DIGITAL ALLY, INC. This Report contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. The words "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "intend," "estimate," "may," "should," "could," "will," "plan," "future," "continue," and other expressions that are predictions of or indicate future events and trends and that do not relate to historical matters identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based largely on our expectations or forecasts of future events, can be affected by inaccurate assumptions, and are subject to various business risks and known and unknown uncertainties, a number of which are beyond our control. Therefore, actual results could differ materially from the forward-looking statements contained in this document, and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. A wide variety of factors could cause or contribute to such differences and could adversely impact revenues, profitability, cash flows and capital needs. There can be no assurance that the forward-looking statements contained in this document will, in fact, transpire or prove to be accurate. Factors that could cause or contribute to our actual results differing materially from those discussed herein or for our stock price to be adversely affected include, but are not limited to: (1) our losses in recent years, including fiscal 2020 and 2019; (2) economic and other risks for our business from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the impacts on our law-enforcement and commercial customers, suppliers and employees and on our ability to raise capital as required; (3) our ability to increase revenues, increase our margins and return to consistent profitability in the current economic and competitive environment; (4) our operation in developing markets and uncertainty as to market acceptance of our technology and new products; (5) the availability of funding from federal, state and local governments to facilitate the budgets of law enforcement agencies, including the timing, amount and restrictions on such funding; (6) our ability to deliver our new product offerings as scheduled in 2020, such as the Shield™ disinfectant/sanitizers products and ThermoVU™ temperature screening systems, whether such new products perform as planned or advertised and whether they will help increase our revenues; (7) whether we will be able to increase the sales, domestically and internationally, for our products in the future; (8) our ability to maintain or expand our share of the market for our products in the domestic and international markets in which we compete, including increasing our international revenues; (9) our ability to produce our products in a cost-effective manner; (10) competition from larger, more established companies with far greater economic and human resources; (11) our ability to attract and retain quality employees; (12) risks related to dealing with governmental entities as customers; (13) our expenditure of significant resources in anticipation of sales due to our lengthy sales cycle and the potential to receive no revenue in return; (14) characterization of our market by new products and rapid technological change; (15) our dependence on sales of our EVO-HD, DVM-800, FirstVU HD and DVM-250 products; (16) that stockholders may lose all or part of their investment if we are unable to compete in our markets and return to profitability; (17) defects in our products that could impair our ability to sell our products or could result in litigation and other significant costs; (18) our dependence on key personnel; (19) our reliance on third-party distributors and sales representatives for part of our marketing capability; (20) our dependence on a few manufacturers and suppliers for components of our products and our dependence on domestic and foreign manufacturers for certain of our products; (21) our ability to protect technology through patents and to protect our proprietary technology and information, such as trade secrets, through other similar means; (22) our ability to generate more recurring cloud and service revenues; (23) risks related to our license arrangements; (24) our revenues and operating results may fluctuate unexpectedly from quarter to quarter; (25) sufficient voting power by coalitions of a few of our larger stockholders, including directors and officers, to make corporate governance decisions that could have a significant effect on us and the other stockholders; (26) the sale of substantial amounts of our Common Stock that may have a depressive effect on the market price of the outstanding shares of our Common Stock; (27) the possible issuance of Common Stock subject to options and warrants that may dilute the interest of stockholders; (28) our nonpayment of dividends and lack of plans to pay dividends in the future; (29) future sale of a substantial number of shares of our Common Stock that could depress the trading price of our common stock, lower our value and make it more difficult for us to raise capital; (30) our additional securities available for issuance, which, if issued, could adversely affect the rights of the holders of our Common Stock; (31) our stock price is likely to be highly volatile due to a number of factors, including a relatively limited public float; (32) whether our patented VuLink technology is becoming the de-facto "standard" for agencies engaged in deploying state-of-the-art body-worn and in-car camera systems, which might impact our revenues; (33) whether such technology will have a significant impact on our revenues in the long-term; (34) whether we will be able to meet the standards for continued listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market; and (35) indemnification of our officers and directors. 18
Current Trends and Recent Developments for the Company
Overview We supply technology-based products utilizing our portable digital video and audio recording capabilities, for the law enforcement and security industries and for the commercial fleet and mass transit markets. We have the ability to integrate electronic, radio, computer, mechanical, and multi-media technologies to create unique solutions to our customers' requests. Our products include the DVM-800 and DVM-800 Lite, which are in-car digital video mirror systems for law enforcement; the FirstVU and the FirstVU HD, which are body-worn cameras, our patented and revolutionary VuLink product, which integrates our body-worn cameras with our in-car systems by providing hands-free automatic activation, for both law enforcement and commercial markets; the DVM-250 and DVM-250 Plus, which are a commercial line of digital video mirrors that serve as "event recorders" for the commercial fleet and mass transit markets; and FleetVU and VuLink, which are our cloud-based evidence management systems. We introduced the EVO-HD product in lateJune 2019 and began full-scale deployments in the third quarter 2019. It is designed and built on a new and advanced technology platform that is expected to become the platform for a new family of in-car video solution products for the law enforcement and commercial markets. We believe that the launch of these new products will help to reinvigorate our in-car and body-worn systems revenues while diversifying and broadening the market for our product offerings as circumstances normalize in a post-COVID-19 economy, although we can offer no assurance in this regard. The Company has recently added two new lines of branded products: (1) the ThermoVu™, which is a line of self-contained temperature monitoring stations that provides alerts and controls facility access when an individual's temperature exceeds a pre-set threshold and (2) our Shield™ disinfectants and cleansers, which are for use against viruses and bacteria. The Company began offering its Shield™ disinfectants and cleansers to its law enforcement and commercial customers late in the second quarter
of 2020. We experienced operating losses for all quarters during 2020 and 2019 except for third quarter 2020 which was aided by the launch of our ThermoVU™ and the Shield™ line, and second quarter 2019 which was aided by a patent litigation settlement. The following is a summary of our recent operating results on a
quarterly basis:
For the Three Months Ended:
December 31, September 30, June 30, March 31, December 31, September 30, June 30, March 31,
2020 2020 2020 2020 2019 2019 2019 2019
Total revenue $ 2,798,291 $ 3,558,640$ 1,732,192 $ 2,425,745 $ 2,420,437 $ 2,923,148 $ 2,546,983 $ 2,550,796 Gross profit 1,182,160 1,222,648 392,758 1,265,028 (88,185 ) 1,188,262 950,812 1,181,740 Gross profit margin percentage 43 % 34.1 % 22.7 % 52.2 % (3.6 %) 40.7 % 37.3 % 46.3 % Total selling, general and administrative expenses 2,931,334 3,066,606 2,535,912 3,192,396 3,145,633 3,468,709 (1,616,830 ) 4,267,898 Operating loss (1,749,174 ) (1,843,958 ) (2,143,154 ) (1,927,368 ) (3,233,819 )
(2,280,447 ) 2,567,643 (3,086,158 ) Operating loss percentage
(63.2 )% (51.4 )% (123.7 )% (79.5 )% (133.6 )% (78.0 )% 100.8 % (121.0 )%
Net income/(loss) $ (321,318 ) $
527,442
(2,985,825 )$ (387,730 ) $ (3,205,174 ) 19
Our business is subject to substantial fluctuations on a quarterly basis as reflected in the significant variations in revenues and operating results in the above table. These variations result from various factors, including but not limited to: (1) the timing of large individual orders; (2) the traction gained by products, such as the recently released EVO HD, the ThermoVU™ and the Shield™ line; (3) production, quality and other supply chain issues affecting our cost of goods sold; (4) unusual increases in operating expenses, such as the timing of trade shows and stock-based and bonus compensation; (5) the timing of patent infringement litigation settlements (5) ongoing patent and other litigation and related expenses respecting outstanding lawsuits; and (6) most recently, the impact of COVID-19 on the economy and our business. We reported an operating loss of$321,318 on revenues of$2,798,291 for fourth quarter 2020. The income recognized in the third quarter 2020 and second quarter 2019 ended a series of quarterly losses resulting from competitive pressures, supply chain problems, increases in inventory reserves as our current product suite ages, product quality control issues, product warranty issues, and litigation expenses relating to patent infringement claims.
The factors and trends affecting our recent performance include:
? On
litigation with WatchGuard and executed a settlement agreement that resulted
in the dismissal of this case. As part of the settlement agreement, we
received a one-time
covenant to not sue WatchGuard if its products incorporate agreed-upon
modified recording functionality. Additionally, we granted it license to
Patent No. 8,781,292 ("'292 Patent'") and the '452 Patent through
2023. As part of the settlement, the parties agree that WatchGuard made no
admission that it infringed any of our patents. The Company does not
anticipate any future recoveries from Watchguard or its successors and assigns
relative to WatchGuard's use of the '292 Patent or the '452 Patent. See Note
12, "Commitments and Contingencies," to our consolidating financial statements
for the details respecting the settlement.
? On
a Termination Agreement and Mutual Release (the "Termination Agreement").
Under the terms of the Termination Agreement, the Company made a payment in
the amount of
Proceeds Investment Agreement (the "PIA"), which they previously entered into
on
the PIA. As a result, any obligations under the PIA have been extinguished and
a
2020.
? Revenues increased in the third quarter 2020 to
previous quarters. The primary reason for the revenue increase in the third
quarter 2020 is the noticeable demand for our new ThermoVu line, as it
accounted for
experience improved results due to the introduction of our new product lines.
? Our objective is to expand our recurring service revenue to help stabilize our
revenues on a quarterly basis. Revenues from cloud storages have been
increasing in recent quarters and reached approximately
quarter 2020, an increase of
cloud revenues increased to approximately
approximately
pursuing several new market channels that do not involve our traditional law
enforcement and private security customers, such as our
event security solutions, which we believe will help expand the appeal of our
products and service capabilities to new commercial markets. If successful, we
believe that these new market channels could yield recurring service revenues
for us in the future.
20
? We have a multi-year official partnership with
Technology Provider of
cameras that will be mounted in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series garage
throughout the season, bolstering both
racetrack, as well as enhancing its officiating process through technology.
Our relationship with
related sponsors. We believe this partnership with
flexibility of our product offerings and help expand the appeal of our
products and service capabilities to new commercial markets. We also have an
affiliation with the Indy series races and, in particular, the RLL Team
(
These relationships provide us with access to many potential customers through
the various programs supported by both the
series.
? Our international revenues decreased to $89,374 (less than 1% of total
revenues) during the year ended December 31, 2020 , compared to $190,105
(approximately 2% of total revenues) during the year ended
Political macro-economic tensions including illegal immigration and
import/export tariffs between
been our customers in the past have made it a difficult climate for our
international sales. The international sales cycle generally takes longer than
domestic business and we continue to provide bids to a number of international
customers. We are actively marketing many of our products, including but not
limited to, the EVO-HD, DVM-800, DVM-750, DVM-500+, FleetVu driver monitoring
and management service and the FirstVU HD, internationally. We saw a decline
in our international sales activity in 2020, largely due in part to the
Covid-19 pandemic restricting travel, causing budgetary restraints for
customers, and increased shipping delays.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
We do not have any off-balance sheet debt, nor did we have any transactions, arrangements, obligations (including contingent obligations) or other relationships with any unconsolidated entities or other persons that may have a material current or future effect on financial conditions, changes in the financial conditions, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures, capital resources, or significant components of revenue or expenses. We are a party to operating leases and license agreements that represent commitments for future payments (described in Note 11, "Commitments and Contingencies," to our consolidated financial statements) and we have issued purchase orders in the ordinary course of business that represent commitments to future payments for goods and services. 21
For the Years Ended
Results of Operations Summarized immediately below and discussed in more detail in the subsequent sub-sections is an analysis of our operating results for the years endedDecember 31, 2020 and 2019, represented as a percentage of total revenues for each respective year: Years Ended December 31, 2020 2019 Revenue 100 % 100 % Cost of revenue 61 % 69 % Gross profit 39 % 31 % Selling, general and administrative expenses: Research and development expense 18 % 19 % Selling, advertising and promotional expense 25 % 35 % Stock-based compensation expense 14 % 20 % General and administrative expense 55 % 72 % Patent litigation settlement 0 % (57 )% Total selling, general and administrative expenses 112 % 89 % Operating loss (73 )% (58 )% Change in fair value of secured convertible notes - % (5 )% Change in fair value of note payable (12 )% (20 )% Change in fair value of proceeds investment agreement 50 % (32 )% Gain on extinguishment of debt 13 % - % Secured convertible note payable issuance expenses (1 )% (1 )% Other income and interest expense, net - % - % Loss before income tax benefit (25 )%
(96 )%
Income tax expense (benefit) - % - %
Net loss (25 )% (96 )%
Net loss per share information:
Basic $ (0.12 ) $ (0.87 )
Diluted $ (0.12 ) $ (0.87 )
22
Revenues
Our current product offerings include the following:
Product Description
EVO-HD An in-car digital audio/video system which records in 1080P high
definition video and is designed for law enforcement and
commercial fleet customers. This system includes two cameras and
can use up to four external cameras for a total of four video
streams. This system includes integrated, patented VuLink
technology, internal GPS, and an internal Wi-Fi Module. The system
includes the choice between a Wireless Microphone Kit or the
option to use the FirstVu HD Body Camera as the wireless
microphone. This system also includes a three-year Advanced
Exchange Warranty. We offer a cloud storage solution to manage the
recorded evidence and charge a monthly device license fee for our
cloud storage.
DVM-750 An in-car digital audio/video system that is integrated into a
rear-view mirror primarily designed for law enforcement customers.
We offer local storage as well as cloud storage solutions to
manage the recorded evidence. We charge a monthly storage fee for
our cloud storage option and a one-time fee for the local storage
option. This product is being discontinued and phased out of our
product line but the Company is supporting existing customers with
new products and repair and parts.
DVM-100 An in-car digital audio/video system that is integrated into a
rear-view mirror primarily designed for law enforcement customers.
This system uses an integrated fixed focus camera. This product is
being discontinued and phased out of our product line but the
Company is supporting existing customers with new products and
repair and parts.
DVM-400 An in-car digital audio/video system that is integrated into a
rear-view mirror primarily designed for law enforcement customers.
This system uses an external zoom camera. This product is being
discontinued and phased out of our product line but the Company is
supporting existing customers with new products and repair and
parts.
DVM-250 Plus An in-car digital audio/video system that is integrated into a
rear-view mirror primarily designed for commercial fleet
customers. We offer a web-based, driver management and monitoring
analytics package for a monthly service fee that is available for
our DVM-250 customers.
DVM-800 An in-car digital audio/video system which records in 480P
standard definition video that is integrated into a rear-view
mirror primarily designed for law enforcement customers. This
system can use an internal fixed focus camera or two external
cameras for a total of four video streams. This system also
includes the Premium Package which has additional warranty. We
offer local storage as well as cloud storage solutions to manage
the recorded evidence. We charge a monthly storage fee for our
cloud storage option and a one-time fee for the local storage
option.
DVM-800 Lite An in-car digital audio/video system which records in 480P
standard definition video that is integrated into a rear view
mirror primarily designed for law enforcement customers. This
system can use an internal fixed focus camera or two external
cameras for a total of four video streams. We offer local storage
as well as cloud storage solutions to manage the recorded
evidence. We charge a monthly storage fee for our cloud storage
option and a one-time fee for the local storage option. This
system is replacing the DVM-100 and DVM-400 product offerings and
allows the customer to configure the system to their needs.
FirstVU HD A body-worn digital audio/video camera system primarily designed
for law enforcement customers. We also offer a cloud based
evidence storage and management solution for our FirstVU HD
customers for a monthly service fee.
VuLink An in-car device that enables an in-car digital audio/video system
and a body worn digital audio/video camera system to automatically
and simultaneously start recording.
ThermoVuTM A non-contact temperature-screening instrument that measures
temperature through the wrist and controls entry to facilities
when temperature measurements exceed pre-determined parameters
ShieldTM line Disinfectant and cleanser line, which is for use against viruses
and bacteria, that is less harsh than many of the traditional
products now widely distributed. Offered in a variety of sizes and
quantities.
23
We sell our products and services to law enforcement and commercial customers in the following manner:
? Sales to domestic customers are made directly to the end customer (typically a
law enforcement agency or a commercial customer) through our sales force,
comprised of our employees. Revenue is recorded when the product is shipped to
the end customer.
? Sales to international customers are made through independent distributors who
purchase products from us at a wholesale price and sell to the end user
(typically law enforcement agencies or a commercial customer) at a retail
price. The distributor retains the margin as its compensation for its role in
the transaction. The distributor generally maintains product inventory,
customer receivables and all related risks and rewards of ownership. Revenue
is recorded when the product is shipped to the distributor consistent with the
terms of the distribution agreement.
? Repair parts and services for domestic and international customers are
generally handled by our inside customer service employees. Revenue isrecognized upon shipment of the repair parts and acceptance of the service or
materials by the end customer.
We may discount our prices on specific orders based upon the size of the order, the specific customer and the competitive landscape.
The COVID-19 pandemic had an impact on our 2020 revenues and a negative impact generally on our legacy products and, in particular, our commercial event recorder hardware (DVM-250 Plus) and in-car hardware for law enforcement (DVM-800) during the quarter. The COVID-19 pandemic had a positive impact generally on our new ShieldTM disinfectant/sanitizer and ThermoVUTM product lines.
Revenues for the years endedDecember 31, 2020 and 2019 were derived from the following sources: Years ended December 31, 2020 2019 DVM-800 and DVM 800HD 24 % 36 % ThermoVuTM 14 % - % ShieldTM disinfectants/sanitizers 2 % - % FirstVu HD 13 % 12 % DVM-250 Plus 3 % 11 % Cloud service revenue 9 % 7 % DVM-750 0 % 1 % VuLink 2 % 1 % EVO 9 % 3 % Repair and service 13 % 15 % Accessories and other revenues 11 % 14 % 100 % 100 % 24 Product revenues for the years endedDecember 31, 2020 and 2019 were$8,029,457 and$7,732,796 , respectively, an increase of$296,661 (3%), due to the following factors:
? The Company generated revenues totaling over
product lines. Late in the second quarter of 2020, the Company launched two
product lines in direct response to the increased safety precautions that
organizations and individuals are taking due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
ThermoVu™ was launched as a non-contact temperature-screening instrument that
measures temperature through the wrist and controls entry to facilities when
temperature measurements exceed pre-determined parameters. ThermoVu™ has
optional features such as facial recognition to improve facility security by
restricting access based on temperature and/or facial recognition reasons.
ThermoVu™ provides an instant pass/fail audible tone with its temperature
display and controls access to facilities based on such results. We believe
that it can be widely applied in schools, office buildings, subway stations,
airports and other public venues. The Company also launched its Shield™
disinfectant/sanitizer product lines to fulfill demand by current customers
and others for a disinfectant and sanitizer that is less harsh than many of
the traditional products now widely distributed. The Shield™ Cleanser product
line contains a cleanser with no harsh chemicals or fumes.
The Company began offering the Shield™ line of disinfecting products to its
first responder customers including police, fire and paramedics late in the
second quarter of 2020. Commercial customers such as cruise lines, taxi-cab
and para transit may also be good candidates for the products. The Company is
considering enhancing the line of disinfectant products for additional related
products including hardware to efficiently and effectively dispense the
disinfectants. The Company is hopeful that its law enforcement and commercial
customers will adopt this new product offering to combat the spread of the
COVID-19 virus as well as other bacteria and viruses.
? We shipped four individual orders in excess of $100,000 , for a total of
approximately $903,910 in revenue for the year ended December 31, 2020 ,
compared to five individual orders in excess of
approximately
average order size decreased to approximately
certain opportunities that involve multiple units and/or multi-year contracts,
we have occasionally discounted our products to gain or retain market share
and revenues.
? In general, we have experienced pressure on our revenues as our in-car and
body-worn systems are facing increased competition because our competitors
have released new products with advanced features. Additionally, our law
enforcement revenues declined over the prior period due to price-cutting and
competitive actions by our competitors, adverse marketplace effects related to
our patent litigation proceedings and our recent financial condition. We
introduced our EVO-HD late in the second quarter of 2019 with the goal ofenhancing our product line features to meet these competitive challenges and
we started to see traction in late 2019. We expect customers and potential
customers to review and test the EVO-HD prior to committing to this new
product platform, all of which has been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
? The COVID-19 pandemic delayed the shipment of law enforcement orders in the
third quarter 2020 as police forces and governments dealt with its impact. In
addition, our salesmen were generally unable to meet with and demonstrate our
products to our law enforcement customers because of travel and other
restrictions imposed by cities and states due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In
person demonstration of our products to potential customers is generally
important in order to obtain new customers or upgrade existing customers. Our
product sales to law enforcement decreased substantially in the third quarter
2020 compared to 2019 primarily due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The COVID-19 pandemic impacted the shipment of commercial orders in the third
quarter 2020 as cruise lines, taxi cabs, paratransit and other commercial
customers dealt with its impact. In addition, our salesmen were generally
unable to meet with and demonstrate our products to our commercial customers
because of travel and other restrictions imposed by cities and states due to
the COVID-19 pandemic. In person demonstration of our products to potential
customers is generally required in order to obtain new customers or upgrade
existing customers. Our product sales to commercial customers decreased
substantially in the third quarter 2020 compared to 2019 primarily due to the
impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
25
? Management has been focusing on migrating customers, and in particular
commercial customers, from a "hardware sale" to a service fee model.Therefore, we expect a reduction in commercial hardware sales (principally
DVM-250's and FirstVU's) as we convert these customers to a service model
under which we provide the hardware as part of a recurring monthly service
fee. In that respect, we introduced a monthly subscription agreement plan for
our body worn cameras and related equipment during the second quarter of 2020
that allowed law enforcement agencies to pay a monthly service fee to obtain
body worn cameras without incurring a significant upfront capital outlay. This
program has gained some traction, resulting in decreased product revenues and
increasing our service revenues.
Service and other revenues for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 were
$2,485,411 and $2,708,568 , respectively, a decrease of $223,157 (8%), due to the
following factors:
? Cloud revenues were
2020 and 2019, respectively, an increase of
experienced increased interest in our cloud solutions for law enforcement
primarily due to the deployment of our cloud-based EVO-HD in-car system, which
contributed to our increased cloud revenues in the year ended
2020. We expect this trend to continue for 2021 as the migration from local
storage to cloud storage continues in our customer base.
? Revenues from extended warranty services were
the years ended
packages, primarily in our DVM-800 premium service program. However, the
fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic and related restrictions on travel
adversely affected our sales of DVM-800 hardware systems resulting in a
decrease in their sales of 33% in the 2020 period compared to 2019.
? Installation service revenues were
Installation revenues tend to vary more than other service revenue types and
are dependent on larger customer implementations. The Covid-19 pandemic travel
restrictions also limited our ability to provide onsite installation services
in 2020 as compared to 2019.
? Software revenue, non-warranty repair and other revenues were
decrease of
to $64,800 in 2019.
Total revenues for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 were $10,514,868
and $10,441,364 , respectively, an increase of $73,504 (1%), due to the reasons
noted above.
26
Cost of Revenue
Cost of product revenue on units sold for the years endedDecember 31, 2020 and 2019 was$5,739,572 and$6,577,347 , respectively, a decrease of$837,775 (13%). Cost of goods sold for products as a percentage of product revenues for the years endedDecember 31, 2020 and 2019 were 71% and 85%, respectively. This improvement of cost of goods sold for products as a percentage of product revenues is due to the Company moving to new and smaller warehouse facilities duringJune 2020 , resulting in manufacturing efficiencies during the year endedDecember 31, 2020 . Additionally, the improvement in cost as a percentage of revenues is attributable to the new product lines, including ThermoVU™ and Shield™, which the Company introduced in 2020 and have higher margins than our legacy products.
Cost of service and other revenue for the years endedDecember 31, 2020 and 2019 was$712,702 and$631,388 , respectively, an increase of$81,314 (13%). The increase in service and other cost of goods sold is primarily due to an increase in the cost of service and other revenues sold as a percentage of service and other revenues to 29% for the year endedDecember 31, 2020 as compared to 23% for the year endedDecember 31, 2019 offset by the 13% decrease in service and other revenues for the 2020 period compared to the 2019 period. The increase in the cost of service and other revenues sold as a percentage of service and other revenues is attributable to inefficiencies and additional expenses related to service technicians performing installation and other software related services due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Total cost of sales as a percentage of revenues decreased to 61% for the year endedDecember 31, 2020 from 69% for the year endedDecember 31, 2019 . We believe our gross margins will continue to improve as we continue to improve revenue levels, continue to reduce product warranty issues and add higher margin revenues from cloud-based and other services. We recorded$1,960,351 and$4,144,013 in reserves for obsolete and excess inventories atDecember 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. Total raw materials and component parts were$3,186,426 and$4,481,611 atDecember 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively, a decrease of$1,295,185 (29%). We scrapped older version inventory component parts that were mostly or fully reserved during the year endedDecember 31, 2020 which was the primary cause for the decrease. Finished goods balances were$6,974,291 and$4,906,956 atDecember 31, 2020 andDecember 31, 2019 , respectively, an increase of$2,067,335 (42%) which was attributable to accumulating inventory for the new Shield and ThermoVu product lines. The decrease in the inventory reserve is primarily due to the scrapping of older version legacy products that were mostly or fully reserved during the year 2020 as a result of moving our warehouse and office location. The remaining reserve for inventory obsolescence is generally provided for the level of excess component parts of the older versions of our PCB boards and the phase out of our DVM-750, DVM-500 Plus, DVM-500 and LaserAlly legacy products. We believe the reserves are appropriate given our inventory levels atDecember 31, 2020 . Gross Profit
Gross profit for the years endedDecember 31, 2020 and 2019 was$4,062,594 and$3,232,629 , respectively, an increase of$829,965 (26%). The increase is attributable to the 1% overall increase in revenues for the year endedDecember 31, 2020 coupled with an improvement in the overall cost of sales percentage to 61% for the year endedDecember 31, 2020 from 69% for the year endedDecember 31, 2019 . Our goal is to improve our margins to 60% over the longer term based on the expected margins of our EVO-HD, DVM-800, VuLink, FirstVU HD, ThermoVuTM, ShieldTM disinfectants and our cloud evidence storage and management offering, if they gain traction in the marketplace and subject to a normalizing economy in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, if revenues from these products increase, we will seek to further improve our margins from them through economies of scale and more efficiently utilizing fixed manufacturing overhead components. We plan to continue our initiative to more efficient management of our supply chain through outsourcing production, quantity purchases and more effective purchasing practices. 27
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses
Selling, general and administrative expenses were$11,726,245 and$9,265,410 for the years endedDecember 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively, an increase of$2,460,835 (27%). The increase was primarily attributable to a patent litigation settlement of$6.0 million we received during 2019 that did not recur in 2020. Exclusive of the 2019 patent litigation settlement; our selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of sales decreased to 112% for 2020 compared to 146% in the same period in 2019. The significant components of selling, general and administrative expenses are as follows: The significant components of selling, general and administrative expenses are as follows: Year ended December 31, 2020 2019 Research and development expense$ 1,842,800 $
2,005,717
Selling, advertising and promotional expense 2,607,242
3,652,434
Stock-based compensation expense 1,462,270
2,112,090
Professional fees and expense 990,975
1,533,679
Executive, sales, and administrative staff payroll 2,449,690 3,083,021 Patent litigation settlement - (6,000,000 ) Other 2,373,987 2,878,469 Total$ 11,726,964 $ 9,265,410 Research and development expense. We continue to focus on bringing new products to market, including updates and improvements to current products. Our research and development expenses totaled$1,842,800 and$2,005,717 for the years endedDecember 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively, a decrease of$162,917 (9%). We employed 15 engineers atDecember 31, 2020 compared to 16 engineers atDecember 31, 2019 , most of whom are dedicated to research and development activities for new products and primarily the ThermoVuTM, ShieldTM, EVO-HD and non-mirror based DVM-250 that can be located in multiple places in a vehicle. We expect our research and development activities will continue to trend higher in future quarters as we continue to expand our product offerings based on our new EVO-HD product platform and we outsource more development projects. We consider our research and development capabilities and new product focus to be a competitive advantage and will continue to invest in this area on a prudent basis and consistent with our financial resources. Selling, advertising and promotional expenses. Selling, advertising and promotional expense totaled$2,607,242 and$3,652,434 for the years endedDecember 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively, a decrease of$1,045,192 (40%). Salesman salaries and commissions represent the primary components of these costs and were$1,616,267 and$2,632,729 for the years endedDecember 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively, a decrease of$1,016,432 (63%). The effective commission rate was 15.4% for the year endedDecember 31, 2020 compared to 25.2% for the year endedDecember 31, 2019 . We reduced the number of salesmen in our law enforcement and commercial channels in early 2020 and decreased travel expenses in 2020 compared to 2019, due to the impact of Covid-19 restrictions. In addition, we are utilizing third-party distributors as a major component of our new Shield and ThermoVU sales channel. Promotional and advertising expenses totaled$990,975 during the year endedDecember 31, 2020 compared to$1,533,679 during the year endedDecember 31, 2019 , a decrease of$542,704 (35%). The overall decrease is primarily attributable to our 2019 sponsorship ofNASCAR , and the ultimate suspension of the 2020NASCAR season during 2020, a reduction in attendance at trade shows as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, altered by our sponsorship of several events to promote our new Shield and ThermoVU product lines including theIndianapolis 500 race that occurred inAugust 2020 . 28
Stock-based compensation expense. Stock based compensation expense totaled$1,462,270 and$2,112,090 for the years endedDecember 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively, a decrease of$649,820 (31%). The decrease is primarily due to the decreased amortization during the year endedDecember 31, 2020 related to the restricted stock granted during 2020 and 2019 to our officers, directors, and other employees. We relied more on stock-based compensation in 2019 as we attempted to reduce cash expenses; however, in 2020 we attempted to reduce all expenses due to the impact of COVID-19. Professional fees and expense. Professional fees and expenses totaled$990,256 and$1,533,679 for the years endedDecember 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively, a decrease of$543,423 (35%). The decrease in professional fees is primarily attributable to legal fees and expenses related to the termination of the Axon lawsuit and the resolution of the WatchGuard and PGA lawsuits. We resolved the PGA lawsuit onApril 17, 2019 and the associated cost was accrued as ofDecember 31, 2019 and the WatchGuard lawsuit was settled onMay 13, 2019 . OnJune 17, 2019 , theU.S. District Court granted Axon's Motion for Summary Judgment and accepted Axon's position that it did not infringe on the '452 Patent and dismissed the lawsuit in its entirety. We appealed theU.S. District Court's ruling and onApril 22, 2020 , a three-judge panel of theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit denied our appeal and affirmed theU.S. District Court's previous decision to grant Axon summary judgment. The Company filed a motion requesting a rehearing in front of theCourt of Appeals which motion was also denied onJune 9, 2020 . The Company had untilNovember 7, 2020 to decide whether it would appeal theU.S. District Court's andCourt of Appeals' decisions to theUnited States Supreme Court . Our spending on legal fees on the Axon case has slowed during 2020 as we waited for the appeal to be heard. The Company has decided not to appeal the decisions to theUnited States Supreme Court and to abandon the lawsuit against Axon which reduced the amount of legal expenses for 2020 as compared to 2019. Executive, sales and administrative staff payroll. Executive, sales and administrative staff payroll expenses totaled$2,449,690 and$3,083,021 for the years endedDecember 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively, a decrease of$633,331 (21%). The primary reason for the decrease in executive, sales and administrative staff payroll was a reduction in our technical support staffing in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Company expects such reductions to continue to reduce related staff expenses during the balance of 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the Company's new event security business channel in 2020 as many sporting venues were closed including those served by these service technicians. In addition, several members of the Company's management accepted reductions in their cash compensation in 2020 to help the Company's liquidity position in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Other. Other selling, general and administrative expenses totaled$2,373,987 and$2,878,469 for the years endedDecember 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively, a decrease of$504,482 (17%). The decrease in other expenses in 2020 compared to 2019 is primarily attributable to lower contract employee expenses and travel costs resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic offset by increases in the Company's insurance costs. Operating Loss
For the reasons previously stated, our operating loss was
Interest and Other Income Interest income increased to$47,893 for the year endedDecember 31, 2020 from$37,410 in 2019, which reflected our overall higher cash and cash equivalent levels in 2020 compared to 2019. The Company raised significant amounts of cash through the closing of several underwritten public offerings and the exercise of outstanding common stock purchase warrants during 2020, which generated additional interest income in 2020 when compared to 2019. 29 Interest Expense
We incurred interest expense of$342,379 and$43,373 during the years endedDecember 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. The increase was attributable to higher interest-bearing debt balances outstanding in 2020 as compared to 2019. We had secured convertible notes outstanding in 2020 represented by the$1.667 million principal amount of notes issued onApril 17, 2020 and by the$2.778 million principal amount of notes issued onAugust 5, 2019 , both of which bore interest at 8% per annum, and both of which were paid off during 2020. In addition, we issued an aggregate of$300,000 principal amount of an unsecured promissory note onDecember 23, 2019 bearing interest at 8% per annum on the outstanding principal balance which was paid off during 2020. OnMay 12, 2020 the Company received$150,000 in additional loan funding under the Economic Injury Disaster Loans ("EIDL") program administered by theSmall Business Administration ("SBA"). Under the terms of the EIDL promissory note, interest accrues on the outstanding principal at the rate of 3.75% per annum. The term of the EIDL promissory note is thirty years and monthly principal and interest payments are deferred for twelve months after the date of disbursement and total$731.00 per month thereafter.
Change in Fair Value of Secured Convertible Notes
We elected to account for the secured convertible notes that were issued onApril 17, 2020 on their fair value basis. Therefore, we determined the fair value of the secured convertible notes as of their issuance date ofApril 17, 2020 and throughJune 12, 2020 , when they were paid in full. The change in fair value from their issuance date ofApril 17, 2020 to their pay-off date was$887,807 , which was recognized as a charge in the Consolidated Statement of Operations for the year endedDecember 31, 2020 . We elected to account for the secured convertible notes that were issued inAugust 2019 on its fair value basis. Therefore, we determined the fair value of the secured convertible notes as of their issuance date onDecember 31, 2019 until they were paid in fullMarch 3, 2020 . The change in fair value fromDecember 31, 2019 to their pay-off date was$412,445 , which was recognized as a charge in the Consolidated Statement of Operations atDecember 31, 2020 . The change in fair value from the issuance date ofAugust 5, 2019 andDecember 31, 2019 was$519,821 , which was recognized as a charge in the Consolidated Statement of Operations atDecember 31, 2019
Change in Fair Value of Proceeds Investment Agreement
We recorded a gain (loss) representing the change in fair value of proceeds
investment agreement of
We elected to account for the PIA that was entered into inJuly 2018 on its fair value basis. Therefore, we determined the fair value of the 2018 PIA as ofDecember 31, 2020 , and 2019 to be$0 and$6,500,000 , respectively. During the year endedDecember 31, 2019 , we settled our patent infringement litigation with WatchGuard and received a lump sum payment of$6.0 million as further described in Note 12, "Commitments and Contingencies," to our consolidated financial statements. In accordance with the terms of the PIA, we remitted the$6.0 million as a principal payment toward our minimum return payment obligations under the PIA. The change in fair value fromDecember 31, 2019 toDecember 31, 2020 was$5,250,000 , which was recognized as a loss in the Consolidated Statement of Operations atDecember 31, 2020 . OnJuly 20, 2020 , the Company and BKI executed the Termination Agreement. Under the terms of the Termination Agreement, the parties agreed to terminate the PIA and to release each other from any further liability under the PIA obligation. Under the terms of the Termination Agreement, upon payment of$1,250,000 by the Company to BKI, both parties agreed to terminate the PIA and to release each other from any further liability thereunder. Such$1,250,000 payment was made onJuly 22, 2020 . In addition to the$1,250,000 payment, the Company further agreed to pay BKI the following: (a) a contingent payment in the amount of$2,750,000 following the closing of an asset purchase, membership interest purchase, or similar transaction between the Company and a specified third-party (the "Purchase Transaction") and (b) any and all future proceeds received from Watchguard and its successors and assigns by the Company for WatchGuard's use of the '292 Patent and the '452 Patent. For clarity, the Company and BKI further agreed that the payment of the contingent payment would only be due and payable upon the closing of the specified Purchase Transaction and the relevant contingent payment portion of the Termination Agreement, and any obligations stemming therefrom, would automatically terminate if the specified Purchase Transaction is abandoned prior to its closing, including its failure to close within three years from the date of the Termination Agreement. 30 The parties abandoned the Purchase Transaction during the year endedDecember 31, 2020 and, therefore, the contingent payment obligation automatically terminated as the specified Purchase Transaction was abandoned prior to its closing. Furthermore, the Company does not anticipate any future recoveries from Watchguard and its successors and assigns relative to WatchGuard's use of the '292 Patent or '452 Patent. As a result, the PIA obligation was extinguished upon the payment of the$1,250,000 required under the Termination Agreement.
Secured Convertible Debentures Issuance Expenses
We elected to account for and record our$1.667 million principal amount of secured convertible notes onApril 17, 2020 on a fair value basis. Accordingly, we were required to expense the related issuance costs to other expense in the consolidated statements of operations. Such costs totaled$34,906 for the year endedDecember 31, 2020 and primarily included related legal and accounting fees. We elected to account for and record our$2.778 million principal amount of secured convertible notes onAugust 5, 2019 on a fair value basis. Accordingly, we were required to expense the related issuance costs to other expense in the consolidated statements of operations. Such costs totaled$89,148 for the year endedDecember 31, 2019 and primarily included related legal and accounting fees.
Gain on Extinguishment of Debt
As discussed in Note 7, "Debt Obligations," onMay 4, 2020 the Company received a$1,418,900 promissory note under the SBA's PPP Loan through the CARES Act. OnDecember 10, 2020 , we were informed that the Company's SBA Loan had been forgiven, less the EIDL Advance received, thus the remaining balance has been released resulting in a gain on extinguishment of debt. In accordance with ASC Topic No. 470, "Debt - Modifications and Extinguishments" (Topic 470), the transaction noted above was determined to be an extinguishment of the existing debt. As a result, we recorded a gain on the extinguishment of debt in the amount of$1,417,413 , which is included in "Gain on Extinguishment of Debt" in our Consolidated Statements of Operations.
Income (Loss) before Income Tax Benefit
As a result of the above, we reported a loss before income tax benefit of
Income Tax Benefit
We recorded an income tax benefit of$-0 - for the years endedDecember 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. The effective tax rate for both 2020 and 2019 varied from the expected statutory rate due to our continuing to provide a 100% valuation allowance on net deferred tax assets. We determined that it was appropriate to continue the full valuation allowance on net deferred tax assets as ofDecember 31, 2020 and 2019 primarily because of the recurring operating losses. We have further determined to continue providing a full valuation reserve on our net deferred tax assets as ofDecember 31, 2020 . During 2020, we increased our valuation reserve on deferred tax assets by$405,000 whereby our deferred tax assets continue to be fully reserved due to our recent operating losses. We had approximately$76,070,000 of federal net operating loss carryforwards and$1,795,000 of research and development tax credit carryforwards as ofDecember 31, 2020 available to offset future net taxable income. Net Loss As a result of the above, we reported net losses of$2,625,881 and$10,005,713 for the years endedDecember 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively, an improvement of$7,379,832 (74%). 31
Basic and Diluted Loss per Share
The basic and diluted loss per share was$0.12 and$0.87 for the years endedDecember 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively, for the reasons previously noted. All outstanding stock options and common stock purchase warrants were considered antidilutive and therefore excluded from the calculation of diluted loss per share for the years endedDecember 31, 2020 and 2019 because of the net loss reported for each period.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Overall: Management's Liquidity Plan - The Company has historically raised capital in the form of equity and debt instruments from private and public sources to supplement its needs for funds to support its business operational and strategic plans. In addition, during 2019, the Company settled one of its patent infringement cases and received a lump sum payment of$6.0 million , which it used to pay its obligations under the PIA agreement, and onJuly 20, 2020 , the Company and BKI executed a Termination Agreement which terminated the PIA and released the parties from any further liability under the PIA obligation upon payment of$1,250,000 by the Company to BKI. Such$1,250,000 payment was made onJuly 22, 2020 and the PIA obligation was extinguished, as more fully described in Note 7, "Debt Obligations". In recent years the Company has accessed the public and private capital markets to raise funding through the issuance of debt and equity. In that regard, the Company raised$12.8 million in underwritten public offerings of Common Stock,$5.2 million through the exercise of common stock purchase warrants and options,$1.6 million through the issuance of promissory notes under the SBA's PPP and EIDL programs, raised$1.5 million through the issuance of secured convertible notes and$419,000 in unsecured promissory notes and detachable warrants during the year endedDecember 31, 2020 . These debt and equity raises were utilized to fund its operations during 2020. Management believes that it now has adequate liquidity for the foreseeable future from recent issuances of equity in 2021 through the utilization of the Company's shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-239419), which was initially filed with theSEC onJune 25, 2020 , and was declared effective onJuly 2, 2020 (the "Shelf Registration Statement"). Shelf Registration Statement on Form S-3 - The Shelf Registration Statement allows the Company to offer and sell, from time to time in one or more offerings, any combination of our Common Stock, debt securities, debt securities convertible into Common Stock or other securities in any combination thereof, rights to purchase shares of Common Stock or other securities in any combination thereof, warrants to purchase shares of Common Stock or other securities in any combination thereof or units consisting of Common Stock or other securities in any combination thereof having an aggregate initial offering price not exceeding$125,000,000 . The Company has utilized the Shelf Registration Statement for two recent offerings of its securities, as described as follows:
? Registered Direct Offering - On
securities purchase agreement, closed a registered direct offering (the
"January Offering") of (i) 2,800,000 shares of Common Stock, (ii) pre-funded
warrants to purchase up to 7,200,000 of Common Stock at an exercise price of
Stock would otherwise result in such investor, together with its affiliates
and certain related parties, beneficially owning more than 4.99% (or, at the
election of the holder, 9.99%) of the Company's outstanding Common Stock
immediately following the consummation of the January Offering; and (iii)
common stock purchase warrants ("January Warrants") to purchase up to an
aggregate of 10,000,000 shares of Common Stock, which are exercisable for a
period of five years after issuance at an initial exercise price
share, subject to certain adjustments, as provided in the January Warrants.
The January Offering was conducted pursuant to a placement agency agreement,
dated
Company and
(the "Placement Agent"). The combined offering price of each share of Common
Stock and accompanying January Warrant in the January Offering was
Pursuant to the terms of the January Placement Agency Agreement, the Company
agreed not to, for a period of 90 days after the date of the January Placement
Agency Agreement, with certain exceptions, unless it has obtained the prior
written consent of the Placement Agent, (i) offer, pledge, sell, contract to
sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract
to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, lend, or otherwise
transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of capital stock of
the Company or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable
for shares of capital stock of the Company; (ii) file or cause to be filed any
registration statement with the
capital stock of the Company or any securities convertible into or exercisable
or exchangeable for shares of capital stock of the Company; (iii) complete any
offering of debt securities of the Company, or (iv) enter into any swap or
other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the
economic consequences of ownership of capital stock of the Company.
32
The Company received approximately $29,013,000 in net proceeds from the
January Offering after deducting the discounts, commissions and otherestimated offering expenses payable by the Company. The Company plans to use
the net proceeds from the January Offering for working capital, product
development, order fulfillment and for general corporate purposes.
? Registered Direct Offering - On
securities purchase agreement closed a registered direct offering (the
"February Offering") of (i) 3,250,000 shares of Common Stock, (ii) pre-funded
warrants to purchase up to 11,050,000 of Common Stock at an exercise price of
Stock would otherwise result in such investor, together with its affiliates
and certain related parties, beneficially owning more than 4.99% (or, at the
election of the holder, 9.99%) of the Company's outstanding Common Stock
immediately following the consummation of the February Offering; and (iii)
common stock purchase warrants ("February Warrants") to purchase up to an
aggregate of 14,300,000 shares of Common Stock, which are exercisable for a
period of five years after issuance at an initial exercise price
share, subject to certain adjustments, as provided in the Warrants. The
February Offering was conducted pursuant to a placement agency agreement,
dated
the Company and the Placement Agent. The combined offering price of each share
of Common Stock and accompanying February Warrant in the February Offering was
Pursuant to the terms of the February Placement Agency Agreement, the Company
has agreed not to, for a period of 90 days after the date of the February
Placement Agency Agreement, with certain exceptions, unless it has obtained
the prior written consent of the Placement Agent, (i) offer, pledge, sell,
contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option
or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, lend, or
otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of
capital stock of the Company or any securities convertible into or exercisable
or exchangeable for shares of capital stock of the Company; (ii) file or cause
to be filed any registration statement with the
of any shares of capital stock of the Company or any securities convertible
into or exercisable or exchangeable for shares of capital stock of the
Company; (iii) complete any offering of debt securities of the Company, or
(iv) enter into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in
whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of capital
stock of the Company.
The Company received approximately $37,447,100 in net proceeds from the
February Offering after deducting the discounts, commissions and otherestimated offering expenses payable by the Company. The Company plans to use
the net proceeds from the February Offering for working capital, product
development, order fulfillment and for general corporate purposes.
33
Management believes that it has adequate funding to support its business operations for the foreseeable future as a result of the funds raised by the January Offering and the February Offering.
The Company has increased its addressable market to non-law enforcement customers and obtained new non-law enforcement contracts in 2020 and 2019, which contracts include recurring revenue during the period from 2020 to 2023. The Company believes that its quality control and cost cutting initiatives, expansion to non-law enforcement sales channels and new product introduction will eventually restore positive operating cash flows and profitability, although it can offer no assurances in this regard. The extent to which our future operating results are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic will largely depend on future developments which cannot be accurately predicted, including the duration and scope of the pandemic, governmental and business responses to the pandemic and the impact on the global economy, our customers' demand for our products and services, and our ability to provide our products and services, particularly as a result of our employees working remotely and/or the closure of certain offices and facilities. While these factors are uncertain, we believe that the COVID-19 pandemic and/or the perception of its effects will have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. OnMarch 3, 2020 , the Company consummated an underwritten public offering of 2,521,740 shares of common stock (the "March Offering"). The shares of Common Stock in the March Offering were sold at a public offering price of$1.15 per share. The gross proceeds to the Company from the March Offering, before deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and other estimated offering expenses, and assuming the underwriters would not exercise their over-allotment option, were approximately$2.9 million . The net proceeds to the Company from the offering, after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and the non-accountable expense reimbursement, but before deducting other expenses in connection with the offering, and assuming the underwriters would not exercise their over-allotment option, were approximately$2.67 million . The Company intends to use the net proceeds from this offering to fund the repayment of debt and for general corporate purposes. We had warrants outstanding exercisable to purchase 3,388,364 shares of Common Stock at a weighted average exercise price$6.24 per share outstanding as ofDecember 31, 2020 . In addition, there are Common Stock options outstanding exercisable to purchase 838,313 shares of Common Stock at an average price of$3.20 per share. We could potentially use such outstanding warrants to provide near-term liquidity if we could induce their holders to exercise their warrants by adjusting/lowering the exercise price on a temporary or permanent basis if the exercise price was below the then market price of our Common Stock, although we can offer no assurances in this regard. Ultimately, we must restore profitable operations and positive cash flows to provide liquidity to support our operations and, if necessary, to raise capital on commercially reasonable terms in 2021, although we can offer no assurances in this regard. OnJune 4, 2020 , the Company consummated an underwritten public offering (the "First June Offering") of 3,090,909 shares of Common Stock. The First June Offering was conducted pursuant to an underwriting agreement, datedJune 2, 2020 (the "First June Underwriting Agreement"), between the Company andAegis Capital Corp. , as representative of the underwriters (the "Underwriter"), at a public offering price of$1.65 per share, for gross proceeds of approximately$5.1 million , before deducting underwriting discounts and other offering expenses. Pursuant to the First June Underwriting Agreement, the Company granted the Underwriters a forty-five (45)-day option to purchase up to an additional 463,636 shares of Common Stock at the public offering price, less underwriting discounts and commissions, to cover over-allotments, if any (the "First June Option Shares"). OnJune 8, 2020 , the Underwriters fully exercised their over-allotment option to acquire the First June Option Shares at$1.65 per share, and the offering of the First June Option Shares closed onJune 8, 2020 . The exercise of such over-allotment option resulted in additional gross proceeds, before deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and other estimated offering expenses, of$764,999.40 , which the Company used for working capital purposes throughout the year. OnJune 10, 2020 , the Company consummated an underwritten public offering (the "Second June Offering") of 2,325,581 shares of Common Stock. The Second June Offering was conducted pursuant to the terms of an underwriting agreement, datedJune 8, 2020 (the "Second June Underwriting Agreement"), with the Underwriter, at a public offering price of$2.15 per share, for gross proceeds of approximately$5.0 million , before deducting underwriting discounts and other offering expenses. The Underwriters also fully exercised their over-allotment option, under the terms of the Second June Underwriting Agreement, to acquire an additional 213,953 shares of Common Stock (the "Second June Option Shares") at the public offering price, for additional gross proceeds of$459,998.95 , before deducting underwriting discounts and other offering expenses. The Company used the net proceeds from the Second June Offering for working capital purposes throughout the year. The First June Offering and the Second June Offering were registered pursuant to the Company's effective shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-225227), which was initially filed with theSEC onMay 25, 2018 , and was declared effective onJune 6, 2018 , and the related base prospectus included in such registration statement, as supplemented by the prospectus supplement datedJune 2, 2020 .
Our Common Stock is currently listed on The Nasdaq Capital Market. In order to maintain our listing, we must satisfy minimum financial and other continued listing requirements and standards, including those regarding director independence and independent committee requirements, minimum stockholders' equity, minimum share price, and certain corporate governance requirements. There can be no assurances that we will be able to comply with the applicable listing standards. See "Nasdaq Listing" below. We had$4,361,758 of available cash and equivalents and net working capital of$14,109,500 as ofDecember 31, 2020 . Net working capital as ofDecember 31, 2020 included approximately$1.7 million of accounts receivable and$8.2 million
of current inventory. 34 Cash, cash equivalents: As ofDecember 31, 2020 , we had cash and cash equivalents with an aggregate balance of$4,361,758 , an increase from a balance of$359,685 atDecember 31, 2019 . Summarized immediately below and discussed in more detail in the subsequent subsections are the main elements of the$4,002,073 net increase in cash during the year endedDecember 31, 2020 : ? Operating$13,274,715 of net cash used in operating activities. activities: Net cash used in operating activities was$13,274,715 and$1,124,373 for the years endedDecember 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively, a deterioration of$12,150,342 . The deterioration is attributable to the net loss incurred for 2020, the non-cash gain attributable to the change in value of the PIA obligation, the usage of cash to increase inventory, accounts receivable, other operating assets and the reduction of accounts payable during the year endedDecember 31, 2020 compared to the same period in 2019. ? Investing$1,499,189 of net cash used in investing activities. activities: Cash used in investing activities was$1,499,189 and$266,144 for the years endedDecember 31, 2020 and 2019 respectively. In 2020 we incurred costs for: (i) the purchase of a warehouse building; (ii) the build out of the new leased office and warehouse space; (iii) the tooling of new products; (iv) patent applications on our proprietary technology utilized in our new products and included in intangible assets; (v) a$250,000 investment the Company made in a private company; and (vi) issuance of$800,000 in secured notes in other companies. ? Financing$18,775,977 of net cash provided by financing activities: activities. Cash used in financing activities was$18,775,977 for the year endedDecember 31, 2020 compared to cash provided by$1,848,605 for the year endedDecember 31, 2019 . In 2020, we closed several underwritten public offerings of our Common Stock, which generated$12.8 million of cash, we received total proceeds of$5.2 million from the exercise of common stock purchase warrants and we received a total of$1.6 million in borrowings under the PPP and EIDL programs administered by the SBA. InApril 2020 , we received net proceeds of$1,500,000 from the issuance of the convertible notes with detachable common stock purchase warrants. In addition, we received$419,000 in proceeds from the issuance of unsecured promissory notes payable during the year endedDecember 31, 2020 . These 2020 financing cash inflows were offset by the extinguishment of the PIA obligation and the repayment of principal on the secured convertible notes and unsecured promissory notes. During 2019, we received$2,500,000 in proceeds from the issuance of convertible debt and$1,564,000 of proceeds from the exercise of common stock purchase warrants offset by the$6 million payment on the PIA.
The net result of these activities was an increase in cash of
Commitments: We had$4,361,758 of cash and cash equivalents and net positive working capital$14,109,500 as ofDecember 31, 2020 . Accounts receivable balances represented$1,705,461 of our net working capital atDecember 31, 2020 . We intend to collect our outstanding receivables on a timely basis and reduce the overall level during 2021, which would help to provide positive cash flow to support our operations during 2021. Inventory represented$8,202,274 of our net working capital atDecember 31, 2020 and finished goods represented$6,974,291 of total current and non-current inventory. We are actively managing the level of inventory and our goal is to reduce such level during 2021 by our sales activities, the increase of which should provide additional cash flow to help support our operations during 2021. Capital Expenditures. We had no material commitments for capital expenditures atDecember 31, 2020 however, onFebruary 24, 2021 the Company entered into a contract to purchase a 71,361 square foot building located inLenexa, Kansas , which is intended to serve as the Company's office and warehouse needs. The building contains approximately 30,000 square foot of office space and the remainder warehouse space. The total purchase price is approximately$5.3 million and is expected to close on or aroundMay 1, 2021 . 35 Lease commitments. OnMay 13, 2020 , the Company entered into an operating lease for new warehouse and office space, which will serve as its new principal executive office and primary business location. The original lease agreement was amended onAugust 28, 2020 to correct the footage under lease and monthly payment amounts resulting from such correction. The lease terms, as amended include no base rent for the first nine months and monthly payments ranging from$12,398 to$14,741 thereafter, with a termination date ofDecember 2026 . The Company is responsible for property taxes, utilities, insurance and its proportionate share of common area costs related to its new location. The Company took possession of the leased facilities onJune 15, 2020 . The remaining lease term for the Company's office and warehouse operating lease as ofDecember 31, 2020 was seventy-one months. The Company's previous office and warehouse space lease expired inApril 2020 and the Company paid holdover rent for the time period until it moved to and commenced occupying the new space on June
15, 2020. The Company entered into an operating lease with a third party inOctober 2019 for copiers used for office and warehouse purposes. The terms of the lease include 48 monthly payments of$1,598 with a maturity date ofOctober 2023 . The Company has the option to Purchase the equipment at maturity for its estimated fair market value at that point in time. The remaining lease term for the Company's copier operating lease as ofDecember 31, 2020 was 34 months. Lease expense related to the office space and copier operating leases was recorded on a straight-line basis over the lease term. Total lease expense under the two operating leases was approximately$349,079 for the year endedDecember 31, 2020 .
The discount rate implicit within the Company's operating leases was not generally determinable, and therefore, the Company determined the discount rate based on its incremental borrowing rate on the information available at commencement date. As of commencement date, the operating lease liabilities reflect a weighted average discount rate of 8%.
The following sets forth the operating lease right of use assets and liabilities
as of
Assets:
Operating lease right of use assets $ 753,175
Liabilities:
Operating lease obligations-current portion $ 113,484
Operating lease obligations-less current portion $ 723,272
Total operating lease obligations $ 836,756 Following are the minimum lease payments for each year and in total.
Year ending December 31 :
2021 $ 175,249
2022 184,145
2023 184,241
2024 171,642
Thereafter 333,705
Total undiscounted minimum future lease payments 1,048,982
Imputed interest (212,226 )
Total operating lease liability $ 836,756
36
Litigation.
From time to time, we are notified that we may be a party to a lawsuit or that a
claim is being made against us. It is our policy to not disclose the specifics
of any claim or threatened lawsuit until the summons and complaint are actually
served on us. After carefully assessing the claim, and assuming we determine
that we are not at fault or we disagree with the damages or relief demanded, we
vigorously defend any lawsuit filed against us. We record a liability when
losses are deemed probable and reasonably estimable. When losses are deemed
reasonably possible but not probable, we determine whether it is possible to
provide an estimate of the amount of the loss or range of possible losses for
the claim, if material for disclosure. In evaluating matters for accrual and
disclosure purposes, we take into consideration factors such as our historical
experience with matters of a similar nature, the specific facts and
circumstances asserted, the likelihood of our prevailing, the availability of
insurance, and the severity of any potential loss. We reevaluate and update
accruals as matters progress over time.
While the ultimate resolution is unknown we do not expect that these lawsuits
will individually, or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect to our
results of operations, financial condition or cash flows. However, the outcome
of any litigation is inherently uncertain and there can be no assurance that any
expense, liability or damages that may ultimately result from the resolution of
these matters will be covered by our insurance or will not be in excess of
amounts recognized or provided by insurance coverage and will not have a
material adverse effect on our operating results, financial condition or cash
flows. See Item 3, "Legal Proceedings," of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for
information on our litigation.
Nasdaq Listing.
On July 11, 2019 , we were officially notified by The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC
that, for the previous 30 consecutive business days, the minimum Market Value of
Listed Securities (the "MVLS") for our Common Stock was below the $35 million
minimum MVLS requirement for continued listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market
under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(b)(2) (the "MVLS Rule"). In accordance with
Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810(c)(3)(C ), we had 180 calendar days, or until January 7,
2020 , to regain compliance with the MVLS Rule, or in the alternative, the
minimum stockholders' equity requirement of $2,500,000 . To regain compliance
with the MVLS Rule, the minimum MVLS for our Common Stock must have been at
least $35 million for a minimum of 10 consecutive business days at any time
during this 180-day period. If we failed to regain compliance with either the
MVLS Rule or the minimum stockholders' equity requirement by January 7, 2020 , we
could have been delisted from Nasdaq.
On January 8, 2020 , we received a determination letter (the "Letter") from the
staff of The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (the "Staff") stating that we had not
regained compliance with the MVLS Standard, since our Common Stock was below the
$35 million minimum MVLS requirement for continued listing on Nasdaq under the
MLVS Rule and had not been at least $35 million for a minimum of 10 consecutive
business days at any time during the 180-day grace period granted to us.
Pursuant to the Letter, unless we requested a hearing to appeal this
determination by 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on January 15, 2020 , our Common Stock
would have been delisted from the Nasdaq Capital Market, trading of our Common
Stock would have been suspended at the opening of business on January 17, 2020 ,
and a Form 25-NSE would have been filed with the SEC , which would have removed
our Common Stock from listing and registration on The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC .
On January 13, 2020 , we requested a hearing before the Nasdaq Hearings Panel
(the "Panel") to appeal the Letter and a hearing was set for February 20, 2020 .
In anticipation of such hearing, we were asked to provide the Panel with a plan
to regain compliance with the minimum MLVS requirement under the MLVS Rule,
which needed to include a discussion of the events that we believe will enable
us to timely regain compliance with the minimum MLVS requirement, or in the
alternative, the minimum shareholders' equity requirement. On January 21, 2020 ,
we submitted a compliance plan that we believed was sufficient to permit us to
regain compliance with the minimum stockholders' equity requirement. On February
20, 2020 , we appeared before the Panel to discuss our plan to regain compliance,
including, but not limited to, complying with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(b)(1),
which is the minimum stockholders' equity standard for continued listing, which
requires that companies listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market maintain a minimum
of $2,500,000 in stockholders' equity ("Rule 5550(b)(1)"). On March 6, 2020 , we
received written notice from the Panel indicating that, based on the plan of
compliance that we had presented at such hearing, the Panel granted our request
for the continued listing of our Common Stock on Nasdaq, subject to, among other
things, us keeping the Staff updated on the progress of our compliance plan and
ultimately being able to evidence shareholder equity in an amount greater than
or equal to $2,500,000 in accordance with Rule 5550(b)(1) no later than June 30,
2020 . During this time, our Common Stock remained listed and trading on theNasdaq Capital Market. 37 OnJune 4, 2020 andJune 10, 2020 , we consummated underwritten public offerings identified above and raised aggregate gross proceeds of approximately$11.3 million , before underwriting discounts and commissions and other estimated expenses of such offerings. As a result of such offerings, we achieved compliance with Rule 5550(b)(1) and onJune 18, 2020 we received written notice from the Staff stating that we had regained compliance with such rule and the matter is now closed.
OnApril 22, 2020 , we received a written notification fromThe Nasdaq Stock Market LLC indicating that we were not in compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(2), as the closing bid price for our Common Stock was below$1.00 per share for the last thirty (30) consecutive business days. Pursuant to Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810(c)(3)(A), we were granted a 180-calendar day compliance period to regain compliance with the minimum bid price requirement. Subsequently, the 180-day grace period to regain compliance with such minimum bid price requirement under applicableNasdaq Stock Market LLC rules was extended due to the global market impact caused by COVID-19. More specifically,The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC stated that the compliance periods for any company previously notified about non-compliance would be suspended effectiveApril 16, 2020 , throughJune 30, 2020 . OnJuly 1, 2020 , companies not in compliance would receive the balance of any pending compliance period exception to come back into compliance with such minimum bid price requirement. As a result of this extension, we had untilDecember 28, 2020 , to regain compliance with such minimum bid price requirement. During the compliance period, our Common Stock would still continue to be listed and traded on the Nasdaq Capital Market. To regain compliance, the closing bid price of the Common Stock had to have met or exceeded$1.00 per share for at least ten (10) consecutive business days byDecember 28, 2020 . OnJune 11, 2020 , our Common Stock met such minimum bid price requirement, as the closing sale price of our Common Stock had equaled or exceeded$1.00 per share on the Nasdaq Capital Market at the close of each trading day sinceMay 29, 2020 , and we received written notice from the Staff stating that the Company regained compliance with such requirement and the matter is now closed. 401 (k) Plan. The Company sponsors a 401(k) retirement savings plan for the benefit of its employees. The plan, as amended, requires the Company to provide 100% matching contributions for employees, who elect to contribute up to 3% of their compensation to the plan and 50% matching contributions for employee's elective deferrals on the next 2% of their contributions. The Company made matching contributions totaling$110,491 and$108,688 for the years endedDecember 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. Each participant is 100% vested at all times in employee and employer matching contributions. Consulting and Distributor Agreements. The Company entered into an agreement that required it to make monthly payments that will be applied to future commissions and/or consulting fees to be earned by the provider. The agreement is with a limited liability company ("LLC") that is minority owned by a relative of the Company's chief financial officer. Under the agreement, datedJanuary 15, 2016 and as amended onFebruary 13, 2017 , the LLC provides consulting services for developing a new distribution channel outside of law enforcement for its body-worn camera and related cloud storage products to customers inthe United States . The Company advanced amounts to the LLC against commissions ranging from$5,000 to$6,000 per month plus necessary and reasonable expenses for the period throughJune 30, 2017 , which can be automatically extended based on the LLC achieving minimum sales quotas. The agreement was renewed inJanuary 2017 for a period of three years, subject to yearly minimum sales thresholds that would allow the Company to terminate the contract if such minimums are not met. As ofDecember 31, 2020 , the Company had advanced a total of$274,731 pursuant to this agreement which has been fully reserved for a net advance of$-0 -. The minimum sales threshold was not met, and the Company discontinued all advances, although the contract has not been formally terminated. However, the exclusivity provisions of the agreement have been terminated. OnJune 1, 2018 , the Company entered into an agreement with an individual that required it to make monthly payments that will be applied to future commissions and/or consulting fees to be earned by the provider. Under the agreement, the individual provides consulting services for developing new distribution channels both inside and outside of law enforcement for its in-car and body-worn camera systems and related cloud storage products to customers within and outsidethe United States . The Company was required to advance amounts to the individual as an advance against commissions of$7,000 per month plus necessary and reasonable expenses for the period throughAugust 31, 2018 , which was extended toDecember 31, 2018 by mutual agreement of the parties at$6,000 per month. The parties have mutually agreed to further extend the arrangement on a monthly basis at$5,000 per month. The Company had advanced a total of$53,332 pursuant to this agreement, untilSeptember 2020 when the agreement was mutually terminated, thus as ofDecember 31, 2020 the Company had advanced$-0 - pursuant to this agreement. 38 Critical Accounting Policies Our significant accounting policies are summarized in Note 1, "Nature of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies," to our consolidated financial statements. While the selection and application of any accounting policy may involve some level of subjective judgments and estimates, we believe the following accounting policies are the most critical to our financial statements, potentially involve the most subjective judgments in their selection and application, and are the most susceptible to uncertainties and changing conditions: ? Revenue Recognition / Allowance for Doubtful Accounts; ? Allowance for Excess and Obsolete Inventory; ? Warranty Reserves; ? Stock-based Compensation Expense; and ? Accounting for Income Taxes.
Revenue Recognition / Allowances for Doubtful Accounts. Revenue is recognized for the shipment of products or delivery of service when all five of the following conditions are met:
(i) Identify the contract with the customer;
(ii) Identify the performance obligations in the contract;
(iii) Determine the transaction price;
(iv) Allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in
the contract; and
(v) Recognize revenue when a performance obligation is satisfied.
We consider the terms and conditions of the contract and our customary business
practices in identifying our contracts under ASC 606. We determine we have a
contract when the customer order is approved, we can identify each party's
rights regarding the services to be transferred, we can identify the payment
terms for the services, we have determined the customer has the ability and
intent to pay and the contract has commercial substance. At contract inception
we evaluate whether the contract includes more than one performance obligation.
We apply judgment in determining the customer's ability and intent to pay, which
is based on a variety of factors, including the customer's historical payment
experience or, in the case of a new customer, credit and financial information
pertaining to the customer.
Performance obligations promised in a contract are identified based on the services and the products that will be transferred to the customer that are both capable of being distinct, whereby the customer can benefit from the service either on its own or together with other resources that are readily available from third parties or from us, and are distinct in the context of the contract, whereby the transfer of the services and the products is separately identifiable from other promises in the contract. Our performance obligations consist of (i) products, (ii) professional services, and (iii) extended warranties. 39
The transaction price is determined based on the consideration to which we
expect to be entitled in exchange for transferring services to the customer.
Variable consideration is included in the transaction price if, in our judgment
it is probable that a significant future reversal of cumulative revenue under
the contract will not occur. None of our contracts contain a significant
financing component.
If the contract contains a single performance obligation, the entire transaction
price is allocated to the single performance obligation. Contracts that contain
multiple performance obligations require an allocation of the transaction price
to each performance obligation based on the relative standalone selling price
("SSP").
Revenue is recognized at the time the related performance obligation is
satisfied by transferring the control of the promised service to a customer.
Revenue is recognized when control of the service is transferred to the
customer, in an amount that reflects the consideration that we expect to receive
in exchange for our services. We generate all our revenue from contracts with
customers.
We review all significant, unusual or nonstandard shipments of product or
delivery of services as a routine part of our accounting and financial reporting
process to determine compliance with these requirements. Extended warranties are
offered on selected products, and when a customer purchases an extended warranty
the associated proceeds are treated as contract liability and recognized over
the term of the extended warranty.
Our principal customers are state, local and federal law enforcement agencies,
which historically have been low risks for uncollectible accounts. However, we
have commercial customers and international distributors that present a greater
risk for uncollectible accounts than such law enforcement customers and we
consider a specific reserve for bad debts based on their individual
circumstances. Our historical bad debts have been negligible, with less than
$258,000 charged off as uncollectible on cumulative revenues of $238.9 million
since we commenced deliveries during 2006. As of December 31, 2020 , and 2019, we
had provided a reserve for doubtful accounts of $123,224 and $123,224 ,
respectively.
We periodically perform a specific review of significant individual receivables
outstanding for risk of loss due to uncollectability. Based on such review, we
consider our reserve for doubtful accounts to be adequate as of December 31,
2020 . However, should the balance due from any significant customer ultimately
become uncollectible then our allowance for bad debts will not be sufficient to
cover the charge-off and we will be required to record additional bad debt
expense in our statement of operations.
Allowance for Excess and Obsolete Inventory. We record valuation reserves on our
inventory for estimated excess or obsolete inventory items. The amount of the
reserve is equal to the difference between the cost of the inventory and the
estimated market value based upon assumptions about future demand and market
conditions. On a quarterly basis, management performs an analysis of the
underlying inventory to identify reserves needed for excess and obsolescence.
Management uses its best judgment to estimate appropriate reserves based on this
analysis. In addition, we adjust the carrying value of inventory if the current
market value of that inventory is below its cost.
Inventories consisted of the following at
December 31, 2020 December 31, 2019
Raw material and component parts $ 3,186,426 $ 4,481,611 Work-in-process 1,907 35,858 Finished goods 6,974,291 4,906,956 Subtotal 10,162,625 9,424,425
Reserve for excess and obsolete inventory (1,960,351 )
(4,144,013 )
Total inventories $ 8,202,274 $ 5,280,412
40
We balance the need to maintain strategic inventory levels to ensure competitive
delivery performance to our customers against the risk of inventory obsolescence
due to changing technology and customer requirements. As reflected above, our
inventory reserves represented 19.3% of the gross inventory balance at December
31, 2020 , compared to 38.2% of the gross inventory balance at December 31, 2019 .
We had $1,960,351 and $4,144,013 in reserves for obsolete and excess inventories
at December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. Total raw materials and component
parts were $3,186,427 and $4,481,611 at December 31, 2020 and 2019,
respectively, a decrease of $1,295,185 (29%). During June 2020 , the Company
moved to new and smaller warehouse facilities and during the move sorted through
its entire inventory and disposed of all excess and obsolete inventory rather
than moving such distressed products to the new location which contributed to
the significant decrease in the cost of raw materials and component parts. We
scrapped older version inventory component parts that were mostly or fully
reserved in 2020, which was the primary cause for the decrease in total raw
materials and component parts. Finished goods balances were $6,974,291 and
$4,906,956 at December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively, an increase of
$2,067,335 (42%). The increase in finished goods was primarily attributable to
accumulating inventory for the new Shield and ThermoVU product lines. The
decrease in the inventory reserve is primarily due to the scrapping of older
version legacy products that were mostly or fully reserved during 2020 as a
result of moving our warehouse and office location. The remaining reserve for
inventory obsolescence is generally provided for the level of component parts of
the older versions of our printed circuit boards and the phase out of our
DVM-750, DVM-500 Plus and LaserAlly legacy products. We believe the reserves are
appropriate given our inventory levels at December 31, 2020 .
If actual future demand or market conditions are less favorable than those
projected by management or significant engineering changes to our products that
are not anticipated and appropriately managed, additional inventory write-downs
may be required in excess of the inventory reserves already established.
Warranty Reserves. We generally provide up to a two-year parts and labor
standard warranty on our products to our customers. Provisions for estimated
expenses related to product warranties are made at the time products are sold.
These estimates are established using historical information on the nature,
frequency, and average cost of claims. We actively study trends of claims and
take action to improve product quality and minimize claims. Our warranty
reserves were increased to $31,845 as of December 31, 2020 compared to $17,838
as of December 31, 2019 as we begin to slow our warranty exposures through the
roll-off of DVM-750 and DVM-800 units from warranty coverage. Standard warranty
exposure on the DVM-800 and DVM-250plus are the responsibility of the contract
manufacturers which reduced our overall warranty exposure as these are very
popular products in our line. There is a risk that we will have higher warranty
claim frequency rates and average cost of claims than our history has indicated
on our legacy mirror products on our new products for which we have limited
experience. Actual experience could differ from the amounts estimated requiring
adjustments to these liabilities in future periods.
Stock-based Compensation Expense. We grant stock options to our employees and
directors and such benefits provided are share-based payment awards which
require us to make significant estimates related to determining the value of our
share-based compensation. Our expected stock-price volatility assumption is
based on historical volatilities of the underlying stock that are obtained from
public data sources and there were 255,000 stock options granted during theyear endedDecember 31, 2020 . If factors change and we develop different assumptions in future periods, the compensation expense that we record in the future may differ significantly from what we have recorded in the current period. There is a high degree of subjectivity involved when using option pricing models to estimate share-based compensation. Changes in the subjective input assumptions can materially affect our estimates of fair values of our share-based compensation. Certain share-based payment awards, such as employee stock options, may expire worthless or otherwise result in zero intrinsic value compared to the fair values originally estimated on the grant date and reported in our financial statements. Alternatively, values may be realized from these instruments that are significantly in excess of the fair values originally estimated on the grant date and reported in our financial statements. Although the fair value of employee share-based awards is determined using an established option pricing model, that value may not be indicative of the fair value observed in a willing buyer/willing seller market transaction. In addition, we account for forfeitures as they occur. Accounting for Income Taxes. Accounting for income taxes requires significant estimates and judgments on the part of management. Such estimates and judgments include, but are not limited to, the effective tax rate anticipated to apply to tax differences that are expected to reverse in the future, the sufficiency of taxable income in future periods to realize the benefits of net deferred tax assets and net operating losses currently recorded and the likelihood that tax positions taken in tax returns will be sustained on audit. 41 As required by authoritative guidance, we record deferred tax assets or liabilities based on differences between financial reporting and tax bases of assets and liabilities using currently enacted rates that will be in effect when the differences are expected to reverse. Authoritative guidance also requires that deferred tax assets be reduced by a valuation allowance if it is more likely than not that all or some portion of the deferred tax asset will not be realized. As ofDecember 31, 2019 , cumulative valuation allowances in the amount of$23,740,000 were recorded in connection with the net deferred income tax assets. Based on a review of our deferred tax assets and recent operating performance, we determined that our valuation allowance should be increased by$855,000 to a balance of$24,595,000 to fully reserve our deferred tax assets atDecember 31, 2020 . We determined that it was appropriate to continue to provide a full valuation reserve on our net deferred tax assets as ofDecember 31, 2020 because of the overall net operating loss carryforwards available. We expect to continue to maintain a full valuation allowance until we determine that we can sustain a level of profitability that demonstrates our ability to realize these assets. To the extent we determine that the realization of some or all of these benefits is more likely than not based upon expected future taxable income, a portion or all of the valuation allowance will be reversed. Such a reversal would be recorded as an income tax benefit and, for some portion related to deductions for stock option exercises, an increase in shareholders' equity. As required by authoritative guidance, we have performed a comprehensive review of our portfolio of uncertain tax positions in accordance with recognition standards established by the FASB, an uncertain tax position represents our expected treatment of a tax position taken in a filed tax return or planned to be taken in a future tax return, that has not been reflected in measuring income tax expense for financial reporting purposes. We have no recorded liability as ofDecember 31, 2020 representing uncertain tax positions. We have generated substantial deferred income tax assets related to our operations primarily from the charge to compensation expense taken for stock options, certain tax credit carryforwards and net operating loss carryforwards. For us to realize the income tax benefit of these assets, we must generate sufficient taxable income in future periods when such deductions are allowed for income tax purposes. In some cases where deferred taxes were the result of compensation expense recognized on stock options, our ability to realize the income tax benefit of these assets is also dependent on our share price increasing to a point where these options have intrinsic value at least equal to the grant date fair value and are exercised. In assessing whether a valuation allowance is needed in connection with our deferred income tax assets, we have evaluated our ability to generate sufficient taxable income in future periods to utilize the benefit of the deferred income tax assets. We continue to evaluate our ability to use recorded deferred income tax asset balances. If we fail to generate taxable income for financial reporting in future years, no additional tax benefit would be recognized for those losses, since we will not have accumulated enough positive evidence to support our ability to utilize net operating loss carryforwards in the future. Therefore, we may be required to increase our valuation allowance in future periods should our assumptions regarding the generation of future taxable income not be realized. Inflation and Seasonality
Inflation has not materially affected us during the past fiscal year. We do not believe that our business is seasonal in nature; however, we generally generate higher revenues during the second half of the calendar year compared to the first half.
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