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Seachange International (SEAC)
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SeaChange International (SEAC) Risk Factors

258 Followers
Public companies are required to disclose risks that can affect the business and impact the stock. These disclosures are known as “Risk Factors”. Companies disclose these risks in their yearly (Form 10-K), quarterly earnings (Form 10-Q), or “foreign private issuer” reports (Form 20-F). Risk factors show the challenges a company faces. Investors can consider the worst-case scenarios before making an investment. TipRanks’ Risk Analysis categorizes risks based on proprietary classification algorithms and machine learning.

SeaChange International disclosed 54 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. SeaChange International reported the most risks in the “Tech & Innovation” category.

Risk Overview Q1, 2023

Risk Distribution
54Risks
22% Tech & Innovation
20% Finance & Corporate
19% Ability to Sell
17% Production
11% Legal & Regulatory
11% Macro & Political
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
This chart displays the stock's most recent risk distribution according to category. TipRanks has identified 6 major categories: Finance & corporate, legal & regulatory, macro & political, production, tech & innovation, and ability to sell.

Risk Change Over Time

2020
Q4
S&P500 Average
Sector Average
Risks removed
Risks added
Risks changed
SeaChange International Risk Factors
New Risk (0)
Risk Changed (0)
Risk Removed (0)
No changes from previous report
The chart shows the number of risks a company has disclosed. You can compare this to the sector average or S&P 500 average.

The quarters shown in the chart are according to the calendar year (January to December). Businesses set their own financial calendar, known as a fiscal year. For example, Walmart ends their financial year at the end of January to accommodate the holiday season.

Risk Highlights Q1, 2023

Main Risk Category
Tech & Innovation
With 12 Risks
Tech & Innovation
With 12 Risks
Number of Disclosed Risks
54
No changes from last report
S&P 500 Average: 31
54
No changes from last report
S&P 500 Average: 31
Recent Changes
0Risks added
0Risks removed
0Risks changed
Since Apr 2023
0Risks added
0Risks removed
0Risks changed
Since Apr 2023
Number of Risk Changed
0
-9
From last report
S&P 500 Average: 3
0
-9
From last report
S&P 500 Average: 3
See the risk highlights of SeaChange International in the last period.

Risk Word Cloud

The most common phrases about risk factors from the most recent report. Larger texts indicate more widely used phrases.

Risk Factors Full Breakdown - Total Risks 54

Tech & Innovation
Total Risks: 12/54 (22%)Above Sector Average
Innovation / R&D2 | 3.7%
Innovation / R&D - Risk 1
Our future success is dependent on the manner in which the multiscreen video and OTT markets develop, and if these markets develop in a manner that does not facilitate inclusion of our products and services, our business may not continue to grow.
A large portion of our anticipated revenue growth is expected to come from sales and services related to our multiscreen video and OTT products. These markets continue to develop as commercial markets, both within and outside North America. In addition to the potential size of these markets and the timing of their development being uncertain, so too is the technological manner in which they will develop. The success of these markets will require that video service providers continue to upgrade their cable networks to service and successfully market multiscreen video, OTT and similar services to their cable television subscribers in a manner that permits inclusion of our products and services. If cable system operators and telecommunications companies fail to make the capital expenditures necessary to upgrade their networks or determine that broad deployment of multiscreen video and OTT services is not viable as a business proposition or if our products cannot support a substantial number of subscribers while maintaining a high level of performance, our revenue will not grow as we have planned.
Innovation / R&D - Risk 2
If we fail to develop and consistently deliver innovative technologies and services in response to changes in the technology and entertainment industries, our business could decline.
The markets for our products, services and technologies are characterized by rapid change and technological evolution. We will need to continue to expend considerable resources on research and development in the future in order to continue to design and deliver enduring, innovative entertainment products, services and technologies. Despite our efforts, we may not be able to consistently develop and effectively market new products, technologies and services that adequately or competitively address the needs of the changing marketplace. In addition, we may not correctly identify new or changing market trends at an early enough stage to capitalize on market opportunities. Our future success depends to a great extent on our ability to develop and consistently deliver innovative technologies that are widely adopted in response to changes in the technology and entertainment industries and that are compatible with the technologies, services or products introduced by other entertainment industry participants. Despite our efforts and investments in developing new products, services and technologies: - we may not receive significant revenue from our current research and development efforts for several years, if at all;- we cannot assure you that the level of funding and significant resources we are committing for investments in new products, services and technologies will be sufficient or result in successful new products, services or technologies;- we cannot assure you that our newly developed products, services or technologies can be successfully protected as proprietary intellectual property rights or will not infringe the intellectual property of others;- we cannot assure you that any new products or services that we develop will achieve market acceptance;- our products, services and technologies may become obsolete due to rapid advancements in technology and changes in consumer preferences;- we cannot assure you that revenue from new products, services or technologies will offset any decline in revenue from our products, services and technologies which may become obsolete; and - our competitors and/or potential customers may develop products, services or technologies similar to those developed by us, resulting in a reduction in the potential demand for our newly developed products, services or technologies. Our failure to successfully develop new and improved products, services and technologies, including as a result of any of the risks described above, may reduce our future growth and profitability and may adversely affect our business, results and financial condition.
Trade Secrets3 | 5.6%
Trade Secrets - Risk 1
We have been and, in the future, could become subject to litigation regarding intellectual property rights, which could seriously harm our business and require us to incur significant legal costs to defend our intellectual property rights.
The industry in which we operate is characterized by vigorous protection and pursuit of intellectual property rights or positions, which on occasion, have resulted in significant and often protracted litigation. We have from time to time received, and may in the future receive, communications from third parties asserting infringements on patent or other intellectual property rights covering our products or processes. We may be a party to litigation in the future to enforce our intellectual property rights or because of an allegation that we infringe others' intellectual property. Any parties asserting that our products infringe upon their proprietary rights would force us to defend ourselves and possibly our customers or manufacturers against the alleged infringement, as many of our commercial agreements require us to defend and/or indemnify the other party against intellectual property infringement claims brought by a third-party with respect to our products. From time to time we receive certain claims for indemnification from customers but have not been made party to any litigation involving intellectual property infringement claims as a result. These claims and any resulting lawsuit, if successful, could subject us to significant liability for damages and invalidation of our proprietary rights. This possibility of multiple damages serves to increase the incentive for plaintiffs to bring such litigation. In addition, these lawsuits, regardless of their success, would likely be time-consuming and expensive to resolve and would divert management time and attention away from our operations. Although we carry general liability insurance, our insurance may not cover potential claims of this type or may not be adequate to indemnify us for all liability that may be imposed. In addition, any potential intellectual property litigation also could force us to stop selling, incorporating or using the products that use the infringed intellectual property or obtain from the owner of the infringed intellectual property right a license to sell or use the relevant technology, although this license may not be available on reasonable terms, or at all, or redesign those products that use the infringed intellectual property. If we are forced to take any of the foregoing actions, our business may be seriously harmed.
Trade Secrets - Risk 2
Our ability to compete could be jeopardized if we are unable to protect our intellectual property rights from third-party challenges.
Our success and ability to compete depends upon our ability to protect our proprietary technology that is incorporated into our products. We rely on a combination of patent, copyright, trademark and trade secret laws and restrictions on disclosure to protect our intellectual property rights. Although we have issued patents, we cannot assure that any additional patents will be issued or that the issued patents will not be invalidated. We also enter into confidentiality or license agreements with our employees, consultants and corporate partners, and control access to and distribution of our software, documentation and other proprietary information. Despite these precautions, it may be possible for a third-party to copy or otherwise misappropriate and use our products or technology without authorization, particularly in foreign countries where the laws may not protect our proprietary rights as fully as in the U.S. We may need to resort to litigation in the future to enforce our intellectual property rights, to protect our trade secrets or to determine the validity and scope of the proprietary rights of others. If competitors are able to use our technology, our ability to compete effectively could be harmed.
Trade Secrets - Risk 3
If we are not able to obtain necessary licenses, services or distribution rights for third-party technology at acceptable prices, or at all, our products could become obsolete or we may not be able to deliver certain product offerings.
We have incorporated third-party licensed technology into our current products and our product lines. From time to time, we may be required to license additional technology or obtain services from third parties to develop new products or product enhancements or to provide specific solutions. Third-party providers may not be available or continue to be available to us on commercially reasonable terms. The inability to maintain or re-license any third-party products required in our current products or to obtain any new third-party licenses and services necessary to develop new products and product enhancements or provide specific solutions could require us to obtain substitute technology of lower quality or performance standards or at greater cost. Such inabilities could delay or prevent us from making these products or services, which could seriously harm the competitiveness of our solutions. A portion of the technology licensed by us incorporates "open source" software, and we may incorporate open source software in the future. Such open source software is generally licensed by its authors or other third parties under open source licenses. Although we monitor our use of open source closely, the terms of many open source licenses have not been interpreted by U.S. courts, and there is a risk that such licenses could be construed in a manner that could impose unanticipated conditions or restrictions on our ability to commercialize our products. In addition, if we fail to comply with these licenses, we may be subject to certain conditions, including requirements that we offer our services that incorporate the open source software for no cost, that we make available source code for modifications or derivative works we create based upon, incorporating or using the open source software and that we license such modifications or alterations under the terms of the particular open source license. If an author or other third-party that distributes such open source software were to allege that we had not complied with the conditions of one or more of these licenses, we could be required to incur significant legal expenses defending against such allegations and could be subject to significant damages, enjoined from the sale of our services that contain the open source software and required to comply with the foregoing conditions, which could disrupt the distribution and sale of some of our services. We could also be required to seek licenses from third parties to continue offering our products, to re-engineer our products or to discontinue the sale of our products in the event re-engineering cannot be accomplished on a timely or successful basis, any of which could adversely affect our business, operating results and financial condition.
Cyber Security2 | 3.7%
Cyber Security - Risk 1
A cyber-attack, information or security breach, or technology failure, on our part or that of a third-party, could adversely affect our ability to conduct our business, result in the disclosure or misuse of confidential or proprietary information, or adversely impact our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows, as well as cause us reputational harm.
Our business is highly dependent on the security and integrity of our computer and information technology systems and networks, as well as those of third parties with whom we interact or on whom we rely. Our business is dependent on the secure processing, transmission, storage, and retrieval of confidential, proprietary, and other information in our computer and information technology systems and networks, and in the computer and information technology systems and networks of third parties. In addition, to access our networks, products, and services, our customers and other third parties may use personal mobile or computing devices that are outside of our network environment and are subject to their own unique cybersecurity risks. We and our third-party service providers and customers have been subject to, and are likely to continue to be the target of, cyber-attacks. These cyber-attacks include computer viruses, malicious or destructive code, phishing attacks, denials of service or information, or other security breaches that could result in the unauthorized release, gathering, monitoring, misuse, loss, or destruction of confidential, proprietary, or other information of ours or of our employees or customers or third parties, as well as damages to our and third-party computer and information technology systems and networks and the disruption of our or our customers' or other third parties' systems, networks, or business. As cyber threats continue to evolve, we may be required to expend significant additional resources to continue to modify or enhance our protective measures or to investigate and remediate any information security vulnerabilities or incidents. Despite efforts to protect the integrity of our systems and networks and implement controls, processes, policies, and other protective measures, cyber threats are rapidly evolving, and we may not be able to anticipate or prevent cyber-attacks or security breaches. Even the most advanced internal control environment may be vulnerable to compromise. Targeted social engineering attacks are becoming more sophisticated and are extremely difficult to prevent. The techniques used by bad actors change frequently, may not be recognized until launched, and may not be recognized until well after a breach has occurred. Additionally, the occurrence of cyber-attacks or security breaches involving third parties with access to our data, such as vendors, may not be disclosed to us in a timely manner. Any third-party technology failure, cyber-attack, or other information or security breach could, among other things, adversely affect our ability to effect transactions, service our customers, manage our exposure to risk, or operate or expand our business. Cyber-attacks or other information or security breaches, whether directed at us or third parties, may result in us experiencing material losses or have other material adverse consequences on us. Furthermore, the public perception that a cyber-attack on our systems has been successful, whether or not this perception is correct, could damage our reputation with customers and third parties with whom we do business. A successful penetration or circumvention of the security of our computer or information technology systems or networks could cause us negative consequences, including loss of customers and business opportunities, disruption to our operations and business, misappropriation or destruction of our confidential information or that of our customers, or damage to our customers' or other third parties' computers or systems, and could result in a violation of applicable privacy laws and other laws, litigation exposure, regulatory fines, penalties or intervention, loss of confidence in our security measures, reputational damage, reimbursement or other compensatory costs, and additional compliance costs, all of which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Cyber Security - Risk 2
If our cybersecurity measures are breached and unauthorized access is obtained to a customer's data or our data on our systems, our service may be perceived as not being secure, customers may curtail or stop using our service and we may incur significant legal and financial exposure and liabilities.
Cyber criminals and hackers may attempt to penetrate our network security, misappropriate our proprietary information or cause business interruptions. Our service involves the transmission of customers' proprietary information and security breaches could expose us to a risk of loss of this information or a network disruption, which may result in litigation and possible liability. These security measures may be breached as a result of third-party action, including intentional misconduct by computer hackers, employee error, malfeasance or otherwise and result in unauthorized publication of our confidential business or proprietary information, cause an interruption in our operations, result in the unauthorized release of customer or employee data, result in a violation of privacy or other laws, expose us to a risk of litigation or damage our reputation, which could harm our business and operating results. Additionally, third parties may attempt to fraudulently induce employees or customers into disclosing sensitive information such as user names, passwords or other information to gain access to our customers' data or our data or IT systems. Because the techniques used to obtain unauthorized access, or to sabotage systems, change frequently and generally are not recognized until launched against a target, we may be unable to anticipate these techniques or to implement adequate preventative measures. In addition, our customers may authorize third-party technology providers to access their customer data. Because we do not control our customers and third-party technology providers, or the processing of such data by third-party technology providers, we cannot ensure the integrity or security of such transmissions or processing. In addition, in the past few years, widespread ransomware attacks in the U.S. and elsewhere have affected many companies, the government and commercial computer systems. We have implemented measures to enhance our security protocol to protect our system. There is no guarantee that future attacks or other breakdowns or breaches in our system can be thwarted or prevented, and failure to do so may increase our cost of operations and adversely affect our business operations and results of operations. Any costs that we incur as a result of the ransomware attack or any future data security incident or breach, including costs to update our security protocols to mitigate such an incident or breach could be significant. Any future ransomware attacks, breaches or failures in our operational security systems can result in loss of data or an unauthorized disclosure of or access to confidential information and could result in a loss of confidence in the security of our service, damage our reputation, negatively impact our future sales, disrupt our business operations and lead to legal liability from customers, third parties and governmental authorities, any of which could adversely impact the Company's financial condition, results of operations and cash flows materially.
Technology5 | 9.3%
Technology - Risk 1
If we fail to respond to rapidly changing technologies related to multiscreen video, our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows would be materially adversely affected because the competitive advantage of our products and services relative to those of our competitors would decrease.
The markets for our products are characterized by rapidly changing technology, evolving industry standards and frequent new product introductions and enhancements. Future technological advances in the television and video industries may result in the availability of new products or services that could compete with the solutions provided by us or reduce the cost of existing products or services, any of which could enable our existing or potential customers to fulfill their video needs better and more cost efficiently than with our products. Our future success will depend on our ability to enhance our existing video products, including the development of new applications for our technology, and to develop and introduce new products to meet and adapt to changing customer requirements and emerging technologies such as the OTT market. In the future, we may not be successful in enhancing our video products or developing and marketing new products which satisfy customer needs or achieve market acceptance. In addition, there may be services, products or technologies developed by others that render our products or technologies uncompetitive, unmarketable or obsolete, or announcements of currently planned or other new product offerings either by us or our competitors that cause customers to defer or fail to purchase our existing solutions.
Technology - Risk 2
Our efforts to introduce SaaS-based multiscreen service offerings may either not succeed or impair the sale of our on-site licensed offerings, the occurrence of either of which may adversely affect our financial condition and operating results.
We have devoted, and will continue to devote, considerable resources, including the allocation of capital expenditures to growing our SaaS service offering revenue over the next several years. There can be no assurance that we will meet our revenue targets for this service and if we fail to achieve our revenue goals, our growth and operating results will be materially adversely affected. Additionally, new or existing customers may choose to purchase our SaaS services rather than our on-premise solutions. If our customers' purchases trend away from perpetual licenses toward our SaaS, or to the extent customers defer orders, our product revenue, and our timing of revenue generally, may be adversely affected, which could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.
Technology - Risk 3
A disruption to our information technology systems could significantly impact our operations and impact our revenue and profitability.
Our data processing and financial reporting systems are cloud-based and hosted by a third-party. An interruption to the third-party systems or in the infrastructure that allows us to connect to the third-party systems for an extended period may impact our ability to operate the business and process transactions which could result in a decline in sales and affect our ability to achieve or maintain profitability. It may also result in our inability to comply with SEC regulations in a timely manner.
Technology - Risk 4
Interruptions or delays in service from our third-party data center hosting facilities or our enterprise cloud computing providers could impair the delivery of our service, adversely affect our financial results and otherwise harm our business.
We use third-party data center hosting facilities for customers buying our SaaS product offering, and we use enterprise cloud computing providers in connection with certain other aspects of our business, including cloud-based data processing, storage and other services. In the case of data center hosting facilities, while we control the actual computer and storage systems upon which our software runs, and deploy them to the data center hosting facilities, we do not control the operation or availability of these facilities. We similarly do not have control over the operation or availability of enterprise cloud computing providers that we use. Any changes in third-party service levels at these facilities or any errors, defects, disruptions or other performance problems at or related to these facilities that affect our services could harm our reputation and may damage our customers' businesses. Interruptions in our service may reduce our revenue, cause us to issue credits or pay penalties, cause customers to terminate their subscriptions and adversely affect our attrition rates and our ability to attract new customers. Our business will also be harmed if our customers and potential customers believe our service is unreliable. We do not control the operation of any of these facilities, and they are vulnerable to damage or interruption from earthquakes, floods, fires, power loss, telecommunications failures and similar events. They may also be subject to break-ins, sabotage, intentional acts of vandalism and similar misconduct. Despite precautions taken at these facilities, the occurrence of a natural disaster or an act of terrorism, a decision to close the facilities without adequate notice or other unanticipated problems at these facilities could result in lengthy interruptions in our service. Even with the disaster recovery arrangements, our service could be interrupted.
Technology - Risk 5
If our software products contain serious errors or defects, then we may lose revenue and market acceptance and may incur costs to defend or settle claims.
Complex software applications such as ours often contain errors or defects, particularly when first introduced or when new versions or enhancements are released. Despite internal testing and testing by our customers, our current and future products may contain serious defects, which could result in lost revenue, lost customers, slower growth or a delay in market acceptance. Since our customers use our products for critical business applications, errors, defects or other performance problems could result in damage to our customers' businesses. These errors and defects could result in product liability, services level agreement claims or warranty claims. Although our customer agreements typically contain provisions designed to limit our exposure to claims, including warranty disclaimers, existing or future laws or unfavorable judicial decisions could negate these limitations. Even if not successful, a claim brought against us would likely be time-consuming and costly and could seriously damage our reputation in the marketplace, making it harder for us to sell our products and/or collect payment from our customers.
Finance & Corporate
Total Risks: 11/54 (20%)Below Sector Average
Share Price & Shareholder Rights5 | 9.3%
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 1
The terms of any future preferred equity or debt financing may give holders of any preferred securities or debt securities rights that are senior to rights of holders of common stock or impose more stringent operating restrictions.
Debt or equity financing may not be available to us on acceptable terms. If we incur additional debt or raise equity through the issuance of preferred stock or convertible securities, the terms of the debt or the preferred stock issued may give the holders rights, preferences and privileges senior to those of holders of common stock, including any shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of the notes, particularly in the event of liquidation. The terms of the debt may also impose additional and more stringent restrictions on our operations. If we raise funds through the issuance of additional equity, the ownership percentage of our existing stockholders would be diluted.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 2
We may issue preferred stock whose terms could adversely affect the voting power or value of common stock.
Our certificate of incorporation authorizes us to issue, without the approval of stockholders, one or more classes or series of preferred stock having such designations, preferences, limitations and relative rights, including preferences over common stock respecting dividends and distributions, as its board of directors may determine. The terms of one or more classes or series of preferred stock could adversely impact the voting power or value of common stock. For example, we might grant holders of preferred stock the right to elect some number of its directors in all events or on the happening of specified events or the right to veto specified transactions. Similarly, the repurchase or redemption rights or liquidation preferences it might assign to holders of preferred stock could affect the residual value of common stock.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 3
Our stock price may be volatile and an investment in our stock may decline. If we fail to comply with the continuing listing standards of The Nasdaq Capital Market, our securities could be delisted.
Historically, the market for technology stocks has been extremely volatile. Our common stock has experienced, and may continue to experience, substantial price volatility. The trading price of common stock may fluctuate significantly in response to a number of factors, many of which are beyond our control. For instance, if our financial results are below the expectations of securities analysts and investors, the market price of common stock could decrease, perhaps significantly. Other factors that may affect the market price of common stock, including the impact of the on-going COVID-19 pandemic on business and industry, announcements relating to significant corporate transactions, fluctuations in quarterly and annual financial results, operating and stock price performance of companies that investors deem comparable to us, changes in government regulation or related proposals and international conflict. In addition, the U.S. securities markets have experienced significant price and volume fluctuations, and these fluctuations often have been unrelated to the operating performance of companies in these markets. Any volatility of or a significant decrease in the market price of common stock could also negatively affect the ability to make acquisitions using common stock. Further, if we were to be the object of securities class action litigation as a result of volatility in common stock price or for other reasons, it could result in substantial costs and diversion of management's attention and resources, which could negatively affect our financial results. The occurrence of any one or more of the factors noted in these risk factors could cause the market price of our common stock to remain below the $1.00 Nasdaq minimum price requirement. On June 17, 2022, we received notification from the Listing Qualifications Department of Nasdaq stating that the Company did not comply with the minimum $1.00 bid price requirement for continued listing set forth in Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(2) (the "Bid Price Requirement"). In accordance with Nasdaq listing rules, the Company was afforded 180 calendar days (until December 14, 2022) to regain compliance with the Bid Price Requirement. On December 15, 2022, the Company received written notice from Nasdaq stating that, although the Company had not regained compliance with the Bid Price Requirement by December 14, 2022, in accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810(c)(3)(A), the Company is eligible for an additional 180 calendar day period, or until June 12, 2023, to regain compliance with the Bid Price Requirement. Nasdaq's determination was based on, among other things, (1) the Company's written notice of its intention to transfer to The Nasdaq Capital Market (the "Capital Market") (as issuers on The Nasdaq Global Select Market (the "Global Select Market") are not eligible for an additional 180-day compliance period) and to cure the deficiency by the Extended Compliance Date by effecting a reverse stock split, if necessary, and (2) the Company meeting the continued listing requirement for market value of publicly held shares and all other initial listing requirements for the Capital Market, with the exception of the Bid Price Rule. On December 15, 2022, Nasdaq approved the Company's transfer from the Global Select Market to the Capital Market, a continuous trading market that operates in substantially the same manner as the Global Select Market. To regain compliance, the closing bid price of the Company's common stock must meet or exceed $1.00 per share for a minimum of ten consecutive business days during this additional 180-day period, all as described in more detail in the Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on June 24, 2022 and December 15, 2022. The closing price of our common stock was $0.53 on April 12, 2023. There can be no assurance that we will be able to regain compliance with the Bid Price Requirement. Our inability to regain compliance with the Bid Price Requirement would, and the existence of the pending deficiency letter could, materially impair our ability to raise capital. Moreover, if we were unable to regain compliance with the Bid Price Requirement, our common stock would likely then trade only in the over-the-counter market and the market liquidity of our common stock could be adversely affected and its market price could decrease. If our common stock were to trade on the over-the-counter market, selling our common stock could be more difficult because smaller quantities of shares would likely be bought and sold, transactions could be delayed, and we could face significant material adverse consequences, including: a limited availability of market quotations for our securities; reduced liquidity with respect to our securities; a determination that our shares are a "penny stock," which will require brokers trading in our securities to adhere to more stringent rules, possibly resulting in a reduced level of trading activity in the secondary trading market for our securities; a reduced amount of news and analyst coverage; and a decreased ability to issue additional securities or obtain additional financing in the future. These factors could result in lower prices and larger spreads in the bid and ask prices for our common stock and would substantially impair our ability to raise additional funds and could result in a loss of confidence by employees, the loss of institutional investor interest and fewer development opportunities for us.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 4
Delaware law and our certificate of incorporation and bylaws contain anti-takeover provisions, any of which could delay or discourage a merger, tender offer, or assumption of control of the Company not approved by our Board that some stockholders may consider favorable.
Delaware law and our certificate of incorporation and bylaws contain certain provisions, any of which could render more difficult, or discourage a merger, tender offer, or assumption of control of the Company that is not approved by our Board of Directors.
Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 5
Actions that may be taken by significant stockholders may divert the time and attention of our Board and management from our business operations.
Campaigns by significant investors to effect changes at publicly-traded companies continue to be prevalent. There can be no assurance that one or more current or future stockholders will not pursue actions to effect changes in our management and strategic direction, including through the solicitation of proxies from our stockholders. If a proxy contest were to be pursued by a stockholder, it could result in substantial expense to us, consume significant attention of our management and Board, and disrupt our business. On February 28, 2019, we entered into the Cooperation Agreement, pursuant to which we appointed both Mr. Robert Pons and Mr. Jeffrey Tuder to our Board. Mr. Tuder resigned from our Board in May 2021, and Mr. Pons resigned from our Board in July 2022. Certain of our significant stockholders expressed disagreement with the Cooperation Agreement and it is possible that some of our stockholders may conduct a "vote no" campaign against the election of all or certain of our board members standing for election at our upcoming annual meeting of stockholders and cause the Board to consider the resignation of any candidate who does not achieve the support of a majority of votes cast in an uncontested election. Similar to a proxy contest, this could result in substantial expense to us, consume significant attention of our management and Board of Directors, and disrupt our business.
Accounting & Financial Operations2 | 3.7%
Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 1
We may fail to achieve our financial forecasts due to inaccurate sales forecasts or other factors.
Our revenue is difficult to forecast, and as a result, our quarterly operating results can fluctuate substantially. We use a "pipeline" system, a common industry practice, to forecast sales and trends in our business. Our sales personnel monitor the status of all proposals and estimate when a customer will make a purchase decision and the dollar amount of the sale. These estimates are aggregated periodically to generate a sales pipeline. Our pipeline estimates can prove to be unreliable both in a particular quarter and over a longer period of time, in part, because the "conversion rate" or "closure rate" of the pipeline into contracts can be very difficult to estimate. A reduction in the conversion rate, or in the pipeline itself, could cause us to plan or budget incorrectly and adversely affect our business or results of operations. In particular, a slowdown in capital spending or economic conditions generally can unexpectedly reduce the conversion rate in particular periods as purchasing decisions are delayed, reduced in amounts or cancelled. The conversion rate can also be affected by the tendency of some of our customers to wait until the end of a fiscal period in the hope of obtaining more favorable terms, which can also impede our ability to negotiate, execute and deliver upon these contracts in a timely manner. In addition to the other risks described in this "Risk Factors" section, the following risks could cause fluctuations in our quarterly operating results: - our ability to retain existing customers and attract new customers;- the rates at which our customers renew;- the amount of revenue generated from our customers' use of our products or services in excess of their committed contractual entitlements;- the timing and amount of costs of new and existing sales and marketing efforts;- the timing and amount of operating costs and capital expenditures relating to expansion of our business, operations and infrastructure; and - the cost and timing of the development and introduction of new product and service offerings by us or our competitors. Because a significant portion of our cost structure is largely fixed in the short-term, revenue shortfalls tend to have a disproportionately negative impact on our profitability. The number of large new software licenses transactions increases the risk of fluctuations in our quarterly results because a delay in even a small number of these transactions could cause our quarterly revenue and profitability to fall significantly short of our predictions.
Accounting & Financial Operations - Risk 2
We use estimates in accounting for our contracts. Changes in our estimates could adversely affect our future financial results.
Contract accounting requires judgment relative to assessing risks, estimating revenue and costs and making assumptions including, in the case of our professional services contracts, the total amount of labor required to complete a project and the complexity of the development and other technical work to be completed. Due to the size and nature of many of our contracts, the estimation of total revenue and cost at completion is complicated and subject to many variables. Assumptions must be made regarding the length of time to complete the contract because costs also include estimated third-party vendor and contract labor costs. Penalties related to performance on contracts are considered in estimating sales and profit and are recorded when there is sufficient information for us to assess anticipated performance. Third-party vendors' assertions are also assessed and considered in estimating costs and margin. Because of the significance of the judgments and estimation processes described above, it is likely that materially different sales and profit amounts could be recorded if we used different assumptions or if the underlying circumstances were to change. Changes in underlying assumptions, circumstances or estimates may adversely affect future period financial performance.
Debt & Financing2 | 3.7%
Debt & Financing - Risk 1
Our cash and cash equivalents could be adversely affected if the financial institutions in which we hold our cash and cash equivalents fail.
We regularly maintain cash balances at third-party financial institutions in excess of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation ("FDIC") insurance limit. If a depository financial institution in which we hold our cash and cash equivalents fails or if a depository institution is subject to other adverse conditions in the financial or credit markets, and impacts access to our invested cash or cash equivalents, our operating liquidity and financial performance could be adversely affected. On March 10, 2023, the Company's bank, Silicon Valley Bank ("SVB") was closed by the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation, which appointed the FDIC as receiver. To protect depositors, the FDIC transferred all deposits and substantially all of the assets of SVB to a receivership bank to be operated by FDIC as it markets the institution to potential bidders. In addition, the FDIC ultimately guaranteed all of the Company's deposits formerly held with SVB. At the time of the closure, the Company had funds deposited with SVB in various domestic and foreign accounts totaling $5.0 million. On March 13, 2023, the receivership bank opened, and we had access to our accounts and have since transferred $4.6 million to other financial institutions.
Debt & Financing - Risk 2
We face the risk that capital needed for our business will not be available when we need it or that it would result in substantial dilution to our stockholders.
To the extent that our existing cash and investments are insufficient to fund our future activities, we may need to raise additional funds through public or private equity or debt financings. If unfavorable capital market conditions exist and we were to seek additional funding, we may not be able to raise sufficient capital on favorable terms and on a timely basis, if at all. Failure to obtain capital when required by our business circumstances would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. In addition, our stockholders may incur substantial dilution from any financing that we undertake given our current stock price.
Corporate Activity and Growth2 | 3.7%
Corporate Activity and Growth - Risk 1
We may be unsuccessful in our efforts to become a company that primarily provides software solutions.
Our efforts to become a company that primarily provides software solutions may result in a reduction in the range of products and services we offer and in the number of current and potential future customers. Each of these factors may increase the level of execution risk in our strategy, in that there may be increased variability in our revenue. If we are unsuccessful in this transition, our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows may be adversely affected, and the market price of our common stock may decrease.
Corporate Activity and Growth - Risk 2
We operate in a relatively new and rapidly developing market, which makes it difficult to evaluate our business and future prospects.
The market for our products and services is relatively new and rapidly developing, which makes it difficult to evaluate our business and future prospects. We have encountered, and will continue to encounter, risks and difficulties frequently experienced by growing companies in rapidly changing industries, including those related to: - market acceptance of our current and future products and services;- customer renewal rates;- our ability to compete with other companies that are currently in, or may in the future enter, the market for our products;- our ability to successfully expand our business, especially internationally;- our ability to control costs, including our operating expenses;- the amount and timing of operating expenses, particularly sales and marketing expenses, related to the maintenance and expansion of our business, operations and infrastructure;- network outages or security breaches and any associated expenses;- foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations;- write-downs, impairment charges or unforeseen liabilities in connection with acquisitions;- our ability to successfully manage acquisitions; and - general economic and political conditions in our domestic and international markets. If we do not manage these risks successfully, our business will be harmed.
Ability to Sell
Total Risks: 10/54 (19%)Above Sector Average
Competition1 | 1.9%
Competition - Risk 1
If we are unable to successfully compete in our marketplace, our financial condition and operating results may be adversely affected.
We currently compete against companies offering video software solutions and have increasingly seen competition from integrated end-to-end solutions and a large number of OTT players. To the extent the products developed are competitive with and not complementary to our products, they may be more cost-effective than our solutions, which could result in cable television system operators and telecommunications companies discontinuing their purchases of our on-demand products. Due to the rapidly evolving markets in which we compete, new competitors with greater market presence and financial resources than we have may further intensify competition. Increased competition could result in price reductions, cancellations of purchase orders, loss of business with current customers to competitors, and loss of market share which would adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Many of our current and potential competitors have greater financial, selling and marketing, technical and other resources than we do. They may be in better position to withstand any significant reduction in capital spending by customers in our markets and may not be as susceptible to downturns in a particular market. Moreover, our competitors may also foresee the course of market developments more accurately and sooner than we do. Although we believe that we have certain technological and other advantages over our competitors, realizing and maintaining these advantages will require a continued high level of investment by us in research and product development, marketing and customer service and support. In the future, we may not have sufficient resources to continue to make these investments or to make the technological advances necessary to compete successfully with our existing competitors or with new competitors. If we are unable to compete effectively, our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results would be materially adversely affected.
Demand5 | 9.3%
Demand - Risk 1
Our business is dependent on customers' continued spending on video solutions and services. A reduction in spending by customers would adversely affect our business, financial condition and operating results.
Our performance is dependent on customers' continued spending for video solutions and services. Spending for these systems and services is cyclical and can be curtailed or deferred on short notice. A variety of factors affect the amount of spending, and, therefore, our sales and profits, including: - general economic conditions; customer specific financial or stock market conditions;- availability and cost of capital;- governmental regulation;- demand for services;- competition from other providers of video solutions and services;- acceptance by our customers; and - real or perceived trends or uncertainties in these factors. Any reduction in spending by our customers would adversely affect our business, financial condition and operating results. We continue to have limited visibility into the capital spending plans of our current and prospective customers. Fluctuations in our revenue can lead to even greater fluctuations in our operating results. Our planned expense levels depend in part on our expectations of future revenue. Our planned expenses include significant investments, particularly within our research and development organization, which we believe are necessary to continue to provide innovative solutions to meet our current and prospective customers' needs. As a result, it is difficult to forecast revenue and operating results. If our revenue and operating results are below the expectations of our investors and market analysts, it could cause a decline in the price of our common stock.
Demand - Risk 2
Consolidations in the markets we serve could result in delays or reductions in purchases of products, which would have a material adverse effect on our business.
The markets we serve have historically experienced, and continue to experience, the consolidation of many industry participants. For example, AT&T acquired Direct TV, Charter Communications acquired Time Warner Cable, Altice NV acquired HOT, Suddenlink Communications and Cablevision Systems Corp., and Frontier Communications Corporation bought select assets from Verizon Communications Inc. When consolidations occur, it is possible that the acquirer will not continue using the same suppliers, possibly resulting in an immediate or future elimination of sales opportunities for us or our competitors. Even if sales are not reduced, consolidation can also result in pressure from customers for lower prices or better terms, reflecting the increase in the total volume of products purchased or the elimination of a price differential between the acquiring customer and the company acquired. Consolidations also could result in delays in purchasing decisions by the affected companies prior to completion of the transaction and by the merged businesses. The purchasing decisions of the merged companies could have a material adverse effect on our business.
Demand - Risk 3
If there were a decline in demand or average selling prices for our products and services, our revenue and operating results would be materially affected.
A decline in demand or average selling prices for our products or services in the foreseeable future, whether as a result of new product introductions by others, price competition, technological change, inability to enhance the products in a timely fashion, or otherwise, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Increasingly, we are seeing competition from integrated end-to-end solutions and a large number of OTT players, each of which may reduce the demand for or average selling prices of our products and services and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Demand - Risk 4
Because our customer base has been highly concentrated among a limited number of large customers, the loss of reduced demand by, or the return of product by one or more of these customers or the failure of revenue acceptance criteria to have been satisfied in a given fiscal quarter, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Our customer base is highly concentrated among a limited number of large customers, and, therefore, a limited number of customers account for a significant percentage of our revenue in any fiscal period. Our sales to specific customers tend to vary significantly from year to year and from quarter to quarter depending upon these customers' budgets for capital expenditures and our new product introductions. We believe that a significant amount of our revenue will continue to be derived from a limited number of large customers in the future. The loss of, reduced demand for products or related services by, or return of a product previously purchased by any of our major customers or the failure of revenue acceptance criteria to have been satisfied in a given fiscal quarter, could materially and adversely affect, either in a particular quarter or on a more long-term basis, our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Demand - Risk 5
We have taken and continue to take measures to address the variability in the market for our products and services, which could have long-term negative effects on our business or impact our ability to adequately address a rapid increase in customer demand.
We have taken and continue to take measures to address the variability in the market for our products and services, including due to the impact of worldwide economic cycles, to increase average revenue per unit of our sales and to reduce our operating expenses, rationalize capital expenditure and minimize customer turnover. These measures include shifting more of our operations to lower cost regions by outsourcing and off-shoring, implementing cost reduction programs and reducing and rationalizing planned capital expenditures and expense budgets. We cannot ensure that the measures we have taken will not impair our ability to effectively develop and market products and services, to remain competitive in the industries in which we compete, to operate effectively, to operate profitably during slowdowns or to effectively meet a rapid increase in customer demand. These measures may have long-term negative effects on our business by reducing our pool of technical talent, decreasing or slowing improvements in our products and services, making it more difficult to hire and retain talented individuals and to quickly respond to customers or competitors in an upward cycle.
Sales & Marketing4 | 7.4%
Sales & Marketing - Risk 1
Due to the lengthy sales cycle involved in the sale of our products, our quarterly results may vary and should not be relied on as an indication of future performance.
Our software products and related services are relatively complex and their purchase generally involves a significant commitment of capital, with attendant delays frequently associated with large capital expenditures and implementation procedures within an organization. Moreover, the purchase of these products typically requires coordination and agreement among a potential customer's corporate headquarters and its regional and local operations. For these and other reasons, the sales cycle associated with the purchase of our software products and services is typically lengthy and subject to a number of significant risks, including customers' budgetary constraints and internal acceptance reviews, over which we have little or no control. Based upon all of the foregoing, we believe that our quarterly revenue and operating results are likely to vary significantly in the future, that period-to-period comparisons of our results of operations are not necessarily meaningful and that these comparisons should not be relied upon as indications of future performance.
Sales & Marketing - Risk 2
Adoption of our value based selling approach for our products and services may adversely impact our revenues and operating results.
In past years, we provided our products and services to customers on the basis of our value based selling approach, under which customers would license our products and services. We have in recent years reduced the number of these contracts, but still have active agreements that require performance obligations. If we do not correctly understand the magnitude of expenses we will incur in connection with these agreements, our operating results would be materially affected. In addition, our revenues may be adversely affected if this approach results in a delay in our ability to recognize revenue, in which case our revenues and operating results would be materially affected.
Sales & Marketing - Risk 3
Cancellation or deferral of purchases of our products or final customer acceptance could cause a substantial variation in our operating results, resulting in a decrease in the market price of our common stock and making period-to-period comparisons of our operating results less meaningful.
We have historically derived a substantial portion of our revenue from purchase orders that have exceeded one million dollars in value. A significant cancellation or deferral of purchases of our products or receiving final customer acceptance could result in a substantial variation in our operating results in any particular quarter due to the resulting decrease in revenue and gross margin. In addition, to the extent significant sales occur earlier than expected, operating results for subsequent quarters may be adversely affected because our operating costs and expenses are based, in part, on our expectations of future revenue, and we may be unable to adjust spending in a timely manner to compensate for any revenue shortfall. Because of these factors, in some future quarter our operating results may be below guidance that we may issue or the expectations of public market analysts and investors, either of which may adversely affect the market price of our common stock. In addition, these factors may make period-to-period comparisons of our operating results less meaningful.
Sales & Marketing - Risk 4
If we are unable to retain our existing customers, our revenue and results of operations will be adversely affected.
A portion of our business is subscription-based and as we seek to accelerate our penetration in OTT and serving new market segments with a SaaS revenue model, we will expand our subscription-based model. Our customers have no obligation to renew their subscriptions after their subscription period expires, and we will experience losses of customers that elect not to renew, in some cases, for reasons beyond our control. Even if subscriptions are renewed, they may not be renewed on the same or on more profitable terms. As a result, our ability to retain our existing customers and grow depends in part on subscription renewals. We may not be able to accurately predict future trends in customer renewals, and our customers' renewal rates have and may continue to fluctuate because of several factors, including their satisfaction or dissatisfaction with our services, the cost of our services and the cost of services offered by our competitors, reductions in our customers' and their end users' spending levels or the introduction by competitors of attractive features and functionality. If our customer retention rate decreases, we may need to increase the rate at which we add new customers in order to maintain and grow our revenue, which may require us to incur significantly higher sales and marketing expenses than we currently anticipate, or our revenue may decline. If our customers do not renew their subscriptions for our services, renew on less favorable terms, or do not purchase additional functionality or subscriptions, our revenue may grow more slowly than expected or decline, and our profitability and gross margins may be harmed or affected.
Production
Total Risks: 9/54 (17%)Above Sector Average
Manufacturing2 | 3.7%
Manufacturing - Risk 1
We face significant risks to our business when we engage in the outsourcing of engineering work, including outsourcing of software work overseas, which, if not properly managed, could result in the loss of valuable intellectual property and increased costs due to inefficient and poor work product, which could harm our business, including our financial results, reputation, and brand.
We may, from time-to-time, outsource engineering work related to the design and development of our products, typically to save money and gain access to additional engineering resources. We have worked, and expect to work in the future, with companies located in jurisdictions outside of the U.S., including, but not limited to Poland and the Netherlands. We have limited experience in the outsourcing of engineering and other work to third parties located internationally that operate under different laws and regulations than those in the U.S. If we are unable to properly manage and oversee the outsourcing of this engineering and other work related to our products, we could suffer the loss of valuable intellectual property, or the loss of the ability to claim such intellectual property, including patents and trade names. Additionally, instead of saving money, we could in fact incur significant additional costs because of inefficient engineering services and poor work product. As a result, our business would be harmed, including our financial results, reputation, and brand.
Manufacturing - Risk 2
Our products are subject to warranty claims, and any significant warranty expense in excess of estimates could have a materially adverse effect on our operating results, financial condition and cash flow.
We sell our products with warranties as to the products' performance in accordance with standard published specifications in effect at the time of delivery. There can be no assurance that the provision in our financial statements for estimated product warranty expense will be sufficient. We cannot ensure you that our efforts to reduce our risk through warranty disclaimers will effectively limit our liability. Any significant occurrence of warranty expense in excess of estimates could have a material adverse effect on our operating results, financial condition and cash flow. Further, we provide maintenance support to our customers and allocate a portion of the product purchase price to the initial warranty period and recognize revenue on a straight-line basis over that warranty period related to both the warranty obligation and the maintenance support agreement. We cannot be sure that the cost of such maintenance support will be adequately provided for in our financial statements and any additional maintenance expenses could likewise have a material adverse effect on our operating results, financial condition and cash flow.
Employment / Personnel2 | 3.7%
Employment / Personnel - Risk 1
We have experienced turnover in our senior management, which could result in operational and administrative inefficiencies and could hinder the execution of our growth strategy.
In January 2023, Mr. Mark Szynkowski was appointed Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer ("CFO") and Treasurer of the Company upon the termination of our former CFO. Such former CFO had only served for approximately six months, having replaced the previous CFO in August 2022. In January 2021, Mr. Robert Pons was appointed Executive Chairman and Principal Executive Officer upon the resignation of our former Chief Executive Officer ("CEO"). In September 2021, Mr. Peter Aquino was appointed President and CEO, at which time Mr. Pons resigned as Executive Chairman (but remained as Chairman) and Principal Executive Officer. In July 2022, Mr. Pons resigned as Chairman and as a member of the Board. In connection with Mr. Pons' resignation, the Board appointed (i) Peter Aquino as Chairman of the Board, in addition to remaining as the Company's President and Chief Executive Officer, and (ii) Matthew Stecker as Lead Independent Director of the Board. In August 2022, Mr. Christoph Klimmer, the Company's then Senior Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer, was appointed the Company's President to rebalance executive roles and responsibilities. Further, the longest serving member of our Board was elected in 2020. The effectiveness of our new CFO, and our senior leadership team generally, following these transitions, could have a significant impact on our results of operations. Management transition is often difficult and inherently causes some loss of institutional knowledge, which could negatively affect our results of operations and financial condition. Lack of management continuity could harm our customer relationships, delay product development processes, adversely affect our ability to successfully execute our growth strategy, result in operational and administrative inefficiencies and added costs, and could impede our ability to recruit new talented individuals to senior management positions, which could adversely impact our results of operations, stock price and customer relationships. Our success largely depends on our ability to integrate any new senior management within our organization in order to achieve our operating objectives, and changes in other key positions may affect our financial performance and results of operations as new members of management become familiar with our business.
Employment / Personnel - Risk 2
Increased labor costs due to inflation and staffing shortages could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Significant increases in labor costs due to inflation and the shortage of experienced professionals may have an adverse impact on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Supply Chain3 | 5.6%
Supply Chain - Risk 1
If content providers limit the scope of content licensed for use in the digital VOD and OTT market, our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows could be negatively affected because the potential market for our products would be more limited than we currently believe and have communicated to the financial markets.
The success of the multiscreen video market is contingent on content providers permitting their content to be licensed for use in this market. Content providers may, due to concerns regarding either or both marketing and illegal duplication of the content, limit the extent to which they provide content to their subscribers. A limitation of content for the VOD and OTT market would indirectly limit the market for our products that are used in connection with that market.
Supply Chain - Risk 2
Our ability to deliver products and services that satisfy customer requirements is dependent on the performance of our third-party vendors.
We rely on other companies to provide products and to perform some of the services that we provide to our customers. If one or more of our third-party vendors experience delivery delays or other performance problems, we may be unable to meet commitments to our customers. In addition, if one or more of the products which we depend on becomes unavailable or is available only at very high prices, we may be unable to deliver one or more of our products in a timely fashion or at budgeted costs. In some instances, we depend upon a single source of supply. Any service disruption from one of these third-party vendors, either due to circumstances beyond the supplier's control or because of performance problems or financial difficulties, could have a material adverse effect on our ability to meet commitments to our customers or increase our operating costs.
Supply Chain - Risk 3
Our products are often integrated with other third-party products. Third-party delays could adversely affect our future financial operating results.
We sell our products in accordance with our standard product specifications. There can be instances where our products are integrated into a larger solution with other third-party products, the delivery of which is controlled by third-party providers. We have little, if any, control over the timing of delivery of third-party products, and a delay from the time of our product delivery to the production launch of the larger solution can materially impact our financial operating results.
Costs2 | 3.7%
Costs - Risk 1
There is no assurance that the current cost of Internet connectivity and network access will not rise with the increasing popularity of online media services.
We rely on third-party service providers for our principal connections to the Internet and network access, and to deliver media to consumers. As demand for online media increases, there can be no assurance that Internet and network service providers will continue to price their network access services on reasonable terms. The distribution of online media requires delivery of digital content files and providers of network access and distribution may change their business models and increase their prices significantly, which could slow the widespread adoption of such services. In order for our services to be successful, there must be a reasonable price model in place to allow for the continuous distribution of digital media files. We have limited or no control over the extent to which any of these circumstances may occur, and if network access or distribution prices rise, our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows would likely be adversely affected.
Costs - Risk 2
We enter into fixed-price contracts, which could subject us to losses if we have cost overruns.
While firm fixed-price contracts enable us to benefit from performance improvements, cost reductions and efficiencies, they also subject us to the risk of reduced margins or incurring losses if we are unable to achieve estimated costs and revenue. If our estimated costs exceed our estimated price, we will recognize a loss, which can significantly affect our reported results. The long-term nature of many of our contracts makes the process of estimating costs and revenue on fixed-price contracts inherently risky. Fixed-price development contracts are generally subject to more uncertainty than fixed-price production contracts. Many of these development programs have highly complex designs. If we fail to meet the terms specified in those contracts, our related margin could be reduced. In addition, technical or quality issues that arise during development could lead to schedule delays and higher costs to complete, which could result in a material charge or otherwise adversely affect our financial condition.
Legal & Regulatory
Total Risks: 6/54 (11%)Below Sector Average
Regulation2 | 3.7%
Regulation - Risk 1
Uncertainties of regulation of the Internet and data traveling over the Internet could have a material and adverse impact on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Currently, few laws or regulations apply directly to access to or commerce on the Internet. With more business being conducted over the Internet, there have been calls for more stringent copyright protection, tax, consumer protection, cybersecurity, data localization and content restriction laws, both in the U.S. and abroad. We could be materially, adversely affected by regulation of the Internet and Internet commerce in any country where we operate. Such regulations could include matters such as net neutrality, cyber-security, and continuity of service requirements. Further, governments may regulate or restrict the sales, licensing, distribution, and export or import of certain technologies to certain countries. The occurrence of unforeseeable natural disasters may result in increased costs and compliance requirements if heightened availability of service requirements are enacted. The adoption of regulation of Internet and Internet commerce could decrease demand for our products and, at the same time, increase the cost of selling our products and services, which could have a material and adverse effect on our financial condition,results of operations and cash flows. In addition, the enactment of new federal, state, or foreign data privacy laws and regulations could cause customers not to be able to take advantage of all the features or capabilities of our products and services, which in turn could reduce demand for certain of our products and services and potentially limit the scope of business engagements with existing and new commercial partners.
Regulation - Risk 2
The success of our business model could be influenced by changes in the regulatory environment, such as changes that either would limit capital expenditures by television, cable or telecommunications operators or reverse the trend towards deregulation in the industries in which we compete.
The telecommunications and media industries are subject to extensive regulation which may limit the growth of our business, both in the U.S. and other countries. The growth of our business internationally is dependent in part on deregulation of the telecommunications industry abroad, like that which has occurred in the U.S., and the timing and magnitude of this growth, which is uncertain. Video service providers are subject to extensive government regulation by the Federal Communications Commission and other federal, state and international regulatory agencies. These regulations could have the effect of limiting capital expenditures by video service providers and thus could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. The enactment by federal, state or international governments of new laws or regulations, changes in the interpretation of existing regulations or a reversal of the trend toward deregulation in these industries could adversely affect our customers, and thereby materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Litigation & Legal Liabilities1 | 1.9%
Litigation & Legal Liabilities - Risk 1
We are subject to the FCPA, and our failure to comply could result in penalties that could harm our reputation, business, and financial condition.
We are subject to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act ("FCPA"), which generally prohibits companies and their intermediaries from making improper payments to foreign officials to obtain or keep business. The FCPA also requires companies to maintain adequate record-keeping and internal accounting practices to accurately reflect the transactions of the Company. Under the FCPA, U.S. companies may be held liable for actions taken by their strategic or local partners or representatives. The FCPA and similar laws in other countries can impose civil and criminal penalties for violations. If we do not properly implement practices and controls with respect to compliance with the FCPA and similar laws, or if we fail to enforce those practices and controls properly, we may be subject to regulatory sanctions, including administrative costs related to governmental and internal investigations, civil and criminal penalties, injunctions and restrictions on our business activities, all of which could harm our reputation, business and financial condition.
Taxation & Government Incentives2 | 3.7%
Taxation & Government Incentives - Risk 1
Our ability to use our net operating losses to offset future taxable income is expected to be subject to certain limitations.
As of January 31, 2023, we had federal net operating loss carryforwards ("NOLs") of approximately $131.0 million, which may be available to offset tax income in the future. In general, under Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended ("Code"), a corporation that undergoes an "ownership change" is subject to limitations on its ability to utilize its pre-change NOLs to offset future taxable income. Generally, a change of more than 50% in the ownership of a corporation's stock, by value, over a three-year period constitutes an ownership change for U.S. federal income tax purposes. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act ("Tax Act") was enacted on December 22, 2017 and significantly reforms the Code. The Tax Act, among other things, includes changes to U.S. federal tax rates and the rules governing net operating loss carryforwards. For NOLs arising in tax years beginning after December 31, 2017, the Tax Act limits a taxpayer's ability to utilize NOL carryforwards to 80% of taxable income (as calculated before taking the NOL carryforwards into account). In addition, NOLs arising in tax years ending after December 31, 2017 can be carried forward indefinitely, but carryback is generally prohibited. NOLs generated in tax years beginning before January 1, 2018 will not be subject to the taxable income limitation, and NOLs generated in tax years ending before January 1, 2018 will continue to have a two-year carryback and twenty-year carryforward period. As SeaChange maintains a full valuation allowance against its U.S. NOLs, these changes did not impact our balance sheet as of December 31, 2017. However, in future years, at the time a deferred tax asset is recognized related to our NOLs, the changes in the carryforward/carryback periods as well as the new limitation on use of NOLs may significantly impact our valuation allowance assessments for NOLs generated after December 31, 2017.
Taxation & Government Incentives - Risk 2
We may have additional tax liabilities, which could have a material and adverse impact on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
We are subject to income taxes in both the U.S. and numerous foreign jurisdictions. Significant judgment is required in determining our worldwide provision for income taxes. In the ordinary course of our business, there are many transactions and calculations where the ultimate tax determination is uncertain. We are regularly under audit by various tax jurisdictions. Although we believe our tax estimates are reasonable, the final determination of tax audits and any related litigation could be materially different from our historical income tax provisions and accruals. The results of an audit or litigation could have a material effect on our income tax provision, net income, or cash flows in the period or periods for which that determination is made. In addition, we are subject to sales, use and similar taxes in many countries, jurisdictions and provinces, including those states in the U.S. where we maintain a physical presence or have a substantial nexus. These taxing regimes are complex. For example, in the U.S., each state and local taxing authority has its own interpretation of what constitutes a sufficient physical presence or nexus to require the collection and remittance of these taxes. Similarly, each state and local taxing authority has its own rules regarding the applicability of sales tax by customer or product type.
Environmental / Social1 | 1.9%
Environmental / Social - Risk 1
Evolving data privacy regulations, including the EU's GDPR and the CCPA, may subject us to significant penalties.
In May 2018, the General Data Protection Regulation ("GDPR") came into effect in the European Union ("EU"), and changed how businesses can collect, use and process the personal data of EU residents. The GDPR has extraterritorial effect and imposes a mandatory duty on businesses to self-report personal data breaches to authorities, and, under certain circumstances, to affected individuals. The GDPR also grants individuals the right to erasure (commonly referred to as the right to be forgotten), which may put a burden on us to erase records upon request. Compliance with the GDPR's new requirements may increase our legal, compliance, and operational costs. Non-compliance with the GDPR's requirements can result in significant penalties, which may have a material adverse effect on our business, expose us to legal and regulatory costs, and impair our reputation. Other jurisdictions, including certain U.S. states and non-U.S. jurisdictions where we conduct business, have also enacted or are considering enacting their own versions of "GDPR-like" data privacy legislation or other privacy legislation that requires business to develop, implement and main a comprehensive written information security program, which could create additional compliance challenges, heightened regulatory scrutiny, administrative burden and potentially expose us to significant penalties. For example, in June 2018, California's legislature passed the California Consumer Privacy Act ("CCPA"), which went into effect on January 1, 2020. Any failure or perceived failure by us, our business partners, or third-party service providers to comply with GDPR, CCPA, other privacy-related or data protection laws and regulations, or the privacy commitments in contracts could result in proceedings against us by governmental entities or others and significant fines, which could have a material adverse effect on our business and operating results and harm our reputation. In addition, some countries have or are considering legislation requiring local storage and processing of data that, if enacted, could increase the cost and complexity of offering our products, software and services or maintaining our business operations in those jurisdictions.
Macro & Political
Total Risks: 6/54 (11%)Below Sector Average
Economy & Political Environment2 | 3.7%
Economy & Political Environment - Risk 1
Weakened global economic conditions, including inflation, may harm our industry, business and results of operations.
Our overall performance depends in part on worldwide economic conditions. Global financial developments and downturns seemingly unrelated to us or our industry may harm us. The U.S. and other key international economies have been affected from time to time by falling demand for a variety of goods and services, restricted credit, poor liquidity, reduced corporate profitability, volatility in credit, equity and foreign exchange markets, bankruptcies, inflation and overall uncertainty with respect to the economy, including with respect to tariff and trade issues. More recently, inflation rates in the U.S. have increased to levels not seen in several years, which may result in decreased demand for our products and services, increases in our operating costs including our labor costs, constrained credit and liquidity, reduced government spending and volatility in financial markets. The Federal Reserve has raised, and may again raise, interest rates in response to concerns over inflation risk. There continues to be uncertainty in the changing market and economic conditions, as broad economic factors, including those resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, inflationary pressures, supply chain disruptions, labor shortages, increased unemployment and underemployment rates and reduced consumer spending and confidence, may impact our industry, business and results of operations.
Economy & Political Environment - Risk 2
Adverse global economic conditions, geopolitical issues and other conditions that impact our increasingly global operations could have a negative effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition and liquidity.
As a global company, our performance is affected by global economic conditions as well as geopolitical issues and other conditions with global reach. Macroeconomic weakness and uncertainty make it more difficult for us to manage our operations and accurately forecast financial results. As a result of the recent movement of Russian military units into provinces in Ukraine, the U.S., the EU, the United Kingdom and other jurisdictions have imposed sanctions on certain Russian and Ukrainian persons and entities, including certain Russian banks, energy companies and defense companies, and have imposed restrictions on exports of various items to Russian and certain regions of Ukraine (including the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic and Luhansk People's Republic and Crimea). Moreover, on February 22, 2022, the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. issued sanctions aimed at limiting Russia's ability to raise funds through sovereign debt. Such ongoing events between Ukraine and Russia could also increase China/Taiwan political tensions and U.S./China trade and other relations. These geopolitical issues have resulted in increasing global tensions and create uncertainty for global commerce. Any or all of these factors could negatively affect demand for our products and our business, financial condition and result of operations.
International Operations1 | 1.9%
International Operations - Risk 1
Because our business is susceptible to risks associated with international operations, we may not be able to maintain or increase international sales of our products and services.
Approximately 44% of our total revenue was generated from sales outside the U.S. during the most recent fiscal year. Our international operations are expected to continue to account for a significant portion of our business in the foreseeable future. However, in the future we may be unable to maintain or increase international sales of our products and services. Our international operations are subject to a variety of risks, including: - difficulties in establishing and managing international distribution channels;- difficulty in staffing and managing foreign operations;- inability to collect accounts receivable;- difficulties in selling, servicing and supporting overseas products and services and in translating products and services into foreign languages;- the uncertainty of laws and enforcement in certain countries relating to the protection of intellectual property;- fluctuations in currency exchange rates;- multiple and possibly overlapping tax structures;- negative tax consequences such as withholding taxes and employer payroll taxes;- differences in labor laws and regulations affecting our ability to hire and retain employees and engage in restructuring activities;- business and operational disruptions or delays caused by political, social and economic instability and unrest, including risks related to terrorist activity;- changes in economic policies by foreign governments, including the imposition and potential continued expansion of economic sanctions by the U.S. and the EU or the Russian Federation, especially in relation to the conflict in Ukraine;- the burden of complying with a wide variety of foreign laws, treaties and technical standards;- cultural differences in the conduct of business;- natural disasters and pandemics; and - growth and stability of the economy or political changes in international markets. The impact of one or more of these international risks could have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operating results and cash flow.
Natural and Human Disruptions2 | 3.7%
Natural and Human Disruptions - Risk 1
Climate change may have a long-term impact on our business
Any of our primary locations may be vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change. For example, our offices globally may experience climate-related events at an increasing frequency, including drought, water scarcity, heat waves, cold waves, wildfires and resultant air quality impacts and power shutoffs associated with wildfire prevention. This danger may disrupt normal business operations and has the potential to disrupt employees' abilities to commute to work or to work from home and stay connected effectively. Furthermore, it is more difficult to mitigate the impact of these events on our employees to the extent they work from home. Climate-related events, including the increasing frequency of extreme weather events and their impact on the U.S.'s, Europe's and other major regions' critical infrastructure, have the potential to disrupt our business, our third-party suppliers and/or the business of our customers, and may cause us to experience higher attrition, losses and additional costs to maintain or resume operations. Regulatory developments, changing market dynamics and stakeholder expectations regarding climate change may impact our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Natural and Human Disruptions - Risk 2
The effects of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
The COVID-19 pandemic and efforts to control its spread and severity have significantly curtailed the movement of people, goods, and services worldwide. While the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic depends on future developments that cannot be accurately predicted at this time, it has had an adverse effect on the global economy and the ultimate societal and economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic remains unknown. In particular, the conditions caused by this pandemic may affect the rate of global IT spending, which could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition. Further, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused us to experience, in some cases, longer sales cycles and has limited the ability of our direct sales force to travel to customers and potential customers. The extent to and the magnitude by which the on-going COVID-19 pandemic will continue to impact our business will depend on many factors beyond our control, including the speed of contagion of new strains of the virus, the development and implementation of effective preventative measures and possible treatments, the scope of possible governmental and other restrictions on travel and other activity, and public reactions to these factors. In addition, fiscal and policy interventions by national governments in response to certain economic conditions, including general inflation or currency volatility, in the locations where we do business could have knock-on effects such as increasing interest rates, which could have a negative impact on our business by increasing our operating costs and our borrowing costs as well as decreasing the capital available for our customers to purchase our products and services. While we have developed and continue to develop plans to help mitigate the negative impact of COVID-19 on our business, results of operations and financial condition these efforts may not be effective, and any protracted economic downturn will likely limit the effectiveness of our efforts. Accordingly, it is not possible for us to predict the duration and extent to which this will affect our business, future results of operations, and financial condition at this time.
Capital Markets1 | 1.9%
Capital Markets - Risk 1
We are exposed to fluctuations in currency exchange rates that could negatively impact our financial results and cash flows.
Because a significant portion of our business is conducted outside the U.S., we face exposure to adverse movements in foreign currency exchange rates. These exposures may change over time as business practices evolve, and they could have a material adverse impact on our financial results and cash flows. An increase in the value of the U.S. dollar could increase the real cost to our customers of our products in those markets outside the U.S. where we often sell in dollars, and a weakened dollar could increase local currency operating costs. In preparing our consolidated financial statements, certain financial information is required to be translated from foreign currencies to the U.S. dollar using either the spot rate or the weighted average exchange rate. If the U.S. dollar weakens or strengthens relative to applicable local currencies, there is a risk our reported sales, operating expenses and net income could significantly fluctuate. We are not able to predict the degree of exchange rate fluctuations; nor can we estimate the effect any future fluctuations may have upon our future operations.
See a full breakdown of risk according to category and subcategory. The list starts with the category with the most risk. Click on subcategories to read relevant extracts from the most recent report.

FAQ

What are “Risk Factors”?
Risk factors are any situations or occurrences that could make investing in a company risky.
    The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) requires that publicly traded companies disclose their most significant risk factors. This is so that potential investors can consider any risks before they make an investment.
      They also offer companies protection, as a company can use risk factors as liability protection. This could happen if a company underperforms and investors take legal action as a result.
        It is worth noting that smaller companies, that is those with a public float of under $75 million on the last business day, do not have to include risk factors in their 10-K and 10-Q forms, although some may choose to do so.
          How do companies disclose their risk factors?
          Publicly traded companies initially disclose their risk factors to the SEC through their S-1 filings as part of the IPO process.
            Additionally, companies must provide a complete list of risk factors in their Annual Reports (Form 10-K) or (Form 20-F) for “foreign private issuers”.
              Quarterly Reports also include a section on risk factors (Form 10-Q) where companies are only required to update any changes since the previous report.
                According to the SEC, risk factors should be reported concisely, logically and in “plain English” so investors can understand them.
                  How can I use TipRanks risk factors in my stock research?
                  Use the Risk Factors tab to get data about the risk factors of any company in which you are considering investing.
                    You can easily see the most significant risks a company is facing. Additionally, you can find out which risk factors a company has added, removed or adjusted since its previous disclosure. You can also see how a company’s risk factors compare to others in its sector.
                      Without reading company reports or participating in conference calls, you would most likely not have access to this sort of information, which is usually not included in press releases or other public announcements.
                        A simplified analysis of risk factors is unique to TipRanks.
                          What are all the risk factor categories?
                          TipRanks has identified 6 major categories of risk factors and a number of subcategories for each. You can see how these categories are broken down in the list below.
                          1. Financial & Corporate
                          • Accounting & Financial Operations - risks related to accounting loss, value of intangible assets, financial statements, value of intangible assets, financial reporting, estimates, guidance, company profitability, dividends, fluctuating results.
                          • Share Price & Shareholder Rights – risks related to things that impact share prices and the rights of shareholders, including analyst ratings, major shareholder activity, trade volatility, liquidity of shares, anti-takeover provisions, international listing, dual listing.
                          • Debt & Financing – risks related to debt, funding, financing and interest rates, financial investments.
                          • Corporate Activity and Growth – risks related to restructuring, M&As, joint ventures, execution of corporate strategy, strategic alliances.
                          2. Legal & Regulatory
                          • Litigation and Legal Liabilities – risks related to litigation/ lawsuits against the company.
                          • Regulation – risks related to compliance, GDPR, and new legislation.
                          • Environmental / Social – risks related to environmental regulation and to data privacy.
                          • Taxation & Government Incentives – risks related to taxation and changes in government incentives.
                          3. Production
                          • Costs – risks related to costs of production including commodity prices, future contracts, inventory.
                          • Supply Chain – risks related to the company’s suppliers.
                          • Manufacturing – risks related to the company’s manufacturing process including product quality and product recalls.
                          • Human Capital – risks related to recruitment, training and retention of key employees, employee relationships & unions labor disputes, pension, and post retirement benefits, medical, health and welfare benefits, employee misconduct, employee litigation.
                          4. Technology & Innovation
                          • Innovation / R&D – risks related to innovation and new product development.
                          • Technology – risks related to the company’s reliance on technology.
                          • Cyber Security – risks related to securing the company’s digital assets and from cyber attacks.
                          • Trade Secrets & Patents – risks related to the company’s ability to protect its intellectual property and to infringement claims against the company as well as piracy and unlicensed copying.
                          5. Ability to Sell
                          • Demand – risks related to the demand of the company’s goods and services including seasonality, reliance on key customers.
                          • Competition – risks related to the company’s competition including substitutes.
                          • Sales & Marketing – risks related to sales, marketing, and distribution channels, pricing, and market penetration.
                          • Brand & Reputation – risks related to the company’s brand and reputation.
                          6. Macro & Political
                          • Economy & Political Environment – risks related to changes in economic and political conditions.
                          • Natural and Human Disruptions – risks related to catastrophes, floods, storms, terror, earthquakes, coronavirus pandemic/COVID-19.
                          • International Operations – risks related to the global nature of the company.
                          • Capital Markets – risks related to exchange rates and trade, cryptocurrency.
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