1 UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549 FORM 10-K (Mark One) [ X ] ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1997 [ ] TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 Commission File No. 0-25826 HARMONIC LIGHTWAVES, INC. (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter) DELAWARE 77-0201147 (State of incorporation) (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) 549 Baltic Way Sunnyvale, CA 94089 (408) 542-2500 (Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of Registrant's principal executive offices) -------------- Securities registered pursuant to section 12(b) of the Act: None Securities registered pursuant to section 12(g) of the Act: Common Stock, par value $.001 per share 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 shorter period that the Registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes X No Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of the Registrant's knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. ____ Based on the closing sale price of the Common Stock on the NASDAQ National Market System on March 11, 1998, the aggregate market value of the voting stock held by non-affiliates of the Registrant was $93,516,535. Shares of Common Stock held by each officer and director and by each person who owns 5% or more of the outstanding Common Stock have been excluded in that such persons may be deemed to be affiliates. This determination of affiliate status is not necessarily a conclusive determination for other purposes. The number of shares outstanding of the Registrant's Common Stock, $.001 par value, was 11,503,212 at March 11, 1998. 2 DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE Document Location in Form 10-K -------- --------------------- 1997 Annual Report to Stockholders (pages 16 - 34). Parts II and IV Portions of the Proxy Statement for the 1998 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (which will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission within 120 days of the end of the fiscal year ended December 31, 1997). Part III The Board Compensation Committee Report and the Performance Graph to be included with the 1998 Proxy Statement shall not be deemed to be "soliciting material" or to be "filed" with the Commission or otherwise incorporated by reference into this report. 2 3 PART I ITEM 1. BUSINESS Harmonic Lightwaves, Inc. ("Harmonic" or the "Company") designs, manufactures and markets digital and lightwave based communications systems that deliver video, audio and data over hybrid fiber/coax ("HFC"), satellite and wireless networks. The Company's advanced solutions enable cable television and other network operators to provide a range of broadcast and interactive broadband services that include high speed Internet access and video on demand. The Company offers a broad range of fiber optic transmission and digital headend products for HFC networks, and through its acquisition of N.M. New Media Communication Ltd. ("NMC") in January 1998 expanded its product offerings to include high speed data delivery software and hardware. Harmonic was incorporated in June 1988 in California and in May 1995 reincorporated into Delaware. This Annual Report on Form 10-K 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, including those set forth under "Factors That May Affect Future Results of Operations" and elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. INDUSTRY BACKGROUND Communications service providers worldwide are facing increasing competition as a result of recent and proposed regulatory reform. For example, the United States Telecommunications Act of 1996 (the "Telecom Act") permits cable television multiple system operators ("MSOs") and local exchange carriers such as the regional Bell operating companies ("RBOCs") to enter each other's markets and to provide other services, such as high-speed data communications. Historically, U.S. local exchange carriers have been prohibited from transmitting video programming in their local service areas. Likewise, MSOs have been prohibited by federal regulation from offering telephony services. In addition, the emergence of direct broadcast satellite ("DBS") systems and other alternative video programming delivery systems has subjected cable television operators to increasing competitive pressures. DBS systems broadcast compressed digital video over satellite to a receiving dish located at the subscriber's home and offer consumers up to 200 channels of video programming. The continued penetration of DBS is expected to put increasing pressure on cable television operators to provide additional programming and better quality service. In addition, telephone companies are introducing alternative technologies such as DSL ("Digital Subscriber Loop") which support the delivery of video programming and data services over their existing copper loop networks. To address this more competitive environment and to take advantage of new business opportunities, such as the provision of Internet access and high-speed data services, the Company believes that domestic cable television operators will be under increasing pressure to upgrade and rebuild their networks. Similar government initiatives and deregulation of telecommunications markets abroad have fostered substantial growth and competition in many foreign cable television markets. Because of the early stage of development of many foreign cable television markets and stringent system performance criteria established by foreign government regulations, the provision of cable television service in many foreign countries will require significant investment in advanced video transmission equipment. These trends are expected to contribute to the increased use of fiber optic transmission systems in the future. Basic cable television service is currently available to approximately 90% of all U.S. households. Accordingly, growth in the U.S. cable television equipment market is being driven primarily by the need to upgrade and rebuild existing cable television networks to provide improved and expanded services. Internationally, significant investment in advanced network infrastructure will be required to bring cable television service to large segments of the population. The introduction and deployment of fiber optic technology in cable television networks has significantly increased network capacity, quality and reliability. Fiber optic cables provide significant performance advantages compared to coaxial cables, including longer transmission distance, greater channel capacity, reduced cable size and weight, and resistance to interference from external electronic signals. By eliminating the need for amplifiers in the trunk section of a traditional coax network, fiber increases the reliability of a cable television network and the quality of the signal, while 3 4 substantially lowering network installation and maintenance cost. The higher bandwidth of fiber can increase capacity to up to 110 analog channels on a typical HFC network and, together with the removal of amplifiers, facilitates the two-way communication necessary for the provision of advanced interactive services. As a result, HFC architectures are being increasingly adopted on a worldwide basis. In addition to upgrading network infrastructure with fiber optics, MSOs are beginning to introduce digital transmission capability. Digital compression technology, which will permit the system operator to provide new integrated voice, video and data services over HFC networks, is now becoming available. Transmissions in digital format are expected to allow operators to provide subscribers up to several hundred channels of high-quality television, as well as high-speed data communications, Internet access and telephony services. The competitive pressures to upgrade cable television networks and the corresponding capital requirements have led to significant domestic cable television industry consolidation in recent years. The upgrade of existing networks requires substantial expenditures and the replacement of significant parts of the transmission network. As a result, MSOs have sought to increase their size in order both to achieve the economies of scale made possible by the ownership of adjacent systems ("clustering") and to improve their financial strength. This has been accomplished largely through acquisitions of smaller MSOs and independent cable television operators, many of which cannot afford significant system upgrades. A number of sizable acquisitions and system exchanges by MSOs have been completed during the past several years. In addition to HFC networks and copper-based telephony networks, other delivery methods, such as satellites and LMDS (Local Multipoint Distribution System), a wireless-based technology, are expected to be utilized for the provision of video and high speed data services in many areas of the world. The first LMDS service operating in the United States offers both video and high speed data service to residents of Queens and Manhattan in New York. The F.C.C. has held recent auctions for licenses required for new LMDS service areas in the United States, and a number of LMDS systems are already in operation in several foreign countries. Satellite service providers are now introducing data services in addition to multiple television channels. Although such satellite systems have relatively low penetration rates in the United States, operators in other countries are introducing satellite data services to meet the growing demand for connection to the Internet. New satellite systems employing low earth orbit ("LEO") satellites, which are being developed and implemented by a number of major international consortia, are expected to further increase the demand for integrated communications services, including high speed data. In contrast to the past when consumers were generally limited to a single choice for video service and a single choice for local telephone service, consumers are expected to be able to choose between two or more providers of highly integrated services in the future. The factors affecting the selection of services in the future are expected to include network reliability, price, the number of television channels offered, the speed of data transmission, ease of access, interactivity, and picture, sound and data quality. N.M. NEW MEDIA COMMUNICATION LTD. ("NMC") NMC develops systems for the delivery of high-speed data over broadband networks. The products, which have only recently been introduced, include transmitters, data encoders and network management software for the system headend and PCI-based broadband receiver cards for the subscriber. Initial customers of NMC include operators of satellite, cable television and LMDS networks. These customers are deploying NMC products for the delivery of high-speed data services to residential and business customers. NMC sells its products through its own sales force and a distribution network, including the Company's direct sales force and its distributors. The Company anticipates that a significant portion of NMC's future revenues will be generated in international markets. In the cable television market, NMC's competitors include many of the Company's existing competitors as well as certain large consumer electronics and data networking companies and smaller companies such as Hybrid Networks, Com21 and a number of private companies. In the satellite market, NMC's competitors include Adaptec Inc., Groupe SAGEM and Media4, Inc. NMC's hardware products are manufactured by Rockwell Semiconductor Systems in the U.S. Certain of its products have been developed in collaboration with IBM Israel, although it is anticipated that in the future NMC will undertake a greater proportion of its development projects internally. NMC is based in Tel Aviv, Israel, operates a sales and technical support office in San Diego and had 16 employees at December 31, 1997. NMC's revenues have not been material in relation to those of the Company, and it incurred a net loss of $2.6 million in 1997. PRODUCTS Harmonic develops, manufactures and markets highly integrated fiber optic transmission, digital headend and element management systems for delivering interactive services over broadband networks. The Company has applied its technical strengths in optics and electronics, including expertise with lasers, modulators, predistortion linearizers and compression technology, to produce products which provide enhanced network reliability and allow broadband service providers to deliver advanced services, including two-way interactive services. The Company's products incorporate control systems employing internally developed embedded firmware and software to facilitate a high degree of system integration. The "plug and play" design philosophy and communication structure employed in the Company's products enhance ease of installation. Optical Transmitters The Company offers PWRLink transmitters, and MAXLink transmitters and optical amplifiers for a wide range of optical transmission requirements. 4 5 PWRLink Transmitters. The PWRLink series of optical transmitters incorporates DFB semiconductor lasers and provides optical transmission primarily for use at a headend for local distribution to optical nodes and for narrowcasting (the transmission of programming to select subscribers within one system). MAXLink Transmitters and Optical Amplifiers. The MAXLink transmitters and optical amplifiers operate at a wavelength of 1550nm and serve long-haul applications and fiber dense architectures that are beyond the capability of 1310nm transmitters. This system is suited to evolving cable networks employing such features as redundant rings, broadcast layer transmission and hub interconnects. Optical Node Receivers The Company's optical node receivers convert optical signals received from the transmitters into RF signals for transmission to the home via coaxial cable. Harmonic's receivers cause low levels of distortion, which maintain the high performance levels provided by the Company's optical transmitters. The receivers are installed in rack mount or strand mount housings, each of which can accommodate return path transmitters and transponders in addition to the optical node receiver. Return Path and Element Management Products The Company offers a number of return path transmitters, return path receivers and element management hardware and software to provide two way transmission capability to enable the network operator to monitor and control the entire transmission network. Return Path Transmitters. The Company's return path transmitters send video, voice and data signals from the optical node to the headend. Signals originating at the home can be sent via the coaxial cable to the optical node and then transmitted in optical form to the headend by the return path transmitter. Return Path Receivers. Harmonic's return path receivers operate at the headend to receive return path optical transmission from the return path transmitters. Element Management System ("EMS"). Harmonic's EMS consists of transponders and element management software. The transponders operate in broadband networks to capture measurement data. Harmonic's Windows-based EMS software enables the broadband service operator to monitor and control the entire HFC network from a central office or remote locations. The Company's EMS software is designed to be integrated into larger network management systems through the use of simple network management protocol ("SNMP"). Digital Headend Products The Company offers products for the headend for encoding, compression and modulation of digital signals over broadband networks. Encoders. The Company's encoders convert analog video and audio signals to compressed digital format fully compliant with the MPEG-2 standard. Modulators. Harmonic's modulators accept digital signals for modulation on to a radio frequency ("RF") carrier for transmission over a broadband network. Initial shipments of these products for headend applications were made in the fourth quarter of 1997. There can be no assurance that continued development of these and other digital products will be completed in a timely manner, if at all, that they will be successfully manufactured in volume, or that they will achieve market acceptance. See "Factors That May Affect Future Results of Operations - Rapid Technological Change." 5 6 In 1997, 1996 and 1995, sales of optical transmitters accounted for approximately 63%, 71%, and 63%, respectively, of net sales. In 1997, 1996 and 1995, sales of optical node receivers accounted for approximately 11%, 8%, and 12%, respectively, of net sales. SALES AND MARKETING Harmonic markets its products worldwide through its own direct sales force as well as through system integrators and distributors. The Company's direct sales force supports domestic and international sales and operates from the Company's headquarters in Sunnyvale, California and from several sales offices. Harmonic has adopted a strategy to sell to major domestic customers through its own direct sales force and OEM and distributor revenues were a smaller percentage of net sales in 1997 than they have been in prior years. Historically, the majority of Harmonic's sales have been to relatively few customers, and Harmonic expects this customer concentration to continue in the foreseeable future, notwithstanding the Company's strategy to sell to domestic customers through its own direct sales force. In 1997, sales to Capella (the Company's Canadian distributor) accounted for 17% of net sales. In 1996, sales to Tratec (the Company's former U.K. distributor), Capella, and ANTEC Corporation ("Antec") accounted for 15%, 15%, and 13%, respectively, of net sales. In 1995, sales to Tratec, ANTEC and Capella accounted for 22%, 15% and 15%, respectively, of net sales. No other customer accounted for more than 10% of the Company's net sales in 1997, 1996 or 1995. Harmonic's products have been purchased by each of the ten largest domestic MSOs and by a number of large cable television operators outside the United States. These end users include Time-Warner, Inc., Cox Communications, Inc., and TeleCommunications, Inc. ("TCI"), in the U.S., Rogers Communications in Canada, CableTel and TeleWest in the U.K., Wharf Cable in Hong Kong and a major provincial telecommunications company in China. The loss of a significant customer or any reduction in orders by any significant customer, or the failure of the Company to qualify its products with a significant MSO could adversely affect the Company's business and operating results. Sales to customers outside of the United States in 1997, 1996 and 1995 represented approximately 59%, 57% and 65% of net sales, respectively. Harmonic expects international sales to continue to account for a substantial portion of its net sales for the foreseeable future. International sales are made primarily to distributors, which are generally responsible for importing the products, installation and technical support and service to cable television operators within their territory. International sales are subject to a number of risks, including changes in foreign government regulations and telecommunications standards, export license requirements, tariffs and taxes, other trade barriers, fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates, difficulty in collecting accounts receivable, difficulty in staffing and managing foreign operations, managing distributor relations and political and economic instability. In recent months, certain Asian currencies have devalued significantly in relation to the U.S. dollar. The Company is currently evaluating the effect of recent developments in Asia on the Company's business, and there can be no assurance that the Company's sales in Asia will not be materially adversely affected by such developments. There can be no assurance that international markets will continue to develop or that the Company will receive future orders to supply its products in international markets at rates equal to or greater than those experienced in recent periods. MANUFACTURING AND SUPPLIERS The Company's manufacturing processes consist primarily of integration and final assembly and test, performed by highly trained personnel employing technologically advanced electronic equipment and proprietary test programs. The manufacturing of the Company's products and subassemblies is a complex process and there can be no assurance that the Company will not experience production problems or manufacturing delays in the future. Because the Company utilizes its own manufacturing facility for this production, and because such manufacturing capabilities are not readily available from third parties, any interruption in operations could have a material adverse effect on the Company's business and operating results. The Company uses third party contract manufacturers to assemble certain standard parts for its products, including such items as printed circuit boards, metal frames and power supplies. The Company intends to subcontract an increasing 6 7 number of tasks to third parties in the future. The Company's increasing reliance on subcontractors involves several risks, including a potential inability to obtain an adequate supply of components on a timely basis. Certain components and subassemblies necessary for the manufacture of the Company's products are obtained from a sole supplier or a limited group of suppliers. In particular, the Company relies on Fujitsu as a major source of DFB lasers for its PWRLink and return path transmitters, for which there are limited alternative suppliers. In addition, the optical modulators used in the Company's MAXLink products are currently available only from Uniphase Corporation. Although the Company has qualified alternative suppliers for its lasers, in the event that the supply of optical modulators or lasers is interrupted for any reason, products from alternative suppliers are unlikely to be immediately available in sufficient volume to meet the Company's production needs. Further, certain key elements of the Company's digital headend products are being provided by a sole foreign supplier. The reliance on sole or limited suppliers, particularly foreign suppliers, involves several risks, including a potential inability to obtain an adequate supply of required components or subassemblies and reduced control over pricing, quality and timely delivery of components. Although the Company attempts to minimize its supply risks by holding safety stocks and continuously evaluating other sources, any interruption in supply could have a material adverse effect on the Company's business and operating results. The Company does not maintain long-term agreements with any of its suppliers. While the Company has historically been able to obtain adequate supplies of components in a timely manner from its principal suppliers, there can be no assurance that the Company will be able to obtain such adequate supplies in the future. Because the purchase of certain key components involves long lead times, in the event of unanticipated increases in demand for the Company's products, the Company could be unable to manufacture certain products in a quantity sufficient to meet its customers' demand. Any inability to obtain adequate deliveries of key components could affect the Company's ability to ship its products on a timely basis, which could damage relationships with its current and prospective customers and could have a material adverse effect on the Company's business and operating results. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY The Company currently holds 11 United States patents and 9 foreign patents, and has a number of patent applications pending. Although the Company attempts to protect its intellectual property rights through patents, trademarks, copyrights, maintaining certain technology as trade secrets and other measures, there can be no assurance that any patent, trademark, copyright or other intellectual property right owned by the Company will not be invalidated, circumvented or challenged, that such intellectual property right will provide competitive advantages to the Company or that any of the Company's pending or future patent applications will be issued with the scope of the claims sought by the Company, if at all. There can be no assurance that others will not develop technologies that are similar or superior to the Company's technology, duplicate the Company's technology or design around the patents owned by the Company. In addition, effective patent, copyright and trade secret protection may be unavailable or limited in certain foreign countries in which the Company does business or intends to do business in the future. The Company believes that the future success of its business will depend on its ability to translate the technological expertise and innovation of its personnel into new and enhanced products. The Company generally enters into confidentiality or license agreements with its employees, consultants, vendors and customers as needed, and generally limits access to and distribution of its proprietary information. Nevertheless, there can be no assurance that the steps taken by the Company will prevent misappropriation of its technology. In addition, the Company has taken in the past, and may take in the future, legal action to enforce the Company's patents and other intellectual property rights, to protect the Company's trade secrets, to determine the validity and scope of the proprietary rights of others, or to defend against claims of infringement or invalidity. Such litigation could result in substantial costs and diversion of resources and could have a material adverse effect on the Company's business and operating results. In order to successfully develop and market its planned products for digital headend applications, the Company may be required to enter into technology development or licensing agreements with third parties. Although many companies are often willing to enter into such technology development or licensing agreements, there can be no assurance that such agreements will be negotiated on terms acceptable to the Company, or at all. The failure to enter into technology development or licensing agreements, when necessary, could limit the Company's ability to develop and market new products and could have a material adverse effect on the Company's business and operating results. 7 8 As is common in its industry, the Company has from time to time received notification from other companies of intellectual property rights held by those companies upon which the Company's products may infringe. Any claim or litigation, with or without merit, could be costly, time consuming and could result in a diversion of management's attention, which could have a material adverse effect on the Company's business operating results and financial condition. If the Company were found to be infringing on the intellectual property rights of any third party, the Company could be subject to liabilities for such infringement, which could be material, and could be required to seek licenses from other companies or to refrain from using, manufacturing or selling certain products or using certain processes. Although holders of patents and other intellectual property rights often offer licenses to their patent or other intellectual property rights, no assurance can be given that licenses would be offered, that the terms of any offered license would be acceptable to the Company or that failure to obtain a license would not adversely affect the Company's operating results. BACKLOG The Company schedules production of its systems based upon its backlog, informal commitments from customers and sales projections. The Company's backlog consists of firm purchase orders by customers for delivery within the next twelve months. At December 31, 1997, order backlog amounted to $5.5 million, compared to $9.8 million at December 31, 1996. Anticipated orders from customers may fail to materialize and delivery schedules may be deferred or canceled for a number of reasons, including reductions in capital spending by cable television operators or changes in specific customer requirements. In addition, due to weather-related seasonal factors and annual capital spending budget cycles at many of its major end-users, the Company's backlog at December 31, 1997 or any other date, is not necessarily indicative of actual sales for any succeeding period. In October 1996, the Company and several other equipment vendors received a letter from TCI asking them to stop product shipments until further notice. The Company has excluded from its December 31, 1997 and 1996 backlog all orders from TCI other than those for which firm shipment dates and instructions had been provided by TCI. COMPETITION The market for cable television transmission equipment is extremely competitive and is characterized by rapid technological change. The principal competitive factors in this market include product performance, reliability, price, breadth of product line, network management capabilities, sales and distribution capability, technical support and service, relationships with cable television operators and general industry and economic conditions. Certain of these factors are outside of the Company's control. The Company's competitors for its fiber optic transmission products include established suppliers of cable television and telecommunications equipment such as ADC Telecommunications, ANTEC, Lucent Technologies, General Instrument, Philips and Scientific-Atlanta, as well as a number of smaller, more specialized companies. For digital headend products, the Company's competitors include many of the same competitors as in headend fiber optic transmission products, and a number of new competitors. Most of the Company's competitors are substantially larger and have greater financial, technical, marketing and other resources than the Company. Many of such large competitors are in a better position to withstand any significant reduction in capital spending by cable television operators and other broadband service providers. In addition, many of the Company's competitors have more long standing and established relationships with domestic and foreign MSOs than does the Company. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT The Company has historically devoted a significant amount of its resources to research and development. Research and development expenses in 1997, 1996 and 1995 were $11.7 million, $9.2 million, and $6.1 million, respectively. The Company expects that research and development expenses will continue to increase in the future. 8 9 Any success of the Company in designing, developing, manufacturing and selling new and/or enhanced products will depend on a variety of factors, including the identification of market demand for new products, product selection, timely implementation of product design and development, product performance and effective manufacturing and assembly processes and sales and marketing. Because of the complexity inherent in such research and development efforts, there can be no assurance that the Company will successfully develop new products, or that new products developed by the Company will achieve market acceptance. Any failure of the Company to successfully develop and introduce new products could have a material adverse effect on the Company's business and operating results. FACTORS THAT MAY AFFECT FUTURE RESULTS OF OPERATIONS Potential Fluctuations in Future Operating Results The Company's operating results have fluctuated and are likely to continue to fluctuate in the future, on an annual and a quarterly basis, as a result of a number of factors, many of which are outside of the Company's control. Such factors include the level of capital spending in the cable television industry, changes in the regulatory environment, changes in market demand, the timing of customer orders, competitive market conditions, lengthy sales cycles, new product introductions by the Company and its competitors, market acceptance of new or existing products, the cost and availability of components, the mix of the Company's customer base and sales channels, the mix of products sold, development of custom products, the level of international sales and general economic conditions. In addition, in each quarter of 1997 the Company recognized a substantial portion of its revenues in the last month of the quarter. The Company establishes its expenditure levels for product development and other operating expenses based on projected sales levels, and expenses are relatively fixed in the short term. Accordingly, variations in timing of sales can cause significant fluctuations in operating results. In addition, because a significant portion of the Company's business is derived from orders placed by a limited number of large customers, the timing of such orders can also cause significant fluctuations in the Company's operating results. If sales are below expectations in any given quarter, the adverse impact of the shortfall on the Company's operating results may be magnified by the Company's inability to adjust spending to compensate for the shortfall. Dependence on Cable Television Industry Capital Spending To date, substantially all of the Company's sales have been derived, directly or indirectly, from sales to cable television operators. Demand for the Company's products depends to a significant extent upon the magnitude and timing of capital spending by cable television operators for constructing, rebuilding or upgrading their systems. The capital spending patterns of cable television operators are dependent on a variety of factors, including access to financing, cable television operators' annual budget cycles, the status of federal, local and foreign government regulation of telecommunications and television broadcasting, overall demand for cable television services, competitive pressures (including the availability of alternative video delivery technologies such as satellite broadcasting), discretionary customer spending patterns and general economic conditions. The Company believes that the consolidation of ownership of domestic cable television systems, by acquisition and system exchanges, together with uncertainty over regulatory issues, particularly the debate over the provisions of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, caused delays in capital spending by major domestic MSOs during the second half of 1995 and first quarter of 1996. Also, the Company's net sales in the second half of 1997 were adversely affected by a slow-down in spending by cable television operators. The factors contributing to this slow capital spending include consolidation and system exchanges by domestic cable customers, which generally has had the effect of delaying certain system upgrades, uncertainty related to development of industry standards for digital transmission, evaluation by many cable customers of which advanced services and system architectures to provide and use, and emphasis on marketing and customer service strategies by certain international customers rather than continued construction of networks. The Company is unable to predict when cable television industry capital spending will increase. In addition, cable television capital spending can be subject to the effects of seasonality, with fewer construction and upgrade projects typically occurring in winter months and otherwise being affected by inclement weather. 9 10 Dependence on Key Customers and End Users Historically, a majority of the Company's sales have been to relatively few customers. Sales to the Company's ten largest customers in 1997, 1996 and 1995 accounted for approximately 56%, 72% and 80%, respectively, of its net sales. Due in part to the consolidation of ownership of domestic cable television systems, the Company expects that sales to relatively few customers will continue to account for a significant percentage of net sales for the foreseeable future. Harmonic has adopted a strategy to sell to major domestic customers through its own direct sales force and domestic OEM and distributor revenues were a smaller percentage of net sales in 1997 than they have been in prior years. Substantially all of the Company's sales are made on a purchase order basis, and none of the Company's customers has entered into a long-term agreement requiring it to purchase the Company's products. The loss of, or any reduction in orders from, a significant customer would have a material adverse effect on the Company's business and operating results. Highly Competitive Industry The market for cable television transmission equipment is extremely competitive and has been characterized by rapid technological change. Most of the Company's competitors are substantially larger and have greater financial, technical, marketing and other resources than the Company. Many of such large competitors are in a better position to withstand any significant reduction in capital spending by cable television operators. In addition, many of the Company's competitors have more long standing and established relationships with domestic and foreign cable television operators than does the Company. There can be no assurance that the Company will be able to compete successfully in the future or that competition will not have a material adverse effect on the Company's business and operating results. Rapid Technological Change The market for the Company's products is relatively new, making it difficult to accurately predict the market's future growth rate, size and technological direction. In view of the evolving nature of this market, there can be no assurance that cable television operators, telephone companies or other suppliers of broadband services will not decide to adopt alternative architectures or technologies that are incompatible with the Company's products, which would have a material adverse effect on the Company's business and operating results. The broadband communications markets are characterized by continuing technological advancement. To compete successfully, the Company must design, develop, manufacture and sell new products that provide increasingly higher levels of performance and reliability. As new markets for broadband communications equipment continue to develop, the Company must successfully develop new products for these markets in order to remain competitive. For example, to compete successfully in the future, the Company believes that it must successfully develop and introduce products that will facilitate the processing and transmission of digital signals over optical networks. While the Company has commenced shipment of products for digital applications, there can be no assurance that the Company will successfully complete development of, or successfully introduce, products for digital applications, or that such products will achieve commercial acceptance. In addition, in order to successfully develop and market its planned products for digital applications, the Company may be required to enter into technology development or licensing agreements with third parties. Although many companies are often willing to enter into such technology development or licensing agreements, there can be no assurance that such agreements will be negotiated on terms acceptable to the Company, or at all. The failure to enter into technology development or licensing agreements, when necessary, could limit the Company's ability to develop and market new products and could have a material adverse effect on the Company's business and operating results. The failure of the Company to successfully develop and introduce new products that address the changing needs of the broadband communications market could have a material adverse effect on the Company's business and operating results. In addition, there can be no assurance that the successful introduction by the Company of new products will not have an adverse effect on the sales of the Company's existing products. For instance, an emerging trend in the domestic market toward narrowcasting (targeted delivery of advanced services to small groups of subscribers) is causing changes in the network architectures of some cable operators. This may have the effect of changing the Company's product mix toward lower price transmitters, which could adversely affect the Company's gross margins. 10 11 Risks Associated with the Acquisition of N.M. New Media Communication, Ltd. The growth in the Company's business has placed, and is expected to continue to place, a significant strain on the Company's limited personnel, management and other resources. Through its acquisition of NMC in January 1998, the Company increased the scope of its product line to include broadband, high-speed data delivery software and hardware and increased the scope of its international operations in Israel. The acquisition of NMC involves numerous risks and challenges, including: difficulties in the assimilation of operations, research and development efforts, products, personnel and cultures of Harmonic and NMC; the potential adverse effects of the acquisition on relationships with customers, distributors, suppliers and other business partners of the two companies; the dependence on the evolution and growth of the market for wireless and satellite broadband services; regulatory developments; rapid technological change; the highly competitive nature of the telecommunications industry; the Company's ability to successfully develop, manufacture and gain market acceptance of the products of NMC; the ability to manage geographically remote units; the integration of NMC's management information systems with those of the Company; potential adverse short-term effects on the Company's operating results; the amortization of acquired intangible assets; the risk of entering emerging markets in which the Company has limited or no direct experience; and the potential loss of key employees of NMC. The Company's future operating results will be significantly affected by its ability to successfully integrate NMC, to implement operating, manufacturing and financial procedures and controls, to improve coordination among different operating functions, to strengthen management information and telecommunications systems and to continue to attract, train and motivate additional qualified personnel in all areas. There can be no assurance that the Company will be able to manage these activities and implement these additional systems and controls successfully, and any failure to do so could have a materially adverse effect upon the Company's operating results. The Company expects that the inclusion of NMC's operations, combined with seasonally low sales to both domestic and international cable customers, will result in an operating loss for the Company in the first quarter of 1998. In addition, the acquisition of NMC has resulted in significant additional working capital requirements. While the Company believes that it currently has sufficient funds to finance its operations for at least the next twelve months, to the extent that such funds are insufficient to fund the Company's activities, including any potential acquisitions, the Company may need to raise additional funds through public or private equity or debt financing from other sources. The sale of additional equity or convertible debt may result in additional dilution to the Company's stockholders and such securities may have rights, preferences or privileges senior to those of the Common Stock. There can be no assurance that additional equity or debt financing will be available or that if available it can be obtained on terms favorable to the Company or its stockholders. Sole or Limited Sources of Supply Certain components and subassemblies necessary for the manufacture of the Company's products are obtained from a sole supplier or a limited group of suppliers. The reliance on sole or limited suppliers and the Company's increasing reliance on subcontractors involve several risks, including a potential inability to obtain an adequate supply of required components or subassemblies and reduced control over pricing, quality and timely delivery of components or subassemblies. The Company does not maintain long-term agreements with any of its suppliers or subcontractors. An inability to obtain adequate deliveries or any other circumstance that would require the Company to seek alternative sources of supply could affect the Company's ability to ship its products on a timely basis, which could damage relationships with current and prospective customers and could have a material adverse effect on the Company's business and operating results. The Company believes that investment in inventories will continue to constitute a significant portion of its working capital in the future. As a result of such investment in inventories, the Company may be subject to an increasing risk of inventory obsolescence in the future, which could materially and adversely affect its business and operating results. Risks of International Operations Sales to customers outside of the United States in 1997, 1996 and 1995 represented 59%, 57% and 65% of net sales, respectively, and the Company expects that international sales will continue to represent a substantial portion of its net sales for the foreseeable future. In addition, the Company has two Israeli subsidiaries, NMC and a subsidiary that engages primarily in research and development. International operations are subject to a number of risks, including changes in foreign government regulations and telecommunications standards, export license requirements, tariffs and 11 12 taxes, other trade barriers, fluctuations in currency exchange rates, difficulty in collecting accounts receivable, difficulty in staffing and managing foreign operations and political and economic instability. While international sales are typically denominated in U.S. dollars, fluctuations in currency exchange rates could cause the Company's products to become relatively more expensive to customers in a particular country, leading to a reduction in sales or profitability in that country. Payment cycles for international customers are typically longer than those for customers in the United States. There can be no assurance that foreign markets will continue to develop or that the Company will receive additional orders to supply its products for use in foreign broadband systems. In recent months, certain Asian currencies have devalued significantly in relation to the U.S. dollar. The Company is currently evaluating the effect of recent developments in Asia on the Company's business, and there can be no assurance that the Company's sales in Asia will not be materially adversely affected by such developments. Risks of Information Systems The Company has commenced, for all its information systems, a Year 2000 date conversion project to address all necessary changes to be Year 2000 compliant. The Company is expensing the costs of addressing the "Year 2000 issue" as incurred. The Company does not expect that Year 2000 issues from its own information systems will have a material adverse impact on its financial position or results of operations. However, the Company could be adversely impacted by Year 2000 issues faced by major customers and suppliers and other organizations with which the Company interacts. The Company is in the process of determining the impact that third parties who are not Year 2000 compliant may have on the operations of the Company. EMPLOYEES As of December 31, 1997, the Company employed a total of 253 people, including 95 in manufacturing operations, 75 in research and development, 54 in sales and marketing and 29 in a general and administrative capacity. The Company also employs a number of temporary employees and consultants on a contract basis. None of the Company's employees is represented by a labor union with respect to his or her employment by the Company. The Company has not experienced any work stoppages and considers its relations with its employees to be good. The Company's future success will depend, in part, upon its ability to attract and retain qualified personnel. Competition for qualified personnel in the communications industry and in the Company's immediate geographic area is intense, and there can be no assurance that the Company will be successful in retaining its key employees or that it will be able to attract skilled personnel as the Company grows. EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF THE REGISTRANT The following table sets forth certain information regarding the executive officers of the Company and their ages as of March 1, 1998: NAME AGE POSITION ---- --- -------- Anthony J. Ley 59 Chairman of the Board of Directors, President and Chief Executive Officer Moshe Nazarathy 46 Senior Vice President, General Manager of Israel R&D Center, and Director Robin N. Dickson 50 Chief Financial Officer Michael Yost 54 Vice President, Operations John E. Dahlquist 51 Vice President, Marketing Anthony J. Ley has served as the Company's President and Chief Executive Officer since November 1988. Mr. Ley was elected Chairman of the Board of Directors in February 1995. From 1963 to 1987, Mr. Ley was employed at Schlumberger, both in Europe and the United States, holding various senior business management and research and development positions, most recently as Vice President, Research and Engineering at Fairchild Semiconductor/Schlumberger in Palo Alto, California. Mr. Ley holds an M.A. in mechanical sciences from the 12 13 University of Cambridge and an S.M.E.E. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is named as an inventor on 29 patents and is a Fellow of the I.E.E. (U.K.) and a senior member of the I.E.E.E. Moshe Nazarathy, a founder of the Company, has served as Senior Vice President, General Manager of Israel R&D Center, since December 1993, as a director of the Company since the Company's inception and as Vice President, Research, from the Company's inception through December 1993. From 1985 to 1988, Dr. Nazarathy was employed in the Photonics and Instruments Laboratory of Hewlett-Packard Company, most recently serving as Principal Scientist from 1987 to 1988. From 1982 to 1984, Dr. Nazarathy held post-doctoral and adjunct professor positions at Stanford University. Dr. Nazarathy holds a B.S. and a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Technion-Israel Institute of Technology and is named as an inventor on twelve patents. Robin N. Dickson joined the Company in April 1992 as Chief Financial Officer. From 1989 to March 1992, Mr. Dickson was corporate controller of Vitelic Corporation, a semiconductor manufacturer. From 1976 to 1989, Mr. Dickson held various positions at Raychem Corporation, a materials science company, including regional financial officer of the Asia-Pacific Division of the International Group. Prior to joining Raychem Corporation, Mr. Dickson worked with the accounting firm of Deloitte, Haskins & Sells in Brussels, Belgium. Mr. Dickson holds a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Edinburgh and is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland. Michael Yost joined the Company in September 1991 as Vice President, Operations. From 1983 until December 1990, Mr. Yost was employed at Vitalink Communications, a satellite communications systems manufacturer, holding various senior management positions, most recently as Vice President, Operations. Mr. Yost holds a B.S. in management from San Jose State University. John E. Dahlquist joined the Company in November 1993 as Vice President Marketing. From September 1990 to October 1993, Mr. Dahlquist served as Vice President, Marketing at Philips Broadband Networks, Inc. From 1967 to August 1990, Mr. Dahlquist was employed at the Jerrold Division of General Instrument Corporation, where he held various engineering and marketing management positions, including Director International Business Programs from 1989 to 1990 and Director of European Cable Operations, U.K. from 1984 to 1989. Mr. Dahlquist holds a B.S.E.E. and an M.B.A. from Drexel University. ITEM 2. PROPERTIES The Company's principal operations are located at its corporate headquarters in Sunnyvale, California. The lease on its headquarters building, of approximately 110,000 square feet, expires in July 2006. The Company has subleased approximately 25,000 square feet of its headquarters through July 1998. The Company also has several sales offices in the United States, a sales and support center in the United Kingdom and two subsidiaries, N.M. New Media Communication Ltd., and a research and development facility in Israel. The Company believes that its existing facilities will be adequate to meet its needs in the foreseeable future. ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS There are no material pending legal proceedings to which the Company is a party or to which any of its properties is subject. ITEM 4. SUBMISSION OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITY HOLDERS None. 13 14 PART II ITEM 5. MARKET FOR THE REGISTRANT'S COMMON STOCK AND RELATED SECURITY HOLDER MATTERS The information required by this Item is set forth on page 16 of the 1997 Annual Report to Stockholders under the caption "Selected Financial Data" and is incorporated herein by reference. At December 31, 1997, there were 171 holders of record of the Company's Common Stock. ITEM 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA A summary of selected financial data for the Company for each of the last five fiscal years appears on page 16 of the 1997 Annual Report to Stockholders under the caption "Selected Financial Data" and is incorporated herein by reference. ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" appears on pages 17 - 22 of the 1997 Annual Report to Stockholders and is incorporated herein by reference. ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA The information required by this Item is incorporated herein by reference to pages 23 - 34 of the 1997 Annual Report to Stockholders filed as Exhibit 13.1 to this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Selected quarterly financial data for the Company appear on page 16 of the 1997 Annual Report to Stockholders under the caption "Selected Financial Data" and are incorporated herein by reference. ITEM 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURES Not applicable. PART III Certain information required by Part III is omitted from this Report on Form 10-K in that the Registrant will file its definitive Proxy Statement for its Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held on April 29, 1998, pursuant to Regulation 14A of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "1998 Proxy Statement"), not later than 120 days after the end of the fiscal year covered by this Report, and certain information included in the Proxy Statement is incorporated herein by reference. ITEM 10. DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF THE REGISTRANT (a) Executive Officers - See the section entitled "Executive Officers" in Part I, Item 1 hereof. (b) Directors - The information required by this Item is incorporated by reference to the section entitled "Election of Directors" in the 1998 Proxy Statement. 14 15 ITEM 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION The information required by this Item is included in the 1998 Proxy Statement under the caption "Executive Compensation" and is incorporated herein by reference. ITEM 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT Information related to security ownership of certain beneficial owners and security ownership of management is set forth in the 1998 Proxy Statement under the caption "Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management" and is incorporated herein by reference. ITEM 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND TRANSACTIONS Not applicable. PART IV ITEM 14. EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES AND REPORTS ON FORM 8-K (a)(1) Financial Statements The following consolidated financial statements of the Company and subsidiaries and Report of Independent Accountants are included in the 1997 Annual Report to Stockholders filed herewith as Exhibit 13.1 and are incorporated herein by reference: 1997 Annual Report Page ----------- Consolidated Balance Sheets as at 23 December 31, 1997, and 1996 Consolidated Statement of Operations 24 for the years ended, December 31, 1997, 1996 and 1995 Consolidated Statement of 25 Stockholders' Equity (Deficit) for the years ended December 31, 1997, 1996, and 1995 Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows 26 for the years ended December 31, 1997, 1996, and 1995 Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements 27 - 34 Report of Independent Accountants 34 (a)(2) Financial Statement Schedules 15 16 Schedules have been omitted because they are inapplicable, because the required information has been included in the financial statements or notes thereto, or the amounts are immaterial. (a)(3) Exhibits The documents listed on the Exhibit Index appearing at page 18 of this Report are filed herewith. The 1997 Annual Report to Stockholders and 1998 Proxy Statement shall be deemed to have been "filed" with the Securities and Exchange Commission only to the extent portions thereof are expressly incorporated herein by reference. Copies of the exhibits listed in the Exhibit Index will be furnished, upon request, to holders or beneficial owners of the Company's Common Stock. (b) Reports on Form 8-K A report on Form 8-K was filed on September 16, 1997. As reported in such report, the Registrant, N.M. New Media Communication Ltd., a corporation organized under the laws of Israel ("NMC"), and each shareholder of NMC (collectively, the "Sellers"), entered into a Stock Purchase Agreement (the "Purchase Agreement"), whereby, among other things, the Sellers agreed to sell, and the Registrant agreed to purchase, all of the issued outstanding securities of NMC (the "Acquisition") and NMC was to become a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Registrant. 16 17 SIGNATURES Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant, Harmonic Lightwaves, Inc., a Delaware corporation, has duly caused this Report on Form 10-K to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, hereunto duly authorized, in the City of Sunnyvale, State of California, on March 27, 1998. HARMONIC LIGHTWAVES, INC. By: /s/Anthony J. Ley ----------------------------------------- Anthony J. Ley, Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer POWER OF ATTORNEY KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENT, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Anthony J. Ley and Robin N. Dickson, jointly and severally, his attorneys-in-fact, each with the power of substitution, for him in any and all capacities, to sign any amendments to this Report on Form 10-K, and to file the same, with exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, hereby ratifying and confirming all that each of said attorney-in-fact, or his substitute or substitutes, may do or cause to be done by virtue hereof. Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the date indicated. SIGNATURE TITLE DATE --------- ----- ---- /s/Anthony J. Ley Chairman of the Board, President and March 27, 1998 - ------------------------------------ Chief Executive Officer (Principal (Anthony J. Ley) Executive Officer) /s/Robin N. Dickson Chief Financial Officer (Principal March 27, 1998 - ------------------------------------ Financial and Accounting Officer) (Robin N. Dickson) /s/Barry Lemieux Director March 27, 1998 - ------------------------------------ (Barry Lemieux) /s/E. Floyd Kvamme Director March 27, 1998 - ------------------------------------ (E. Floyd Kvamme) /s/David A. Lane Director March 27, 1998 - ------------------------------------ (David A. Lane) /s/Moshe Nazarathy Director March 27, 1998 - ------------------------------------ (Moshe Nazarathy) /s/Michel L. Vaillaud Director March 27, 1998 - ------------------------------------ (Michel L. Vaillaud) 17 18 EXHIBIT INDEX The following Exhibits to this report are filed herewith, or if marked with a (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v), (vi), or a (vii) are incorporated herein by reference. Exhibit Number Description - ------ ----------- 3.1 (i) Certificate of Incorporation of Registrant 3.2 (i) Form of Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Registrant 3.3 (i) Bylaws of Registrant 4.1 (i) Form of Common Stock Certificate 10.1 (i)+ Form of Indemnification Agreement 10.2 (i)+ 1988 Stock Option Plan and form of Stock Option Agreement 10.3 (i)+ 1995 Stock Plan and form of Stock Option Agreement 10.4 (i)+ 1995 Employee Stock Purchase Plan and form of Subscription Agreement 10.5 (i)+ 1995 Director Option Plan and form of Director Option Agreement 10.6 (i) Registration and Participation Rights and Modification Agreement dated as of July 22, 1994 among Registrant and certain holders of Registrant's Common Stock 10.7 (i) Distributor Agreement dated June 15, 1994 by and between Registrant and Scientific-Atlanta, Inc. 10.8 (i) Warrant to purchase Common Stock of Registrant issued to Scientific-Atlanta, Inc. on June 15, 1994 10.10 (i) Warrant to purchase Series D Preferred Stock of Registrant issued to Comdisco, Inc. on February 10, 1993 10.14 (ii) Business Loan Agreement, Commercial Security Agreement and Promissory Note dated August 26, 1993, as amended on September 14, 1995, between Registrant and Silicon Valley Bank 10.15 (ii) Facility lease dated as of January 12, 1996 by and between Eastrich No. 137 Corporation and Company 10.16 Amended and Restated Loan and Security Agreement dated December 24, 1997 between Registrant and Silicon Valley Bank 10.17 (iii)+ Change of Control Severance Agreement dated March 27, 1997 between Registrant and Anthony J. Ley 10.18 (iii)+ Form of Change of Control Severance Agreement between Registrant and certain executive officers of Registrant 10.19 (iv) Stock Purchase Agreement, dated September 16, 1997 among Registrant, N.M. New Media Communication Ltd., ("NMC") and Sellers of NMC. 10.20 (v) First Amendment to Stock Purchase Agreement, dated November 25, 1997 among Registrant, N. M. New Media Communication Ltd., ("NMC") and Sellers of NMC. 10.21 (vi) Registration Rights Agreement dated as of January 5, 1998 by and among the Registrant and the persons and entities listed in Schedule A thereto (the "NMC Shareholders"). 10.22 (vii) 1997 Nonstatutory Stock Option Plan. 13.1 1997 Annual Report (to be deemed filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission only to the extent required by the instruction to exhibits for reports on Form 10-K) 21.1 Subsidiaries of Registrant 23.1 Consent of Independent Accountants 24.1 Power of Attorney 27.17 Financial Data Schedule (i) Previously filed as an Exhibit to the Company's Registration Statement on Form S-1 No. 33-90752. (ii) Previously filed as an Exhibit to the Company's 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1995. (iii) Previously filed as an Exhibit to the Company's 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1996. (iv) Previously filed as an Exhibit to the Company's Current Report on 8-K dated September 29, 1997. (v) Previously filed as an Exhibit to the Company's Current Report on 8-K dated January 6, 1998. (vi) Previously filed as an Exhibit to the Company's Registration Statement on Form S-3 dated January 8, 1998. (vii) Previously filed as an exhibit to the Company's Registration Statement on Form S-8 dated January 14, 1998. + Management Contract or Compensatory Plan or Arrangement required to be filed as an exhibit to this report on Form 10-K. 18