| | Three months ended | |
| | March 31, 2010 | | | March 31, 2009 | |
Revenue: | | | | | | |
Subscription | | $ | 24,480 | | | $ | 26,017 | |
Professional services | | | 648 | | | | 553 | |
Other | | | — | | | | 1,000 | |
Total revenue | | | 25,128 | | | | 27,570 | |
Cost of revenue (excluding depreciation and amortization shown separately below): | | | | | | | | |
Subscription (a) | | | 10,034 | | | | 9,309 | |
Professional services | | | 478 | | | | 300 | |
Total cost of revenue | | | 10,512 | | | | 9,609 | |
Gross profit | | | 14,616 | | | | 17,961 | |
Operating expenses: | | | | | | | | |
Sales and marketing (a) | | | 5,546 | | | | 5,763 | |
Research and development (a) | | | 2,271 | | | | 2,042 | |
General and administrative (a) | | | 3,775 | | | | 6,062 | |
Restructuring charges | | | 60 | | | | — | |
Depreciation and amortization | | | 3,279 | | | | 3,350 | |
Total operating expenses | | | 14,931 | | | | 17,217 | |
(Loss) income from operations | | | (315 | ) | | | 744 | |
Interest income, net | | | 41 | | | | 63 | |
(Loss) income before income taxes from continuing operations | | | (274 | ) | | | 807 | |
Income tax (expense) | | | (471 | ) | | | (18 | ) |
Net (loss) income from continuing operations | | | (745 | ) | | | 789 | |
Discontinued operations | | | | | | | | |
(Loss) income from discontinued operations, net of tax | | | (9 | ) | | | 133 | |
(Loss) income from discontinued operations, net of tax | | | (9 | ) | | | 133 | |
Net (loss) income | | $ | (754 | ) | | $ | 922 | |
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements
Web.com Group, Inc.
Consolidated Statements of Operations
(in thousands except per share amounts)
(unaudited)
(continued)
| | Three months ended | |
| | March 31, 2010 | | | March 31, 2009 | |
Basic earnings per share: | | | | | | |
(Loss) income from continuing operations attributable per common share | | $ | (0.03 | ) | | $ | 0.03 | |
(Loss) income from discontinuing operations attributable per common share | | | — | | | | 0.01 | |
Net (loss) income per common share | | $ | (0.03 | ) | | $ | 0.04 | |
Diluted earnings per share: | | | | | | | | |
(Loss) income from continuing operations attributable per common share | | $ | (0.03 | ) | | $ | 0.03 | |
(Loss) income from discontinuing operations attributable per common share | | | — | | | | — | |
Net (loss) income per common share | | $ | (0.03 | ) | | $ | 0.03 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Basic weighted average common shares outstanding | | | 25,410 | | | | 25,603 | |
Diluted weighted average common shares outstanding | | | 25,410 | | | | 26,429 | |
(a) Stock-based compensation included above:
Subscription (cost of revenue) | | $ | 132 | | | $ | 105 | |
Sales and marketing | | | 153 | | | | 225 | |
Research and development | | | 144 | | | | 125 | |
General and administrative | | | 577 | | | | 869 | |
| | $ | 1,006 | | | $ | 1,324 | |
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements
Web.com Group, Inc.
Consolidated Balance Sheets
(in thousands)
| | March 31, 2010 | | | December 31, 2009 | |
| | (unaudited) | | | (audited) | |
Assets | | | | | | |
Current assets: | | | | | | |
Cash and cash equivalents | | $ | 39,450 | | | $ | 39,427 | |
Restricted investments | | | 545 | | | | 545 | |
Accounts receivable, net of allowance of $411 and $428, respectively | | | 3,756 | | | | 4,561 | |
Prepaid expenses | | | 1,710 | | | | 1,780 | |
Prepaid marketing fees | | | 511 | | | | 535 | |
Deferred taxes | | | 1,085 | | | | 1,482 | |
Other current assets | | | 160 | | | | 95 | |
Total current assets | | | 47,217 | | | | 48,425 | |
Restricted investments | | | 927 | | | | 927 | |
Property and equipment, net | | | 7,112 | | | | 7,388 | |
Goodwill | | | 12,881 | | | | 12,895 | |
Intangible assets, net | | | 51,927 | | | | 53,059 | |
Other assets | | | 144 | | | | 191 | |
Total assets | | $ | 120,208 | | | $ | 122,885 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Liabilities and stockholders’ equity | | | | | | | | |
Current liabilities: | | | | | | | | |
Accounts payable | | $ | 1,787 | | | $ | 1,306 | |
Accrued expenses | | | 4,177 | | | | 6,931 | |
Accrued restructuring costs and other reserves | | | 625 | | | | 1,064 | |
Deferred revenue | | | 6,133 | | | | 6,172 | |
Accrued marketing fees | | | 248 | | | | 259 | |
Capital lease obligations | | | 197 | | | | 223 | |
Other liabilities | | | 205 | | | | 299 | |
Total current liabilities | | | 13,372 | | | | 16,254 | |
Accrued rent expense | | | 718 | | | | 676 | |
Deferred revenue | | | 158 | | | | 159 | |
Capital lease obligations | | | 158 | | | | 198 | |
Deferred tax liabilities | | | 1,429 | | | | 1,429 | |
Other long-term liabilities | | | 406 | | | | 473 | |
Total liabilities | | | 16,241 | | | | 19,189 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Stockholders’ equity: | | | | | | | | |
Common stock, $0.001 par value; 150,000,000 shares authorized, 27,758,690 and 27,796,824 shares issued and 26,594,522 and 26,176,967 outstanding at March 31, 2010 and December 31, 2009, respectively | | | 27 | | | | 26 | |
Additional paid-in capital | | | 260,427 | | | | 260,552 | |
Treasury Stock, 1,164,168 and 1,619,857 shares at March 31, 2010 and December 31, 2009, respectively | | | (4,328 | ) | | | (5,477 | ) |
Accumulated deficit | | | (152,159 | ) | | | (151,405 | ) |
Total stockholders’ equity | | | 103,967 | | | | 103,696 | |
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity | | $ | 120,208 | | | $ | 122,885 | |
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements
Web.com Group, Inc.
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
(in thousands)
(unaudited)
| | Three months ended March 31, | |
| | 2010 | | | 2009 | |
Cash flows from operating activities | | | | | | |
Net (loss) income | | $ | (754 | ) | | $ | 922 | |
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities: | | | | | | | | |
Depreciation and amortization | | | 3,279 | | | | 3,350 | |
Non-cash loss | | | — | | | | 4 | |
Stock-based compensation expense | | | 1,006 | | | | 1,324 | |
Restructuring costs | | | 60 | | | | — | |
Deferred income taxes | | | 398 | | | | — | |
Changes in operating assets and liabilities: | | | | | | | | |
Accounts receivable | | | 800 | | | | 1,091 | |
Prepaid expenses and other assets | | | 75 | | | | (329 | ) |
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities | | | (2,894 | ) | | | (110 | ) |
Deferred revenue | | | (121 | ) | | | (562 | ) |
Net cash provided by operating activities | | | 1,849 | | | | 5,690 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Cash flows from investing activities | | | | | | | | |
Purchase of property and equipment | | | (384 | ) | | | (242 | ) |
Investment in intangible assets | | | (1,396 | ) | | | (2 | ) |
Net cash (used in) investing activities | | | (1,780 | ) | | | (244 | ) |
| | | | | | | | |
Cash flows from financing activities | | | | | | | | |
Stock issuance costs | | | (3 | ) | | | (5 | ) |
Common stock repurchased | | | (53 | ) | | | (2,669 | ) |
Payments of debt obligations | | | (66 | ) | | | (29 | ) |
Proceeds from exercise of stock options and other | | | 76 | | | | 21 | |
Net cash (used in) financing activities | | | (46 | ) | | | (2,682 | ) |
| | | | | | | | |
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents | | | 23 | | | | 2,764 | |
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period | | | 39,427 | | | | 34,127 | |
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period | | $ | 39,450 | | | $ | 36,891 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Supplemental cash flow information | | | | | | | | |
Interest paid | | $ | 9 | | | $ | 1 | |
Income taxes paid | | $ | 64 | | | $ | 36 | |
See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements
Web.com Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(unaudited)
1. The Company and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Description of Company
Web.com Group, Inc. (“the Company”) is a leading provider of online marketing for small businesses. The Company meets the needs of small businesses anywhere along their lifecycle by offering a full range of online services and support, including website design, lead generation, logo design, search engine optimization, search engine marketing and local sales leads, general contractor leads, franchise and homeowner association websites, shopping cart software, eCommerce website design and call center services.
The Company has reviewed the criteria of Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) Topic 280-10, Segment Reporting and has determined that the Company is comprised of only one segment, Web services and products.
Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified to conform to current year presentation.
Basis of Presentation
The accompanying consolidated balance sheet as of March 31, 2010, the consolidated statements of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2010 and 2009, the consolidated statements of cash flows for the three months ended March 31, 2010 and 2009, and the related notes to the consolidated financial statements for the three months ended March 31, 2010 and 2009 are unaudited. These unaudited consolidated financial statements have been prepared on the same basis as the audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2009, except that certain information and disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. have been condensed or excluded as permitted.
In the opinion of management, the unaudited consolidated financial statements include all adjustments of a normal recurring nature necessary for the fair presentation of the Company’s financial position as of March 31, 2010, and the Company’s results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2010 and 2009 and cash flows for the three months ended March 31, 2010 and 2009. The results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2010 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the year ending December 31, 2010.
These unaudited consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and related notes contained in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2009 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, on March 5, 2010.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Comprehensive Income
Comprehensive income equals net income for all periods presented.
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets
In accordance with ASC 350, Intangibles – Goodwill and Other, goodwill is determined to have an indefinite useful life and is tested for impairment, at least annually or more frequently if indicators of impairment arise. If impairment of the carrying value based on the calculated fair value exists, the Company measures the impairment through the use of discounted cash flows. The Company completed its annual goodwill impairment test during the fourth quarter of 2009 and determined that there were no indicators of impairment during the year ended December 31, 2009. There were no indicators of impairment during the quarter ended March 31, 2010.
Intangible assets acquired as part of a business combination are accounted for in accordance with ASC 805, Business Combinations, and are recognized apart from goodwill if the intangible arises from contractual or other legal rights or the asset is capable of being separated from the acquired enterprise. Indefinite-lived intangible assets are tested for impairment annually and on an interim basis if events or changes in circumstances between annual tests indicate that the asset might be impaired in accordance with ASC 350. The Company completed its annual indefinite-lived impairment test during the fourth quarter of 2009 and determined that there were no indicators of impairment during the year ended December 31, 2009. There were no indicators of impairment during the quarter ended March 31, 2010.
Definite-lived intangible assets are amortized over their useful lives, which range between fourteen months and ten years.
Earnings per Share
The Company computes earnings per share in accordance with ASC 260, Earnings Per Share. Basic net income per common share includes no dilution and is computed by dividing net income by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the period. Diluted net income per common share includes the potential dilution that could occur if securities or other contracts to issue common stock were exercised or converted into common stock.
2. Discontinued Operations
On May 26, 2009, the Company sold its NetObjects Fusion software business for $4.0 million. The Company no longer considers the NetObjects Fusion license software product core to its predominantly subscription business model. The NetObjects Fusion software business enabled customers to build websites either for themselves or for others. The Company has received a partial payment of one million dollars in connection with the NetObjects Fusion sale. The remaining $3.0 million of proceeds is expected to be paid over the next several years using a formula based on estimated revenue, with the entire balance expected to be paid by May 26, 2013. The remaining proceeds will be recorded as a gain in discontinued operations as cash payments are received.
For the three months ended March 31, 2010, there were no revenues generated by this discontinued business and a $9 thousand net loss. For the three months ended March 31, 2009 the revenue generated by the NetObjects Fusion software business was $266 thousand and the net income was $133 thousand. Operating results relating to the NetObjects Fusion software business revenue and expenses for all periods presented are reported in discontinued operations.
3. Business Combinations
On April 27, 2009, the Company acquired substantially all the assets and select liabilities of Solid Cactus, Inc. and Solid Cactus Call Center, Inc. (collectively, “Solid Cactus”), with its headquarters in Shavertown, Pennsylvania, and offices in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Solid Cactus provides a full-range of solutions for new and existing online businesses, including website and eCommerce store design and programming, pay-per-click advertising management, search engine optimization, affiliate program and e-mail marketing management, call center and virtual office services, and Software as a Service products. The Company believes the acquisition of Solid Cactus enhances the Company’s strategic position as a comprehensive, "one-stop" resource for small businesses seeking online marketing and eCommerce solutions. Under the terms of the asset purchase agreement, the Company paid cash consideration of approximately $3.5 million. At the time of purchase, the Company anticipated potential contingent consideration of up to an additional $500 thousand to be paid in April 2012. This amount may be further reduced by the amount of any unaccrued liabilities that existed at the acquisition date that the Company later discovers. As of March 31, 2010, the Company has paid a total of $70 thousand of the contingent consideration, leaving a potential balance remaining to be paid of $430 thousand.
The following table summarizes the Company’s purchase price allocation based on the fair values of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed on April 27, 2009 (in thousands):
Tangible current assets | | $ | 618 | |
Tangible non-current assets | | | 946 | |
Developed technology | | | 331 | |
Customer relationships | | | 277 | |
Non-compete | | | 71 | |
Domain name | | | 748 | |
Goodwill | | | 3,656 | |
Current liabilities | | | (1,992 | ) |
Non-current liabilities | | | (667 | ) |
Net assets acquired | | $ | 3,988 | |
The intangible assets are being amortized over a three to four year period, except for the domain name which has an indefinite life. The goodwill represents business benefits the Company anticipates realizing in future periods and is expected to be deductible for tax purposes.
4. Earnings per Share
The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted net income per common share for the three months ended March 31, 2010 and 2009 (in thousands except per share amounts):
| | Three months ended March 31, | |
| | 2010 | | | 2009 | |
(Loss) income from continuing operations | | $ | (745 | ) | | $ | 789 | |
(Loss) income from discontinued operations | | | (9 | ) | | | 133 | |
Net (loss) income | | $ | (754 | ) | | $ | 922 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Weighted average outstanding shares of common stock | | | 25,410 | | | | 25,603 | |
Dilutive effect of stock options | | | — | | | | 804 | |
Dilutive effect of restricted stock | | | — | | | | 21 | |
Dilutive effect of warrants | | | — | | | | 1 | |
Common stock and common stock equivalents | | | 25,410 | | | | 26,429 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Basic earnings per share: | | | | | | | | |
(Loss) income from continuing operations | | $ | (0.03 | ) | | $ | 0.03 | |
(Loss) income from discontinued operations | | | — | | | | 0.01 | |
Net (loss) income | | $ | (0.03 | ) | | $ | 0.04 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Diluted earnings per share: | | | | | | | | |
(Loss) income from continuing operations | | $ | (0.03 | ) | | $ | 0.03 | |
(Loss) income from discontinued operations | | | — | | | | — | |
Net (loss) income | | $ | (0.03 | ) | | $ | 0.03 | |
For the three months ended March 31, 2010 and 2009, options to purchase approximately 6.5 million and 6.3 million shares, respectively, of common stock were not included in the calculation of the weighted average shares for diluted net income per common share because the effect would have been anti-dilutive.
On September 4, 2008, we announced that our Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of up to $20 million of the Company’s outstanding common shares over the next eighteen months. On March 3, 2010, the Board of Directors extended the repurchase program for an additional twelve months. The timing, price and volume of repurchases will be based on market conditions, liquidity, relevant securities laws and other factors. The Company may terminate the repurchase program at any time without notice.
5. Goodwill and Intangible Assets
The following table summarizes changes in the Company’s goodwill balances as required by ASC 350-20 for the periods ended (in thousands):
| | March 31, 2010 | | | December 31, 2009 | |
Goodwill balance at beginning of period | | $ | 115,189 | | | $ | 111,294 | |
Accumulated impaired goodwill at beginning of period | | | (102,294 | ) | | | (102,294 | ) |
Goodwill balance at beginning of period, net | | | 12,895 | | | | 9,000 | |
Goodwill acquired during the period | | | — | | | | 3,895 | |
Goodwill adjusted during the period | | | (14 | ) | | | — | |
Goodwill balance at end of period | | | 115,175 | | | | 115,189 | |
Accumulated impaired goodwill balance at end of period | | | (102,294 | ) | | | (102,294 | ) |
Goodwill balance at end of period, net | | $ | 12,881 | | | $ | 12,895 | |
In accordance with ASC 350-20, the Company reviews goodwill balances for indicators of impairment on an annual basis and between annual tests if an event occurs or circumstances change that would more likely than not reduce the fair value of goodwill below its carrying amount. There were no indicators of impairment during the quarter ended March 31, 2010.
The Company’s intangible assets are summarized as follows (in thousands):
| | March 31, 2010 | | | December 31, 2009 | | Weighted-average Amortization period |
Indefinite-lived intangible assets: | | | | | | | |
Domain/Trade names | | $ | 13,880 | | | $ | 13,880 | | |
Definite lived intangible assets: | | | | | | | | | |
Non-compete agreements | | | 3,408 | | | | 3,408 | | 10 months |
Customer relationships | | | 34,507 | | | | 33,021 | | 51 months |
Developed technology | | | 29,203 | | | | 29,203 | | 41 months |
Other | | | 100 | | | | 98 | | |
Accumulated amortization | | | (29,171 | ) | | | (26,551 | ) | |
| | $ | 51,927 | | | $ | 53,059 | | |
The weighted-average amortization period for the amortizable intangible assets is approximately 47 months. Total amortization expense was $2.6 million and $2.6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2010 and 2009, respectively.
The Company will complete its annual impairment tests of goodwill and other indefinite-lived intangible assets in the fourth quarter of 2010. In light of current market conditions and the volatility in the price of the Company’s common stock, management and the audit committee expect to carefully analyze all relevant factors, including the Company’s current market value, legal factors, operating performance and the business climate, to evaluate whether its indefinite-lived assets are impaired. There were no indicators of impairment during the quarter ended March 31, 2010.
As of March 31, 2010, the amortization expense for the next five years is as follows (in thousands):
2010 (remainder of year) | | $ | 7,821 | |
2011 | | | 9,949 | |
2012 | | | 9,622 | |
2013 | | | 7,533 | |
2014 | | | 3,122 | |
| | | | |
Total | | $ | 38,047 | |
6. Restructuring Costs and Other Reserves
In connection with the acquisition of Web.com, Inc. (“Web.com”), the Company accrued, as part of its purchase price allocation, certain liabilities that represent the estimated costs of exiting Web.com facilities, relocating Web.com employees, the termination of Web.com employees and the estimated cost to settle Web.com legal matters that existed prior to the acquisition of approximately $11.6 million. As of March 31, 2010, the Company had $269 thousand of merger-related costs remaining to be paid. These plans were formulated at the time of the closing of the Web.com acquisition. These restructuring costs and other reserves are expected to be paid through July 2010.
In addition, as part of the liabilities assumed in the Web.com acquisition, the Company has assumed $2.9 million of restructuring obligations that were previously recorded by Web.com. These costs include the exit of unused office space in which Web.com had remaining lease obligations as of September 30, 2007. As of March 31, 2010, the Company had a $162 thousand liability remaining for these restructuring costs. These restructuring costs are expected to be paid through July 2010.
During the year ended December 31, 2008, the Company recorded aggregate charges of $836 thousand for restructuring, which principally comprised of contract termination costs and employee termination benefits. As of March 31, 2010, the Company had $134 thousand of restructuring costs remaining to be paid. These costs are expected to be paid through June 2010.
During the year ended December 31, 2009, the Company recorded aggregate charges of $1.9 million for restructuring costs, which includes approximately $1.2 million of stock-based compensation due to the acceleration of the vesting of certain awards. In connection with the completion of the integration of the Web.com acquisition, the Company terminated certain employees and recorded related termination benefits. As of March 31, 2010, the Company had $32 thousand of employee benefit costs remaining to be paid. These costs are expected to be paid through February 2011.
During the three months ended March 31, 2010, the Company closed its office in Norton, Virginia and recorded facility exit costs of $35 thousand and employee termination benefits of $25 thousand. As of March 31, 2010, the Company had $28 thousand of restructuring costs remaining to be paid. These costs are expected to be paid through November 2010.
The tables below summarizes the activity of accrued restructuring costs and other reserves during the the three months ended March 31, 2010 (in thousands):
| | Balance as of December 31, 2009 | | | Additions | | | Cash Payments | | | Change in Estimates | | | Balance as of March 31, 2010 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Restructuring costs | | $ | 418 | | | $ | 35 | | | $ | (129 | ) | | $ | — | | | $ | 324 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Employee Termination Benefits | | | 186 | | | | 25 | | | | (179 | ) | | | — | | | | 32 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Merger related costs | | | 460 | | | | — | | | | (191 | ) | | | — | | | | 269 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Balance | | $ | 1,064 | | | $ | 60 | | | $ | (499 | ) | | $ | — | | | $ | 625 | |
7. Capital Lease Obligations
The Company acquired various capital lease obligations as part of the Solid Cactus acquisition, which consisted of non-cancelable lease agreements of computers and equipment that continues through 2013. The required minimum payments on these capital leases as of March 31, 2010 are (in thousands):
2010 | | | 172 | |
2011 | | | 111 | |
2012 | | | 74 | |
2013 | | | 29 | |
| | | | |
Total | | | 386 | |
Less interest | | | (31 | ) |
| | | | |
| | | 355 | |
Less current portion | | | (197 | ) |
| | | | |
Total obligations under capital leases, long term | | $ | 158 | |
8. Income Taxes
The Company accounts for income taxes under the provisions of ASC 740, using the liability method. ASC 740 requires recognition of deferred tax liabilities and assets for the expected future tax consequences of events that have been included in the financial statements or tax returns. Under this method, deferred tax liabilities and assets are determined based on the difference between the financial statement and tax basis of assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which the difference is expected to reverse.
The Company recognized income tax expense of $471 thousand and $18 thousand in the three months ended March 31, 2010 and 2009, respectively, based upon its estimated annual effective rate. The Company’s effective rate exceeds the statutory rate primarily due to non-deductible expenses associated with incentive stock options.
The Company calculates its income tax liability in accordance with ASC 740. The Company is subject to audit by the Canada Revenue Agency for four years and the IRS and various states for all years since inception. The Company does not believe there will be any material changes in its unrecognized tax positions over the next 12 months. The Company’s policy is that it recognizes interest and penalties accrued on any unrecognized tax benefits as a component of income tax expense.
During the three months ended March 31, 2010, the Company accrued $39 thousand to reserve for unrecognized tax benefits and incurred $6 thousand in accrued interest associated with unrecognized tax benefits.
As of March 31, 2010 and December 31, 2009, the Company had federal net operating loss carryforwards of approximately $209.2 million and $211.0 million, respectively, which begin to expire in the year 2019. The net operating loss carryforwards are subject to various limitations under Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code. Accordingly, the Company estimates that at least $138.3 million of net operating loss carryforwards will be available during the carryforward period. An additional amount may be available as a result of recognized built in gains during the five-year period following the change in ownership.
9. Stock Based Compensation
Equity Incentive Plans
The 1999 Equity Incentive Plan (the “1999 Plan”) was adopted by the Company’s Board of Directors and approved by its stockholders on April 5, 1999. The 1999 Plan was amended in June 1999, May 2000, May 2002 and November 2003 to increase the number of shares available for awards. The 1999 Plan, as amended, provides for the grant of incentive stock options, non-statutory stock options, and stock bonuses to the Company’s employees, directors and consultants. As of March 31, 2010, the Company has reserved 4,074,428 shares of common stock for issuance under this plan. Of the total reserved as of March 31, 2010, options to purchase a total of 2,021,045 shares of the Company’s common stock were held by participants under the plan, options to purchase 1,559,502 shares of common stock have been exercised and options to purchase 493,881 shares of common stock were cancelled and became available under the 2005 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2005 Plan”) and are currently available for future issuance.
The Board of Directors administers the 1999 Plan and determines the terms of options granted, including the exercise price, the number of shares subject to individual option awards, and the vesting period of options, within the limits set forth in the 1999 Plan itself. Options under the 1999 Plan have a maximum term of 10 years and vest as determined by the Board of Directors. Options granted under the 1999 Plan generally vest either over 30 or 48 months. All options granted during 2002 vest over 30 months, and in general, all other options granted vest over 48 months. The exercise price of non-statutory stock options and incentive stock options granted shall not be less than 85% and 100%, respectively, of the fair market value of the stock subject to the option on the date of grant. No 10% stockholder is eligible for an incentive or non-statutory stock option unless the exercise price of the option is at least 110% of the fair market value of the stock at date of grant. The 1999 Plan terminated upon the closing of the Company’s initial public offering in November 2005.
The Company’s Board of Directors adopted, and its stockholders approved, the 2005 Plan that became effective November 2005. As of March 31, 2010, the Company had reserved 3,185,124 shares for equity incentives to be granted under the 2005 Plan. The option exercise price cannot be less than the fair value of the Company’s stock on the date of grant. Options granted under the 2005 Plan generally vest ratably over three or four years, are contingent upon continued employment, and generally expire ten years from the grant date. As of March 31, 2010, options to purchase a total of 2,517,833 shares were held by participants under the 2005 Plan, options to purchase 28,151 shares of common stock have been exercised and restrictions lapsed on 10,000 shares of common stock. The Company repurchased 3,245 shares of vested restricted stock at the election of the participant for required tax withholding, which were reallocated back to the 2005 Plan. In addition, options to purchase a total of 632,385 shares were available for future issuance under the 2005 Plan.
The Company’s Board of Directors adopted, and its stockholders approved, the 2005 Non-Employee Directors’ Stock Option Plan (the “2005 Directors’ Plan”), which became effective November 2005. On May 8, 2007, the Board of Directors adopted, and its stockholders approved, an amendment to the 2005 Directors’ Plan to modify, among other things, the initial and annual grants to non-employee directors by providing for restricted stock grants and reducing the size of the option grants. The 2005 Directors’ Plan calls for the automatic grant of nonstatutory stock options to purchase shares of common stock, as well as automatic grants of restricted stock, to nonemployee directors. The aggregate number of shares of common stock that was authorized pursuant to options and restricted stock granted under this plan is 985,000 shares. As of March 31, 2010, options to purchase a total of 343,000 shares of the Company’s common stock and 21,167 of restricted shares were held by participants under the plan. As of March 31, 2010, no options have been exercised and restrictions lapsed on 50,833 shares of common stock. In addition, 570,000 shares of common stock were available for future issuance under the 2005 Directors’ Plan.
In connection with the acquisition of Web.com, the Company assumed six additional equity incentive plans: the Interland-Georgia 1999 Stock Plan, Interland 1995 Stock Option Plan, Interland 2001 Equity Incentive Plan, Interland 2002 Equity Incentive Plan, Interland 2005 Equity Incentive Plan, and Web.com 2006 Equity Incentive Plan, (collectively referred to as the “Web.com Option Plans”). Options issued under the Web.com Option Plans have an option term of 10 years. Vesting periods range from 0 to 5 years. Exercise prices of options under the Web.com Option Plans are 100% of the fair market value of the Web.com common stock on the date of grant. As of March 31, 2010, the Company has reserved 2,424,558 shares for issuance upon the exercise of outstanding options under the Web.com Option Plans. Of the total reserved as of March 31, 2010, options to purchase a total of 1,522,952 shares of the Company’s common stock were held by participants under the plan and options to purchase 638,710 shares of common stock have been exercised. All awards outstanding under the Web.com Option Plans continue in accordance with their terms, but no further awards will be granted under those plans.
The Company’s Board of Directors adopted, and its stockholders approved, the 2008 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2008 Plan”), which became effective May 13, 2008. The 2008 Plan provides for the grant of incentive stock options, nonstatutory stock options, restricted stock awards, restricted stock unit awards, stock appreciation rights, performance stock awards, performance cash awards, and other stock-based awards (stock-based awards) to the Company’s employees, directors and consultants. The aggregate number of shares of common stock that was authorized pursuant to the stock-based awards granted under the 2008 Plan was 3,000,000. As of March 31, 2010, options to purchase a total of 1,181,968 common shares and 1,255,450 shares of restricted stock were held by participants under the 2008 Plan, options to purchase 16,208 shares of common stock have been exercised and restrictions lapsed on 283,741 shares of common stock. The Company repurchased 74,240 shares of vested restricted stock at the election of the participant for required tax withholding, which were reallocated back to the 2008 Plan. In addition, 336,873 shares of common stock were available for future issuances under the 2008 Plan.
In conjunction with the acquisition of substantially all of the assets and select liabilities of Solid Cactus in April 2009, the Company granted stock awards to 125 new employees from Solid Cactus under the Company’s 2009 Inducement Award Plan (the “2009 Plan”), adopted in anticipation of the acquisition. The awards consisted of options to purchase an aggregate of 146,900 shares of the Company’s common stock. The options have a ten year term and an exercise price equal to the closing price of the Company’s common stock on the date of grant. The options vest ratably each month over four years. As of March 31, 2010, options to purchase a total of 125,348 shares of the Company’s common stock were held by participants under the 2009 Plan and options to purchase 4,934 shares of common stock have been exercised.
The Board of Directors, or a committee thereof, administers all of the equity incentive plans and determines the terms of options granted, including the exercise price, the number of shares subject to individual option awards and the vesting period of options, within the limits set forth in the stock option plans. Options have a maximum term of 10 years and vest as determined by the Board of Directors.
The fair value of each option award is estimated on the date of the grant using the Black Scholes option valuation model and the assumptions noted in the following table. Expected volatility rates are based on the Company’s historical volatility, since the Company’s initial public offering, on the date of the grant. The expected term of options granted represents the period of time that they are expected to be outstanding. The risk-free rate for periods within the contractual life of the option is based on the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of the grant.
| | Three months ended March 31, | |
| | 2010 | | | 2009 | |
Risk-free interest rate | | | 2.23-2.65 | % | | | 1.36-2.07 | % |
Dividend yield | | | 0 | % | | | 0 | % |
Expected life (in years) | | | 5 | | | | 5 | |
Volatility | | | 61 | % | | | 62 | % |
Stock Option Activity
The following table summarizes option activity for the three months ended March 31, 2010 for all of the Company’s stock options:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Shares Covered by Options | | | Exercise Price per Share | | | Weighted Average Exercise Price | | | Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term (in years) | | | Aggregate Intrinsic Value (in thousands) | |
Balance, December 31, 2009 | | | 6,747,438 | | | $0.50 to $185.46 | | | $ | 6.19 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Granted | | | 1,173,900 | | | 5.40 to 5.66 | | | | 5.56 | | | | | | | |
Exercised | | | (19,147 | ) | | 3.77 to 4.48 | | | | 4.29 | | | | | | | |
Forfeited | | | (86,268 | ) | | 3.55 to 10.98 | | | | 6.39 | | | | | | | |
Expired | | | (93,313 | ) | | 2.15 to 185.46 | | | | 9.32 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Balance, March 31, 2010 | | | 7,722,610 | | | 0.50 to 128.15 | | | | 6.06 | | | | 5.81 | | | $ | 8,289 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Exercisable at March 31, 2010 | | | 5,498,172 | | | $0.50 to $128.15 | | | $ | 5.96 | | | | 4.53 | | | $ | 7,767 | |
Compensation costs related to the Company’s stock option plans were $741 thousand and $912 thousand for the three months ended March 31, 2010 and 2009, respectively. Compensation expense is generally recognized on a straight-line basis over the vesting period of grants. As of March 31, 2010, the Company had $6.0 million of unrecognized compensation costs related to share-based payments, which the Company expects to recognize through February 2014.
The total intrinsic value of options exercised during the three months ended March 31, 2010 and 2009 was $18 thousand and $15 thousand, respectively. Stock options exercised during the three months ended March 31, 2010 were issued from the Company’s outstanding treasury stock. The weighted average grant-date fair value of options granted during the three months ended March 31, 2010 and 2009 was $2.97 and $1.65, respectively. The fair value of options vested during the three months ended March 31, 2010 and 2009 was $751 thousand and $835 thousand, respectively.
Price ranges of outstanding and exercisable options as of March 31, 2010 are summarized below:
| | Outstanding Options | | | Exercisable Options | |
Exercise Price | | Number of Options | | | Weighted Average Remaining Life (Years) | | | Weighted Average Exercise Price | | | Number of Options | | | Weighted Average Exercise Price | |
$0.50 – $2.15 | | | 1,264,857 | | | | 3.18 | | | $ | 1.54 | | | | 1,264,857 | | | $ | 1.54 | |
$2.16 – $3.77 | | | 1,335,992 | | | | 3.97 | | | | 3.38 | | | | 1,221,515 | | | | 3.35 | |
$3.78 – $6.87 | | | 1,943,063 | | | | 8.84 | | | | 5.33 | | | | 429,329 | | | | 5.10 | |
$6.88 – $9.60 | | | 2,409,908 | | | | 5.78 | | | | 8.86 | | | | 1,921,257 | | | | 8.87 | |
$9.61 – $16.30 | | | 754,091 | | | | 5.86 | | | | 10.68 | | | | 646,515 | | | | 10.74 | |
$16.31 – $128.15 | | | 14,699 | | | | 1.19 | | | | 36.61 | | | | 14,699 | | | | 36.61 | |
| | | 7,722,610 | | | | | | | | | | | | 5,498,172 | | | | | |
Restricted Stock Activity
The following information relates to awards of restricted stock and restricted stock units that have been granted under the 2005 Directors’ Plan, the 2005 Plan, and the 2008 Plan. The restricted stock is not transferable until vested and the restrictions lapse upon the completion of a certain time period, usually over a one to four-year period. The fair value of each restricted stock grant is based on the closing price of the Company’s stock on the date of grant and is amortized to compensation expense over its vesting period, which ranges between one and four years. At March 31, 2010, there were 1,276,617 shares of restricted stock outstanding.
The following restricted stock activity occurred under the Company’s equity incentive plans during the three months ended March 31, 2010:
| | | | | | |
Restricted Stock Activity | | Shares | | | Weighted Average Grant–Date Fair Value | |
Restricted stock outstanding at December 31, 2009 | | | 909,717 | | | $ | 5.58 | |
Granted | | | 438,000 | | | | 5.40 | |
Lapse of restriction | | | (44,100 | ) | | | 8.09 | |
Forfeited | | | (27,000 | ) | | | 7.37 | |
Restricted stock outstanding at March 31, 2010 | | | 1,276,617 | | | $ | 4.95 | |
Compensation expense for the three months ended March 31, 2010 and 2009 was approximately $265 thousand and $421 thousand, respectively. As of March 31, 2010, there was approximately $4.1 million of total unrecognized compensation cost related to the restricted stock outstanding. Restricted stock granted during the three months ended March 31, 2010 was issued from the Company’s outstanding treasury stock.
10. Related Party Transactions
On February 3, 2010, the Company entered into an Asset Purchase Agreement with Innuity, Inc. (“Innuity”) for the purchase of website hosting accounts. Timothy Maudlin is the Lead Director of the Company and a shareholder of Innuity. The approximate dollar value of the amount involved in the transaction is $1.4 million plus a potential share of revenue from the sale of additional Company services to the website hosting account end users.
On December 22, 2009, the Company entered into a Master Channel Partner Agreement with ExactTarget, Inc. (“ExactTarget”) to provide email marketing solutions to the Company. Timothy Maudlin is the Lead Director of the Company and a member of the board of directors and a shareholder of ExactTarget. The approximate dollar value of the amount involved in the transaction is $169 thousand plus a potential share of revenue from the sale of the email marketing solutions to end users. The total amount of fees paid to ExactTarget as of March 31, 2010 was $71 thousand and $3 thousand was accrued as of March 31, 2010.
The Company hired Brown & Associates, an entity owned by the brother of David L. Brown, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and director, on a contingency based fee to determine whether the Company overpaid sales tax to various entities. The total amount of fees paid to Brown & Associates for successful refunds of sales tax, totaling $789 thousand, was $223 thousand, of which $70 thousand was paid during the quarter ended March 31, 2010.
11. Commitments and Contingencies
Letters of Credit
The Company utilizes letters of credit to back certain payment obligations relating to its facility operating leases. The Company had no outstanding borrowings as of March 31, 2010 and had approximately $1.4 million in standby letters of credit.
Legal Matters
We and our subsidiaries are named from time to time as defendants in various legal actions that are incidental to our business and arise out of or are related to claims made in connection with our customer and vender contracts and employment related disputes. We believe that the resolution of these legal actions will not have a material adverse effect on our financial position or results of operations.
Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.
In addition to historical information, this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q contains 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. Actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of a number of factors, risks and uncertainties, including the risk factors set forth in this discussion, especially under the captions “Variability of Results” and “Factors That May Affect Future Operating Results” in this Form 10-Q. Generally, the words “anticipate”, “expect”, “intend”, “believe” and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements made in this Form 10-Q are made as of the filing date of this Form 10-Q with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and future events or circumstances could cause results that differ significantly from the forward-looking statements included here. Accordingly, we caution readers not to place undue reliance on these statements. We expressly disclaim any obligation to update or alter our forward-looking statements, whether, as a result of new information, future events or otherwise after the date of this document.
The following discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto in Item 1 above and with our financial statements and notes thereto for the year ended December 31, 2009, contained in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2009 filed with the SEC on March 5, 2010.
Overview
We are a leading provider of online marketing for small businesses. We meet the needs of small businesses anywhere along their lifecycle by offering a full range of online services and support, including website design, lead generation, logo design, search engine optimization, search engine marketing and local sales leads, general contractor leads, franchise and homeowner association websites, shopping cart software, eCommerce website design and call center services. Our primary service offerings, eWorks! XL and SmartClicks, are comprehensive performance-based packages that include website design and publishing, online marketing and advertising, search engine optimization, search engine submission, lead generation, hosting and email solutions, and easy-to-understand Web analytics. As an application service provider, or ASP, we offer our customers a full range of Web services and products on an affordable subscription basis. In addition to our primary service offerings, we provide a variety of premium services to customers who desire more advanced capabilities, such as eCommerce solutions and other sophisticated online marketing services and online lead generation. The breadth and flexibility of our offerings allow us to address the Web services needs of a wide variety of customers, ranging from those just establishing their websites to those that want to enhance their existing online presence with more sophisticated marketing and lead generation services. As the Internet continues to evolve, we plan to refine and expand our service offerings to keep our customers at the forefront.
Through the combination of our proprietary website publishing and management software, automated workflow processes, and specialized workforce development and management techniques, we believe that we achieve production efficiencies that enable us to offer sophisticated Web services at affordable rates. Our technology automates many aspects of creating, maintaining, enhancing, and marketing websites on behalf of our customers. With over 278,000 subscribers to our eWorks! XL, SmartClicks, and subscription-based services as of March 31, 2010, we believe we are one of the industry’s largest providers of affordable Web services and products enabling small businesses to have an effective online presence.
We have traditionally sold our Web services and products to customers identified through strategic relationships with established brand name companies that have a large number of small business customers. We have a direct sales force that utilizes leads generated by our strategic marketing relationships to acquire new customers at our sales centers in Spokane, Washington; Atlanta, Georgia; Jacksonville, Florida; Manassas, Virginia; Halifax, Nova Scotia; Barrie, Ontario; and Scottsdale, Arizona. Our sales force specializes in selling to small businesses across a wide variety of industries throughout the United States.
To increase our revenue and take advantage of our market opportunity, we plan to expand our subscriber base as well as increase our revenue from existing subscribers. We intend to continue to invest in hiring additional personnel, particularly in sales and marketing; developing additional services and products; adding to our infrastructure to support our growth; and expanding our operational and financial systems to manage our growing business. As we have in the past, we will continue to evaluate acquisition opportunities to increase the value and breadth of our Web services and product offerings and expand our subscriber base.
Key Business Metrics
Management periodically reviews certain key business metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of our operational strategies, allocate resources and maximize the financial performance of our business. These key business metrics include:
Net Subscriber Additions
We maintain and grow our subscriber base through a combination of adding new subscribers and retaining existing subscribers. We define net subscriber additions in a particular period as the gross number of new subscribers added during the period, less subscriber cancellations during the period. For this purpose, we only count as new subscribers those customers whose subscriptions have extended beyond the free trial period. Additionally, we do not treat a subscription as cancelled, even if the customer is not current in its payments, until either we have attempted to contact the subscriber twenty times or 60 days have passed since the most recent failed billing attempt, whichever is sooner. In any event, a subscriber’s account is cancelled if payment is not received within approximately 80 days.
We review this metric to evaluate whether we are performing to our business plan. An increase in net subscriber additions could signal an increase in subscription revenue, higher customer retention, and an increase in the effectiveness of our sales efforts. Similarly, a decrease in net subscriber additions could signal decreased subscription revenue, lower customer retention, and a decrease in the effectiveness of our sales efforts. Net subscriber additions above or below our business plan could have a long-term impact on our operating results due to the subscription nature of our business.
Monthly Turnover
Monthly turnover is a metric we measure each quarter, and which we define as customer cancellations in the quarter divided by the sum of the number of subscribers at the beginning of the quarter and the gross number of new subscribers added during the period, divided by three months. Customer cancellations in the quarter include cancellations from gross subscriber additions, which is why we include gross subscriber additions in the denominator. In measuring monthly turnover, we use the same conventions with respect to free trials and subscribers who are not current in their payments as described above for net subscriber additions. Monthly turnover is the key metric that allows management to evaluate whether we are retaining our existing subscribers in accordance with our business plan. An increase in monthly turnover may signal deterioration in the quality of our service, or it may signal a behavioral change in our subscriber base. Lower monthly turnover signals higher customer retention.
Sources of Revenue
We derive our revenue from sales of a variety of services to small businesses, including web design, online marketing, search engine optimization, eCommerce solutions, logo design and home contractor lead services. Leads are generated through online advertising campaigns targeting customers in need of web design, hosting or online marketing solutions, through strategic partnerships with enterprise partners, or through our corporate websites.
Subscription Revenue
We currently derive a substantial majority of our revenue from fees associated with our subscription services, which are generally sold through our eWorks! XL, SmartClicks, Visibility Online, Do-it-Yourself, Lead Generation, 1ShoppingCart.com, and Solid Cactus offerings. A significant portion of our subscription contracts include the design of a five-page website, its hosting, and several additional Web services. In the case of eWorks! XL, upon the completion and initial hosting of the website, our subscription services are offered free of charge for a 30-day trial period during which the customer can cancel at any time. After the 30-day trial period has ended, the revenue is recognized on a daily basis over the life of the contract. No 30-day free trial period is offered to customers for our Visibility Online services, and revenue is recognized on a daily basis over the life of the contract. The typical subscription is a monthly contract, although terms range up to 12 months. We bill a majority of our customers on a monthly basis through their credit cards, bank accounts, or business merchant accounts.
Our Web.com product line subscription revenue is primarily generated from shared hosting, managed services, eCommerce services, applications hosting and domain name registrations. Revenue is recognized as the services are provided. Hosting contracts generally are for service periods ranging from one to 24 months and typically require up-front fees. These fees, including set-up fees for hosting services, are deferred and recognized ratably over the customer’s expected service period. Deferred revenues represents the liability for advance billings to customers for services not yet provided.
For the three months ended March 31, 2010, subscription revenue accounted for approximately 97% of our total revenue as compared to 94% for the three months ended March 31, 2009. The number of paying subscribers to our Web services and lead generation products as well as the subscription price we charge for these services drive subscription revenue. The number of paying subscribers is affected both by the number of new customers we acquire in a given period and by the number of existing customers we retain during that period. In the future, we expect other sources of revenue to decline as a percentage of total revenue over time.
Professional Services Revenue
We generate professional services revenue from custom website design, eCommerce store design, and Do-it-Yourself logo design. Our custom website design and eCommerce store design work is typically billed on a fixed price basis and over short periods. Our Do-It-Yourself logo design is typically billed upon the point-of-sale of the final product, which is created by the customer.
Other Revenue
We occasionally generate revenue from the sale of perpetual licenses for use of our patents. Other revenue consists of all fees earned from granting customers licenses to use our patents.
Cost of Revenue
Cost of Subscription Revenue
Cost of subscription revenue primarily consists of expenses related to marketing fees we pay to companies with which we have strategic marketing relationships as well as compensation expenses related to our Web page development staff, directory listing fees, customer support costs, domain name and search engine registration fees, allocated overhead costs, billing costs, and hosting expenses. We allocate overhead costs such as rent and utilities to all departments based on headcount. Accordingly, general overhead expenses are reflected in each cost of revenue and operating expense category. As our customer base and Web services usage grows, we intend to continue to invest additional resources in our website development and support staff.
Cost of Professional Services Revenue
Cost of professional services revenue primarily consists of compensation expenses related to our Web page development staff, eCommerce store design, logo design and allocated overhead costs. While in the near term, we expect to maintain or reduce costs in this area, in the long term, we may add additional resources in this area to support the growth in our professional services and custom design function.
Operating Expenses
Sales and Marketing Expense
Our largest direct marketing expenses are the costs associated with the online marketing channels we use to acquire and promote our services. These channels include search marketing, affiliate marketing and online partnerships. Sales costs consist primarily of salaries and related expenses for our sales and marketing staff. Sales and marketing expenses also include commissions, marketing programs, including advertising, events, corporate communications, other brand building and product marketing expenses and allocated overhead costs.
As market conditions improve, we plan to continue to invest in sales and marketing by increasing the number of direct sales personnel in order to add new subscription customers as well as increase sales of additional and new services and products to our existing customer base. Our investment in this area will also help us to expand our strategic marketing relationships, to build brand awareness, and to sponsor additional marketing events. Accordingly, we expect that, in the future, sales and marketing expenses will increase in absolute dollars.
Research and Development Expense
Research and development expenses consist primarily of salaries and related expenses for our research and development staff, outsourced software development expenses, and allocated overhead costs. We have historically focused our research and development efforts on increasing the functionality of the technologies that enable our Web services and lead generation products. Our technology architecture enables us to provide all of our customers with a service based on a single version of the applications that serve each of our product offerings. As a result, we do not have to maintain multiple versions of our software, which enables us to have lower research and development expenses as a percentage of total revenue. While we have achieved cost reductions in recent periods due to our consolidation and migration activities, we expect that, in the future, research and development expenses will increase in absolute dollars as we continue to upgrade and extend our service offerings and develop new technologies.
General and Administrative Expense
General and administrative expenses consist of salaries and related expenses for executive, finance, administration, and management information systems personnel, as well as professional fees, other corporate expenses, and allocated overhead costs. While in the near term, we expect to maintain or reduce costs in this area, in the long term, we may add additional resources to support the growth of our business.
Depreciation and Amortization Expense
Depreciation and amortization expenses relate primarily to our computer equipment, software, building and other intangible assets recorded due to the acquisitions we have completed.
Critical Accounting Policies
Our discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations are based on our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. The preparation of these financial statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, and expenses and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. We review our estimates on an ongoing basis. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. While our significant accounting policies are described in more detail in Note 1 to our consolidated financial statements included in this report, we believe the following accounting policies to be critical to the judgments and estimates used in the preparation of our consolidated financial statements.
Revenue Recognition
We recognize revenue in accordance with ASC 605 Revenue Recognition. We recognize revenue when all of the following conditions are satisfied: (1) there is persuasive evidence of an arrangement; (2) the service has been provided to the customer; (3) the amount of fees to be paid by the customer is fixed or determinable; and (4) the collection of our fees is probable.
Thus, we recognize subscription revenue on a daily basis, as services are provided. Customers are billed for the subscription on a monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, or annual basis, at the customer’s option. For all of our customers, regardless of their billing method, subscription revenue is recorded as deferred revenue in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. As services are performed, we recognize subscription revenue on a daily basis over the applicable service period. When we provide a free trial period, we do not begin to recognize subscription revenue until the trial period has ended and the customer has been billed for the services.
Professional services revenue is generated from custom website design, eCommerce store design, and Do-it-Yourself logo design. Our professional services revenue from contracts for custom website design is recorded using a proportional performance model based on labor hours incurred. The extent of progress toward completion is measured by the labor hours incurred as a percentage of total estimated labor hours to complete. Labor hours are the most appropriate measure to allocate revenue among reporting periods, as they are the primary input to the provision of our professional services. Our Do-It-Yourself logo design is typically billed upon the point-of-sale of the final product, which is created by the customer.
We account for our multi-element arrangements, such as in the instances where we design a custom website and separately offer other services such as hosting and marketing, in accordance with ASC 605-25 Revenue Recognition: Multiple-Element Arrangement. We identify each element in an arrangement and assign the relative fair value to each element. The additional services provided with a custom website are recognized separately over the period for which services are performed.
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts
In accordance with our revenue recognition policy, our accounts receivable are based on customers whose payment is reasonably assured. We monitor collections from our customers and maintain an allowance for estimated credit losses based on historical experience and specific customer collection issues. While credit losses have historically been within our expectations and the provisions established in our financial statements, we cannot guarantee that we will continue to experience the same credit loss rates that we have in the past. Because we have a large number of customers, we do not believe a change in liquidity of any one customer or our inability to collect from any one customer would have a material adverse impact on our consolidated financial position.
We also monitor failed direct debit billing transactions and customer refunds and maintain an allowance for estimated losses based upon historical experience. These provisions to our allowance are recorded as an adjustment to revenue. While losses from these items have historically been minimal, we cannot guarantee that we will continue to experience the same loss rates that we have in the past.
Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation
We record compensation expenses for our employee and director stock-based compensation plans based upon the fair value of the award in accordance with ASC Topic 718, Compensation – Stock Compensation.
Goodwill and Intangible Assets
In accordance with ASC 350 Intangibles – Goodwill and Other, we periodically evaluate goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets for potential impairment. We test for the impairment of goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets annually, and between annual tests if an event occurs or circumstances change that would more likely than not reduce the fair value of goodwill or indefinite-lived intangible assets below its carrying amount. Other intangible assets include, among other items, customer relationships, developed technology and non-compete agreements, and they are amortized using the straight-line method over the periods benefited, which is up to ten years. Other intangible assets represent long-lived assets and are assessed for potential impairment whenever significant events or changes occur that might impact recovery of recorded costs. During the year ended December 31, 2009, we completed our annual impairment test of goodwill and other indefinite-lived intangible assets. The results of this test determined that goodwill and other indefinite-lived intangible assets were not impaired at December 31, 2009. See Note 6 “Goodwill and Intangible Assets” in the consolidated financial statements for additional information on goodwill and intangible assets.
We will complete our annual impairment tests of goodwill and other indefinite-lived intangible assets in the fourth quarter of 2010. In light of current market conditions and the volatility in the price of the our common stock, management and the audit committee expect to carefully analyze all relevant factors, including the current market value, legal factors, operating performance and the business climate, to evaluate whether our assets are impaired. There were no indicators of impairment during the quarter ended March 31, 2010.
Accounting for Purchase of Business Combinations
All of our acquisitions were accounted for as purchase transactions, and the purchase price was allocated to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on the respective fair values. The excess of the purchase price over the fair value of net assets acquired or net liabilities assumed was allocated to goodwill. Management weighed several factors in determining the fair value of amortizable intangibles, which primarily consists of customer relationships, non-compete agreements, trade names, and developed technology, including using valuation studies as one of many tools in determining the fair value of amortizable intangibles.
Provision for Income Taxes
We recognize deferred tax assets and liabilities on differences between the book and tax basis of assets and liabilities using currently effective tax rates. Further, deferred tax assets are recognized for the expected realization of available net operating loss carry forwards. A valuation allowance is recorded to reduce a deferred tax asset to an amount that we expect to realize in the future. We review the adequacy of the valuation allowance on an ongoing basis and recognize these benefits if a reassessment indicates that it is more likely than not that these benefits will be realized. In addition, we evaluate our tax contingencies on an ongoing basis and recognize a liability when we believe that it is probable that a liability exists and that the liability is measurable.
Comparison of the Results for the Three Months Ended March 31, 2010 to the Results for the Three Months Ended March 31, 2009
Revenue
| | Three months ended March 31, | |
| | 2010 | | | 2009 | |
| | (unaudited) | |
Revenue: | | | | | | |
Subscription | | $ | 24,480 | | | $ | 26,017 | |
Professional services | | | 648 | | | | 553 | |
Other | | | — | | | | 1,000 | |
Total revenue | | $ | 25,128 | | | $ | 27,570 | |
Total revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2010 decreased $2.4 million, or 9%, over the three months ended March 31, 2009. Total revenue during the three months ended March 31, 2010 declined primarily due to the sale of a perpetual license in 2009 and decreases in our average revenue per subscriber as compared to the same period of the prior year, which was offset slightly by additional revenue from our recent acquisitions.
Subscription Revenue. Subscription revenue decreased 6% to $24.5 million in the three months ended March 31, 2010 from $26.0 million in the three months ended March 31, 2009. Subscription revenue decreased approximately $3.9 million primarily due to decreases in our average revenue per subscriber as compared to the prior year, which was slightly offset by additional subscription revenue of $1.3 million and approximately $900 thousand from our recent acquisitions and increases in average customers, respectively. The decrease in average revenue per subscriber was mainly due to the addition of lower revenue subscribers from our Do-It-Yourself website building and hosting products as well as a reduction in spending by our enterprise partner subscribers.
Net subscribers increased by 3,631 customers during the three months ended March 31, 2010 as compared to a decrease of 173 during the three months ended March 31, 2009. The average monthly turnover decreased to 3.1% during the three months ended March 31, 2010 from 3.9% during the three months ended March 31, 2009. Due to the current economic conditions and lower marketing spend, gross subscriber additions were down to 32,442 in the three months ended March 31, 2010 from 35,147 in the three months ended March 31, 2009.
Professional Services Revenue. Professional services revenue increased 17% to $648 thousand in the three months ended March 31, 2010 from $553 thousand in the three months ended March 31, 2009. Professional services revenue increased approximately $356 thousand due to the additional service offerings of eCommerce store design that was recently acquired, which was offset by a decrease of $139 thousand and $101 thousand in search engine optimization services and custom design services, respectively.
Other Revenue. Other revenue totaled $1.0 million in the three months ended March 31, 2009. This revenue was earned by the sale of a perpetual license for the use of our patents. The Company did not have other revenue during the three months ended March 31, 2010.
Cost of Revenue
| | Three months ended March 31, | |
| | 2010 | | | 2009 | |
| | (unaudited) | |
Cost of revenue | | | | | | |
Subscription | | $ | 10,034 | | | $ | 9,309 | |
Professional services | | | 478 | | | | 300 | |
Total cost of revenue | | $ | 10,512 | | | $ | 9,609 | |
Cost of Subscription Revenue. Cost of subscription revenue increased 8% to $10.0 million in the three months ended March 31, 2010 from $9.3 million in the three months ended March 31, 2009. During the three months ended March 31, 2010, we had incremental expenses of $874 thousand associated with the additional revenue derived from the acquisition. This was slightly offset by a reduction of costs totaling approximately $148 thousand driven by the decline of our subscription revenue. Our gross margin on subscription revenue decreased from 64% during the three months ended March 31, 2009 to 59% during the three months ended March 31, 2010. The decrease in gross margin was principally driven by the shift in the subscription revenue mix to lower margin products. In addition, in the future we anticipate revenue growth; therefore, we have chosen not to reduce related costs in proportion with the decrease of revenue.
Cost of Professional Services Revenue. Cost of professional services revenue increased 59% to $478 thousand in the three months ended March 31, 2010 from $300 thousand in the three months ended March 31, 2009. The increase was primarily the result of the additional costs of approximately $316 thousand related to the eCommerce store design revenue, which was offset by a decrease of $113 thousand in employee compensation and benefits.
Operating Expenses
| | Three months ended | |
| | March 31, | |
| | 2010 | | | 2009 | |
| | (unaudited) | |
Operating expenses: | | | | | | |
Sales and marketing | | $ | 5,546 | | | $ | 5,763 | |
Research and development | | | 2,271 | | | | 2,042 | |
General and administrative | | | 3,775 | | | | 6,062 | |
Restructuring charges | | | 60 | | | | — | |
Depreciation and amortization | | | 3,279 | | | | 3,350 | |
Total operating expenses | | $ | 14,931 | | | $ | 17,217 | |
Sales and Marketing Expenses. Sales and marketing expenses decreased 4% to $5.5 million, or 22% of total revenue, during the three months ended March 31, 2010 from $5.8 million, or 21% of total revenue, during the three months ended March 31, 2009. The decrease in sales and marketing expenses was primarily the result of a reduction in employee compensation and benefits expense of $432 thousand, offset by $229 thousand of additional expenses associated with our recent acquisition.
Research and Development Expenses. Research and development expenses increased 11% to $2.3 million, or 9% of total revenue, during the three months ended March 31, 2010 from $2.0 million, or 7% of total revenue, during the three months ended March 31, 2009. The increase in research and development expense was due to $92 thousand of additional expenses associated with our recent acquisitions and increases of $135 thousand in contract labor, employee compensation and benefits, collectively.
General and Administrative Expenses. General and administrative expenses decreased 38% to $3.8 million, or 15% of total revenue, during the three months ended March 31, 2010 from $6.1 million, or 22% of total revenue, during the three months ended March 31, 2009. During the three months ended March 31, 2010, we had reductions in employee compensation and legal expense by $1.3 million and $873 thousand, respectively. The reduction in legal fees was primarily associated with the sale of a perpetual license during the three months ended March 31, 2009. In addition, general and administrative expenses were reduced by reserve adjustments of $163 thousand that the Company determined are no longer probable due to the expiration of the respective statute of limitations of the likely jurisdictions. During the three months ended March 31, 2010, we had increases of general and administrative expenses of $352 thousand associated with our recent acquisitions.
Restructuring charges. Restructuring charges increased to $60 thousand, or less than 1% of total revenue, during the three months ended March 31, 2010. During the three months ended March 31, 2010, the Company closed the office in Norton, Virginia and recorded facility exit costs of $35 thousand and employee termination benefits of $25 thousand.
Depreciation and Amortization Expense. Depreciation and amortization expense decreased 2% to $3.3 million, or 13% of total revenue, during the three months ended March 31, 2010 from $3.4 million, or 12% of total revenue, during the three months ended March 31, 2009. Amortization and depreciation expenses are predominantly a result of tangible and intangible assets purchased and acquired. The slight decrease in expense is due to certain intangible assets becoming fully amortized.
Net Interest Income. Net interest income decreased 35% to $41 thousand, or less than 1% of total revenue, during the three months ended March 31, 2010 from $63 thousand, or less than 1% of total revenue, during the three months ended March 31, 2009.
Income tax expense. We recorded income tax expense of $471 thousand and $18 thousand in the three months ended March 31, 2010 and 2009, respectively, based upon our estimated annual effective tax rate. The Company’s effective rate exceeds the statutory rate primarily due to non-deductible expenses associated with incentive stock options and awards.
Discontinued operations. On May 26, 2009, we sold our NetObjects Fusion software business for approximately $4.0 million. For the three months ended March 31, 2010, there were no revenues generated by this discontinued business and a $9 thousand net loss. For the three months ended March 31, 2009, the revenue generated by the NetObjects Fusion software was $266 thousand and the net income was $133 thousand.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
As of March 31, 2010, we had $39.5 million of unrestricted cash and cash equivalents and $33.8 million in working capital, as compared to $39.4 million of cash and cash equivalents and $32.2 million in working capital as of December 31, 2009.
Net cash provided by operations for the three months ended March 31, 2010 was $1.8 million as compared to the net cash provided by operations of $5.7 million for the three months ended March 31, 2009. The decrease of net cash provided by operations over the prior year was primarily the result of $2.8 million in payments, made during the three months ended March 31, 2010, associated with accounts payable and accrued liabilities, as well as, by the decrease in net income from continuing operations of $1.7 million.
Net cash used in investing activities in the three months ended March 31, 2010 was $1.8 million as compared to the net cash used in investing activities during the three months ended March 31, 2009 of $244 thousand. During the three months ended March 31, 2010, we acquired approximately 5,700 customers at a cost of $1.5 million, which included a $91 thousand liability for future service to be provided to the acquired customers. In addition, we invested $384 thousand in property and equipment. During the three months ended March 31, 2009, the Company invested approximately $244 thousand in property and equipment and intangible assets.
Net cash used in financing activities in the three months ended March 31, 2010 was $46 thousand as compared to the net cash used in financing activities during the three months ended March 31, 2009 of $2.7 million. During the three months ended March 31, 2010, we received proceeds from the exercise of stock options of $76 thousand, paid $66 thousand to satisfy debt obligations, and purchased 11,134 shares of common stock for $53 thousand for required tax withholding upon the vesting of restricted shares. These shares were not repurchased under the repurchase plan dated September 4, 2008. During the three months ended March 31, 2009, we repurchased approximately 827,000 shares of our common stock for $2.7 million.
We have been authorized to repurchase up to $20 million of our outstanding common shares through March 3, 2011. The timing, price and volume of repurchases will be based on market conditions, liquidity, relevant securities laws and other factors. As of March 31, 2010, the remaining maximum dollar value that may yet be purchased under the plan is $7.8 million. We may repurchase common shares throughout the plan period which may affect our liquidity.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
In addition to our financial information presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP, management uses certain “non-GAAP financial measures” within the meaning of the SEC Regulation G, to clarify and enhance understanding of past performance and prospects for the future. Generally, a non-GAAP financial measure is a numerical measure of a company’s operating performance, financial position or cash flows that excludes or includes amounts that are included in or excluded from the most directly comparable measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP. We monitor non-GAAP financial measures because it describes the operating performance of the company and helps management and investors gauge our ability to generate cash flow, excluding some recurring charges that are included in the most directly comparable measures calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP. Relative to each of the non-GAAP financial measures, we further set forth our rationale as follows:
Non-GAAP Operating Income. We exclude from non-GAAP operating income amortization of intangibles, fair value adjustment to deferred revenue, restructuring charges and stock-based compensation charges. We believe that excluding these non-cash charges assist management and investors in evaluating period-over-period changes in our operating income without the impact of items that are not a result of our day-to-day business and operations.
Non-GAAP Net Income and Non-GAAP Net Income per Diluted Share. We exclude from non-GAAP net income and non-GAAP net income per diluted share amortization of intangibles, income tax expense, fair value adjustment to deferred revenue, restructuring charges and stock-based compensation, and include cash income tax expense, because we believe that excluding such measures helps management and investors better understand our operating activities.
Adjusted EBITDA. We exclude from Adjusted EBITDA depreciation expense, amortization of intangibles, income tax, interest expense, interest income, stock-based compensation, and restructuring charges, because we believe that excluding such items helps management and investors better understand operating activities.
The following table presents our non-GAAP measures for the periods indicated (in thousands):
Web.com Group, Inc.
Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Results
(in thousands except per share data)
(unaudited)
| | Three Months Ended March 31, | |
| | 2010 | | | 2009 | |
Reconciliation of GAAP net (loss) income to non-GAAP net income | | | | | | |
| | | | | | |
GAAP net (loss) income | | $ | (754 | ) | | $ | 922 | |
Amortization of intangibles | | | 2,618 | | | | 2,613 | |
Stock based compensation | | | 1,006 | | | | 1,324 | |
Income tax expense | | | 471 | | | | 18 | |
Restructuring charges | | | 60 | | | | - | |
Cash income tax expense | | | (65 | ) | | | (92 | ) |
Fair value adjustment to deferred revenue | | | 10 | | | | 30 | |
Loss on operating assets and liabilities | | | - | | | | 4 | |
Non-GAAP net income | | $ | 3,346 | | | $ | 4,819 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Reconciliation of GAAP basic net (loss) income per share to non- | | | | | | | | |
GAAP basic net income per share | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
Basic GAAP net (loss) income per share | | $ | (0.03 | ) | | $ | 0.04 | |
Amortization of intangibles per share | | | 0.10 | | | | 0.10 | |
Stock based compensation per share | | | 0.04 | | | | 0.05 | |
Income tax expense per share | | | 0.02 | | | | - | |
Restructuring charges per share | | | - | | | | - | |
Cash income tax expense per share | | | - | | | | - | |
Fair value adjustment to deferred revenue per share | | | - | | | | - | |
Loss on operating assets and liabilities per share | | | - | | | | - | |
Basic Non-GAAP net income per share | | $ | 0.13 | | | $ | 0.19 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Reconciliation of GAAP diluted net (loss) income per share to non- | | | | | | | | |
GAAP net income per share | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
Fully diluted shares: | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
Common stock | | | 25,410 | | | | 25,603 | |
Diluted stock options | | | 1,398 | | | | 804 | |
Diluted restricted stock | | | 359 | | | | 21 | |
Warrants | | | - | | | | 1 | |
Total | | | 27,167 | | | | 26,429 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Diluted GAAP net (loss) income per share | | $ | (0.03 | ) | | $ | 0.03 | |
Amortization of intangibles per share | | | 0.09 | | | | 0.10 | |
Stock based compensation per share | | | 0.04 | | | | 0.05 | |
Income tax expense per share | | | 0.02 | | | | - | |
Restructuring charges per share | | | - | | | | - | |
Cash income tax expense per share | | | - | | | | - | |
Fair value adjustment to deferred revenue per share | | | - | | | | - | |
Loss on operating assets and liabilities per share | | | - | | | | - | |
Diluted Non-GAAP net income per share | | $ | 0.12 | | | $ | 0.18 | |
Web.com Group, Inc.
Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Results (continued)
(in thousands except per share data)
(unaudited)
| | Three Months Ended March 31, | |
| | 2010 | | | 2009 | |
Reconciliation of GAAP operating (loss) income to non- | | | | | | |
GAAP operating income | | | | | | |
| | | | | | |
GAAP operating (loss) income | | $ | (315 | ) | | $ | 744 | |
Amortization of intangibles | | | 2,618 | | | | 2,613 | |
Stock based compensation | | | 1,006 | | | | 1,324 | |
Restructuring charges | | | 60 | | | | - | |
Loss on disposal of fixed assets | | | - | | | | 4 | |
Fair value adjustment to deferred revenue | | | 10 | | | | 30 | |
Non-GAAP operating income | | $ | 3,379 | | | $ | 4,715 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Reconciliation of GAAP operating margin to non-GAAP | | | | | | | | |
operating margin | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
GAAP operating margin | | | -1 | % | | | 3 | % |
Amortization of intangibles | | | 10 | % | | | 9 | % |
Restructuring charges | | | 0 | % | | | 0 | % |
Fair value adjustment to deferred revenue | | | 0 | % | | | 0 | % |
Stock based compensation | | | 4 | % | | | 5 | % |
Non-GAAP operating margin | | | 13 | % | | | 17 | % |
| | | | | | | | |
Reconciliation of GAAP operating (loss) income to | | | | | | | | |
adjusted EBITDA | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
GAAP operating (loss) income | | $ | (315 | ) | | $ | 744 | |
Depreciation and amortization | | | 3,279 | | | | 3,350 | |
Stock based compensation | | | 1,006 | | | | 1,324 | |
Restructuring charges | | | 60 | | | | - | |
Adjusted EBITDA | | $ | 4,030 | | | $ | 5,418 | |
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
As of March 31, 2010 and March 31, 2009, we did not have any relationships with unconsolidated entities or financial partnerships, such as entities often referred to as structured finance or special purpose entities, which would have been established for the purpose of facilitating off-balance sheet arrangements or other contractually narrow or limited purposes.
Summary
Our future capital uses and requirements depend on numerous forward-looking factors. These factors include but are not limited to the following:
| • | the costs involved in the expansion of our customer base; |
| • | the costs involved with investment in our servers, storage and network capacity; |
| • | the costs associated with the expansion of our domestic and international activities; |
| • | the costs associated with the repurchase of our common stock; |
| • | the costs involved with our research and development activities to upgrade and expand our service offerings; and |
| • | the extent to which we acquire or invest in other technologies and businesses. |
We believe that our existing cash and cash equivalents will be sufficient to meet our projected operating requirements for at least the next 12 months, including our sales and marketing expenses, research and development expenses, and capital expenditures.
We believe that there has been no change in our financial condition since December 31, 2009.
Item 3. | Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk. |
Foreign Currency Exchange Risk
Our results of operations and cash flows are subject to fluctuations due to changes in foreign currency exchange rates, particularly changes in the Canadian Dollar. We will analyze our exposure to currency fluctuations and may engage in financial hedging techniques in the future to reduce the effect of these potential fluctuations. We have not entered into any hedging contracts since exchange rate fluctuations have had little impact on our operating results and cash flows. The majority of our subscription agreements are denominated in U.S. dollars.
Interest Rate Sensitivity
We had unrestricted cash and cash equivalents totaling $39.5 million and $39.4 million at March 31, 2010 and December 31, 2009, respectively. These amounts were invested primarily in money market funds. The unrestricted cash, cash equivalents and short-term marketable securities are held for working capital purposes. We do not enter into investments for trading or speculative purposes. Due to the short-term nature of these investments, we believe that we do not have any material exposure to changes in the fair value of our investment portfolio as a result of changes in interest rates. Declines in interest rates, however, will reduce future investment income.
Item 4. | Controls and Procedures. |
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures.
Based on their evaluation as of March 31, 2010, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) were effective at the reasonable assurance level to ensure that the information required to be disclosed by us in this quarterly report on Form 10-Q was recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the Securities and Exchange Commission’s rules, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to us to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosures.
Our disclosure controls and procedures are designed to provide reasonable assurance of achieving their objectives. Our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, does not expect that our disclosure controls and procedures or our internal controls will prevent all error and all fraud. A control system, no matter how well conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the control system are met. Further, the design of a control system must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints, and the benefits of controls must be considered relative to their costs. Because of the inherent limitations in all control systems, no evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that all control issues and instances of fraud, if any, within our Company have been detected.
Changes in Internal Controls Over Financial Reporting.
There have been no changes in our internal controls over financial reporting during the three months ended March 31, 2010 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal controls over financial reporting.
PART II—OTHER INFORMATION
Item 1. | Legal Proceedings. |
We and our subsidiaries are named from time to time as defendants in various legal actions that are incidental to our business and arise out of or are related to claims made in connection with our customer and vender contracts and employment related disputes. We believe that the resolution of these legal actions will not have a material adverse effect on our financial position or results of operations.
Factors That May Affect Future Operating Results
In addition to the risks discussed in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” our business is subject to the risks set forth below.
Depressed general economic conditions or adverse changes in general economic conditions could adversely affect our operating results. If economic or other factors negatively affect the small business sector, our customers may become unwilling or unable to purchase our Web services and products, which could cause our revenue to decline and impair our ability to operate profitably.
We have become increasingly subject to the risks arising from adverse changes in domestic and global economic conditions. Uncertainty about future economic conditions makes it difficult for us to forecast operating results and to make decisions about future investments. For example, the direction and relative strength of the global economy has recently been increasingly uncertain due to softness in the residential real estate and mortgage markets, volatility in fuel and other energy costs, difficulties in the financial services sector and credit markets, continuing geopolitical uncertainties and other macroeconomic factors affecting spending behavior. If economic growth in the United States is slowed, or if other adverse general economic changes occur or continue, many customers may delay or reduce technology purchases or marketing spending. This could result in reductions in sales of our Web services and products, longer sales cycles, and increased price competition.
Our existing and target customers are small businesses. We believe these businesses are more likely to be significantly affected by economic downturns than larger, more established businesses. For instance, the current global financial crisis affecting the banking system and financial markets and the possibility that financial institutions may consolidate or go out of business have resulted in a tightening in the credit markets, which could limit our customers’ access to credit. Additionally, these customers often have limited discretionary funds, which they may choose to spend on items other than our Web services and products. If small businesses experience economic hardship, or if they behave more conservatively in light of the general economic environment, they may be unwilling or unable to expend resources to develop their online presences, which would negatively affect the overall demand for our services and products and could cause our revenue to decline.
Most of our Web services are sold on a month-to-month basis, and if our customers are unable or choose not to subscribe to our Web services, our revenue may decrease.
Typically, our Web service offerings are sold pursuant to month-to-month subscription agreements, and our customers can generally cancel their subscriptions to our Web services at any time with little or no penalty.
Historically, we have experienced a high turnover rate in our customer base. For the years ended December 31, 2009 and 2008, 39% and 46%, respectively, of our subscribers who were customers at the beginning of the respective year were no longer subscribers at the end of the respective year. For the three months ended March 31, 2010 and 2009, 16% and 14%, respectively, of our subscribers who were customers at the beginning of the respective period were no longer subscribers at the end of the period. The turnover rate calculations do not include any acquisition related customer activity.
While we cannot determine with certainty why our subscription renewal rates are not higher, we believe there are a variety of factors, which have in the past led, and may in the future lead, to a decline in our subscription renewal rates. These factors include the cessation of our customers’ businesses, the overall economic environment in the United States and its impact on small businesses, the services and prices offered by us and our competitors, and the evolving use of the Internet by small businesses. If our renewal rates are low or decline for any reason, or if customers demand renewal terms less favorable to us, our revenue may decrease, which could adversely affect our stock price.
Our growth will be adversely affected if we cannot continue to successfully retain, hire, train, and manage our key employees, particularly in the telesales and customer service areas.
Our ability to successfully pursue our growth strategy will depend on our ability to attract, retain, and motivate key employees across our business. We have many key employees throughout our organization that do not have non-competition agreements and may leave to work for a competitor at any time. In particular, we are substantially dependent on our telesales and customer service employees to obtain and service new customers. Competition for such personnel and others can be intense, and there can be no assurance that we will be able to attract, integrate, or retain additional highly qualified personnel in the future. In addition, our ability to achieve significant growth in revenue will depend, in large part, on our success in effectively training sufficient personnel in these two areas. New hires require significant training and in some cases may take several months before they achieve full productivity, if they ever do. Our recent hires and planned hires may not become as productive as we would like, and we may be unable to hire sufficient numbers of qualified individuals in the future in the markets where we have our facilities. If we are not successful in retaining our existing employees, or hiring, training and integrating new employees, or if our current or future employees perform poorly, growth in the sales of our services and products may not materialize and our business will suffer.
We may expand through acquisitions of, or investments in, other companies or technologies, which may result in additional dilution to our stockholders and consume resources that may be necessary to sustain our business.
One of our business strategies is to acquire complementary services, technologies or businesses. In connection with one or more of those transactions, we may:
| • | issue additional equity securities that would dilute our stockholders; |
| • | use cash that we may need in the future to operate our business; and |
| • | incur debt that could have terms unfavorable to us or that we might be unable to repay. |
Business acquisitions also involve the risk of unknown liabilities associated with the acquired business. In addition, we may not realize the anticipated benefits of any acquisition, including securing the services of key employees. Incurring unknown liabilities or the failure to realize the anticipated benefits of an acquisition could seriously harm our business.
We may find it difficult to integrate recent and potential future business combinations, which could disrupt our business, dilute stockholder value, and adversely affect our operating results.
During the course of our history, we have completed several acquisitions of other businesses, and a key element of our strategy is to continue to acquire other businesses in the future. Integrating any businesses or assets we may acquire in the future could add significant complexity to our business and additional burdens to the substantial tasks already performed by our management team. In the future, we may not be able to identify suitable acquisition candidates, and if we do, we may not be able to complete these acquisitions on acceptable terms or at all. In connection with our recent and possible future acquisitions, we may need to integrate operations that have different and unfamiliar corporate cultures. Likewise, we may need to integrate disparate technologies and Web service and product offerings, as well as multiple direct and indirect sales channels. The key personnel of the acquired company may decide not to continue to work for us. These integration efforts may not succeed or may distract our management’s attention from existing business operations. Our failure to successfully manage and integrate these current acquisitions, or any future acquisitions could seriously harm our business.
We may not realize the anticipated benefits from an acquisition.
Acquisitions involve the integration of companies that have previously operated independently. We expect that acquisitions may result in financial and operational benefits, including increased revenue, cost savings and other financial and operating benefits. We cannot be certain, however, that we will be able to realize increased revenue, cost savings or other benefits from any acquisition, or, to the extent such benefits are realized, that they are realized timely. Integration may also be difficult, unpredictable, and subject to delay because of possible cultural conflicts and different opinions on product roadmaps or other strategic matters. We may integrate or, in some cases, replace, numerous systems, including those involving management information, purchasing, accounting and finance, sales, billing, employee benefits, payroll and regulatory compliance, many of which may be dissimilar. Difficulties associated with integrating an acquisition’s service and product offering into ours, or with integrating an acquisition’s operations into ours, could have a material adverse effect on the combined company and the market price of our common stock.
Charges to earnings resulting from acquisitions may adversely affect our operating results.
Under purchase accounting, we allocate the total purchase price to an acquired company’s net tangible assets, intangible assets based on their fair values as of the date of the acquisition and record the excess of the purchase price over those fair values as goodwill. Our management’s estimates of fair value are based upon assumptions believed to be reasonable but are inherently uncertain. Going forward, the following factors could result in material charges that would adversely affect our results:
| • | charges for the amortization of identifiable intangible assets and for stock-based compensation; |
| • | accrual of newly identified pre-merger contingent liabilities that are identified subsequent to the finalization of the purchase price allocation; and |
| • | charges to income to eliminate certain of our pre-merger activities that duplicate those of the acquired company or to reduce our cost structure. |
Additional costs may include costs of employee redeployment, relocation and retention, including salary increases or bonuses, accelerated amortization of deferred equity compensation and severance payments, reorganization or closure of facilities, taxes and termination of contracts that provide redundant or conflicting services. Some of these costs may have to be accounted for as expenses that would decrease our net income and earnings per share for the periods in which those adjustments are made.
Though we were profitable for the years ended December 31, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2009, we were not profitable for the year ended December 31, 2008 and we may not become or stay profitable in the future.
Although we generated net income for the years ended December 31, 2005, 2006, and 2007 and 2009, we have not historically been profitable, were not profitable for the year ended December 31, 2008, and may not be profitable in future periods. As of March 31, 2010, we had an accumulated deficit of approximately $152.2 million. We expect that our expenses relating to the sale and marketing of our Web services, technology improvements and general and administrative functions, as well as the costs of operating and maintaining our technology infrastructure, will increase in the future. Accordingly, we will need to increase our revenue to be able to again achieve and, if achieved, to later maintain profitability. We may not be able to reduce in a timely manner or maintain our expenses in response to any decrease in our revenue, and our failure to do so would adversely affect our operating results and our level of profitability.
We depend on our strategic marketing relationships to identify prospective customers. The loss of several of our strategic marketing relationships, or a reduction in the referrals and leads they generate, would significantly reduce our future revenue and increase our expenses.
As a key part of our strategy, we have entered into agreements with a number of companies pursuant to which these parties provide us with access to their customer lists and allow us to use their names in marketing our Web services and products. Approximately 10% of our new customers in the year ended December 31, 2009 and approximately 11% of our new customers in the three months ended March 31, 2010, were identified through our strategic marketing relationships. We believe these strategic marketing relationships are critical to our business because they enable us to penetrate our target market with a minimum expenditure of resources. If these strategic marketing relationships are terminated or otherwise fail, our revenue would likely decline significantly and we could be required to devote additional resources to the sale and marketing of our Web services and products. We have no long-term contracts with these organizations, and these organizations are generally not restricted from working with our competitors. Accordingly, our success will depend upon the willingness of these organizations to continue these strategic marketing relationships.
To successfully execute our business plan, we must also establish new strategic marketing relationships with additional organizations that have strong relationships with small businesses that would enable us to identify additional prospective customers. If we are unable to diversify and extend our strategic marketing relationships, our ability to grow our business may be compromised.
Our operating results are difficult to predict and fluctuations in our performance may result in volatility in the market price of our common stock.
Due to our limited operating history, our evolving business model, and the unpredictability of our emerging industry, our operating results are difficult to predict. We expect to experience fluctuations in our operating and financial results due to a number of factors, such as:
| • | our ability to retain and increase sales to existing customers, attract new customers, and satisfy our customers’ requirements; |
| • | the renewal rates for our services; |
| • | changes in our pricing policies; |
| • | the introduction of new services and products by us or our competitors; |
| • | our ability to hire, train and retain members of our sales force; |
| • | the rate of expansion and effectiveness of our sales force; |
| • | technical difficulties or interruptions in our services; |
| • | general economic conditions; |
| • | additional investment in our services or operations; |
| • | ability to successfully integrate acquired businesses and technologies; and |
| • | our success in maintaining and adding strategic marketing relationships. |
These factors and others all tend to make the timing and amount of our revenue unpredictable and may lead to greater period-to-period fluctuations in revenue than we have experienced historically.
As a result of these factors, and in light of current global and U.S. economic conditions, we believe that our quarterly revenue and results of operations are likely to vary significantly in the future and that period-to-period comparisons of our operating results may not be meaningful. The results of one quarter may not be relied on as an indication of future performance. If our quarterly revenue or results of operations fall below the expectations of investors or securities analysts, the price of our common stock could decline substantially.
Our business depends in part on our ability to continue to provide value-added Web services and products, many of which we provide through agreements with third parties, and our business will be harmed if we are unable to provide these Web services and products in a cost-effective manner.
A key element of our strategy is to combine a variety of functionalities in our Web service offerings to provide our customers with comprehensive solutions to their online presence needs, such as Internet search optimization, local yellow pages listings, and eCommerce capability. We provide many of these services through arrangements with third parties, and our continued ability to obtain and provide these services at a low cost is central to the success of our business. For example, we currently have agreements with several service providers that enable us to provide, at a low cost, Internet yellow pages advertising. However, these agreements may be terminated on short notice, typically 60 to 90 days, and without penalty. If any of these third parties were to terminate their relationships with us, or to modify the economic terms of these arrangements, we could lose our ability to provide these services at a cost-effective price to our customers, which could cause our revenue to decline or our costs to increase.
We have a risk of system and Internet failures, which could harm our reputation, cause our customers to seek reimbursement for services paid for and not received, and cause our customers to seek another provider for services.
We must be able to operate the systems that manage our network around the clock without interruption. Its operations will depend upon our ability to protect its network infrastructure, equipment, and customer files against damage from human error, fire, earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, power loss, telecommunications failures, sabotage, intentional acts of vandalism and similar events. Our networks are currently subject to various points of failure. For example, a problem with one of our routers (devices that move information from one computer network to another) or switches could cause an interruption in the services that we provide to some or all of our customers. In the past, we have experienced periodic interruptions in service. We have also experienced, and in the future we may continue to experience, delays or interruptions in service as a result of the accidental or intentional actions of Internet users, current and former employees, or others. Any future interruptions could:
| · | Cause customers or end users to seek damages for losses incurred; |
| · | Require the Company to replace existing equipment or add redundant facilities; |
| · | Damage the Company’s reputation for reliable service; |
| · | Cause existing customers to cancel their contracts; or |
| · | Make it more difficult for the Company to attract new customers. |
Our data centers are maintained by third parties.
A substantial portion of the network services and computer servers we utilize in the provision of services to customers are housed in data centers owned by other service providers. In particular, a significant number of our servers are housed in data centers in Atlanta, Georgia, Jacksonville, Florida, and Ontario, Canada. We obtain Internet connectivity for those servers, and for the customers who rely on those servers, in part through direct arrangements with network service providers and in part indirectly through the owners of those data centers. We also utilize other third-party data centers in other locations. In the future, we may house other servers and hardware items in facilities owned or operated by other service providers.
A disruption in the ability of one of these service providers to provide service to us could cause a disruption in service to our customers. A service provider could be disrupted in its operations through a number of contingencies, including unauthorized access, computer viruses, accidental or intentional actions, electrical disruptions, and other extreme conditions. Although we believe we have taken adequate steps to protect our business through contractual arrangements with our service providers, we cannot eliminate the risk of a disruption in service resulting from the accidental or intentional disruption in service by a service provider. Any significant disruption could cause significant harm to us, including a significant loss of customers. In addition, a service provider could raise its prices or otherwise change its terms and conditions in a way that adversely affects our ability to support our customers or could result in a decrease in our financial performance.
We rely heavily on the reliability, security, and performance of our internally developed systems and operations, and any difficulties in maintaining these systems may result in service interruptions, decreased customer service, or increased expenditures.
The software and workflow processes that underlie our ability to deliver our Web services and products have been developed primarily by our own employees. The reliability and continuous availability of these internal systems are critical to our business, and any interruptions that result in our inability to timely deliver our Web services or products, or that materially impact the efficiency or cost with which we provide these Web services and products, would harm our reputation, profitability, and ability to conduct business. In addition, many of the software systems we currently use will need to be enhanced over time or replaced with equivalent commercial products, either of which could entail considerable effort and expense. If we fail to develop and execute reliable policies, procedures, and tools to operate our infrastructure, we could face a substantial decrease in workflow efficiency and increased costs, as well as a decline in our revenue.
We face intense and growing competition. If we are unable to compete successfully, our business will be seriously harmed.
The market for our Web services and products is competitive and has relatively low barriers to entry. Our competitors vary in size and in the variety of services they offer. We encounter competition from a wide variety of company types, including:
| • | Website design and development service and software companies; |
| • | Internet service providers and application service providers; |
| • | Internet search engine providers; |
| • | Local business directory providers; and |
| • | Website domain name providers and hosting companies |
| • | eCommerce platform and service providers. |
In addition, due to relatively low barriers to entry in our industry, we expect the intensity of competition to increase in the future from other established and emerging companies. Increased competition may result in price reductions, reduced gross margins, and loss of market share, any one of which could seriously harm our business. We also expect that competition will increase as a result of industry consolidations and formations of alliances among industry participants.
Many of our current and potential competitors have longer operating histories, significantly greater financial, technical, marketing and other resources, greater brand recognition and, we believe, a larger installed base of customers. These competitors may be able to adapt more quickly to new or emerging technologies and changes in customer requirements. They may also be able to devote greater resources to the promotion and sale of their services and products than we can. If we fail to compete successfully against current or future competitors, our revenue could increase less than anticipated or decline, and our business could be harmed.
Our failure to build brand awareness quickly could compromise our ability to compete and to grow our business.
As a result of the anticipated increase in competition in our market, and the likelihood that some of this competition will come from companies with established brands, we believe brand name recognition and reputation will become increasingly important. Our strategy of relying significantly on third-party strategic marketing relationships to find new customers may impede our ability to build brand awareness, as our customers may wrongly believe our Web services and products are those of the parties with which we have strategic marketing relationships. If we do not continue to build brand awareness quickly, we could be placed at a competitive disadvantage to companies whose brands are more recognizable than ours.
If our security measures are breached, our services may be perceived as not being secure, and our business and reputation could suffer.
Our Web services involve the storage and transmission of our customers’ proprietary information. Although we employ data encryption processes, an intrusion detection system, and other internal control procedures to assure the security of our customers’ data, we cannot guarantee that these measures will be sufficient for this purpose. If our security measures are breached as a result of third-party action, employee error or otherwise, and as a result our customers’ data becomes available to unauthorized parties, we could incur liability and our reputation would be damaged, which could lead to the loss of current and potential customers. If we experience any breaches of our network security or sabotage, we might be required to expend significant capital and other resources to remedy, protect against or alleviate these and related problems, and we may not be able to remedy these problems in a timely manner, or at all. Because techniques used by outsiders to obtain unauthorized network access or to sabotage systems change frequently and generally are not recognized until launched against a target, we may be unable to anticipate these techniques or implement adequate preventative measures.
If we cannot adapt to technological advances, our Web services and products may become obsolete and our ability to compete would be impaired.
Changes in our industry occur very rapidly, including changes in the way the Internet operates or is used by small businesses and their customers. As a result, our Web services and products could become obsolete quickly. The introduction of competing products employing new technologies and the evolution of new industry standards could render our existing products or services obsolete and unmarketable. To be successful, our Web services and products must keep pace with technological developments and evolving industry standards, address the ever-changing and increasingly sophisticated needs of our customers, and achieve market acceptance. If we are unable to develop new Web services or products, or enhancements to our Web services or products, on a timely and cost-effective basis, or if new Web services or products or enhancements do not achieve market acceptance, our business would be seriously harmed.
Providing Web services and products to small businesses designed to allow them to Internet-enable their businesses is a new and emerging market; if this market fails to develop, we will not be able to grow our business.
Our success depends on a significant number of small business outsourcing website design, hosting, and management as well as adopting other online business solutions. The market for our Web services and products is relatively new and untested. Custom website development has been the predominant method of Internet enablement, and small businesses may be slow to adopt our template-based Web services and products. Further, if small businesses determine that having an online presence is not giving their businesses an advantage, they would be less likely to purchase our Web services and products. If the market for our Web services and products fails to grow or grows more slowly than we currently anticipate, or if our Web services and products fail to achieve widespread customer acceptance, our business would be seriously harmed.
We are dependent on our executive officers, and the loss of any key member of this team may compromise our ability to successfully manage our business and pursue our growth strategy.
Our future performance depends largely on the continuing service of our executive officers and senior management team, especially those of David Brown, our Chief Executive Officer. Our executives are not contractually obligated to remain employed by us. Accordingly, any of our key employees could terminate their employment with us at any time without penalty and may go to work for one or more of our competitors after the expiration of their non-compete period. The loss of one or more of our executive officers could make it more difficult for us to pursue our business goals and could seriously harm our business.
Any growth could strain our resources and our business may suffer if we fail to implement appropriate controls and procedures to manage our growth.
Growth in our business may place a strain on our management, administrative, and sales and marketing infrastructure. If we fail to successfully manage our growth, our business could be disrupted, and our ability to operate our business profitably could suffer. Growth in our employee base may be required to expand our customer base and to continue to develop and enhance our Web service and product offerings. To manage growth of our operations and personnel, we would need to enhance our operational, financial, and management controls and our reporting systems and procedures. This would require additional personnel and capital investments, which would increase our cost base. The growth in our fixed cost base may make it more difficult for us to reduce expenses in the short term to offset any shortfalls in revenue.
We may be unable to protect our intellectual property adequately or cost-effectively, which may cause us to lose market share or force us to reduce our prices.
Our success depends, in part, on our ability to protect and preserve the proprietary aspects of our technology, Web services, and products. If we are unable to protect our intellectual property, our competitors could use our intellectual property to market services and products similar to those offered by us, which could decrease demand for our Web services and products. We may be unable to prevent third parties from using our proprietary assets without our authorization. While we do rely on patents acquired from the Web.com acquisition, we do not currently rely on patents to protect all of our core intellectual property. To protect, control access to, and limit distribution of our intellectual property, we generally enter into confidentiality and proprietary inventions agreements with our employees, and confidentiality or license agreements with consultants, third-party developers, and customers. We also rely on copyright, trademark, and trade secret protection. However, these measures afford only limited protection and may be inadequate. Enforcing our rights to our technology could be costly, time-consuming and distracting. Additionally, others may develop non-infringing technologies that are similar or superior to ours. Any significant failure or inability to adequately protect our proprietary assets will harm our business and reduce our ability to compete.
If we fail to maintain an effective system of internal controls, we may not be able to accurately or timely report our financial results, which could cause our stock price to fall or result in our stock being delisted.
Effective internal controls are necessary for us to provide reliable and accurate financial reports. We will need to devote significant resources and time to comply with the requirements of Sarbanes-Oxley with respect to internal control over financial reporting. In addition, Section 404 under Sarbanes-Oxley requires that we assess and our auditors attest to the design and operating effectiveness of our controls over financial reporting. Our ability to comply with the annual internal control report requirement for our fiscal year ending on December 31, 2010 will depend on the effectiveness of our financial reporting and data systems and controls across our company and our operating subsidiaries. We expect these systems and controls to become increasingly complex to the extent that we integrate acquisitions and our business grows. To effectively manage this complexity, we will need to continue to improve our operational, financial, and management controls and our reporting systems and procedures. Any failure to implement required new or improved controls, or difficulties encountered in the implementation or operation of these controls, could harm our operating results or cause us to fail to meet our financial reporting obligations, which could adversely affect our business and jeopardize our listing on the NASDAQ Global Market, either of which would harm our stock price.
We might require additional capital to support business growth, and this capital might not be available on acceptable terms, or at all.
We intend to continue to make investments to support our business growth and may require additional funds to respond to business challenges, including the need to develop new services and products or enhance our existing Web services, enhance our operating infrastructure and acquire complementary businesses and technologies. Accordingly, we may need to engage in equity or debt financings to secure additional funds. Financial market disruption and general economic conditions in which the credit markets are severely constrained and the depressed equity markets may make it difficult for us to obtain additional financing on terms favorable to us, if at all. If we raise additional funds through further issuances of equity or convertible debt securities, our existing stockholders could suffer significant dilution, and any new equity securities we issue could have rights, preferences and privileges superior to those of holders of our common stock. Any debt financing secured by us in the future could involve restrictive covenants relating to our capital raising activities and other financial and operational matters, which may make it more difficult for us to obtain additional capital and to pursue business opportunities, including potential acquisitions. If we are unable to obtain adequate financing or financing on terms satisfactory to us, when we require it, our ability to continue to support our business growth and to respond to business challenges could be significantly impaired.
Provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and bylaws or under Delaware law might discourage, delay, or prevent a change of control of our company or changes in our management and, therefore, depress the trading price of our common stock.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and bylaws contain provisions that could depress the trading price of our common stock by acting to discourage, delay, or prevent a change of control of our company or changes in our management that the stockholders of our company may deem advantageous. These provisions:
| • | establish a classified board of directors so that not all members of our board are elected at one time; |
| • | provide that directors may only be removed for cause and only with the approval of 66 2/3% of our stockholders; |
| • | require super-majority voting to amend some provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and bylaws; |
| • | authorize the issuance of blank check preferred stock that our board of directors could issue to increase the number of outstanding shares to discourage a takeover attempt; |
| • | prohibit stockholder action by written consent, which requires all stockholder actions to be taken at a meeting of our stockholders; |
| • | provide that the board of directors is expressly authorized to make, alter, or repeal our bylaws; and |
| • | establish advance notice requirements for nominations for elections to our board or for proposing matters that can be acted upon by stockholders at stockholder meetings. |
Additionally, we are subject to Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, which generally prohibits a Delaware corporation from engaging in any of a broad range of business combinations with any “interested” stockholder for a period of three years following the date on which the stockholder became an “interested” stockholder and which may discourage, delay, or prevent a change of control of our company.
Item 2. | Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds. |
Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
On September 4, 2008, we announced that our Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of up to $20 million of the Company’s outstanding common shares over the next eighteen months (the "Repurchase Plan"). On March 3, 2010, the Board of Directors extended the Repurchase Plan for an additional twelve months. The timing, price and volume of repurchases will be based on market conditions, liquidity, relevant securities laws and other factors. The Company may terminate the Repurchase Plan at any time without notice.
The following table sets forth information about our stock repurchases and restricted stock forfeitures for the three months ended March 31, 2010:
Period (1) | | Total number of shares purchased (1) | | | Average price paid per share | | | Total number of shares purchased as part of publicly announced plans or programs | | | Maximum dollar value of shares that may yet be purchased under the plan (in thousands) (2) | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
January 1, 2010 - January 31, 2010 | | | - | | | $ | - | | | | - | | | $ | 7,825 | |
February 1, 2010 - February 28, 2010 | | | 11,134 | (3) | | | 4.73 | (3) | | | - | | | | 7,825 | |
March 1, 2010 - March 31, 2010 | | | - | | | | - | | | | - | | | | 7,825 | |
Total | | | 11,134 | | | | 4.73 | | | | - | | | | 7,825 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
(1) Based on trade date; not settlement date. | | | | | | |
(2) No shares were purchased under the Repurchase Plan during the three months ended March 31, 2010. |
(3) In exchange for the Company paying the stockholder's federal tax obligations in connection with the vesting of restricted stock, these shares of vested restricted stock were forfeited to the Company and became available for future issuance under their respective equity award plans. Such shares are not considered repurchased under the Repurchase Plan. |
Item 3. | Defaults Upon Senior Securities. |
Not applicable.
Item 4. | (Removed and Reserved). |
Item 5. | Other Information. |
Not applicable.
Exhibit No. | | Description of Document |
3.1 | | Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Web.com Group, Inc. (1) |
| | |
3.2 | | Amended and Restated Bylaws of Web.com Group, Inc. (2) |
| | |
3.3 | | Certificate of Ownership and Merger of Registration (3) |
| | |
4.1 | | Reference is made to Exhibits 3.1 and 3.2 |
| | |
4.2 | | Specimen Stock Certificate. (3) |
| | |
10.1 | | Compensation Information for Named Executive Officers. (4)+ |
| | |
31.1 | | CEO Certification required by Rule 13a-14(a) or Rule 15d-14(a). |
| | |
31.2 | | CFO Certification required by Rule 13a-14(a) or Rule 15d-14(a). |
| | |
32.1 | | Certification required by Rule 13a-14(b) or Rule 15d-14(b) and Section 1350 of Chapter 63 of Title 18 of the United States Code (18 U.S.C. §1350). (5) |
+ Indicates management contract or compensatory plan.
(1) | Filed as an Exhibit to the Registrant’s registration statement on Form S-1 (No. 333-124349), filed with the SEC on April 27, 2005, as amended, and incorporated herein by reference. |
(2) | Filed as an Exhibit to the Registrant’s current report on Form 8-K (000-51595), filed with the SEC on February 10, 2009, and incorporated herein by reference. |
(3) | Filed as an Exhibit to the Registrant’s current report on Form 8-K (000-51595), filed with the SEC on October 30, 2008, and incorporated herein by reference. |
(4) | Filed as an Exhibit to the Registrant’s current report on Form 8-K (000-51595), filed with the SEC on February 9, 2010, and incorporated by reference herein. |
(5) | The certification attached as Exhibit 32.1 accompanying this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, is not deemed filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and is not to be incorporated by reference into any filing of Web.com Group, Inc. under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, whether made before or after the date of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, irrespective of any general incorporation language contained in such filing. |
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.
| | Web.com Group, Inc. |
| | (Registrant) |
| | |
May 6, 2010 | | /s/ Kevin M. Carney |
Date | | Kevin M. Carney Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) |
Index Of Exhibits
Exhibit No. | | Description of Document |
3.1 | | Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Web.com Group, Inc. (1) |
| | |
3.2 | | Amended and Restated Bylaws of Web.com Group, Inc. (2) |
| | |
3.3 | | Certificate of ownership and Merger of Registrant. (3) |
| | |
4.1 | | Reference is made to Exhibits 3.1 and 3.2 |
| | |
4.2 | | Specimen Stock Certificate. (3) |
| | |
10.1 | | Compensation Information for Named Executive Officers. (4)+ |
| | |
31.1 | | CEO Certification required by Rule 13a-14(a) or Rule 15d-14(a). |
| | |
31.2 | | CFO Certification required by Rule 13a-14(a) or Rule 15d-14(a). |
| | |
32.1 | | Certification required by Rule 13a-14(b) or Rule 15d-14(b) and Section 1350 of Chapter 63 of Title 18 of the United States Code (18 U.S.C. §1350). (5) |
+ Indicates management contract or compensatory plan.
(1) | Filed as an Exhibit to the Registrant’s registration statement on Form S-1 (No. 333-124349), filed with the SEC on April 27, 2005, as amended, and incorporated herein by reference. |
(2) | Filed as an Exhibit to the Registrant’s current report on Form 8-K (000-51595), filed with the SEC on February 10, 2009, and incorporated herein by reference. |
(3) | Filed as an Exhibit to the Registrant’s current report on Form 8-K (000-51595), filed with the SEC on October 30, 2008, and incorporated herein by reference. |
(4) | Filed as an Exhibit to the Registrant’s current report on Form 8-K (000-51595), filed with the SEC on February 9, 2010, and incorporated by reference herein. |
(5) | The certification attached as Exhibits 32.1 accompanying this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, is not deemed filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and is not to be incorporated by reference into any filing of Web.com Group, Inc. under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, whether made before or after the date of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, irrespective of any general incorporation language contained in such filing. |