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Net2Phone Reports 2nd Quarter Fiscal 2006 Financial
Results
NEWARK, NJ — March 7, 2006 — Net2Phone, Inc. (Nasdaq: NTOP), a leading Voice over IP
service provider, today announced results for the second quarter of fiscal 2006 ended January
31, 2006.
Firmwide revenue for the second quarter totaled $25.8 million, up 19% from revenue of $21.7
million from the prior quarter, and up 45% as compared with revenue of $17.8 million in the
second quarter of fiscal 2005 (which included a $2.0 million reduction in revenue that resulted
from a review of Net2Phone’s quarterly deferred revenue adequacy analysis).
Quarterly gross profit continued to improve, with second quarter gross profit of $10.5 million
on 41% gross margins, up from $9.1 million on 42% gross margins in the first quarter of fiscal
2006 and $6.4 million on 36% gross margins in the second quarter of fiscal 2005 (which
included a $2.0 million reduction in gross profit that resulted from a review of Net2Phone’s
quarterly deferred revenue adequacy analysis).
Net loss for the second quarter was ($4.1) million compared to a net loss of ($7.2) million in
the prior quarter and net loss of ($10.6) million in the second quarter of 2005. Net loss for the
second quarter includes an $8.1 million net gain resulting from the termination of agreements
with Altice One. During November 2005, Net2Phone received $18.8 million from Altice One, an
investment fund with interests in cable properties, due to a recent change in ownership of
those cable properties. The net gain generated by the termination of the Altice agreements,
which is reflected in Other income (loss) in second quarter financial results, includes buy-out
provision proceeds of $18.8 million reduced by a write-off of $6.9 million of Consideration paid
to customers, $3.4 million in impairment of equipment and internally developed software
related to the Altice deployments, and legal, arbitration and other expenses totaling $0.4
million. Net2Phone is seeking an additional payment from Altice of approximately €25 million,
which is the difference between $18.8 million (the amount of the initial payment) and the
buyout payment Net2Phone believes is required by the agreements. The financial statements
for the second quarter do not include any amounts relating to the aforementioned €25 million
nor any other claims or counterclaims of Altice and Net2Phone.
Net loss includes certain non-operational, non-cash and/or non-recurring items that
management excludes in assessing Net2Phone's performance. As a result, Net2Phone also
reports net income (loss) before special and non-cash items1 (adjusted for inventory
obsolescence expense, non-recurring selling, general and administrative expense, depreciation
and amortization, non-cash compensation, non-cash services provided by IDT, restructuring,
severance, impairment and other items, interest income net, and other income (loss)), which
excludes the impact that these aforementioned items have on Net2Phone's financial results.
Net loss before special and non-cash items for the quarter improved to ($3.8) million, as
compared with ($4.0) million in the prior quarter, and ($6.6) million in the second quarter of
2005 (which included a $2.0 million increase in net loss before special and non-cash items that
resulted from a review of Net2Phone’s quarterly deferred revenue adequacy analysis). Net loss
before special and non-cash items excludes, among other items, non-recurring selling, general
and administrative expense. Non-recurring selling, general and administrative expense for the
second quarter of fiscal 2006 of $2.4 million and $0.3 million in the prior quarter consisted
entirely of expenses directly related to the tender offer commenced by IDT Corporation on
November 10, 2005. Net income (loss) before special and non-cash items is not a term defined
by generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and may not be comparable to other
similarly titled measurements used by other companies. Such non-GAAP measures should be
considered in addition to, and not as a substitute for, performance measures calculated in
accordance with GAAP.
Net2Phone believes that net income (loss) before special and non-cash items provides
investors with a measure of Net2Phone’s operational and financial progress that corresponds
with the measurements used by management. Management uses this measurement, instead of
net income (loss), as a basis for allocating resources and making other daily operating
decisions. The accompanying table includes a detailed reconciliation of net loss reported in
accordance with generally accepted accounting principles to net loss before special and noncash
items.
Capital expenditures during the second quarter were $1.3 million, compared with $3.1 million
in the prior quarter, and $2.6 million in the second quarter of 2005.
As of January 31, 2006, cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities stood at $99.2
million, including $20.1 million of restricted funds.
As of the end of the quarter, Net2Phone had more than 85,000 broadband telephony
subscriber lines, including 13,000 subscribers from Altice One’s cable properties, which
Net2Phone is no longer servicing as a result of the aforementioned change of ownership of the
Altice cable properties. This is a 50% increase from 57,000 subscriber lines at the end of the
prior quarter and up more than 200% from 25,000 subscribers at the end of the second
quarter of 2005.
Distribution Channels
International Reseller: Revenue from Net2Phone’s partnerships with resellers including
licensed telecom operators was $15.4 million in the second quarter, up 24% from the prior
quarter’s revenue of $12.4 million and up 66% from $9.3 million in the second quarter of 2005
(which included a $1.1 million reduction in revenue that resulted from a review of Net2Phone’s
quarterly deferred revenue adequacy analysis). This significant growth is primarily attributable
to Net2Phone’s ability to sell its IP telephony services through multiple international channels,
including telecommunications operators, ISPs, retail stores and local distributors in 89
countries. Net2Phone contracts with telecommunications and other broadband providers to sell
a full suite of VoIP products to consumers and small businesses.
Cable: Revenue from partnerships with cable operators was $2.0 million in the second quarter,
up 39% from the prior quarter’s revenue of $1.5 million and up 518% from $0.3 million in the
second quarter of 2005. As of the end of the second quarter, Net2Phone had executed
contracts to serve cable operators serving franchises with over 3.2 million homes (including
520,000 homes in the Altice cable telephony properties), with cable telephony services
marketed to more than 1.5 million of these homes (including 520,000 homes in the Altice
cable telephony properties).
Consumer: Revenue from Net2Phone’s direct-to-consumer products and services was $5.8
million in the second quarter, as compared with $6.0 in the prior quarter and $5.2 million in
the second quarter of 2005 (which included a $0.9 million reduction in revenue that resulted
from a review of Net2Phone’s quarterly deferred revenue adequacy analysis). Consumer
products include rechargeable calling cards, PC2Phone, software-based calling applications,
and Voiceline broadband telephony services sold directly. Net2Phone has more than 100,000
active subscribers using various consumer services – and Net2Phone has kept that number
stable for the past few years.
Carrier: Revenue from Net2Phone’s sale of wholesale traffic capacity to carriers was $2.5
million in the second quarter, up 32% from the prior quarter’s revenue of $1.9 million and
down 17% from revenue of $3.0 million in the second quarter of 2005. Carrier is a low margin
business. The primary focus of the Carrier business is to satisfy Net2Phone’s wholesale carrier
purchasing needs as required to support its various products and services. Revenue is
generated via the sale of excess carrier capacity as market opportunities arise from time to
time. Growth this quarter was directly attributed to increased demand for excess capacity,
though this is the first quarter of revenue growth in six quarters. The volatility in carrier
revenue has impacted recent growth in Net2Phone’s overall revenue.
Merger Update
As previously reported, IDT Corporation, Net2Phone’s controlling stockholder, completed an
unsolicited tender offer for all of the outstanding shares of Net2Phone’s common stock that IDT
and its affiliates did not own for $2.05 per share in cash on January 27, 2006. On January 30,
2006, IDT announced that, as a result of the tender offer, IDT owned approximately 80.52% of
the then-outstanding capital stock and 85.75% of the then-outstanding voting power of
Net2Phone.
On February 17, 2006, IDT and Net2Phone jointly announced that they had executed a merger
agreement providing for the acquisition of Net2Phone by IDT. Under the terms and subject to
conditions described in the merger agreement, NTOP Acquisition, Inc., a wholly-owned
subsidiary of IDT, would merge with and into Net2Phone, with Net2Phone continuing as the
surviving corporation. If the merger is consummated, each issued and outstanding share of
common stock and Class A common stock of Net2Phone, other than shares held by IDT or its
subsidiaries or as to which dissenters’ rights have been perfected, will be canceled and
converted automatically into the right to receive $2.05 in cash, without interest.
Net2Phone filed preliminary solicitation materials with the Securities and Exchange Commission
(the “Commission”) on February 24, 2006, and intends to distribute final solicitation materials
to seek stockholders’ written consents to approve and adopt the merger and the merger
agreement as promptly as practicable. Net2Phone expects to close the merger promptly
following receipt of the requisite stockholder approval, subject to the closing conditions
described in the merger agreement. The Net2Phone board of directors is recommending that
Net2Phone’s stockholders approve the transaction.
As of March 3, 2006, Net2Phone shares beneficially owned by IDT represented approximately
87.2% of the voting power of Net2Phone’s outstanding capital stock. IDT has informed the
Independent Committee that it intends to grant its consent in favor of the merger agreement
and the merger. The consent of the shares controlled by IDT is sufficient under Delaware law
and the Net2Phone Certificate of Incorporation to adopt the merger agreement and approve
the merger. Accordingly, if the other conditions in the merger agreement are satisfied,
Net2Phone is likely to complete the merger whether or not its remaining shareholders grant
their consent.
THIS PRESS RELEASE SHALL NOT CONSTITUTE A SOLICITATION OF PROXIES FOR
ANY PURPOSE. NET2PHONE HAS FILED A PRELIMINARY SCHEDULE 14A AND
SCHEDULE 13E-3 WITH THE SEC IN CONNECTION WITH THE PROPOSED MERGER.
THE DEFINITIVE SCHEDULE 14A WILL CONTAIN A CONSENT SOLICITATION
STATEMENT AND OTHER DOCUMENTS FOR THE STOCKHOLDERS' TO CONSIDER IN
DECIDING HOW TO VOTE ON THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION. NET2PHONE PLANS TO
MAIL THE DEFINITIVE CONSENT SOLICITATION STATEMENT TO ITS STOCKHOLDERS.
THE DEFINITIVE CONSENT SOLICITATION STATEMENT WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT
INFORMATION ABOUT NET2PHONE, THE PROPOSED MERGER AND RELATED
MATTERS. INVESTORS AND STOCKHOLDERS SHOULD READ THE DEFINITIVE
CONSENT SOLICITATION STATEMENT AND THE OTHER DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE
COMMISSION IN CONNECTION WITH THE PROPOSED MERGER CAREFULLY BEFORE
THEY MAKE ANY DECISION WITH RESPECT TO THE TRANSACTION. THE CONSENT
SOLICITATION STATEMENT AND ALL OTHER DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE
COMMISSION IN CONNECTION WITH THE PROPOSED MERGER WILL BE AVAILABLE,
AS AND WHEN FILED, FREE OF CHARGE AT THE SEC'S WEB SITE, WWW.SEC.GOV. IN
ADDITION, THE CONSENT SOLICITATION STATEMENT AND ALL OTHER DOCUMENTS
FILED WITH THE COMMISSION IN CONNECTION WITH THE MERGER WILL BE MADE
AVAILABLE TO INVESTORS FREE OF CHARGE BY WRITING TO NET2PHONE AT THE
ADDRESS SET FORTH IN THIS PRESS RELEASE.
THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE SOLICITATION INCLUDE NET2PHONE, IDT
CORPORATION, HOWARD S. JONAS AND JAMES A. COURTER AND MAY INCLUDE THE
RESPECTIVE AFFILIATES, DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF NET2PHONE
AND IDT CORPORATION. INFORMATION CONCERNING THEM AND THEIR DIRECT AND
INDIRECT INTERESTS IN NET2PHONE IS CONTAINED IN THE PRELIMINARY
SCHEDULE 14A FILED WITH THE COMMISSION ON FEBRUARY 24, 2006.
About Net2Phone
Net2Phone provides VoIP PacketCable, SIP and wireless solutions around the world. As a
leader in turnkey hosted VoIP telephony services, Net2Phone has routed billions of VoIP
minutes globally, servicing more than 100,000 users in the US as well as hundreds of
thousands more overseas. Net2Phone provides partners with a SIP-based broadband telephony
solution, calling cards, prefix dialing and enterprise services in over 100 countries. Net2Phone
helps cable operators deliver a high-quality, primary-line-type service that includes emergency
calling, basic and enhanced features. For more information about Net2Phone's products and
services, please visit www.net2phone.com.
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of
the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and
actual results could differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements.
For this purpose, any statements contained in this press release that are not statements of
historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Factors which may affect
Net2Phone's results include, but are not limited to, Net2Phone's ability to satisfy in a timely
manner the requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the rules and
regulations adopted pursuant thereto, the Net2Phone's ability to expand its customer base,
Net2Phone's ability to develop additional and leverage its existing distribution channels for its
products and solutions, dependence on strategic and channel partners including their ability to
distribute Net2Phone's products and meet or renew their financial commitments, Net2Phone's
ability to address international markets, the effectiveness of Net2Phone's sales and marketing
activities, the acceptance of Net2Phone's products in the marketplace, the timing and scope of
deployments of Net2Phone's products by customers, fluctuations in customer sales cycles,
customers' ability to obtain additional funding, technical difficulties with respect to Net2Phone's
products or products in development, the need for ongoing product development in an
environment of rapid technological change, the emergence of new competitors in the
marketplace, Net2Phone's ability to compete successfully against established competitors with
greater resources, the uncertainty of future governmental regulation, Net2Phone's ability to
manage growth, obtain patent protection, and obtain additional funds, general economic
conditions and other risks discussed in this Press Release and in Net2Phone's filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission. In addition, the payment of any additional amount
related to the termination of the Altice agreements is uncertain, and will be affected by
uncertainties associated with any continued negotiation with Altice, or the results of arbitration
proceedings. Consequently, there can be no assurance that Net2Phone will receive any portion
of the additional €25 million and/or the additional claims it is seeking from Altice. All forwardlooking
statements and risk factors included in this document are made as of the date hereof,
based on information available to Net2Phone as of the date thereof, and Net2Phone assumes
no obligation to update any forward-looking statement or risk factors.
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