CSG SYSTEMS INTERNATIONAL INC - Quarter Report: 2017 September (Form 10-Q)

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q

(Mark One)

For the quarterly period ended September 30, 2017

OR

For the transition period from                      to                      

Commission file number 0-27512

CSG SYSTEMS INTERNATIONAL, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

9555 Maroon Circle

Englewood, Colorado 80112

(Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)

(303) 200-2000

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.

YES   ☒           NO   ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Website, 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, smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).

YES  ☐            NO   ☒

Shares of common stock outstanding at October 31, 2017:  33,523,452

CSG SYSTEMS INTERNATIONAL, INC.

FORM 10-Q for the Quarter Ended September 30, 2017

INDEX

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CSG SYSTEMS INTERNATIONAL, INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS - UNAUDITED

(in thousands, except per share amounts)  

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.

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CSG SYSTEMS INTERNATIONAL, INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME - UNAUDITED

(in thousands, except per share amounts)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.

4

CSG SYSTEMS INTERNATIONAL, INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME - UNAUDITED

(in thousands)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.

5

CSG SYSTEMS INTERNATIONAL, INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS - UNAUDITED

(in thousands)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.

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CSG SYSTEMS INTERNATIONAL, INC.

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (UNAUDITED)

1. GENERAL

We have prepared the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements as of September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, and for the quarters and nine months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016, in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S.”) (“GAAP”) for interim financial information, and pursuant to the instructions to Form 10-Q and the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of our management, all adjustments (consisting only of normal recurring adjustments) considered necessary for a fair presentation of our financial position and operating results have been included. The unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (the “Financial Statements”) should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and notes thereto, together with Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (“MD&A”), contained in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016 (our “2016 10-K”), filed with the SEC. The results of operations for the quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2017 are not necessarily indicative of the expected results for the entire year ending December 31, 2017.

2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Use of Estimates in Preparation of Financial Statements. The preparation of the accompanying Financial Statements in conformity with GAAP 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 our Financial Statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. Actual results could differ from those estimates.  

Cash and Cash Equivalents. We consider all highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less at the date of the purchase to be cash equivalents. As of September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, our cash equivalents consist primarily of institutional money market funds, commercial paper, and time deposits held at major banks.

As of September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, we had $2.8 million and $4.3 million, respectively, of restricted cash that serves to collateralize outstanding letters of credit. This restricted cash is included in cash and cash equivalents in our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (“Balance Sheets” or “Balance Sheet”).

Short-term Investments and Other Financial Instruments. Our financial instruments as of September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016 include cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments, accounts receivable, accounts payable, and debt. Because of their short maturities, the carrying amounts of cash equivalents, accounts receivable, and accounts payable approximate their fair value.

Our short-term investments and certain of our cash equivalents are considered “available-for-sale” and are reported at fair value in our Balance Sheets, with unrealized gains and losses, net of the related income tax effect, excluded from earnings and reported in a separate component of stockholders’ equity. Realized and unrealized gains and losses were not material in any period presented.

Primarily all short-term investments held by us as of September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016 have contractual maturities of less than two years from the time of acquisition. Our short-term investments as of September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016 consisted almost entirely of fixed income securities. Proceeds from the sale/maturity of short-term investments for the nine months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016 were $150.8 million and $107.8 million, respectively.

The following table represents the fair value hierarchy based upon three levels of inputs, of which Levels 1 and 2 are considered observable and Level 3 is unobservable, for our financial assets and liabilities measured at fair value (in thousands):

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Valuation inputs used to measure the fair values of our money market funds and corporate equity securities were derived from quoted market prices. The fair values of all other financial instruments are based upon pricing provided by third-party pricing services. These prices were derived from observable market inputs.

We have chosen not to measure our debt at fair value, with changes recognized in earnings each reporting period.  The following table indicates the carrying value (par value for convertible debt) and estimated fair value of our debt as of the indicated periods (in thousands):

The fair value for our credit agreement was estimated using a discounted cash flow methodology, while the fair value for our convertible debt was estimated based upon quoted market prices or recent sales activity, both of which are considered Level 2 inputs.  See Note 4 for additional discussion regarding our convertible debt.

Accounting Pronouncements Adopted.  In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-09, Compensation – Stock Compensation (Topic 718).  This ASU simplifies several aspects of the accounting for share-based payment transactions, including the income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, and classification on the statement of cash flows.  This ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, with early adoption permitted. The methods of adoption for this ASU vary by amendment.  We adopted this ASU in the first quarter of 2017, prospectively applying the guidance related to the recognition of excess tax benefits and tax deficiencies in the income statement and the presentation of excess tax benefits on the statement of cash flows. See Note 6 for further discussion of the impact of adopting this ASU.  

Accounting Pronouncement Issued But Not Yet Effective. The FASB has issued ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606).  In August 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-14 Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606):  Deferral of the Effective Date which deferred the effective date of ASU 2014-09 for one year. In December 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-20 Technical Corrections and Improvements to Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. Collectively, this ASU is a single comprehensive model which supersedes nearly all existing revenue recognition guidance under U.S. GAAP.  Under the new guidance, revenue is recognized when promised goods or services are transferred to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration that is expected to be received for those goods or services.  The ASU also requires additional disclosure about the nature, amount, timing, and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from customer contracts, including significant judgments and changes in judgments and assets recognized from costs incurred to obtain or fulfill a contract.  The accounting guidance is effective for annual and interim reporting periods in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017.  Early adoption is permitted.  An entity may choose to adopt this ASU either retrospectively or through a cumulative effect adjustment as of the start of the first period for which it applies the standard.

We are currently evaluating the impact this ASU will have to our accounting policies, business processes and potential differences in the timing and/or method of revenue recognition for our customer contracts. In conjunction with this evaluation, we are updating our policies to align with the new accounting guidance as well as evaluating our significant customer contracts to determine if the guidance will materially impact our existing portfolio of customer contracts. In addition, we will review new contracts entered into up until the adoption of the ASU. Based upon our initial evaluations, the adoption of this guidance is not expected to have a material impact on our Financial Statements. We currently intend to adopt the ASU in the first quarter of 2018, utilizing the cumulative effect approach.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842).  This ASU requires lessees to recognize a lease liability and a right-to-use asset for all leases, including operating leases, with a term greater than twelve months on its balance sheet.  This ASU is effective in annual and interim periods in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, with early adoption permitted, and requires a modified retrospective transition method.  We are currently in the process of evaluating the impact this ASU will have on our Financial Statements.  Based on our initial evaluations, we believe the adoption of this standard will have a material impact on our consolidated balance sheet.

In October 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-16, Income Taxes (Topic 740) Intra-Entity Transfers of Assets Other Than Inventory. This ASU requires entities to recognize at the transaction date the income tax consequences of intercompany asset transfers. This ASU is effective in annual and interim periods in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, with early adoption permitted, and requires a modified retrospective transition method. We are currently in the process of evaluating the impact that this ASU will have on our Financial Statements.

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3. LONG-LIVED ASSETS

Goodwill. The changes in the carrying amount of goodwill for the nine months ended September 30, 2017, were as follows (in thousands):

Other Intangible Assets. Our intangible assets subject to ongoing amortization consist primarily of client contracts and software. As of September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, the carrying values of these assets were as follows (in thousands):

The total amortization expense related to intangible assets for the third quarters of 2017 and 2016 were $6.7 million and $6.3 million, respectively, and for the nine months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016 were $20.0 million and $18.2 million, respectively. Based on the September 30, 2017 net carrying value of our intangible assets, the estimated total amortization expense for each of the five succeeding fiscal years ending December 31 are: 2017 – $27.0 million;  2018 – $23.2 million; 2019 – $16.1 million; 2020 – $8.3 million; and 2021 – $3.8 million.

4. DEBT

Our long-term debt, as of September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, was as follows (in thousands):

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Credit Agreement

During the nine months ended September 30, 2017, we made $11.3 million of principal repayments on our $150 million aggregate principal five-year term loan (the “2015 Term Loan”). As of September 30, 2017, our interest rate on the 2015 Term Loan is 3.08% (adjusted LIBOR plus 1.75% per annum), effective through December 29, 2017, and our commitment fee on the unused $200 million aggregate principal five-year revolving loan facility (the “2015 Revolver”) is 0.25%.  As of September 30, 2017, we had no borrowing outstanding on our 2015 Revolver and had the entire $200.0 million available to us.     

Convertible Notes

2016 Convertible Notes.  Upon conversion of the 2016 Convertible Notes, we will settle our conversion obligation by paying or delivering, as the case may be, cash, shares of our common stock, or a combination thereof, at our election. It is our current intent and policy to settle our conversion obligations as follows: (i) pay cash for 100% of the par value of the 2016 Convertible Notes that are converted; and (ii) to the extent the value of our conversion obligation exceeds the par value, we can satisfy the remaining conversion obligation in our common stock, cash or a combination thereof.

The 2016 Convertible Notes will be convertible at the option of the note holders upon the satisfaction of specified conditions and during certain periods. During the period from, and including, December 15, 2021 to the close of business on the business day immediately preceding March 15, 2022 and on or after December 15, 2035, holders may convert all or any portion of their 2016 Convertible Notes at the conversion rate then in effect at any time regardless of these conditions.

As a result of us increasing our quarterly dividend in March 2017 (see Note 9), the previous conversion rate for the 2016 Convertible Notes of 17.4753 shares of our common stock per $1,000 principal amount of the 2016 Convertible Notes, which is equivalent to an initial conversion price of approximately $57.22 per share of our common stock, has been adjusted to 17.4809 shares of our common stock per $1,000 principal amount of the 2016 Convertible Notes, which is equivalent to an initial conversion price of approximately $57.21 per share of our common stock.

Holders may require CSG to repurchase the 2016 Convertible Notes for cash on each of March 15, 2022, March 15, 2026, and March 15, 2031, or upon the occurrence of a fundamental change (as defined in the 2016 Convertible Notes Indenture) in each case at a purchase price equal to the principal amount thereof plus accrued and unpaid interest.

We may not redeem the 2016 Convertible Notes prior to March 20, 2020. On or after March 20, 2020, we may redeem for cash all or part of the 2016 Convertible Notes if the last reported sale price of our common stock has been at least 130% of the conversion price then in effect for at least 20 trading days (whether or not consecutive) during any 30 consecutive trading day period (including the last trading day of such period) ending on, and including, the trading day immediately preceding the date on which CSG provides notice of redemption. On or after March 15, 2022, we may redeem for cash all or part of the 2016 Convertible Notes regardless of the sales price condition described in the preceding sentence. In each case, the redemption price will equal the principal amount of the 2016 Convertible Notes to be redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest.

As of September 30, 2017, none of the conversion features have been achieved, and thus, the 2016 Convertible Notes are not convertible by the holders.

2010 Convertible Notes.   In March 2017, we settled our conversion obligation for the 2010 Convertible Notes as follows: (i) we paid cash of $34.8 million for the remaining par value of the 2010 Convertible Notes; and (ii) delivered 694,240 shares of our common shares from treasury stock, to settle the $28.8 million value of the conversion obligation in excess of the par value. See Note 9 for discussion of our equity transactions.

5.   RESTRUCTURING AND REORGANIZATION CHARGES

During the third quarters of 2017 and 2016, we recorded restructuring and reorganization charges of $1.6 million and ($0.2) million, respectively, and for the nine months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016, we recorded restructuring and reorganization charges of $4.6 million and ($0.6) million, respectively.  

Our restructuring activities during the nine months ended September 30, 2017 are primarily made up of the following:

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The activity in the business restructuring and reorganization reserves during the nine months ended September 30, 2017 was as follows:  

6.  INCOME TAXES

The effective income tax rates for the third quarters and nine months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016 were as follows:

The lower rate for the nine months ended September 30, 2017 reflects an approximately $5 million net benefit received in the first quarter of 2017 resulting from Comcast’s exercise of 1.4 million vested stock warrants in January 2017, discussed below in Note 9.  The stock warrants appreciated in value since their vesting, which resulted in an income tax benefit to us when exercised.  Additionally, as discussed in Note 2, we adopted ASU 2016-09, Compensation – Stock Compensation (Topic 718) in the first quarter of 2017.  This ASU requires a change in the recognition of excess tax benefits and tax deficiencies, related to share-based payment transactions, which were recorded in equity, and now are recorded discrete to the quarter incurred as a component of income tax expense in the income statement.  Under the guidance of this ASU, we recognized an income tax benefit of approximately $1 million and approximately $2 million, respectively, for the third quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2017.  It is expected to provide an approximately $2 million benefit for the full year.  For the full-year 2017 we are currently estimating an effective income tax rate of approximately 33%.

7.  COMMITMENTS, GUARANTEES AND CONTINGENCIES

Warranties. We generally warrant that our solutions and related offerings will conform to published specifications, or to specifications provided in an individual client arrangement, as applicable. The typical warranty period is 90 days from the date of acceptance of the solution or offering. For certain service offerings we provide a limited warranty for the duration of the services provided. We generally warrant that services will be performed in a professional and workmanlike manner. The typical remedy for breach of warranty is to correct or replace any defective deliverable, and if not possible or practical, we will accept the return of the defective deliverable and refund the amount paid under the client arrangement that is allocable to the defective deliverable. Our contracts also generally contain limitation of damages provisions in an effort to reduce our exposure to monetary damages arising from breach of warranty claims. Historically, we have incurred minimal warranty costs, and as a result, do not maintain a warranty reserve.

Product and Services Indemnifications. Our arrangements with our clients generally include an indemnification provision that will indemnify and defend a client in actions brought against the client that claim our products and/or services infringe upon a copyright, trade secret, or valid patent. Historically, we have not incurred any significant costs related to such indemnification claims, and as a result, do not maintain a reserve for such exposure.

Claims for Company Non-performance. Our arrangements with our clients typically cap our liability for breach to a specified amount of the direct damages incurred by the client resulting from the breach. From time-to-time, these arrangements may also include provisions for possible liquidated damages or other financial remedies for our non-performance, or in the case of certain of our outsourced customer care and billing solutions, provisions for damages related to service level performance requirements. The service level performance requirements typically relate to system availability and timeliness of service delivery. As of September 30, 2017, we believe we have adequate reserves, based on our historical experience, to cover any reasonably anticipated exposure as a result of our nonperformance for any past or current arrangements with our clients.

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Indemnifications Related to Officers and the Board of Directors. We have agreed to indemnify members of our Board of Directors (the “Board”) and certain of our officers if they are named or threatened to be named as a party to any proceeding by reason of the fact that they acted in such capacity. We maintain directors’ and officers’ (D&O) insurance coverage to protect against such losses. We have not historically incurred any losses related to these types of indemnifications, and are not aware of any pending or threatened actions or claims against any officer or member of our Board. As a result, we have not recorded any liabilities related to such indemnifications as of September 30, 2017. In addition, as a result of the insurance policy coverage, we believe these indemnification agreements are not significant to our results of operations.

Legal Proceedings. From time-to-time, we are involved in litigation relating to claims arising out of our operations in the normal course of business.  We are not presently a party to any material pending or threatened legal proceedings.

8. EARNINGS PER COMMON SHARE

Basic and diluted earnings per common share (“EPS”) amounts are presented on the face of the accompanying Income Statements.

No reconciliation of the basic and diluted EPS numerators is necessary as net income is used as the numerators for all periods presented.  The reconciliation of the basic and diluted EPS denominators related to the common shares is included in the following table (in thousands):

The Convertible Notes have a dilutive effect only in those quarterly periods in which our average stock price exceeds the current effective conversion price.  The 2010 Convertible Notes were settled in March 2017 (see Note 4).

The Stock Warrants have a dilutive effect only in those quarterly periods in which our average stock price exceeds the exercise price of $26.68 per warrant (under the treasury stock method), and are not subject to performance vesting conditions.  All the vested Stock Warrants were exercised in January 2017 (see Note 9).  

Potentially dilutive common shares related to non-participating unvested restricted stock excluded from the computation of diluted EPS, as the effect was antidilutive, were not material in any period presented.    

9. STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY AND EQUITY COMPENSATION PLANS

Stock Repurchase Program. We currently have a stock repurchase program, approved by our Board, authorizing us to repurchase our common stock from time-to-time as market and business conditions warrant (the “Stock Repurchase Program”). During the nine months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016 we repurchased 0.4 million shares of our common stock for $15.6 million (weighted-average price of $40.54 per share) and 0.3 million shares of our common stock for $9.5 million (weighted-average price of $36.07 per share), respectively, under a SEC Rule 10b5-1 Plan.  

As of September 30, 2017, the total remaining number of shares available for repurchase under the Stock Repurchase Program totaled 6.4 million shares.

Stock Repurchases for Tax Withholdings. In addition to the above mentioned stock repurchases, during the nine months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016, we repurchased and then cancelled 0.2 million shares of common stock for $9.4 million and 0.3 million shares of common stock for $13.0 million, respectively, in connection with minimum tax withholding requirements resulting from the vesting of restricted common stock under our stock incentive plans.

Cash Dividends.  During the third quarter of 2017, the Board approved a quarterly cash dividend of $0.1975 per share of common stock, totaling $6.7 million. During the third quarter of 2016, the Board approved a quarterly cash dividend of $0.185 per share of common stock, totaling $6.0 million. Dividends declared for the nine months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016 totaled $20.0 million and $18.0 million, respectively.

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Warrants.  In 2014, in conjunction with the execution of an amendment to our current agreement with Comcast Corporation (“Comcast”), we issued stock warrants (the “Warrant Agreement”) for the right to purchase up to approximately 2.9 million shares of our common stock (the “Stock Warrants”) as an additional incentive for Comcast to convert customer accounts onto our Advanced Convergent Platform based on various milestones. The Stock Warrants have a 10-year term and an exercise price of $26.68 per warrant.        

Upon vesting, the Stock Warrants are recorded as a client incentive asset with the corresponding offset to stockholders’ equity.  The client incentive asset related to the Stock Warrants is amortized as a reduction in cloud and related solutions revenues over the remaining term of the Comcast amended agreement.  As of September 30, 2017, we recorded a client incentive asset related to these Stock Warrants of $16.0 million and have amortized $7.8 million as a reduction in cloud and related solutions revenues.  The remaining unvested Stock Warrants will be accounted for as client incentive assets in the period the performance conditions necessary for vesting have been met.  

As of December 31, 2016, approximately 1.4 million Stock Warrants had vested.  In January 2017, Comcast exercised approximately 1.4 million vested Stock Warrants, which we net share settled under the provisions of the Warrant Agreement (discussed further in Treasury Stock below).  As of September 30, 2017, approximately 1.5 million Stock Warrants remain issued, none of which were vested.

Treasury Stock.  In January 2017, we net share settled the exercise of 1.4 million vested Stock Warrants noted above by delivering 649,221 of our common shares from treasury stock, which had a fair value of $31.5 million. The carrying value of the shares of treasury stock delivered was $15.4 million (weighted-average price of $23.66 per share).  The difference between the carrying amount of the treasury shares and the $16.0 million carrying amount of the common stock warrants was recorded as an adjustment to additional paid-in capital.

In March 2017, we net share settled the portion of the conversion obligation in excess of the par value related to our 2010 Convertible Notes by delivering 694,240 of our common shares from treasury stock.  The carrying value of the shares of treasury stock delivered was $16.5 million (weighted average price of $23.71 per share).  The difference between the carrying amount of the treasury shares and the $28.8 million carrying amount of the conversion obligation on the settlement date was recorded as an adjustment to additional paid-in capital.

Stock-Based Awards. A summary of our unvested restricted common stock activity during the quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2017 is as follows (shares in thousands):

Included in the awards granted during the nine months ended September 30, 2017 are performance-based awards for 0.1 million restricted common stock shares issued to members of executive management and certain key employees, which vest in equal installments over three years upon meeting either pre-established financial performance objectives or pre-established total shareholder return objectives. The performance-based awards become fully vested upon a change in control, as defined, and the subsequent involuntary termination of employment.

All other restricted common stock shares granted during the quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2017 are time-based awards, which vest annually over four years with no restrictions other than the passage of time. Certain shares of the restricted common stock become fully vested upon a change in control, as defined, and the subsequent involuntary termination of employment.

We recorded stock-based compensation expense for the third quarters of 2017 and 2016 of $5.0 million and $5.2 million, respectively, and for the nine months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016 of $16.7 million and $17.3 million, respectively.

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Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

The information contained in this MD&A should be read in conjunction with the Financial Statements and Notes thereto included in this Form 10-Q and the audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto in our 2016 10-K.

Forward-Looking Statements

This report contains a number of forward-looking statements relative to our future plans and our expectations concerning our business and the industries we serve.  These forward-looking statements are based on assumptions about a number of important factors, and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from estimates contained in the forward-looking statements.  Some of the risks that are foreseen by management are outlined within Part II Item 1A. Risk Factors of this report and in Part I Item 1A. Risk Factors of our 2016 10-K.  Readers are strongly encouraged to review those sections closely in conjunction with MD&A.

Company Overview

We are one of the world’s largest and most established providers of business support solutions, primarily serving the global communications industry. We have thirty-five years of expertise supporting communications service providers as their businesses have evolved from a single product offering to highly complex and competitive multi-product offerings, while also requiring increasingly differentiated, real-time, and personalized experiences for their customers.

Our proven experience and world-class solutions support the mission critical management of our clients’ revenue, customer interactions, and digital ecosystem as they advance their video, voice, data, content, and digital services to consumers. Over the years, we have focused our research and development (“R&D”) and acquisition investments on expanding our solution set to address the complex, transformative needs of service providers. Our broad and deep solutions help our clients be competitive in a dynamically evolving global business environment, respond to changing consumer demands, quickly launch new compelling product offerings, provide enhanced customer experiences through relevant and targeted interactions, and cost-effectively streamline and scale operations.

We generate approximately 70% of our revenues from the North American cable and satellite markets, approximately 20% of our revenues from wireline and wireless communication providers, and the remainder from a variety of other verticals, such as financial services, logistics, and transportation. Additionally, during the nine months ended September 30, 2017 we generated approximately 85% of our revenues from the Americas region, approximately 9% of our revenues from the Europe, Middle East and Africa region, and approximately 6% of our revenues from the Asia Pacific region.

We are a S&P Small Cap 600 company.

Management Overview of Quarterly Results

Third Quarter Highlights.  A summary of our results of operations for the third quarter of 2017, when compared to the third quarter of 2016, is as follows (in thousands, except per share amounts and percentages):

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Revenues.  Our revenues for the third quarter of 2017 were $199.2 million, a 5% increase when compared to revenues of $189.3 million for the third quarter of 2016. The year-over-year increase in revenues is primarily attributed to the growth of our cloud and related solutions revenues, resulting primarily from the higher revenues from our recurring managed services arrangements and the conversion of customer accounts onto our cloud solutions over the past year, which more than offset the lower software and services revenues generated during the quarter.

Operating Results.  Operating income for the third quarter of 2017 was $28.4 million, or a 14.2% operating income margin percentage, compared to $36.6 million, or a 19.3% operating income margin percentage for the third quarter of 2016, with the decreases in operating income and operating income margin percentage reflective of the increase in planned investments aimed at generating future long-term growth in our business.  These increased expenditures are primarily within the following areas of our business: (i) our R&D efforts; (ii) our go-to-market programs; and (iii) the operating environments for our cloud solutions (e.g., resiliency, security, and capacity).    

Diluted EPS.  Diluted EPS for the third quarter of 2017 was $0.44 compared to $0.55 for the third quarter of 2016, with the decrease mainly attributed to the lower operating results, discussed above.  

Cash and Cash Flows.  As of September 30, 2017, we had cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments of $258.5 million, as compared to $245.0 million as of June 30, 2017, and $276.5 million as of as of December 31, 2016.  Our cash flows from operating activities for the quarter ended September 30, 2017 were $38.3 million. See the Liquidity section below for further discussion of our cash flows.

Significant Client Relationships

Charter/Time Warner. In connection with Charter Corporation Inc.’s (“Charter”) acquisition of Time Warner Cable, Inc. (“Time Warner”) in May 2016, the Time Warner Master Subscriber Management Agreement (the “Time Warner Agreement”) was assigned to Charter.  Our existing agreement with Charter ran through December 31, 2019.  The Time Warner Agreement, which covered the Time Warner customer accounts serviced by CSG and now owned by Charter, was originally set to expire on March 31, 2017, but was extended for additional one-month periods through July 31, 2017, while the parties continued to finalize terms relating to a new long-term Charter Consolidated Master Subscriber Management System Agreement that would provide our products and services covering both Time Warner and Charter customer accounts under one master agreement.  

On July 17, 2017, we entered into a new Consolidated CSG Master Subscriber Management System Agreement with Charter (the “New Agreement”) which supersedes all previous agreements with Charter and Time Warner.

The key terms and conditions of the New Agreement are as follows:

Under the New Agreement, we provided Charter with a pricing discount in-line with the extended contract term through December 31, 2021, and the roll out of additional products and services by Charter.  As a result, we anticipate our revenues from Charter under the New Agreement to be relatively consistent on a go forward basis.  

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The anticipated revenue impact of the New Agreement in both the near and long term is only an estimate and may vary depending on the actual level of products and services consumed by Charter and a variety of factors.  We undertake no duty to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

A copy of this amendment, with confidential information redacted, is filed as exhibit 10.26 to this Form 10-Q.

DISH.  On August 11, 2017, we entered into an amendment to our current agreement with DISH Network Corporation (“DISH”) (the “Amended Agreement”).

The key terms and conditions of the Amended Agreement are as follows:

Under the Amended Agreement, we provided DISH a small per-unit pricing discount in-line with the extended contract term through December 31, 2021, and the roll out of additional products and services by DISH.  As a result, our revenues from DISH under the New Agreement going forward are highly dependent on the number of customer accounts DISH maintains on our platform, and the level of additional products and services DISH may choose to purchase from us.

The anticipated revenue impact of the Amended Agreement in both the near and long term is only an estimate and may vary depending on the actual level of products and services consumed by DISH and a variety of other factors.  We undertake no duty to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

A copy of the amendment, with confidential information redacted, is filed as exhibit 10.23AY this Form 10-Q.

Client Concentration.  A large percentage of our historical revenues have been generated from our largest clients, which are Comcast, Charter, and DISH.  

Revenues from these clients represented the following percentages of our total revenues for the indicated periods:

The percentages of net billed accounts receivable balances attributable to our largest clients as of the indicated dates were as follows:

See our 2016 10-K for additional discussion of our business relationships and contractual terms with Comcast, Charter, and DISH.

Risk of Client Concentration.  We expect to continue to generate a significant percentage of our future revenues from our largest clients mentioned above. There are inherent risks whenever a large percentage of total revenues are concentrated with a limited

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number of clients.  Should a significant client: (i) terminate or fail to renew their contracts with us, in whole or in part, for any reason; (ii) significantly reduce the number of customer accounts processed on our solutions, the price paid for our services, or the scope of services that we provide; or (iii) experience significant financial or operating difficulties, it could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.  

Critical Accounting Policies

The preparation of our Financial Statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. requires us to select appropriate accounting policies, and to make judgments and estimates affecting the application of those accounting policies.  In applying our accounting policies, different business conditions or the use of different assumptions may result in materially different amounts reported in our Financial Statements.

We have identified the most critical accounting policies that affect our financial position and the results of our operations.  Those critical accounting policies were determined by considering the accounting policies that involve the most complex or subjective decisions or assessments.  The most critical accounting policies identified relate to the following items: (i) revenue recognition; (ii) impairment assessments of goodwill and other long-lived assets; (iii) income taxes; and (iv) loss contingencies.  These critical accounting policies, as well as our other significant accounting policies, are discussed in our 2016 10-K.

Results of Operations

Total Revenues.  Total revenues for the: (i) third quarter of 2017 were $199.2 million, a 5% increase when compared to $189.3 million for the third quarter of 2016; and (ii) nine months ended September 30, 2017 were $584.4 million, a 3% increase when compared to $565.8 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2016.  The year-over-year increases in revenues are primarily attributed to the growth of our cloud and related solutions revenues, resulting primarily from the higher revenues from our recurring managed services arrangements and the conversion of customer accounts onto ACP over the past year, which more than offset the lower software and services revenues generated during the quarter.

The components of total revenues, discussed in more detail below, are as follows (in thousands):

We use the location of the client as the basis of attributing revenues to individual countries.  Revenues by geographic regions for the third quarters and nine months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016 were as follows (in thousands):

Cloud and Related Solutions Revenues.  Cloud and related solutions revenues for the: (i) third quarter of 2017 were $164.8 million, a 9% increase when compared to $151.2 million for the third quarter of 2016; and (ii) nine months ended September 30, 2017 were $481.4 million, a 7% increase when compared to $451.0 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2016.  The increases in cloud and related solutions revenues are due to higher revenues from our recurring managed services arrangements and the conversion of approximately five million customer accounts onto ACP over the past twelve months, including over 700,000 and three million customer accounts respectively, during the third quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2017.  

Software and Services Revenues.  Software and services revenues for the: (i) third quarter of 2017 were $15.7 million, a 16% decrease when compared to $18.6 million for the third quarter of 2016 and (ii) nine months ended September 30, 2017 were $46.7 million, a 21% decrease when compared to $59.0 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2016.  The decreases in software and services revenues can be attributed mainly to continued low market demand for large transformational software and service deals and

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the shift in our focus towards more recurring revenue arrangements, which are included in our cloud and related solutions revenues.  We continue to transition this part of our business into a more predictable recurring revenue model, with our managed services arrangements and delivery of our cloud-based solutions.

Maintenance Revenues.  Maintenance revenues for the: (i) third quarter of 2017 were $18.7 million, a 4% decrease when compared to $19.5 million for the third quarter of 2016 and (ii) nine months ended September 30, 2017 were $56.3 million, a 1% increase when compared to $55.8 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2016.  These variances are due mainly to the timing of maintenance renewals and related revenue recognition.

Total Expenses.  Our operating expenses for the: (i) third quarter of 2017 were $170.8 million, a 12% increase when compared to $152.7 million for the third quarter of 2016 and (ii) nine months ended September 30, 2017 were $504.7 million, a 10% increase when compared to $458.5 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2016.  The year-over-year increases in total expenses are mainly due to the planned investments, as discussed above.  

The components of total expenses are discussed in more detail below.

Cost of Revenues.  See our 2016 10-K for a description of the types of costs that are included in the individual line items for cost of revenues.

Cost of Cloud and Related Solutions (Exclusive of Depreciation).  The cost of cloud and related solutions for the: (i) third quarter of 2017 increased 14% to $79.9 million, from $70.2 million for the third quarter of 2016; and (ii) nine months ended September 30, 2017 increased 13% to $233.2 million, from $206.6 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2016.  These cost increases relate primarily to higher variable costs associated with the increase in revenues related to use of our ACP and related solutions, and growth in our managed services arrangements since last year.  Total cloud and related solutions cost as a percentage of cloud and related solutions revenues for the: (i) third quarters of 2017 and 2016 were 48.5% and 46.4%, respectively; and (ii) nine months ended September 30, 2017 were 48.4% and 45.8%, respectively, with the increases mainly attributed to the growth in our managed services business, which has a lower margin profile compared to our other cloud solutions, especially within the initial year of new managed services arrangements.

Cost of Software and Services (Exclusive of Depreciation).  The cost of software and services for the: (i) third quarter of 2017 decreased 20% to $9.7 million, from $12.2 million for the third quarter of 2016; and (ii) nine months ended September 30, 2017 decreased 15% to $31.4 million, from $37.1 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2016. These decreases are reflective of the decreases in revenues as personnel and the related costs previously allocated to professional services projects have been reassigned to other areas of the business. Total software and services cost as a percentage of our software and services revenues for the: (i) third quarters of 2017 and 2016 were 61.8% and 65.6%, respectively; and (ii) nine months ended September 30, 2017 were 67.3% and 62.8%, respectively.

Variability in quarterly revenues and operating results are inherent characteristics of companies that sell software licenses and perform professional services.  Our quarterly revenues for software licenses and professional services may fluctuate, depending on various factors, including the timing of executed contracts and revenue recognition, and the delivery of contracted solutions. However, the costs associated with software and professional services revenues are not subject to the same degree of variability (e.g., these costs are generally fixed in nature within a relatively short period of time), and thus, fluctuations in our cost of software and services as a percentage of our software and services revenues will likely occur between periods.  

Cost of Maintenance (Exclusive of Depreciation).  The cost of maintenance for the: (i) third quarter of 2017 decreased 8% to $10.1 million, from $11.0 million for the third quarter of 2016; and (ii) nine months ended September 30, 2017 decreased 5% to $30.5 million, from $32.1 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2016, with the decreases mainly due to lower amortization expense for certain technology assets. Total cost of maintenance as a percentage of our maintenance revenues for the: (i) third quarters of 2017 and 2016 were 54.3% and 56.7%, respectively; and (ii) nine months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016 were 54.2% and 57.4%, respectively.    

R&D Expense.  R&D expense for the: (i) third quarter of 2017 increased 29% to $30.3 million, from $23.6 million for the third quarter of 2016; and (ii) nine months ended September 30, 2017 increased 19% to $85.1 million, from $71.5 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2016.  As a percentage of total revenues, R&D expense for the third quarters of 2017 and 2016 were 15.2% and 12.5%, respectively.  These increases are reflective of our heightened level of investment in 2017.  

Our R&D efforts are focused on the continued evolution of our solutions that enable service providers worldwide to provide a more personalized customer experience while introducing new digital products and services. This includes the continued investment in our cloud-based solutions (principally, around our Ascendon platform) aimed at improving a providers’ time-to-market for new offerings, flexibility, scalability, and total cost of ownership. 

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Selling, General and Administrative (“SG&A”) Expense.  SG&A expense for the: (i) third quarter of 2017 increased 10% to $35.8 million, from $32.5 million for the third quarter of 2016; and (ii) nine months ended September 30, 2017 increased 8% to $110.0 million, from $101.5 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2016. These increases reflect an increased investment in our sales and marketing activities (principally, towards greater global sales coverage and Ascendon sales capabilities) and system security.  Our SG&A costs as a percentage of total revenues for the third quarters of 2017 and 2016 were 18.0% and 17.2%, respectively.

Restructuring and Reorganization Charges.  Restructuring and reorganization charges for the: (i) third quarters of 2017 and 2016 were $1.6 million and ($0.2) million, respectively; and (ii) nine months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016 were $4.6 million and ($0.6) million, respectively.  The third quarter 2017 restructuring and reorganization activities relate to a reduction in our workforce as a result of organizational changes made to pursue global opportunities and efficiencies.  The nine months ended September 30, 2017 restructuring and reorganization charges also include asset impairment charges of $2.1 million primarily due to the write-down of a note receivable related to the disposition of our Quaero business in 2013.  For the nine months ended September 30, 2016, we incurred restructuring and reorganization charges due to an organizational realignment completed during the second quarter of 2016, which were offset by the $6.6 million gain on the sale of our cyber-security business marketed under the Invotas brand.  

Operating Income. Operating income for the: (i) third quarter of 2017 was $28.4 million, or 14.2% of total revenues, compared to $36.6 million, or 19.3% of total revenues for the third quarter of 2016; and (ii) nine months ended September 30, 2017 were $79.6 million, or 13.6% of total revenues, compared to $107.3 million, or 19.0% of total revenues for the nine months ended September 30, 2016. The decreases in operating income and operating income margin percentage are reflective of the increase in planned investments aimed at generating future long-term growth in our business, as discussed above.

Loss on Repurchase of Convertible Notes.  Following completion of the issuance of the 2016 Convertible Notes in March 2016, during the third quarter of 2016, we repurchased $9.1 million aggregate principal amount of our 2010 Convertible Notes for an aggregated purchase price of $17.3 million and recognized a loss on the repurchase of $0.3 million.  For the nine months ended September 30, 2016, we repurchased $115.3 million aggregate principal amount of the 2010 Convertible Notes during for an aggregated purchase price of $215.7 million and recognized a loss on the repurchases of $8.7 million.      

Income Tax Provision.  The effective income tax rates for the third quarters and nine months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016 were as follows:

 
The lower rate for the nine months ended September 30, 2017 reflects an approximately $5 million net benefit received in the first quarter of 2017 resulting from Comcast’s exercise of 1.4 million vested stock warrants in January 2017 (see Note 9 to our Financial Statements for further discussion).  The stock warrants appreciated in value since their vesting, which resulted in an income tax benefit to us when exercised.  Additionally, as discussed in Note 2 to our Financial Statements, we adopted ASU 2016-09, Compensation – Stock Compensation (Topic 718) in the first quarter of 2017.  This ASU requires a change in the recognition of excess tax benefits and tax deficiencies, related to share-based payment transactions, which were recorded in equity, and now are recorded discrete to the quarter incurred as a component of income tax expense in the income statement.  Under the guidance of this ASU, we recognized an income tax benefit of approximately $1 million and approximately $2 million, respectively, for the third quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2017.  It is expected to provide an approximately $2 million benefit for the full year.  For the full-year 2017 we are currently estimating an effective income tax rate of approximately 33%.

Liquidity

Cash and Liquidity

As of September 30, 2017, our principal sources of liquidity included cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments of $258.5 million, as compared to $245.0 million as of June 30, 2017, and $276.5 million as of as of December 31, 2016. We generally invest our excess cash balances in low-risk, short-term investments to limit our exposure to market and credit risks.  

As part of our 2015 Credit Agreement, we have a $200 million senior secured revolving loan facility with a syndicate of financial institutions that expires in February 2020.  As of September 30, 2017, there were no borrowings outstanding on the 2015 Revolver.  The 2015 Credit Agreement contains customary affirmative covenants and financial covenants.  As of September 30, 2017, and the date of this filing, we believe that we are in compliance with the provisions of the 2015 Credit Agreement.  

Our cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investment balances as of the end of the indicated periods were located in the following geographical regions (in thousands):

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