Absolute Software Reports Third Quarter Fiscal 2011 Results

May 09, 2011

Company Continues Year-over-year Sales Growth Trend

Vancouver, Canada: May 9, 2011 – Absolute® Software Corporation (“Absolute” or the “Company”) (TSX: ABT), the leading provider of firmware-based, patented, computer theft recovery, data protection and secure computer lifecycle management solutions that reduce IT costs, prove regulatory compliance, respond to computer theft, and optimize productivity, today announced its financial results for the three- and nine-month periods ended March 31, 2011. All figures are in Canadian dollars unless otherwise stated.

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Q3-F2011 Highlights

  • Recorded record third quarter sales contracts of $17.2 million ($18.1 million in constant currency), representing an increase of 15% (21% in constant currency) over Q3-F2010
  • Closed the quarter with a subscription base of 6.1 million, up 11% from 5.5 million at March 31, 2010
  • Announced availability of endpoint security and management solutions for Verizon Wireless enterprise customers
  • Launched closed beta trial of Computrace® Mobile for the Android platform, with general availability as of May 3, 2011
  • Extended data and device protection capabilities with launch of Absolute Secure Drive to manage self-encrypted drives
  • Expanded LoJack for Laptops distribution to major online, B2B and retail outlets through partnership with SYX Distribution, a company that is an affiliate of and distributor for TigerDirect, CompUSA and CircuitCity.com
  • Repurchased 572,470 shares in the quarter under the Company’s Normal Course Issuer Bid
  • Subsequent to quarter end, the Company’s Board of Directors appointed Ian Reid as Lead Director

“We entered fiscal 2011 focused on growing sales contracts, controlling costs and increasing cash from operations, and as evidenced by our year-to-date results, we are beginning to deliver on these fronts,” said John Livingston, Chairman and CEO of Absolute. “Recent investment in the business and favorable trends in the computer refresh cycle are fueling commercial sales in our Computrace business and driving momentum for Absolute Manage. In addition, our new offerings for mobile device and self-encrypting drive management are creating new opportunities for our businesses.”

Mr. Livingston continued, "I am also pleased to report that we are strengthening our corporate governance at the board level with the establishment of a lead director position. Absolute’s board of directors has appointed Ian Reid to assume this important role."

Financial Review

Sales Contracts for Q3-F2011 were $17.2 million ($18.1 million in constant currency), an increase of 15% (21% in constant currency) from $15.0 million in Q3-F2010. The increase was driven by strong results in both the Company’s commercial and consumer businesses, which saw year-over-year growth of 13% and 29%, respectively (19% and 35% in constant currency). Sales Contracts for the nine-month period (“year-to-date” or “YTD”) in F2011 were $57.1 million ($60.0 million in constant currency) an increase of 13% (19% in constant currency) compared to $50.3 million in the same period of F2010. For the YTD period, the Company’s commercial and consumer businesses increased 11% and 25%, respectively (17% and 31%, in constant currency) from the same period of F2010.

Within the consumer segment, non-bundled sales increased by 39% (48% in constant currency) in Q3- F2011, compared to Q3-F2010 and increased by 41% (50% in constant currency) for the comparative YTD period. Consumer solutions were 14% of Q3-F2011 sales, compared to 12% of Q3-F2010 sales and were 16% of sales for the YTD period, compared to 15% for the same period in F2010.

Existing commercial customers continued to produce a majority of Absolute’s sales, generating 75% of Q3-F2011 Sales Contracts (73% in Q3-F2010). For the YTD period, existing commercial customers generated 73% of Sales Contracts (71% in the same period of F2010).

Sales to new commercial customers were $1.9 million in Q3-F2011 ($2.0 million in constant currency) compared to $2.2 million in Q3-F2010, representing a decrease of 13% (9% in constant currency) and were $6.1 million for the YTD period ($6.4 million in constant currency) compared to $6.9 million for the prior year period, representing a decrease of 13% (9% in constant currency). The year-over-year decrease in new customer sales reflects a lower number of large deals recorded in the fiscal 2011 periods in spite of the fact that there have been more new customers acquired in the 2011 periods as compared to the 2010 periods.

International sales increased 136% to 17% of Q3-F2011 sales, up from 8% of sales in Q3-F2010 and increased to 12% of sales for the F2011 YTD period, up from 7% in the same period of F2010.

Revenue for Q3-F2011 was $18.0 million, an increase of 9% from $16.6 million in Q3-F2010. Revenue is typically a lagging performance indicator as it is a function of deferred revenue as opposed to invoiced sales in the quarter. For the YTD period, revenue was $53.2 million in F2011, an increase of 12% from $47.5 million in the same period of F2010. The majority of the revenue from Q3-F2011 Sales Contracts is included in the deferred revenue on the balance sheet at March 31, 2010, which was $106.4 million, compared to $102.8 million at June 30, 2010.

Adjusted Operating Expenses(4) for Q3-F2011 were $14.6 million, a decrease of 1% from $14.7 million in Q3-F2010. Adjusted Operating Expenses for Q3-F2011 are net of a $1.6 million positive adjustment for investment tax credits, and the Q3-F2010 figure is net of a $1.1 million positive adjustment to warranty accruals. Adjusted Operating Expenses for the YTD period were $47.9 million, up 3% from $46.3 million for the same period in F2010. The Company expects Adjusted Operating Expenses for the fourth quarter of F2011 to remain within the range experienced in the first three quarters the fiscal year.

Reflecting the Company’s 9% increase in revenue, its ongoing focus on cost control, as well as the adjustment for investment tax credits, Absolute generated Adjusted Operating Income(5) of $3.4 million in Q3-F2011, an increase of 83% from $1.9 million in Q3-F2010. For the YTD period, Adjusted Operating Income was $5.4 million, compared to $1.2 million in the prior year.

Absolute generated net income of $1.1 million in Q3-F2011 compared to break-even results in Q3- F2010. YTD the Company recorded a net loss of $1.7 million compared to a net loss of $4.3 million for the same period in F2010.

Quarterly Filings

Management’s discussion and analysis (“MD&A”), consolidated financial statements and notes thereto for Q3-F2011 can be obtained today from Absolute’s corporate website at www.absolute.com. The documents will also be available at www.sedar.com.

Notice of Conference Call

Absolute Software will hold a conference call to discuss the contents of this release on Monday, May 9, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. PT (5:00 p.m. ET). All interested parties can join the call by dialing 647-427-7450 or 1-888-231-8191. Please dial-in 15 minutes prior to the call to secure a line. The conference call will be archived for replay until Monday, May 16, 2011 at midnight.

A live audio webcast of the conference call will be available at www.absolute.com and www.newswire.ca. Please connect at least 15 minutes prior to the conference call to ensure adequate time for any software download that may be required to join the webcast.

An archived replay of the webcast will be available for 365 days at www.newswire.ca. To access the archived conference call, please dial 416-849-0833 or 1-800-642-1687 and enter the reservation code 50657141.

Non-GAAP Measures

Throughout this press release, we refer to a number of measures which we believe are meaningful in the assessment of the Company’s performance. All these metrics are non-standard measures under Canadian Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“GAAP”), and may not be identical to similarly titled measures reported by other companies. Readers are cautioned that the disclosure of these items is meant to add to, and not replace, the discussion of financial results or cash flows from operations as determined in accordance with Canadian GAAP. For a discussion of the purpose of these non-GAAP measures, please refer to the Company’s Third Quarter MD&A on SEDAR at www.SEDAR.com.

These measures, as well as their method of calculation or reconciliation to GAAP measures, are as follows:

  1. Basic and diluted Cash from Operating Activities per share

    As a result of the nature of our revenues (please refer to “Subscription Business Model” in the MD&A), we use Cash from Operating Activities as a measure of profitability. Accordingly, we believe that Cash from Operating Activities per share is a meaningful indicator of profitability per share. Cash from Operating Activities per share is calculated by dividing Cash from Operating Activities by the average number of shares outstanding for the period (basic), or using the treasury stock method (diluted).

  2. Sales Contracts

    See the “Subscription Business Model” section of the MD&A for a detailed discussion of why we believe Sales Contracts (“bookings”) provide a meaningful performance metric. Sales Contracts are a component of deferred revenue (see Note 3 of the Notes to the Interim Consolidated Financial Statements), and result from invoiced sales of our products and services.

  3. Sales Contracts in constant currency

    Approximately 95% of our Sales Contracts are denominated in U.S. dollars, and we believe this is important to consider when evaluating underlying sales performance. Sales Contracts in “constant currency” refers to the Canadian dollar sales that would have been reported had the average U.S. dollar foreign exchange rate been unchanged from the rate in the comparable period(s) of F2010, and is calculated by applying the appropriate U.S. dollar foreign exchange rate from the comparable period to the current period sales denominated in U.S. dollars.

    The average U.S. dollar to Canadian dollar exchange rate on sales was $0.984 in Q3-F2011 compared to $1.036 in Q3- F2010.

  4. Adjusted Operating Expenses

    A number of significant non-cash expenses are reported in our Cost of Revenue and Operating Expenses. Management believes that analyzing these expenses exclusive of these non-cash items provides a useful measure of the cash invested in the operations of its business. The non-cash items excluded in the determination of Adjusted Operating Expenses are stock-based compensation and amortization of acquired intangible assets. For a description of the reasons these items are adjusted, please refer to the Third Quarter MD&A.

  5. Adjusted Operating Income (Loss)

    Management believes that analyzing operating results exclusive of the significant non-cash items noted above provides a useful measure of Company’s performance. Adjusted Operating Income (Loss) refers to GAAP operating income excluding charges for stock-based compensation and amortization of acquired intangible assets.

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About Absolute Software

Absolute Software makes security work. We empower mission-critical performance with advanced cyber resilience. Embedded in more than 600 million devices, our cyber resilience platform delivers endpoint-to-network access security coverage, ensures automated security compliance, and enables operational continuity. Nearly 21,000 global customers trust Absolute to protect enterprise assets, fortify security and business applications, and provide a frictionless, always-on user experience. To learn more, visit www.absolute.com and follow us on LinkedIn.

©2024 Absolute Software Corporation. All rights reserved. ABSOLUTE, the ABSOLUTE logo, and NETMOTION are registered trademarks of Absolute Software Corporation or its subsidiaries. Other names or logos mentioned herein may be the trademarks of Absolute or their respective owners. The absence of the symbols ™ and ® in proximity to each trademark, or at all, herein is not a disclaimer of ownership of the related trademark.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements and financial outlook that involve risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements and financial outlook relate to, among other things, the expected performance, functionality and availability of the Company’s services and products, and other expectations, intentions and plans contained in this press release that are not historical facts. When used in this press release, the words “plan,” “expect,” “believe” and similar expressions generally identify forward-looking statements. These statements reflect the Company’s current expectations. They are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, changes in technology and general market conditions. In light of the many risks and uncertainties, readers of the press release should understand that Absolute cannot assure them that the forward-looking statements and financial outlook contained in this press release will be realized. Furthermore, the forward-looking statements and financial outlook contained in this press release are made as of the date hereof and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the included forward-looking statements and financial outlook, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable securities laws.

For more information, please contact:

Media Relations
Joe Franscella
[email protected]

ABSOLUTE SOFTWARE CORPORATION
Consolidated Balance Sheets

(Expressed in Canadian dollars) (Unaudited)


ABSOLUTE SOFTWARE CORPORATION
Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss)

Three and nine months ended March 31, 2011 and 2010
(Expressed in Canadian dollars) (Unaudited)


ABSOLUTE SOFTWARE CORPORATION
Consolidated Statements of Changes in Shareholders’ Deficiency

(Expressed in Canadian dollars) (Unaudited)


ABSOLUTE SOFTWARE CORPORATION
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

Three and nine months ended March 31, 2011 and 2010
(Expressed in Canadian dollars) (Unaudited)

Financial Services