LIVEPERSON INC - Annual Report: 2007 (Form 10-K)
UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON,
D.C. 20549
FORM
10-K
x |
ANNUAL
REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE
ACT OF
1934
|
For
the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007
Commission
File Number 000-30141
LIVEPERSON,
INC.
(Exact
name of registrant as specified in its charter)
DELAWARE
(State
of incorporation)
|
13-3861628
(I.R.S.
employer identification number)
|
462
SEVENTH AVENUE, 3rd FLOOR
|
10018
|
NEW
YORK, NEW YORK
|
|
(Address
of principal executive offices)
|
(Zip
Code)
|
(212)
609-4200
(Registrant’s
telephone number, including area code)
Securities
registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title
of each class
|
Name
of each exchange on which registered
|
Common
Stock, par value $0.001 per share
|
The
Nasdaq Stock Market LLC
|
Securities
registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
None
Indicate
by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined
in
Rule 405 of the Securities Act.
Yes
o
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
o
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 o
Indicate
by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of
Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the
best
of 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.
o
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
definition of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller
reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one).
Large
accelerated filer o
|
|
Accelerated
filer x
|
|
Non-accelerated filer o |
Smaller
reporting company o
|
||
(Do not check if a smaller reporting company) |
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule
12b-2 of the Exchange Act).
Yes
o
No
x
The
aggregate market value of the voting common stock held by non-affiliates
of the
registrant as of June 30, 2007 (the last business day of the registrant’s most
recently completed second fiscal quarter) was approximately $197,622,933
(computed by reference to the last reported sale price on The Nasdaq Capital
Market on that date). The registrant does not have any non-voting common
stock
outstanding.
On
March
6, 2008, 48,172,084 shares of the registrant’s common stock were
outstanding.
DOCUMENTS
INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
Portions
of the registrant’s definitive proxy statement for the 2008 Annual Meeting of
Stockholders, to be filed not later than April 29, 2008, are incorporated
by
reference into Items 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 of Part III of this Form
10-K.
LIVEPERSON,
INC.
2007
ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
Page
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PART
I
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2
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Item
1.
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BUSINESS
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2
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Item
1A.
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RISK
FACTORS
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12
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Item
1B.
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UNRESOLVED
STAFF COMMENTS
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26
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Item
2.
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PROPERTIES
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27
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Item
3.
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LEGAL
PROCEEDINGS
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27
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Item
4.
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SUBMISSION
OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITY HOLDERS
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27
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PART
II
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28
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Item
5.
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MARKET
FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER
PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
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28
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Item
6.
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SELECTED
CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL DATA
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32
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Item
7.
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MANAGEMENT’S
DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF
OPERATIONS
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33
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Item
7A.
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QUANTITATIVE
AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
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44
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Item
8.
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CONSOLIDATED
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
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46
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Item
9.
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CHANGES
IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL
DISCLOSURE
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77
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Item
9A.
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CONTROLS
AND PROCEDURES
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77
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Item
9B.
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OTHER
INFORMATION
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81
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PART
III
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81
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Item
10.
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DIRECTORS,
EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
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81
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Item
11.
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EXECUTIVE
COMPENSATION
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81
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Item
12.
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SECURITY
OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED
STOCKHOLDER MATTERS
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81
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Item
13.
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CERTAIN
RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR
INDEPENDENCE
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82
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Item
14.
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PRINCIPAL
ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES
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82
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PART
IV
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82
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Item
15.
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EXHIBITS
AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES
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82
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i
FORWARD-LOOKING
STATEMENTS
STATEMENTS
IN THIS REPORT ABOUT LIVEPERSON, INC. THAT ARE NOT HISTORICAL FACTS ARE
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS BASED ON OUR CURRENT EXPECTATIONS, ASSUMPTIONS,
ESTIMATES AND PROJECTIONS ABOUT LIVEPERSON AND OUR INDUSTRY. THESE
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS ARE SUBJECT TO RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES THAT COULD
CAUSE ACTUAL FUTURE EVENTS OR RESULTS TO DIFFER MATERIALLY FROM SUCH STATEMENTS.
ANY SUCH FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS ARE MADE PURSUANT TO THE SAFE HARBOR
PROVISIONS OF THE PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM ACT OF 1995. IT IS
ROUTINE FOR OUR INTERNAL PROJECTIONS AND EXPECTATIONS TO CHANGE AS THE YEAR
OR
EACH QUARTER IN THE YEAR PROGRESS, AND THEREFORE IT SHOULD BE CLEARLY UNDERSTOOD
THAT THE INTERNAL PROJECTIONS AND BELIEFS UPON WHICH WE BASE OUR EXPECTATIONS
MAY CHANGE PRIOR TO THE END OF EACH QUARTER OR THE YEAR. ALTHOUGH THESE
EXPECTATIONS MAY CHANGE, WE ARE UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO INFORM YOU IF THEY
DO.
OUR COMPANY POLICY IS GENERALLY TO PROVIDE OUR EXPECTATIONS ONLY ONCE PER
QUARTER, AND NOT TO UPDATE THAT INFORMATION UNTIL THE NEXT QUARTER. ACTUAL
EVENTS OR RESULTS MAY DIFFER MATERIALLY FROM THOSE CONTAINED IN THE PROJECTIONS
OR FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS. FACTORS THAT COULD CAUSE OR CONTRIBUTE TO
SUCH
DIFFERENCES INCLUDE THOSE DISCUSSED IN ITEM 1A., “RISK FACTORS.”
PART
I
ITEM 1. |
BUSINESS
|
Overview
LivePerson
is a leading facilitator of online ecommerce interaction, enhancing real-time
sales, customer support and personalized expert advice. In 2007, LivePerson
hosted more than 50 million chat interactions across our diverse customer
base,
while more than 600,000 paid transactions took place between experts and
consumers through Kasamba, which we acquired in October 2007. LivePerson’s
proprietary chat, voice, email and self-service/knowledgebase applications,
coupled with our domain knowledge and industry expertise, have been proven
to
maximize the positive financial impact of the online channel—increasing sales,
customer satisfaction and loyalty while reducing customer service
costs.
More
than
6,000 companies, including EarthLink, Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft, Qwest,
and
Verizon, employ our technology to keep pace with rising consumer expectations
from the online channel. As a result, LivePerson has unique insight into
consumer behavior; which we use to improve our product and educate our customers
through our growing consulting services.
Bridging
the gap between visitor traffic and successful business outcomes, our business
solutions deliver measurable return on investment by enabling clients
to:
·
|
increase
conversion rates and reduce abandonment by selectively engaging
website
visitors;
|
·
|
accelerate
the sales cycle, drive repeat business and increase average order
values;
|
·
|
increase
customer satisfaction, retention and loyalty while reducing customer
service costs;
|
·
|
harness
the knowledge of subject-matter experts by allowing consumers to
engage
with major online brands; and
|
·
|
refine
and improve performance by understanding which initiatives deliver
the
highest rate of return.
|
A
software-as-a-service (SaaS) provider, LivePerson provides solutions on a
hosted
basis, which offers benefits over premise-based software including lower
up-front costs; faster implementation; lower total cost of ownership (TCO);
scalability; cost predictability; and simplified upgrades. Organizations
that
adopt multi-tenant architecture that is fully hosted and maintained by
LivePerson eliminate the time, server infrastructure costs and IT resources
required to implement, maintain and support traditional on-premise
software.
LivePerson
was incorporated in the State of Delaware in November 1995 and the LivePerson
service was initially introduced in November 1998.
Market
Opportunity
More
than
10 years after its emergence, the Internet is beginning to mature. More than
75%
of U.S. households currently have a PC; this figure is expected to grow to
85%
by 2012.
2
In
2007,
broadband Internet access became the mainstream method of connection; 50%
of
U.S. households are online using high-speed access, while researchers anticipate
broadband penetration to reach 70% by 2012.
Forrester
Research reports that U.S. online retail sales reached $175 billion in 2007,
representing a 21% increase from the previous year. The industry is expected
to
add roughly $30 billion in additional revenue every year over the next five
years, continuing its double-digit year-over-year growth rate.
The
independent research company also forecasts online banking adoption will
continue its upward trajectory. According to Forrester’s figures, by 2011 the
number of U.S. consumers who bank online will grow by 55%, representing 76%
of
online households.
Search
advertising spending and Internet advertising revenues continue to reach
new
heights. Companies continue to shift spending away from TV, print, radio,
and
other traditional media in favor of web-based media, which can be more
measurable, interactive, targeted and relevant. Although estimates vary,
the
Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) calculated
that 2007 Internet advertising revenues grew to $21 billion, a 25% increase
over
the previous revenue record of nearly $17 billion in 2006.
The
unrivaled convenience, accessibility and selection of the Web have established
the channel as a mass consumer medium. The Internet is a ubiquitous influence
in
our day-to-day lives, and consumer expectations and demands continue to rise.
We
believe that the online channel presents significant expansion opportunities
across many industries. According to the U.S. Commerce Department, e-commerce
sales grew 10% in 2007, while overall retail sales grew by only 4%. More
affluent than the average consumer, online shoppers are less sensitive to
changes in economic conditions. Nonetheless, competition is just a mouse-click
away. To survive in this competitive environment, e-businesses must
differentiate their service, quality and overall experience to gain customer
loyalty.
By
supplying online engagement tools that facilitate real-time assistance and
trusted personalized advice, LivePerson enables businesses and individual
service providers to connect with their target audience. Creating more relevant,
compelling and personalized online experiences, our platform helps e-business
organizations meet the needs of demanding consumers while reinforcing their
brand promise.
Strategy
The
key
elements of our strategy include:
Expanding
Our Real-Time Platform of Live Expert Advice to Drive Further Demand for
Chat.
In
October 2007, LivePerson completed its acquisition of Kasamba Inc. Accelerating
our expansion into the direct-to-consumer market, the acquisition is expected
to
extend the value we deliver to our growing base of business customers. Our
integrated platform will connect consumers with individual service providers
and
experts in a broader range of categories and will be designed to help the
Internet deliver on its promise of making our lives easier and better by
supplying access to the world’s experts and their information.
Strengthening
Our Position in Target Markets and Growing Our Recurring Revenue
Base.
LivePerson intends to extend its market position by significantly increasing
its
installed client base. We plan to continue to focus primarily on key target
markets: the financial services, retail, telecommunications, technology,
travel/hospitality, and automotive industries, as well as the small and midsize
business (SMB) sector. As the online community is increasingly exposed to
the
benefits and functionality of our solutions, we intend to capitalize on our
growing base of existing clients by collaborating with them to optimize our
added value and effectiveness. Broadening our client base will enable us
to
continue to expand our recurring revenue stream. We also believe that greater
exposure of Internet users to our real-time platform will create additional
demand for online engagement solutions.
3
Increasing
the Value of our Service to our Clients.
We
regularly add new features and functionality to our services to further enhance
value to our clients. Because we manage the server infrastructure, we can
make
new features available to our clients immediately upon release, without client
or end-user installation of software or hardware. We currently offer a suite
of
reporting, analysis and administrative tools as part of our overall portfolio
of
services. We will continue to develop more comprehensive tools for appropriate
sectors of our client base, while adding further interactive capabilities.
For
example, our enhanced click-to-call voice capabilities extend our value
proposition across additional communication channels, facilitating a blended
Web
and call center experience. The innovative voice offering helps customers
bridge
the gap between their online channel and their call center. We also intend
to
continue to enhance our ability to capture, analyze and report on the
substantial amount of online activity data we collect on behalf of our clients
to further our clients’ online strategies. We will also continue to refine
additional service offerings that will provide value to our clients, such
as
more robust consulting and advisory services that enable improved reporting
capabilities, data storage and bridges to existing client systems. Our clients
may use these capabilities to increase productivity, manage call center
staffing, develop one-to-one marketing tactics and pinpoint sales opportunities.
Through these and other initiatives, we intend to reinforce our value
proposition to clients, which we believe will result in additional revenue
from
new and existing clients over time.
Continuing
to Build Strong Brand Recognition.
As a
pioneer in real-time customer engagement, LivePerson enjoys strong brand
recognition and credibility. By strategically targeting decision makers and
influencers within key vertical markets, our goal is to generate increased
awareness and demand for our broad range of online engagement tools. In
addition, we have developed relationships with the media and analyst community
to reinforce our position and status within the industry. Our brand name
is also
visible to both business users and consumers. When a visitor engages in a
text-based chat on a website that offers our real-time technology, our brand
name is usually displayed on the LivePerson dialogue window. We believe that
this high-visibility placement will continue to create brand awareness and
increased demand for our solutions.
Maintaining
our Technological Leadership Position.
We are
focused on the development of tightly integrated software design and network
architecture that is both reliable and scalable. We continue to devote
significant resources to technological innovation. Specifically, we plan
to
continue to expand the features and functionality of our existing services,
develop broader applications for our services and create new products and
services that will benefit our expanding client base. We evaluate emerging
technologies and industry standards and continually update our technology
in
order to retain our leadership position in the real-time customer service
industry. We regularly monitor legal and technological developments in the
area
of information security and confidentiality to ensure our policies and
procedures meet or exceed the demands of the world’s largest and most demanding
corporations. We believe that these efforts will allow us to effectively
anticipate changing client and end-user requirements in our rapidly evolving
industry.
Evaluating
Strategic Alliances and Acquisitions where Appropriate.
We
continue to seek opportunities to form strategic alliances with, or to acquire,
other companies that can accelerate our growth or broaden our product offerings.
We have successfully integrated several acquisitions over the last seven
years.
In October 2000, we acquired HumanClick Ltd., an Israeli-based provider of
real-time, online customer service applications to small businesses. In July
2002, we acquired the customer contracts and associated rights of NewChannel,
Inc., a provider of proactive online sales services. In December 2003, we
acquired certain identifiable assets of Island Data Corporation, a provider
of
knowledgebase services to large corporate clients. In July 2004, we acquired
certain identifiable assets of FaceTime Communications, Inc., a provider
of
real-time communications solutions. In July 2006, we acquired Proficient
Systems, Inc., an Atlanta-based provider of hosted proactive chat solutions
that
help companies generate revenue on their websites. In October 2007, we acquired
Kasamba Inc., a leading online provider of live expert advice delivered to
customers via real-time chat.
4
While
we
have in the past, and may from time to time in the future, engage in discussions
regarding or pursue acquisitions or strategic alliances, we currently have
no
commitments with respect to any future acquisitions or strategic alliances
and
we are not currently engaged in any material negotiations with respect to
these
types of opportunities.
Expanding
our International Presence.
We
maintain a sales and customer support office as well as a hosting facility
in
the United Kingdom. During 2007, we increased our investment in personnel
and marketing support to expand our customer base in the United Kingdom and
Western Europe, and have several of the largest financial services and
telecommunications companies in this territory as customers. We expect to
further expand in this region, primarily through direct sales efforts. We
have also translated the customer-facing user interface for LivePerson services
into eighteen languages, including French, German, Italian, Chinese, Japanese
and Korean. We are actively evaluating strategies to pursue further
international expansion in the Asia/Pacific region. We expect that these
expansion efforts will leverage regionally focused partners with existing
relationships.
Products
and Services
LivePerson’s
hosted platform supports and manages real-time online interactions—chat,
voice/click-to-call, email and self-service/knowledgebase—from a single, unified
agent desktop. By supplying a complete, unified customer history, our solutions
enable businesses to deliver a relevant, timely, personalized, and seamless
customer experience. In addition to product offerings, LivePerson provides
professional services to support the complete deployment of our enterprise
solutions.
Timpani
Sales and Marketing
Timpani
Sales and Marketing combines online site traffic monitoring software with
a
sophisticated rules engine to enable LivePerson clients to proactively engage
website visitors. The enterprise application enables clients to maximize
online
revenue opportunities, improve conversion rates and reduce shopping cart
abandonment by proactively engaging the right visitor, using the right channel,
at the right time. The intelligent and proactive solution identifies website
visitors who demonstrate the highest propensity to convert and engages them
in
real time with relevant content and offers, helping to achieve desired
outcomes.
Timpani
Contact Center
Timpani
Contact Center provides online customer support capability via a unified,
multi-channel interface comprised of chat, voice, email and self-service
knowledgebase. The product enables clients to improve service quality, increase
agent productivity and facilitate first-contact resolution by streamlining
customer interactions across all online channels, while reducing service
costs.
By integrating all interactions, this comprehensive solution supplies a unified
customer history, enabling organizations to deliver service consistency and
continuity to customers.
5
Timpani
Voice
Timpani
Voice bridges the gap between web-based contact channels and the call center.
Combining online collaboration tools with business rules, real-time analytics
and comprehensive reporting, our click-to-call solution leverages existing
telephony infrastructure and call center resources to seamlessly integrate
voice
with the online channel.
LivePerson
Pro
LivePerson
Pro enables SMBs to increase online sales and improve customer service with
live
chat. This economical solution combines real-time monitoring tools, which
are
used to identify targeted visitors, and geolocation, to facilitate
cross-sell/up-sell opportunities and prevent fraud.
LivePerson
Contact Center
LivePerson
Contact Center enables SMBs to improve agent productivity, lower service
costs
and increase customer satisfaction. The solution manages all communications,
including live chat, voice, email, self-service, and telephone logs, from
an
easy-to-use, all-in-one platform. Our SMB products also offer full integration
with Google Analytics, a feature that helps customers accurately measure
the
impact of the chat channel on their sales and conversion rates.
Professional
Services
Our
Professional Services team uses a comprehensive, customer-focused methodology
to
develop high-quality solutions, delivering significant results and providing
a
competitive advantage to our enterprise clients. Dedicated members of the
Professional Services team work hand-in-hand with client teams to analyze
online
Web processes, develop an optimal deployment strategy, coordinate technical
deployment and testing, train contact center agents and implement ongoing
performance optimization programs designed to deliver desired business
results.
Consumer
Services
Our
current consumer services offering is an online marketplace that connects
experts and individual service providers who sell their information and
knowledge via real-time chat with consumers. Users seek assistance and
advice in various categories including personal counseling and coaching,
computers & programming, health & medicine, education & tutoring,
shopping, professional development, spirituality & religion, business &
finance, arts & creative services, legal services, home & leisure, and
other topics.
Clients
Our
client base includes Fortune 1000 companies, dedicated Internet businesses
and a
broad range of online merchants. Our solutions benefit organizations of all
sizes conducting business or communicating with customers online. We plan
to
continue to focus primarily on key target markets: the financial services,
retail, telecommunications, technology, travel/hospitality, and automotive
industries, as well as the SMB sector.
No
single customer accounted for 10% of our
total revenue in 2007.
6
Sales
and Marketing
Sales
We
sell
our business products and services by leveraging a common methodology through
both direct and indirect sales channels:
·
|
Direct
Sales.
Our sales process focuses on how our solutions and domain expertise
deliver financial and operational value that support our clients’
strategic initiatives. The Timpani Sales and Marketing value proposition
is targeted to business executives whose primary responsibility
is
maximizing online customer acquisition. These executives have a
vested
interest in improving conversion rates, increasing application
completion
rates and increasing average order value. The value proposition
for
Timpani Contact Center is designed to appeal to professionals who
hold
top- and bottom-line responsibility for customer service and technical
support functions within their organization. Timpani Contact Center
enables these organizations to provide effective customer service
using
the online channel while deflecting costly phone calls and shifting
service interactions to more cost efficient channels. Whether we
engage
with individuals or teams responsible for online sales or service,
LivePerson’s Timpani platform supports any organization with a
company-wide strategic initiative to improve the overall online
customer
experience.
|
Our
sales
methodology begins with in-depth research and discovery meetings that enable
us
to develop a deep understanding of the value drivers and key performance
metrics
of a prospective client. We then present an analytical review detailing how
our
solutions and industry expertise can impact these value drivers and metrics.
Once we validate solution capabilities and prove financial return on investment
(ROI), we transition to an account management program that enables ongoing
client success.
·
|
Indirect
Sales.
Our New Markets sales organization is focused on developing partnerships
with call centers, industry vertical channels and online marketing
agencies to generate revenues outside the focus of the direct sales
team.
This organization also provides leverage to the direct team with
strategic
partnerships that allow us to extend our core solution offering
and
increase our value proposition. By maximizing market coverage via
partners
who provide complementary products and services, we believe this
channel
will increase our revenue opportunities and accelerate market penetration
without incurring the traditional costs associated with direct
sales.
|
Client
Support
Our
Professional Services group provides deployment support and business consulting
to enterprise clients and maintains involvement throughout the engagement
lifecycle. All LivePerson clients have access to 24/7 help desk services
through
chat, email and phone. Enterprise clients are also each assigned an account
manager to provide ongoing evaluation of their online business strategy and
performance against established business metrics.
7
Marketing
Our
marketing efforts are organized around the needs, trends and characteristics
of
our existing and prospective client base. Our deep relationship with existing
clients fosters continuous feedback, thereby allowing us to develop and refine
marketing programs for specific industry segments. We market our products
and
services to executives with profit and loss (P&L) responsibility for the
online channel and customer service operations with a focus on the financial
services, retail, telecommunications, technology, travel/hospitality, and
automotive industries, as well as SMBs. Our integrated marketing strategy
includes lead generation campaigns to reach potential and existing clients
using
mediums such as online initiatives, advertising, direct mail, and industry-
and
category-specific tradeshows and events.
Our
marketing strategy also encompasses public relations. As a result of
relationships developed with the media and analyst community, we gain positive
media and editorial coverage. Other initiatives include securing speaking
opportunities and bylined articles featuring key executives and customers,
which
helps raise LivePerson’s profile and reinforce our position as an industry
leader. We also proactively facilitate formal and informal interaction among
our
most accomplished customers, enabling us to expand our presence as one of
their
key strategic partners.
Competition
The
markets for online engagement technology and online consumer services are
intensely competitive and characterized by aggressive marketing, evolving
industry standards, rapid technology developments, and frequent new product
introductions. Although few technological barriers to enter this market exist,
we believe that our long-standing relationships with clients, particularly
at
the enterprise level, differentiate us from new entrants into the market.
This
differentiation is comprised mainly of our depth of experience in data analysis,
agent training and online marketing optimization. Additional barriers to
entry
include the ability to design and build scalable software that can support
the
world's most highly-trafficked websites, and, with respect to outsourced
solution providers, the ability to design, build and manage a scalable network
infrastructure.
LivePerson’s
business solutions compete directly with companies focused on technology
that
facilitates real-time sales, email management, searchable knowledgebase
applications and customer service interaction. These markets remain fairly
saturated with small companies that compete on price and features. LivePerson
faces significant competition from online interaction solution providers,
including SaaS providers RightNow Technologies, Art Technology Group and
Instant
Service. The most significant barriers to entry in this market are knowledge
of:
·
|
online
consumer purchasing habits;
|
·
|
methodologies
to correctly engage customers;
|
·
|
metrics
proving return on investment; and
|
·
|
technology
innovation opportunities.
|
LivePerson
also faces potential competition from larger enterprise software companies
such
as Oracle and SAP. In addition, established technology and/or consumer-oriented
companies such as Microsoft, Yahoo and Google may leverage their existing
relationships and capabilities to offer online engagement solutions that
facilitate real-time assistance and live advice.
8
Finally,
LivePerson competes with clients and potential clients that choose to develop
an
in-house online engagement solution, as well as, to a lesser extent, traditional
offline customer service solutions, such as telephone call centers.
LivePerson
believes that competition will increase as our current competitors increase
the
sophistication of their offerings and as new participants enter the market.
As
compared to LivePerson, some of our larger current and potential competitors
have:
·
|
greater
brand recognition;
|
·
|
more
diversified lines of products and services;
and
|
·
|
significantly
greater financial, marketing and research and development
resources.
|
Additionally,
some competitors may enter into strategic or commercial relationships with
larger, more established and better-financed companies, enabling them
to:
·
|
undertake
more extensive marketing campaigns;
|
·
|
adopt
more aggressive pricing policies;
and
|
·
|
make
more attractive offers to businesses to induce them to use their
products
or services.
|
Technology
Three
key
technological features distinguish the LivePerson services:
Our
clients are supported by a secure, scalable server infrastructure. In North
America, our primary servers are hosted in a fully-secured, third-party server
center in the Eastern United States and are supported by a backup server
facility located in the Southwestern United States. In Europe, our primary
servers are hosted in a fully-secured, third-party server center in London.
During 2007, we began to build a collocation facility in the eastern U.S.
to
enable us to begin to take over management of the servers and infrastructure
for
the LivePerson and Kasamba services. We expect this transition, once complete,
to enable us to exert even greater control over system architecture, security,
scalability and overall management of our infrastructure.
·
|
Our
network, hardware and software are designed to accommodate our
clients’
demand for secure, high-quality 24-hour per day/seven-day per week
service.
|
·
|
As
a hosted service, we are able to add additional capacity and new
features
quickly and efficiently. This has enabled us to immediately provide
these
benefits simultaneously to our entire client base. In addition,
it allows
us to maintain a relatively short development and implementation
cycle.
|
As
a SaaS
provider, we focus on the development of tightly integrated software design
and
network architecture. We dedicate significant resources to designing our
software and network architecture based on the fundamental principles of
security, reliability and scalability.
9
Software
Design.
Our
software design is based on client-server architecture. As a SaaS provider,
our
clients install only the LivePerson Operator Console (Windows or Java-based)
on
their operators’ workstations. Visitors to our clients’ websites require only a
standard Web browser and do not need to download software from LivePerson
in
order to interact with our clients’ operators or to use the LivePerson
services.
Our
software design is also based on open standards. These standard protocols
facilitate integration with our clients’ legacy and third-party systems, and
include:
·
|
Java
|
·
|
XML
(Extensible Mark-up Language)
|
·
|
HTML
(Hypertext Mark-up Language)
|
·
|
SQL
(Structured Query Language)
|
·
|
HTTP
(Hypertext Transfer Protocol)
|
Network
Architecture.
The
software underlying our services is integrated with scalable and reliable
network architecture. Our network is scalable; we do not need to add new
hardware or network capacity for each new LivePerson client. This network
architecture is hosted in a third party server center with redundant network
connections, servers and other infrastructure, ensuring minimal downtime.
Our
backup server infrastructure housed at a remote location provides our primary
hosting facility with effective disaster recovery capability. For increased
security, we use advanced firewall architecture and industry encryption
standards. We also enable our clients to further encrypt their sensitive
data
using industry standard encryption algorithms.
Government
Regulation
We
are
subject to federal, state and local regulation, and laws of jurisdictions
outside of the United States, including laws and regulations applicable to
computer software and access to or commerce over the Internet. Due to the
increasing use of the Internet and various online services, it is likely
that
new laws and regulations will be adopted with respect to the Internet or
online
services related to issues including user privacy, freedom of expression,
pricing, content, quality of products and services, taxation, advertising,
intellectual property rights and information security. The nature of such
legislation and the manner in which it may be interpreted and enforced cannot
be
fully determined and, therefore, such legislation could subject us and/or
our
clients or Internet users to potential liability, which in turn could have
a
material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial
condition.
Intellectual
Property and Proprietary Rights
We
rely
on a combination of patent, copyright, trade secret, trademark and other
common
law in the United States and other jurisdictions, as well as confidentiality
procedures and contractual provisions, to protect our proprietary technology,
processes and other intellectual property. However, we believe that factors
such
as the technological and creative skills of our personnel, new service
developments, frequent enhancements and reliable maintenance are more essential
to establishing and maintaining a competitive advantage. Others may develop
technologies that are similar or superior to our technology. We enter into
confidentiality and other written agreements with our employees, consultants,
clients, potential clients and strategic partners, and through these and
other
written agreements, we attempt to control access to and distribution of our
software, documentation and other proprietary information. Despite our efforts
to protect our proprietary rights, third parties may, in an unauthorized
manner,
attempt to use, copy or otherwise obtain and market or distribute our
intellectual property rights or technology or otherwise develop a service
with
the same functionality as our services. Policing unauthorized use of our
services and intellectual property rights is difficult, and we cannot be
certain
that the steps we have taken will prevent misappropriation of our technology
or
intellectual property rights, particularly in foreign countries where we
do
business, where our services are sold or used, where the laws may not protect
proprietary rights as fully as do the laws of the United States or where
enforcement of laws protecting proprietary rights is not common or
effective.
10
Substantial
litigation regarding intellectual property rights exists in the software
industry. In the ordinary course of our business, our services may be
increasingly subject to third-party infringement claims as the number of
competitors in our industry segment grows and the functionality of services
in
different industry segments overlaps. Some of our competitors in the market
for
real-time sales, marketing and customer service solutions or other third
parties
may have filed or may intend to file patent applications covering aspects
of
their technology. Any claims alleging infringement of third-party intellectual
property rights could require us to spend significant amounts in litigation
(even if the claim is invalid), distract management from other tasks of
operating our business, pay substantial damage awards, prevent us from selling
our products, delay delivery of the LivePerson services, develop non-infringing
software, technology, business processes, systems or other intellectual property
(none of which might be successful), or limit our ability to use the
intellectual property that is the subject of any of these claims, unless
we
enter into license agreements with the third parties (which may be costly,
unavailable on commercially reasonable terms, or not available at all).
Therefore, such claims could have a material adverse effect on our business,
results of operations and financial condition.
Employees
As
of
March 6, 2008, we had 314 full-time employees. Our employees are not covered
by
collective bargaining agreements. We believe our relations with our employees
are satisfactory.
Website
Access to Reports
We
make
available, free of charge, on our website (www.liveperson.com), our annual
reports on Form 10-K, our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and our current
reports
on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to
Sections 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 as soon as
reasonably practicable after we have electronically filed such material with,
or
furnished it to, the Securities and Exchange Commission.
11
ITEM 1A. |
RISK
FACTORS
|
Risks
Related to Our Business
Our
quarterly revenue and operating results may be subject to significant
fluctuations, which may adversely affect the trading price of our common
stock.
Our
quarterly revenue and operating results may fluctuate significantly in the
future due to a variety of factors, including the following factors which
are in
part within our control, and in part outside of our control:
·
|
continued
adoption by companies doing business online of real-time sales,
marketing
and customer service solutions;
|
·
|
continued
adoption by individual experts and consumers of online real-time
advice
services;
|
·
|
changes
in our pricing models, policies or the pricing policies of our
current and
future competitors;
|
·
|
our
clients’ business success;
|
·
|
our
clients’ demand for our services;
|
·
|
consumer
demand for our services;
|
·
|
our
ability to attract and retain
clients;
|
·
|
the
amount and timing of capital expenditures and other costs relating
to the
expansion of our operations, including those related to acquisitions;
and
|
·
|
the
introduction of new services by us or our
competitors.
|
Our
revenue and results may also fluctuate significantly in the future due to
the
following factors that are entirely outside of our control:
·
|
economic
conditions specific to the Internet, electronic commerce and online
media;
and
|
·
|
general
economic and political conditions.
|
Period-to-period
comparisons of our operating results may not be meaningful because of these
factors. You should not rely upon these comparisons as indicators of our
future
performance.
Due
to
the foregoing factors, it is possible that our results of operations in one
or
more future quarters may fall below the expectations of securities analysts
and
investors. If this occurs, the trading price of our common stock could
decline.
We
may be unable to respond to the rapid technological change and changing client
preferences in the online sales, marketing, customer service, and/or online
consumer services industries and this may harm our
business.
12
If
we are
unable, for technological, legal, financial or other reasons, to adapt in
a
timely manner to changing market conditions in the online sales, marketing,
customer service and/or e-commerce industry or our clients’ or Internet users’
requirements or preferences, our business, results of operations and financial
condition would be materially and adversely affected. Business on the Internet
is characterized by rapid technological change. In addition, the market for
online sales, marketing, customer service and expert advice solutions is
relatively new. Sudden changes in client and Internet user requirements and
preferences, frequent new product and service introductions embodying new
technologies, such as broadband communications, and the emergence of new
industry standards and practices could render the LivePerson services and
our
proprietary technology and systems obsolete. The rapid evolution of these
products and services will require that we continually improve the performance,
features and reliability of our services. Our success will depend, in part,
on
our ability to:
·
|
enhance
the features and performance of our
services;
|
·
|
develop
and offer new services that are valuable to companies doing business
online as well as Internet users;
and
|
·
|
respond
to technological advances and emerging industry standards and practices
in
a cost-effective and timely manner.
|
If
any of
our new services, including upgrades to our current services, do not meet
our
clients’ or Internet users’ expectations, our business may be harmed. Updating
our technology may require significant additional capital expenditures and
could
materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations and
financial condition.
If
new
services require us to grow rapidly, this could place a significant strain
on
our managerial, operational, technical and financial resources. In order
to
manage our growth, we could be required to implement new or upgraded operating
and financial systems, procedures and controls. Our failure to expand our
operations in an efficient manner could cause our expenses to grow, our revenue
to decline or grow more slowly than expected and could otherwise have a material
adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial
condition.
If
we are not competitive in the market for real-time sales, marketing and customer
service solutions, or online consumer services our business could be
harmed.
The
market for online sales, marketing and customer service technology is intensely
competitive and characterized by aggressive marketing, evolving industry
standards, rapid technology developments and frequent new product introductions.
Established or new entities may enter the market in the near future, including
those that provide solutions for real-time interaction online, or online
consumer services related to real-time advice.
We
compete directly with companies focused on technology that facilitates real-time
sales, email management, searchable knowledgebase applications, and customer
service interaction. These markets remain fairly saturated with small companies
that compete on price and features. We face significant competition from
online
interaction solution providers, including SaaS providers: RightNow Technologies,
Art Technology Group and Instant Service. We face potential competition from
Web
analytics and online marketing service providers, such as Omniture. The most
significant barriers to entry in this market are knowledge of:
·
|
online
consumer purchasing habits;
|
·
|
methodologies
to efficiently engage customers and
consumers;
|
·
|
metrics
proving return on investment; and
|
·
|
technology
innovation opportunities.
|
Furthermore,
many of our competitors offer a broader range of customer relationship
management products and services than we currently offer. We may be
disadvantaged and our business may be harmed if companies doing business
online
choose real-time sales, marketing and customer service solutions from such
providers.
13
We
also
face potential competition from larger enterprise software companies such
as
Oracle. In addition, established technology companies such as Microsoft,
Yahoo
and Google may leverage their existing relationships and capabilities to
offer
real-time sales, marketing and customer service applications or consumer
services similar to our consumer offerings.
Finally,
we compete with clients and potential clients that choose to provide a real-time
sales, marketing and customer service solution in-house as well as, to a
lesser
extent, traditional offline customer service solutions, such as telephone
call
centers.
We
believe that competition will increase as our current competitors increase
the
sophistication of their offerings and as new participants enter the market.
As
compared to our company, some of our larger current and potential competitors
have:
·
|
greater
brand recognition;
|
·
|
more
diversified lines of products and services;
and
|
·
|
significantly
greater financial, marketing and research and development
resources.
|
Additionally,
some competitors may enter into strategic or commercial relationships with
larger, more established and better-financed companies. These competitors
may be
able to:
·
|
undertake
more extensive marketing campaigns;
|
·
|
adopt
more aggressive pricing policies;
and
|
·
|
make
more attractive offers to businesses or individuals to induce them
to use
their products or services.
|
Any
delay
in the general market acceptance of the real-time sales, marketing and customer
service solution business model or in online, real-time consumer advice services
would likely harm our competitive position. Delays would allow our competitors
additional time to improve their service or product offerings, and would
also
provide time for new competitors to develop real-time sales, marketing, customer
service and Web analytics applications or competitive consumer service offerings
and solicit prospective clients within our target markets. Increased competition
could result in pricing pressures, reduced operating margins and loss of
market
share.
Our
clients may experience adverse business conditions that could adversely affect
our business.
Some
of
our clients may experience difficulty in supporting their current operations
and
implementing their business plans. These clients may reduce their spending
on
our services, or may not be able to discharge their payment and other
obligations to us. These circumstances are influenced by general economic
and
industry-specific conditions, and could have a material adverse impact on
our
business, financial condition and results of operations.
14
In
addition, as a result of these conditions, our clients that may experience
(or
that anticipate experiencing) difficulty raising capital, may elect to scale
back the resources they devote to customer service and/or sales and marketing
technology, including services such as ours. If the current environment for
our
clients, including, in particular, our Internet-related clients, does not
improve, our business, results of operations and financial condition could
be
materially adversely affected. In addition, the non-payment or late payment
of
amounts due to us from a significant number of clients would negatively impact
our financial condition. During 2007, we increased our allowance for doubtful
accounts by $103,000 to approximately $208,000, principally due to an increase
in accounts receivable as a result of increased sales. During 2006, we increased
our allowance for doubtful accounts by $38,000 to approximately $105,000,
principally due to an increase in accounts receivable as a result of increased
sales.
If
we do not successfully integrate past or potential future acquisitions, our
business could be harmed.
We
have a
history of making acquisitions. Most recently, in October 2007, we acquired
Kasamba Inc., an Israeli-based provider of a platform for online, real-time
expert advice. In the future, we may acquire or invest in complementary
companies, products or technologies. Acquisitions and investments involve
numerous risks to us, including:
·
|
difficulties
in integrating operations, technologies, products and personnel
with
LivePerson;
|
·
|
diversion
of financial and management resources from efforts related to the
LivePerson services or other pre-existing operations; risks of
entering
new markets beyond providing real-time sales, marketing and customer
service solutions for companies doing business
online;
|
·
|
potential
loss of either our existing key employees or key employees of any
companies we acquire; and
|
·
|
our
inability to generate sufficient revenue to offset acquisition
or
investment costs.
|
These
difficulties could disrupt our ongoing business, distract our management
and
employees, increase our expenses and adversely affect our results of operations.
Furthermore, we may incur debt or issue equity securities to pay for any
future
acquisitions. The issuance of equity securities could be dilutive to our
existing stockholders.
We
could face additional regulatory requirements, tax liabilities and other
risks
as we expand internationally and/or as we expand into direct-to-consumer
services.
In
October 2007, we acquired Kasamba Inc., an Israeli-based provider of a platform
for online, real-time expert advice. In October 2000, we acquired HumanClick,
an
Israeli-based provider of real-time online customer service applications.
In
addition, we have established a sales, marketing and client support presence
in
the United Kingdom in support of expansion efforts into Western Europe, and
have
integrated the United Kingdom operations of Proficient Systems into that
office.
There are risks related to doing business in international markets as well
as in
the online consumer market, such as changes in regulatory requirements, tariffs
and other trade barriers, fluctuations in currency exchange rates, more
stringent rules relating to the privacy of Internet users and adverse tax
consequences. In addition, there are likely to be different consumer preferences
and requirements in specific international markets. Furthermore, we may face
difficulties in staffing and managing any foreign operations. One or more
of
these factors could harm any future international operations.
15
If
our goodwill becomes impaired, we may be required to record a significant
charge
to earnings.
Under
accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S., we review our goodwill
for
impairment when events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying
value
may not be recoverable. Goodwill is required to be tested for impairment
at
least annually. Factors that may be considered a change in circumstances
indicating that the carrying value of our goodwill may not be recoverable
include a decline in stock price and market capitalization, reduced future
cash
flow estimates, and slower growth rates in our industry. We may be required
to
record a significant charge to earnings in our financial statements during
the
period in which any impairment of our goodwill is determined, negatively
impacting our results of operations.
The
success of our business is dependent on the retention of existing clients
and
their purchase of additional services, as well as attracting new customers
and
consumer users to our consumer services.
Our
business services agreements typically have twelve month terms and are
terminable upon 30 to 90 days’ notice without penalty. If a significant number
of our clients, or any one client to whom we provide a significant amount
of
services, were to terminate these services agreements, or reduce the amount
of
services purchased or fail to purchase additional services, our results of
operations may be negatively and materially affected. Dissatisfaction with
the
nature or quality of our services could also lead clients to terminate our
service. We depend on monthly fees and interaction-based fees from our services
for substantially all of our revenue. If our retention rate declines, our
revenue could decline unless we are able to obtain additional clients or
alternate revenue sources. Further, because of the historically small amount
of
services sold in initial orders, we depend on sales to new clients and sales
of
additional services to our existing clients.
We
are dependent on technology systems and third-party content that are beyond
our
control.
The
success of our services depends in part on our clients’ online services as well
as the Internet connections of visitors to websites, both of which are outside
of our control. As a result, it may be difficult to identify the source of
problems if they occur. In the past, we have experienced problems related
to
connectivity which have resulted in slower than normal response times to
Internet user chat requests and messages and interruptions in service. Our
services rely both on the Internet and on our connectivity vendors for data
transmission. Therefore, even when connectivity problems are not caused by
our
services, our clients or Internet users may attribute the problem to us.
This
could diminish our brand and harm our business, divert the attention of our
technical personnel from our product development efforts or cause significant
client relations problems.
In
addition, we rely on third-party Web hosting service providers and other
third
parties for Internet connectivity and network infrastructure hosting, security
and maintenance. These providers have, in the past, experienced problems
that
have resulted in slower than normal response times and interruptions in service.
If we are unable to continue utilizing the services of our existing Web hosting
and infrastructure providers or if our services experience interruptions
or
delays, our business could be harmed.
16
Our
business service also depends on third parties for hardware and software
and our
consumer services depend on third parties for content, which products and
content could contain defects or inaccurate information. Problems arising
from
our use of such hardware or software or third party content could require
us to
incur significant costs or divert the attention of our technical or other
personnel from our product development efforts or to manage issues related
to
content. To the extent any such problems require us to replace such hardware
or
software, we may not be able to do so on acceptable terms, if at
all.
We
may be subject to legal liability and/or negative publicity for the services
provided to consumers via our technology platforms.
Our
technology platforms enable representatives of our clients as well as individual
service providers to communicate with consumers and other persons seeking
information or advice on the world wide web. The law relating to the liability
of online platform providers such as us for the activities of users of their
online platforms is often challenged in the U.S. and internationally. We
may be
unable to prevent users of our technology platforms from providing negligent,
unlawful or inappropriate advice, information or content via our technology
platforms, or from behaving in an unlawful manner, and we may be subject
to
allegations of civil or criminal liability for negligent, fraudulent, unlawful
or inappropriate activities carried out by users of our technology platforms.
Claims
could be made against online services companies under both U.S. and foreign
law
such as fraud, defamation, libel, invasion of privacy, negligence, copyright
or
trademark infringement, or other theories based on the nature and content
of the
materials disseminated by users of our technology platforms. In addition,
domestic and foreign legislation has been proposed that would prohibit or
impose
liability for the transmission over the Internet of certain types of
information. Our defense of any of these actions could be costly and involve
significant time and attention of our management and other
resources.
The
Digital Millennium Copyright Act, or DMCA, is intended, among other things,
to
reduce the liability of online service providers for listing or linking to
third
party Web properties that include materials that infringe copyrights or rights
of others. Additionally, portions of The Communications Decency Act, or CDA,
are
intended to provide statutory protections to online service providers who
distribute third party content. A safe harbor for copyright infringement
is also
available under the DMCA to certain online service providers that provide
specific services, if the providers take certain affirmative steps as set
forth
in the DMCA. Important questions regarding the safe harbor under the DMCA
and
the CDA have yet to be litigated, and we can not guarantee that we will meet
the
safe harbor requirements of the DMCA or of the CDA. If we are not covered
by a
safe harbor, for any reason, we could be exposed to claims, which could be
costly and time-consuming to defend.
Our
consumer service allows consumers to provide feedback regarding service
providers. Although all such feedback is generated by users and not by us,
claims of defamation or other injury could be made against us for content
posted
on our websites. Our liability for such claims may be higher in jurisdictions
outside the U.S. where laws governing Internet transactions are unsettled.
If
we
become liable for information provided by our users and carried via our service
in any jurisdiction in which we operate, we could be directly harmed and
we may
be forced to implement new measures to reduce our exposure to this liability.
In
addition, the increased attention focused upon liability issues as a result
of
these lawsuits and legislative proposals could harm our reputation or otherwise
impact the growth of our business. Any costs incurred as a result of this
potential liability could harm our business.
17
In
addition, negative publicity and user sentiment generated as a result of
fraudulent or deceptive conduct by users of our technology platforms could
damage our reputation, reduce our ability to attract new users or retain
our
current users, and diminish the value of our brand.
In
the
future, we may be required to spend substantial resources to take additional
protective measures or discontinue certain service offerings, any of which
could
harm our business. Any costs incurred as a result of potential liability
relating to the sale of unlawful services or the unlawful sale of services
could
harm our business.
Our
services are subject to payment-related risks.
For
certain payment methods, including credit and debit cards, we pay interchange
and other fees, which may increase over time and raise our operating costs
and
lower our profit margins. We rely on third parties to provide payment processing
services, including the processing of credit cards, debit cards and it could
disrupt our business if these companies become unwilling or unable to provide
these services to us. We are also subject to payment card association operating
rules, certification requirements and rules governing electronic funds
transfers, which could change or be reinterpreted to make it difficult or
impossible for us to comply. If we fail to comply with these rules or
requirements, we may be subject to fines and higher transaction fees and
lose
our ability to accept credit and debit card payments from our customers or
facilitate other types of online payments, and our business and operating
results could be adversely affected.
With
the
acquisition of Kasamba, we facilitate online transactions between individual
service providers who provide online advice and information to
consumers.
In
connection with these services, we accept payments using a variety of methods,
such as credit card, debit card and PayPal. These payments are subject to
“chargebacks” when consumers dispute payments they have made to us. Chargebacks
can occur whether or not services were properly provided. Susceptibility
to
chargebacks puts a portion of our revenue at risk. We take measures to manage
our risk relative to chargebacks and to recoup properly charged fees, however,
if we are unable to successfully manage this risk our business and operating
results could be adversely affected. As we offer new payment options to our
users, we may be subject to additional regulations, compliance requirements,
and
fraud.
We
are
also subject to a number of other laws and regulations relating to money
laundering, international money transfers, privacy and information security
and
electronic fund transfers. If we were found to be in violation of applicable
laws or regulations, we could be subject to civil and criminal penalties
or
forced to cease our payments services business.
Technological
or other defects could disrupt or negatively impact our services, which could
harm our business and reputation.
We
face
risks related to the technological capabilities of our services. We expect
the
number of interactions between our clients’ operators and Internet users over
our system to increase significantly as we expand our client base. Our network
hardware and software may not be able to accommodate this additional volume.
Additionally, we must continually upgrade our software to improve the features
and functionality of our services in order to be competitive in our markets.
If
future versions of our software contain undetected errors, our business could
be
harmed. If third-party content is flawed, our business could be harmed. As
a
result of major software upgrades at LivePerson, our client sites have, from
time to time, experienced slower than normal response times and interruptions
in
service. If we experience system failures or degraded response times, our
reputation and brand could be harmed. We may also experience technical problems
in the process of installing and initiating the LivePerson services on new
Web
hosting services. These problems, if not remedied, could harm our
business.
18
Our
services also depend on complex software which may contain defects, particularly
when we introduce new versions onto our servers. We may not discover software
defects that affect our new or current services or enhancements until after
they
are deployed. It is possible that, despite testing by us, defects may occur
in
the software. These defects could result in:
·
|
damage
to our reputation;
|
·
|
lost
sales;
|
·
|
delays
in or loss of market acceptance of our products;
and
|
·
|
unexpected
expenses and diversion of resources to remedy
errors.
|
We
have a history of losses, we had an accumulated deficit of $93.4 million
as of
December 31, 2007 and we may incur losses in the future.
Although
we have achieved profitability in each three-month period from and including
the
period ended September 30, 2003, we may, in the future, incur losses and
experience negative cash flow, either or both of which may be significant.
We
recorded net losses of $6.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2002
and
$816,000 for the year ended December 31, 2003. We recorded net income of
$2.1
million for the year ended December 31, 2004, $2.5 million for the year ended
December 31, 2005, $2.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2006, and
$5.8
million for the year ended December 31, 2007. As of December 31, 2007, our
accumulated deficit was approximately $93.4 million. We cannot assure you
that
we can sustain or increase profitability on a quarterly or annual basis in
the
future. Failure to maintain profitability may materially and adversely affect
the market price of our common stock.
Failure
to license necessary third party software for use in our products and services,
or failure to successfully integrate third party software, could cause delays
or
reductions in our sales, or errors or failures of our
service.
We
license third party software that we plan to incorporate into our products
and
services. In the future, we might need to license other software to enhance
our
products and meet evolving customer requirements. These licenses may not
continue to be available on commercially reasonable terms or at all. Some
of
this technology could be difficult to replace once integrated. The loss of,
or
inability to obtain, these licenses could result in delays or reductions
of our
applications until we identify, license and integrate or develop equivalent
software, and new licenses could require us to pay higher royalties. If we
are
unable to successfully license and integrate third party technology, we could
experience a reduction in functionality and/or errors or failures of our
products, which may reduce demand for our products and services.
Third-party
licenses may expose us to increased risks, including risks associated with
the
integration of new technology, the impact of new technology integration on
our
existing technology, the diversion of resources from the development of our
own
proprietary technology, and our inability to generate revenue from new
technology sufficient to offset associated acquisition and maintenance
costs.
Our
business is significantly dependent on our ability to retain our current
key
personnel, to attract new personnel, and to manage staff
attrition.
Our
future success depends to a significant extent on the continued services
of our
senior management team, including Robert P. LoCascio, our founder and Chief
Executive Officer. The loss of the services of any member of our senior
management team, in particular Mr. LoCascio, could have a material and adverse
effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. We
cannot
assure you that we would be able to successfully integrate newly-hired senior
managers who would work together successfully with our existing management
team.
19
We
may be
unable to attract, integrate or retain other highly qualified employees in
the
future. If our retention efforts are ineffective, employee turnover could
increase and our ability to provide services to our clients would be materially
and adversely affected. Furthermore, the requirement to expense stock options
may discourage us from granting the size or type of stock option awards that
job
candidates may require to join our company
Any
staff
attrition we experience, whether initiated by the departing employees or
by us,
could place a significant strain on our managerial, operational, financial
and
other resources. To the extent that we do not initiate or seek any staff
attrition that occurs, there can be no assurance that we will be able to
identify and hire adequate replacement staff promptly, if at all, and even
that
if such staff is replaced, we will be successful in integrating these employees.
In addition, we may not be able to outsource certain functions. We expect
to
evaluate our needs and the performance of our staff on a periodic basis,
and may
choose to make adjustments in the future. If the size of our staff is
significantly reduced, either by our choice or otherwise, it may become more
difficult for us to manage existing, or establish new, relationships with
clients and other counter-parties, or to expand and improve our service
offerings. It may also become more difficult for us to implement changes
to our
business plan or to respond promptly to opportunities in the marketplace.
Further, it may become more difficult for us to devote personnel resources
necessary to maintain or improve existing systems, including our financial
and
managerial controls, billing systems, reporting systems and procedures. Thus,
any significant amount of staff attrition could cause our business and financial
results to suffer.
We
believe our reported financial results may be adversely affected by changes
in
accounting principles generally accepted in the United
States.
Accounting
principles generally accepted in the U.S. are subject to interpretation by
the
FASB, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the SEC, and
various bodies formed to promulgate and interpret appropriate accounting
principles. A change in these principles or interpretations could have a
significant effect on our reported financial results, and could affect the
reporting of transactions completed before the announcement of a
change.
For
example, as of January 1, 2006 we were required to adopt the provisions of
SFAS
No. 123(R) (revised 2004), “Share Based Payment,” causing us to expense employee
stock options. This change decreased our net income per share by $0.08 and
$0.05
for the years ended 2007 and 2006, respectively. We expect that it will decrease
our net income per share by $0.02 and $0.11 for the first quarter and full
year
of 2008, respectively. This impact may change based upon additional stock
option
grants, if any, methodology refinement or other factors
We
cannot predict our future capital needs to execute our business strategy
and we
may not be able to secure additional financing.
We
believe that our current cash and cash equivalents and cash generated from
operations, if any, will be sufficient to fund our working capital and capital
expenditure requirements for at least the next twelve months. To the extent
that
we require additional funds to support our operations or the expansion of
our
business, or to pay for acquisitions, we may need to sell additional equity,
issue debt or convertible securities or obtain credit facilities through
financial institutions. In the past, we have obtained financing principally
through the sale of preferred stock, common stock and warrants. If additional
funds are raised through the issuance of debt or preferred equity securities,
these securities could have rights, preferences and privileges senior to
holders
of common stock, and could have terms that impose restrictions on our
operations. If additional funds are raised through the issuance of additional
equity or convertible securities, our stockholders could suffer dilution.
We
cannot assure you that additional funding, if required, will be available
to us
in amounts or on terms acceptable to us. If sufficient funds are not available
or are not available on acceptable terms, our ability to fund any potential
expansion, take advantage of acquisition opportunities, develop or enhance
our
services or products, or otherwise respond to competitive pressures would
be
significantly limited. Those limitations would materially and adversely affect
our business, results of operations and financial condition.
20
Our
reputation depends, in part, on factors which are partially or entirely outside
of our control.
Our
services typically appear as a LivePerson-branded, Timpani-branded or a
custom-created icon on our clients’ websites or our websites. The customer
service operators who respond to the inquiries of our clients’ Internet users
are employees or agents of our clients; they are not our employees. The experts
who respond to the inquiries of Internet users are independent consultants
or
agents of our clients; they are not our employees. As a result, we are not
able
to control the actions of these operators or experts. In addition, an Internet
user may not know that the operator or expert is not a LivePerson employee.
If
an Internet user were to have a negative experience in a LivePerson-powered
real-time dialogue, it is possible that this experience could be attributed
to
us, which could diminish our brand and harm our business. Finally, we believe
the success of our business services is aided by the prominent placement
of the
chat icon on a client’s website, over which we also have no
control.
Our
business and prospects would suffer if we are unable to protect and enforce
our
intellectual property rights.
Our
success and ability to compete depend, in part, upon the protection of our
intellectual property rights relating to the technology underlying the
LivePerson services. It is possible that:
·
|
any
issued patent or patents issued in the future may not be broad
enough to
protect our intellectual property
rights;
|
·
|
any
issued patent or any patents issued in the future could be successfully
challenged by one or more third parties, which could result in
our loss of
the right to prevent others from exploiting the inventions claimed
in the
patents;
|
·
|
current
and future competitors may independently develop similar technologies,
duplicate our services or design around any patents we may have;
and
|
·
|
effective
patent protection may not be available in every country in which
we do
business, where our services are sold or used, where the laws may
not
protect proprietary rights as fully as do the laws of the U.S.
or where
enforcement of laws protecting proprietary rights is not common
or
effective.
|
Further,
to the extent that the invention described in any U.S. patent was made public
prior to the filing of the patent application, we may not be able to obtain
patent protection in certain foreign countries. We also rely upon copyright,
trade secret, trademark and other common law in the U.S. and other
jurisdictions, as well as confidentiality procedures and contractual provisions,
to protect our proprietary technology, processes and other intellectual
property. Any steps we might take may not be adequate to protect against
infringement and misappropriation of our intellectual property by third parties.
Similarly, third parties may be able to independently develop similar or
superior technology, processes or other intellectual property. Policing
unauthorized use of our services and intellectual property rights is difficult,
and we cannot be certain that the steps we have taken will prevent
misappropriation of our technology or intellectual property rights, particularly
in foreign countries where we do business, where our services are sold or
used,
where the laws may not protect proprietary rights as fully as do the laws
of the
United States or where enforcement of laws protecting proprietary rights
is not
common or effective. The unauthorized reproduction or other misappropriation
of
our intellectual property rights could enable third parties to benefit from
our
technology without paying us for it. If this occurs, our business, results
of
operations and financial condition could be materially and adversely affected.
In addition, disputes concerning the ownership or rights to use intellectual
property could be costly and time-consuming to litigate, may distract management
from operating our business and may result in our loss of significant
rights.
21
Our
products and services may infringe upon intellectual property rights of third
parties and any infringement could require us to incur substantial costs
and may
distract our management.
We
are
subject to the risk of claims alleging infringement of third-party proprietary
rights. Substantial litigation regarding intellectual property rights exists
in
the software industry. In the ordinary course of our business, our services
may
be increasingly subject to third-party infringement claims as the number
of
competitors in our industry segment grows and the functionality of services
in
different industry segments overlaps. Some of our competitors in the market
for
real-time sales, marketing and customer service solutions or other third
parties
may have filed or may intend to file patent applications covering aspects
of
their technology. Any claims alleging infringement of third-party intellectual
property rights could require us to spend significant amounts in litigation
(even if the claim is invalid), distract management from other tasks of
operating our business, pay substantial damage awards, prevent us from selling
our products, delay delivery of the LivePerson services, develop non-infringing
software, technology, business processes, systems or other intellectual property
(none of which might be successful), or limit our ability to use the
intellectual property that is the subject of any of these claims, unless
we
enter into license agreements with the third parties (which may be costly,
unavailable on commercially reasonable terms, or not available at all).
Therefore, such claims could have a material adverse effect on our business,
results of operations and financial condition.
We
may be liable if third parties misappropriate personal information belonging
to
our clients’ Internet users.
We
maintain dialogue transcripts of the text-based chats and email interactions
between our clients and Internet users and store on our servers information
supplied voluntarily by these Internet users in surveys. We provide this
information to our clients to allow them to perform Internet user analyses
and
monitor the effectiveness of our services. Some of the information we collect
may include personal information, such as contact and demographic information.
If third parties were able to penetrate our network security or otherwise
misappropriate personal information relating to our clients’ Internet users or
the text of customer service inquiries, we could be subject to liability.
We
could be subject to negligence claims or claims for misuse of personal
information. These claims could result in litigation, which could have a
material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial
condition. We may incur significant costs to protect against the threat of
security breaches or to alleviate problems caused by such breaches.
The
need
to physically secure and securely transmit confidential information online
has
been a significant barrier to electronic commerce and online communications.
Any
well-publicized compromise of security could deter people from using online
services such as the ones we offer, or from using them to conduct transactions,
which involve transmitting confidential information. Because our success
depends
on the general acceptance of our services and electronic commerce, we may
incur
significant costs to protect against the threat of security breaches or to
alleviate problems caused by these breaches.
22
Political,
economic and military conditions in Israel could negatively impact our Israeli
operations.
Our
product development staff, help desk, online sales support and the Kasamba
operations are located in Israel. As of December 31, 2007, we had 217 full-time
employees in Israel. Although substantially all of our sales to date have
been
made to customers outside Israel, we are directly influenced by the political,
economic and military conditions affecting Israel. Since the establishment
of
the State of Israel in 1948, a number of armed conflicts have taken place
between Israel and its Arab neighbors. A state of hostility, varying in degree
and intensity, has caused security and economic problems in Israel. Since
September 2000, there has been a marked increase in violence, civil unrest
and
hostility, including armed clashes, between the State of Israel and the
Palestinians, primarily but not exclusively in the West Bank and Gaza Strip,
and
negotiations between the State of Israel and Palestinian representatives
have
effectively ceased. The election of representatives of the Hamas movement
to a
majority of seats in the Palestinian Legislative Council in January 2006
created
additional unrest and uncertainty. In July and August of 2006, Israel was
involved in a full-scale armed conflict with Hezbollah, a Lebanese Islamist
Shiite militia group and political party, in southern Lebanon, which involved
missile strikes against civilian targets in northern Israel that resulted
in
economic losses. Since June 2007, there has been an escalation in violence
in
the Gaza Strip. Continued hostilities between Israel and its neighbors and
any
future armed conflict, terrorist activities or political instability in the
region could adversely affect our operations in Israel and our business.
Further
deterioration of the situation might require more widespread military reserve
service by some of our Israeli employees and might result in a significant
downturn in the economic or financial condition of Israel, either of which
could
have a material adverse effect on our operations in Israel and our business.
In
addition, several Arab countries still restrict business with Israeli companies.
Our operations in Israel could be adversely affected by restrictive laws
or
policies directed towards Israel and Israeli businesses.
Risks
Related to Our Industry
We
are dependent on the continued use of the Internet as a medium for
commerce.
We
cannot
be sure that a sufficiently broad base of consumers will continue to use
the
Internet as a medium for commerce. Convincing our clients to offer real-time
sales, marketing and customer service technology may be difficult. The
continuation of the Internet as a viable commercial marketplace is subject
to a
number of factors, including:
·
|
continued
growth in the number of users;
|
·
|
concerns
about transaction security;
|
·
|
continued
development of the necessary technological
infrastructure;
|
·
|
development
of enabling technologies;
|
·
|
uncertain
and increasing government regulation;
and
|
·
|
the
development of complementary services and
products.
|
We
may become subject to burdensome government regulation and legal
uncertainties.
We
are
subject to federal, state and local regulation, and laws of jurisdictions
outside of the United States, including laws and regulations applicable to
computer software and access to or commerce over the Internet. Due to the
increasing popularity and use of the Internet and various other online services,
it is likely that new laws and regulations will continue to be adopted with
respect to the Internet - or other online services covering issues such as
user
privacy, freedom of expression, pricing, content and quality of products
and
services, taxation, advertising, intellectual property rights and information
security. The nature of such legislation and the manner in which it may be
interpreted and enforced cannot be fully determined and, therefore, such
legislation could subject us and/or our clients or Internet users to potential
liability, which in turn could have a material adverse effect on our business,
results of operations and financial condition.
23
As
a
result of collecting data from live online Internet user dialogues, our clients
may be able to analyze the commercial habits of Internet users. Privacy concerns
may cause Internet users to avoid online sites that collect such behavioral
information and even the perception of security and privacy concerns, whether
or
not valid, may indirectly inhibit market acceptance of our services. In
addition, we or our clients may be harmed by any laws or regulations that
restrict the ability to collect, transmit or use this data. The European
Union
and many countries within the E.U. have adopted privacy directives or laws
that
strictly regulate the collection and use of personally identifiable information
of Internet users. The United States has adopted legislation which governs
the
collection and use of certain personal information. The U.S. Federal Trade
Commission has also taken action against website operators who do not comply
with their stated privacy policies. Furthermore, other foreign jurisdictions
have adopted legislation governing the collection and use of personal
information. These and other governmental efforts may limit our clients’ ability
to collect and use information about their interactions with their Internet
users through our services. As a result, such laws and efforts could create
uncertainty in the marketplace that could reduce demand for our services
or
increase the cost of doing business as a result of litigation costs or increased
service delivery costs, or could in some other manner have a material adverse
effect on our business, results of operations and financial
condition.
For
example, the LivePerson services allow our clients to capture and save
information about their Internet user interactions, possibly without their
knowledge. Additionally, our service uses a tool, commonly referred to as
a
“cookie,” to uniquely identify each of our clients’ Internet users. To the
extent that additional legislation regarding Internet user privacy is enacted,
such as legislation governing the collection and use of information regarding
Internet users through the use of cookies, the effectiveness of the LivePerson
services could be impaired by restricting us from collecting information
which
may be valuable to our clients. The foregoing could have a material adverse
effect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
In
addition to privacy legislation, any new legislation or regulation regarding
the
Internet, or the application of existing laws and regulations to the Internet,
could harm us. Additionally, as we operate outside the U.S., the international
regulatory environment relating to the Internet could have a material adverse
effect on our business, results of operations and financial
condition.
Security
concerns could hinder commerce on the Internet.
User
concerns about the security of confidential information online have been
a
significant barrier to commerce on the Internet and online communications.
Any
well-publicized compromise of security could deter people from using the
Internet or other online services or from using them to conduct transactions
that involve the transmission of confidential information. If Internet commerce
is inhibited as a result of such security concerns, our business would be
harmed.
24
We
depend on the continued viability of the infrastructure of the
Internet.
To
the
extent that the Internet continues to experience growth in the number of
users
and frequency of use by consumers resulting in increased bandwidth demands,
we
cannot assure you that the infrastructure for the Internet will be able to
support the demands placed upon it. The Internet has experienced outages
and
delays as a result of damage to portions of its infrastructure. Outages or
delays could adversely affect online sites, email and the level of traffic
on
the Internet. We also depend on Internet service providers that provide our
clients and Internet users with access to the LivePerson services. In the
past,
users have experienced difficulties due to system failures unrelated to our
service. In addition, the Internet could lose its viability due to delays
in the
adoption of new standards and protocols required to handle increased levels
of
Internet activity. Insufficient availability of telecommunications services
to
support the Internet also could result in slower response times and negatively
impact use of the Internet generally, and our clients’ sites (including the
LivePerson dialogue windows) in particular. If the use of the Internet fails
to
grow or grows more slowly than expected, if the infrastructure for the Internet
does not effectively support growth that may occur or if the Internet does
not
become a viable commercial marketplace, we may not maintain profitability
and
our business, results of operations and financial condition will
suffer.
Other
Risks
Our
stock price has been highly volatile and may experience extreme price and
volume
fluctuations in the future, which could reduce the value of your investment
and
subject us to litigation.
Fluctuations
in market price and volume are particularly common among securities of Internet
and other technology companies. The market price of our common stock has
fluctuated significantly in the past and may continue to be highly volatile,
with extreme price and volume fluctuations, in response to the following
factors, some of which are beyond our control:
·
|
variations
in our quarterly operating results;
|
·
|
changes
in market valuations of publicly-traded companies in general and
Internet
and other technology companies in
particular;
|
·
|
our
announcements of significant client contracts, acquisitions and
our
ability to integrate these acquisitions, strategic partnerships,
joint
ventures or capital commitments;
|
·
|
our
failure to complete significant
sales;
|
·
|
additions
or departures of key personnel;
|
·
|
future
sales of our common stock;
|
·
|
changes
in financial estimates by securities analysts;
and
|
·
|
terrorist
attacks against the United States or in Israel, the engagement
in
hostilities or an escalation of hostilities by or against the United
States or Israel, or the declaration of war or national emergency
by the
United States or Israel.
|
In
the
past, companies that have experienced volatility in the market price of their
stock have been the subject of securities class action litigation. We may
in the
future be the target of similar litigation, which could result in substantial
costs and distract management from other important aspects of operating our
business.
25
Our
stockholders, who each own greater than five percent of the outstanding common
stock, and our executive officers and directors, will be able to influence
matters requiring a stockholder vote.
Our
stockholders who each own greater than five percent of the outstanding common
stock and their affiliates, and our executive officers and directors, in
the
aggregate, beneficially own approximately 48.3% of our outstanding common
stock.
As a result, these stockholders, if acting together, will be able to
significantly influence all matters requiring approval by our stockholders,
including the election of directors and approval of significant corporate
transactions. This concentration of ownership could also have the effect
of
delaying or preventing a change in control.
The
future sale of shares of our common stock may negatively affect our stock
price.
If
our
stockholders sell substantial amounts of our common stock, including shares
issuable upon the exercise of outstanding options and warrants in the public
market, or if our stockholders are perceived by the market as intending to
sell
substantial amounts of our common stock, the market price of our common stock
could fall. These sales also might make it more difficult for us to sell
equity
securities in the future at a time and price that we deem appropriate. The
number of shares of common stock subject to the registration statement we
filed
in January 2004, registering our issuance and sale from time to time of up
to
4,000,000 shares of common stock, is much greater than the average weekly
trading volume for our shares. No prediction can be made as to the effect,
if
any, that market sales of these or other shares of our common stock will
have on
the market price of our common stock.
Anti-takeover
provisions in our charter documents and Delaware law may make it difficult
for a
third party to acquire us.
Provisions
of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, such as our staggered
Board of Directors, the manner in which director vacancies may be filled
and
provisions regarding the calling of stockholder meetings, could make it more
difficult for a third party to acquire us, even if doing so might be beneficial
to our stockholders. In addition, provisions of our amended and restated
bylaws,
such as advance notice requirements for stockholder proposals, and applicable
provisions of Delaware law, such as the application of business combination
limitations, could impose similar difficulties. Further, provisions of our
amended and restated certificate of incorporation relating to directors,
stockholder meetings, limitation of director liability, indemnification and
amendment of the certificate of incorporation and bylaws may not be amended
without the affirmative vote of not less than 66.67% of the outstanding shares
of our capital stock entitled to vote generally in the election of directors
(considered for this purpose as a single class) cast at a meeting of our
stockholders called for that purpose. Our amended and restated bylaws may
not be
amended without the affirmative vote of at least 66.67% of our Board of
Directors or without the affirmative vote of not less than 66.67% of the
outstanding shares of our capital stock entitled to vote generally in the
election of directors (considered for this purpose as a single class) cast
at a
meeting of our stockholders called for that purpose.
ITEM 1B. |
UNRESOLVED
STAFF COMMENTS
|
None.
26
ITEM 2. |
PROPERTIES
|
We
currently lease approximately 17,000 square feet at our headquarters location
in
New York City, under a lease expiring in October 2011.
Our
wholly-owned subsidiaries, HumanClick Ltd. and Kasamba, Ltd. maintain offices
in
Raanana, Israel of approximately 44,000 square feet, under leases expiring
in
October 2010.
Our
wholly-owned subsidiary, Proficient Systems, Inc. maintains offices in Atlanta,
Georgia of approximately 6,000 square feet, under a lease expiring in April
2010.
We
believe that our properties are in good condition, are well maintained and
are
suitable and adequate to carry on our operations for the foreseeable
future.
ITEM 3. |
LEGAL
PROCEEDINGS
|
In
May
2006, a former employee filed a complaint in the Supreme Court of New York
State
against us and two of our executive officers containing claims related to
improper termination of employment. This litigation was settled in February
2008. The terms of the settlement are confidential. The settlement of this
litigation did not have a material effect on our results of operations,
financial condition or cash flows.
On
July
31, 2007, we were served with a complaint filed in the United States District
Court for the Southern District of New York by the Shareholders’ Representative
of Proficient Systems, Inc. In connection with the July 2006 acquisition
of
Proficient, we were contingently required to issue up to 2,050,000 shares
of
common stock based on the terms of an earn-out provision in the merger
agreement. In accordance with the terms of the earn-out provision, we issued
1,127,985 shares in the second quarter of 2007 to the shareholders of
Proficient. The complaint filed by the Shareholders’ Representative seeks
certain documentation relating to calculation of the earn-out consideration,
and
seeks payment of substantially all of the remaining contingently issuable
earn-out shares. We believe the claims are without merit, intend to vigorously
defend against this lawsuit, and do not currently expect that the total shares
issued will differ significantly from the amount issued to date.
On
January 29, 2008, we filed a complaint in the United States District Court
for
the District of Delaware against NextCard, LLC and Marshall Credit Strategies,
LLC, seeking a declaratory judgment that a patent purportedly owned by the
defendants is invalid and not infringed by our products. Monetary relief
is not
sought. We are presently unable to estimate the likely costs of the litigation
of these legal proceedings. We expect our operations to continue without
interruption during the period of litigation.
We
are
not currently party to any other legal proceedings. From time to time, we
may be
subject to various claims and legal actions arising in the ordinary course
of
business.
ITEM 4. |
SUBMISSION
OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITY
HOLDERS
|
No
matters were submitted to a vote of stockholders through the solicitation
of
proxies or otherwise during the fourth quarter of the fiscal year ended
December 31, 2007.
27
PART
II
ITEM 5. |
MARKET
FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER
PURCHASES OF EQUITY
SECURITIES
|
PRICE
RANGE OF COMMON STOCK
Our
common stock is traded on The Nasdaq Capital Market (formerly known as The
Nasdaq SmallCap Market until September 27, 2005) of The Nasdaq Stock Market
under the symbol LPSN. The following table sets forth, for each full quarterly
period within the two most recent fiscal years, the high and low sales prices
(in dollars per share) of our common stock as reported or quoted on The Nasdaq
Capital Market:
High
|
Low
|
||||||
Year
ended December 31, 2007:
|
|||||||
First
Quarter
|
$
|
7.88
|
$
|
5.03
|
|||
Second
Quarter
|
$
|
7.86
|
$
|
5.10
|
|||
Third
Quarter
|
$
|
6.36
|
$
|
4.96
|
|||
Fourth
Quarter
|
$
|
6.78
|
$
|
4.89
|
|||
Year
ended December 31, 2006:
|
|||||||
First
Quarter
|
$
|
7.42
|
$
|
5.13
|
|||
Second
Quarter
|
$
|
7.84
|
$
|
4.05
|
|||
Third
Quarter
|
$
|
6.00
|
$
|
3.70
|
|||
Fourth
Quarter
|
$
|
6.00
|
$
|
4.27
|
HOLDERS
As
of
March 6, 2008, there were approximately 277 holders of record of our common
stock.
DIVIDEND
POLICY
We
have
not declared or paid any cash dividends on our capital stock since our
inception. We intend to retain earnings, if any, to finance the operation
and
expansion of our business and do not anticipate paying any cash dividends
in the
foreseeable future.
ISSUER
PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
On
March
10, 2008, our Board of Directors approved an extension of our existing stock
repurchase program through the end of the first quarter of 2009. The program,
originally announced in February 2007, was due to expire at the end of the
first
quarter of 2008.
Under
the
stock repurchase program, we are authorized to repurchase shares of our common
stock, in the open market or privately negotiated transactions, at times
and
prices considered appropriate by us depending upon prevailing market conditions
and other corporate considerations, up to an aggregate purchase price of
$8.0
million. As of March 10, 2008, approximately $6.0 million remained available
for
purchases under the program. Our Board of Directors may discontinue the program
at any time.
As
of
December 31, 2007, we had not repurchased any shares under this program.
Repurchases under the program, if any, would be completed no later than the
end
of the first quarter of 2009 when the program is scheduled to expire by its
terms.
28
The
following table summarizes repurchases of our common stock under our stock
repurchase program during the quarter ended December 31, 2007:
Period
|
Total
Number of
Shares Purchased
|
Average Price Paid
per
Share
|
Total
Number of
Shares
Purchased
as
Part of Publicly
Announced Plans or
Programs
|
Approximate
Dollar
Value of Shares that
May
Yet Be
Purchased
Under
the
Plans or
Programs
|
|||||||||
10/1/2007
- 10/31/2007
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
$
|
8,000,000
|
||||||||
11/1/2007
- 11/30/2007
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
$
|
8,000,000
|
||||||||
12/1/2007
- 12/31/2007
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
$
|
8,000,000
|
||||||||
Total
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
$
|
8,000,000
|
29
STOCK
PERFORMANCE GRAPH
The
graph
depicted below compares the annual percentage changes in the LivePerson’s
cumulative total stockholder return with the cumulative total return of the
Standard & Poor’s SmallCap 600 Index and the Standard & Poor’s
Information Technology Index.
30
Notes:
(1)
The
graph covers the period from December 31, 2002 to December 31,
2007.
(2)
The
graph assumes that $100 was invested at the market close on December 31,
2002 in
LivePerson’s Common Stock, in the Standard & Poor’s SmallCap 600 Index and
in the Standard & Poor’s Information Technology Index, and that all
dividends were reinvested. No cash dividends have been declared on LivePerson’s
Common Stock.
(3)
Stockholder returns over the indicated period should not be considered
indicative of future stockholder returns.
Notwithstanding
anything to the contrary set forth in any of our previous or future filings
under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Exchange
Act of
1934, as amended, that might incorporate by reference this Annual Report
on Form
10-K or future filings made by the Company under those statutes, the Stock
Performance Graph above is not deemed filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, is not deemed soliciting material and shall not be deemed
incorporated by reference into any of those prior filings or into any future
filings made by us under those statutes, except to the extent that we
specifically incorporate such information by reference into a previous or
future
filing, or specifically requests that such information be treated as soliciting
material, in each case under those statutes.
31
ITEM 6. |
SELECTED
CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL
DATA
|
The
selected consolidated financial data with respect to our consolidated balance
sheets as of December 31, 2007 and 2006 and the related consolidated
statements of operations for the years ended December 31, 2007, 2006 and
2005 have been derived from our audited consolidated financial statements
which
are included herein. The selected financial data with respect to our balance
sheets as of December 31, 2005, 2004 and 2003 and the related statements of
operations for the years ended December 31, 2004 and 2003 have been derived
from our audited financial statements which are not included herein. Due
to our
acquisitions of Kasamba in October 2007 and Proficient in July 2006, we believe
that comparisons of our operating results with each other, or with those
of
prior periods, may not be meaningful. The following selected consolidated
financial data should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial
statements and the notes thereto and the information contained in Item 7,
“Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations.”
Year
Ended December 31,
|
||||||||||||||||
2007
|
2006
|
2005
|
2004
|
2003
|
||||||||||||
(in
thousands, except share and per share data)
|
||||||||||||||||
Consolidated
Statement of Operations Data:
|
||||||||||||||||
Revenue
|
$
|
52,228
|
$
|
33,521
|
$
|
22,277
|
$
|
17,392
|
$
|
12,023
|
||||||
Operating
expenses:
|
||||||||||||||||
Cost
of revenue (1)
|
13,534
|
7,621
|
4,297
|
2,888
|
2,028
|
|||||||||||
Product
development (1)
|
9,032
|
5,062
|
2,699
|
2,000
|
1,641
|
|||||||||||
Sales
and marketing (1)
|
16,124
|
11,864
|
6,975
|
5,183
|
3,555
|
|||||||||||
General
and administrative (1)
|
9,208
|
6,542
|
4,458
|
4,456
|
3,610
|
|||||||||||
Amortization
of intangibles
|
1,116
|
1,383
|
931
|
792
|
1,014
|
|||||||||||
Restructuring
and impairment charges
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
1,024
|
|||||||||||
Total
operating expenses
|
49,014
|
32,472
|
19,360
|
15,319
|
12,872
|
|||||||||||
Income
(loss) from operations
|
3,214
|
1,049
|
2,917
|
2,073
|
(849
|
)
|
||||||||||
Other
income (expense):
|
||||||||||||||||
Other
expense
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
(8
|
)
|
||||||||||
Interest
income
|
896
|
715
|
300
|
77
|
41
|
|||||||||||
Total
other income, net
|
896
|
715
|
300
|
77
|
33
|
|||||||||||
Income
(loss) before provision for income taxes
|
4,110
|
1,764
|
3,217
|
2,150
|
(816
|
)
|
||||||||||
(Benefit
from) provision for income taxes (2)
|
(1,711
|
)
|
(438
|
)
|
675
|
58
|
—
|
|||||||||
Net
income (loss) attributable to common stockholders
|
$
|
5,821
|
$
|
2,202
|
$
|
2,542
|
$
|
2,092
|
$
|
(816
|
)
|
|||||
Basic
net income (loss) per common share
|
$
|
0.13
|
$
|
0.06
|
$
|
0.07
|
$
|
0.06
|
$
|
(0.02
|
)
|
|||||
Diluted
net income (loss) per common share
|
$
|
0.12
|
$
|
0.05
|
$
|
0.06
|
$
|
0.05
|
$
|
(0.02
|
)
|
|||||
Weighted
average shares outstanding used in basic net income (loss) per
common
share calculation
|
43,696,378
|
39,680,182
|
37,557,722
|
37,263,378
|
34,854,802
|
|||||||||||
Weighted
average shares outstanding used in diluted net income (loss) per
common
share calculation
|
46,814,080
|
43,345,232
|
39,885,328
|
39,680,304
|
34,854,802
|
(1) For
the years ended December 31, 2007 and 2006, includes stock-based compensation
expense related to the adoption of SFAS No. 123(R).
(2) For
the years ended December 31, 2007 and 2006, the benefit from income taxes
is
related the release of the Company’s valuation allowance against deferred tax
assets.
December
31,
|
||||||||||||||||
2007
|
2006
|
2005
|
2004
|
2003
|
||||||||||||
(in
thousands)
|
||||||||||||||||
Consolidated
Balance Sheet Data:
|
||||||||||||||||
Cash
and cash equivalents
|
$
|
26,222
|
$
|
21,729
|
$
|
17,117
|
$
|
12,425
|
$
|
10,898
|
||||||
Working
capital
|
17,641
|
19,233
|
15,668
|
11,283
|
8,486
|
|||||||||||
Total
assets
|
102,488
|
43,315
|
21,426
|
17,150
|
13,537
|
|||||||||||
Total
stockholders’ equity
|
84,712
|
34,549
|
17,213
|
13,554
|
9,336
|
32
ITEM
7.
|
MANAGEMENT’S
DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF
OPERATIONS
|
Critical
Accounting Policies and Estimates
General
Our
discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations
are
based upon our consolidated financial statements, which are prepared in
conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States
of
America. As such, we are required to make certain estimates, judgments and
assumptions that management believes are reasonable based upon the information
available. We base these estimates on our historical experience, future
expectations and various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable
under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for our judgments
that may not be readily apparent from other sources. These estimates and
assumptions affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the
disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the dates of the consolidated
financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during
the
reporting periods. These estimates and assumptions relate to estimates of
collectability of accounts receivable, the expected term of a client
relationship, accruals and other factors. We evaluate these estimates on
an
ongoing basis. Actual results could differ from those estimates under different
assumptions or conditions, and any differences could be material.
Overview
LivePerson
provides online engagement solutions that facilitate real-time assistance
and
trusted expert advice. Our hosted software platform creates more relevant,
compelling and personalized online experiences.
We
were
incorporated in the State of Delaware in November 1995 and the LivePerson
service was introduced initially in November 1998.
On
July
18, 2006, we acquired Proficient Systems, Inc., a provider of hosted proactive
chat solutions that help companies generate revenue on their websites. The
acquisition added several U.K. based financial services clients and provided
an
innovative product marketing team. Under the terms of the agreement, we acquired
all of the outstanding capital stock of Proficient in exchange for 2.0 million
shares of our common stock, valued at $9.9 million, paid at closing, and
up to
an additional 2.05 million shares based on the achievement of certain revenue
targets as of March 31, 2007. Based
on
these targets, we issued approximately 1.1 million additional shares valued
at
$8.9 million. At March 31, 2007, the value of these shares has been allocated
to
goodwill and we have included these shares in the weighted average shares
outstanding used in basic and diluted net income per share. The
net
intangibles of $1.3 and $2.5 million are included in “Assets - Intangibles, net”
on our December 31, 2007 and December 31, 2006 balance sheets,
respectively.
On
October 3, 2007, we acquired Kasamba Inc., a facilitator of online transactions
between service providers (“experts”), who provide expert online advice to
consumers (“users”) for total consideration of approximately $35.9 million. The
acquisition accelerated our expansion into the business-to-consumer market,
and
is expected to extend the value we deliver to our growing base of business
customers through a community that will connect consumers with experts in
a
range of categories. Under the terms of the agreement, we acquired all of
the
outstanding capital stock of Kasamba in exchange for 4,130,776 shares of
our
common stock, $9.0 million in cash and the assumption of 623,824 Kasamba
options. The net intangibles of $5.6 million are included in “Assets -
Intangibles, net” on our December 31, 2007 balance sheet.
33
The
significant accounting policies which we believe are the most critical to
aid in
fully understanding and evaluating the reported consolidated financial results
include the following:
Revenue
Recognition
LivePerson
provides online engagement solutions that facilitate real-time assistance
and
trusted expert advice. Our hosted software platform creates more relevant,
compelling and personalized online experiences.
Our
primary revenue source is from the sale of the LivePerson services under
the
brand names Timpani and LivePerson. With
the
acquisition of Kasamba Inc. (“Kasamba”), on October 3, 2007, we also facilitate
online transactions between service providers (“experts”) who provide expert
online advice to consumers (“users”).
The
majority of our revenue is generated from two sources: (1) monthly service
revenues and (2) related professional services. Because we provide our
application as a service, we follow the provisions of SEC Staff Accounting
Bulletin No. 104, “Revenue Recognition” and Emerging Issues Task Force Issue No.
00-21, “Revenue Arrangements with Multiple Deliverables”. We charge a monthly
fee, which varies by service and client usage. The majority of our larger
clients also pay a professional services fee related to implementation. We
may
also charge professional service fees related to additional training, business
consulting and analysis in support of the LivePerson services.
We
also
sell certain of the LivePerson services directly via Internet download. These
services are marketed as LivePerson Pro and LivePerson Contact Center for
small
and mid-sized businesses (“SMBs”), and are paid for almost exclusively by credit
card. Credit card payments accelerate cash flow and reduce our collection
risk,
subject to the merchant bank’s right to hold back cash pending settlement of the
transactions. Sales of LivePerson Pro and LivePerson Contact Center may occur
with or without the assistance of an online sales representative, rather
than
through face-to-face or telephone contact that is typically required for
traditional direct sales.
We
recognize monthly service revenue based upon the fee charged for the LivePerson
services, provided that there is persuasive evidence of an arrangement, no
significant Company obligations remain, collection of the resulting receivable
is probable and the amount of fees to be paid is fixed or determinable. Our
service agreements typically have twelve month terms and are terminable upon
30
to 90 days’ notice without penalty. When professional service fees provide added
value to the customer on a standalone basis and there is objective and reliable
evidence of the fair value of each deliverable, we recognize professional
service fees upon completion and customer acceptance of key milestones within
each of the professional services engagements. If a professional services
arrangement does not qualify for separate accounting, we recognize the fees,
and
the related labor costs, ratably over a period of 36 months, representing
our
current estimate of the term of the client relationship.
For
revenue recognized from online transactions between experts and users, we
apply
Emerging Issues Task Force (“EITF”) 99-19, “Reporting Revenue Gross as a
Principle versus Net as an Agent” due to the fact that we perform as an agent
without any risk of loss for collection. We collect a fee from the user and
retain a portion of the fee, and then remit the balance to the expert.
34
Stock-based
Compensation
On
January 1, 2006, we adopted Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (“SFAS”)
No. 123 (R) (revised 2004), “Share-Based Payment,” which addresses the
accounting for transactions in which an entity exchanges its equity instruments
for goods or services, with a primary focus on transactions in which an entity
obtains employee services in share-based payment transactions. SFAS No. 123(R)
is a revision to SFAS No. 123, “Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation,” and
supersedes Accounting Principles Board (“APB”) Opinion No. 25, “Accounting for
Stock Issued to Employees,” and its related implementation guidance. SFAS No.
123(R) requires measurement of the cost of employee services received in
exchange for an award of equity instruments based on the grant-date fair
value
of the award (with limited exceptions). Incremental compensation costs arising
from subsequent modifications of awards after the grant date must be
recognized.
We
adopted SFAS No. 123(R) using the modified prospective transition method,
which
requires the application of the accounting standard as of January 1, 2006,
the
first day of our fiscal year. Our Consolidated Financial Statements as of
and
for the years ended December 31, 2007 and 2006 reflect the impact of SFAS
No.
123(R). In accordance with the modified prospective transition method, our
Consolidated Financial Statements for prior periods have not been restated
to
reflect, and do not include, the impact of SFAS No. 123(R).
SFAS
No.
123(R) requires companies to estimate the fair value of share-based payment
awards on the date of grant using an option-pricing model. The value of the
portion of the award that is ultimately expected to vest is recognized as
expense over the requisite service periods in our Consolidated Statements
of
Income. Stock-based compensation recognized in our Consolidated Statement
of
Income for the years December 31, 2007 and 2006 includes compensation expense
for share-based awards granted prior to, but not fully vested as of January
1,
2006 based on the grant date fair value estimated in accordance with SFAS
No.
123 as well as compensation expense for share-based awards granted subsequent
to
January 1, 2006 in accordance with SFAS No. 123(R). We currently use the
Black-Scholes option pricing model to determine grant date fair
value.
As
of
December 31, 2007 and 2006, there was approximately $10.9 and $5.5 million
of
total unrecognized compensation cost related to nonvested share-based
compensation arrangements, respectively. That cost is expected to be recognized
over a weighted average period of approximately 2.32 years.
Accounts
Receivable
Our
customers are primarily concentrated in the United States. We perform ongoing
credit evaluations of our customers’ financial condition (except for customers
who purchase the LivePerson services by credit card via Internet download)
and
have established an allowance for doubtful accounts based upon factors
surrounding the credit risk of customers, historical trends and other
information that we believe to be reasonable, although they may change in
the
future. If there is a deterioration of a customer’s credit worthiness or actual
write-offs are higher than our historical experience, our estimates of
recoverability for these receivables could be adversely affected. Our
concentration of credit risk is limited due to our large number of customers.
No
single customer accounted for or exceeded 10% of our total revenue in 2007,
2006
and 2005. No single customer accounted for or exceeded 10% of accounts
receivable at December 31, 2007 or 2006. Accounts receivable at December
31, 2006 increased by approximately 136%, net of the Proficient acquisition,
compared to December 31, 2005, due primarily to
an
increase in the proportion of receivables due from larger corporate clients
that
typically have longer payment practices. This increase and the acquisition
of
Proficient resulted in an increase in our allowance for doubtful accounts
of
$38,000 in the year ended December 31, 2006.
35
Goodwill
In
accordance with SFAS No. 142, “Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets,” goodwill
and indefinite-lived intangible assets are not amortized, but reviewed for
impairment upon the occurrence of events or changes in circumstances that
would
reduce the fair value below its carrying amount. Goodwill is required to
be
tested for impairment at least annually. Determining the fair value of a
reporting unit under the first step of the goodwill impairment test and
determining the fair value of individual assets and liabilities of a reporting
unit (including unrecognized intangible assets) under the second step of
the
goodwill impairment test is judgmental in nature and often involves the use
of
significant estimates and assumptions. Similarly, estimates and assumptions
are
used in determining the fair value of other intangible assets. These estimates
and assumptions could have a significant impact on whether or not an impairment
charge is recognized and also the magnitude of any such charge.
To
assist
in the process of determining goodwill impairment, we will obtain appraisals
from an independent valuation firm. In addition to the use of an independent
valuation firm, we will perform internal valuation analyses and consider
other
market information that is publicly available. Estimates of fair value are
primarily determined using discounted cash flows and market comparisons.
These
approaches use significant estimates and assumptions including projected
future
cash flows (including timing), discount rates reflecting the risk inherent
in
future cash flows, perpetual growth rates, determination of appropriate market
comparables and the determination of whether a premium or discount should
be
applied to comparables.
Impairment
of Long-Lived Assets
In
accordance with SFAS No. 144, “Accounting for the Impairment or Disposal of
Long-lived Assets,” long-lived assets, such as property, plant and equipment and
purchased intangibles subject to amortization are reviewed for impairment
whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value
of
an asset may not be recoverable. Recoverability of assets to be held and
used is
measured by a comparison of the carrying value of an asset to estimated
undiscounted future cash flows expected to be generated by the asset. If
the
carrying value of an asset exceeds its estimated future cash flows, an
impairment charge is recognized in the amount by which the carrying value
of the
asset exceeds the fair value of the asset. Assets to be disposed of would
be
separately presented in the balance sheet and reported at the lower of the
carrying value or the fair value less costs to sell, and are no longer
depreciated. The assets and liabilities of a disposed group classified as
held
for sale would be presented separately in the appropriate asset and liability
sections of the balance sheet.
Use
of Estimates
The
preparation of our consolidated financial statements in accordance with
accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. requires our management
to
make a number of estimates and assumptions relating to the reported amounts
of
assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities
at
the date of the consolidated financial statements, and the reported amounts
of
revenue and expenses during the period. Significant items subject to such
estimates and assumptions include the carrying amount of goodwill, intangibles,
stock-based compensation, valuation allowances for deferred income tax assets,
accounts receivable, the expected term of a client relationship, accruals
and
other factors. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Recently
Issued Accounting Pronouncements
In
December 2007, the FASB issued Statement No. 141 (revised 2007), “Business
Combinations” (“SFAS No. 141(R)”). SFAS No. 141(R) established principles
and requirements for how an acquirer recognizes and measures in its financial
statements the identifiable assets acquired, the liabilities assumed, any
noncontrolling interest in the acquiree, and the goodwill acquired. SFAS
No.
141(R) also established disclosure requirements to enable the evaluation
of the
nature and financial effects of the business combination. SFAS No. 141(R)
is
effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2008. We
are
currently evaluating the impact that SFAS No. 141(R) will have on our accounting
for past and future acquisitions and our consolidated financial statements.
36
In
February 2007, the FASB issued Statement No. 159, "The Fair Value Option
for
Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities" ("SFAS No. 159"). SFAS No. 159
allows entities the option to measure at fair value eligible financial
instruments that are not currently measured at fair value. SFAS No. 159 is
effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after
November 15, 2007. We do not expect the adoption of SFAS No. 159 to have
a
material effect on our consolidated financial statements.
In
September 2006, the FASB issued Statement No. 157, "Fair Value Measurements"
("SFAS No. 157"), which defines fair value, establishes a framework for
measuring fair value and expands disclosures about fair value measurements.
SFAS
No. 157 applies to other accounting pronouncements that require or permit
fair
value measurements, but does not require any new fair value measurements.
SFAS
No. 157 is effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning
after November 15, 2007 and
interim periods within those fiscal years, with the exception of all
non-financial assets and liabilities, except those items recognized or disclosed
at fair value on an annual or more frequently recurring basis, which will
be
effective for years beginning after November 15, 2008.
We are
still evaluating the effects of the statement and its impact on our consolidated
financial statements.
In
July
2006, FASB Interpretation (FIN) No. 48, “Accounting for Uncertainty in Income
Taxes - An Interpretation of FASB Statement No. 109,” was issued. FIN No. 48
clarifies the accounting for uncertainty in income taxes recognized in an
enterprise's financial statements in accordance with SFAS No. 109, “Accounting
for Income Taxes.” FIN No. 48 also prescribes a recognition threshold and
measurement attribute for the financial statement recognition and measurement
of
a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. The new FASB
standard also provides guidance on derecognition, classification, interest
and
penalties, accounting in interim periods, disclosure, and
transition.
We
adopted FIN No. 48 on January 1, 2007 and as of that date and through December
31, 2007, we had no uncertain tax positions under FIN No. 48. We include
interest accrued on the underpayment of income taxes in interest expense
and
penalties, if any, related to unrecognized tax benefits in general and
administrative expenses.
We
file a
consolidated U.S. federal income tax return as well as income tax returns
in
several state jurisdictions, of which New York is the most significant. The
statute of limitations has expired for tax years prior to 2003. In 2006,
the
Internal Revenue Service completed an examination of our federal returns
for the
2004 taxable year.
Revenue
The
majority of our revenue is generated from two sources: (1) monthly service
revenues and (2) related professional services. We charge a monthly fee,
which
varies by service and client usage. The majority of our larger clients also
pay
a professional services fee related to implementation. The proportion of
our new
clients that are large corporations is increasing. These companies typically
have more significant implementation requirements and more stringent data
security standards. As a result, our professional services revenue has begun
to
increase. Such clients also have more sophisticated data analysis and
performance reporting requirements, and are more likely to engage our
professional services organization to provide such analysis and reporting
on a
recurring basis. As a result, it is likely that a greater proportion of our
future revenue will be generated from such ongoing professional services
work.
37
Revenue
attributable to our monthly service fee accounted for 94%, 95% and 95% of
total
LivePerson services revenue for the years ended December 31, 2007, 2006 and
2005, respectively. Our service agreements typically have twelve month terms
and
are terminable upon 30 to 90 days’ notice without penalty. Given the time
required to schedule training for our clients’ operators and our clients’
resource constraints, we have historically experienced a lag between signing
a
client contract and recognizing revenue from that client. This lag has recently
ranged from 30 to 90 days.
We
also
sell certain of the LivePerson services directly via Internet download. These
services are marketed as LivePerson Pro and LivePerson Contact Center for
small
and mid-sized businesses (“SMBs”), and are paid for almost exclusively by credit
card. Credit card payments accelerate cash flow and reduce our collection
risk,
subject to the merchant bank’s right to hold back cash pending settlement of the
transactions. Sales of LivePerson Pro and LivePerson Contact Center may occur
with or without the assistance of an online sales representative, rather
than
through face-to-face or telephone contact that is typically required for
traditional direct sales.
With
the
acquisition of Kasamba Inc., on October 3, 2007, we also facilitate online
transactions between service providers (“experts”) who provide expert online
advice to consumers (“users”). We collect a fee from the user and retain a
portion of the fee, and then remit the balance to the expert.
We
also
have entered into contractual arrangements that complement our direct sales
force and online sales efforts. These are primarily with Web hosting and
call
center service companies, pursuant to which LivePerson is paid a commission
based on revenue generated by these service companies from our referrals.
To
date, revenue from such commissions has not been material.
Operating
Expenses
Our
cost
of revenue consists of:
· |
compensation
costs relating to employees who provide customer support and
implementation services to our clients;
|
· |
compensation
costs relating to our network support
staff;
|
· |
allocated
occupancy costs and related overhead;
|
· |
the
cost of supporting our infrastructure, including expenses related
to
server leases, infrastructure support costs and Internet connectivity,
as
well as depreciation of certain hardware and software;
and
|
· |
the
credit card fees and related processing costs associated with the
Kasamba
services.
|
Our
product development expenses consist primarily of compensation and related
expenses for product development personnel, allocated occupancy costs and
related overhead, outsourced labor and expenses for testing new versions
of our
software. Product development expenses are charged to operations as
incurred.
Our
sales
and marketing expenses consist of compensation and related expenses for sales
personnel and marketing personnel, online marketing, allocated occupancy
costs
and related overhead, advertising, sales commissions, public relations,
promotional materials, travel expenses and trade show exhibit
expenses.
38
Our
general and administrative expenses consist primarily of compensation and
related expenses for executive, accounting and human resources personnel,
allocated occupancy costs and related overhead, professional fees, provision
for
doubtful accounts and other general corporate expenses.
During
2007, we increased our allowance for doubtful accounts by $103,000 to
approximately $208,000, principally due to an increase in accounts receivable
as
a result of increased sales. During 2006, we increased our allowance for
doubtful accounts by $38,000 to approximately $105,000, principally due to
an
increase in accounts receivable as a result of increased sales. We base our
allowance for doubtful accounts on specifically identified credit risks of
customers, historical trends and other information that we believe to be
reasonable. We adjust our allowance for doubtful accounts when accounts
previously reserved have been collected.
Non-cash
Compensation Expense
The
net
non-cash compensation amounts for the years ended December 31, 2007, 2006
and 2005 consist of:
2007
|
2006
|
2005
|
||||||||
|
(in
thousands)
|
|||||||||
Stock-based
compensation expense related to SFAS No. 123(R)
|
$
|
3,881
|
$
|
2,180
|
$
|
—
|
||||
Total
|
$
|
3,881
|
$
|
2,180
|
$
|
—
|
Results
of Operations
Due
to
our acquisition of Kasamba in October 2007, Proficient in July 2006, and
our
limited operating history, we believe that comparisons of our 2007, 2006
and
2005 operating results with each other, or with those of prior periods, may
not
be meaningful and that our historical operating results should not be relied
upon as indicative of future performance.
Comparison
of Fiscal Years Ended December 31, 2007 and 2006
Revenue.
Total
revenue increased by 56% to $52.2 million for the year ended December 31,
2007, from $33.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2006. Excluding
Kasamba revenue of $2.8 million, total revenue increased by 47% to $49.4
million. This increase is primarily attributable to increased revenue from
existing clients, net of cancellations, in the amount of approximately $7.8
million, and, to a lesser extent, to revenue from new clients, including
those
acquired in the Proficient acquisition, in the amount of approximately $7.0
million and an increase in professional services revenue of approximately
$1.1
million. Our revenue growth has traditionally been driven by a balanced mix
of
revenue from newly added clients and expansion from existing
clients.
Cost
of Revenue.
Cost of
revenue consists of compensation costs relating to employees who provide
customer service to our clients, compensation costs relating to our network
support staff, the cost of supporting our infrastructure, including expenses
related to server leases and Internet connectivity, as well as depreciation
of
certain hardware and software, and allocated occupancy costs and related
overhead. Cost of revenue increased by 78% to $13.5 million in 2007, from
$7.6
million in 2006. Excluding Kasamba cost of revenue in the amount of $800,000,
cost of revenue increased by 67% to $12.7 million. This increase is primarily
attributable to costs related to additional account management and network
operations personnel to support increased client activity from existing clients
and the addition of new clients and the Proficient acquisition in the amount
of
approximately $1.6 million and to increased spending for primary and backup
server facilities of approximately $2.3 million. As a result, our gross margin
in the year ended December 31, 2007 decreased to 74% as compared to 77% in
the
year ended December 31, 2006. The proportion of our new clients that are
large
corporations is increasing. These companies typically have more significant
implementation requirements and more stringent data security standards. As
a
result, we have invested additional resources to support this change in the
customer base.
39
Product
Development.
Our
product development expenses consist primarily of compensation and related
expenses for product development personnel as well as allocated occupancy
costs
and related overhead. Product development costs increased by 78% to $9.0
million
in 2007, from $5.1 million in 2006. Excluding the impact of Kasamba product
development expenses in the amount of $600,000, product development expenses
increased by 65% to $8.4 million. This increase is primarily attributable
to
costs related to additional product development personnel to support the
continuing development of our product line as we broaden the range of services
we offer to include a fully integrated, multi-channel software platform and
the
Proficient acquisition in the amount of approximately $1.9 million. The increase
is also attributable to an increase in stock-based compensation associated
with
the adoption of SFAS No. 123(R) in the amount of $719,000.
Sales
and Marketing.
Our
sales and marketing expenses consist of compensation and related expenses
for
sales and marketing personnel, as well as online promotion, public relations
and
trade show exhibit expenses. Sales and marketing expenses increased by 36%
to
$16.1 million in 2007, from $11.9 million in 2006. Excluding Kasamba sales
and
marketing expenses in the amount of $1.6 million, sales and marketing expenses
increased 22% to $14.5 million. This increase is primarily attributable to
an
increase in costs related to additional sales and marketing personnel of
approximately $2.2 million related to our continued efforts to enhance our
brand
recognition and increase sales lead activity, and to a lesser extent, to
increases in stock-based compensation associated with the adoption of SFAS
No.
123(R) in the amount of $332,000.
General
and Administrative.
Our
general and administrative expenses consist primarily of compensation and
related expenses for executive, accounting, human resources and administrative
personnel. General and administrative expenses increased by 41% to $9.2 million
in 2007, from $6.5 million in 2006. Excluding Kasamba general and administrative
expenses in the amount of $300,000, general and administrative expenses
increased by 36% to $8.9 million. This increase is primarily attributable
to
increases in compensation expense in the amount of $850,000 related to an
increase in headcount required to support our continued growth, and to a
lesser
extent, to employee salary merit increases. The increase is also related
to
increases in accounting, legal, recruiting, insurance, and occupancy and
related
expenses in the amount of $656,000 and to increases in stock-based compensation
associated with the adoption of SFAS No. 123(R) in the amount of
$256,000.
Amortization
of Intangibles.
Amortization expense was $1.1 million and $1.4 million in the years ended
December 31, 2007 and 2006, respectively. Amortization expense in 2007
relates primarily to acquisition costs recorded as a result of our acquisition
of Kasamba in October 2007 and Proficient in July 2006. Amortization expense
is
expected to be approximately $2.6 million in the year ended December 31,
2008.
Amortization expense in 2006 relates primarily to acquisition costs recorded
as
a result of our acquisition of certain identifiable assets of Island Data,
FaceTime and Proficient in December 2003, July 2004 and July 2006, respectively.
Other
Income.
Interest income was $896,000 and $715,000 in 2007 and 2006, respectively,
and
consists of interest earned on cash and cash equivalents generated by the
receipt of proceeds from our initial public offering in 2000 and preferred stock
issuances in 2000 and 1999 and to a lesser extent, cash provided by operating
activities. This increase is primarily attributable to increases in short-term
interest rates and larger balances in interest bearing accounts as a result
of
generating positive cash flows from operations.
40
Benefit
from Income Taxes.
Benefit
from income taxes was $1.7 million in 2007 and $438,000 in 2006. In 2007,
we
released our valuation allowance against deferred tax assets resulting in
a
benefit of approximately $1.8 million which was partially offset by foreign
income tax expense of $69,000. As of December 31, 2007, our remaining valuation
allowance is related to
operating losses of Proficient, the benefits of which are currently uncertain.
Until 2009, any future reductions of this valuation allowance will be reflected
as a reduction of goodwill. Thereafter, any future reduction of this valuation
allowance will be reflected as an income tax benefit. In
2006,
we released a portion of our valuation allowance against deferred tax assets
resulting in a benefit of approximately $538,000 which was partially offset
by
foreign income tax expense of $100,000.
Net
Income.
We had
net income of $5.8 million in 2007 compared to net income of $2.2 million
in
2006. Revenue increased $18.7 million and operating expenses increased $16.5
million, contributing to a net increase of $2.2 million in income from
operations along with an increase in interest income of $180,000 and an increase
in the benefit from income taxes of $1.3 million.
Comparison
of Fiscal Years Ended December 31, 2006 and 2005
Revenue.
Total
revenue increased by 50% to $33.5 million for the year ended December 31,
2006, from $22.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2005. This
increase is primarily attributable to revenue from new clients, including
Proficient clients, of approximately $8.1 million, and, to a lesser extent,
to
increased revenue from existing clients in the amount of approximately $3.0
million and an increase in professional services revenue of approximately
$618,000.
Cost
of Revenue.
Cost of
revenue consists of compensation costs relating to employees who provide
customer service to our clients, compensation costs relating to our network
support staff, the cost of supporting our infrastructure, including expenses
related to server leases and Internet connectivity, as well as depreciation
of
certain hardware and software, and allocated occupancy costs and related
overhead. Cost of revenue increased by 77% to $7.6 million in 2006, from
$4.3
million in 2005. This increase is primarily attributable to costs related
to
additional account management and network operations personnel to support
increased client activity from existing clients, the addition of new clients
and
the Proficient acquisition in the amount of approximately $1.7 million and
to
increased spending for primary and backup server facilities of approximately
$663,000. The increase is also attributable to stock-based compensation
associated with the adoption of SFAS No. 123(R) in the amount of $228,000.
As a
result, our gross margin in the year ended December 31, 2006 decreased to
77% as
compared to 81% in the year ended December 31, 2005. Though our cost of revenue
increased materially in the year ended December 31, 2006, a significant portion
of this impact was driven by the Proficient acquisition. This impact on gross
margin is expected to decrease as we continue to integrate Proficient. The
proportion of our new clients that are large corporations is increasing.
These
companies typically have more significant implementation requirements and
more
stringent data security standards. As a result, we have invested additional
resources to support this change in the customer base and in anticipation
of a
continuation of this trend, which has increased our cost of revenue and
decreased our gross margin.
Product
Development.
Our
product development expenses consist primarily of compensation and related
expenses for product development personnel as well as allocated occupancy
costs
and related overhead. Product development costs increased by 88% to $5.1
million
in 2006, from $2.7 million in 2005. This increase is primarily attributable
to
costs related to additional product development personnel to support the
continuing development of our product line as we broaden the range of services
we offer to include a fully integrated, multi-channel software platform and
to
the Proficient acquisition in the amount of approximately $1.6 million. The
increase is also attributable to stock-based compensation associated with
the
adoption of SFAS No. 123(R) in the amount of $537,000. Though our product
development costs increased materially in the year ended December 31, 2006,
a
significant portion of this impact was driven by the Proficient acquisition.
This impact is expected to decrease as we continue to integrate
Proficient.
41
Sales
and Marketing.
Our
sales and marketing expenses consist of compensation and related expenses
for
sales and marketing personnel, as well as advertising, public relations and
trade show exhibit expenses. Sales and marketing expenses increased by 70%
to
$11.9 million in 2006, from $7.0 million in 2005. This increase is primarily
attributable to an increase in costs related to additional sales and marketing
personnel of approximately $3.4 million related to our continued efforts
to
enhance our brand recognition and increase sales lead activity as well as
the
Proficient acquisition, and to a lesser extent, to increases in travel and
related expenses for our sales personnel in the amount of approximately
$484,000. The increase is also attributable to stock-based compensation
associated with the adoption of SFAS No. 123(R) in the amount of $680,000.
Though our sales and marketing costs increased materially in the year ended
December 31, 2006, a significant portion of this impact was driven by the
Proficient acquisition. This impact is expected to decrease as we continue
to
integrate Proficient.
General
and Administrative.
Our
general and administrative expenses consist primarily of compensation and
related expenses for executive, accounting, human resources and administrative
personnel. General and administrative expenses increased by 47% to $6.5 million
in 2006, from $4.5 million in 2005. This increase is primarily attributable
to
increases in compensation expense in the amount of $556,000 and to stock-based
compensation associated with the adoption of SFAS No. 123(R) in the amount
of
$735,000. The increase is also related to increases in legal, recruiting,
insurance and occupancy and related expenses in the amount of $810,000, which
was partially offset by a decrease in accounting expenses related to the
audit
of our internal control over financial reporting as required by the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act in the amount of approximately $298,000. Though our general
and administrative costs increased materially in the year ended December
31,
2006, a significant portion of this impact was driven by the Proficient
acquisition. This impact is expected to decrease as we continue to integrate
Proficient.
Amortization
of Intangibles.
Amortization expense was $1.4 million and $931,000 in the years ended
December 31, 2006 and 2005, respectively. Amortization expense in 2006
relates to acquisition costs recorded as a result of our acquisition of certain
identifiable assets of Island Data, FaceTime and Proficient in December 2003,
July 2004 and July 2006, respectively. Amortization expense in 2005 relates
to
acquisition costs recorded as a result of our acquisition of certain
identifiable assets of Island Data and FaceTime in December 2003 and July
2004,
respectively.
Interest
Income.
Interest income was $715,000 and $300,000 in 2006 and 2005, respectively,
and
consists of interest earned on cash and cash equivalents generated by the
receipt of proceeds from our initial public offering in 2000 and preferred
stock
issuances in 2000 and 1999 and to a lesser extent, cash provided by operating
activities. This increase is primarily attributable to increases in short-term
interest rates and larger balances in interest bearing accounts as a result
of
generating positive cash flows from operations.
Benefit
from (Provision for) Income Taxes.
Benefit
from income taxes was $438,000 in 2006 and income tax expense was $675,000
in
2005. In 2006, we released a portion of our valuation allowance against deferred
tax assets resulting in a benefit of approximately $538,000 which was partially
offset by foreign income tax expense of $100,000. At December 31, 2005, we
had
recorded a full valuation allowance against deferred tax assets. Our income
tax
expense in 2005 was primarily attributable to the fact that our federal net
operating loss carryforward available for 2005 was related to the exercise
of
employee stock options. Accordingly, the resulting tax benefit was recorded
as
an increase in Additional paid-in capital and not as a reduction in income
tax
expense.
42
Net
Income.
We had
net income of $2.2 million in 2006 compared to net income of $2.5 million
in
2005. Though net income was lower in year ended December 31, 2006 compared
to
2005, revenue was up $11.2 million and operating expenses were up $13.1 million,
including stock-based compensation expense of $2.2 million related to the
adoption of SFAS No. 123(R) in the year ended December 31, 2006 compared
to
2005. This decrease in income from operations was partially offset by an
increase in interest income and a decrease in income tax expense.
Liquidity
And Capital Resources
As
of
December 31, 2007, we had $26.2 million in cash and cash equivalents, an
increase of $4.5 million from December 31, 2006. This increase is primarily
attributable to net cash provided by operating activities and, to a lesser
extent, to the excess tax benefit from the exercise of employee stock options
and proceeds from the issuance of common stock in connection with the exercise
of stock options by employees, offset in part by net cash used in investing
activities. We regularly invest excess funds in short-term money market
funds.
Net
cash
provided by operating activities was $9.0 million in the year ended
December 31, 2007 and consisted of net income and non-cash expenses related
to SFAS No. 123(R) and to the amortization of intangibles, partially offset
by
increases in deferred income taxes, accounts receivable and prepaid expenses.
Net cash provided by operating activities was $2.6 million in the year ended
December 31, 2006 and consisted of net income and non-cash expenses related
to the adoption of SFAS No. 123(R) and to the amortization of intangibles
and an
increase in deferred revenue, partially offset by increases in accounts
receivable and prepaid expenses.
Net
cash
used in investing activities was $10.1 million in the year ended
December 31, 2007 and was due primarily to our acquisition of Kasamba and
the purchase of fixed assets. Net cash used in investing activities was $1.0
million in the year ended December 31, 2006 and was due to the purchase of
fixed assets and our acquisitions of the Base Europe customer list and
Proficient.
Net
cash
provided by financing activities was $5.7 million in the year ended
December 31, 2007 and was attributable to the excess tax benefit and to
proceeds from the exercise of employee stock options. On March 10, 2008,
our
Board of Directors approved an extension of our existing stock repurchase
program to repurchase up to an aggregate of $8.0 million of our common stock
through the end of the first quarter of 2009. Net cash provided by financing
activities was $3.0 million in the year ended December 31, 2006 and was
primarily attributable to the excess tax benefit from the exercise of employee
stock options.
We
have
incurred significant costs to develop our technology and services, to hire
employees in our customer service, sales, marketing and administration
departments, and for the amortization of intangible assets, as well as non-cash
compensation costs. Historically, we incurred significant quarterly net losses
from inception through June 30, 2003, significant negative cash flows from
operations in our quarterly periods from inception through December 31, 2002
and
negative cash flows from operations of $124,000 in the three month period
ended
March 31, 2004. As of December 31, 2007, we had an accumulated deficit of
approximately $93.4 million. These losses were funded primarily through the
issuance of common stock in our initial public offering and, prior to the
initial public offering, the issuance of convertible preferred
stock.
43
We
anticipate that our current cash and cash equivalents will be sufficient
to
satisfy our working capital and capital requirements for at least the next
12
months. However, we cannot assure you that we will not require additional
funds
prior to such time, and we would then seek to sell additional equity or debt
securities through public financings, or seek alternative sources of financing.
We cannot assure you that additional funding will be available on favorable
terms, when needed, if at all. If we are unable to obtain any necessary
additional financing, we may be required to further reduce the scope of our
planned sales and marketing and product development efforts, which could
materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and operating
results. In addition, we may require additional funds in order to fund more
rapid expansion, to develop new or enhanced services or products or to invest
in
complementary businesses, technologies, services or products.
Contractual
Obligations and Commitments
We
do not
have any special purposes entities, and other than operating leases, which
are
described below; we do not engage in off-balance sheet financing
arrangements.
We
lease
facilities and certain equipment under agreements accounted for as operating
leases. These leases generally require us to pay all executory costs such
as
maintenance and insurance. Rental expense for operating leases for the years
ended December 31, 2007 and 2006 was approximately $1.7 million and $1.1
million, respectively.
As
of
December 31, 2007, our principal commitments were approximately $7.3
million under various operating leases, of which approximately $2.9 million
is
due in 2008. We do not currently expect that our principal commitments for
the
year ending December 31, 2008 will exceed $3.0 million in the aggregate.
Our contractual obligations at December 31, 2007 are summarized as
follows:
Payments
due by period
|
||||||||||||||||
(in
thousands)
|
||||||||||||||||
Contractual
Obligations
|
Total
|
Less
than 1
year
|
1-3
years
|
3-5
years
|
More
than
5
years
|
|||||||||||
Operating
leases
|
$
|
7,303
|
$
|
2,947
|
$
|
4,356
|
$
|
—
|
$
|
—
|
||||||
Total
|
$
|
7,303
|
$
|
2,947
|
$
|
4,356
|
$
|
—
|
$
|
—
|
Capital
Expenditures
During
2007, we began to build a collocation facility in the eastern U.S. to host
the
LivePerson and Kasamba services. Through December 31, 2007, we spent
approximately $2.0 million for servers, network components and related hardware
and software. We expect to incur additional significant costs in 2008, but
our
total capital expenditures are not currently expected to exceed $4.0 million
in
2008.
ITEM 7A. |
QUANTITATIVE
AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET
RISK
|
Currency
Rate Fluctuations
Through
December 31, 2007, our results of operations, financial condition and cash
flows have not been materially affected by changes in the relative values
of
non-U.S. currencies to the U.S. dollar. The functional currency of our
wholly-owned Israeli subsidiaries, HumanClick Ltd. and Kasamba Ltd., is the
U.S.
dollar and the functional currency of our operations in the United Kingdom
is
the U.K. pound (sterling). We do not use derivative financial instruments
to
limit our foreign currency risk exposure.
44
Collection
Risk
Our
accounts receivable are subject, in the normal course of business, to collection
risks. We regularly assess these risks and have established policies and
business practices to protect against the adverse effects of collection risks.
During 2007, we increased our allowance for doubtful accounts by $103,000
to
approximately $208,000, principally due to an increase in accounts receivable
as
a result of increased sales. We did note write off any accounts during 2007.
During 2006, we increased our allowance for doubtful accounts by $38,000
to
approximately $105,000, principally due to an increase in accounts receivable
as
a result of increased sales. We did note write off any accounts during
2006.
Interest
Rate Risk
Our
investments consist of cash and cash equivalents. Therefore, changes in the
market’s interest rates do not affect in any material respect the value of the
investments as recorded by us.
45
ITEM 8. |
CONSOLIDATED
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY
DATA
|
INDEX
Report
of BDO Seidman, LLP, Independent Registered Public Accounting
Firm
|
47
|
Consolidated
Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2007 and 2006
|
48
|
Consolidated
Statements of Income for the years ended December 31, 2007, 2006 and
2005
|
49
|
Consolidated
Statements of Stockholders’ Equity for the years ended December 31,
2007, 2006 and 2005
|
50
|
Consolidated
Statements of Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2007, 2006
and 2005
|
51
|
Notes
to Consolidated Financial Statements
|
53
|
46
Report
of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To
the
Board of Directors and Stockholders
LivePerson,
Inc.
New
York,
NY
We
have
audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of LivePerson, Inc.
and
subsidiaries (“LivePerson, Inc.”) as of December 31, 2007 and 2006 and the
related consolidated statements of income, stockholders’ equity, and cash flows
for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2007. These
financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our
responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements 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. An audit 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 LivePerson, Inc. at December
31, 2007 and 2006, and the results of their operations and their cash flows
for
each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2007, in conformity
with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of
America.
As
discussed in Note 1 (l) to the consolidated financial statements, effective
January 1, 2006, LivePerson, Inc. adopted the provisions of SFAS No. 123
(R),
“Share-Based Payment”, as revised.
We
also
have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting
Oversight Board (United States), LivePerson, Inc.’s internal control over
financial reporting as of December 31, 2007, based on criteria established
in
Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring
Organizations of the Treadway Commission (“COSO”) and our report dated March 13,
2008 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.
/s/
BDO
Seidman, LLP
New
York,
New York
March
13,
2008
47
LIVEPERSON,
INC.
CONSOLIDATED
BALANCE SHEETS
(In
thousands, except share and per share data)
December
31,
|
|||||||
2007
|
2006
|
||||||
ASSETS
|
|||||||
Current
assets:
|
|||||||
Cash
and cash equivalents
|
$
|
26,222
|
$
|
21,729
|
|||
Accounts
receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts of $208 and $105,
in 2007
and 2006, respectively
|
6,026
|
4,269
|
|||||
Prepaid
expenses and other current assets
|
1,802
|
1,317
|
|||||
Deferred
tax assets, net
|
42
|
--
|
|||||
Total
current assets
|
34,092
|
27,315
|
|||||
Property
and equipment, net
|
3,733
|
1,124
|
|||||
Intangibles,
net
|
6,953
|
2,640
|
|||||
Goodwill
|
51,684
|
9,673
|
|||||
Deferred
tax assets, net
|
4,202
|
1,580
|
|||||
Security
deposits
|
499
|
299
|
|||||
Other
assets
|
1,325
|
684
|
|||||
Total
assets
|
$
|
102,488
|
$
|
43,315
|
|||
LIABILITIES
AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
|
|||||||
Current
liabilities:
|
|||||||
Accounts
payable
|
$
|
3,067
|
$
|
813
|
|||
Accrued
expenses
|
9,191
|
3,754
|
|||||
Deferred
revenue
|
4,000
|
3,256
|
|||||
Deferred
tax liabilities, net
|
193
|
259
|
|||||
Total
current liabilities
|
16,451
|
8,082
|
|||||
Other
liabilities
|
1,325
|
684
|
|||||
Commitments
and contingencies
|
|||||||
Stockholders’
equity:
|
|||||||
Preferred
stock, $.001 par value per share; 5,000,000 shares authorized,
0 issued
and outstanding at December 31, 2007 and 2006
|
—
|
—
|
|||||
Common
stock, $.001 par value per share; 100,000,000 shares authorized,
47,892,128 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2007;
41,078,156
shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2006
|
48
|
41
|
|||||
Additional
paid-in capital
|
178,041
|
133,693
|
|||||
Accumulated
deficit
|
(93,358
|
)
|
(99,179
|
)
|
|||
Accumulated
other comprehensive loss
|
(19
|
)
|
(6
|
)
|
|||
Total
stockholders’ equity
|
84,712
|
34,549
|
|||||
Total
liabilities and stockholders’ equity
|
$
|
102,488
|
$
|
43,315
|
See
accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements
48
LIVEPERSON,
INC.
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENTS OF INCOME
(In
thousands, except share and per share data)
Year
Ended December 31,
|
||||||||||
2007
|
2006
|
2005
|
||||||||
Revenue
|
$
|
52,228
|
$
|
33,521
|
$
|
22,277
|
||||
Operating
expenses:
|
||||||||||
Cost
of revenue
|
13,534
|
7,621
|
4,297
|
|||||||
Product
development
|
9,032
|
5,062
|
2,699
|
|||||||
Sales
and marketing
|
16,124
|
11,864
|
6,975
|
|||||||
General
and administrative
|
9,208
|
6,542
|
4,458
|
|||||||
Amortization
of intangibles
|
1,116
|
1,383
|
931
|
|||||||
Total
operating expenses
|
49,014
|
32,472
|
19,360
|
|||||||
Income
from operations
|
3,214
|
1,049
|
2,917
|
|||||||
Interest
income
|
896
|
715
|
300
|
|||||||
Income
before benefit from (provision for) income taxes
|
4,110
|
1,764
|
3,217
|
|||||||
Benefit
from (provision for) income taxes
|
1,711
|
438
|
(675
|
)
|
||||||
Net
income
|
5,821
|
2,202
|
2,542
|
|||||||
Basic
net income per common share
|
$
|
0.13
|
$
|
0.06
|
$
|
0.07
|
||||
Diluted
net income per common share
|
$
|
0.12
|
$
|
0.05
|
$
|
0.06
|
||||
Weighted
average shares outstanding used in basic net income per common
share
calculation
|
43,696,378
|
39,680,182
|
37,557,722
|
|||||||
Weighted
average shares outstanding used in diluted net income per common
share
calculation
|
46,814,080
|
43,345,232
|
39,885,328
|
Net
income for the years ended December 31, 2007 and 2006 includes stock-based
compensation expense related to SFAS No. 123(R) in the amount of $3,881 and
$2,180, respectively. There was no stock-based compensation in the year ended
December 31, 2005 because the Company was not required to adopt SFAS No.
123(R)
until January 1, 2006. Pro forma net income including stock-based compensation
expense as disclosed in the notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
for
the year ended December 31, 2005 was $487 and $0.01 per diluted common share.
See note 1(l).
See
accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements
49
LIVEPERSON,
INC.
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
(In
thousands, except share data)
Common
Stock
|
Additional
Paid-in
Capital
|
Accumulated
Deficit
|
Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
loss
|
Total
|
|||||||||||||||
Shares
|
Amount | ||||||||||||||||||
Balance
at December 31, 2004
|
37,380,732
|
$
|
37
|
$
|
117,440
|
$
|
(103,923
|
)
|
$
|
—
|
$
|
13,554
|
|||||||
Issuance
of common stock upon exercise of stock options and
warrants
|
598,539
|
1
|
450
|
—
|
—
|
451
|
|||||||||||||
Tax
benefit from exercise of employee stock options
|
—
|
—
|
666
|
—
|
—
|
666
|
|||||||||||||
Net
income
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
2,542
|
—
|
2,542
|
|||||||||||||
Balance
at December 31, 2005
|
37,979,271
|
38
|
118,556
|
(101,381
|
)
|
—
|
17,213
|
||||||||||||
Issuance
of common stock in connection with Proficient acquisition
|
1,960,711
|
2
|
9,927
|
—
|
—
|
9,929
|
|||||||||||||
Issuance
of common stock upon exercise of stock options and
warrants
|
1,138,174
|
1
|
988
|
—
|
—
|
989
|
|||||||||||||
Stock-based
compensation
|
—
|
—
|
2,180
|
—
|
—
|
2,180
|
|||||||||||||
Tax
benefit from exercise of employee stock options
|
—
|
—
|
2,042
|
—
|
—
|
2,042
|
|||||||||||||
Net
income
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
2,202
|
—
|
2,202
|
|||||||||||||
Other
comprehensive loss
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
(6
|
)
|
(6
|
)
|
|||||||||||
Comprehensive
income
|
2,196
|
||||||||||||||||||
Balance
at December 31, 2006
|
41,078,156
|
41
|
133,693
|
(99,179
|
)
|
(6
|
)
|
34,549
|
|||||||||||
Issuance
of common stock in connection with Kasamba acquisition
|
4,130,776
|
4
|
23,921
|
—
|
—
|
23,925
|
|||||||||||||
Vested
options issued in connection with Kasamba acquisition
|
—
|
—
|
1,965
|
—
|
—
|
1,965
|
|||||||||||||
Issuance
of common stock in connection with Proficient acquisition
|
1,127,985
|
1
|
8,893
|
—
|
—
|
8,894
|
|||||||||||||
Issuance
of common stock upon exercise of stock options and
warrants
|
1,555,211
|
2
|
2,586
|
—
|
—
|
2,588
|
|||||||||||||
Stock-based
compensation
|
—
|
—
|
3,881
|
—
|
—
|
3,881
|
|||||||||||||
Tax
benefit from exercise of employee stock options
|
—
|
—
|
3,102
|
—
|
—
|
3,102
|
|||||||||||||
Net
income
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
5,821
|
—
|
5,821
|
|||||||||||||
Other
comprehensive loss
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
(13
|
)
|
(13
|
)
|
|||||||||||
Comprehensive
income
|
5,808
|
||||||||||||||||||
Balance
at December 31, 2007
|
47,892,128
|
$
|
48
|
$
|
178,041
|
$
|
(93,358
|
)
|
$
|
(19
|
)
|
$
|
84,712
|
See
accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements
50
LIVEPERSON,
INC.
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(In
thousands, except share data)
Year
Ended December 31,
|
||||||||||
2007
|
2006
|
2005
|
||||||||
Cash
flows from operating activities:
|
||||||||||
Net
income
|
$
|
5,821
|
$
|
2,202
|
$
|
2,542
|
||||
Adjustments
to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating
activities:
|
||||||||||
Non-cash
compensation expense
|
3,881
|
2,180
|
—
|
|||||||
Depreciation
|
802
|
555
|
171
|
|||||||
Loss
on disposal of fixed assets
|
—
|
111
|
—
|
|||||||
Amortization
of intangibles
|
1,772
|
1,383
|
931
|
|||||||
Provision
for doubtful accounts, net
|
103
|
38
|
30
|
|||||||
Deferred
income taxes
|
(4,980
|
)
|
(2,581
|
)
|
666
|
|||||
Changes
in operating assets and liabilities, net of
acquisition:
|
||||||||||
Accounts
receivable
|
(1,861
|
)
|
(2,329
|
)
|
(116
|
)
|
||||
Prepaid
expenses and other current assets
|
(287
|
)
|
(629
|
)
|
(116
|
)
|
||||
Security
deposits
|
15
|
(54
|
)
|
(14
|
)
|
|||||
Accounts
payable
|
877
|
293
|
84
|
|||||||
Accrued
expenses
|
2,105
|
665
|
137
|
|||||||
Deferred
revenue
|
745
|
771
|
288
|
|||||||
Net
cash provided by operating activities
|
8,993
|
2,605
|
4,603
|
|||||||
Cash
flows from investing activities:
|
||||||||||
Purchases
of property and equipment, including capitalized software
|
(1,709
|
)
|
(652
|
)
|
(362
|
)
|
||||
Acquisition
of Kasamba, net of cash acquired
|
(8,194
|
)
|
—
|
—
|
||||||
Acquisition
of Proficient
|
(237
|
)
|
(133
|
)
|
—
|
|||||
Acquisition
of Base Europe customer list
|
—
|
(233
|
)
|
—
|
||||||
Net
cash used in investing activities
|
(10,140
|
)
|
(1,018
|
)
|
(362
|
)
|
||||
Cash
flows from financing activities:
|
||||||||||
Excess
tax benefit from the exercise of employee stock options
|
3,102
|
2,042
|
—
|
|||||||
Proceeds
from issuance of common stock in connection with the exercise of
options
and warrants
|
2,551
|
989
|
451
|
|||||||
Net
cash provided by financing activities
|
5,653
|
3,031
|
451
|
|||||||
Effect
of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash
equivalents
|
(13
|
)
|
(6
|
)
|
—
|
|||||
Net
increase in cash and cash equivalents
|
4,493
|
4,612
|
4,692
|
|||||||
Cash
and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year
|
21,729
|
17,117
|
12,425
|
|||||||
Cash
and cash equivalents at the end of the year
|
$
|
26,222
|
$
|
21,729
|
$
|
17,117
|
||||
Supplemental
disclosures:
|
||||||||||
Cash
paid during the year for income taxes:
|
—
|
—
|
18
|
|||||||
Supplemental
disclosure of non-cash investing and financing activities:
During
the year ended December 31, 2007, 4,130,776 shares of common stock, valued
at
$23,925, were issued in connection with the acquisition of Kasamba Inc. on
October 3, 2007. In addition, the Company issued vested options with a fair
value of $1,965.
See
accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements
51
LIVEPERSON,
INC.
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(In
thousands, except share data)
Cash
flows from investing for the year ended December 31, 2007 does not include
the
purchases of approximately $1,300 of capitalized equipment and $117 of
acquisition costs related to Kasamba as the corresponding invoices were included
in accounts payable and accrued expenses at December 31, 2007, and therefore
did
not have an impact on cash flows for the period.
During
the year ended December 31, 2007, 1,127,985 shares of common stock, valued
at $8,894, were issued in connection with the earnout provision related to
the
acquisition of Proficient Systems, Inc. on July 18, 2006.
During
the year ended December 31, 2006, 1,960,711 shares of common stock, valued
at $9,929, were issued in connection with the acquisition of Proficient Systems,
Inc. on July 18, 2006.
During
the year ended December 31, 2005, 3,632 shares of common stock were issued
in connection with the cashless exercise of warrants.
See
accompanying notes to consolidated financial
statements.
52
LIVEPERSON,
INC.
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(In
thousands, except share and per share data)
(1)
|
Summary
of Operations and Significant Accounting
Policies
|
(a)
|
Summary
of Operations
|
LivePerson,
Inc. (the “Company” or “LivePerson”) was incorporated in the State of Delaware
in 1995. The Company commenced operations in 1996. LivePerson provides online
engagement solutions that facilitate real-time assistance and trusted expert
advice.
The
Company’s primary revenue source is from the sale of the LivePerson services
under the brand names Timpani and LivePerson. With
the
acquisition of Kasamba Inc. (“Kasamba”), on October 3, 2007, the Company also
facilitates online transactions between service providers (“experts”) who
provide expert online advice to consumers (“users”). Headquartered
in New York City, the Company’s product development staff, help desk, online
sales support and the Kasamba operations, are located in Israel. The Company
also maintains satellite sales offices in Atlanta and the United
Kingdom.
(b)
|
Principles
of Consolidation
|
The
consolidated financial statements reflect the operations of LivePerson and
its
wholly-owned subsidiaries. All significant intercompany balances and
transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.
(c)
|
Use
of Estimates
|
The
preparation of the consolidated financial statements in accordance with
accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. requires the Company’s
management to make a number of estimates and assumptions relating to the
reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent
assets
and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements, and
the
reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the period. Significant items
subject to such estimates and assumptions include the carrying amount of
goodwill, intangibles, stock-based compensation, valuation allowances for
deferred income tax assets, accounts receivable, the expected term of a client
relationship, and accruals. Actual results could differ from those
estimates.
(d)
|
Cash
and Cash Equivalents
|
The
Company considers all highly liquid securities with original maturities of
three
months or less when acquired to be cash equivalents. Cash equivalents, which
primarily consist of money market funds, are recorded at cost, which
approximates fair value.
(e)
|
Property
and Equipment
|
Property
and equipment are stated at cost, net of accumulated depreciation and
amortization. Depreciation is calculated using the straight-line method over
the
estimated useful lives of the related assets, generally three to five years
for
equipment and software. Leasehold improvements are amortized using the
straight-line method over the shorter of the lease term or the estimated
useful
life of the asset. Total depreciation for the years ended December 31,
2007, 2006 and 2005 was $802, $555, and $171, respectively.
53
LIVEPERSON,
INC.
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(In
thousands, except share and per share data)
(f)
|
Impairment
of Long-Lived Assets
|
In
accordance with Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (“SFAS”)
No. 144, “Accounting for the Impairment or Disposal of Long-lived Assets,”
long-lived assets, such as property, plant and equipment and purchased
intangibles subject to amortization are reviewed for impairment whenever
events
or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of an asset
may not
be recoverable. Recoverability of assets to be held and used is measured
by a
comparison of the carrying value of an asset to estimated undiscounted future
cash flows expected to be generated by the asset. If the carrying value of
an
asset exceeds its estimated future cash flows, an impairment charge is
recognized in the amount by which the carrying value of the asset exceeds
the
fair value of the asset. Assets to be disposed of would be separately presented
in the balance sheet and reported at the lower of the carrying value or the
fair
value less costs to sell, and are no longer depreciated. The assets and
liabilities of a disposed group classified as held for sale would be presented
separately in the appropriate asset and liability sections of the balance
sheet.
(g)
|
Accounts
Receivable
|
Accounts
receivable are recorded at the invoiced amount and do not bear interest.
The
allowance for doubtful accounts is the Company’s best estimate of the amount of
probable credit losses in the Company’s existing accounts receivable. The
Company determines the allowance based on historical write-off experience.
The
Company reviews its allowance for doubtful accounts monthly. Past due balances
over 90 days and over a specified amount are reviewed individually for
collectability. All other balances are reviewed on a pooled basis. Account
balances are charged off against the allowance after all means of collection
have been exhausted and the potential for recovery is considered remote.
The
Company does not have any off-balance sheet credit exposure related to its
customers.
(h)
|
Revenue
Recognition
|
The
majority of the Company’s revenue is generated from two sources: (1) monthly
service revenues and (2) related professional services. Because the Company
provides its application as a service, the Company follows the provisions
of SEC
Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 104, “Revenue Recognition” and Emerging Issues
Task Force Issue No. 00-21, “Revenue Arrangements with Multiple Deliverables”.
The Company charges a monthly fee, which varies by service and client usage.
The
majority of the Company’s larger clients also pay a professional services fee
related to implementation. The Company may also charge professional service
fees
related to additional training, business consulting and analysis in support
of
the LivePerson services.
The
Company also sells certain of the LivePerson services directly via Internet
download. These services are marketed as LivePerson Pro and LivePerson Contact
Center for small and mid-sized businesses (“SMBs”), and are paid for almost
exclusively by credit card. Credit card payments accelerate cash flow and
reduce
the Company’s collection risk, subject to the merchant bank’s right to hold back
cash pending settlement of the transactions. Sales of LivePerson Pro and
LivePerson Contact Center may occur with or without the assistance of an
online
sales representative, rather than through face-to-face or telephone contact
that
is typically required for traditional direct sales.
The
Company recognizes monthly service revenue based upon the fee charged for
the
LivePerson services, provided that there is persuasive evidence of an
arrangement, no significant Company obligations remain, collection of the
resulting receivable is probable and the amount of fees to be paid is fixed
or
determinable. The Company’s service agreements typically have twelve month terms
and are terminable upon 30 to 90 days’ notice without penalty. When professional
service fees provide added value to the customer on a standalone basis and
there
is objective and reliable evidence of the fair value of each deliverable,
the
Company recognizes professional service fees upon completion and customer
acceptance of key milestones within each of the professional services
engagements. If a professional services arrangement does not qualify for
separate accounting, the Company recognizes the fees, and the related labor
costs, ratably over a period of 36 months, representing the Company’s current
estimate of the term of the client relationship.
54
LIVEPERSON,
INC.
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(In
thousands, except share and per share
data)
With
the
acquisition of Kasamba Inc., on October 3, 2007, the Company also facilitates
online transactions between service providers (“experts”) who provide expert
online advice to consumers (“users”). The Company applies Emerging Issues Task
Force (“EITF”) 99-19, “Reporting Revenue Gross as a Principle versus Net as an
Agent” due to the fact that the Company performs as an agent without any risk of
loss for collection. The Company collects a fee from the user and retains
a
portion of the fee, and then remits the balance to the expert.
(i)
|
Income
Taxes
|
Income
taxes are accounted for under the asset and liability method. Under this
method,
deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax
consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement
carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective
tax
bases and operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. Deferred tax assets
and
liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable
income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to
be
recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of
a
change in tax rates is recognized in results of operations in the period
that
the tax change occurs. Valuation allowances are established, when necessary,
to
reduce deferred tax assets to the amount expected to be realized.
(j)
|
Advertising
Costs
|
The
Company expenses the cost of advertising and promoting its services as incurred.
Such costs totaled approximately $2,674, $1,093, and $1,223 for the years
ended
December 31, 2007, 2006 and 2005, respectively.
(k)
|
Financial
Instruments and Concentration of Credit
Risk
|
Financial
instruments that potentially subject the Company to significant concentrations
of credit risk consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents and accounts
receivable which approximate fair value at December 31, 2007 because of the
short-term nature of these instruments. The Company invests its cash and
cash
equivalents with financial institutions that it believes are of high quality,
and performs periodic evaluations of these instruments and the relative credit
standings of the institutions with which it invests. At certain times, the
Company’s cash balances with any one financial institution may exceed Federal
Deposit Insurance Corporation insurance limits. The Company believes it
mitigates its risk by depositing its cash balances with high credit, quality
financial institutions.
The
Company’s customers are primarily concentrated in the United States. The Company
performs ongoing credit evaluations of its customers’ financial condition
(except for customers who purchase the LivePerson services by credit card
via
Internet download) and has established an allowance for doubtful accounts
based
upon factors surrounding the credit risk of customers, historical trends
and
other information. Concentration of credit risk is limited due to the Company’s
large number of customers. No single customer accounted for or exceeded 10%
of
revenue in 2007, 2006 or 2005. No single customer accounted for or exceeded
10%
of accounts receivable at December 31, 2007 or 2006.
55
LIVEPERSON,
INC.
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(In
thousands, except share and per share data)
(l)
|
Stock-based
Compensation
|
On
January 1, 2006, the Company adopted SFAS No. 123(R) (revised 2004),
“Share-Based Payment,” which addresses the accounting for transactions in which
an entity exchanges its equity instruments for goods or services, with a
primary
focus on transactions in which an entity obtains employee services in
share-based payment transactions. SFAS No. 123(R) is a revision to SFAS
No. 123, “Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation,” and supersedes
Accounting Principles Board (“APB”) Opinion No. 25, “Accounting for Stock
Issued to Employees,” and its related implementation guidance. SFAS
No. 123(R) requires measurement of the cost of employee services received
in exchange for an award of equity instruments based on the grant-date fair
value of the award (with limited exceptions). Incremental compensation costs
arising from subsequent modifications of awards after the grant date must
be
recognized.
The
Company adopted SFAS No. 123(R) using the modified prospective transition
method, which requires the application of the accounting standard as of January
1, 2006, the first day of the Company’s fiscal year. The Company’s Consolidated
Financial Statements as of and for the years ended December 31, 2007 and
2006
reflect the impact of SFAS No. 123(R). In accordance with the modified
prospective transition method, the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements
for prior periods have not been restated to reflect, and do not include,
the
impact of SFAS No. 123(R).
SFAS
No.
123(R) requires companies to estimate the fair value of share-based payment
awards on the date of grant using an option-pricing model. The value of the
portion of the award that is ultimately expected to vest is recognized as
expense over the requisite service periods in the Company’s Consolidated
Statements of Income. Stock-based compensation recognized in the Company’s
Consolidated Statement of Income for the years ended December 31, 2007 and
2006
includes compensation expense for share-based awards granted prior to, but
not
fully vested as of January 1, 2006 based on the grant date fair value estimated
in accordance with SFAS No. 123 as well as compensation expense for share-based
awards granted subsequent to January 1, 2006 in accordance with SFAS No.
123(R).
The Company currently uses the Black-Scholes option pricing model to determine
grant date fair value.
The
following table summarizes stock-based compensation expense related to employee
stock options under SFAS No. 123(R) included in Company’s Statement of Income
for the years ended December 31, 2007 and 2006:
December
31, 2007
|
December
31, 2006
|
||||||
Cost
of revenue
|
$
|
475
|
$
|
228
|
|||
Product
development expense
|
1,360
|
537
|
|||||
Sales
and marketing expense
|
1,047
|
680
|
|||||
General
and administrative expense
|
999
|
735
|
|||||
Total
stock based compensation included in operating expenses
|
$
|
3,881
|
$
|
2,180
|
56
LIVEPERSON,
INC.
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(In
thousands, except share and per share
data)
The
per
share weighted average fair value of stock options granted and assumed during
the years ended December 31, 2007 and 2006 was $3.76 and $3.21, respectively.
The fair value of each option grant is estimated on the date of grant using
the
Black-Scholes option-pricing model with the following weighted average
assumptions for the years ended December 31, 2007 and 2006:
December
31, 2007
|
December
31, 2006
|
||||||
Dividend
yield
|
0.0
|
%
|
0.0
|
%
|
|||
Risk-free
interest rate
|
4.3%-5.3
|
%
|
4.8
|
%
|
|||
Expected
life (in years)
|
4.2
|
4.0
|
|||||
Historical
volatility
|
72.2%-75.7
|
%
|
77.0%-80.0
|
%
|
Prior
to
the adoption of SFAS No. 123(R) on January 1, 2006, the Company applied the
intrinsic value-based method of accounting prescribed by APB Opinion No.
25 and
related interpretations including Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”)
Interpretation No. 44, “Accounting for Certain Transactions Involving Stock
Compensation: An Interpretation of APB Opinion No. 25” (issued in March 2000),
to account for its fixed plan stock options. Under this method, compensation
expense was recorded on the date of grant only if the current market price
of
the underlying stock exceeded the exercise price. SFAS No. 123 and SFAS No.
148,
“Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation - Transition and Disclosure” (an
amendment to SFAS No. 123), established accounting and disclosure requirements
using a fair value-based method of accounting for stock-based employee
compensation plans. As permitted by the accounting standards, the Company
had
elected to continue to apply the intrinsic value-based method of accounting
described above, and had adopted the disclosure requirements of SFAS No.
123, as
amended by SFAS No. 148. The Company amortized deferred compensation on a
graded
vesting methodology in accordance with FASB Interpretation No. 28, “Accounting
for Stock Appreciation Rights and Other Variable Stock Award
Plans.”
The
Company applied APB Opinion No. 25 and related interpretations in accounting
for
its stock option grants to employees. Accordingly, except as mentioned below
for
2005, no compensation expense had been recognized relating to these stock
option
grants in the consolidated financial statements. Had compensation cost for
the
Company’s stock option grants been determined based on the fair value at the
grant date for awards consistent with the method of SFAS No. 123, the Company’s
net income attributable to common stockholders for the year ended December
31,
2005 would have decreased to the pro forma amount presented below. The Company
did not have any employee stock options outstanding prior to January 1,
1998.
57
LIVEPERSON,
INC.
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(In
thousands, except share and per share
data)
December
31, 2005
|
||||
Net
income as reported
|
$
|
2,542
|
||
Add:
Stock-based compensation expense included in net income as
reported
|
—
|
|||
Deduct:
Pro forma stock-based compensation cost
|
(2,055
|
)
|
||
Pro
forma net income
|
$
|
487
|
||
Basic
net income per common share:
|
||||
As
reported
|
$
|
0.07
|
||
Pro
forma
|
$
|
0.01
|
||
Diluted
net income per common share:
|
||||
As
reported
|
$
|
0.06
|
||
Pro
forma
|
$
|
0.01
|
The
per
share weighted average fair value of stock options granted during 2005 was
$2.25. The fair value of each option grant is estimated on the date of grant
using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model with the following weighted
average
assumptions used for grants in 2005: dividend yield of zero percent; risk-free
interest rates of 4.3%; and expected life of five years. During 2005, the
Company used a volatility factor of 82%.
During
1998, the Company established the Stock Option and Restricted Stock Purchase
Plan (the “1998 Plan”). Under the 1998 Plan, the Board of Directors could issue
incentive stock options or nonqualified stock options to purchase up to
5,850,000 shares of common stock.
The
Company established a successor to the 1998 Plan, the 2000 Stock Incentive
Plan
(the “2000 Plan”). Under the 2000 Plan, the options which had been outstanding
under the 1998 Plan were incorporated into the 2000 Plan and the Company
increased the number of shares available for issuance under the plan by
approximately 4,150,000, thereby reserving for issuance 10,000,000 shares
of
common stock in the aggregate. Options to acquire common stock granted
thereunder have ten-year terms. Pursuant to the provisions of the 2000 Plan,
the
number of shares of common stock available for issuance thereunder automatically
increases on the first trading day in each calendar year by an amount equal
to
three percent (3%) of the total number of shares of the Company’s common stock
outstanding on the last trading day of the immediately preceding calendar
year,
but in no event shall such annual increase exceed 1,500,000 shares. As of
December 31, 2007, approximately 11,616,000 shares of common stock were reserved
for issuance under the 2000 Plan (taking into account all option exercises
through December 31, 2007).As of December 31, 2007 and 2006, there was
approximately $10.9 and $5.5 million, respectively, of total unrecognized
compensation cost related to nonvested share-based compensation arrangements.
That cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of
approximately 2.32 years.
(m)
|
Basic
and Diluted Net Income Per
Share
|
The
Company calculates earnings per share in accordance with the provisions of
SFAS
No. 128, “Earnings Per Share (“EPS”),” and the guidance of the Securities
and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) Staff Accounting Bulletin (“SAB”) No. 98. Under
SFAS No. 128, basic EPS excludes dilution for common stock equivalents and
is computed by dividing net income or loss attributable to common shareholders
by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the period.
All
options, warrants or other potentially dilutive instruments issued for nominal
consideration are required to be included in the calculation of basic and
diluted net income attributable to common stockholders. Diluted EPS is
calculated using the treasury stock method and reflects the potential dilution
that could occur if securities or other contracts to issue common stock were
exercised or converted into common stock and resulted in the issuance of
common
stock.
58
LIVEPERSON,
INC.
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(In
thousands, except share and per share data)
Diluted
net income per common share for the years ended December 31, 2007 and 2006
includes the effect of options to purchase 5,566,416 and 6,052,379 shares
of
common stock, respectively, with a weighted average exercise price of $2.34
and
$1.91, respectively, and warrants to purchase 63,000 and 188,250 shares of
common stock, respectively, and with a weighted average exercise price of
$3.25
and $1.56, respectively. Diluted net income per common share for the year
ended
December 31, 2007 and 2006 does not include the effect of options to purchase
3,430,950 and 1,963,125 shares of common stock, respectively. Diluted net
income
per common share for the year ended December 31, 2005 includes the effect
of options to purchase 7,255,292 shares of common stock with a weighted average
exercise price of $1.51 and warrants to purchase 188,250 shares of common
stock
with a weighted average exercise price of $1.56. Diluted net income per common
share for the year ended December 31, 2005 does not include the effect of
options to purchase 1,044,761 shares of common stock. A reconciliation of
shares
used in calculating basic and diluted earnings per share follows:
Year
Ended December 31,
|
||||||||||
2007
|
2006
|
2005
|
||||||||
Basic
|
43,696,378
|
39,680,182
|
37,557,722
|
|||||||
Effect
of assumed exercised options
|
3,117,702
|
3,665,050
|
2,327,606
|
|||||||
Diluted
|
46,814,080
|
43,345,232
|
39,885,328
|
(n)
|
Segment
Reporting
|
The
Company accounts for its segment information in accordance with the provisions
of SFAS No. 131, “Disclosures About Segments of an Enterprise and Related
Information.” (“SFAS No. 131”) SFAS No. 131 establishes annual and interim
reporting standards for operating segments of a company. SFAS No. 131
requires disclosures of selected segment-related financial information about
products, major customers, and geographic areas based on the Company’s internal
accounting methods. Due to the acquisition of Kasamba Inc. in October, 2007
the
Company is now organized into two operating segments for purposes of making
operating decisions and assessing performance. The Company may reorganize
its
operations in the future when the integration of its products and services
are
complete. The Business segment supports and manages real-time online
interactions - chat, voice/click-to-call, email and self-service/knowledgebase
and sells its products and services to global corporations of all sizes.
The
Consumer segment facilitates online transactions between experts and users
and
sells its services to consumers. Both segments currently generate their revenue
primarily in the U.S. The chief operating decision-makers evaluate performance,
make operating decisions, and allocate resources based on the operating income
of each segment. The reporting segments follow the same accounting polices
used
in the preparation of the Company’s consolidated financial statements and are
described in the summary of significant accounting policies. The Company
allocates cost of revenue, sales and marketing and amortization of purchased
intangibles to the segments, but it does not allocate product development,
general and administrative, non cash-compensation expenses and income taxes
because management does not use this information to measure performance of
the
operating segments. There are currently no intersegment sales.
59
LIVEPERSON,
INC.
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(In
thousands, except share and per share data)
Summarized
financial information by segment for the year ended December 31, 2007, based
on
the Company’s internal financial reporting system utilized by the Company’s
chief operating decision makers, follows:
Consolidated
|
Business
|
Consumer(1)
|
||||||||
Revenue:
|
||||||||||
Hosted
services
|
$
|
46,590
|
$
|
46,590
|
$
|
--
|
||||
Expert
advice
|
2,851
|
--
|
2,851
|
|||||||
Professional
services
|
2,787 | 2,787 |
--
|
|||||||
Total
revenue
|
$
|
52,228
|
$
|
49,377
|
$
|
2,851
|
||||
Cost
of revenue
|
13,534
|
12,713
|
821
|
|||||||
Sales
and marketing
|
16,124
|
14,530
|
1,594
|
|||||||
Amortization
of intangibles
|
1,465
|
1,316
|
149
|
|||||||
Unallocated
corporate expenses
|
17,891
|
--
|
--
|
|||||||
Operating
income
|
$
|
3,214
|
$
|
20,818
|
$
|
287
|
(1) Represents
three months of operations for Kasamba, commencing October 3, 2007.
Revenues
attributable to domestic and foreign operations follows:
United
States
|
$
|
43,223
|
||
United
Kingdom
|
4,381
|
|||
Other
Countries
|
4,624
|
|||
Total
revenue
|
$
|
52,228
|
Long-lived
assets by geographic region follows:
United
States
|
$
|
59,719
|
||
Israel
|
8,677
|
|||
Total
long-lived assets
|
$
|
68,396
|
(o)
|
Comprehensive
Loss
|
SFAS
No. 130, “Reporting Comprehensive Income,” requires the Company to report
in its consolidated financial statements, in addition to its net income,
comprehensive loss, which includes all changes in equity during a period
from
non-owner sources including, as applicable, foreign currency items, minimum
pension liability adjustments and unrealized gains and losses on certain
investments in debt and equity securities. The Company’s comprehensive loss for
all periods presented is related to the effect of foreign translation losses.
(p)
|
Computer
Software
|
In
April
1998, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants issued Statement
of
Position 98-1, “Accounting for the Costs of Computer Software Developed or
Obtained for Internal Use.” SOP 98-1 provides guidance for determining whether
computer software is internal-use software and on accounting for the proceeds
of
computer software originally developed or obtained for internal use and then
subsequently sold to the public. It also provides guidance on capitalization
of
the costs incurred for computer software developed or obtained for internal
use.
The Company capitalized $1,991 as of December 31, 2007 and $1,363 as of
December 31, 2006. Software costs are included in “Property and equipment,
net” on the Company’s December 31, 2007 and 2006 balance sheets,
respectively.
60
LIVEPERSON,
INC.
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(In
thousands, except share and per share data)
(q)
|
Goodwill
and Intangible Assets
|
The
Company adopted the provisions of SFAS No. 142, “Goodwill and Other
Intangible Assets,” (“SFAS No. 142”) on January 1, 2002. Pursuant to SFAS
No. 142, goodwill and intangible assets acquired in a purchase business
combination and determined to have an indefinite useful life are not amortized,
but instead tested for impairment at least annually. SFAS No. 142 also
requires that intangible assets with estimatable useful lives be amortized
over
their respective estimated useful lives to their estimated residual values,
and
reviewed for impairment in accordance with SFAS No. 144, “Accounting for
Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets.” Goodwill
has been allocated to the Company’s operating segments, for the purposes of
preparing our impairment analyses, based on a specific identification
basis.
(r)
|
Deferred
Rent
|
The
Company records rent expense on a straight-line basis over the term of the
related lease. The difference between the rent expense recognized for financial
reporting purposes and the actual payments made in accordance with the lease
agreement is recognized as deferred rent liability and included in “Accrued
expenses” on the Company’s December 31, 2007 and 2006 balance sheets,
respectively.
(s)
|
Product
Development Costs
|
The
Company accounts for product development costs in accordance with SFAS
No. 86, “Accounting for the Costs of Computer Software to be Sold, Leased,
or Otherwise Marketed,” under which certain software development costs incurred
subsequent to the establishment of technological feasibility are capitalized
and
amortized over the estimated lives of the related products. Technological
feasibility is established upon completion of a working model. To date,
completion of a working model of the Company’s products and general release have
substantially coincided. As a result, the Company has not capitalized any
software development costs and such costs have not been significant. Through
December 31, 2007, all development costs have been charged to product
development expense in the accompanying consolidated statements of
operations.
(t)
|
Foreign
Currency Translation
|
Assets
and liabilities in foreign functional currencies are translated at the exchange
rate as of the balance sheet date. Translation adjustments are recorded as
a
separate component of stockholders’ equity. Revenue, costs and expenses
denominated in foreign functional currencies are translated at the weighted
average exchange rate for the period. The translation adjustment of $19 and
$6
for the years ended December 31, 2007 and 2006 is related to the Company’s
wholly-owned United Kingdom subsidiary. The Company had no translation
adjustment for the year ended December 31, 2005. The functional currency of
the Company’s wholly-owned Israeli subsidiaries is the U.S. dollar.
(u)
|
Recently
Issued Accounting
Pronouncements
|
In
December 2007, the FASB issued SFAS No. 141 (revised 2007), “Business
Combinations” (“SFAS No. 141(R)”). SFAS No. 141(R) established principles
and requirements for how an acquirer recognizes and measures in its financial
statements the identifiable assets acquired, the liabilities assumed, any
noncontrolling interest in the acquiree, and the goodwill acquired. SFAS
No.
141(R) also established disclosure requirements to enable the evaluation
of the
nature and financial effects of the business combination. SFAS No. 141(R)
is
effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2008. The
Company is currently evaluating the impact that SFAS No. 141(R) will have
on its
accounting for past and future acquisitions and its consolidated financial
statements.
61
LIVEPERSON,
INC.
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(In
thousands, except share and per share data)
In
February 2007, the FASB issued Statement No. 159, "The Fair Value Option
for
Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities" ("SFAS No. 159"). SFAS No. 159
allows entities the option to measure at fair value eligible financial
instruments that are not currently measured at fair value. SFAS No. 159 is
effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after
November 15, 2007. The Company does not expect the adoption of SFAS No. 159
will
have a material effect on the Company’s consolidated financial
statements.
In
September 2006, the FASB issued Statement No. 157, "Fair Value Measurements"
("SFAS No. 157"), which defines fair value, establishes a framework for
measuring fair value and expands disclosures about fair value measurements.
SFAS
No. 157 applies to other accounting pronouncements that require or permit
fair
value measurements, but does not require any new fair value measurements.
SFAS
No. 157 is effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning
after November 15, 2007 and
interim periods within those fiscal years, with the exception of all
non-financial assets and liabilities which will be effective for years beginning
after November 15, 2008.
The
Company is still evaluating the effects of the statement and its impact on
the
Company’s consolidated financial statements.
In
July
2006, FASB Interpretation (FIN) No. 48, “Accounting for Uncertainty in Income
Taxes - An Interpretation of FASB Statement No. 109,” was issued. FIN No. 48
clarifies the accounting for uncertainty in income taxes recognized in an
enterprise's financial statements in accordance with SFAS No. 109, “Accounting
for Income Taxes.” FIN No. 48 also prescribes a recognition threshold and
measurement attribute for the financial statement recognition and measurement
of
a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. The new FASB
standard also provides guidance on derecognition, classification, interest
and
penalties, accounting in interim periods, disclosure, and
transition.
We
adopted FIN No. 48 on January 1, 2007 and as of that date and through December
31, 2007, we had no uncertain tax positions under FIN No. 48. We include
interest accrued on the underpayment of income taxes in interest expense
and
penalties, if any, related to unrecognized tax benefits in general and
administrative expenses.
The
Company files a consolidated U.S. federal income tax return as well as income
tax returns in several state jurisdictions, of which New York is the most
significant. The statute of limitations has expired for tax years prior to
2003.
In 2006, the Internal Revenue Service completed an examination of the Company’s
federal returns for the 2004 taxable year.
(v)
|
Fair
Value of Financial
Instruments
|
The
fair
value of a financial instrument is the amount at which the instrument could
be
exchanged in a current transaction between willing parties. Cash and cash
equivalents, accounts receivable, security deposits, and accounts payable,
accrued expenses and deferred revenue carrying amounts approximate fair value
because of the short maturity of these instruments.
62
LIVEPERSON,
INC.
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(In
thousands, except share and per share data)
(w)
|
Goodwill
and Intangible Assets
|
The
changes in the carrying amount of goodwill for the year ended December 31,
2007
are as follows:
Total
|
Business
|
Consumer
|
||||||||
Balance
as of December 31, 2006
|
$
|
9,673
|
$
|
9,673
|
$
|
-
|
||||
Adjustments
to goodwill:
|
||||||||||
Acquisitions
|
32,940
|
-
|
32,940
|
|||||||
Contingent
earnout payments
|
8,914
|
8,914
|
-
|
|||||||
Other
|
157
|
157
|
-
|
|||||||
Balance
as of December 31, 2007
|
$
|
51,684
|
$
|
18,744
|
$
|
32,940
|
The
changes in the carrying amount of goodwill for the year ended December 31,
2006
are as follows:
Total
|
Business
|
||||||
Balance
as of December 31, 2005
|
$
|
-
|
$
|
-
|
|||
Adjustments
to goodwill:
|
|||||||
Acquisitions
|
9,673
|
9,673
|
|||||
Balance
as of December 31, 2006
|
$
|
9,673
|
$
|
9,673
|
Intangible
assets are summarized as follows (see Note 2):
Acquired
Intangible Assets
As
of December 31, 2007
|
||||||||||
Gross
Carrying
Amount
|
Weighted
Average
Amortization
Period
|
Accumulated
Amortization
|
||||||||
Amortizing
intangible assets:
|
||||||||||
Technology
|
$
|
5,410
|
3.8
years
|
$
|
807
|
|||||
Customer
contracts/customer lists
|
2,633
|
2.9
years
|
1,334
|
|||||||
Trade
names
|
630
|
3.0
years
|
53
|
|||||||
Non-compete
agreements
|
410
|
1.2
years
|
151
|
|||||||
Other
|
235
|
3.0
years
|
20
|
|||||||
Total
|
$
|
9,318
|
$
|
2,365
|
As
of December 31, 2006
|
||||||||||
Gross
Carrying
Amount
|
Weighted
Average
Amortization
Period
|
Accumulated
Amortization
|
||||||||
Amortizing
intangible assets:
|
||||||||||
Customer
contracts/customer lists
|
$
|
5,082
|
2.9
years
|
$
|
2,868
|
|||||
Technology
|
500
|
1.5
years
|
151
|
|||||||
Non-compete
agreements
|
164
|
2.0
years
|
87
|
|||||||
Total
|
$
|
5,746
|
$
|
3,106
|
Amortization
expense is calculated on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful
life of
the asset. Aggregate amortization expense for intangible assets was $1,772,
$1,383 and $931 for the years ended December 31, 2007, 2006 and 2005,
respectively. Estimated amortization expense for the next five years is:
$2,634
in 2008, $1,954 in 2009, $1,444 in 2010, $921 in 2011 and $0 in
2012.
63
LIVEPERSON,
INC.
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(In
thousands, except share and per share data)
(2)
|
Asset
Acquisitions
|
Base
Europe
On
June
30, 2006 the Company acquired the customer list of Base Europe, a former
reseller of its services. The purchase price was $233. The agreement gives
the
Company the exclusive right to exploit a specific list of deal referrals
from
Base Europe. The entire purchase price will be amortized ratably over a period
of 24 months. The net acquisition costs of $58 and $175 are included in “Assets
- Intangibles, net” on the Company’s December 31, 2007 and 2006 balance sheets,
respectively.
Proficient
Systems
On
July
18, 2006, the Company acquired Proficient Systems, Inc. (“Proficient”), a
provider of hosted proactive chat solutions that help companies generate
revenue
on their web sites. This transaction was accounted for under the purchase
method
of accounting and, accordingly, the operating results of Proficient were
included in the Company’s consolidated results of operations from the date of
acquisition.
The
purchase price was $10,445, which included the issuance of 1,960,711 shares
of
the Company’s common stock valued at $9,929, based on the quoted market price of
the Company’s common stock for the three days before and after the date of the
announcement, a cash payment of $3 and acquisition costs of approximately
$513.
The acquisition added several U.K. based financial services clients and provided
an innovative product marketing team. All 1,960,711 shares are included in
the
weighted average shares outstanding used in basic and diluted net income
per
common share as of the acquisition date. Of the total purchase price, $413
was
allocated to the net book values of the acquired assets and assumed liabilities.
The historical carrying amounts of such assets and liabilities approximated
their fair values. The purchase price in excess of the fair value of the
net
book values of the acquired assets and assumed liabilities was allocated
to
goodwill and intangible assets. None of the goodwill will be deductible for
U.S.
federal income tax purposes. The intangible assets are being amortized over
their expected period of benefit. During the twelve months ended December
31,
2007, the Company reduced accrued severance costs in the amount of $122 and
reduced accrued restructuring costs related to contract terminations in the
net amount of $7. The Company incurred additional costs in the amount of
$286,
resulting in a net increase in goodwill of approximately $157 in the twelve
months ended December 31, 2007.
Based
on
the achievement of certain revenue targets as of March 31, 2007, LivePerson
was
contingently required to issue up to an additional 2,050,000 shares of common
stock. Based on these targets, the Company issued 1,127,985 shares of
common stock valued at $8,894, based on the quoted market price of the Company’s
common stock on the date the contingency was resolved, and made a cash payment
of $21 related to this contingency. At March 31, 2007, the value of these
shares
has been allocated to goodwill with a corresponding increase in equity. All
1,127,985 shares are included in the weighted average shares outstanding
used in
basic and diluted net income per common share as of March 31, 2007. In
accordance with the purchase agreement, the earn-out consideration is subject
to
review by Proficient’s Shareholders’ Representative. On July 31, 2007, the
Company was served with a complaint filed in the United States District Court
for the Southern District of New York by the Shareholders’ Representative of
Proficient. The complaint filed by the Shareholders’ Representative seeks
certain documentation relating to calculation of the earn-out consideration,
and
seeks payment of substantially all of the remaining contingently issuable
earn-out shares. The Company believes the claims are without merit,
intends to vigorously defend against this lawsuit, and does not currently
expect
that the total shares issued will differ significantly from the amount issued
to
date.
64
LIVEPERSON,
INC.
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(In
thousands, except share and per share data)
The
Company initiated a restructuring plan to eliminate redundant facilities,
personnel and service providers in connection with the Proficient acquisition.
These costs were recognized as liabilities in connection with the acquisition
and have been recorded as an increase in goodwill as of the acquisition date.
The
balance of the accrued restructuring liability as of December 31, 2007 is
as
follows:
Balance
as of January 1, 2007
|
Provision
for
the
year ended
December
31, 2007
|
Net
utilization during the year ended
December
31, 2007
|
Balance
as of
December
31, 2007
|
||||||||||
Severance
|
$
|
168
|
$
|
—
|
$
|
(168
|
)
|
$
|
--
|
||||
Contract
terminations
|
149
|
67
|
(167
|
)
|
49
|
||||||||
Total
|
$
|
317
|
$
|
67
|
$
|
(335
|
)
|
$
|
49
|
Included
in the net utilization of $335 during the twelve months ended December 31,
2007
is a reduction in accrued contract terminations and accrued severance in
the
amounts of approximately $102 and $95 respectively.
The
balance of the accrued restructuring liability as of December 31, 2006 is
as
follows:
Balance
as of
January
1, 2006
|
Provision
for
the
year ended
December
31, 2006
|
Net
utilization during the year ended
December
31, 2006
|
Balance
as of
December
31, 2006
|
||||||||||
Severance
|
$
|
—
|
$
|
741
|
$
|
(573
|
)
|
$
|
168
|
||||
Contract
terminations
|
—
|
170
|
(21
|
)
|
149
|
||||||||
Total
|
$
|
—
|
$
|
911
|
$
|
(594
|
)
|
$
|
317
|
The
components of the intangible assets are as follows:
Weighted
Average Useful Life (months)
|
Amount
|
||||||
Customer
relationships
|
36
|
$
|
2,400,000
|
||||
Technology
|
18
|
500,000
|
|||||
Non-compete
agreements
|
24
|
100,000
|
|||||
$
|
3,000,000
|
The
net
intangible asset of $1,266 and $2,465 are included in “Assets - Intangibles,
net” on the Company’s December 31, 2007 and 2006 balance sheets,
respectively.
65
LIVEPERSON,
INC.
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(In
thousands, except share and per share data)
Kasamba
Inc.
On
October 3, 2007, the Company acquired Kasamba Inc. (“Kasamba”), an online
provider of live expert advice delivered to consumers via real-time chat.
This
transaction was accounted for under the purchase method of accounting and,
accordingly, the operating results of Kasamba were included in the Company’s
consolidated results of operations from October 3, 2007.
The
purchase price was $35,880, which included the issuance of 4,130,776 shares
of
the Company’s stock valued at $23,925, based on the quoted market price of the
Company’s common stock for the two days before and after the date of the
announcement, the issuance of 623,824 LivePerson options in replacement of
Kasamba options, some of which were fully vested, valued at $1,965, a cash
payment of $9,000 and acquisition costs of approximately $990. The Company
recorded goodwill in the amount of $32,940, none of which will be deductible
for
U.S. federal income tax purposes. The acquisition represents the Company’s
initial expansion beyond
its historical business-to-business focus into the business-to-consumer
market, and is also expected to extend the value the Company delivers to
its
growing base of business customers through a community that will connect
consumers with experts in a range of categories. All 4,130,776 shares are
included in the weighted average shares outstanding used in basic and diluted
net income per common share as of October 3, 2007. Of the total purchase
price,
a net liability of $812 was allocated to the net book values of the acquired
assets and assumed liabilities. The historical carrying amounts of such assets
and liabilities approximated their fair values. The purchase price in excess
of
the fair value of the net book values of the acquired assets and assumed
liabilities was allocated to goodwill and intangible assets which are being
amortized over their expected period of benefit.
Management’s
preliminary allocation of the purchase price in connection with the Kasamba
acquisition is as follows:
Cash
|
$
|
1,584
|
||
Other
currents assets
|
494
|
|||
Property
and equipment
|
426
|
|||
Intangible
assets
|
6,085
|
|||
Goodwill
|
32,940
|
|||
41,529
|
||||
Liabilities
assumed
|
(3,316
|
)
|
||
Deferred
tax liability, net
|
(2,333
|
)
|
||
Total
purchase price consideration
|
$
|
35,880
|
The
components of the intangible assets listed in the above table are as
follows:
Weighted
Average Useful Life (months)
|
Amount
|
||||||
Technology
|
48
|
$
|
4,910
|
||||
Trade
name
|
36
|
630
|
|||||
Expert
network
|
36
|
235
|
|||||
Non-compete
agreements
|
12
|
310
|
|||||
$
|
6,085
|
66
LIVEPERSON,
INC.
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(In
thousands, except share and per share data)
The
net
intangible asset of $5,629 and $0 are included in “Assets - Intangibles, net” on
the Company’s December 31, 2007 and 2006 balance sheets,
respectively.
The
following unaudited pro forma consolidated financial information gives effect
to
the acquisitions of Kasamba and Proficient as if the acquisitions occurred
on
January 1, 2006, by consolidating the results of operations of Kasamba and
Proficient with the results of the Company for the years ended December 31,
2007
and 2006. The unaudited pro forma consolidated financial information is not
necessarily indicative of the consolidated results that would have occurred,
nor
is it necessarily indicative of results that may occur in the
future.
Year
Ended December 31,
|
|||||||
2007
|
2006
|
||||||
Revenue
|
$
|
59,613
|
$
|
42,511
|
|||
Net
income/(loss)
|
$
|
1,924
|
$
|
(4,098
|
)
|
||
Basic
and diluted net loss per common share
|
$
|
0.04
|
$
|
(0.09
|
)
|
||
Weighted
average shares outstanding - basic
|
46,953,661
|
45,803,564
|
|||||
Weighted
average shares outstanding - diluted
|
51,050,290
|
46,199,797
|
(3)
|
Balance
Sheet Components
|
Property
and Equipment
Property
and equipment is summarized as follows:
December
31,
|
|||||||
2007
|
2006
|
||||||
Computer
equipment and software
|
$
|
6,033
|
$
|
2,794
|
|||
Furniture,
equipment and building improvements
|
565
|
393
|
|||||
6,598
|
3,187
|
||||||
Less
accumulated depreciation
|
2,865
|
2,063
|
|||||
Total
|
$
|
3,733
|
$
|
1,124
|
Accrued
Expenses
Accrued
expenses consist of the following:
December
31,
|
|||||||
2007
|
2006
|
||||||
Payroll
and other employee related costs
|
$
|
4,790
|
$
|
2,455
|
|||
Professional
services, consulting and other vendor fees
|
3,856
|
432
|
|||||
Sales
commissions
|
286
|
440
|
|||||
Restructuring
(see note 2)
|
49
|
317
|
|||||
Other
|
210
|
110
|
|||||
Total
|
$
|
9,191
|
$
|
3,754
|
(4)
|
Capitalization
|
In
December 2002, the Company issued a warrant to purchase up to 150,000 shares
of
common stock at $0.69 per share to Genesis Select Corp. in exchange for investor
relations services. The warrant vested such that 12,500 shares became
exercisable on each monthly anniversary of the warrant issuance date for
the
first 12 months of the warrant’s five-year term. Some or all of the exercise
price may be paid by canceling a portion of the warrant. The Company recorded
non-cash compensation expense of $298 related to this warrant during 2003.
The
Company accounted for this warrant in accordance with EITF Abstract
No. 96-18, “Accounting for Equity Instruments That are Issued to Other Than
Employees for Acquiring, or in Conjunction with Selling, Goods or Services.”
Pursuant to EITF No. 96-18, the Company values the warrant at each balance
sheet date using a Black-Scholes pricing model. During the year ended
December 31, 2004, the Company issued an aggregate of 22,198 shares of
common stock upon the partial exercise of the warrant, in consideration of
the
termination of the right to purchase an additional 3,302 shares of common
stock
in the aggregate, pursuant to the warrant’s net exercise provisions. As of
December 31, 2007, the warrant was fully exercised.
67
LIVEPERSON,
INC.
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(In
thousands, except share and per share data)
During
the year ended December 31, 2003, the Company issued an aggregate of
276,910 shares of common stock upon the exercise of warrants issued in 1999,
in
consideration of the termination of the right to purchase an additional 180,910
shares of common stock in the aggregate, pursuant to the warrants’ net exercise
provisions.
In
January 2004, the Company filed a registration statement with the SEC to
register the resale of up to 500,000 shares of its common stock by Island
Data.
The registration of the resale of the shares was required by the Company’s
agreement with Island Data. The shares registered for resale on the registration
statement, but not actually issued to Island Data pursuant to the agreement,
were deregistered. The Company did not receive any proceeds from the sale
of the
shares of common stock covered by the Island Data registration
statement.
In
January 2004, the Company filed a shelf registration statement with the SEC
relating to 4,000,000 shares of its common stock that the Company may issue
from
time to time. The Company has no immediate plans to offer or sell any shares
under this shelf registration. The Company presently intends to use the net
proceeds from any sale of the registered shares for general corporate purposes
and working capital. The Company would announce the terms of any issuance
in a
filing with the SEC at the time the Company offers or sells the
shares.
In
May
2004, the Company issued a warrant to purchase up to 75,000 shares of common
stock at $3.25 per share to Genesis Select Corp. in exchange for investor
relations services. The warrant vested such that the shares underlying the
warrant could not be sold until after December 31, 2004. The warrant
expires in May 2009. Some or all of the exercise price may be paid by canceling
a portion of the warrant. The Company recorded non-cash compensation expense
of
$246 related to this warrant during 2004. The Company accounted for this
warrant
in accordance with EITF Abstract No. 96-18. During the year ended December
31, 2005, the Company issued an aggregate of 3,632 shares of common stock
upon
the partial exercise of the warrant, in consideration of the termination
of the
right to purchase an additional 7,618 shares of common stock in the aggregate,
pursuant to the warrant’s net exercise provisions. As of December 31, 2007, the
warrant was fully vested and remained outstanding to purchase up to 63,000
shares of common stock.
On
July
18, 2006, the Company acquired Proficient. Under the terms of the agreement,
the
Company acquired all of the outstanding capital stock of Proficient in exchange
for 1,960,711 shares of the Company’s common stock paid at closing, and an
additional 1,127,985 shares based on the achievement of certain revenue targets
at of March 31, 2007.
68
LIVEPERSON,
INC.
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(In
thousands, except share and per share data)
In
August
2006, the Company filed a registration statement with the Securities and
Exchange Commission that included the registration of the resale of up to
4,050,000 shares of the Company’s common stock by the former shareholders of
Proficient Systems, Inc. The Company’s registration of the resale of the shares
by the Proficient Systems shareholders was required by the Company’s agreement
with Proficient Systems. The shares registered for resale on the registration
statement, but not actually issued to Proficient Systems shareholders pursuant
to the agreement, are expected to be deregistered. The Company will not receive
any proceeds from the sale of the shares of common stock covered by the August
2006 registration statement.
On
October 3, 2007, the Company acquired Kasamba. Under the terms of the agreement,
the Company acquired all of the outstanding capital stock of Kasamba in exchange
for 4,130,776 shares of the Company’s common stock paid at closing.
(5)
|
Stock
Options and Employee Stock Purchase
Plan
|
During
1998, the Company established the Stock Option and Restricted Stock Purchase
Plan (the “1998 Plan”). Under the 1998 Plan, the Board of Directors could issue
incentive stock options or nonqualified stock options to purchase up to
5,850,000 shares of common stock.
The
Company established a successor to the 1998 Plan, the 2000 Stock Incentive
Plan
(the “2000 Plan”). Under the 2000 Plan, the options which had been outstanding
under the 1998 Plan were incorporated into the 2000 Plan and the Company
increased the number of shares available for issuance under the plan by
approximately 4,150,000, thereby reserving for issuance 10,000,000 shares
of
common stock in the aggregate. Options to acquire common stock granted
thereunder have ten-year terms. Pursuant to the provisions of the 2000 Plan,
the
number of shares of common stock available for issuance thereunder automatically
increases on the first trading day in each calendar year by an amount equal
to
three percent (3%) of the total number of shares of the Company’s common stock
outstanding on the last trading day of the immediately preceding calendar
year,
but in no event shall such annual increase exceed 1,500,000 shares. As of
December 31, 2007, approximately 11,616,000 shares of common stock were
reserved for issuance under the 2000 Plan (taking into account all option
exercises through December 31, 2007). On the first trading day in January
2008, approximately 1,437,000 additional shares of common stock were reserved
for issuance under the 2000 Plan pursuant to its automatic increase
provisions.
In
March
2000, the Company adopted the 2000 Employee Stock Purchase Plan with 450,000
shares of common stock initially reserved for issuance. Pursuant to the
provisions of the Employee Stock Purchase Plan, the number of shares of common
stock available for issuance thereunder automatically increases on the first
trading day in each calendar year by an amount equal to one-half of one percent
(0.5%) of the total number of shares of the Company’s common stock outstanding
on the last trading day of the immediately preceding calendar year, but in
no
event shall such annual increase exceed 150,000 shares. As of December 31,
2007, approximately 1,470,000 shares of common stock were reserved for issuance
under the Employee Stock Purchase Plan (taking into account all share purchases
through December 31, 2007). On the first trading day in January 2008,
150,000 additional shares of common stock were reserved for issuance under
the
Employee Stock Purchase Plan pursuant to its automatic increase provisions.
Effective October 2001, the Company suspended the Employee Stock Purchase
Plan
until further notice.
69
LIVEPERSON,
INC.
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(In
thousands, except share and per share data)
A
summary
of the Company’s stock option activity and weighted average exercise prices
follows:
Options
|
Weighted
Average
Exercise Price
|
||||||
Options
outstanding at December 31, 2004
|
7,386,275
|
$
|
1.83
|
||||
Options
granted
|
2,178,000
|
$
|
3.19
|
||||
Options
exercised
|
(603,277
|
)
|
$
|
0.78
|
|||
Options
cancelled
|
(660,945
|
)
|
$
|
3.20
|
|||
Options
outstanding at December 31, 2005
|
8,300,053
|
$
|
2.16
|
||||
Options
granted
|
1,238,000
|
$
|
5.26
|
||||
Options
exercised
|
(1,138,174
|
)
|
$
|
0.88
|
|||
Options
cancelled
|
(384,375
|
)
|
$
|
2.65
|
|||
Options
outstanding at December 31, 2006
|
8,015,504
|
$
|
2.78
|
||||
Options
granted and assumed
|
2,917,982
|
$
|
5.54
|
||||
Options
exercised
|
(1,374,920
|
)
|
$
|
1.77
|
|||
Options
cancelled
|
(561,200
|
)
|
$
|
5.32
|
|||
Options
outstanding at December 31, 2007
|
8,997,366
|
$
|
3.72
|
||||
Options
exercisable at December 31, 2005
|
4,472,803
|
$
|
1.72
|
||||
Options
exercisable at December 31, 2006
|
4,754,754
|
$
|
2.07
|
||||
Options
exercisable at December 31, 2007
|
4,648,283
|
$
|
2.50
|
The
total
intrinsic value of stock options exercised during the years ended December
31,
2007 and 2006 was approximately $4.9 and $5.3 million, respectively. The
total
intrinsic value of options exercisable at December 31, 2007 and 2006 was
approximately $13.8 and $15.0 million, respectively. The total intrinsic
value
of options expected to vest at December 31, 2007 and 2006 is approximately
$3.2
and $4.6 million, respectively. A summary of the status of the Company’s
nonvested shares as of December 31, 2005, and changes during the years ended
December 31, 2007 and 2006 is as follows:
70
LIVEPERSON,
INC.
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(In
thousands, except share and per share data)
Shares
|
Weighted
Average
Grant-Date Fair Value
|
||||||
Nonvested
Shares at January 1, 2006
|
3,827,250
|
$
|
1.65
|
||||
Granted
|
1,238,000
|
$
|
3.21
|
||||
Vested
|
(1,532,625
|
)
|
$
|
2.25
|
|||
Cancelled
|
(271,875
|
)
|
$
|
3.24
|
|||
Nonvested
Shares at December 31, 2006
|
3,260,750
|
$
|
3.81
|
||||
Nonvested
Shares at January 1, 2007
|
3,260,750
|
$
|
3.81
|
||||
Granted
and Assumed
|
2,917,982
|
$
|
3.76
|
||||
Vested
|
(1,303,949
|
)
|
$
|
2.80
|
|||
Cancelled
|
(525,700
|
)
|
$
|
3.23
|
|||
Nonvested
Shares at December 31, 2007
|
4,349,083
|
$
|
3.18
|
(6)
|
Valuation
and Qualifying Accounts
|
Balance
at
Beginning
of
Period
|
Additions
Charged
to
Costs
and
Expenses
|
Deductions/
Write-offs
|
Balance
at
End
of
Period
|
||||||||||
For
the year ended December 31, 2007
Allowance
for doubtful accounts
|
$
|
105
|
$
|
103
|
$
|
--
|
$
|
208
|
|||||
For
the year ended December 31, 2006
Allowance
for doubtful accounts
|
$
|
67
|
$
|
38
|
$
|
--
|
$
|
105
|
|||||
For
the year ended December 31, 2005
Allowance
for doubtful accounts
|
$
|
54
|
$
|
30
|
$
|
(17
|
)
|
$
|
67
|
(7)
|
Income
Taxes
|
Income
taxes are accounted for under the asset and liability method. Under this
method,
deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax
consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement
carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective
tax
bases and operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. Deferred tax assets
and
liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable
income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to
be
recovered or settled. In assessing the realizability of deferred tax assets,
management considers whether it is more likely than not that some portion
or all
of the deferred tax assets will be realized. The ultimate realization of
deferred tax assets is dependent upon the generation of future taxable income
during the periods in which those temporary differences are expected to become
deductible. Management considers the scheduled reversal of deferred tax
liabilities, projected future taxable income and tax planning strategies
in
making this assessment.
Under
Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, the Company’s use
of its federal net operating loss (“NOL”) carryforwards may be limited if the
Company has experienced an ownership change, as defined in Section 382. The
Company completed its previously disclosed Section 382 analysis during 2004
and
determined that an ownership change had occurred as of December 7, 2001.
As a
result, there is a material limitation on the Company’s use of its 2001 and
prior federal NOL carryforwards. As of December 31, 2007 and 2006, the Company
had approximately $6,215 and $8,169, respectively, of federal NOL carryforwards
available to offset future taxable income after considering the Section 382
limitation. Included in this amount at December 31, 2007, is $530 of federal
NOL
from Kasamba. In addition, as a result of the acquisition of Proficient Systems,
Inc. in 2006, the Company added an additional $23,567 of federal NOL. These
NOL
carryforwards are also subject to Section 382 limitation. The Company has
not
yet performed a Section 382 analysis for Proficient to determine the limitations
on the NOL as a result of the ownership change. These carryforwards expire
in
various years through 2024. Not included in the deferred tax assets is an
additional $1,708 related to the excess tax benefit from the exercise of
employee stock options which will be allocated to Additional paid-in capital
in
the period in which these deductions lower the then current taxes
payable.
71
LIVEPERSON,
INC.
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(In
thousands, except share and per share data)
At
December 31, 2007, management determined that it is more likely than not
that
the Company would realize the benefits of some of these deductible differences.
Accordingly, the Company reduced its valuation allowance and recorded a deferred
tax benefit in the amount of $4,267 for the year ended December 31, 2007.
In
addition, excess tax deductions resulting from stock option exercises reduced
the Company’s taxes payable by $3,102 in 2007. The related tax benefit has been
recorded as an increase in Additional paid-in capital. At December 31, 2006,
based on a three-year forecast, management determined that it is more likely
than not that the Company would realize a portion of the benefits of these
deductible differences. Accordingly, the Company reduced its valuation allowance
and recorded a deferred tax benefit in the amount of $2,356 for the year
ended
December 31, 2006. In addition, excess tax deductions resulting from stock
option exercises reduced the Company’s taxes payable by $2,042 in 2006. The
related tax benefit has been recorded as an increase in Additional paid-in
capital.
The
domestic and foreign components of income before (benefit from) provision
for
income taxes consist of the following:
Year
Ended December 31,
|
||||||||||
2007
|
2006
|
2005
|
||||||||
United
States
|
$
|
3,858
|
$
|
1,577
|
$
|
2,973
|
||||
Foreign
|
252
|
187
|
244
|
|||||||
$
|
4,110
|
$
|
1,764
|
$
|
3,217
|
No
provision has been made for U.S. income taxes on the undistributed earnings
of
its Israeli subsidiary, HumanClick; as such earnings have been taxed in the
U.S.
Accumulated earnings of the Company’s other foreign subsidiaries are immaterial
through December 31, 2007.
72
LIVEPERSON,
INC.
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(In
thousands, except share and per share data)
The
(benefit from) provision for income taxes consists of the
following:
Year
Ended December 31,
|
||||||||||
2007
|
2006
|
2005
|
||||||||
Current
income taxes:
|
||||||||||
U.S.
Federal
|
$
|
2,544
|
$
|
1,697
|
$
|
675
|
||||
State
and local
|
599
|
346
|
—
|
|||||||
Foreign
|
126
|
100
|
—
|
|||||||
Total
current income taxes
|
3,269
|
2,143
|
675
|
|||||||
Deferred
income taxes:
|
||||||||||
U.S.
Federal
|
(3,985
|
)
|
(2,132
|
)
|
—
|
|||||
State
and local
|
(938
|
)
|
(449
|
)
|
—
|
|||||
Foreign
|
(57
|
)
|
—
|
—
|
||||||
Total
deferred income taxes
|
(4,980
|
)
|
(2,581
|
)
|
—
|
|||||
Total
income taxes
|
$
|
(1,711
|
)
|
$
|
(438
|
)
|
$
|
675
|
The
difference between the total income taxes computed at the federal statutory
rate
and the benefit from income taxes consists of the following:
Year
Ended December 31,
|
|||||||
2007
|
2006
|
||||||
Federal
Statutory rate
|
34.00
|
%
|
34.00
|
%
|
|||
State
taxes, net of federal benefit
|
8.00
|
%
|
15.31
|
%
|
|||
Non-deductible
expenses - ISO
|
16.89
|
%
|
23.73
|
%
|
|||
Non-deductible
expenses - Other
|
0.83
|
%
|
8.56
|
%
|
|||
Change
in state effective rate
|
—
|
23.45
|
%
|
||||
Release
of valuation allowance
|
(103.82
|
)%
|
(133.59
|
)%
|
|||
Foreign
Taxes
|
1.68
|
%
|
5.67
|
%
|
|||
Other
|
0.79
|
%
|
(1.97
|
)%
|
|||
Total
benefit
|
(41.63
|
)%
|
(24.84
|
)%
|
The
difference between the statutory federal income tax rate and the Company’s
effective tax rate is principally due to the release of the Company’s valuation
allowance against deferred tax assets. In 2007 and 2006, the release of the
valuation allowance resulted in a deferred tax benefit from income taxes
in the
amount of $4,267 and $2,356, respectively.
73
LIVEPERSON,
INC.
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(In
thousands, except share and per share data)
The
effects of temporary differences and tax loss carryforwards that give rise
to
significant portions of federal deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities
at December 31, 2007 and 2006 are presented below:
2007
|
2006
|
||||||
Deferred
tax assets:
|
|||||||
Net
operating loss carryforwards
|
$
|
10,800
|
$
|
12,395
|
|||
Accounts
payable and accrued expenses
|
225
|
86
|
|||||
Non-cash
compensation
|
2,610
|
2,390
|
|||||
Goodwill
and intangibles amortization
|
2,953
|
3,269
|
|||||
Allowance
for doubtful accounts
|
99
|
55
|
|||||
Plant
and equipment, principally due to differences in
depreciation
|
79
|
22
|
|||||
Other
|
79
|
75
|
|||||
Total
deferred tax assets
|
16,845
|
18,292
|
|||||
Less:
valuation allowance (1)
|
(9,898
|
)
|
(15,936
|
)
|
|||
Net
deferred tax assets
|
6,947
|
2,356
|
|||||
Deferred
tax liabilities:
|
|||||||
Intangibles
related to the Proficient acquisition
|
(532
|
)
|
(1,035
|
)
|
|||
Intangibles
related to the Kasamba acquisition
|
(2,364
|
)
|
—
|
||||
Total
deferred tax liabilities
|
(2,896
|
)
|
(1,035
|
)
|
|||
Net
deferred assets
|
$
|
4,051
|
$
|
1,321
|
(1)
Relates to operating losses of Proficient which, in part, may be limited
due to
changes in control. Until 2009, any future reductions of this valuation
allowance will be reflected as a reduction of goodwill. Thereafter, any future
reduction of this valuation allowance will be reflected as an income tax
benefit
in accordance with the provisions of SFAS
No. 141(R).
(8)
|
Commitments
and Contingencies
|
The
Company leases facilities and certain equipment under agreements accounted
for
as operating leases. These leases generally require the Company to pay all
executory costs such as maintenance and insurance. Rental expense for operating
leases for the years ended December 31, 2007, 2006 and 2005 was
approximately $1,662, $1,081 and $658, respectively.
Future
minimum lease payments under non-cancelable operating leases (with an initial
or
remaining lease terms in excess of one year) are as follows:
Year
ending December 31,
|
Operating
Leases
|
|||
2008
|
$
|
2,947
|
||
2009
|
2,688
|
|||
2010
|
1,335
|
|||
2011
|
333
|
|||
2012
|
—
|
|||
Total
minimum lease payments
|
$
|
7,303
|
Capital
Expenditures
During
2007, the Company began to build a collocation facility in the eastern U.S.
to
host the LivePerson and Kasamba services. Through December 31, 2007, the
Company
spent approximately $2.0 million for servers, network components and related
hardware and software. This amount is included in “Assets - Property and
equipment, net” on our December 31, 2007 balance sheet. The Company expects to
incur additional significant costs in 2008, but its total capital expenditures
are not currently expected to exceed $4.0 million in 2008.
74
LIVEPERSON,
INC.
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(In
thousands, except share and per share data)
(9)
|
Legal
Matters
|
In
May
2006, a former employee filed a complaint in the Supreme Court of New York
State
against the Company and two of its executive officers containing claims related
to improper termination of employment. This litigation was settled in
February 2008. The terms of the settlement are confidential. The settlement
did
not have a material effect on the Company's results of operations,
financial condition or cash flows.
On
July
31, 2007, the Company was served with a complaint filed in the United States
District Court for the Southern District of New York by the Shareholders’
Representative of Proficient Systems, Inc. In connection with the July 2006
acquisition of Proficient, the Company was contingently required to issue
up to
2,050,000 shares of common stock based on the terms of an earn-out provision
in
the merger agreement. In accordance with the terms of the earn-out provision,
the Company issued 1,127,985 shares in the second quarter of 2007 to the
shareholders of Proficient. The complaint filed by the Shareholders’
Representative seeks certain documentation relating to calculation of the
earn-out consideration, and seeks payment of substantially all of the remaining
contingently issuable earn-out shares. The Company believes the claims are
without merit, intends to vigorously defend against this lawsuit, and does
not
currently expect that the total shares issued will differ significantly from
the
amount issued to date.
On
January 29, 2008, the Company filed a complaint in the United States District
Court for the District of Delaware against NextCard, LLC and Marshall Credit
Strategies, LLC, seeking a declaratory judgment that a patent purportedly
owned
by the defendants is invalid and not infringed by the Company’s products.
Monetary relief is not sought. The Company is presently unable to estimate
the
likely costs of the litigation of these legal proceedings. The Company expect
s
its operations to continue without interruption during the period of
litigation.
The
Company is not currently party to any other legal proceedings. From time
to
time, the Company may be subject to various claims and legal actions arising
in
the ordinary course of business.
(10)
|
Unaudited
Supplementary Financial Information - Quarterly Results of
Operations
|
The
following table sets forth, for the periods indicated, the Company’s financial
information for the eight most recent quarters ended December 31, 2007. In
the
Company’s opinion, this unaudited information has been prepared on a basis
consistent with the annual consolidated financial statements and includes
all
adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring adjustments, necessary for
a
fair presentation of the unaudited information for the periods presented.
This
information should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial
statements, including the related notes, included herein.
75
LIVEPERSON,
INC.
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)
(In
thousands, except share and per share data)
Quarter
Ended
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dec.
31,
2007
|
Sept.
30,
2007
|
June
30,
2007
|
Mar.
31,
2007
|
Dec.
31,
2006
|
Sept.
30,
2006
|
June
30,
2006
|
Mar.
31,
2006
|
||||||||||||||||||
Revenue
|
$
|
16,775
|
$
|
12,823
|
$
|
11,661
|
$
|
10,969
|
$
|
10,347
|
$
|
8,881
|
$
|
7,416
|
$
|
6,877
|
|||||||||
Operating
expenses:
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
Cost
of revenue
|
4,335
|
3,305
|
3,105
|
2,789
|
2,375
|
2,142
|
1,642
|
1,462
|
|||||||||||||||||
Product
development
|
2,999
|
2,169
|
2,044
|
1,820
|
1,783
|
1,381
|
1,018
|
880
|
|||||||||||||||||
Sales
and marketing
|
5,654
|
3,556
|
3,512
|
3,402
|
3,258
|
3,104
|
2,856
|
2,646
|
|||||||||||||||||
General
and administrative
|
2,857
|
2,274
|
2,057
|
2,020
|
1,854
|
1,750
|
1,437
|
1,501
|
|||||||||||||||||
Amortization
of intangibles
|
390
|
242
|
242
|
242
|
472
|
447
|
232
|
232
|
|||||||||||||||||
Total
operating expenses
|
16,235
|
11,546
|
10,960
|
10,273
|
9,742
|
8,824
|
7,185
|
6,721
|
|||||||||||||||||
Income
from operations
|
540
|
1,277
|
701
|
696
|
605
|
57
|
231
|
156
|
|||||||||||||||||
Interest
income
|
153
|
309
|
212
|
222
|
202
|
200
|
170
|
143
|
|||||||||||||||||
Income
before benefit from income taxes
|
693
|
1,586
|
913
|
918
|
807
|
257
|
401
|
299
|
|||||||||||||||||
Benefit
from income taxes
|
(1,711
|
)
|
--
|
--
|
--
|
(438
|
)
|
--
|
--
|
--
|
|||||||||||||||
Net
income
|
$
|
2,404
|
$
|
1,586
|
$
|
913
|
$
|
918
|
$
|
1,245
|
$
|
257
|
$
|
401
|
$
|
299
|
|||||||||
Basic
net income per common
share
|
$
|
0.05
|
$
|
0.04
|
$
|
0.02
|
$
|
0.02
|
$
|
0.03
|
$
|
0.01
|
$
|
0.01
|
$
|
0.01
|
|||||||||
Diluted
net income per common
share
|
$
|
0.05
|
$
|
0.03
|
$
|
0.02
|
$
|
0.02
|
$
|
0.03
|
$
|
0.01
|
$
|
0.01
|
$
|
0.01
|
|||||||||
Weighted
average shares outstanding used in basic net income per common
share
calculation
|
47,336,618
|
43,080,475
|
43,011,309
|
41,297,515
|
40,979,922
|
40,547,309
|
38,900,328
|
38,253,681
|
|||||||||||||||||
Weighted
average shares outstanding used in diluted net income per common
share
calculation
|
50,384,112
|
46,328,876
|
46,726,357
|
44,761,279
|
44,591,617
|
43,854,202
|
42,818,687
|
40,504,248
|
In
the
fourth quarter of 2007 the Company released its valuation allowance against
deferred tax assets resulting in a net benefit from income taxes of $1,711.
In
the fourth quarter of 2006, the Company partially released its valuation
allowance against deferred tax assets resulting in a net benefit from income
taxes of $438.
(11)
|
Subsequent
Event
|
On
March
10, 2008, the Board of Directors approved an extension of the Company's existing
stock repurchase program through the end of the first quarter of 2009. The
program, originally announced in February 2007, authorized the Company to
repurchase shares of its common stock, in the open market or privately
negotiated transactions, at times and prices considered appropriate by the
Company depending upon prevailing market conditions and other corporate
considerations, up to an aggregate purchase price of $8.0 million and was
due to
expire at the end of the first quarter of 2008. The Company repurchased
approximately 602,000 shares of its common stock for a total of approximately
$2,023 during the period February 1, 2008 through March 10, 2008.
76
ITEM
9.
|
CHANGES
IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL
DISCLOSURE
|
None.
ITEM
9A.
|
CONTROLS
AND PROCEDURES
|
Management’s
Annual Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting
Our
management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal
control over financial reporting, as that term is defined in Rule 13a-15(f)
promulgated under the Exchange Act. Our internal control system is designed
to
provide reasonable assurance to our management and Board of Directors regarding
the preparation and fair presentation of published financial statements.
Our
management, including the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer,
evaluated the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting
as
of December 31, 2007 based on the framework established in “Internal
Control—Integrated Framework,” issued by the Committee of Sponsoring
Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). Our management’s
assessment of and conclusion on the effectiveness of internal control over
financial reporting did not include the internal controls of Kasamba Inc.,
which
was acquired on October 3, 2007, and which is included in our consolidated
balance sheet as of December 31, 2007, and the related consolidated statements
of income, stockholders’ equity, and cash flows for the year then ended. Kasamba
Inc., excluding allocated goodwill and intangibles, constituted 3% of total
assets as of December 31, 2007, and 5% of revenues for the year then ended.
Our
management did not assess the effectiveness of internal control over financial
reporting of Kasamba Inc. because of the timing of the acquisition, which
was
completed on October 3, 2007. Based
on
management’s evaluation described above, our management concluded that our
internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31,
2007.
The
effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December
31, 2007 has been audited by BDO Seidman, LLP, an independent registered
public
accounting firm. Their attestation is included herein.
Limitations
of the Effectiveness of Internal Control
A
control
system, no matter how well conceived and operated, can only provide reasonable,
not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the internal control system
are
met. Because of the inherent limitations of any internal control system,
no
evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that all control issues,
if any, have been detected.
Changes
in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
There
were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting during the
quarter ended December 31, 2007 identified in connection with the
evaluation thereof by our management, including the Chief Executive Officer
and
Chief Financial Officer, that have materially affected, or are reasonably
likely
to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
Evaluation
of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
77
Our
management, including the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer,
evaluated the effectiveness of our “disclosure controls and procedures,” as that
term is defined in Rule 13a-15(e) promulgated under the Exchange Act, as
of
December 31, 2007. Based on that evaluation, the Chief Executive Officer
and Chief Financial Officer concluded that our disclosure controls and
procedures were effective as of December 31, 2007 to ensure that the
information we are required to disclose in the reports that we file or submit
under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within
the time periods specified in the Securities and Exchange Commission’s rules and
forms, and to ensure that such information is accumulated and communicated
to
our management, including the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial
Officer, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required
disclosure.
78
Report
of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To
the
Board of Directors and Shareholders
LivePerson,
Inc.
New
York,
New York
We
have
audited LivePerson, Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting as of
December 31, 2007, based on criteria established in Internal
Control - Integrated Framework
issued
by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (the
COSO criteria). LivePerson, Inc.’s management is responsible for maintaining
effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment
of
the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included
in the
accompanying “Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting”.
Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s internal control
over financial reporting based on our audit.
We
conducted our audit 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 effective
internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material
respects. Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control
over
financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists,
and
testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal
control based on the assessed risk. Our audit also included performing such
other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe
that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
A
company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to
provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting
and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance
with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over
financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain
to
the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly
reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2)
provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary
to
permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted
accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company
are
being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors
of
the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or
timely
detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s
assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
Because
of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may
not
prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of
effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may
become
inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance
with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
As
indicated in the accompanying Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control
over Financial Reporting, management’s assessment of and conclusion on the
effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting did not include
the
internal controls of Kasamba Inc., which was acquired on October 3, 2007,
and
which is included in the consolidated balance sheet of the company as of
December 31, 2007, and the related consolidated statements of income and
comprehensive income, stockholders’ equity, and cash flows for the year then
ended. Kasamba Inc., excluding allocated goodwill and intangibles, constituted
3% of total assets as of December 31, 2007, and 5% of revenues for the year
then
ended. Management did not assess the effectiveness of internal control over
financial reporting of Kasamba Inc. because of the timing of the acquisition,
which was completed on October 3, 2007. Our audit of internal control over
financial reporting of LivePerson, Inc. also did not include an evaluation
of
the internal control over financial reporting of Kasamba Inc.
79
In
our
opinion, LivePerson, Inc. maintained, in all material respects, effective
internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2007, based
on the
COSO criteria.
We
also
have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting
Oversight Board (United States), the consolidated balance sheets of LivePerson,
Inc.’s as of December 31, 2007 and 2006, and the related consolidated statements
of income, stockholders’ equity, and cash flows for each of the three years in
the period ended December 31, 2007 and our report dated March 13, 2008 expressed
an unqualified opinion thereon.
/s/
BDO
Seidman, LLP
New
York,
New York
March
13,
2008
80
ITEM
9B.
|
OTHER
INFORMATION
|
None.
PART
III
ITEM
10.
|
DIRECTORS,
EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
|
The
information required by this Item 10 is incorporated by reference to the
sections captioned to “Election of Directors,” “Executive Officers,” “Board
Committees and Meetings - Audit Committee,” “Corporate Governance Documents” and
“Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance” in the definitive
proxy statement for our 2008 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.
There
have been no changes to the procedures by which stockholders may recommend
nominees to our Board of Directors since our last disclosure of such procedures,
which appeared in the definitive proxy statement for our 2007 Annual Meeting
of
Stockholders.
We
have
adopted a Code of Ethics that applies to our Chief Executive Officer and
Senior
Financial Officers.
ITEM
11.
|
EXECUTIVE
COMPENSATION
|
The
information required by this Item 11 is incorporated by reference to the
sections captioned “Compensation Discussion and Analysis”, “Compensation
Committee Report” (which information shall be deemed furnished in this Annual
Report on Form 10-K), “Executive and Director Compensation” and “Compensation
Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation” in the definitive proxy
statement for our 2008 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.
ITEM
12.
|
SECURITY
OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED
STOCKHOLDER MATTERS
|
The
information required by this Item 12 with respect to the security ownership
of certain beneficial owners and management is incorporated by reference
to the
section captioned “Ownership of Securities” in the definitive proxy statement
for our 2008 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.
The
following table provides certain information regarding the common stock
authorized for issuance under our equity compensation plans, as of
December 31, 2007.
Plan
Category
|
Number
of Securities to be Issued Upon
Exercise
of Outstanding
Options,
Warrants and Rights
(a)
|
Weighted-Average
Exercise Price of Outstanding Options, Warrants and
Rights
(b)
|
Number
of Securities Remaining Available for Future Issuance Under
Equity
Compensation
Plans (2)
(c)
|
|||||||
Equity
compensation plans approved by stockholders (1)
|
9,060,366
|
$
|
3.71
|
4,026,395
|
||||||
Equity
compensation plans not approved by stockholders
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
|||||||
Total
|
9,060,366
|
$
|
3.71
|
4,026,395
|
(2) Excludes
securities reflected in column (a). The number of shares of common stock
available for issuance under the 2000 Stock Incentive Plan automatically
increases on the first trading day in each calendar year by an amount equal
to
three percent (3%) of the total number of shares of our common stock outstanding
on the last trading day of the immediately preceding calendar year, but in
no
event shall such annual increase exceed 1,500,000 shares. The number of shares
of common stock available for issuance under our Employee Stock Purchase
Plan
automatically increases on the first trading day in each calendar year by
an
amount equal to one-half of one percent (0.5%) of the total number of shares
of
our common stock outstanding on the last trading day of the immediately
preceding calendar year, but in no event shall such annual increase exceed
150,000 shares. Effective October 2001, we suspended our Employee Stock Purchase
Plan until further notice. Also see Note 5 to our consolidated financial
statements.
81
ITEM
13.
|
CERTAIN
RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR
INDEPENDENCE
|
The
information required by this Item 13 is incorporated by reference to the
sections captioned “Certain Relationships and Related Transactions” and
“Director Independence” in the definitive proxy statement for our 2008 Annual
Meeting of Stockholders.
ITEM
14.
|
PRINCIPAL
ACCOUNTANT FEES AND
SERVICES
|
The
information required by this Item 14 is incorporated by reference to the
section captioned “Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm Fees and
Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures” in the definitive proxy statement for our
2008 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.
PART
IV
ITEM
15.
|
EXHIBITS
AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT
SCHEDULES
|
The
following documents are filed as part of this Annual Report on Form
10-K:
1. Financial
Statements.
Incorporated
by reference to the index of consolidated financial statements included in
Item
8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
2. Financial
Statement Schedules.
None.
3. Exhibits.
Incorporated
by reference to the Exhibit Index immediately preceding the exhibits attached
to
this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
82
SIGNATURES
Pursuant
to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act
of
1934, as amended, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed
on its
behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, on March 14,
2008.
LIVEPERSON,
INC.
|
|
By:
|
/s/
ROBERT P. LOCASCIO
|
Name:
Robert P. LoCascio
|
|
Title:
Chief Executive Officer
|
Pursuant
to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, this
report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the
Registrant and in the capacities indicated on March 14, 2008.
Signature
|
Title(s)
|
/s/
ROBERT P. LOCASCIO
|
Chief
Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors (principal
executive officer)
|
Robert
P. LoCascio
|
|
/s/
TIMOTHY E. BIXBY
|
President,
Chief Financial Officer and Director (principal financial and accounting
officer)
|
Timothy
E. Bixby
|
|
/s/
STEVEN BERNS
|
Director
|
Steven
Berns
|
|
|
Director
|
Emmanuel
Gill
|
|
/s/
KEVIN C. LAVAN
|
Director
|
Kevin
C. Lavan
|
|
/s/
WILLIAM G. WESEMANN
|
Director
|
William
G. Wesemann
|
|
EXHIBIT
INDEX
Number
|
Description
|
2.1
|
Agreement
and Plan of Merger, dated as of June 22, 2006, among LivePerson,
Inc.,
Soho Acquisition Corp., Proficient Systems, Inc. and Gregg Freishtat
as
Shareholders’ Representative (incorporated by reference to the identically
numbered exhibit in the Current Report on Form 8-K filed on June
22,
2006)
|
3.1
|
Fourth
Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (incorporated
by
reference to the identically-numbered exhibit to LivePerson’s Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2000 and
filed March 30, 2001 (the “2000 Form 10-K”))
|
3.2
|
Second
Amended and Restated Bylaws, as amended (incorporated by reference
to the
identically-numbered exhibit to the 2000 Form 10-K)
|
4.1
|
Specimen
common stock certificate (incorporated by reference to the
identically-numbered exhibit to LivePerson’s Registration Statement on
Form S-1, as amended (Registration No. 333-96689) (“Registration
No. 333-96689”))
|
4.2
|
Second
Amended and Restated Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of
January 27, 2000, by and among LivePerson, the several persons and
entities named on the signature pages thereto as Investors, and
Robert
LoCascio (incorporated by reference to the identically-numbered
exhibit to
Registration No. 333-96689)
|
4.3
|
See
Exhibits 3.1 and 3.2 for further provisions defining the rights
of holders
of common stock of LivePerson
|
10.1
|
Employment
Agreement between LivePerson and Robert P. LoCascio, dated as of
January 1, 1999 (incorporated by reference to the
identically-numbered exhibit to Registration
No. 333-96689)*
|
10.2
|
Employment
Agreement between LivePerson and Timothy E. Bixby, dated as of
June 23,
1999 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to Registration
No. 333-96689)*
|
10.2.1
|
Modification
to Employment Agreement between LivePerson, Inc. and Timothy E.
Bixby,
dated as of April 1, 2003 (incorporated by reference to the
identically-numbered exhibit to LivePerson’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q
for the quarter ended June 30, 2003 and filed August 13,
2003)*
|
10.3
|
Amended
and Restated 2000 Stock Incentive Plan, amended as of April 21,
2005
(incorporated by reference to the identically-numbered exhibit
to
LivePerson’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30,
2005 and filed August 8, 2005)*
|
10.4
|
Employee
Stock Purchase Plan (incorporated by reference to the identically-numbered
exhibit to the 2000 Form 10-K)*
|
21.1
|
Subsidiaries
|
23.1
|
Consent
of BDO Seidman, LLP
|
Number
|
Description
|
31.1
|
Certification
by Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 13a-14(a),
as
adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of
2002
|
31.2
|
Certification
by Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 13a-14(a),
as
adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of
2002
|
32.1
|
Certification
by Chief Executive Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350,
as adopted
pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of
2002
|
32.2
|
Certification
by Chief Financial Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350,
as adopted
pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of
2002
|
* Management
contract or compensatory plan or arrangement