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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

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FORM 10-Q

 

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(Mark One)

x	QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the Quarterly Period Ended September 30, 2013

OR

o	TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from              to

Commission File No. 000-30901

 

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SUPPORT.COM, INC.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

900 Chesapeake Drive

Redwood City, CA 94063

(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

(Zip Code)

Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code: (650) 556-9440

 

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

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).Yes  x    No  o

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

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

On October 31, 2013, 52,775,201 shares of the Registrant’s Common Stock, $0.0001 par value, were outstanding.

 

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SUPPORT.COM, INC.

FORM 10-Q

QUARTERLY PERIOD ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2013

INDEX

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PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION

ITEM 1. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

SUPPORT.COM, INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(in thousands)

 

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(1)

Derived from the December 31, 2012 audited Consolidated Financial Statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on March 8, 2013.

See accompanying notes.

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CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(in thousands, except per share amounts)

(Unaudited)

See accompanying notes.

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SUPPORT.COM, INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)

(in thousands)

(Unaudited)

See accompanying notes.

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CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(in thousands)

(Unaudited)

See accompanying notes.

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SUPPORT.COM, INC.

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(Unaudited)

Note 1. Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the condensed consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. The accounting estimates that require management’s most significant, difficult and subjective judgments include accounting for revenue recognition, the valuation and recognition of investments, the assessment of recoverability of intangible assets and their estimated useful lives, the valuations and recognition of stock based compensation and the recognition and measurement of current and deferred income tax assets and liabilities. Actual results could differ materially from these estimates.

Revenue Recognition

For all transactions, we recognize revenue only when all of the following criteria are met:

• Persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists;

• Delivery has occurred;

• Collection is considered probable; and

• The fees are fixed or determinable.

We consider all arrangements with payment terms longer than 90 days not to be fixed or determinable. If the fee is considered not to be fixed or determinable, revenue is recognized as payment becomes due from the customer.

Services Revenue

Services revenue is comprised primarily of fees for technology support services. Service programs available for consumer markets include computer and mobile device set-up, security and support, virus and malware removal and wireless network set-up, security and support. Service programs available for small business markets include the consumer services plus managed services such as server and network monitoring and maintenance.

We offer services to consumers and small businesses, primarily through our channel partners (which include communications providers, retailers, technology companies and others) and to a lesser degree directly through our website at www.support.com. We transact with customers via reseller programs, referral programs and direct transactions. In reseller programs, the channel partner generally executes the financial transactions with the consumer and pays a fee to us which we recognize as revenue when the service is delivered. In referral programs, we transact with the consumer directly and pay a referral fee to the referring party. Referral fees are generally expensed in the period in which revenues are recognized. In such instances, since we are the transacting party and bear substantially all risks associated with the transaction, we record the gross amount of revenue. In direct transactions, we sell directly to the customer at the retail price.

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The services described above are of four types for revenue recognition purposes:

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Subscriptions - Customers purchase subscriptions or “service plans” under which certain services are provided over a fixed subscription period. Revenues for subscriptions are recognized ratably over the respective subscription periods.

·

Incident-Based Services - Customers purchase a discrete, one-time service. Revenue recognition occurs at the time of service delivery. Fees paid for services sold but not yet delivered are recorded as deferred revenue and recognized at the time of service delivery.

·

Service Cards / Gift Cards - Customers purchase a service card or a gift card, which entitles the cardholder to redeem a certain service at a time of their choosing. For these sales, revenue is deferred until the card has been redeemed and the service has been provided.

·

Hourly-Based Services - In connection with the provisions of certain services programs, fees are calculated based on contracted hourly rates with channel partners. For these programs, we recognize revenue as services are performed, based on billable hours of work delivered by our technology specialists. These services programs also include performance standards, which may result in incentives or penalties, which are recognized as earned or incurred.

In certain cases, we are paid for services that are sold but not yet delivered. We initially record such balances as deferred revenue, and recognize revenue when the service has been provided or, on the non-subscription portion of these balances, when the likelihood of the service being redeemed by the customer is remote (“services breakage”). Based on our historical redemption patterns for these relationships, we believe that the likelihood of a service being delivered more than 90 days after sale is remote.  We therefore recognize non-subscription deferred revenue balances older than 90 days as services revenue. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012, services breakage revenue accounted for approximately 1% of our total revenue.

Channel partners are generally invoiced monthly. Fees from consumers via referral programs and direct transactions are generally paid with a credit card at the time of sale. Revenue is recognized net of any applicable sales tax.

Services revenue also includes fees from implementation services of our Nexus Service Delivery Platform (“Nexus platform”), typically covering integration to other customer systems. We generally charge for these services on a time and material basis.

We generally provide a refund period on services, during which refunds may be granted to customers under certain circumstances, including inability to resolve certain support issues. For our channel sales, the refund period varies by partner, but is generally between 5 and 14 days. For referral programs and direct transactions, the refund period is generally 5 days. For all channels, we recognize revenue net of refunds and cancellations during the period. Refunds and cancellations have not been material.

Software and Other Revenue

Software and other revenue is comprised primarily of fees for end-user software products provided through direct customer downloads and through the sale of this software via channel partners. Our software is sold to consumers as a perpetual license or as a fixed period subscription. We act as the primary obligor and generally control fulfillment, pricing, product requirements, and collection risk and therefore we record the gross amount of revenue. We provide a 30-day money back guarantee for the majority of our end-user software products.

For certain products, we sell perpetual licenses.  We provide a limited amount of free technical support to customers. Since the cost of providing this free technical support is insignificant and free product enhancements are minimal and infrequent, we do not defer the recognition of revenue associated with sales of these products.

For certain of our products (principally SUPERAntiSpyware), we sell licenses for a fixed subscription period.  We provide regular, significant updates over the subscription period and therefore recognize revenue for these products ratably over the subscription period.

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Other revenue consists primarily of revenue generated through partners advertising to our customer base in various forms, including toolbar advertising, email marketing, and free trial offers. We recognize other revenue in the period in which our partners notify us that the revenue has been earned.

Software and other revenue also includes fees from licensing of our Nexus platform.  In such arrangements, customers receive a right to use our platform in their own technology support organizations. We license the Nexus platform using a software-as-a-service model under which customers cannot take possession of the technology and pay us on a per-user per-month basis during the term of the arrangement. Revenue from licensing of our Nexus platform was approximately 7% and 6% of software and other revenue in the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013, respectively.

Cash, Cash Equivalents and Investments

All liquid instruments with an original maturity at the date of purchase of 90 days or less are classified as cash equivalents. Cash equivalents and short-term investments consist primarily of money market funds, certificates of deposit, commercial paper, corporate and municipal bonds. Our interest income on cash, cash equivalents and investments is recorded monthly and reported as interest income and other in our condensed consolidated statements of operations.

Our cash equivalents and short-term investments are classified as available-for-sale, and are reported at fair value with unrealized gains/losses included in accumulated other comprehensive income within stockholders’ equity on the condensed consolidated balance sheets and in the condensed consolidated statements of comprehensive income (loss). We view our available-for-sale portfolio as available for use in our current operations, and therefore we present our marketable securities as short-term assets.

We monitor our investments for impairment on a quarterly basis and determine whether a decline in fair value is other-than-temporary by considering factors such as current economic and market conditions, the credit rating of the security’s issuer, the length of time an investment’s fair value has been below our carrying value, our intent to sell the security and our belief that we will not be required to sell the security before the recovery of our amortized cost. If an investment’s decline in fair value is deemed to be other-than-temporary, we reduce its carrying value to its estimated fair value, as determined based on quoted market prices or liquidation values. Declines in value judged to be other-than temporary, if any, are recorded in operations as incurred. At September 30, 2013, we evaluated our unrealized gains/losses on available-for-sale securities and determined them to be temporary. We currently do not intend to sell securities with unrealized losses and we concluded that we will not be required to sell these securities before the recovery of our amortized cost basis.

The following is a summary of cash, cash equivalents and investments at September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012 (in thousands):

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The following table summarizes the estimated fair value of our available-for-sale securities classified by the stated maturity date of the security (in thousands):

 

Fair Value Measurements

ASC 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures, defines fair value, establishes a framework for measuring fair value under generally accepted accounting principles and enhances disclosures about fair value measurements. Fair value is defined under ASC 820 as the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. Valuation techniques used to measure fair value ASC 820 must maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs. The standard describes a fair value hierarchy based on three levels of inputs, of which the first two are considered observable and the last unobservable, that may be used to measure fair value, which are the following:

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Level 1 - Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.

 

•

Level 2 - Inputs other than Level 1 that are observable, either directly or indirectly, such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities; quoted prices in markets that are not active; or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities.

 

•

Level 3 - Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair value of the assets or liabilities.

 

In accordance with ASC 820, the following table represents our fair value hierarchy for our financial assets (cash equivalents and investments) measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012 (in thousands):

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For short-term investments, measured at fair value using Level 2 inputs, we review trading activity and pricing for these investments as of the measurement date. When sufficient quoted pricing for identical securities is not available, we use market pricing and other observable market inputs for similar securities obtained from various third party data providers.  These inputs either represent quoted prices for similar assets in active markets or have been derived from observable market data. There have been no transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 measurements during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012, respectively.

Concentrations of Credit Risk

Financial instruments that potentially subject us to concentrations of credit risk consist principally of cash equivalents, investments and trade accounts receivable. Our investment portfolio consists of investment grade securities. Except for obligations of the United States government and securities issued by agencies of the United States government, we diversify our investments by limiting our holdings with any individual issuer. We are exposed to credit risks in the event of default by the issuers to the extent of the amount recorded on the condensed consolidated balance sheets. The credit risk in our trade accounts receivable is substantially mitigated by our evaluation of the customers’ financial conditions at the time we enter into business and reasonably short payment terms.

 

For the three months ended September 30, 2013, Comcast (55%) accounted for 10% or more of our total revenue.  For the three months ended September 30, 2012, Comcast (37%), OfficeMax (12%), Office Depot (12%) and Staples (10%) accounted for 10% or more of our total revenue. For the nine months ended September 30, 2013, Comcast (48%) and OfficeMax (10%) accounted for 10% or more of our total revenue.  For the nine months ended September 30, 2012, Comcast (33%), Office Depot (13%), OfficeMax (13%) and Staples (11%) accounted for 10% or more of our total revenue.  There were no other customers that accounted for 10% or more of total revenue for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012.

As of September 30, 2013, Comcast (73%) accounted for 10% or more of our total accounts receivable.  As of December 31, 2012, Comcast (52%) and OfficeMax (10%) accounted for 10% or more of our total accounts receivable. There were no other customers that accounted for 10% or more of our total accounts receivable as of September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012.

Trade Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

Trade accounts receivable are recorded at the invoiced amount. We perform evaluations of our customers’ financial condition and generally do not require collateral. We make judgments as to our ability to collect outstanding receivables and provide allowances when collection becomes doubtful. Provisions are made based upon a specific review of all significant outstanding invoices. For those invoices not specifically provided for, provisions are recorded at differing rates, based upon the age of the receivable. In determining these percentages, we analyze our historical collection experience and current payment trends. The determination of past-due accounts is based on contractual terms. At September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, we had an allowance for doubtful accounts of $2,000.

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss

The components of accumulated other comprehensive loss relate entirely to accumulated foreign currency translation losses associated with our foreign subsidiaries and unrealized gains (losses) on investments. Accumulated currency translation losses were $1.9 million and $1.5 million as of September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, respectively, and accumulated unrealized losses on investments were $18,000 and zero as of September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, respectively.

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The amounts noted in the condensed consolidated statements of comprehensive income (loss) are shown before taking into account the related income tax impact.  The income tax effect allocated to each component of other comprehensive income for each of the periods presented is not significant.

Stock-Based Compensation

We apply the provisions of ASC 718, Stock Compensation, which requires the measurement and recognition of compensation expense for all stock-based payment awards, including grants of stock, restricted stock awards and options to purchase stock, made to employees and directors based on estimated fair values.

The fair value of our stock-based awards was estimated using the following weighted average assumptions for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012:

We recorded the following stock-based compensation expense for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012 (in thousands):

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Earnings (Loss) Per Share

Basic earnings (loss) per share is computed using our net income (loss) and the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the reporting period. Diluted earnings (loss) per share is computed using our net income (loss) and the weighted average number of common shares outstanding, including the effect of the potential common shares issuable upon exercise of outstanding stock options, vesting of RSUs and ESPP by using the treasury stock method when dilutive. For the nine months ended September 30, 2012, 1.1 million outstanding options and restricted stock units were excluded from the computation of diluted net loss per share since their effect would have been anti-dilutive.  We excluded outstanding weighted average stock options of 999,000 and 1.2 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013, respectively, and 2.9 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012, from the calculation of diluted earnings (loss) per common share because the exercise prices of these stock options were greater than or equal to the average market value of the common stock. These stock options could be included in the calculation in the future if the average market value of the common stock increases and is greater than the exercise price of these stock options.

 

On October 30, 2013, the Company apppointed a new Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer. Pursuant to his employment offer letter and as approved by the Company's Compensation Committee, the Company issued 195,000 stock options and 284,375 RSUs. These stock options and RSUs were not included in the computation of the basic and diluted earnings per share for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013 because they were not outstanding during either period.

The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted earnings (loss) per share (in thousands, except per share amounts):

Warranties and Indemnifications

We generally provide a refund period on sales, during which refunds may be granted to consumers under certain circumstances, including our inability to resolve certain support issues. For our channel sales, the refund period varies by channel partner, but is generally between 5 and 14 days. For our software products, we provide a 30-day money back guarantee. For referral programs and direct transactions, the refund period is generally 5 days. For all sales channels, we recognize revenue net of refunds and cancellations during the period. Refunds and cancellations have not been material to date.

We generally agree to indemnify our customers against legal claims that our software products infringe certain third party intellectual property rights. As of September 30, 2013, we have not been required to make any payment resulting from infringement claims asserted against our customers and have not recorded any related accruals.

Note 2. Warrants

On October 25, 2010, we entered into a Support Services Agreement (the “Customer Agreement”) with Comcast Cable Communications Management, LLC (“Comcast”) under which Support.com provides technology support services to customers of Comcast in exchange for fees. In connection with the Customer Agreement, Support.com and Comcast entered into a Warrant Agreement, under which Support.com agreed to issue to Comcast warrants to purchase up to 975,000 shares of Support.com common stock in the future in the event that Comcast meets specified sales milestones under the Customer Agreement. Each warrant, if issued, will have an exercise price per share of $4.9498 and a term of three years from issuance. On September 27, 2011, the Company and Comcast amended the Warrant Agreement to extend the expiration date for the performance milestones while maintaining the previously agreed revenue thresholds. The warrants will be valued as they are earned, and the resulting value will be recorded as a charge against revenue in the period in which the performance milestone is met and the warrant is earned. During the third quarter of 2013, the performance milestones for the first tranche of warrants were met. Therefore, we issued to Comcast warrants to purchase 166,000 shares of our common stock and recorded warrant-related charges of $383,000 against revenue for the three months and nine months ended September 30, 2013. The value of the first tranche of warrants was estimated using the following assumptions: risk-free interest rate of 0.64%, expected term of 3 years, volatility of 58.51% and expected dividend of 0%. As of September 30, 2013, the performance milestones for the second tranche (warrants to purchase 324,000 shares) and the third tranche (warrants to purchase 485,000 shares) have not been met.

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Note 3.  Income Taxes

We recorded an income tax provision of $121,000 and $446,000 for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013, respectively, and $118,000 and $353,000 for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012, respectively.  The provision for income taxes includes estimates of current taxes due in domestic and foreign jurisdictions.  This provision reflects tax expense associated with state income tax, foreign taxes, and tax expense related to the recording of a deferred tax liability that results from the amortization for income tax purposes of acquisition-related goodwill.

 

When goodwill is amortizable for tax purposes, a deferred tax liability is recorded as the tax deduction is realized, which will not be reversed unless and until the goodwill is disposed of or impaired.  We will continue to record an income tax expense related to the amortization of goodwill as a discrete item each quarter unless and until such disposition or impairment occurs.

 

As of September 30, 2013, our deferred tax assets are fully offset by a valuation allowance except in those jurisdictions where it is determined that a valuation allowance is not required. ASC 740, Income Taxes, provides for the recognition of deferred tax assets if realization of such assets is more likely than not. Based upon the weight of available evidence, which includes historical operating performance, reported cumulative net losses since inception and difficulty in accurately forecasting our future results, we provided a full valuation allowance against our net U.S. deferred tax assets and a partial valuation allowance against our foreign deferred tax assets.  We reassess the need for our valuation allowance on a quarterly basis. If it is later determined that a portion or all of the valuation allowance is not required there generally will be a benefit to the income tax provision in the period such determination is made.

Note 4. Commitments and Contingencies

 

Tax contingencies

 

We are required to make periodic filings in the jurisdictions where we are deemed to have a presence for tax purposes. We have undergone audits in the past and have paid assessments arising from these audits. Our India entity was issued notices of income tax assessment pertaining to the 2004-2009 fiscal years. The notices claimed that the transfer price used in our inter-company agreements with our India entity was too low, and that the price should be increased. We believe our current transfer pricing position is more likely than not to be sustained. We believe that this will be resolved through the normal judicial appeal process used in India, and have submitted our case to the court.

 

We may be subject to other income tax assessments in the future. We evaluate estimated expenses that could arise from those assessments in accordance with ASC 740. We consider such factors as the degree of probability of an unfavorable outcome and the ability to make a reasonable estimate on the amount of expenses. We record the estimated liability amount of those assessments that meet the definition of an uncertain tax position under ASC 740.

Legal contingencies

 

On February 7, 2012, a lawsuit seeking class-action certification was filed against the Company in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, No. 12-CV-00609, alleging that the design of one the Company’s software products and the method of promotion to consumers constitute fraudulent inducement, breach of contract, breach of express and implied warranties, and unjust enrichment. On the same day the same plaintiffs’ law firm filed another action in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, No. 12-CV-0963, involving similar allegations against a subsidiary of the Company and one of the Company’s channel partners who distributes our software products, and that channel partner has requested indemnification under contract terms with the Company. The law firm representing the plaintiffs in both cases has filed unrelated class actions in the past against a number of major software providers with similar allegations about those providers’ products. On May 30, 2013, the Company received final court approval relating to the terms of the settlement. Under the terms of the settlement, the Company offered a one-time cash payment, covered by the Company’s insurance provider, to qualified class-action members and the deadline to submit a claim form concluded on February 28, 2013. In addition, the Company offered a limited free subscription to one of its software products and the deadline for redemptions concluded on August 31, 2013. Therefore, the Company reversed a previous accrual of $57,000 associated with this action and recorded a benefit in the same amount within interest income and other, net in the condensed consolidated statements of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013. The Company denies any wrongdoing or liability and entered into the settlement to minimize the costs of defense.

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We are also subject to other routine legal proceedings, as well as demands, claims and threatened litigation, that arise in the normal course of our business, potentially including assertions that we may be infringing patents or other intellectual property rights of others. We currently do not believe that the ultimate amount of liability, if any, for such routine legal proceedings (alone or combined) will materially affect our financial position, results of operations or cash flows. The ultimate outcome of any litigation is uncertain, however, and unfavorable outcomes could have a material negative impact on our financial condition and operating results. Regardless of outcome, litigation can have an adverse impact on us because of defense costs, negative publicity, diversion of management resources and other factors.

Guarantees

 

We have identified guarantees in accordance with ASC 450. This guidance stipulates that an entity must recognize an initial liability for the fair value, or market value, of the obligation it assumes under the guarantee at the time it issues such a guarantee, and must disclose that information in its interim and annual financial statements. We have entered into various service level agreements with our channel partners, in which we may guarantee the maintenance of certain service level thresholds. Under some circumstances, if we do not meet these thresholds, we may be liable for certain financial costs. We evaluate costs for such guarantees under the provisions of ASC 450. We consider such factors as the degree of probability that we would be required to satisfy the liability associated with the guarantee and the ability to make a reasonable estimate of the resulting cost. We incurred zero and immaterial costs as a result of such obligations during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013, respectively.  We have not accrued any liabilities related to such obligations in the condensed consolidated financial statements as of September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012.

Note 5. Business Combination

 

RightHand IT Corporation

On January 13, 2012, we executed an Asset Purchase Agreement to acquire certain assets and assume certain liabilities of RightHand IT Corporation (“RHIT”), a managed service provider for small business located in Louisville, Colorado.  No stock was acquired as part of the transaction. The acquisition deepened our small business expertise and enabled us to grow our business by providing services to small business customers.

We engaged an independent third-party appraisal firm to assist in determining the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed from the transaction.  Such a valuation requires management to make significant estimates, especially with respect to intangible assets.  These estimates are based on historical experience and information obtained from the management of the acquired company.  We placed value on RHIT’s existing customer relationships, as well as non-compete agreements signed by certain key employees.  The purchase price for RHIT exceeded the fair value of RHIT’s net tangible and intangible assets acquired.  As a result, we have recorded goodwill in connection with this transaction. The amortization of this goodwill is deductible for tax purposes.

We paid a total of $1.4 million in cash including $300,000 held in escrow against payment of a milestone-based earn-out.  The earn-out consisted of two criteria-based milestones that were met by specific dates through 2012.  The probability-weighted fair value of the $300,000 payment was $277,000.  As a result, we recorded the $23,000 difference as other current assets on our condensed consolidated balance sheets.  The balance of this asset was zero at December 31, 2012 since all criteria-based milestones have been achieved.

The tangible and identifiable intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed, and resulting goodwill are summarized below.  The financial information presented includes purchase accounting adjustments to the tangible and intangible assets:

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The operating results of RHIT have been included in our accompanying condensed consolidated statements of operations from January 14, 2012, the day following acquisition.  Pro-forma results of operations have not been presented because the acquisition was not material to our results of operations.  In addition to the $1.4 million cash consideration, we incurred acquisition-related expenditures of approximately $33,000 through June 30, 2012, which were expensed in the periods in which they were incurred in accordance with ASC 805, Business Combinations. These expenses were recorded in general and administrative expense in our condensed consolidated statements of operations.

Note 6.  Intangible Assets

 

Amortization expense and other related to intangible assets for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013 was $335,000 and $1.0 million, respectively.  Amortization expense and other related to intangible assets for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012 was $397,000 and $1.2 million, respectively.

 

The following table summarizes the components of intangible assets (in thousands):

 

		Non-compete				Partner Relationships				Customer Base				Technology Rights				Tradenames				Indefinite Life Intangibles				Total
As of September 30, 2013
Gross carrying value		$	593			$	145			$	641			$	5,330			$	760			$	250			$	7,719
Accumulated amortization			(464	)			(145	)			(332	)			(2,448	)			(560	)			—				(3,949	)
Net carrying value		$	129			$	—			$	309			$	2,882			$	200			$	250			$	3,770
As of December 31, 2012
Gross carrying value		$	593			$	145			$	641			$	5,330			$	760			$	250			$	7,719
Accumulated amortization			(426	)			(145	)			(239	)			(1,700	)			(434	)			—				(2,944	)
Net carrying value		$	167			$	—			$	402			$	3,630			$	326			$	250			$	4,775

 

In December 2006, we acquired the use of a toll-free telephone number for cash consideration of $250,000.  This asset has an indefinite useful life.

 

The estimated future amortization expense of intangible assets, with the exception of the indefinite-life intangible assets as of September 30, 2013 is as follows (in thousands):

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The following table summarizes the components of purchased technology (in thousands):

 

		As of September 30,				As of December 31,
		2013				2012
Purchased technology		$	350			$	350
Accumulated amortization			(350	)			(288	)
Total purchased technology, net		$	—			$	62

 

Note 7. Other Accrued Liabilities

 

Other accrued liabilities consist of the following (in thousands):

Note 8. Stockholder’s Equity

 

Stock Options

The following table represents the stock option activity for the nine months ended September 30, 2013:

The aggregate intrinsic value in the table above represents the total pre-tax intrinsic value that would have been received by the option holders had they all exercised their options on September 30, 2013. This amount changes based on the fair market value of our stock.  The aggregate intrinsic value of options exercised under our stock option plans was $3.5 million and $8.1  million during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013, respectively, and $195,000 and $401,000 during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012, respectively.  Total fair value of options vested was $398,000 and $1.6 million during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013, respectively, and $891,000 and $2.9 million during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012, respectively.

At September 30, 2013, there was $1.7 million of unrecognized compensation cost related to existing stock options outstanding which is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 2.13 years.

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Employee Stock Purchase Plan

 

In the second quarter of 2011, to advance the interests of the Company and its stockholders by providing an incentive to attract, retain and reward eligible employees and by motivating such persons to contribute to the growth and profitability of the Company, the Company’s Board of Directors and stockholders approved an ESPP and reserved 1,000,000 shares of our common stock for issuance effective as of May 15, 2011. The ESPP continues in effect for ten (10) years from its effective date unless terminated earlier by the Company. The ESPP consists of six-month offering periods during which employees may enroll in the plan.  The purchase price on each purchase date shall not be less than eighty‑five percent (85%) of the lesser of (a) the fair market value of a share of stock on the offering date of the offering period or (b) the fair market value of a share of stock on the purchase date.  During the nine months ended September 30, 2013, 38,915 shares were granted under ESPP.

Restricted Stock Units

 

The following table represents RSU activity for the nine months ended September 30, 2013:

On August 5, 2013, pursuant to approval by the Company’s Compensation Committee, the Company issued 725,000 RSUs to its corporate employees. These RSUs vest annually in three equal tranches over three years.

On May 23, 2013, the Board of Directors of the Company approved, based on recommendations of the Compensation Committee, a grant of 48,851 RSUs to non-employee directors based on a fair market value of $4.70 per share which represents the closing price of the Company’s common stock on the Nasdaq Global Select Market (“Nasdaq”) on May 23, 2013.  These RSUs vest upon the first anniversary of the grant date.

During the first quarter of 2013, the Company’s Compensation Committee approved the grant of RSUs to certain key executives. The RSUs granted to these executives included (i) 249,750 time-based RSUs that vest over a required service period of three years, and (ii) 399,750 performance-based RSUs contingent upon a required service period of three years and as well as the Company’s achievement of specified annual performance targets for fiscal year 2013. We measured the grant-date fair value of the performance-based RSUs based upon the closing price of the Company’s common stock on the Nasdaq as of the grant date. We expense the fair value of the performance-based RSUs that are probable of being earned based on our forecasted annual performance for fiscal year 2013.

 

At September 30, 2013, there was $5.5 million of unrecognized compensation cost related to RSUs which is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 2.26 years.

 

Stock Repurchase Program

 

On April 27, 2005, our Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of up to 2,000,000 outstanding shares of our common stock. As of September 30, 2013 the maximum number of shares remaining that can be repurchased under this program was 1,807,402. The Company does not intend to repurchase shares without a further approval from its Board of Directors.

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Repurchase of Shares

 

On February 19, 2013, the Company entered into an agreement with Joshua Pickus, the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer, pursuant to which Mr. Pickus sold directly to the Company on that day an aggregate 1,000,000 shares of its common stock acquired by him in a same-day exercise of fully vested options which were due to expire at the end of their seven-year term on April 6, 2013.  Under the agreement, the purchase price per share was established as an amount equal to the lesser of (a) the closing price of the Company’s common stock in regular trading hours on the day of the sale as reported by Nasdaq less 5%, or (b) the thirty-day simple moving average price of the Company’s common stock on the day of the sale.  This formula produced a purchase price per share of $4.114, less the aggregate strike price due on exercise of the options underlying the repurchased shares of $2.32 per share, which then resulted in a net cash outlay by the Company to acquire the shares of approximately $1.8 million (or $1.794 per share). The agreement was approved by the independent members of the Company’s Board of Directors. The share repurchase amounted to $4.1 million and is classified under treasury stock within stockholders’ equity of the condensed consolidated balance sheets.

ITEM 2. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The following discussion of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with our condensed consolidated financial statements and the related notes included elsewhere in this Form 10-Q (the “Report”) and the section entitled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and the consolidated financial statements and related notes included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012. The following discussion includes forward-looking statements. Please see “Risk Factors” in Item 1A of Part II of this Report for important information to consider when evaluating these statements.

Overview

 

Support.com is a leading provider of cloud-based services and software designed to enhance a customer’s experience with technology. We enable leading brands to offer technology service programs that create new revenue streams and deepen customer relationships. We also help technology support organizations reduce costs, improve problem resolution and enhance the customer experience. Our solutions include the cloud-based Nexus® Service Delivery Platform (“Nexus platform”), a scalable workforce of technology specialists, mobile and desktop applications for end-users and proven expertise in program design and execution. We market our products and services directly and indirectly through channel partners. Our customers and channel partners include leading communications providers, retailers, technology companies and others. Our sales and marketing efforts are primarily focused in North America.

Total revenue for the third quarter of 2013 increased 29% year-over-year.  Revenue from services increased 31% year-over-year primarily due to continued growth in our channel programs, primarily the programs with Comcast. Revenue from software and other increased 19% year-over-year primarily due to fees from licensing of our Nexus platform.

Cost of services for the third quarter of 2013 increased 25% year-over-year as a result of the hiring of additional technology specialists to support revenue growth.   Cost of software and other for the third quarter of 2013 decreased 6% year-over-year due to lower royalty rate payments to third-party developers.  Total gross margin was consistent year-over-year at 51% in the third quarter of 2013 and 50% in the third quarter of 2012.

Operating expenses were relatively consistent year-over-year at $9 million and $8.7 million for the third quarters of 2013 and 2012, respectively.

During the third quarter of 2013, the Company entered into program description number 3 (“Program Agreement”) under the Amended and Restated Support Services Agreement, dated July 5, 2012, with Comcast. Under the Program Agreement, the Company provided home networking support services to Comcast customers on an hourly basis.

In addition, during the third quarter of 2013, the Company reviewed the performance of advertising programs for its end-user software products. Upon completion of this review, the Company discontinued its largest advertising placement for such products because it no longer yielded positive results.

We intend the following discussion of our financial condition and results of operations to provide information that will assist in understanding our condensed consolidated financial statements, the changes in certain key items in those condensed consolidated financial statements from year to year, and the primary factors that accounted for those changes, as well as how certain accounting principles, policies and estimates affect our condensed consolidated financial statements.

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Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

In preparing our financial statements, we make estimates, assumptions and judgments that can have a significant impact on our revenue, operating income or loss and net income or loss, as well as on the value of certain assets and liabilities on our condensed consolidated balance sheet. We believe that the estimates, assumptions and judgments involved in the accounting policies described in Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in Item 7 of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2012 have the greatest potential impact on our condensed consolidated financial statements, so we consider them to be our critical accounting policies and estimates.  There have been no significant changes in these critical accounting policies and estimates during the three and nine months ending September 30, 2013.

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The following table sets forth the results of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012 expressed as a percentage of total revenue.

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REVENUE

 

		Three Months Ended September 30,																Nine Months Ended September 30,
In thousands, except percentages		2013				2012				$ Change				% Change				2013				2012				$ Change				% Change
Services		$	19,305			$	14,769			$	4,536				31	%		$	51,879			$	42,278			$	9,601				23	%
Software and other			4,054				3,407				647				19	%			11,807				10,799				1,008				9	%
Total revenue		$	23,359			$	18,176			$	5,183				29	%		$	63,686			$	53,077			$	10,609				20	%

 

 

COSTS AND EXPENSES

Costs of Revenue

 

		Three Months Ended September 30,																Nine Months Ended September 30,
In thousands, except percentages		2013				2012				$ Change				% Change				2013				2012				$ Change				% Change
Cost of services		$	11,046			$	8,815			$	2,231				25	%		$	29,194			$	28,696			$	498				2	%
Cost of software and other			294				312				(18	)			(6	)%			872				1,142				(270	)			(24	)%
Total cost of revenue		$	11,340			$	9,127			$	2,213				24	%		$	30,066			$	29,838			$	228				1	%

 

Cost of services.  Cost of services consists primarily of compensation and related cost of personnel and contractors providing services, and technology and telecommunication expenses associated to the delivery of services.  The increase of $2.2 million and $498,000 in cost of services for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013, respectively, compared to the same periods in 2012 was mainly driven by increased compensation and employee related costs associated with the increase in our technology specialist workforce to support revenue growth.

 

Cost of software and other.  Cost of software and other fees consists primarily of third-party royalty fees for our end-user software products.  Certain of these products were developed using third-party research and development resources, and the third-party receives royalty payments on sales of products it developed.  The decrease of $18,000 and $270,000 for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013, respectively, over the same periods in 2012 was primarily due to a reduction of third-party royalty fees as the Company reduced the reliance on third-party software products.

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Operating Expenses

 

		Three Months Ended September 30,																Nine Months Ended September 30,
In thousands, except percentages		2013				2012				$ Change				% Change				2013				2012				$ Change				% Change
Research and development		$	1,456			$	1,643			$	(187	)			(11	)%		$	4,325			$	5,121			$	(796	)			(16	)%
Sales and marketing		$	4,120			$	3,789			$	331				9	%		$	12,431			$	14,908			$	(2,477	)			(17	)%
General and administrative		$	3,077			$	2,897			$	180				6	%		$	8,193			$	8,661			$	(468	)			(5	)%

 

Research and development. Research and development expense consists primarily of compensation costs, third-party consulting expenses and related overhead costs for research and development personnel. Research and development costs are expensed as they are incurred.  The decrease of $187,000 and $796,000 in research and development expense for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013, respectively, compared to the same periods in 2012 resulted primarily from a decrease in salary and employee related expenses including stock-based compensation expense due to a decrease in headcount.

Amortization of Intangible Assets and Other

 

		Three Months Ended September 30,																Nine Months Ended September 30,
In thousands, except percentages		2013				2012				$ Change				% Change				2013				2012				$ Change				% Change
Amortization of intangible assets and other		$	335			$	397			$	(62	)			(16	)%		$	1,005			$	1,155			$	(150	)			(13	)%