DATA I/O CORP - Annual Report: 2009 (Form 10-K)

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C.  20549

 

FORM 10-K

 

 

 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.  Yes __ No X

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.  Yes __ No X

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.  Yes X  No __

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant 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 if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (§229.405 of this chapter) is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of 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.  Yes ___ No X

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company.  See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” ”accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

 Large accelerated filer __  Accelerated filer __  Non-accelerated filer __  Smaller reporting company X

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).  Yes ___ No X

 

Aggregate market value of voting and non-voting common equity held

by non-affiliates of the registrant as of June 30, 2009:

 

$25,412,102

 

Shares of Common Stock, no par value, outstanding as of March 12, 2010:

 

8,959,294

 

Documents incorporated by reference

 

Portions of the registrant’s Proxy Statement relating to its May 11, 2010 Annual Meeting of Shareholders are incorporated into Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

 

 

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PART I

 

 

Item 1.  Business

 

This Annual Report on Form 10-K and the documents incorporated herein by reference contain forward-looking statements based on current expectations, estimates and projections about Data I/O ^® Corporation’s industry, management’s beliefs and certain assumptions made by management.  See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Forward Looking Statements.”

 

General

 

Data I/O Corporation (“Data I/O”) designs, manufactures, and sells programming systems for electronic device manufacturers, specifically targeting high growth areas such as flash and microcontrollers.  Virtually every electronic product today incorporates one or more programmable semiconductor devices that contain data and operating instructions essential for the proper operation of the product.  Data I/O was incorporated in the State of Washington in 1969 and its business was founded in 1972. 

 

Data I/O’s mission is to deliver high-value systems and services to the rapidly expanding programmable semiconductor market by providing a software-rich programming platform for content delivery.  These programmable solutions are used in devices such as smart phones, MP3 players, gaming systems and automobile electronics.  These solutions, some of which include intellectual property protection, secure content management and flash media duplication capabilities, enable Data I/O to address the demanding requirements for the electronic device market, where applications and intellectual property protection are essential to our customer’s success.  Data I/O’s largest customers are heavy users of programmable semiconductor devices and include original equipment manufacturers (“OEMs”) in wireless and consumer electronics and automotive electronics, and their electronic manufacturing service (“EMS”) contract manufacturers.

 

Business Restructuring.  The business shift to focusing on manufacturing and automation, the geographic shifts in high volume electronics manufacturing, and the economic volatility we have experienced have resulted in ongoing restructuring efforts. 

 

During 2006 and 2007, the restructuring activities included actions to improve our operating results and the effectiveness of our sales and marketing organization and sales channels.  Restructuring charges were $725,000 in 2007 and $191,000 in 2006. 

 

As a result of the business downturn we were experiencing in the fourth quarter of 2008 and the uncertain business outlook, we took additional actions to reduce expenses, resulting in a restructuring charge, primarily related to severance, of $542,000 for the year 2008.  During the first quarter of 2009, restructure activities resulted in net additional charges of $22,000, representing severance and costs associated with terminating vehicle leases.  During the second quarter, we consolidated our operations into a smaller portion of our leased space, resulting in a lease abandonment restructure charge of $208,000, partially offset by reductions in previously accrued personnel, automobile lease and legal restructuring costs.  During the third quarter we had additional charges of $23,000 in severance-related costs.  At December 31, 2009, $158,000 remains accrued and is expected to be paid out during 2010 and 2011.  Of that amount, $58,000 in lease abandonment period amounts are accrued as other long-term liabilities and will be fully paid out by July 2011. 

 

Industry Background

 

Data I/O enables companies to improve productivity and reduce costs by providing device programming solutions that allow our customers to take intellectual property (large design and data files) and program it into memory, microcontroller and logic devices quickly and cost-effectively.  Data I/O also provides services related to hardware support, system installation and repair, and device programming.  Companies that design and manufacture products ranging from cell phones to automobiles, that utilize programmable electronic devices, purchase these solutions from us. 

Our automated programming systems integrate both programming and handling functions into a single product solution.  Quality conscious customers, particularly those in the field of high-volume manufacturing and programming, continue to drive this portion of our business.

 

Traditionally, programming market opportunity focused on the number of semiconductor devices to be programmed, but because of the rapid increase in the density of devices, the focus is shifting to the number of bits per device to be programmed as described in the following table:

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Products

 

In order to accommodate the expanding variety and quantities of programmable devices being manufactured today, Data I/O offers multiple solutions for the numerous types of device mix and volume usage by our customers in the various market segments and applications.  We work closely with leading manufacturers of programmable devices to develop our products to meet the requirements of a particular device. 

 

Data I/O’s line of programming systems includes a broad range of products, systems, modules, and accessories, grouped into two general categories: automated programming solutions and manual programming systems.  We provide two main categories of automated programming systems: off-line and in-line.  Data I/O’s automated programming systems and FlashPAK™ share a common programming platform, FlashCORE™ and Data I/O’s universal job setup tool, Tasklink®.  In addition, we provide device support and service on all of our products.  Device support is a critical aspect of our business and consists of writing software algorithms for devices and developing socket adapters to hold and connect to the device for programming.

 

Data I/O’s key product and the customer benefits/key features Data I/O believes are important are described in the following table:

 

 

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Customers

 

Data I/O sells our products to customers worldwide in a broad range of industries, as described in the following table:

 

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Data I/O’s solutions address a large, growing market.  In 2008, there were 17 billion programmable devices shipped with  NAND and NOR flash and microcontrollers representing 23%, 31%, and 40%, respectively.  While the programmable device market contracted in 2009 due to the economic downturn, rapid growth is projected for 2010 and 2011.

 

iSupply, a leading economic forecasting firm that follows the semiconductor industry, recently raised their forecast for the industry to $280B, up approximately 22% from the $230B level of 2009.  Spending for portable media players, set top boxes, LCD televisions, netbook computers and new household appliances filled with electronics continues to grow.  IMS Research now expects annual smartphone sales to grow at a compound annual rate of 25.9% between now and 2015.The world’s appetite for electronics grows despite global economic stress and that’s driving the semiconductor industry.

 

We believe that our sales are driven by the same forces that propel the semiconductor industry.  We sell to the same firms that buy the semiconductors.  When their business grows, they buy more semiconductors which, in turn, require additional programming equipment to maintain production speeds, driving demand for our products.

 

Addressing High Growth, High Volume Markets.  Data I/O’s device programming solutions currently target two high growth, high volume markets: flash for mobile devices and microcontrollers for automotive electronics. 

 

Growth drivers of NAND flash in Mobile Devices

·         Flash unit volume experiencing explosive growth

·         Increasing usage of NAND; replacing NOR due to its lower cost per bit

·         Densities continue to increase beyond 8GB driving the need for more advanced and secure programming capabilities

·         Higher densities driving new usage models such as the Blackberry and other smart phones

 

Growth drivers of microcontrollers in Automotive

·         Consumers desire advanced car features requiring higher levels of sophistication including infotainment products (audio, radio, satellite, navigation and wireless connectivity) as well as increased safety features and optimized engine functionality

·         ~60 microcontrollers per vehicle

·         Proliferation of programmable microcontrollers to support the next-generation electronic car systems

·         Increasing use of high-density flash to provide memory for advanced applications that require programming

 

Increasingly, OEMs are outsourcing their device programming needs to EMS contract manufacturers to reduce capital expense and maximize profit margins.  At the same time, these OEMs are also increasing their proprietary software content to accelerate new product introductions with more feature-rich, application-specific versions.  While the outsourcing of manufacturing processes is essential to maximizing an OEM’s profit margin, maintaining the integrity and control of the software, the OEM’s core intellectual property, is increasingly complex in this outsourced environment, especially given the global nature of the manufacturing supply chain.  Data I/O, with its comprehensive programming solution, provides OEM’s with the ability to manage, monitor, audit and secure the software supply chain. 

 

During 2009, we sold products to over 751 customers throughout the world.  As of December 31, 2009, there was one customer, Flextronics, which accounted for approximately 12% of our 2009 net sales.  In 2008, there were no customers that accounted for more than 10% of 2008 net sales.  In 2007, there were no customers that accounted for more than 10% of 2007 net sales.

 

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As of December 31, 2009, one customer, Flextronics, represented 23.2% of our accounts receivable balances.  As of December 31, 2008, Flextronics represented 13.3% of our accounts receivable balances.  As of December 31, 2007, there were no customers that represented more than 10% of our accounts receivable balances. 

 

Geographic Markets and Distribution

 

Data I/O markets and sells our products through a combination of direct sales, internal telesales, and indirect sales representatives and distributors.  We continually evaluate our sales channels against our evolving markets and customers and realign them as necessary to ensure that we reach our customers in the most efficient manner possible.

 

U.S. Sales

 

We market our products throughout the U.S. using a variety of sales channels, including our own field sales management personnel, independent sales representatives, and a direct telesales organization.  Our U.S. independent sales representatives obtain orders on an agency basis, with shipments made directly to the customer by Data I/O.  Net sales in the United States for 2009, 2008, and 2007 were $2,268,000, $4,070,000 and $4,925,000, respectively.

 

Foreign Sales

 

Foreign sales represented approximately 88%, 85% and 82% of net sales of our programming systems in 2009, 2008, and 2007, respectively.  We make foreign sales through our wholly-owned subsidiaries in Germany, China, and Canada, as well as through independent distributors and sales representatives located in 35 other countries.  Our independent foreign distributors purchase Data I/O products in U.S. Dollars for resale and we recognize the sale at the time of shipment to the distributor.  As with U.S. sales representatives, sales made by international sales representatives are on an agency basis, with shipments made directly to the customer by us. 

 

Net foreign sales for 2009, 2008 and 2007 were $16,281,000, $23,527,000 and $21,827,000, respectively.  We determine total foreign sales by the international geographic area into which the products are sold and delivered, and include not only sales by foreign subsidiaries but also export sales from the U.S. to our foreign distributors and to our representatives’ customers.  Foreign sales do not include transfers between Data I/O and our foreign subsidiaries.  Export sales are subject to U.S. Department of Commerce regulations.  We have not, however, experienced difficulties to date as a result of these requirements.

 

Fluctuating exchange rates and other factors beyond our control, such as international monetary stability, tariff and trade policies, and U.S. and foreign tax and economic policies, affect the level and profitability of foreign sales.  We cannot predict the effect of such factors on our business, but we try to consider and respond to changes in these factors, particularly as the majority of our costs are U.S.-based while the vast majority of our sales are international. 

 

Competition

 

The competition in the programming systems market is highly fragmented with a large number of smaller organizations offering inexpensive solutions.  While we are not aware of any published industry market information covering the programming systems market, according to our inside analysis of competitors, we estimate that for 2008 and 2009, Data I/O revenues were at least twice the size of the next largest direct competitor and approximately four times the size of the second largest direct competitor. 

 

 

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Benefit Comparison	Data I/O Automated Solutions	Alternative Solutions
		In-System Programming with ATE	Outsourced Programming	Manual Programming*
Eliminates production bottlenecks	x		x
Requires few internal engineering resources	x		x	x
Programs large files quickly	x		x
Supports multiple devices per board easily	x		x	x
Supports multiple boards per panel easily	x		x	x
Ensures minimum yield loss	x	x
Enables intellectual property protections	x	x
Automates quality tracking	x	x
Ensures traceability and configuration control	x	x
Minimize risk of human error	x	x
No inventory at risk from software changes	x	x
Just-in-time programming	x	x

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

 

During 2009, 2008, 2007, we made expenditures for research and development of $4,128,000, $4,464,000, $4,716,000, respectively, representing 22.3%, 16.2% and 17.6% of net sales, respectively.  Research and development costs are expensed as incurred. 

 

Patents, Copyrights, Trademarks, and Licenses

 

Data I/O relies on a combination of patents, copyrights, trade secrets and trademarks to protect our intellectual property, as well as product development and marketing skill, to establish and protect our market position.  We have continued to add new patents to our patent portfolio over the past few years as we developed strategic new technologies like the FLX500.

 

In March 2008 we closed the sale of selected patents and patent applications to Leannoux Properties AG L.L.C.  for net proceeds of approximately $3.3 million and reported a net gain of approximately $2.1 million.  The patents and patent applications sold relate primarily to technology used in Data I/O’s ProLINE-RoadRunner product line.  Data I/O retains a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use the technology covered by these patents and applications.  Additional payments are due to Data I/O upon license or transfer of these patents and patent applications to certain third parties.  However, Data I/O does not currently anticipate receiving any such payments.

 

Most of the patents sold relate to technology that Data I/O has been using for a number of years.  The sale monetizes the value of these patents, avoids future annual maintenance and patent defense expenses, and allows Data I/O royalty-free use of them.  The sale did not include technology related to the firm’s most recent development programs.

 

We attempt to protect our rights in proprietary software products, including TaskLink and other software products, by retaining the title to and copyright of the software and documentation, by including appropriate contractual restrictions on use and disclosure in our licenses, and by requiring our employees to execute non-disclosure agreements.  Our software products are not normally sold separately from sales of programming systems.  However, on those occasions where software is sold separately, revenue is recognized when a sales agreement exists, delivery has occurred, the fee is fixed or determinable, and collectability is probable. 

 

Because of the rapidly changing technology in the semiconductor, electronic equipment and software industries, portions of our products might possibly infringe upon existing patents or copyrights, and we may be required to obtain licenses or discontinue the use of the infringing technology.  We believe that any exposure we may have regarding possible infringement claims is a reasonable business risk similar to that assumed by other companies in the electronic equipment and software industries.  However, any claim of infringement, with or without merit, could be costly and a diversion of management’s attention, and an adverse determination could adversely affect our reputation, preclude us from offering certain products, and subject us to substantial liability.

 

Employees

 

As of December 31, 2009, we had a total of 92 employees, of which 36 were located outside the U.S. and 6 of which are part time.  We also utilize independent contractors for specialty work, primarily in research and development, and utilize temporary workers to adjust capacity to fluctuating demand and for special projects.  Many of our employees are highly skilled and our continued success will depend in part upon our ability to attract and retain employees who can be in great demand within the industry.  None of our employees are represented by a collective bargaining unit and we believe relations with our employees are favorable.  In foreign countries we have employment agreements or, in China, the Shanghai Foreign Services Co., Ltd.  (“FSCO”) labor agreement.

 

Environmental Compliance

 

Our facilities are subject to numerous laws and regulations concerning the discharge of materials or otherwise relating to the environment.  Compliance with environmental laws has not had, nor is it expected to have, a material effect on our capital expenditures, financial position, results of operations or competitive position.  See Item 3, Legal Proceedings, regarding the Rowley Properties, Inc. claim.   

 

 

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Executive Officers of the Registrant

 

Set forth below is certain information concerning the executive officers of Data I/O as of March 12, 2010:

 

 

Frederick R. Hume joined Data I/O as President and Chief Executive Officer in February 1999.  He was appointed to the Board of Directors of Data I/O in January 1999.  From 1988 until his retirement in 1998, Mr. Hume served as Vice President and General Manager of Keithley Instruments in Cleveland, Ohio.  From 1972 to 1988, he held various management positions at Fluke Corporation, including Group Vice President for Manufacturing and Research and Development.

 

Joel S. Hatlen joined Data I/O in September 1991 and became Chief Accounting Officer and Corporate Controller in February 1997.  In January 1998, he was promoted to Vice President of Finance and Chief Financial Officer, Secretary and Treasurer.  He began his career at Data I/O as a Senior Tax Accountant and became Tax Manager in December 1992 and Corporate Controller in December 1993.  From September 1981 until joining Data I/O, Mr. Hatlen was employed by Ernst & Young LLP, where his most recent position was Senior Manager. 

 

Gordon B. Bluechel joined Data I/O in November 1992 and was named an executive officer in November 2008.  He currently serves as the Vice President of Operations and Administration.  Prior to his current role, he served as Vice President/Director of Operations beginning in 2007, Director of Operations from 2005 to 2007, General Manager of In-System Programming from 2004 to 2005, Director of Americas Sales and Service from 2002 to 2004, Director of Worldwide Service from 2001 to 2002, General Manager of Sprint Operations in Germany from 2000 to 2001.  Prior to being named General Manager of Sprint Operations, Mr. Bluechel held various management and staff positions with Data I/O Corporation. 

 

 

Data I/O’s disclosure and analysis in this Annual Report contains some forward-looking statements.  Forward-looking statements include our current expectations or forecasts of future events.  The reader can identify these statements by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts.  In particular, these include statements relating to future action, prospective products, new technologies, establishing foreign operations, future performance or results of current and anticipated products, sales efforts, expenses, outsourcing of functions, outcome of contingencies, impact of regulatory requirements, restructure actions and financial results.

Any or all of the forward-looking statements in this Annual Report or in any other public statement made may turn out to be wrong.  They can be affected by inaccurate assumptions we might make, or known or unknown risks and uncertainties can affect these forward-looking statements.  Many factors -- for example, product competition and product development -- will be important in determining future results.  Moreover, neither Data I/O nor anyone else assumes responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of these forward-looking statements.  Actual future results may materially vary.

We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements after the date of this Annual Report, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.  The reader should not unduly rely on our forward-looking statements.  The reader is advised, however, to consult any future disclosures Data I/O makes on related subjects in our 10-Q, 8-K and 10-K reports to the SEC and press releases.  Also, note that Data I/O provides the following cautionary discussion of risks, uncertainties and possible inaccurate assumptions relevant to our business.  These are factors that we think could cause Data I/O’s actual results to differ materially from expected and historical results.  Other factors besides those listed here could also adversely affect Data I/O.  This discussion is permitted by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

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RISK FACTORS

A decline in economic and market conditions may result in decreased capital spending and delayed or defaulted payments from our customers.

Our business is highly impacted by capital spending plans and other economic cycles that affect the users and manufacturers of integrated circuits.  These industries are highly cyclical and are characterized by rapid technological change, short product life cycles, and fluctuations in manufacturing capacity and pricing and gross margin pressures.  As we experienced in recent years and are currently experiencing, our operations may in the future reflect substantial fluctuations from period-to-period as a consequence of these industry patterns, general economic conditions affecting the timing of orders from major customers, and other factors affecting capital spending.  In addition, in the current difficult economic climate it may take us longer to receive payments from our customers and some of our customers’ business may fail, resulting in non-payment.  These factors could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition.

Delays in development, introduction and shipment of new products or services may result in a decline in sales.

Data I/O develops new engineering and automated programming systems and services.  Significant technological, supplier, manufacturing or other problems may delay the development, introduction or production of these products or services.

For example, we may encounter these problems:

·              technical problems in the development of a new programming system platform or the robotics for new automated handing systems

·              inability to hire qualified personnel

·              delays or failures to perform by third parties involved in our development projects

·              development of new services that are not accepted by the market

Delays in the development, completion and shipment of new products or services, or failure of customers to accept new products, may result in a decline in sales.

Quarterly fluctuations in our operating results may adversely affect our stock price.

Data I/O’s operating results tend to vary from quarter to quarter.  Our revenue in each quarter substantially depends upon orders received within that quarter.  Conversely, our expenditures are based on investment plans and estimates of future revenues.  We may, therefore, be unable to quickly reduce our spending if our revenues decline in a given quarter.  As a result, operating results for that quarter will suffer.  Our results of operations for any one quarter are not necessarily indicative of results for any future periods.

Other factors, which may cause our quarterly operating results to fluctuate, include:

·              increased competition

·              timing of new product announcements

·              product or service releases and pricing changes by us or our competitors

·              market acceptance or delays in the introduction of new products or services

·              production constraints

·              quality issues

·              labor or material shortages

·              the timing of significant orders

·              the sales channel mix of direct vs. indirect distribution

·              war or terrorism

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·              health issues (such as the H1N1 virus)

·              customers’ budgets

·              adverse movements in exchange rates, interest rates or tax rates

·              cyclical nature of demand for our customers’ products

·              general economic conditions in the countries where we sell products

·              expenses and obtaining authorizations in setting up new operations or locations

Due to all of the foregoing factors, it is possible that in some future quarters, our operating results will be below expectations of analysts and investors.

Failure to adapt to technology trends in our industry may hinder our competitiveness and financial results.

Product and service technology in Data I/O’s industry evolves rapidly, making timely product innovation essential to success in the marketplace.  Introducing products and services with improved technologies or features may render our existing products obsolete and unmarketable.  Technological advances that may negatively impact our business include: 

·              new device package types, densities, and technologies requiring hardware and software changes in order to be programmed by our products

·              electronics equipment manufacturing practices, such as widespread use of in-circuit programming

·              customer software platform preferences different from those on which our products operate

·              more rigid industry standards, which would decrease the value-added element of our products and support services

If we cannot develop products or services in a timely manner in response to industry changes, or if our products or services do not perform well, our business and financial condition may be adversely affected.  Also, our new products or services may contain defects or errors that give rise to product liability claims against us or cause our products to fail to gain market acceptance.  Our future success depends on our ability to successfully compete with other technology firms in attracting and retaining key technical personnel.

We have a history of recent operating losses and may be unable to generate enough revenue to achieve and maintain profitability.

We have incurred operating losses in two of the last five years.  We will continue to examine our level of operating expense based upon our projected revenues.  Any planned increases in operating expenses may result in larger losses in future periods if projected revenues are not achieved.  As a result, we may need to generate greater revenues than we have recently to achieve and maintain profitability.  However, we cannot provide assurance that our revenues will increase and our strategy may not be successful, resulting in future losses.

Our restructuring activities may have a negative impact on our future operations.

Our restructuring plans may yield unanticipated consequences, such as increased burden on our administrative, operational, and financial resources and increased responsibilities for our management personnel.  As a result, our ability to respond to unexpected challenges may be impaired and we may be unable to take advantage of new opportunities.

In addition, many of the employees that were terminated as a part of our restructuring possessed specific knowledge or expertise, and that knowledge or expertise may prove to have been important to our operations.  In that case, their absence may create significant difficulties, particularly if our business experiences significant growth.  Also, the reduction in workforce related to our restructuring may subject us to the risk of litigation, which could result in substantial cost.  Any failure by us to properly manage this rapid change in workforce could impair our ability to efficiently manage our business, to maintain and develop important relationships with third-parties, and to attract and retain customers.  It could also cause us to incur higher operating cost and delays in the execution of our business plan or in the reporting or tracking of our financial results.

We may need to raise additional capital and our future access to capital is uncertain.

Our past revenues have been and our future revenues may continue to be insufficient to support the expense of our operations and any expansion of our business.  We may therefore need additional equity or debt capital to finance our operations.  If we are unable to generate sufficient cash flows from operations or to obtain funds through additional debt or equity financing, we may have to reduce some or all of our development and sales and marketing efforts and limit the expansion of our business. 

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We believe our existing cash and cash equivalents will be sufficient to meet our working capital requirements for at least the next twelve months.  Thereafter, depending on the development of our business, we may need to raise additional cash for working capital or other expenses.  We may also encounter opportunities for acquisitions or other business initiatives that require significant cash commitments, or unanticipated problems or expenses that could result in a requirement for additional cash before that time.

Therefore, we may seek additional funding through public or private debt or equity financing or from other sources.  We have no commitments for additional financing, and given the current economic climate may experience difficulty in obtaining funding on favorable terms, if at all.  Any financing we obtain may contain covenants that restrict our freedom to operate our business or may require us to issue securities that have rights, preferences or privileges senior to our Common Stock and may dilute your ownership interest.

We may face increased competition and may not be able to compete successfully with current and future competitors.

Technological advances have reduced the barriers of entry into the programming systems market.  We expect competition to increase from both established and emerging companies.  If we fail to compete successfully against current and future sources of competition, our profitability and financial performance will be adversely impacted.

If our relationship with semiconductor manufacturers deteriorates, our business may be adversely affected.

We work closely with most semiconductor manufacturers to ensure that our programming systems comply with their requirements.  In addition, many semiconductor manufacturers recommend our programming systems for use by users of their programmable devices.  These working relationships enable us to keep our programming systems product lines up to date and provide end-users with broad and current programmable device support.  Our business may be adversely affected if our relationships with semiconductor manufacturers deteriorate.

Our reliance on a small number of suppliers may result in a shortage of key components, which may adversely affect our business, and our suppliers may experience financial difficulties which could effect their ability to service Data I/O’s needs.

Certain parts used in our products are currently available from either a single supplier or from a limited number of suppliers.  If we cannot develop alternative sources of these components, if sales of parts are discontinued by the supplier, if we experience deterioration in our relationship with these suppliers, or if these suppliers require financing which is not available there may be delays or reductions in product introductions or shipments, which may materially adversely affect our operating results.

Because we rely on a small number of suppliers for certain parts, we are subject to possible price increases by these suppliers.  Also, we may be unable to accurately forecast our production schedule.  If we underestimate our production schedule, suppliers may be unable to meet our demand for components.  This delay in the supply of key components may materially adversely affect our business.  Over estimation of demand will lead to excess inventories that may become obsolete.

The non-automated programming system products we acquired with our acquisition of SMS in November 1998 are currently manufactured to our specifications by a third-party foreign contract manufacturer.  We may not be able to obtain a sufficient quantity of these products if and when needed, which may result in lost sales.

If we are unable to attract and retain qualified third-party distributors and representatives, our business may be adversely affected.

Data I/O has an internal sales force and also utilizes third-party distributors and representatives.  Therefore, the financial stability of these distributors and representatives is important.  Their ability to timely pay Data I/O and to acquire any necessary financing may be affected by the current economic climate.  Highly skilled professional engineers use most of our products.  To be effective, third-party distributors and representatives must possess significant technical, marketing and sales resources and must devote their resources to sales efforts, customer education, training and support.  These required qualities limit the number of potential third-party distributors and representatives.  Our business will suffer if we cannot attract and retain a sufficient number of qualified third-party distributors and representatives to market our products.

 

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International sales represented 88% and 85% of our net revenue for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2009 and December 31, 2008, respectively.  We expect that international sales will continue to be a significant portion of our net revenue.  International sales may fluctuate due to various factors, including:

·              migration of manufacturing to low cost geographies

·              unexpected changes in regulatory requirements

·              tariffs and taxes

·              difficulties in establishing, staffing and managing foreign operations

·              longer average payment cycles and difficulty in collecting accounts receivable

·              fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates

·              compliance with applicable export licensing requirements

·              product safety and other certification requirements

·              difficulties in integrating foreign and outsourced operations

·              political and economic instability

Because we have customers located throughout the world, we have significant foreign receivables.  We may experience difficulties in collecting these amounts as a result of payment practices of certain foreign customers, the availability and reliability of foreign credit information, and potential difficulties in enforcing collection terms. 

The European Community and European Free Trade Association (“EU”) has established certain electronic emission and product safety requirements (“CE”).  Although our products currently meet these requirements, failure to obtain either a CE certification or a waiver for any product may prevent us from marketing that product in Europe.  The EU also has directives concerning the Reduction of Hazardous Substances (“RoHS”) from which Data I/O is relying on an exemption for test and measurement companies.  China is implementing similar requirements.  Failure to meet applicable directives or qualifying exemptions may prevent us from marketing certain products in Europe or other territories with similar requirements. 

We have subsidiaries in Germany, China, Hong Kong, Brazil, and Canada.  Our business and financial condition is sensitive to currency exchange rates or any other restrictions imposed on their currencies.  Currency exchange fluctuations in these countries may adversely affect our investment in our subsidiaries.

If we are unable to protect our intellectual property, we may not be able to compete effectively or operate profitably.

 

Data I/O relies on patents, copyrights, trade secrets and trademarks to protect our intellectual property, as well as product development and marketing skill to establish and protect our market position.  We attempt to protect our rights in proprietary software products, including TaskLink, our intellectual property software, and other software products by retaining the title to and copyright of the software and documentation, by including appropriate contractual restrictions on use and disclosure in our licenses, and by requiring our employees to execute non-disclosure agreements.

 

Because of the rapidly changing technology in the semiconductor, electronic equipment and software industries, portions of our products might possibly infringe upon existing patents or copyrights, and we may be required to obtain licenses or discontinue the use of the infringing technology.  We believe that any exposure we may have regarding possible infringement claims is a reasonable business risk similar to that assumed by other companies in the electronic equipment and software industries.  However, any claim of infringement, with or without merit, could be costly and a diversion of management’s attention, and an adverse determination could adversely affect our reputation, preclude us from offering certain products, and subject us to substantial liability.

We may pursue business acquisitions that could impair our financial position and profitability.

We may pursue acquisitions of complementary technologies, product lines or businesses.  Future acquisitions may include risks, such as:

·              burdening management and our operating teams during the integration of the acquired entity

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·              diverting management’s attention from other business concerns

·              failing to successfully integrate the acquired products

·              lack of acceptance of the acquired products by our sales channels or customers

·              entering markets where we have no or limited prior experience

·              potential loss of key employees of the acquired company

·              additional burden of support for an acquired programmer architecture

Future acquisitions may also impact Data I/O’s financial position.  For example, we may use significant cash or incur additional debt, which would weaken our balance sheet.  We may also capitalize goodwill and intangible assets acquired, the impairment of which would reduce our profitability.  We cannot guarantee that future acquisitions will improve our business or operating results.

The loss of key employees may adversely affect our operations.

 

We have employees located in the U.S., Germany, and China.  We also utilize independent contractors for specialty work, primarily in research and development, and utilize temporary workers to adjust capacity to fluctuating demand.  Many of our employees are highly skilled and our continued success will depend in part upon our ability to attract and retain employees who can be in great demand within the industry.  None of our employees are represented by a collective bargaining unit and we believe relations with our employees are favorable though no assurance can be made that this will be the case in the future.  In China, our workers are “leased” with the arrangements made under the Shanghai Foreign Services Co., Ltd.  (“FSCO”) labor agreement and we could be adversely affected if we were unable to continue that arrangement.  Refer to the section captioned “Our restructuring activities may have a negative impact on our future operations” above. 

 

Failure to comply with regulatory requirements may adversely affect our stock price and business.

As a public company, we are subject to numerous governmental and stock exchange requirements, with which we believe we are in compliance.  The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) have requirements that we may fail to meet by the required deadlines or we may fall out of compliance with, such as the internal controls auditor attestation required under Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, with which we are not yet required to comply as we are not an accelerated filer.  Data I/O assumes it will continue to have the status of a smaller reporting company based on the aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting shares held as of June 30, 2009.  During the course of our testing we may identify deficiencies which we may not be able to remediate in time to meet the deadline imposed by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 for compliance with the requirements of Section 404.  We may also incur additional costs in order to comply with Section 404.  In addition, if we fail to achieve and maintain the adequacy of our internal controls, as such standards are modified, supplemented or amended from time to time, we may not be able to ensure that we can conclude on an ongoing basis that we have effective internal controls over financial reporting in accordance with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.  Moreover, effective internal controls, particularly those related to revenue recognition, are necessary for us to produce reliable financial reports and are important to help prevent financial fraud.  If we cannot provide reliable financial reports or prevent fraud, our business and operating results could be harmed, investors could lose confidence in our reported financial information, and the trading price of our stock could drop significantly.  Our failure to meet regulatory requirements and exchange listing standards may result in actions such as: the delisting of our stock, impacting our stock’s liquidity; SEC enforcement actions; and securities claims and litigation.  Regulatory and other requirements related to climate change may impact certain of our customers which might impact the demand for certain of our products.

Our stock price may be volatile and, as a result, you may lose some or all of your investment.

The stock prices of technology companies tend to fluctuate significantly.  We believe factors such as announcements of new products or services by us or our competitors and quarterly variations in financial results may cause the market price of Data I/O’s Common Stock to fluctuate substantially.  In addition, overall volatility in the stock market, particularly in the technology company sector, is often unrelated to the operating performance of companies.  If these market fluctuations continue in the future, they may adversely affect the price of Data I/O’s Common Stock.

 

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Item 1B.  Unresolved Staff Comments

None.

Item 2.  Properties

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

On February 28, 2006, Data I/O entered into a termination agreement for the Redmond headquarters facility lease and entered into a five year lease agreement for a 40,000 square foot office space also located in Redmond, Washington.  The lease commenced and the move occurred during the third quarter of 2006.   The lease base annual rental payments during 2008 were approximately $556,000.  The new lease requires base annual rental payments of approximately $570,000 for 2009.  We also entered into a new lease agreement during the second quarter of 2009 for our offices in Shanghai, China and Hong Kong and in the third quarter of 2009 for our office in Germany  

                                              

In addition to the Redmond facility, approximately 14,000 square feet is leased at three foreign locations, including our German sales, service and engineering operations located in Munich, Germany, and two sales, service, and engineering offices located in China. 

 

Item 3.  Legal Proceedings

 

As of December 31, 2009, Data I/O was not a party to any legal proceedings, the adverse outcome of which in management’s opinion, individually or in the aggregate, would have a material adverse effect on our results of operations or financial position. 

 

From time to time, we may be involved in litigation relating to claims arising out of our operations in the normal course of business. 

 

As previously disclosed, on January 22, 2008, our former landlord, (now known as Rowley Properties, Inc.), filed a Complaint in the Superior Court of Washington for King County (No. 08-2-03518-2 SEA) against Data I/O, Robert/Barbara Hiester and Steven/Jane Doe Hiester.  The claims against Data I/O include breach of agreement, waste, and an environmental remediation claim for contribution under RCW 70.105D.080.  No claim amount was specified in the Complaint.  The claims relate to a former circuit board fabrication business that Data I/O operated from 1978 to October 1988.  We sold that business to Circuit Partners whose officers and principal shareholders were Robert and Barbara Hiester.  We agreed to settle this case with Rowley Properties, Inc with the settlement amount paid by our insurer.  In April of 2009, Rowley Properties, Inc. and Data I/O entered into a mutual release and settlement agreement in which they released each other from claims related to this case and Rowley Properties, Inc. agreed to indemnify Data I/O against any claims from the other defendants related to this case.

 

Item 4.  [Reserved]

 

 

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PART II

 

 

Item 5.  Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

 

 

The following table shows, for the periods indicated, the high and low price information for Data I/O’s Common Stock as reported by the NASDAQ Capital Market (NASDAQ symbol is DAIO).  The closing price was $4.46 on December 31, 2009. 

 

 

The approximate number of shareholders of record as of March 12, 2010 was 557.

 

Except for special cash dividend of $4.15 per share paid on March 8, 1989, Data I/O has not paid cash dividends on our Common Stock and does not anticipate paying regular cash dividends in the foreseeable future. 

 

No sales of unregistered securities were made by Data I/O during the periods ended December 31, 2009 and December 31, 2008. 

 

See Item 12 for the Equity Compensation Plan Information.

 

Share repurchase program

 

On December 16, 2008, Data I/O’s board of directors authorized a stock repurchase program of up to 1 million shares of common stock, effective January 5, 2009.  As of December 31, 2009 no shares have been repurchased under this program.

On January 27, 2010 Data I/O’s board of directors authorized a stock repurchase program of up to 1 million shares of common stock during 2010.  The shares may be purchased in the open market, by block purchases or in private transactions, based on prevailing market conditions and price limits.  The program may be suspended or discontinued at any time.  The shares repurchased will be available for re-issuance to satisfy employee stock plans and for other corporate purposes.  The board also approved entering into a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan, which allows Data I/O to repurchase our common stock in the open market during periods in which stock trading is otherwise closed for the company.  The discretionary repurchase provisions and the 10b5-1 provisions of the program became effective in March 2010.

Item 6.  Selected Financial Data

 

Not applicable.

 

Item 7.  Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

 

Forward-Looking Statements

 

This Annual Report on Form 10-K includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  This Act provides a “safe harbor” for forward-looking statements to encourage companies to provide prospective information about themselves as long as they identify these statements as forward-looking and provide meaningful cautionary statements identifying important factors that could cause actual results to differ from the projected results.  All statements other than statements of historical fact made in this Annual Report on Form 10-K are forward-looking.  In particular, statements herein regarding economic outlook, industry prospects and trends; future results of operations or financial position; breakeven revenue point; integration of acquired products and operations; market acceptance of our newly introduced or upgraded products or services; development, introduction and shipment of new products or services; changing foreign operations; and any other guidance on future periods are forward-looking statements.  Forward-looking statements reflect management’s current expectations and are inherently uncertain.  Although Data I/O believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance, achievements, or other future events.  Moreover, neither Data I/O nor anyone else assumes responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of these forward-looking statements.  Data I/O is under no duty to update any of these forward-looking statements after the date of this Annual Report.  The Reader should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.  The following discussions and the section entitled “Risk Factors – Cautionary Factors That May Affect Future Results” describes some, but not all, of the factors that could cause these differences.

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OVERVIEW

 

We continued to focus on our primary goal of managing the business to achieve profitable operations, while developing, launching and enhancing products to drive revenue and earnings growth.  Our challenge continues to be operating in a cyclical and challenging industry environment.  We are continuing our efforts to balance business geography shifts, increasing costs and strategic investments in our business with the level of demand and mix of business we expect.  Tempering these efforts is the current economic uncertainty regarding the recovery in certain geographic and customer segments. 

 

We are focusing our research and development efforts in our strategic growth markets, namely new programming technology, and automated programming systems for the manufacturing environment.  We continue to focus on extending the capabilities and support for our FlashCORE architecture, and the ProLINE-RoadRunner, FLX, PS, and FlashPAK product lines.  Our applications innovation strategy provides complete solutions to target customer’s business problems.  These solutions generally have a larger software element, may involve third-party components, and in many cases, will be developed or customized to address the specific requirements of individual customers.  We believe by adding these features to our strategic product platforms, we will be able to set ourselves apart from other product suppliers and elevate our relationships with our customers to a partner level.  

 

Our customer focus has been on strategic high volume manufacturers in key market segments like wireless, automotive, industrial controls and programming centers and supporting NAND Flash and microcontrollers on our newer products to gain new accounts and in newer areas, such as microcontrollers for the automotive market with our new ProLINE-RoadRunner XLF.  We have continued to expand our China operations to take advantage of the growth of manufacturing in China and to operate close to our customers.  We continue to address the effectiveness of our sales and marketing organization and sales channels by adding and changing channels during 2007, 2008 and 2009.  We recognized the need to diversify our customer base and are continuing to take steps to broaden our channels of distribution and representation to reach a greater number of customers.  This decision, in regard to our China sales operations, made at the end of the first quarter of 2007, included eliminating some China direct selling expenses and increasing the use of agents that have established relationships with desired customers.  We have also added additional sales channel management in Asia to drive sales and manage this important region.  We believe these changes helped us more rapidly grow our business in China and Asia during 2008 and convert some of our fixed selling expenses to variable.  In the second half of 2008 and early 2009 we have further focused on broadening our sales coverage in the Americas and have added additional sales representative channels, again expanding the use of a variable cost model.

 

On March 18, 2008, the Company completed the sale of selected patents and patent applications to Leannoux Properties AG L.L.C.  Net proceeds were approximately $3.3 million with a net gain of approximately $2.1 million.

 

BUSINESS RESTRUCTURING PROGRESS

 

During 2006 and 2007, restructuring activities were taken to reduce expenses and improve margins, as well as to lower our quarterly breakeven point and improve our operating results and the effectiveness of our sales and marketing organization and sales channels.  These actions included re-engineering some internal processes, integrating some activities, transferring some activities to our lower cost base of operations in China, reducing resources applied to declining legacy products, moving some engineering positions to production, reducing the number of taxable entities, outsourcing some functions such as payroll, combining some positions, eliminating some functions, and shifting some responsibilities and resources to our channels. 

 

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As a result of the business downturn we were experiencing in the fourth quarter of 2008 and the uncertain business outlook, additional restructuring actions were taken to further reduce expenses.  This resulted in a restructuring charge of $535,000, primarily related to severance, during the fourth quarter and a total of $542,000 for the year.  We took additional actions in 2009 totaling $203,000 to flatten and streamline the organization, as well as reducing cost, by decreasing the size of our Board and abandoning a portion of our building space.  At December 31, 2009, $158,000 remains accrued and will be fully paid out by July 2011.

 

 cRITICAL aCCOUNTING pOLICY jUDGMENTS AND eSTIMATES

 

The preparation of financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires that we make estimates and judgments, which affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses, and related disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities.  On an on-going basis, Data I/O evaluates our estimates, including those related to sales returns, bad debts, inventories, investments, intangible assets, income taxes, warranty obligations, restructuring charges, contingencies such as litigation, and contract terms that have multiple elements and other complexities typical in the capital equipment industry.  We base our estimates on historical experience and other assumptions that we believe are reasonable under the circumstances.  Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. 

 

Data I/O believes the following critical accounting policies affect the more significant judgments and estimates used in the preparation of our financial statements:

 

Revenue Recognition:  Sales of Data I/O’s semiconductor programming equipment are recognized at the time of shipment.  We have determined that our automated products have reached a point of maturity and stability such that product acceptance can be assured by testing at the factory prior to shipment and that the installation meets the criteria to be considered a separate element.  These systems are standard products with published product specifications and are configurable with standard options.  The evidence that these systems could be accepted was based upon having standardized factory production of the units, results from batteries of tests of product performance to our published specifications, quality inspections and installation standardization, as well as past product operation validation with customers and the history provided by our installed base of products upon which the current versions were based.   When arrangements include multiple elements, we use objective evidence of fair value to allocate revenue to the various elements and recognize revenue when the criteria for revenue recognition have been met for each element.  The amount of revenue recognized is affected by our judgments as to the collectability of the transaction or whether an arrangement includes multiple elements and if so, whether specific objective evidence of fair value exists for those elements.  The measure of standalone fair value of the product versus the service installation value component is determined by the amount Data I/O pays to independent representative service groups or the amount of additional discount given to independent distributors, to provide the service installation.  Changes to the elements in an arrangement and the ability to establish specific objective evidence for those elements could affect the timing of the revenue recognition.  These conditions could be subjective and actual results could vary from the estimated outcome. 

 

Installation that is considered perfunctory includes any installation that can be performed by other parties, such as distributors, other vendors, or in most cases the customer themselves.  This takes into account the complexity, skill, and training needed as well as customer expectations regarding installation.  The revenue related to products requiring installation that is perfunctory is recognized at the time of shipment provided that persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, shipment has occurred, the price is fixed or determinable, and collectability is reasonably assured.

 

We record revenue from the sale of service and update contracts as deferred revenue and we recognize it on a straight-line basis over the contractual period, which is typically one year. 

 

We establish a reserve for sales returns based on historical trends in product returns and estimates for new items.  Data I/O has a stated return policy that customers can return standard products for any reason within 30 days after delivery provided that the returned product is received in its original condition, including all packaging materials, for a refund of the price paid less a restocking charge of 30% of the total amount invoiced for the product returned, unless such restocking charge is waived in writing by Data I/O.  For us to recognize revenue, the price is fixed or determinable at the date of the sale, the buyer has paid or is obligated to pay and the obligation is not contingent on resale of the product, the buyer’s obligation would not be changed in the event of theft, physical destruction or damage to the product, the buyer acquiring the product for resale has economic substance apart from Data I/O and we have  no contractual obligations for future performance to directly bring about the resale of the product by the buyer. 

 

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts: We base the allowance for doubtful accounts receivable on our assessment of the collectability of specific customer accounts and the aging of accounts receivable.  If there is deterioration of a major customer’s credit worthiness or actual defaults are higher than historical experience, our estimates of the recoverability of amounts due to us could be adversely affected. 

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Inventory: Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or market.  Adjustments are made to standard cost, which approximates cost on a first-in, first-out basis.  We estimate reductions to inventory for obsolete, slow-moving, excess and non-salable inventory by reviewing current transactions and forecasted product demand.  We evaluate our inventories on an item by item basis and record inventory adjustments accordingly.  If there is a significant decrease in demand for our products or there is a higher risk of inventory obsolescence because of rapidly changing technology and customer requirements, Data I/O may be required to increase our inventory adjustments and our gross margin could be adversely affected. 

 

Warranty Accruals: Data I/O accrues for warranty costs based on the expected material and labor costs to fulfill our warranty obligations.  If we experience an increase in warranty claims, which are higher than our historical experience, our gross margin could be adversely affected. 

 

Tax Valuation Allowances:  Given the uncertainty created by our loss history, as well as the current uncertain economic outlook for our industry and capital spending, Data I/O expects to continue to limit the recognition of net deferred tax assets and accounting for uncertain tax positions and maintain the tax valuation allowances.  We expect, therefore, that reversals of the tax valuation allowance will take place only as we are able to take advantage of the underlying tax loss or other attributes in carry forward.  The transfer pricing and expense or cost sharing arrangements are complex areas where judgments, such as the determination of arms-length arrangements, can be subject to challenges by different tax jurisdictions. 

 

Share-based Compensation:  We accounted for share-based awards made to our employees and directors, including employee stock option awards and restricted and performance share awards, using the estimated grant date fair value method of accounting.  We estimate the fair value using the Black-Scholes valuation model, which requires the input of highly subjective assumptions, including the option’s expected life and the price volatility of the underlying stock.  The expected stock price volatility assumption was determined using the historical volatility of the Company’s common stock.  Changes in the subjective assumptions required in the valuation model may significantly affect the estimated value of the awards, the related stock-based compensation expense and, consequently, our results of operations.  Beginning in the second quarter of 2006, restricted stock awards were granted.  Employee Stock Purchase Plan (“ESPP) shares were issued under provisions that do not require us to record any equity compensation expense.

 

Results of Operations

 

Net Sales

 

 

For the year ended December 31, 2009 compared to the same period of 2008, sales decreased by approximately $9.0 million or 32.8% for the year.  The decrease stems from the general industry downturn that we began experiencing in the fourth quarter of 2008 that worsened in the first half of 2009 and then began to recover during the second half of 2009.  We experienced lower revenues for each of our product families and for each of our sales geographies.   Automated systems other than the ProLINE RoadRunner, which only declined 16%, had the largest sales declines.  Automotive and programming center-related business was very weak.  Wireless smart phone-related business was our strongest customer segment and was the first segment to adopt our new FlashCORE III technology.  For non-automated systems, our legacy Unifamily and Sprint systems, with mixed engineering and manufacturing use, declined 25% compared to the FlashPAK family, primarily manual manufacturing use systems used in Asia, which declined 38%. 

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International sales for the year ended 2009 were 87.8% of sales and decreased by approximately 30.8% compared to the same period in 2008.  By geographic region, sales in Asia decreased 38%, Europe decreased 32% and Americas decreased 30%.  Our backlog was $1.9 million on December 31, 2009 compared to $2.0 million on December 31, 2008. 

 

During 2009, our development team integrated the FlashCORE III into our PS, ProLINE-RoadRunner, FLX, and FlashPAK system families.  We expect FlashCORE III to be an important driver of business as it is focused on programming the latest high density flash devices.  It also gives us an opportunity to replace or upgrade our installed base of systems for customers using these newer devices.  During 2010, we plan to introduce additional new product solutions and product enhancements.  Early in 2009, we completed the addition of new independent sales representatives to improve our United States territory coverage.  During the year we have trained these new channels and are seeing that they are coming up to speed on our products and the ability to find new customer prospects.  While economic uncertainty still is present, we believe that the forecast growth in the generally related semiconductor equipment industry, as well as expectations for a recovery in capital equipment spending, bodes well for growing demand for our systems during the coming year. 

 

Gross Margin

 

 

Gross margins decreased by approximately $6.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2009.  Gross margin as a percentage of sales in 2009 was 53.7 percent, compared with 58.8 percent in 2008.  This gross margin percentage decline compared to 2008 was primarily due to the impact of decreased sales volume relative to fixed operating costs as well as the labor application variance effect resulting from declining inventory levels during the year combined with lower production levels.  The labor rate and application variance for 2009 compared to 2008 was unfavorable by $310,000.  The standard cost changes variances for 2009 compared to 2008 was unfavorable by $187,000.  .  Partially offsetting these were favorable variances for 2009 compared to 2008 for warranty of $170,000 and freight of $172,000 caused primarily by lower sales volumes in 2009.  Also offsetting the margin percentage decline were improved direct materials margins due to product mix with lower margin products having the largest sales declines, as well as cost improvements in our PS and RoadRunner product lines.

 

Research and Development

 

 

Research and development (“R&D”) spending for the year ended December 31, 2009 compared to the same period in 2008, decreased by approximately $336,000 due to the restructure actions and re-engineering of internal processes, including shifts of engineering work to our China based operations.  R&D spending as a percentage of sales increased, however, due to the decreased revenue for the year.  Data I/O’s R&D objectives continue to focus on platform enhancements and application engineering development on the FLX500, PS, ProLINE-RoadRunner and FlashPAK and our FlashCORE programmer architecture.

 

Our R&D spending also fluctuates based on the number and the development stage of projects.  New products introduced in 2009 include FlashCORE III, our new programming architecture; PS 388, a new member of the PS family of automated programming systems, incorporating FlashCORE III; FlashPAK III; and FlashCORE III upgrades to our other automated systems.

 

We believe it is essential to invest in R&D to significantly enhance our existing products and to create new products as markets develop and technologies change.  In addition to product development, a significant part of R&D spending is on creating software and support for new devices introduced by the semiconductor companies.  We are focusing our R&D efforts on strategic growth markets, namely new programming technology and automated programming systems for the manufacturing environment; particularly extending the capabilities and support for our FlashCORE programmer architecture and automated handling solutions.  

21

 

Selling, General and Administrative

 

 

Selling, general and administrative (“SG&A”) expenses for the year ending December 31, 2009, compared to the same period in 2008, decreased approximately $1,617,000.  The expense reduction was due primarily to a decrease of approximately $860,000 in net personnel costs and other restructure-related savings; lower bonus expense of $350,000 compared to 2008 bonus incentive compensation of $580,000; as well as expense reductions in depreciation, travel, marketing, facilities, investor relations, employee benefits and selling commissions.  For 2010, we expect that the sales representatives we added in 2009 will help drive sales growth as they become more familiar with our products.  This is expected to add to variable cost selling commissions for the additional sales that they generate.

 

Interest

 

 

Interest income decreased by $102,000 for the twelve month period ending December 31, 2009 compared to the same period in 2008 due to lower yields on investments, despite the higher cash balance.  Interest expense decreased for the twelve month period ending December 31, 2009 compared to the same period in 2008 due to lower balances on the equipment capital lease.

 

Income Taxes

 

 

Income tax expense for 2009 relates to foreign and state income taxes.  For 2008, income tax expense was related to federal alternative minimum tax as well as foreign and state income taxes. 

 

For financial reporting purposes, Data I/O established tax valuation reserves against our deferred tax assets because of the uncertainty relating to the realization of such asset values.  We had valuation allowances of $9.3 million and $8.7 million at December 31, 2009 and 2008, respectively.  Given the uncertainty created by our past loss history, we expect to continue to limit the recognition of net deferred tax assets and maintain the tax valuation allowances.

 

Inflation and changes in Foreign currency exchange rates

 

Sales and expenses incurred by foreign subsidiaries are denominated in the subsidiary’s local currency and translated into U.S. Dollar amounts at average rates of exchange during the year.  We recognized foreign currency transaction gains and (losses) of $176,000 and ($153,000) in 2009 and 2008, respectively.  The transaction gains or losses resulted primarily from translation adjustments to  foreign inter-company accounts; sales by our German subsidiary to certain customers, which were invoiced in US dollars; and unhedged Brazilian currency balances.  At times, we hedge some of our foreign currency exposure on sales of inventory to our foreign subsidiaries through the use of foreign currency exchange contracts.   

 

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Financial Condition

 

Liquidity and Capital Resources

 

 

At December 31, 2009, Data I/O’s principal sources of liquidity consisted of existing cash and cash equivalents.  Our working capital increased by $21,000 and our current ratio increased from 4.3 in 2008 to 5.2 in 2009. 

 

For the year ended December 31, 2009, our cash and cash equivalents increased by $2.3 million primarily due to cash received from operating activities totaling approximately $2.8 million.  Cash received from operations primarily included collection of customer accounts receivable and reduction of inventory offset by the net loss for the year of ($811,000), which includes non cash depreciation and amortization of approximately $1.0 million.

 

We used approximately $569,000 of cash from investing activities during the year ended December 31, 2009 to purchase property, plant and equipment.  We expect that we will continue to make capital expenditures to support our business and anticipate that present working capital will be sufficient to meet our operating requirements.  Capital expenditures are expected to be funded by existing and internally generated funds or lease financing. 

 

As a result of our significant product development, customer support, international expansion and selling and marketing efforts, we require substantial working capital to fund our operations.  Over the last several years, we restructured our operations to lower our costs and operating expenditures in certain geographic regions and to lower the level of revenue required for our net income breakeven point, to preserve our cash position and to focus on profitable operations.  Offsetting these actions are our investments in expanded operations in China, equipment, and hiring new key personnel.  Given our strong cash position of $15.6 million as of December 31, 2009, we believe that we have sufficient working capital available under our operating plan to fund our operations and capital requirements through at least December 31, 2010.  Any substantial inability to achieve our current business plan could have a material adverse impact on our financial position, liquidity, or results of operations and may require us to reduce expenditures and/or seek additional financing.  Given the current economic climate, additional financing may be extremely difficult to obtain.

 

Long-term debt

 

 

During the third quarter of 2006, the Company entered into a five year capital lease agreement in the amount of $591,145.  The lease was used to fund new equipment and installation associated with our move to the new facility in July of 2006.    

 

OFF-balance sheet arrangements

 

Except as noted in Note 8, “Operating Lease and Other Commitments,” Data I/O had no off-balance sheet arrangements.

 

Share repurchase program

 

On December 16, 2008, Data I/O’s board of directors authorized a stock repurchase program of up to 1 million shares of common stock, effective January 5, 2009.  As of December 31, 2009 no shares have been repurchased under this program.

 

On January 27, 2010 Data I/O’s board of directors authorized a stock repurchase program of up to 1 million shares of common stock during 2010.  The shares may be purchased in the open market, by block purchases or in private transactions, based on prevailing market conditions and price limits.  The program may be suspended or discontinued at any time.  The shares repurchased will be available for re-issuance to satisfy employee stock plans and for other corporate purposes.  The board also approved entering into a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan for this 2010 stock repurchase program, which allows Data I/O to repurchase our common stock in the open market during periods in which stock trading is otherwise closed for the company.  The discretionary repurchase provisions and the 10b5-1 provisions of the program became effective in March 2010.

 

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Share holder Rights Plan

 

Data I/O’s Shareholder Rights Plan dated April 4, 1998 was scheduled to expire on April 4, 2008.  Data I/O’s Board of Directors amended and extended the Shareholder Rights Plan for an additional 10-year term on April 3, 2008.

 

NEW ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS

 

In October 2009, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (the “FASB”) issued a new guidance on the accounting for multiple-deliverable arrangements to enable vendors to account for products or services (“deliverables”) separately rather than as a combined unit.  The new guidance which is now part of ASC 605 “Revenue Recognition” establishes a selling price hierarchy for determining the selling price of a deliverable, which is based on: (a) vendor-specific objective evidence; (b) third-party evidence; or (c) estimates.  This standard also eliminates the residual method of allocation and requires that arrangement consideration be allocated at the inception of the arrangement to all deliverables using the relative selling price method.  In addition, this standard significantly expands required disclosures related to a vendor’s multiple-deliverable revenue arrangements.  This standard is effective prospectively for revenue arrangements entered into or materially modified in fiscal years beginning on or after June 15, 2010.  However, early adoption is permitted with accompanying application requirements.  We are currently evaluating the potential impact of this standard on our consolidated financial statements. 

 

In June 2009, the FASB issued Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (“SFAS”) No. 168, “The FASB Accounting Standards Codification™ and the Hierarchy of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles — a replacement of FASB Statement No. 162”. SFAS No. 168 replaces SFAS No. 162, and establishes the FASB Accounting Standards Codification (the “Codification”) as the source of authoritative U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”).  The Codification supersedes all existing U.S. accounting standards; all other accounting literature not included in the Codification (other than Securities and Exchange Commission guidance for publicly-traded companies) is considered non-authoritative.  The Codification, which modifies structure hierarchy and referencing of financial standards, was effective on a prospective basis for interim and annual financial periods ending after September 15, 2009.  The Codification is not intended to change or alter existing U.S. GAAP, and did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements other than to change references to accounting standards. 

 

In May 2009, the FASB issued new guidance for accounting for subsequent events.  The new guidance, which is now part of ASC 855 “Subsequent Events”, establishes general standards of accounting for, and disclosure of, events that occur after the balance sheet date but before financial statements are issued or are available to be issued.  The new guidance sets forth the period after the balance sheet date during which management of a reporting entity should evaluate events or transactions that may occur for potential recognition or disclosure in the financial statements, the circumstances under which an entity should recognize events or transactions occurring after the balance sheet date in its financial statements, and the disclosures that an entity should make about events or transactions that occurred after the balance sheet date.  The adoption of the guidance did not have an impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statement disclosures. 

 

In March 2008, the FASB issued new guidance on the disclosure of derivative instruments and hedging activities.  The new guidance, which is now part of ASC 815 “Derivatives and Hedging Activities”, is intended to improve financial reporting with respect to derivative instruments and hedging activities by requiring enhanced disclosures to enable investors to better understand the effects of these instruments and activities on an entity’s financial position, financial performance and cash flows.  The revised guidance is effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after November 15, 2008.  Our adoption of the revised guidance effective January 2009 did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statement disclosures. 

 

In December 2007, the FASB issued revised guidance for the accounting for business combinations.  The revised guidance, which is now part of ASC 805 “Business Combinations”, requires the acquiring entity in a business combination to recognize, at full fair value, all the assets acquired and liabilities assumed in the transaction; establishes the acquisition-date fair value as the measurement objective for all assets acquired and liabilities assumed; and requires the acquiring entity to disclose information needed to evaluate and understand the nature and financial effect of the business combination.  The revised guidance also changes the accounting for contingent consideration, in process research and development, and restructuring costs.  In addition, changes in uncertain tax positions or valuation allowances for deferred tax assets acquired in a business combination are recognized as adjustments to income tax expense or contributed capital, as appropriate.  The revised guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2008 and is to be applied prospectively.  We will prospectively apply the revised guidance to all business combinations occurring after January 2009.  We did not enter into any business combinations during 2009.

 

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Item 7A.  Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

 

Not applicable.

Item 8.  Financial Statements and Supplementary Data

 

See pages 26 through 44.

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Board of Directors and Stockholders
Data I/O Corporation

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Data I/O Corporation and subsidiaries (the Company) as of December 31, 2009 and 2008, and the related consolidated statements of operations, stockholders’ equity, and cash flows for each of the two years in the period ended December 31, 2009.  Our audits of the basic consolidated financial statements included the consolidated financial statement schedule (Schedule II).  These consolidated financial statements and consolidated financial statement schedule are the responsibility of the Company’s management.  Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these consolidated financial statements and consolidated financial statement schedule based on our audits.

 

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States).  Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement.  The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting.  Our audit included consideration of internal control over financial reporting as a basis for designing audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.  Accordingly, we express no such opinion.  An audit also includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation.  We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

 

In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Data I/O Corporation and subsidiaries as of December 31, 2009 and 2008, and the consolidated results of its operations and its consolidated cash flows for each of the two years in the period ended December 31, 2009 in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.  Also in our opinion, the related financial statement schedule, when considered in relation to the basic consolidated financial statements taken as a whole, present fairly, in all material respects, the information set forth therein.

 

 

 

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DATA I/O CORPORATION

 

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

 

 

 

See notes to consolidated financial statements.

27

DATA I/O CORPORATION

 

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

 

 

 

28

DATA I/O CORPORATION

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

 

 

29

DATA I/O CORPORATION

 

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

 

30

DATA I/O CORPORATION

 

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

 

NOTE 1 – SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

 

Nature of Operations

 

Data I/O Corporation (“Data I/O”) designs, manufactures, and sells programming systems used by designers and manufacturers of electronic products.  Our programming system products are used to program integrated circuits (“ICs” or “devices” or “semiconductors”) with the specific unique data necessary for the ICs contained in various products, and are an important tool for the electronics industry experiencing growing use of programmable ICs.  Customers for our programming system products are located around the world, primarily in the United States, Europe and the Far East.  Our manufacturing operations are currently located in the United States, with most of our FlashCORE adapters manufactured in China.  An outside supplier located in Germany currently manufactures our Sprint non-automated programming systems.

 

Principles of Consolidation

 

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Data I/O Corporation and our wholly-owned subsidiaries.  Intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

 

Use of Estimates

 

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period.  Actual results could differ from those estimates.

 

Foreign Currency Translation

 

Assets and liabilities of foreign subsidiaries are translated at the exchange rate on the balance sheet date.  Revenues, costs and expenses of foreign subsidiaries are translated at average rates of exchange prevailing during the year.  Translation adjustments resulting from this process are charged or credited to stockholders’ equity, net of taxes recognized.  Realized and unrealized gains and losses resulting from the effects of changes in exchange rates on assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are included in non-operating expense as foreign currency transaction gains and losses.

 

Cash and Cash Equivalents

 

Cash and cash equivalents are highly liquid investments with maturities of three months or less at date of purchase. 

 

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

 

Certain financial instruments are carried at cost on the consolidated balance sheets, which approximates fair value due to their short-term, highly liquid nature.  These instruments include cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable and accrued expenses, other short-term liabilities, and capital lease obligations.. 

 

Accounts Receivable

 

The majority of Data I/O’s accounts receivable are due from companies in the electronics manufacturing industries.  Credit is extended based on an evaluation of a customer’s financial condition and, generally, collateral is not required.  Accounts receivable are typically due within 30 to 60 days and are stated at amounts due from customers net of an allowance for doubtful accounts.  Accounts receivable outstanding longer than the contractual payment terms are considered past due.  Data I/O determines the allowance by considering a number of factors, including the length of time trade accounts receivable are past due, the industry and geographic payment practices involved, Data I/O’s previous bad debt experience, the customer’s current ability to pay their obligation to Data I/O, and the condition of the general economy and the industry as a whole.  Data I/O writes off accounts receivable when they become uncollectible, and payments subsequently received on such receivables are credited to the allowance for doubtful accounts.  Interest may be accrued, at the discretion of management and according to our standard sales terms, beginning on the day after the due date of the receivable.  However, interest income is subsequently recognized on these accounts either to the extent cash is received, or when the future collection of interest and the receivable balance is considered probable by management.

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Inventories

 

Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or market with cost being the currently adjusted standard cost, which approximates cost on a first-in, first-out basis.  We estimate changes to inventory for obsolete, slow-moving, excess and non-salable inventory by reviewing current transactions and forecasted product demand.  We evaluate our inventories on an item by item basis and record   an adjustment (lower of cost or market) accordingly.  See Note 5.

 

Property, Plant and Equipment

 

Property, plant and equipment, including leasehold improvements, are stated at cost and depreciation is calculated over the estimated useful lives of the related assets or lease terms on the straight-line basis.  We depreciate substantially all manufacturing and office equipment over periods of three to seven years.  We depreciate leasehold improvements over the remaining portion of the lease or over the expected life of the asset if less than the remaining term of the lease.

 

Long-lived assets are evaluated on an annual basis for impairment.  Based on this evaluation, no impairment was noted for the years ended December 31, 2009 and 2008.

 

Intangible Assets

 

Intangible assets include capitalized costs, technical and product rights, patent, trademarks, and other intellectual property.  Intangible assets are stated at cost and amortized to operations over their estimated useful lives or statutory lives, whichever is shorter.  Capitalized intangible assets are included in other long term assets on the balance sheet.  We evaluate our intangible assets for impairments whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable using a fair value approach.  No such impairment was recognized for the years ended December 31, 2009 and 2008.

 

Income Taxes

 

Federal and state income taxes are computed at current enacted tax rates, less tax credits using the asset and liability method.  Deferred taxes are adjusted both for items that do not have tax consequences and for the cumulative effect of any changes in tax rates from those previously used to determine deferred tax assets or liabilities.  Tax provisions include amounts that are currently payable, changes in deferred tax assets and liabilities that arise because of temporary differences between the timing of when items of income and expense are recognized for financial reporting and income tax purposes, and any changes in the valuation allowance caused by a change in judgment about the realizability of the related deferred tax assets.  A valuation allowance is established when necessary to reduce deferred tax assets to amounts expected to be realized. 

 

Share-Based Compensation

 

All stock-based compensation awards are measured based on estimated fair values on the date of grant and recognized as compensation expense on the straight-line single-option method.  Our share-based compensation is reduced for estimated forfeitures at the time of grant and revised as necessary in subsequent periods if actual forfeitures differ from those estimates. 

 

Revenue Recognition

 

Data I/O recognizes revenue at the time the product is shipped.  We have determined that our programming equipment has reached a point of maturity and stability such that product acceptance can be assured by testing at the factory prior to shipment and that the installation meets the criteria to be considered a separate element.  These systems are standard products with published product specifications and are configurable with standard options.  The evidence that these systems could be deemed as accepted was based upon having standardized factory production of the units, results from batteries of tests of product performance to our published specifications, quality inspections and installation standardization, as well as past product operation validation with the customer and the history provided by our installed base of products upon which the current versions were based.   When arrangements include multiple elements, we use objective evidence of fair value to allocate revenue to the elements and recognize revenue when the criteria for revenue recognition have been met for each element according to U.S. GAAP.  The amount of revenue recognized is affected by our judgments as to the collectability of the transaction or whether an arrangement includes multiple elements and if so, whether specific objective evidence of fair value exists for those elements.  The measure of standalone fair value of the product versus the service installation value component is by the amount the Company pays to independent representative service groups or the amount of additional discount given to independent distributors to provide the service installation (published price).

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Installation that is considered perfunctory includes any installation that can be performed by other parties, such as distributors, other vendors, or in most cases the customers themselves.  This takes into account the complexity, skill, and training needed as well as customer expectations regarding installation.  The revenue related to products requiring installation that is perfunctory is recognized at the time of shipment provided that persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, shipment has occurred, the price is fixed or determinable, and collectability is reasonably assured.

 

We record revenue from the sale of service and update contracts as deferred revenue and we recognize it on a straight-line basis over the contractual period, which is typically one year.  We establish a reserve for sales returns based on historical trends in product returns and estimates for new items.  We have a stated return policy that customers can return standard products for any reason within 30 days after delivery provided that the returned product is received in its original condition, including all packaging materials, for a refund of the price paid less a restocking charge of 30% of the total amount invoiced for the product returned, unless such restocking charge is waived in writing by us.  We recognize revenue when, the price is fixed or determinable, the buyer has paid or is obligated to pay and the obligation is not contingent on resale of the product the buyer’s obligation would not be changed in the event of theft, physical destruction or damage to the product, the buyer acquiring the product for resale has economic substance apart from the Company and we  do not have significant obligations for future performance to directly bring about the resale of the product by the buyer. 

 

Sales were recorded net of actual sales returns and changes to the associated sales return reserve accrual.  Sales return reserves were $102,000 and $197,000 at December 31, 2009 and 2008, respectively. 

 

Data I/O’s software products are not normally sold separately from sales of programming systems.  However, on those occasions where we sell software separately, we recognize revenue when a sales agreement exists, when delivery has occurred, when the fee is fixed or determinable, and when collection is probable. 

 

Data I/O transfers certain products out of service from their internal use and makes them available for sale.  The products transferred are our standard products in one of the following areas: service loaners, rental or test units; engineering test units; or sales demonstration equipment.  Once transferred, the equipment is sold by our regular sales channels as used equipment inventory.  These product units often involve refurbishing and an equipment warranty, and are conducted as sales in our normal and ordinary course of business.  The transfer amount is the product unit’s net book value and the sale transaction is accounted for as revenue and cost of goods sold.

 

Research and Development

 

Research and development costs are expensed as incurred.

 

Advertising Expense

 

Data I/O expenses advertising costs as incurred.  Total advertising expenses were approximately $36,000 and $116,000 in 2009 and 2008, respectively. 

 

Warranty Expense

 

Data I/O records a liability for an estimate of costs that it expects to incur under our basic limited warranty when product revenue is recognized.  Factors affecting our warranty liability include the number of units sold and historical and anticipated rates of claims and costs per claim.  Data I/O normally warrants our products against defects for periods ranging from ninety days to one year.  We provide for the estimated cost that may be incurred under our product warranties and periodically assess the adequacy of our warranty liability based on changes in the above factors.  Data I/O records revenues on extended warranties on a straight-line basis over the term of the related warranty contracts.  Service costs are expensed as incurred. 

 

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Earnings (Loss) Per Share

 

Basic earnings (loss) per share exclude any dilutive effects of stock options.  Basic earnings (loss) per share are computed using the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during the period.  Diluted earnings per share are computed using the weighted-average number of common shares and common stock equivalent shares outstanding during the period.  The common stock equivalent shares from equity awards used in calculating diluted earnings per share were 0 and 231,974 for the years ended December 31, 2009 and 2008 respectively.  Options to purchase 739,777 and 820,645 shares of common stock were outstanding as of December 31, 2009 and 2008, respectively, but were excluded from the computation of diluted EPS for the period then ended because the options were anti-dilutive. 

 

Diversification of Credit Risk

 

Financial instruments, which potentially subject Data I/O to concentrations of credit risk, consist primarily of trade receivables.  Data I/O maintains cash balances in financial institutions, which at times may exceed federally insured limits.  We have not experienced any losses in such accounts and believe we are not exposed to any significant credit risk on cash and cash equivalents.  Our trade receivables are geographically dispersed and include customers in many different industries.  At December 31, 2009 the combined subsidiaries accounts receivable of one customer, Flextronics, represented 23.2% of our total consolidated accounts receivable balance and there were no other customers that represented 10% or more.  As of December 31, 2008, the combined subsidiaries accounts receivable of Flextronics represented 13.3% of our total consolidated accounts receivable balance and there were no other customers that represented 10% or more.  We believe that risk of loss is significantly reduced due to the diversity of our end-customers and geographic sales areas.  We perform on-going credit evaluations of our customers’ financial condition and require collateral, such as letters of credit and bank guarantees, or prepayment whenever deemed necessary.

 

Derivatives

 

Data I/O accounts for derivative instruments and hedging activities under ASC 815 “Derivatives and Hedging Activities.”  These standards require recognition of derivatives as assets or liabilities in the statement of financial position and measurement of those instruments at fair value. 

 

In 2008 and 2009 Data I/O utilized forward foreign exchange contracts to reduce the impact of foreign currency exchange rate risks in situations where natural hedging strategies cannot be effectively employed.  All of our hedging instruments are fair value hedges.  Generally, these contracts have maturities less than one year and require us to exchange foreign currencies for U.S. dollars at maturity.  At December 31, 2008, we had a notional value of approximately $424,000 with an estimated fair value gain (loss) on the open hedge contracts of approximately ($9,000), which is included in 2008 accounts payable on the balance sheet.  Periodic changes in fair value are recorded in other income in the statement of operations.  The amount of transaction gain or (loss) in other income in 2009 and 2008 was $176,000 and ($153,000), respectively.  As of December 31, 2009 we had closed out all hedges and had no foreign exchange contracts outstanding.

 

Data I/O does not hold or issue derivative financial instruments for trading purposes.  The purpose of our hedging activities is to reduce the risk that the valuation of the underlying assets, liabilities and firm commitments will be adversely affected by changes in exchange rates.  Our derivative activities help minimize foreign currency exchange rate risk because fluctuations in the value of the instruments used for hedging purposes are offset by fluctuations in the value of the underlying exposures being hedged.  We are exposed to credit-related losses in the event of nonperformance by counterparties to forward exchange contracts.  However, we have entered into these instruments with creditworthy financial institutions and consider the risk of nonperformance remote. 

 

New Accounting Pronouncements

 

In October 2009, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (the “FASB”) issued a new guidance on the accounting for multiple-deliverable arrangements to enable vendors to account for products or services (“deliverables”) separately rather than as a combined unit.  The new guidance which is now part of ASC 605 “Revenue Recognition” establishes a selling price hierarchy for determining the selling price of a deliverable, which is based on: (a) vendor-specific objective evidence; (b) third-party evidence; or (c) estimates.  This standard also eliminates the residual method of allocation and requires that arrangement consideration be allocated at the inception of the arrangement to all deliverables using the relative selling price method.  In addition, this standard significantly expands required disclosures related to a vendor’s multiple-deliverable revenue arrangements.  This standard is effective prospectively for revenue arrangements entered into or materially modified in fiscal years beginning on or after June 15, 2010.  However, early adoption is permitted with accompanying application requirements.  We did not early adopt and are currently evaluating the potential impact of this standard on our consolidated financial statements. 

34

 

In June 2009, the FASB issued Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (“SFAS”) No. 168, “The FASB Accounting Standards Codification™ and the Hierarchy of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles - a replacement of FASB Statement No. 162”.  SFAS No. 168 replaces SFAS No. 162, and establishes the FASB Accounting Standards Codification (the “Codification”) as the source of authoritative U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”).  The Codification supersedes all existing U.S. accounting standards; all other accounting literature not included in the Codification (other than Securities and Exchange Commission guidance for publicly-traded companies) is considered non-authoritative.  The Codification, which modifies structure hierarchy and referencing of financial standards, was effective on a prospective basis for interim and annual financial periods ending after September 15, 2009.  The Codification is not intended to change or alter existing U.S. GAAP, and did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements other than to change references to accounting standards. 

 

In May 2009, the FASB issued new guidance for accounting for subsequent events.  The new guidance, which is now part of ASC 855 “Subsequent Events”, establishes general standards of accounting for, and disclosure of, events that occur after the balance sheet date but before financial statements are issued or are available to be issued.  The new guidance sets forth the period after the balance sheet date during which management of a reporting entity should evaluate events or transactions that may occur for potential recognition or disclosure in the financial statements, the circumstances under which an entity should recognize events or transactions occurring after the balance sheet date in its financial statements, and the disclosures that an entity should make about events or transactions that occurred after the balance sheet date.  The adoption of the guidance did not have an impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statement disclosures. 

 

In March 2008, the FASB issued new guidance on the disclosure of derivative instruments and hedging activities.  The new guidance, which is now part of ASC 815 “Derivatives and Hedging Activities”, is intended to improve financial reporting with respect to derivative instruments and hedging activities by requiring enhanced disclosures to enable investors to better understand the effects of these instruments and activities on an entity’s financial position, financial performance and cash flows.  The revised guidance is effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after November 15, 2008.  Our adoption of the revised guidance effective January 2009 did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statement disclosures. 

 

In December 2007, the FASB issued revised guidance for the accounting for business combinations.  The revised guidance, which is now part of ASC 805 “Business Combinations”, requires the acquiring entity in a business combination to recognize, at full fair value, all the assets acquired and liabilities assumed in the transaction; establishes the acquisition-date fair value as the measurement objective for all assets acquired and liabilities assumed; and requires the acquiring entity to disclose information needed to evaluate and understand the nature and financial effect of the business combination.  The revised guidance also changes the accounting for contingent consideration, in process research and development, and restructuring costs.  In addition, changes in uncertain tax positions or valuation allowances for deferred tax assets acquired in a business combination are recognized as adjustments to income tax expense or contributed capital, as appropriate.  The revised guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2008 and is to be applied prospectively.  We will prospectively apply the revised guidance to all business combinations occurring after January 2009.  We did not enter into any business combinations during 2009.

 

NOTE 2 – CLASSIFICATIONS

 

Certain prior periods’ balances have been reclassified to conform to the presentation used in the current period. 

 

NOTE 3 – PROVISION FOR BUSINESS RESTRUCTURING

 

During 2006 and 2007, restructuring activities were taken to reduce expenses and improve margins, as well as to lower our quarterly breakeven point and improve our operating results and the effectiveness of our sales and marketing organization and sales channels.  These actions included re-engineering some internal processes, integrating some activities, transferring some activities to our lower cost base of operations in China, reducing resources applied to declining legacy products, moving some engineering positions to production, reducing the number of taxable entities, outsourcing some functions such as payroll, combining some positions, eliminating some functions, and shifting some responsibilities and resources to our channels. 

 

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