SMITH MICRO SOFTWARE, INC. - Annual Report: 2020 (Form 10-K)

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020

For the transition period from __________ to __________

Commission File Number 01‑35525

SMITH MICRO SOFTWARE, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (412) 837-5300

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

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  ☐    NO  ☒

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934    YES  ☐    NO  ☒

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

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).    YES  ☒    NO  ☐

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

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

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report.  ☐ 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).    YES  ☐    NO  ☒

As of June 30, 2020, the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second quarter, the aggregate market value of the common stock of the registrant held by non-affiliates was $150,928,875 based upon the closing sale price of such stock as reported on the Nasdaq Capital Market on that date. For purposes of such calculation, only executive officers, board members, and beneficial owners of more than 10% of the registrant’s outstanding common stock are deemed to be affiliates.

As of March 2, 2021, there were 42,216,795 shares of common stock outstanding.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Portions of the registrant’s Proxy Statement for the 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 are incorporated by reference in Part III of this report.

SMITH MICRO SOFTWARE, INC.

2020 ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

In this document, the terms “Smith Micro,” “Company,” “we,” “us,” and “our” refer to Smith Micro Software, Inc. and, where appropriate, its subsidiaries.

This Annual Report on Form 10-K (this “Report”) contains forward-looking statements regarding Smith Micro which include, but are not limited to, statements concerning customer concentration, projected revenues, market acceptance of products, the success and timing of new product introductions, the competitive factors affecting our business, our ability to raise additional capital, gross profit and income, our expenses, the protection of our intellectual property, and our ability to remain a going concern. These forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations, estimates and projections about our industry, management's beliefs, and certain assumptions made by us. Words such as “anticipates,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “predicts,” “potential,” “believes,” “seeks,” “estimates,” “should,” “may,” “will,” and variations of these words or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements.  Forward-looking statements also include the assumptions underlying or relating to any of the foregoing statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Therefore, our actual results could differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements as a result of various factors. Such factors include, but are not limited to, the following:

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The forward-looking statements contained in this Report are made on the basis of the views and assumptions of management regarding future events and business performance as of the date this Report is filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). In addition, we operate in a highly competitive and rapidly changing environment; therefore, new risk factors can arise, and it is not possible for management to predict all such risk factors, nor to assess the impact of all such risk factors on our business or the extent to which any individual risk factor, or combination of risk factors, may cause results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. We do not undertake any obligation to update these statements to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date this Report is filed.

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PART I

Item 1. BUSINESS

General

Providing software solutions that empower wireless carriers and cable service providers to simplify and enhance the user experience of mobile consumers around the world is a mission that Smith Micro pursues with passion.  By providing mobile apps for digital family safety, carrier-grade voice messaging platforms and smart retail solutions, Smith Micro assists its carrier customers with building stronger, more profitable relationships with their mobile subscribers. Our solution portfolio is comprised of proven products that enable our customers to provide:

We continue to innovate and evolve our business case in response to industry trends in order to capitalize upon growth opportunities in emerging markets, such as digital lifestyle services and online family safety, “Big Data” analytics, automotive telematics, and the consumer IoT marketplace. The key to our longevity, however, is not simply technological innovation, but our customer-first approach to doing business.

Despite the global headwinds caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and significant investment in headcount additions, Smith Micro continued to thrive in 2020 as the business remained profitable and generated $7.9 million in cash from operations. To solidify our position as a leading white-label solution provider in the family safety market, we purchased the operator business of Circle Media Labs Inc. (“Circle”) – an acquisition that included multiple customer contracts and a perpetual source code license to Circle’s robust parental control software. Our development team spent the majority of 2020 integrating these features into our SafePath® platform, which enabled us to unveil the most comprehensive family safety offering on the market for wireless carriers in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2020.

The Company was incorporated in California in November 1983 and reincorporated in Delaware in June 1995. Our principal executive offices are located at 5800 Corporate Drive, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15237 and our telephone number is (412) 837-5300. Our website address is www.smithmicro.com, and we make our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) available on the Investor Relations page of our website. Information contained on our website does not constitute a part of this Report. Our common stock is traded on the NASDAQ under the symbol “SMSI.”

Business Segments

We currently have one reportable operating segment: Wireless.

The wireless industry continues to undergo rapid change on all fronts as connected devices, mobile applications, and digital content are consumed by users who want information, high-speed wireless connectivity and entertainment, anytime, anywhere. While most of us think about being “connected” in terms of computers, tablets and smartphones, the consumer IoT market is creating a world where almost anything can be connected to the wireless internet. Wearable devices such as smartwatches, fitness trackers, pet trackers and GPS locators, as well as smart home devices, are now commonplace, enabling people, pets and things to be connected to the “Internet of Everything.” These devices have created an entire ecosystem of over-the-top (“OTT”) apps, while expanding how communication service providers can provide value to mobile consumers.

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Although there are numerous business opportunities associated with pervasive connectivity, there are also numerous challenges, including:

To address these challenges, Smith Micro offers the multi-platform, modular solutions below.

Products

SafePath® – Comprised of SafePath Family, SafePath IoT, and SafePath Home, the SafePath product suite provides comprehensive and easy-to-use tools to protect digital lifestyles and manage connected devices both inside and outside the home. As a carrier-grade, white-label platform, SafePath empowers wireless service providers and cable operators to bring to market full-featured, on-brand family safety solutions that provide in-demand services to mobile subscribers such as location tracking, parental controls, and driver safety functionality. Delivered to end-users as value-added services, SafePath-based solutions activate new revenue streams for wireless service providers while helping to increase brand affinity and reduce subscriber churn.

CommSuite® – The CommSuite premium messaging platform helps mobile service providers deliver a next-generation voicemail experience to mobile subscribers, while monetizing a legacy cost-center. CommSuite Visual Voicemail (“VVM”) quickly and easily allows users to manage voice messages just like email or SMS with reply, forwarding and social sharing options. CommSuite also enables multi-language Voice-to-Text (“VTT”) transcription messaging, which facilitates convenient message consumption for users by reading versus listening. CommSuite is installed on more than 10 million mobile handsets and is available to both postpaid premium subscribers as well as prepaid subscribers.

ViewSpot® – Our retail display management platform provides wireless carriers and retailers with a way to bring powerful on-screen, interactive demos to life. These engaging demo experiences deliver consistent, secure and targeted content that can be centrally managed and updated via ViewSpot Studio. With the feature set provided by ViewSpot, wireless carriers and other smartphone retailers can easily customize and optimize the content loops displayed on demo devices so that it resonates with in-store shoppers. In 2020, ViewSpot was enhanced with new capabilities that enable consumers to navigate demo experiences in a touchless manner. This touchless functionality helps wireless carriers deliver in-store shopping experiences that are more aligned with current consumer expectations. The ViewSpot platform also offers powerful analytics capabilities that provide carriers with valuable insights into their consumer base and its buying behavior as well as their overall retail operations.

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Legacy Graphics Business

During fiscal 2020, we continued the process of winding down non-core product lines that began in fiscal 2019. As part of this effort, we sold our Moho and Motion Artist animation software products in December 2020. Our revenues still include an immaterial amount generated from our Graphics products, which are presented on a disaggregated basis in Note 10 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, but such revenues are no longer reported as a separate industry segment. See Notes 10 and 13 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for financial information related to our business segment and geographical information.

Marketing and Sales Strategy

Because of our broad product portfolio, deep integration experience and flexible business models, we can quickly bring to market innovative solutions that support our customers’ needs to create new revenue opportunities and differentiate their products and services from their competitors.

Our marketing and sales strategy is as follows:

Leverage Operator Relationships. We continue to capitalize on our strong relationships with the world’s leading MNOs and MSOs. These customers serve as our primary distribution channel, providing access to hundreds of millions of end-users around the world.

Focus on High-Growth Markets. We continue to focus on providing digital lifestyle solutions, analytics/Big Data solutions, premium messaging services, and visual retail content management solutions.  

Expand our Customer Base. In addition to growing our business with current customers, we look to expand our MNO and MSO customers worldwide, as well as to expand into new partnerships as we extend the reach of our product platforms within the connected lifestyle ecosystem.

Key Revenue Contributors

In our Wireless business segment, we sell primarily to large wireless carriers, cable operators, and OEMs, so there are a limited number of actual and potential customers for our current products, resulting in significant customer concentration. Revenues attributable to T-Mobile (and Sprint prior to its merger with T-Mobile) and its affiliates accounted for 81% and 84% of the Company’s total revenues for fiscal years 2020 and 2019, respectively.

On April 1, 2020, Sprint Corporation and T-Mobile (US), Inc. (“T-Mobile”) completed their previously announced merger transaction, with the combined company continuing to operate as T-Mobile. In connection with the Sprint/T-Mobile merger, on July 1, 2020, the combined company divested certain assets to DISH Network Corporation, including Sprint’s Boost Mobile pre-paid wireless services business (“Boost”). A portion of our solutions sales to Sprint/T-Mobile has historically included sales to Boost. The Company is working with T-Mobile and DISH on future product roadmaps and contract negotiations.

Customer Service and Technical Support

We provide technical support and customer service through our online knowledge base, email, and live chat. OEM customers generally provide their own primary customer support functions and rely on us for support to their technical support personnel.

Product Development

The software industry, particularly the wireless market, is characterized by rapid and frequent changes in technology and user needs. We work closely with industry groups and customers, both current and potential, to help us anticipate changes in technology and determine future customer needs. Software functionality depends upon the capabilities of the related hardware. Accordingly, we maintain engineering relationships with various hardware manufacturers and we develop our software in tandem with their product development. Our engineering relationships with manufacturers, as well as with our major customers, are central to our product development efforts. We remain focused on the development and expansion of our technology, particularly in the wireless space. Our research and development

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expenditures increased approximately 63% year over year, which is primarily a reflection of additional headcount-related expenses and external contract development costs to support continued product development.

Competition

The markets in which we operate are highly competitive and subject to rapid changes in technology. These conditions create new opportunities for Smith Micro, as well as for our competitors, and we expect new competitors to continue to enter the market. We not only compete with other software vendors for new customer contracts, we also compete to acquire technology and qualified personnel.

We believe that the principal competitive factors affecting the mobile software market include domain expertise, product features, usability, quality, price, customer service, speed to market and effective sales and marketing efforts. Although we believe that our products currently compete favorably with respect to these factors, there can be no assurance that we can maintain our competitive position against current and potential competitors. We also believe that the market for our software products has been and will continue to be characterized by significant price competition. A material reduction in the price we obtain for our products would negatively affect our profitability.

Many of our existing and potential customers have the resources to develop products that compete directly with our products. As such, these customers may opt to discontinue the purchase of our products in the future. Our future performance is therefore substantially dependent upon the extent to which existing customers elect to purchase software from us rather than designing and developing their own software.

Proprietary Rights and Licenses

We protect our intellectual property through a combination of patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, intellectual property laws, confidentiality procedures and contractual provisions. We have United States and foreign patents and pending patent applications that relate to various aspects of our products and technology. We have also registered, and applied for the registration of, U.S. and international trademarks, service marks, domain names, and copyrights. We will continue to apply for such protections in the future as we deem necessary to protect our intellectual property. We seek to avoid unauthorized use and disclosure of our proprietary intellectual property by requiring employees and third parties with access to our proprietary information to execute confidentiality agreements with us and by restricting access to our source code.

Our MNO/MSO customers license our products through software license agreements or access our offerings through software as a service (“SaaS”) agreements. Our license agreements contain restrictions on reverse engineering, duplication, disclosure, and transfer, and our SaaS agreements contain restrictions on access and use.

Despite our efforts to protect our proprietary technology and our intellectual property rights, unauthorized parties may attempt to copy or obtain and use our technology to develop products and technology with the same functionality as our products and technology. Policing unauthorized use of our technology and intellectual property rights is difficult, and we may not be able to detect unauthorized use of our intellectual property rights or take effective steps to enforce our intellectual property rights.

Human Capital Resources

As of December 31, 2020, we had a total of 255 employees within the following departments: 186 in engineering and operations, 45 in sales and marketing, and 24 in management and administration. We are not subject to any collective bargaining agreement and we believe that our relationships with our employees are good. Our strength and competitive advantage is – and always will be – people. We value the skills, strengths, and perspectives of our diverse team and will foster a participatory workplace that enables people to get involved in making decisions. The Company provides training and development opportunities to ensure that our employees are creative thinkers who are drive, focused and interested in ever-changing technology.

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Item 1A. RISK FACTORS

Our future operating results are highly uncertain. Before deciding to invest in our common stock or to maintain or change your investment, you should carefully consider the risks described below, in addition to the other information contained in this Report and in our other filings with the SEC, including our other Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K. The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also affect our business operations. If any of these risks actually occur, our business, financial condition or results of operations could be seriously harmed. In that event, the market price for our common stock could decline and you may lose all or part of your investment.

Risks Related to our Business Operations

We derive a significant portion of our revenues from sales to a concentrated number of clients, and a reduction in sales to any of them may adversely impact our revenues and operating results.

We sell our wireless products and solutions primarily to large wireless carriers, cable operators, and OEMs, so there are a limited number of actual and potential customers for our products, resulting in significant customer concentration. For the year ended December 31, 2020, sales to T-Mobile (and Sprint, prior to its merger with T-Mobile) and its affiliates comprised 81% of our total revenues.

Because of our relatively high customer concentration, a small number of significant customers possess a relative level of pricing and negotiating power over us, enabling them to achieve advantageous pricing and other contractual terms, including the ability to terminate their agreements with us with a limited amount of notice. Any material decrease in our sales to any of these customers would materially affect our revenue and profitability. 

On April 1, 2020, Sprint Corporation and T-Mobile completed their previously announced merger transaction, with the combined company continuing to operate as T-Mobile. In the event that the combined company does not elect to continue using the solutions that we currently deliver, or our sales to the combined company materially decrease as compared with our sales to Sprint pre-merger, our revenues and profitability would be materially and adversely affected. In addition and in connection with the Sprint/T-Mobile merger, on July 1, 2020, the combined company divested certain assets to DISH Network Corporation, including Sprint’s Boost business. A portion of our solutions sales to Sprint/T-Mobile has historically included sales to Boost. In the event that Boost does not elect to continue using the solutions that we currently deliver to it, or our sales to the divested business materially decrease as compared with our sales to Boost pre-divestiture, our revenues and profitability may be materially and adversely affected.

If there are delays in the distribution of our products or if customer negotiations for our new products cannot occur on a timely basis, we may not be able to generate revenues sufficient to meet the needs of the business in the foreseeable future or at all.

Our growth depends in part on our customers’ ability and willingness to promote our services and attract and retain new end user customers or achieve other goals outside of our control.

We sell our wireless products for use on handheld devices primarily to our carrier, cable/MSO, and enterprise customers, who deploy our products for use by their end user customers. The success of our carrier, cable/MSO and enterprise customers, and their ability and willingness to market services to their end users that are supported by our products, is critical to our future success.  Our ability to generate revenues from sales of our software is also constrained by our carrier customers’ ability to attract and retain customers. We have no input into or influence upon their marketing efforts and sales and customer retention activities. If our large carrier customers fail to maintain or grow demand for their services, revenues or revenue growth from our products designed for use on mobile devices will decline and our results of operations will suffer.

If we are unable to retain key personnel, the loss of their services could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our future performance depends in significant part upon the continued service of our senior management and other key technical personnel. We do not have employment agreements with our key employees. The loss of the services of

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our key employees would materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Our future success also depends on our ability to continue to attract, retain, and motivate qualified personnel, particularly highly skilled engineers involved in the ongoing research and development required to develop and enhance our products. Competition for these employees remains high and employee retention is a common problem in our industry. Our inability to attract and retain the highly trained technical personnel that are essential to our product development, marketing, service, and support teams may limit the rate at which we can generate revenue, develop new products or product enhancements and generally would have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Security and privacy breaches may harm our business.

The uninterrupted operation of our hosted solutions and the confidentiality and security of third-party information and materials is critical to our business. Any failures in our security and privacy measures, such as “hacking” of our systems by outsiders or the inadequate protection of pre-release mobile devices in our custody, could have a material adverse effect on our financial position and results of operations. If we are unable to protect, or our customers and mobile device manufacturer partners perceive that we are unable to protect, the security and privacy of information and materials in our care, our growth could be materially adversely affected and we could be subject to material liability. A security or privacy breach may:

While we believe we use proven applications and have established adequate safeguards designed for facility security, data security and integrity to process electronic transactions, there can be no assurance that these applications and safeguards will be adequate to prevent a security breach or to address changing market conditions or the security and privacy concerns of existing and potential customers and device manufacturer partners. In addition, our customers and end users may use our products and services in a manner which violates security or data privacy laws in one or more jurisdictions. Any significant or high profile security breach, data privacy breach or violation of data privacy laws could result in the loss of business and reputation, litigation against us, liquidated and other damages, and regulatory investigations and penalties that could adversely affect our operating results and financial condition.

Interruptions or delays in service from data center hosting facilities could impair the delivery of our service and harm our business.

We currently serve our customers from data center hosting facilities. Any damage to, or failure of, such facilities generally could result in interruptions in our service. Interruptions in our service may reduce our revenue, cause us to issue credits or pay penalties, cause customers to terminate their on-demand services, and adversely affect our renewal rates and our ability to attract new customers.

The success of our products depends upon effective operation with operating systems, devices, networks and standards that we do not control and on our continued relationships with mobile operating system providers and device manufacturers.

We are dependent on the interoperability of our products with popular operating systems, networks and standards that we do not control.  For example, we depend upon the interoperability of our mobile products with the Android and iOS mobile operating systems. Any changes, bugs or technical issues in such systems, or changes in our relationships with mobile operating system partners, handset manufacturers or mobile carriers, or in their terms of service or policies that degrade our products’ functionality, reduce or eliminate our ability to distribute our products, or give preferential treatment to competitive products could adversely affect the usage of our products.

We maintain relationships with mobile device manufacturers which provide us with insights into product development and emerging technologies. These insights allow us to keep abreast of, or to anticipate, market trends and help us to serve our current and prospective customers. Mobile device manufacturers are under no obligation to continue providing us with these valuable insights. If we are unable to maintain our existing relationships with mobile device

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manufacturers, if we fail to enter into relationships with additional mobile device manufacturers, or if mobile device manufacturers favor one of our competitors, our ability to provide products that meet our current and prospective customers’ needs could be compromised and our reputation and future revenue prospects could suffer. For example, if our software does not function well with a popular mobile device because we have not maintained a relationship with its manufacturer, carriers seeking to provide that device to their respective customers may choose an alternative solution. Even if we succeed in establishing and maintaining these relationships, they may not result in additional customers or revenues.

Our products may contain undetected software defects, which could negatively affect our revenues.

Our software products are complex and may contain undetected defects. If we discover software defects in our products we may experience delayed or lost revenues during the period it takes to correct these problems.  Defects, whether actual or perceived, could result in adverse publicity, loss of revenues, product returns, a delay in market acceptance of our products, loss of competitive position or claims against us by customers. Any such problems could be costly to remedy and could cause interruptions, delays, or cessation of our product sales, which could cause us to lose existing or prospective customers and could negatively affect our results of operations.

Risks Related to our Industry and Macroeconomic Conditions

We derive a significant portion of our revenues from only a few core vertical markets, and changes within these vertical markets, or failure to penetrate new markets, could adversely impact our revenues and operating results.  

We derive a significant portion of our revenue from a few vertical markets, such as wireless carriers and cable operators.  In order to sustain and grow our business, we must continue to sell our software products in these vertical markets. Shifts in the dynamics of these vertical markets, such as new product introductions by our competitors, could materially harm our results of operations, financial condition and prospects. Increasing our sales outside our core vertical markets and into markets in which we do not have significant experience, for example to large enterprises, would require us to devote time and resources to hire and train sales employees familiar with those industries. Even if we are successful in hiring and training sales teams, customers in other vertical markets may not need or sufficiently value our current products or new product introductions.

Our results of operations and financial condition may be adversely affected by public health epidemics, including the ongoing COVID-19 global health pandemic.

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the global outbreak of COVID-19 to be a pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted economic activity and markets around the world. The circumstances relating to the pandemic are complex and evolving, with a broad number of governmental and commercial efforts to contain the spread of the virus globally. We have implemented a number of measures in an effort to protect our employees’ health and well-being, including having office employees work remotely, suspending employee travel, and withdrawing from certain industry events. The duration and extent of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on our business, operations and financial results depends on factors that cannot be accurately predicted at this time, such as the ongoing transmission rate and mutation of the virus, emergence of new variants and strains with different characteristics, the extent and effectiveness of containment and mitigation actions, including distribution and effectiveness of vaccines, the impact on economic activity, including the possibility of recession or financial market instability, and the impact of these and other factors on our employees, customers, industry partners, and suppliers.  

Many of our customers and suppliers have temporarily modified their business operations as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and related government restrictions. Our customers have experienced and may continue to experience decreased demand for the value-added products and services that we provide to them and may seek to terminate, suspend or delay existing or new initiatives involving our products and services. A decrease in demand for our products and services or the termination, suspension or delay of existing or new initiatives by our customers could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. To the extent the pandemic adversely affects our business and financial results, it may also have the effect of heightening many of the other risks set forth herein.

In the event of illnesses to key employees or a significant portion of our workforce resulting from COVID-19, we may experience inefficiencies, delays, and/or disruptions in research and development activities and increased costs

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resulting from our efforts to mitigate the impact of COVID-19, all of which may adversely affect our business, operations and financial results.

Additionally, government intervention with respect to the pandemic, continued widespread growth in infections, travel restrictions, quarantines, or other business and industry closures as a result of the pandemic could, among other things, impact the ability of our employees and contractors to perform their duties, cause increased technology and security risk due to extended and company-wide telecommuting, lead to disruptions with our suppliers, hamper our ability to integrate recent technology acquisitions and cause disruption in our relationship with our customers or prospective customers.  

Technology and customer needs change rapidly in our market, which could render our products obsolete and negatively affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

Our success depends on our ability to anticipate and adapt to changes in technology and industry standards, including changes in the Microsoft, Google, and Apple operating systems with which our products are designed to be compatible, and to changes in customer demands. The communications software markets in which we operate are characterized by rapid technological change, changing customer needs, frequent new product introductions, evolving industry standards, and short product life cycles. Any of these factors could render our existing products obsolete and unmarketable. New products and product enhancements can require long development and testing periods as a result of the complexities inherent in today’s mobile technology environment and the performance demanded by customers. If our target markets do not develop as we anticipate, if our products do not gain widespread acceptance in these markets, or if we are unable to develop new versions of our software products that can operate on future wireless networks and PC and mobile device operating systems and interoperate with relevant third party technology, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

Competition within our target markets is intense and includes numerous established competitors and new entrants, which could negatively affect our revenues and results of operations.

We operate in markets that are extremely competitive and subject to rapid changes in technology.  Because there are low barriers to entry into the software markets in which we participate and may participate in the future, we expect significant competition to continue from both established and emerging software companies, domestic and international.  In fact, our growth opportunities in new product markets could be limited to the extent established and emerging software companies enter or have entered those markets.

Many of our other current and prospective competitors have significantly greater financial, marketing, service, support, technical, and other resources than we do. As a result, they may be able to adapt more quickly than we can to new or emerging technologies and changes in customer requirements or to devote greater resources to the promotion and sale of their products. Announcements of competing products by competitors could result in the cancellation of orders by customers in anticipation of the introduction of such new products.  In addition, some of our competitors are currently making complementary products that are sold separately. Such competitors could decide to enhance their competitive position by bundling their products to attract customers seeking integrated, cost-effective software applications. Some competitors have a retail emphasis and offer OEM products with a reduced set of features. The opportunity for retail upgrade sales may induce these and other competitors to make OEM products available at their own cost or even at a loss.  We also expect competition to increase as a result of software industry consolidations, which may lead to the creation of additional large and well-financed competitors.  Increased competition is likely to result in price reductions, fewer customer orders, reduced margins, and loss of market share.

Our business, financial condition and operating results could be adversely affected as a result of legal, business, and economic risks specific to international operations.

In recent years, our revenues derived from sales to customers outside the U.S. have not been material. Our revenues derived from such sales can vary from quarter to quarter and from year to year. We also frequently ship products to our domestic customers’ international manufacturing divisions and subcontractors. In the future, we may expand these international business activities. International operations are subject to many inherent risks, including:

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These conditions may increase our cost of doing business. Moreover, as our customers are adversely affected by these conditions, our business with them may be disrupted and our results of operations could be adversely affected.

Legal and Regulatory Risks

Evolving information security and data privacy laws and regulations may result in increased compliance costs, impediments to the development or performance of our offerings, and monetary or other penalties.

Because our solutions process customer data that may contain personally identifying information, we are subject to federal, state and foreign laws and regulations regarding the privacy and protection of such data. These laws and regulations address a range of issues, including data privacy, cybersecurity and restrictions or technological requirements regarding the collection, use, storage, protection, retention or transfer of data. The regulatory framework for data privacy and cybersecurity issues worldwide can vary substantially from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. New laws that have been recently enacted may require considerable resources to ensure timely and ongoing compliance. For example, the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 that came into effect in January of 2020 gives new data privacy rights to California residents and requires expenditure of considerable resources to establish the necessary internal infrastructure to allow for the monitoring and other compliance requirements, which may limit the use and adoption of our offerings.

Further, foreign privacy and data protection laws and regulations can be more restrictive than those in the United States. In the European Union (“EU”), the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR includes operational and governance requirements for companies that collect or process personal data of residents of the European Union, and provides for significant penalties for non-compliance. The costs of compliance with, and other burdens imposed by, these laws and regulations may become substantial and may limit the use and adoption of our offerings, require us to change our business practices, impede the performance and development of our solutions, or lead to significant fines, penalties or liabilities for noncompliance with such laws or regulations.

Regulations affecting our customers and us and future regulations, to which they or we may become subject to, may harm our business.

Certain of our customers in the communications industry are subject to regulation by the Federal Communications Commission, which could have an indirect effect on our business. In addition, the U.S. telecommunications industry has been subject to continuing deregulation since 1984. We cannot predict when, or upon what terms and conditions, further regulation or deregulation might occur or the effect regulation or deregulation may have on demand for our products

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from customers in the communications industry. Demand for our products may be indirectly affected by regulations imposed upon potential users of those products, which may increase our costs and expenses.

We may be unable to adequately protect our intellectual property and other proprietary rights, and we may be subject to claims for intellectual property infringement, which could negatively impact our business and financial results.

Our success is dependent upon our software code base, our programming methodologies and other intellectual properties and proprietary rights. In order to protect our proprietary technology, we rely on a combination of trade secrets, nondisclosure agreements, patents, and copyright and trademark law. We currently own U.S. trademark registrations for certain of our trademarks and U.S. patents for certain of our technologies. However, these measures afford us only limited protection. For our mobile applications that are distributed by our carrier customers to their end  users, we rely on our carrier customers to establish binding end user terms. It is possible that third parties may copy or otherwise obtain our rights without our authorization. It is also possible that third parties may independently develop technologies similar to ours. It may be difficult for us to detect unauthorized use of our intellectual property and proprietary rights.  In addition, we sometimes include open source software in our products. As a result of our use of open source in our products, we may license or be required to license or disclose code and/or innovations that turn out to be material to our business and may also be exposed to increased litigation risk. If the protection of our proprietary rights is inadequate to prevent independent development, unauthorized use or appropriation by third parties, the value of our brands and other intangible assets may be diminished and competitors may be able to more effectively mimic our products, services, and methods of operations. Any of these events could have an adverse effect on our business and financial results.

We may be subject to claims of intellectual property infringement as the number of trademarks, patents, copyrights and other intellectual property rights asserted by companies in our industry grows and the coverage of these patents and other rights and the conduct of our business, including the functionality of our products, increasingly overlap. From time to time, we have received communications from third parties asserting that our trade name or features, content, or trademarks of certain of our products infringe upon intellectual property rights held by such third parties. We have also received correspondence from third parties separately asserting that our products may infringe on certain patents held by each of the parties. Although we are not aware that any of our products infringe on the proprietary rights of others, third parties may claim infringement by us with respect to our current or future products. Additionally, our customer agreements require that we indemnify our customers for infringement claims made by third parties involving our intellectual property, including our software code, embedded in their products. Infringement claims, whether with or without merit, could result in time-consuming and costly litigation, divert the attention of our management, cause product shipment delays, result in our sales being enjoined, or require us to enter into royalty or licensing agreements with third parties. If we are required to enter into royalty or licensing agreements, they may not be on terms that are acceptable to us. An injunction or unfavorable royalty or licensing agreements could seriously impair our ability to market our products and have an adverse effect on our business and financial results.

If we fail to meet the requirements for continued listing on the NASDAQ Stock Market, our common stock could be delisted from trading on NASDAQ, which would likely reduce the liquidity of our common stock and could cause our trading price to decline.

Our common stock is currently listed for quotation on the NASDAQ Stock Market. We are required to meet specified financial requirements in order to maintain our listing on NASDAQ. If we fail to satisfy NASDAQ’s continued listing requirements, our common stock could be delisted from NASDAQ and our common stock would instead trade on the OTC Market.  Any potential delisting of our common stock from NASDAQ would likely result in decreased liquidity and increased volatility of our common stock, and would likely cause our trading price to decline.

Financial, Investment and Indebtedness Risks

We may raise additional capital through the issuance of equity or convertible debt securities or by borrowing money in order to meet our capital needs. Additional funds to allow us to meet our capital needs may not be available on terms acceptable to us or at all.

We believe that our cash and the cash we expect to generate from operations will be sufficient to meet our capital needs for the next twelve months. However, it is possible that we may need or choose to obtain additional financing

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to fund our future activities. We could raise these funds by selling more stock to the public or to selected investors, or by borrowing money. We may not be able to obtain additional funds on favorable terms, or at all. If adequate funds are not available, we may be required to curtail our operations or other business activities significantly or to obtain funds through arrangements with strategic partners or others that may require us to relinquish rights to certain technologies or potential markets.

It is possible that our future capital requirements may vary materially from those currently anticipated. The amount of capital that we will need in the future will depend on many factors, including but not limited to:

In addition, we may raise additional capital to accommodate planned growth, hiring, and infrastructure needs or to consummate acquisitions of other businesses, products or technologies.

The Company has a history of net losses, may incur substantial net losses in the future, and may not maintain profitability.

We have undertaken recent efforts to align expenses with our current and projected revenue. However, if we do not achieve certain revenue targets, we may need to undertake further restructurings, we may incur additional operating losses, and we may not be able to maintain profitability.

If we are unable to meet our obligations as they become due over the next twelve months, the Company may not be able to continue as a going concern.

We believe that we will be able to meet our financial obligations as they become due over the next twelve months, primarily based on our current working capital levels, our current financial projections, and our ability to secure short-term loans and raise capital when necessary.  

Our ability to continue as a going concern is substantially dependent upon multiple factors, which primarily include those factors set forth above. If our financial performance and cash flow position the Company unfavorably compared to our internal plans and projections, we may need to consider additional actions to mitigate conditions or events that would raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern, including the following:

Should our going concern assumption not be appropriate or should we become unable to continue in the normal course of operations, adjustments would be required to the amounts and classifications of assets and liabilities within our consolidated financial statements, and these adjustments could be significant. Our consolidated financial statements do

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not reflect the adjustments or reclassifications of assets and liabilities that would be necessary if we were to become unable to continue as a going concern.

Our operating income or loss may continue to change due to shifts in our sales mix and variability in our operating expenses.

Our operating income or loss can change quarter to quarter and year to year due to a change in our sales mix and the timing of our continued investments in research and development and infrastructure. We continue to invest in research and development, which is the lifeline of our technology portfolio.  The timing of these additional expenses can vary significantly quarter to quarter and even from year to year.

Other General Risks

Our acquisitions of companies or technologies may disrupt our business and divert management attention and cause our other operations to suffer.

We have historically made targeted acquisitions of businesses or product lines with technology important to our business strategy and expect to continue to do so in the future. Most recently, we acquired the operator business from Circle Media Labs Inc. and prior to that our smart retail business, known as ViewSpot. As part of any acquisition, we are required to assimilate the operations, products, and, where applicable, personnel of the acquired businesses and train, retain, and motivate key personnel needed for the successful integration of the acquired business. We may not be able to maintain uniform standards, controls, procedures and policies if we fail in these efforts. Additionally, as we integrate any newly acquired business into our existing operations, process changes may result in unanticipated or unintended delays in sales of acquired products or services, which could adversely affect our relationships with customers of the acquired business and result in lower revenues from the acquired business than anticipated. Acquisitions may cause disruptions in our operations and divert management’s attention from our Company’s day-to-day operations, which could impair our relationships with our existing employees, customers, and strategic partners. Acquisitions may also subject us to liabilities and risks that are not known or identifiable at the time of the acquisition.

We may also have to incur debt or issue equity securities in order to finance future acquisitions. Our financial condition could be harmed to the extent we incur substantial debt or use significant amounts of our cash resources in acquisitions. The issuance of equity securities for any acquisition could be substantially dilutive to our existing stockholders. In addition, we expect our profitability could be adversely affected because of acquisition-related accounting costs, write offs, amortization expenses, and charges related to acquired intangible assets. In consummating acquisitions, we are also subject to risks of entering geographic and business markets in which we have had limited or no prior experience. If we are unable to fully integrate acquired businesses, products, or technologies within existing operations, we may not receive the intended benefits of such acquisitions.

We rely directly and indirectly on third-party intellectual property and licenses, which may not be available on commercially reasonable terms or at all.

Many of the Company’s products and services include third-party intellectual property, which require licenses directly to us or to unrelated companies that provide us with sublicenses and/or execution of services for the operation of our business.  The Company has historically been able to obtain such licenses or sublicenses on reasonable terms.  There is, however, no assurance that the necessary licenses could be obtained on acceptable terms, or at all, in the future. If the Company or our third-party service providers are unable to obtain or renew critical licenses on reasonable terms, we may be forced to terminate or curtail our products and services which rely on such intellectual property, and our financial condition and operating results may be materially adversely affected.

Our quarterly revenues and operating results are difficult to predict and could fall below analyst or investor expectations, which could cause the price of our common stock to fall.

Our quarterly revenues and operating results have fluctuated significantly in the past and may continue to vary from quarter to quarter due to a number of factors, many of which are not within our control. If our operating results do not

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meet the expectations of securities analysts or investors, our stock price may decline. Fluctuations in our operating results may be due to a number of factors, including the following:

We have difficulty predicting the volume and timing of orders. In any given quarter, our sales may involve large financial commitments from a relatively small number of customers. As a result, the cancellation or deferral of even a small number of orders could materially impact our revenues, which would adversely affect our quarterly financial performance. Also, we have often recorded a large amount of our sales in the last month of the quarter and often in the last week of that month. Accordingly, delays in the closing of sales near the end of a quarter could cause quarterly revenues to fall substantially short of anticipated levels. Significant sales may also occur earlier than expected, which could cause operating results for later quarters to compare unfavorably with operating results from earlier quarters.

Future orders may come from new customers or from existing customers for new products.  The sales cycles may be greater than what we have experienced in the past, increasing the difficulty to predict quarterly revenues.

Because we sell primarily to large carriers, cable/MSOs and OEM customers, we have no direct relationship with most end users of our products.  This indirect relationship delays feedback and blurs signals of change in the quick-to-evolve wireless ecosystem, and is one of the reasons we have difficulty predicting demand.

A large portion of our operating expenses, including rent, depreciation and amortization, is fixed and difficult to reduce or change. Accordingly, if our total revenue does not meet our expectations, we may not be able to adjust our expenses quickly enough to compensate for the shortfall in revenue. In that event, our business, financial condition and results of operations would be materially and adversely affected.

Due to all of the foregoing factors, and the other risks discussed in this Report, you should not rely on quarter-to-quarter comparisons of our operating results as an indication of future performance.

Item 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

None.

Item 2. PROPERTIES

Our corporate headquarters is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where we currently lease approximately 55,600 square feet of space under a lease that expires on April 30, 2026. We sublease 19,965 square feet of our leased space in Pittsburgh under an agreement which commenced on February 1, 2015 and continues through December 31, 2021. We lease and occupy approximately 8,513 square feet of space in Aliso Viejo, California under a lease that expires

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on October 31, 2024. Internationally, we lease approximately 8,500 square feet in Belgrade, Serbia under a lease that expires December 31, 2023, we lease approximately 1,500 square feet in Stockholm, Sweden under a lease that expires on September 30, 2023, and we lease approximately 3,200 square feet in Braga, Portugal under a lease that expires July 31, 2021.

Item 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

The Company may become involved in various legal proceedings arising from its business activities. While management does not currently believe that the ultimate disposition of these matters will have a material adverse impact on the Company’s consolidated results of operations, cash flows, or financial position, litigation is inherently unpredictable, and depending on the nature and timing of these proceedings, an unfavorable resolution could materially affect the Company’s future consolidated results of operations, cash flows or financial position in a particular period.

Item 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES

Not Applicable.

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PART II

Item 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

Market Information

Our common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Stock Market under the symbol “SMSI.”

For information regarding Securities Authorized for Issuance under Equity Compensation Plans, please refer to Item 12 in Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Holders

As of March 2, 2021, there were approximately 86 holders of record of our common stock based on information provided by our transfer agent.

Dividends

We have never declared or paid any cash dividends on our common stock. We do not expect to pay any cash dividends on our common stock for the foreseeable future. Any determination to pay dividends on our common stock in the future will be at the discretion of our Board of Directors, subject to applicable laws, and will depend on our financial condition, operating results, capital requirements, general business conditions, and other factors that our Board of Directors considers relevant.

During the third quarter of 2019, the Company forced conversion of all outstanding shares of our Series B 10% Convertible Preferred Stock (the “Series B Preferred Stock”). The holders of our Series B Preferred Stock were entitled to receive, out of funds legally available therefor, cumulative cash dividends on such shares at a rate per share of ten percent (10%) per annum, payable (i) when and as declared by our Board of Directors, in quarterly installments on March 1, June 1, September 1 and December 1, (ii) upon conversion of such shares into common stock, and (iii) upon our optional redemption of such shares in accordance with the terms set forth in the Certificate of Designation for our Series B Preferred Stock. As of March 2, 2021, no shares of Series B Preferred Stock are outstanding.

Purchases of Equity Securities by the Company

The table set forth below shows all purchases of securities by us during the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2020:

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Item 6. SELECTED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL DATA

The following selected consolidated financial data should be read in conjunction with “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and our consolidated financial statements and the related notes thereto appearing elsewhere in this Report. The following selected consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss data and the consolidated balance sheet data as of and for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 have been derived from audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Report. The consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss data and the consolidated balance sheet data presented below as of and for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016 are derived from audited consolidated financial statements that are not included in this Report.

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Item 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The following discussion of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and the related notes and other financial information appearing elsewhere in this Report. This Report contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. See “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” and Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors.” Readers are also urged to carefully review and consider these and other disclosures made by us which attempt to advise interested parties of the factors which affect our business.

Introduction and Overview

Providing software solutions that simplify and enhance the mobile experience to some of the leading wireless and cable service providers around the globe is a mission that Smith Micro pursues with passion.  From enabling the family digital lifestyle to providing powerful voice messaging capabilities, we strive to enrich today’s connected lifestyles while creating new opportunities to engage consumers via smartphones and consumer IoT devices. The Smith Micro portfolio includes a wide range of products for creating, sharing and monetizing rich content, such as visual voice messaging, retail content display optimization and performance analytics on any product set.

During 2020, we experienced an increase in our wireless revenues primarily due to entering 2020 with a higher number of subscribers than the prior year. However, as the year progressed, the continued growth of SafePath subscriber numbers was negatively impacted by the closure of customer retail stores due to the COVID-19 pandemic combined with the T-Mobile / Sprint merger. CommSuite revenues were relatively stable during 2020. The Company received additional cash proceeds of $4.2 million during 2020 from the exercise of warrants previously issued as part of 2018 private placements of common stock undertaken by the Company.

Results of Operations

Revenues generated from our sales to T-Mobile (including Sprint, prior to its merger with T-Mobile) and its affiliates accounted for 81% and 84% of the Company’s total revenues and 91% and 92% of accounts receivable for fiscal years 2020 and 2019, respectively.

The following table sets forth certain consolidated statement operations data as a percentage of total revenues for the periods indicated:

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Revenues and Expense Components

The following is a description of the primary components of our revenues and expenses:

Revenues. Revenues are net of sales returns and allowances. Our operations are organized into one business segment: Wireless, which includes all of our existing core products, including SafePath, CommSuite, and ViewSpot family of products. We also generate an immaterial amount of revenue from a few non-core Graphics products.

Cost of revenues. Cost of revenues consists of direct product and assembly, maintenance, data center, royalties, and technical support expenses.

Selling and marketing. Selling and marketing expenses consist primarily of personnel costs, advertising costs, sales commissions, trade show expenses, and the amortization of certain intangible assets. These expenses vary significantly from quarter to quarter based on the timing of trade shows and product introductions.

Research and development. Research and development expenses consist primarily of personnel and equipment costs required to conduct our software development efforts.  It also includes the amortization of certain intangible assets.

General and administrative. General and administrative expenses consist primarily of personnel costs, professional services and fees paid for external service providers, space and occupancy costs, and legal and other public company costs.

Gain on sale of software products. Consists of gain resulting from the sale of the Poser® 3D and Moho and Motion Artist animation software.

Interest income (expense), net. Interest income is primarily related to interest earned on cash equivalents.

Other income (expense), net. Other income (expense) is primarily related to fixed asset disposals and other non-operating gains or losses.

Provision for income tax expense (benefit). The Company accounts for income taxes as required by Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic No. 740, Income Taxes.  This statement requires the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for the future consequences of events that have been recognized in the Company’s financial statements or tax returns. Measurement of the deferred items is based on enacted tax laws. In the event the future consequences of differences between financial reporting bases and tax bases of the Company’s assets and liabilities result in a deferred tax asset, we are required to evaluate the probability of being able to realize the future benefits indicated by such asset. The deferred tax assets are reduced by a valuation allowance if, based upon all available evidence, it is more likely than not that some or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. Establishing, reducing or increasing a valuation allowance in an accounting period generally results in an increase or decrease in tax expense in the statement of operations. We must make significant judgments to determine the provision for income taxes, deferred tax assets and liabilities, unrecognized tax benefits, and any valuation allowance to be recorded against deferred tax assets.

Year Ended December 31, 2020 Compared to the Year Ended December 31, 2019

Revenues. Revenues of $51.3 million in 2020 increased $8.0 million, or 18%, from $43.3 million in 2019. Wireless revenues of $50.7 million increased $8.1 million, or 19%, from $42.6 million in 2019. The increase was primarily due to entering 2020 with a higher number of SafePath subscribers than the prior year and additional revenues resulting from the Circle acquisition. The growth in wireless revenues from these products was slightly offset by a reduced strategic focus on the NetWise® products. Sales from our discontinued or non-core products decreased $0.1 million, or 15%, from $0.7 million in 2019, due to lower demand as a result of reduced strategic focus and marketing efforts for these products.

Cost of revenues. Cost of revenues of $5.2 million in 2020 increased $1.3 million, or 32%, from $3.9 million in 2019. This increase was primarily due to hosting costs associated with the increase in SafePath revenues and additional costs associated with the new Circle operator business platform acquired in 2020.

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Gross profit. Gross profit of $46.1 million, or 90% of revenues in 2020, increased $6.7 million, or 17%, from $39.4 million, or 91% of revenues in 2019. This increase in gross profit was due to higher revenues coupled with stable variable costs during the period.

Selling and marketing. Selling and marketing expenses of $10.7 million in 2020 increased $3.2 million, or 42%, from $7.5 million in 2019. This increase was primarily due to additional headcount-related expenses and increased intangibles amortization related to the Circle acquisition (see Note 2). The amortization of intangible assets within sales and marketing expenses was $1.6 million and $0.4 million in 2020 and 2019, respectively.

Research and development. Research and development expenses of $19.2 million in 2020 increased $7.4 million, or 63%, from $11.7 million in 2019. This increase was primarily due to additional headcount related expenses and external contract development costs to support SafePath development, as well as increased intangibles amortization related to the Circle acquisition. The amortization of intangible assets within research and development expenses was $1.3 million and $0.6 million in 2020 and 2019, respectively.

General and administrative. General and administrative expenses of $12.8 million in 2020 increased $2.9 million, or 29%, from $9.9 million in 2019. This increase was primarily due to an increase in non-cash stock compensation, variable compensation expense, and fees associated with the Circle acquisition.

Restructuring expenses. Restructuring expense of $19 thousand in 2020 and $194 thousand in 2019 related to restructuring activities initiated during those years.

Gain on sale of software products. The gain on sale of software products of $0.7 million in 2020 resulted from the sale of the Company’s Moho® and Motion Artist® animation software in December 2020. The gain on sale of software product of $0.5 million in 2019 resulted from the sale of the Company’s Poser 3D animation software in June 2019.

Interest expense, net. Interest income was $96 thousand and $228 thousand in 2020 and 2019, respectively, resulting from interest earned on cash equivalents during the year.

Provision for income tax expense. Because of our cumulative loss position, the current provision for income tax expense consists of state income tax minimums, foreign tax withholdings, and foreign income taxes. After consideration of the Company’s cumulative loss position as of December 31, 2020, the Company retained a valuation allowance related to its U.S.-based deferred tax assets of $49.4 million at December 31, 2020. During fiscal year 2020, the valuation allowance on deferred tax assets decreased by $1.0 million.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

At December 31, 2020, we had $25.8 million in cash and cash equivalents and $30.9 million of working capital.

Operating Activities

In 2020, net cash provided by operating activities was $7.9 million, primarily due to net income of $4.2 million and add-backs of non-cash expenses totaling $7.2 million, offset by an increase in accounts receivable of $1.3 million and a decrease in accounts payable and accrued liabilities of $1.9 million.

In 2019, net cash provided by operating activities was $10.0 million, primarily due to net income of $10.7 million.

Investing Activities

In 2020, cash used in investing activities was $14.7 million, due to $13.5 million in payments related to the Circle acquisition in February 2020, $1.3 million in capital expenditures, and a $225 thousand equity investment, offset by proceeds of $367 thousand from the sale of the Moho and Motion Artist animation software.

In 2019, cash used in investing activities was $5.3 million, due to $4.0 million in payments related to the Smart Retail acquisition in January 2019 and $1.7 million in capital expenditures, offset by proceeds of $370 thousand from the sale of the Poser 3D animation software.

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Financing Activities

In 2020, cash provided by financing activities was $4.2 million, primarily due to proceeds from the exercise of common stock warrants during the year.

In 2019, cash provided by financing activities was $11.4 million, primarily due to $11.5 million in proceeds from the exercise of common stock warrants during the second half of the year. This was offset by $0.1 million in preferred stock dividend payments during the year.

Contractual Obligations and Commercial Commitments

During our normal course of business, we have made certain indemnities, commitments, and guarantees under which we may be required to make payments in relation to certain transactions. These include: intellectual property indemnities to our customers and licensees in connection with the use, sale and/or license of our products; indemnities to various lessors in connection with facility leases for certain claims arising from such facility or lease; indemnities to vendors and service providers pertaining to claims based on the negligence or willful misconduct; indemnities involving the accuracy of representations and warranties in certain contracts; and indemnities to directors and officers of the Company to the maximum extent permitted under the laws of the State of Delaware. We may also issue a guarantee in the form of a standby letter of credit as security for contingent liabilities under certain customer contracts. The duration of these indemnities, commitments and guarantees varies, and in certain cases, may be indefinite. The majority of these indemnities, commitments and guarantees may not provide for any limitation of the maximum potential for future payments we could be obligated to make. We have not recorded any liability for these indemnities, commitments and guarantees in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.

Real Property Leases

Our corporate headquarters is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where we currently lease approximately 55,600 square feet of space under a lease that expires on April 30, 2026. We sublease 19,965 square feet of our leased space in Pittsburgh under an agreement which commenced on February 1, 2015 and continues through December 31, 2021. We lease and occupy approximately 8,513 square feet of space in Aliso Viejo, California under a lease that expires on October 31, 2024. Internationally, we lease approximately 8,500 square feet in Belgrade, Serbia under a lease that expires December 31, 2023, we lease approximately 1500 square feet in Stockholm, Sweden under a lease that expires on September 30, 2023, and we lease approximately 3,200 square feet in Braga, Portugal under a lease that expires July 31, 2021.

We lease an additional 19,100 square feet in Aliso Viejo, California under a lease that expires January 31, 2022. In August 2014, we signed an addendum to sublease all of this space commencing on September 15, 2014 for a three-year period, with two renewal options. In October 2017, the sublease agreement was renewed through January 2022.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

As of December 31, 2020, we did not have any off-balance sheet arrangements.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

Our discussion and analysis of results of operations, financial condition, and liquidity are based upon our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”). The preparation of these consolidated financial statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results may materially differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. On an on-going basis, we review our estimates to ensure that they appropriately reflect changes in our business or new information as it becomes available.

We believe the following critical accounting policies affect our more significant estimates and assumptions used in the preparation of our consolidated financial statements:

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Business Combinations

The Company applies the provisions of FASB ASC Topic No. 805, Business Combinations, in the accounting for its acquisitions, which requires recognition of the assets acquired and the liabilities assumed at their acquisition date fair values, separately from goodwill. Goodwill as of the acquisition date is measured as the excess of consideration transferred over the net of the acquisition date fair values of the tangible and identifiable intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed. While the Company uses its best estimates and assumptions to accurately value assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the acquisition date as well as contingent consideration, where applicable, its estimates are inherently uncertain and subject to refinement. As a result, during the measurement period that exists up to twelve months from the acquisition date, the Company may record adjustments to the tangible and specifically identifiable intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed with a corresponding adjustment to goodwill in the reporting period in which the adjusted amounts are determined. Upon the conclusion of the measurement period or final determination of the values of assets acquired and liabilities assumed, whichever comes first, the impact of any subsequent adjustments is included in the consolidated statements of operations. 

Costs to exit or restructure certain activities of an acquired company or the Company’s internal operations are accounted for as a one-time termination and exit cost pursuant to FASB ASC Topic No. 420, Exit or Disposal Cost Obligations, and are accounted for separately from the business combination. A liability for costs associated with an exit or disposal activity is recognized and measured at its fair value in the Company’s consolidated statement of operations in the period in which the liability is incurred.

Uncertain income tax positions and tax-related valuation allowances that are acquired in connection with a business combination are initially estimated as of the acquisition date. The Company reevaluates these items quarterly based upon facts and circumstances that existed as of the acquisition date, with any adjustments to the preliminary estimates being recorded to goodwill if such adjustments occur within the 12-month measurement period. Subsequent to the end of the measurement period or the Company’s final determination of the value of the tax allowance or contingency, whichever comes first, changes to these uncertain tax positions and tax-related valuation allowances will affect the provision for income taxes in the consolidated statement of operations, and could have a material impact on results of operations and financial position.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

The Company measures and discloses fair value measurements as required by FASB ASC Topic No. 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures.

Fair value is an exit price, representing the amount that would be received upon the sale of an asset or the amount that would be paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants. As such, fair value is a market-based measurement that is determined based on assumptions that market participants would use in pricing an asset or a liability. As a basis for considering such assumptions, the FASB establishes a three-tier value hierarchy, which prioritizes the inputs used in the valuation methodologies in measuring fair value:

The fair value hierarchy also requires an entity to maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs when measuring fair value.

As required by FASB ASC Topic No. 820, we measure our cash equivalents and short-term investments at fair value. Our cash equivalents and short-term investments are classified within Level 1 by using quoted market prices utilizing market observable inputs. 

As required by FASB ASC Topic No. 825, Financial Instruments, an entity can choose to measure at fair value many financial instruments and certain other items that are not currently required to be measured at fair value. Subsequent

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changes in fair value for designated items are required to be reported in earnings in the current period. This Topic also establishes presentation and disclosure requirements for similar types of assets and liabilities measured at fair value.

As required by FASB ASC Topic No. 350, for goodwill and other intangibles impairment analysis, we utilize fair value measurements which are categorized within Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy.

Impairment or Disposal of Long Lived Assets

Long-lived assets to be held are reviewed for events or changes in circumstances which indicate that their carrying value may not be recoverable. They are tested for recoverability using undiscounted cash flows to determine whether or not impairment to such value has occurred as required by FASB ASC Topic No. 360, Property, Plant, and Equipment.

Goodwill

In accordance with FASB ASC Topic No. 350, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other, we review the recoverability of the carrying value of goodwill at least annually or whenever events or circumstances indicate a potential impairment. The Company’s annual impairment testing date is December 31. Recoverability of goodwill is determined by comparing the fair value of the Company’s reporting units to the carrying value of the underlying net assets in the reporting units. If the fair value of a reporting unit is determined to be less than the carrying value of its net assets, goodwill is deemed impaired and an impairment loss is recognized to the extent that the carrying value of goodwill exceeds the difference between the fair value of the reporting unit and the fair value of its other assets and liabilities.

Intangible Assets and Amortization

Amortization expense related to other intangibles acquired in acquisitions is calculated on a straight line basis over one to ten years. Intangible assets are tested for impairment if events or circumstances occur indicating that the respective asset might be impaired.

Revenue Recognition

The Company adopted FASB ASC Topic No. 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, as of January 1, 2018, and recognizes the sale of goods and services based on the five-step analysis of transactions as provided in Topic 606, which requires an entity to recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for such goods and services.

In our Wireless segment, we transfer software licenses to our customers on a royalty free, non-exclusive, non-transferrable, limited use basis during the term of the agreement. In some instances, we perform customization services to ensure the software operates within our customer’s operating platforms as well as the operating platforms of the mobile devices used by their end customers, before transferring the license. Revenue related to these services is recognized at a point in time upon acceptance of the software license by the customer. We also earn usage based revenue on our platforms. Usage based revenue is generated based on active licenses used by our customer’s end customers, the provision of hosting services, revenue share based on media placements on our platform, and use of our cloud based services. We recognize our usage-based revenue when we have completed our performance obligation and have the right to invoice the customer. This revenue is generally recognized monthly or quarterly. We ratably recognize such revenue over the contract period when customers pay in advance of our service delivery.

On February 12, 2020, we acquired certain assets from Circle (as described in Note 2 below), including a source code license to Circle’s parental control software solution and two customer contracts. Pursuant to these contracts, the customer parties thereto license the parental control software solution for distribution to their respective subscribers in designated markets. In each case, the contracts allow the customer to take possession of the software solution and to host it on their platform or with an independent third party hosting service provider without significant cost. We also provide significant services that are required by the customer to ensure they have the utility of the license. As the license to the software solution and the services we provide are highly interrelated, we have concluded that the license

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and our services are a single performance obligation. The license fee is earned and recognized on a pro-rata basis over the contract term based on our customer’s continued use of the license and our services.

We also provide consulting services to develop customer-specified functionality that are generally not on our software development roadmap. We recognize revenue from our consulting services upon delivery and acceptance by the customer of our software enhancements and upgrades. For certain Wireless segment customers we provide maintenance and technology support services for which the customer either pays upfront or as we provide the services. When the customer pays upfront, we record the payments as contract liabilities and recognize revenue ratably over the contract period as this is our stand ready performance obligation that is satisfied ratably over the maintenance and technology services period.

We receive upfront payments from customers from services to be provided under our ViewSpot contracts. The advance receipts are deferred and subsequently recognized ratably over the contract period. We also provide consulting services to configure ad hoc targeted promotional content for our customers upon request. These requests are driven by our customers’ marketing initiatives and tend to be short term “bursts” of activity. We recognize these revenues upon delivery of the configured promotional content to the cloud platform.

For our Graphics products where we sell off-the-shelf software products with no customization or post sale technology support services, we recognize revenue at the time we transfer control of the product to the customer. This occurs upon shipment of the product or when the customer downloads the software from our website or website of our resellers. We offer a 30 day return option to our customers; a return reserve is established at the time revenue is recorded and the reserve is monitored and adjusted based on actual experience. Historically, returns have been insignificant.

Stock-Based Compensation

The Company accounts for all stock-based payment awards made to employees and directors based on their fair values and recognizes such awards as compensation expense over the vesting period using the straight-line method over the requisite service period for each award as required by FASB ASC Topic No. 718, Compensation-Stock Compensation.

Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), to increase transparency and comparability among organizations by recognizing all lease transactions (with terms in excess of 12 months) on the balance sheet as a lease liability and a right-of-use asset (as defined). The Company adopted the FASB ASC Topic No. 842, Leases, and related amendments, as of January 1, 2019, utilizing the modified retrospective approach through a cumulative-effect adjustment to equity. Management elected the package of practical expedients permitted under the transition guidance within the new standard which allowed for the carry forward of the historical lease classification. Adoption of the new standard resulted in the recording of additional net lease assets and lease liabilities of approximately $3.1 million as of January 1, 2019, and an adjustment to retained earnings of $0.1 million. The standard did not materially impact the consolidated net income or earnings per share and had no impact on cash flows. See Note 12 for further details.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, Financial  Instruments  – Credit  Losses  (Topic  326)  – Measurement  of  Credit  Losses  on  Financial  Instruments, which replaces the “incurred loss” credit losses framework with a new accounting standard that requires management’s measurement  of  the  allowance  for  credit  losses  to  be  based  on  a  broader  range  of  reasonable  and  supportable information for lifetime credit loss estimates. The adoption of this standard is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

Item 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA

Our consolidated financial statements appear in a separate section of this Annual Report on Form 10-K beginning on page F-1.

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Item 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE

None.

Item 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

We conducted an evaluation under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Exchange Act”)) as of December 31, 2020. Based upon that evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer determined that as of December 31, 2020, our disclosure controls and procedures were effective to ensure that the information required to be disclosed in our Exchange Act reports is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. In designing and evaluating the disclosure controls and procedures, our management recognizes that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving the desired control objectives, and our management necessarily is required to apply its judgment in evaluating the cost-benefit relationship of possible controls and procedures.

Management’s Responsibility for Financial Statements

Our management is responsible for the integrity and objectivity of all information presented in this Report. The consolidated financial statements were prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America and include amounts based on management’s best estimates and judgments. Management believes the consolidated financial statements fairly reflect the form and substance of transactions and that the consolidated financial statements fairly represent the Company’s financial position and results of operations for the periods and as of the dates stated therein.

The Audit Committee of the Board of Directors, which is composed solely of independent directors, meets regularly with our independent registered public accounting firm, SingerLewak LLP, and representatives of management to review accounting, financial reporting, internal control, and audit matters, as well as the nature and extent of the audit effort. The Audit Committee is responsible for the engagement of the independent auditors. The independent auditors have free access to the Audit Committee.

Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

There have been no changes in our internal controls over financial reporting during the quarter ended December 31, 2020 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal controls over financial reporting.

Report of Management on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

Our management, including the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act).

Our management, including the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, assessed the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2020. Management based this assessment on criteria for effective internal control over financial reporting described in “Internal Control-Integrated Framework 2013” issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. Based on this assessment, management determined that, as of December 31, 2020, we maintained effective internal control over financial reporting.

Item 9B. OTHER INFORMATION

None.

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PART III

Item 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

The information required by this Item is set forth under the headings “Proposal 1: Election of Directors,” “Executive Officers,” “Corporate Governance,” and “Delinquent Section 16(a) Reports” in the Company’s definitive Proxy Statement for the 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (“2021 Proxy Statement”) and is incorporated herein by reference.  

Item 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

The information required by this Item is set forth under the headings “Executive Compensation” and “Director Compensation” in the Company’s 2021 Proxy Statement and is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT

A portion of the information required by this Item is set forth under the heading “Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management” in the Company’s 2021 Proxy Statement and is incorporated herein by reference.  

Securities Authorized for Issuance Under an Equity Compensation Plan

The following table summarizes information as of December 31, 2020 for the equity compensation plans of the Company pursuant to which grants of options, restricted stock, restricted stock units or other rights to acquire shares may be granted from time to time (in thousands, except option price data):

Item 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE

The information required by this Item is set forth under the heading “Proposal 1: Election of Directors” and under the subheadings “Board Member Independence,” “Audit Committee,” “Compensation Committee,” “Governance and Nominating Committee,” and “Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions” under the heading “Corporate Governance” in the Company’s 2021 Proxy Statement and is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES

The information required by this Item is set forth under the heading “Proposal 3: Ratification of Appointment of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm” in the Company’s 2021 Proxy Statement and is incorporated herein by reference.

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PART IV

Item 15. EXHIBITS

(a) (1) Financial Statements

Smith Micro’s financial statements appear in a separate section of this Annual Report on Form 10-K beginning on the pages referenced below:

(3) Exhibits

30

31

32

33

34

(P) Paper Filing Exhibit

*denotes the management contracts and compensatory arrangements in which any director or named executive officer participates

The exhibits filed as part of this report are listed above in Item 15(a)(3) of this Form 10-K.

Item 16. FORM 10-K SUMMARY

None.

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this Report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this Report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

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REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

To the Stockholders and the Board of Directors

Smith Micro Software, Inc. and its subsidiaries

Opinion on the Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Smith Micro Software, Inc. and its subsidiaries (collectively, the “Company”) as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, the related consolidated statements of operations, stockholders’ equity, and cash flows for each of the years then ended and the related notes to the consolidated financial statements (collectively, the “financial statements”). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the years then ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

We have also audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”), the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2019, based on criteria established in Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organization on the Treadway Commission in 2013, and our report dated March 13, 2020 expressed an unqualified opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

Basis for Opinion

These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud.

Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

Critical Audit Matters

The critical audit matters communicated below are matters arising from the current period audit of the financial statements that were communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that: (1) relate to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of critical audit matters does not alter in any way our opinion on the financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matters below, providing separate opinions on the critical audit matters or on the accounts or disclosures to which they relate.

F-1

Revenue recognition – Refer to Notes 2 and 7 to the financial statements

Critical Audit Matter Description

As described in Notes 2 and 7 to the financial statements, the Company recognizes revenue upon transfer of control of promised services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration the Company expects to receive in exchange for those services. The Company primarily sells software solutions, cloud-based services and consulting services to major wireless network and cable operators.

Significant judgement is exercised by the Company in determining revenue recognition for the Company’s customers controls, and includes the following:

We identified revenue recognition as a critical audit matter because of the significant judgements required by management. This required a high degree of auditor judgement and an increased extent of error when performing audit procedures to evaluate whether revenue was recognized to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration the Company expects to be entitled to in exchange for those services.

How the Critical Audit Matter was Addressed in the Audit

Our audit procedures related to the Company’s revenue recognition for the Company’s customer contracts included the following, among others:

F-2

Business combination – Refer to Note 3 to the financial statements

Critical Audit Matter Description

As discussed in Note 3 to the financial statements, the Company completed an acquisition for as a business combination during fiscal 2020: Circle Media Labs Inc. (Circle) for consideration of $13.5 million.

Auditing the Company’s accounting for its acquisition of Circle was complex due to the significant estimation required in determining the fair value of intangible assets, which were valued and recorded at $11.3 million. The Company used a discounted cash flow model to measure the intangible assets. The significant estimation was primarily due to the judgmental nature of the inputs to the valuation model and the sensitivity of the fair value to certain underlying significant assumptions, in particular, the projections of future revenue.

This significant assumption is forward-looking and could be affected by future economic and market conditions.

How the Critical Audit Matter was Addressed in the Audit

Our Audit procedures related to the Company’s estimated fair value of the intangible assets included the following, among others:

/s/ SingerLewak LLP

We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2004.

Los Angeles, California

March 8, 2021

F-3

SMITH MICRO SOFTWARE, INC.

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(in thousands, except share and par value data)

See accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements.

F-4

SMITH MICRO SOFTWARE, INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(in thousands, except per share amounts)