|
(3)
|
Per
unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed pursuant to
Exchange Act Rule 0-11 (set forth the amount on which the filing fee is
calculated and state how it was
determined):
|
|
[ ]
|
Check
box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act Rule
0-11(a)(2) and identify the filing for which the offsetting fee was
paid previously. Identify the previous filing by registration
statement number, or the Form or Schedule and the date of its
filing.
|
Red
Oak Partners, LLC
654
Broadway, Suite 5
New
York, NY 10012
|
Dear
Fellow Stockholders of ASUR:
We
are sending you this proxy statement and the enclosed BLUE proxy card to
ask you to elect a slate of six new directors to the board of Forgent
Networks, Inc. d/b/a Asure Software (NASDAQ: ASUR).
ASUR’s
annual meeting is scheduled for July 30, 2009 and we ask you to support
our slate because it is time for change:
· ASUR
needs new direction – ASUR’s current Directors have all been with ASUR
since at least 2003. Since that time period and under their
direct leadership, ASUR has reported a net loss in excess of $40 million,
(representing more than five times ASUR’s current market
value). ASUR’s stock price has declined more than 90% during that period
of time.
· ASUR’s
directors own less than 3% of ASUR’s common stock while our slate owns or
represents in excess of 20%. Because of their low stock
ownership they have not been as impacted by the drastic drop in ASUR’s
share price caused by the significant losses incurred under their
leadership. They have not purchased stock yet
they have granted
themselves options and then repriced their options
twice in the past four years - most
recently down to just 38.5 cents/share in 2006, down from $1.42/share just
a year earlier. Our slate owns and represents multiple times
the share ownership of ASUR’s current insiders. We believe
better and more responsible spending decisions will be made by a Board
more closely aligned with its shareholders through common stock (and not
repriced option) ownership.
· ASUR’s
unwillingness to provide transparency and full disclosure to its
shareholders suggests they do not care about shareholders’ best
interests. Despite continuing to spend excessively, they refuse
to disclose questionable amounts spent such as the compensation paid to
the Chairman’s son and amounts spent on executives on their visits to the
prestigious “Cooper Clinic.” They also refuse to share recent
voting results and recently refused to hold a question and answer session
on their most recent earnings call.
· In
their most recent attempt to stifle criticism, ASUR filed a lawsuit in
Texas falsely claiming that Red Oak and others are seeking to control ASUR
and “liquidate all of Forgent’s assets for their own immediate short-term
gain.”
With low stock ownership ASUR’s
board has spent recklessly and wastefully, has been unable to forecast its
business (please read the section below in the entitled “Inability of Management to
Forecast” for important detail), and recently attempted - and
failed - to take
ASUR private and reduce the disclosure requirements they would need to
comply with. We ask that those shareholders who are similarly
outraged discard ASUR’s proxy card and instead cast a “vote for change” by
returning our proxy card and voting for our slate of Director
nominees. We also ask you to vote AGAINST the appointment of Ernst &
Young as ASUR’s independent auditor (another wasteful ASUR
spend).
Lastly
yet importantly, we encourage shareholders to review the information about
our slate of nominees included in this solicitation. We have a
slate of vested shareholders with significant industry success, software
expertise, ASUR product expertise (two of our nominees previously served
as directors of ASUR’s iEmployee product when it was a growing and
profitable business), and financial and public company
expertise. We ask you to compare what you read about our
nominees against the results you have experienced under the ASUR’s Board’s
leadership over many years - significant ongoing losses and now
transparency issues as well. We ask for your support to replace
ASUR’s Board in its entirety.
We
respectfully request your support of our nominees by signing and returning
the enclosed BLUE proxy card.
Sincerely,
David
Sandberg
For
Red Oak Partners
|
·
|
ASUR
has lost over $40 million since 2003 while the current Board has been in
place (except for Ms. Harris who was named last
month).
|
·
|
Since
Mr. Snyder became CEO in 2003 (with the support of all the members of the
current Board, except for Ms. Harris) ASUR’s stock has dropped
90%. Since Mr. Snyder, the current chairman, joined the board
in 1997, ASUR’s stock has dropped
97%.
|
·
|
The
current Board allows what we view as wasteful spending and recently
embarked on an expensive campaign to take ASUR private and reduce the
information it is required to provide
stockholders.
|
·
|
The
incumbent Board has kept in place a management team that has repeatedly
been unable to meet its own
forecasts.
|
·
|
The
incumbent Board and management have ignored shareholder concerns and
limited discussion with holders.
|
·
|
We
believe a new board, strongly aligned with stockholder interests by share
ownership, should be elected.
|
·
|
In
ASUR’s Q4, 2003 earnings conference call, Chief Financial Officer Jay
Peterson indicated that ASUR believed it could achieve $40-50 million in
annual software revenues in three to four years “based on early optimism
from large enterprise customers and assuming just a little help from the
economy.” Although the economy offered significant help from
late 2003 through the next three to four years, ASUR’s software revenues
are and were well under even $20 million (let alone $40-50 million) ,
inclusive of the
revenue acquired in 2007 by buying
iEmployee.
|
·
|
In
ASUR’s Q1, 2004 conference call, CEO Richard Snyder reaffirmed “our
previous guidance of 6 to $7 million in software revenue for this current
fiscal year.” In contrast, ASUR generated just $3million in
software revenue in fiscal 2004 despite help from a very strong
economy. Additionally, in the same call Mr. Snyder reaffirmed
“between $40 to $50 million in annual software revenues in the next three
to four years.” He also added that “we believe that we can
manage expenses to be flat, while also expending approximately $300,000 on
Sarbanes Oxley related requirements over the next several
quarters.” Expenses increased from $16 million to $23 million
from 2003 to 2004.
|
·
|
In
ASUR’s Q1, 2006 call, Jay Peterson claimed that “we have line of site
[sic] to EBITDA profitability this fiscal year.” 2006 reported
EBITDA was negative
$3.9 million, again despite a strong year in the
economy. In the same call, Richard Snyder claimed “we'll
continue to look at a dividend or perhaps a stock buyback, and after that,
we'll continue to look at the ability to invest some of that for the
growth of our software business.” No share repurchases or
cash dividend were ever effected after this date yet the Company continued
a substantial cash spend, followed by an acquisition which cost ASUR more
than its current market
capitalization.
|
·
|
In
ASUR’s Q2, 2006 call, Mr. Snyder stated “with regard to expenses as we
mentioned, this is the lowest, we've gotten the expenses down to the
lowest point, really, in the Company's history, minus depreciation, and we
believe that there is still room to continue to scrutinize those expenses
and get them down.” For reference, expenses never went lower
than that quarter.
|
·
|
In
ASUR’s Q4, 2007 call, Mr. Peterson claimed “our overall spending excluding
iEmployee will significantly decrease due to the conclusion of the 746
trial” and that “we believe we will generate $12 million in revenue this
year and will generate cash in the second half of this fiscal
year.” Operating expenses declined for only one quarter before
increasing materially every quarter thereafter. The Company
generated just $10 million in revenue (nearly 20% below its forecast), and
the Company burned $2.7 million in
operating cash flow in the second half of the fiscal year as opposed to
generating cash.
|
·
|
In
ASUR’s Q1, 2008 call, Mr. Peterson confirmed “we believe we will generate
$12 million in revenue this year.” ASUR generated just $10mm in revenues
in 2008. He also claimed “we have line of site [sic] to EBITDA
profitability this fiscal year.” ASUR reported a $5 million EBITDA loss for fiscal
2008.
|
·
|
In
the same Q1, 2008 call, Mr. Snyder stated “I think your $20 million figure
for 2009 is certainly one we have on the books.” Based on the
latest 10-Q, 2009 revenues are running at approximately 50% of this
estimate.
|
·
|
In
ASUR’s Q3, 2008 call, Mr. Peterson claimed ““we plan on generating cash,
that is EBITDA profitability in fiscal year 2009.” The
operating loss through the first three quarters of FY 2009 is nearly $5
million.
|
·
|
In
ASUR’s Q1, 2009 call, Mr. Peterson indicated “we were “anticipating or
planning to be EBITDA profitable in our July quarter of this
year.” For reference, ASUR reported a $1.4 million operating
loss in its April quarter and claimed they would be EBITDA breakeven by
the end of the year, not profitable. During an April 27
meeting, when Red Oak asked them to explain their $5.5 million run-rate
loss if – as they claimed – both software businesses were breakeven to
profitable on their own and there were $1 million in excess costs, ASUR’s
CFO Jay Peterson could not explain a $3-4 million/year discrepancy, nor
could CEO Richard Snyder nor either of ASUR’s directors present at the
meeting. Specifically, they are currently losing $5.5mm/year on
a run-rate basis according to the last financial information
released.
|
·
|
how
much they spent in the failed go-private proxy
contest;
|
·
|
how
much compensation has been paid to Chairman Richard Snyder’s son,
Jeremy;
|
·
|
how
much has been spent on executives and employees related to visits to the
prestigious “Cooper Clinic;”
|
·
|
the
final vote tallies regarding the go-private vote. ASUR board
member Mazzuchelli has claimed that our reported numbers are inaccurate,
even though we received them from the same firm which provides ASUR with
their non-objecting beneficial holder vote information (which represents
more than 90% of all ASUR shares outstanding). Despite this
claim, they refused to share the vote tally;
and
|
·
|
on
June 18, they failed to allow questions to be asked on the earnings
call. They were informed of this immediately but have done
nothing to rectify this.
|
1.
|
the
board elected non-independent Nancy Harris to replace resigning
independent director Kathleen Cote
|
2.
|
Mr.
Snyder resigned as CEO but remained executive
chairman
|
3.
|
ASUR
refused to provide transparency regarding important company information
which shareholders requested
|
4.
|
the
incumbent Board has allowed the payment of consulting fees to a director
without shareholder approval and without detailed disclosure (other than
the amounts paid)
|
5.
|
ASUR
refused to respond to shareholders inability to ask questions on an
earnings call despite being informed of this immediately and repeatedly,
let alone correcting this and opening a new
call.
|
·
|
all
company expenses and costs across all employees, by location and product
(Netsimplicity vs. iEmployee)
|
·
|
all costs not related directly to
Netsimplicity and iEmployee products, i.e. public
costs
|
·
|
all
legal liability related to the $3million liability and suit ASUR has
disclosed
|
·
|
the $5 million lease obligation
and structure for ASUR’s 50% equity ownership in the
building
|
·
|
ability to use tax loss
carryforwards per rule 382 IRS
calculation
|
·
|
all costs related to legal
providers
|
·
|
all costs related to ASUR’s
audit
|
·
|
all costs related to added
employee benefits, inclusive of Cooper Clinic costs, etc
|
·
|
all severance and change of
control packages and
liabilities
|
·
|
the
D&O policy for purposes of drastically reducing
it
|
·
|
all
consulting fees and agreements related to insiders or board
members
|
·
|
consideration
to implement a reverse split to regain NASDAQ
compliance
|
·
|
consideration
to implement a share repurchase program of $5
million
|
NAME AND
ADDRESS(1)
|
NUMBER OF SHARES DIRECTLY
OWNED
|
NUMBER OF SHARES BENEFICIALLY
OWNED
|
PERCENT OF CLASS BENEFICIALLY OWNED(2)
|
||||||
Red
Oak Partners, LLC
|
0
|
3,172,467
|
10.20%
|
||||||
Red
Oak Fund, LP
|
1,100,810
|
1,100,810
|
3.54%
|
||||||
Pinnacle
Partners, LLC
|
0
|
1,544,997
|
4.97%
|
||||||
Pinnacle
Fund, LLLP
|
1,544,997
|
1,544,997
|
4.97%
|
||||||
Bear
Market Opportunity Fund, LP
112
East Pecan Street, Suite 806
San
Antonio, TX 78205
|
526,669
|
526,669
|
1.69%
|
||||||
Pat
Goepel
16
Abbottswood Drive
Sudbury,
Massachusetts 01776
|
|||||||||
Robert
(Bob) Graham
400
Panamint Road
Reno,
Nevada 89521
|
|||||||||
David
Sandberg
654
Broadway, Suite 5
New
York, New York 10012
|
|||||||||
Adrian
Pertierra
654
Broadway, Suite 5
New
York, New York 10012
|
|||||||||
Jeffrey
Vogel
319
Blackstone Blvd.
Providence,
Rhode Island 02906
|
Price
|
#
of Shares Bought/(Sold)
|
Purchaser
|
||
10/28/2008
|
0.173
|
32,300.00
|
Pinnacle
|
|
10/29/2008
|
0.180
|
19,291.00
|
Red
Oak
|
|
10/30/2008
|
0.180
|
3,044.00
|
Red
Oak
|
|
10/31/2008
|
0.180
|
51,600.00
|
Pinnacle
|
|
10/31/2008
|
0.180
|
51,600.00
|
Red
Oak
|
|
11/3/2008
|
0.200
|
12,000.00
|
Pinnacle
|
|
11/5/2008
|
0.240
|
14,000.00
|
Pinnacle
|
|
11/5/2008
|
0.240
|
14,000.00
|
Red
Oak
|
|
11/6/2008
|
0.220
|
8,050.00
|
Pinnacle
|
|
11/6/2008
|
0.220
|
8,050.00
|
Red
Oak
|
|
11/7/2008
|
0.200
|
21,900.00
|
Pinnacle
|
|
11/7/2008
|
0.200
|
21,900.00
|
Red
Oak
|
|
11/10/2008
|
0.210
|
30,000.00
|
Pinnacle
|
|
11/10/2008
|
0.210
|
30,000.00
|
Red
Oak
|
|
11/11/2008
|
0.210
|
27,500.00
|
Pinnacle
|
|
11/11/2008
|
0.210
|
27,500.00
|
Red
Oak
|
|
11/12/2008
|
0.210
|
9,051.00
|
Pinnacle
|
|
11/12/2008
|
0.210
|
9,049.00
|
Red
Oak
|
|
11/13/2008
|
0.200
|
32,493.00
|
Pinnacle
|
|
11/13/2008
|
0.200
|
16,000.00
|
Red
Oak
|
|
11/14/2008
|
0.229
|
5,200.00
|
Red
Oak
|
|
11/17/2008
|
0.200
|
100
|
Pinnacle
|
|
11/18/2008
|
0.227
|
38,254.00
|
Pinnacle
|
|
11/18/2008
|
0.227
|
38,256.00
|
Red
Oak
|
|
11/19/2008
|
0.205
|
5,500.00
|
Pinnacle
|
|
11/19/2008
|
0.205
|
5,500.00
|
Red
Oak
|
|
11/20/2008
|
0.205
|
20,791.00
|
Pinnacle
|
|
11/20/2008
|
0.205
|
40,000.00
|
Red
Oak
|
|
11/21/2008
|
0.214
|
10,338.00
|
Pinnacle
|
|
11/21/2008
|
0.214
|
10,339.00
|
Red
Oak
|
|
11/24/2008
|
0.200
|
800
|
Pinnacle
|
|
12/2/2008
|
0.200
|
5,000.00
|
Red
Oak
|
|
12/3/2008
|
0.197
|
10,002.00
|
Pinnacle
|
|
12/3/2008
|
0.197
|
10,002.00
|
Red
Oak
|
|
12/4/2008
|
0.189
|
18,774.00
|
Pinnacle
|
|
12/4/2008
|
0.189
|
18,774.00
|
Red
Oak
|
|
12/5/2008
|
0.205
|
4,950.00
|
Pinnacle
|
|
12/5/2008
|
0.205
|
4,950.00
|
Red
Oak
|
|
12/12/2008
|
0.216
|
12,710.00
|
Pinnacle
|
|
12/12/2008
|
0.216
|
12,710.00
|
Red
Oak
|
|
12/15/2008
|
0.206
|
18,524.00
|
Pinnacle
|
|
12/15/2008
|
0.206
|
18,525.00
|
Red
Oak
|
|
12/17/2008
|
0.210
|
35,100.00
|
Pinnacle
|
|
12/17/2008
|
0.210
|
35,100.00
|
Red
Oak
|
|
12/18/2008
|
0.210
|
7,900.00
|
Pinnacle
|
|
12/18/2008
|
0.210
|
7,900.00
|
Red
Oak
|
|
12/19/2008
|
0.210
|
15,600.00
|
Pinnacle
|
|
12/19/2008
|
0.210
|
15,600.00
|
Red
Oak
|
|
12/22/2008
|
0.203
|
4,300.00
|
Pinnacle
|
|
12/22/2008
|
0.203
|
4,300.00
|
Red
Oak
|
|
12/23/2008
|
0.203
|
16,700.00
|
Pinnacle
|
|
12/23/2008
|
0.203
|
16,700.00
|
Red
Oak
|
|
12/26/2008
|
0.188
|
25,650.00
|
Pinnacle
|
|
12/26/2008
|
0.188
|
25,650.00
|
Red
Oak
|
|
12/29/2008
|
0.167
|
67,900.00
|
Pinnacle
|
|
12/29/2008
|
0.167
|
67,900.00
|
Red
Oak
|
|
12/30/2008
|
0.162
|
31,569.00
|
Pinnacle
|
|
12/30/2008
|
0.162
|
31,569.00
|
Red
Oak
|
|
12/31/2008
|
0.174
|
7,000.00
|
Pinnacle
|
|
12/31/2008
|
0.174
|
7,000.00
|
Red
Oak
|
|
2/2/2009
|
0.200
|
175,997.00
|
Pinnacle
|
|
2/2/2009
|
0.200
|
143,998.00
|
Red
Oak
|
|
2/3/2009
|
0.190
|
45,533.00
|
Red
Oak
|
|
2/9/2009
|
0.165
|
400
|
Bear
|
|
2/10/2009
|
0.170
|
1,777.00
|
Bear
|
|
2/11/2009
|
0.170
|
285,300.00
|
Bear
|
|
2/12/2009
|
0.180
|
23,609.00
|
Bear
|
|
2/19/2009
|
0.154
|
80,178.00
|
Bear
|
|
2/27/2009
|
0.141
|
114,405.00
|
Pinnacle
|
|
2/27/2009
|
0.141
|
114,405.00
|
Bear
|
|
3/2/2009
|
0.140
|
700
|
Bear
|
|
3/3/2009
|
0.135
|
8,450.00
|
Pinnacle
|
|
3/3/2009
|
0.135
|
8,450.00
|
Bear
|
|
3/4/2009
|
0.138
|
4,600.00
|
Pinnacle
|
|
3/5/2009
|
0.135
|
11,850.00
|
Pinnacle
|
|
3/5/2009
|
0.135
|
11,850.00
|
Bear
|
|
3/6/2009
|
0.139
|
12,500.00
|
Pinnacle
|
|
3/6/2009
|
0.139
|
12,500.00
|
Red
Oak
|
|
3/9/2009
|
0.130
|
2,300.00
|
Pinnacle
|
|
3/10/2009
|
0.130
|
5,144.00
|
Red
Oak
|
|
3/11/2009
|
0.140
|
1,900.00
|
Pinnacle
|
|
3/16/2009
|
0.115
|
23,592.00
|
Pinnacle
|
|
3/16/2009
|
0.115
|
23,593.00
|
Red
Oak
|
|
5/19/2009
|
0.180
|
10,031.00
|
Pinnacle
|
|
5/20/2009
|
0.180
|
40,248.00
|
Pinnacle
|
|
5/21/2009
|
0.180
|
16,000.00
|
Pinnacle
|
|
6/3/2009
|
0.180
|
32,900.00
|
Pinnacle
|
|
6/4/2009
|
0.180
|
39,200.00
|
Red
Oak
|
|
6/9/2009
|
0.198
|
4,965.00
|
Pinnacle
|
|
6/10/2009
|
0.199
|
6,856.00
|
Pinnacle
|
|
6/11/2009
|
0.200
|
2,000.00
|
Pinnacle
|
|
6/12/2009
|
0.230
|
300
|
Pinnacle
|
|
6/15/2009
|
0.221
|
5,965.00
|
Pinnacle
|
|
6/16/2009
|
0.229
|
112,200.00
|
Pinnacle
|
|
6/17/2009
|
0.230
|
108,700.00
|
Pinnacle
|
|
6/18/2009
|
0.239
|
215,572.00
|
Pinnacle
|
|
6/18/2009
|
0.239
|
215,572.00
|
Red
Oak
|
|
6/19/2009
|
0.235
|
7,900.00
|
Pinnacle
|
|
6/19/2009
|
0.235
|
7,900.00
|
Red
Oak
|
|
6/22/2009
|
0.248
|
12,217.00
|
Pinnacle
|
|
6/22/2009
|
0.248
|
12,217.00
|
Red
Oak
|
|
6/23/2009
|
0.250
|
2,683.00
|
Pinnacle
|
|
6/23/2009
|
0.250
|
2,683.00
|
Red
Oak
|
|
6/26/2009
|
0.250
|
11,060.00
|
Pinnacle
|
|
6/26/2009
|
0.250
|
11,061.00
|
Red
Oak
|
|
6/29/2009
|
0.260
|
8,450.00
|
Pinnacle
|
Shares
of Common Stock Beneficially Owned and Percentage of Outstanding Shares as
of 06/29/09
|
|||||
Name
|
Number
|
Percent
|
|||
Fenil
Shah Group
|
2,111,864
|
6.8%
|
(1)
|
||
Red
Oak Partners, LLC
|
3,172,476
|
10.2%
|
(2)
|
||
(1)
percentages based on the 31,111,278 shares of Common Stock reported to be
outstanding by the Issuer as of March 11, 2009, as reported in the
Issuer’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended January 31,
2009 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 13,
2009.
|
|||||
(2)
percentage based on 31,114,915 shares of common stock of Forgent Networks,
Inc. outstanding at June 12, 2009, as reported in Forgent Networks, Inc.'s
Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended April 30, 2009 filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 15,
2009.
|
|||||
·
|
Log
on to the Internet and go to the web site [http://www.______________]
|
·
|
Have
the enclosed [Blue] proxy card on
hand when you access the web site and you will be prompted to enter your
12-digit Control Number, which is located below, to obtain your records
and to create an electronic voting instruction
form.
|
·
|
Use
any touch-tone telephone to dial [1-8__-____-______].
|
·
|
Have
the enclosed [Blue] proxy card on
hand when you call, and you will be prompted to enter your 12-digit
Control Number, which is located below, to vote. Follow the
instructions that the Vote Voice provides
you.
|
|
1.
|
Proposal
to elect the Red Oak Nominees to the Board of
Directors
|
|
2.
|
The
ratification of Ernst & Young LLP as Forgent Networks, Inc.’s
independent registered public accounting firm for the
fiscal year ending July 31,
2009.
|
¨
FOR
|
¨
AGAINST
|
¨
ABSTAIN
|
|
3. The
proxies are authorized to vote in their discretion upon such other
business as may properly come before the meeting or any adjournment(s) or
postponement(s) thereof.
|