EX-99.1 2 b61929wtexv99w1.htm EX-99.1 PRESS RELEASE DATED AUGUST 9, 2006 exv99w1
 

Exhibit 99.1

(WIDERTHAN LOGO)
NEWS
For Immediate Release
Investor Contact
Tania Almond
WiderThan
571-521-1080
ir@widerthan.com


WiderThan Reports 2006 Second Quarter Results
Second Quarter Revenues Grow to $33.1 Million, an Increase of 49% Year-Over-Year;
New Customer Win in Ringback Tone Service Announced
Seoul, South Korea — August 9, 2006 — WiderThan Co., Ltd. (NASDAQ: WTHN), a leading global provider of integrated mobile entertainment solutions for wireless carriers, today reported financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2006 and issued financial guidance for the third quarter and fourth quarter of 2006.
Second quarter 2006 revenues were $33.1 million, an increase of 49% over the $22.2 million in the second quarter of 2005. Net income, calculated in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (US GAAP), for the second quarter of 2006 was $4.6 million, or $0.23 per diluted American Depositary Share (ADS), compared to $1.6 million or $0.08 per diluted ADS in the prior year period. Included in net income for the second quarter of 2006 was a non-cash, stock-based compensation charge of $0.7 million, compared to a charge of $0.6 million in the prior year period. Adjusted net income, which excludes non-cash stock compensation expense, was $5.2 million, or $0.26 per diluted ADS, in the second quarter of 2006, compared to an adjusted net income of $2.2 million, or $0.21 per diluted ADS, in the prior year period.
Commenting on the results, Sang Jun Park, WiderThan’s Chief Executive Officer, said, “WiderThan had a strong second quarter in 2006. I am also very pleased to announce that we have signed a new carrier customer for our Ringback Tone (RBT) Service. Service integration for this carrier is underway and we expect to launch service by the end of the third quarter of this year.”
F. Terry Kremian, WiderThan’s Global President, said, “Ringback tone subscribers outside Korea grew 20% sequentially in the second quarter of 2006 from the first quarter of 2006. Overall, we added a total of 1.5 million new RBT users bringing our total active RBT subscribers to 16.9 million.” Mr. Kremian added, “We continue to see solid consumer uptake for our carriers’ services in both ringback tone penetration and music-on-demand services.”
Cash, cash equivalents and short-term financial instruments on June 30, 2006, totaled $93.1 million. During the second quarter of 2006, WiderThan generated approximately $3.0 million in cash from operations. Hoseok Kim, WiderThan’s Chief Financial Officer, commented on the company’s finances saying, “Positive cash flow in the second quarter further enhances our strong balance sheet. In addition, we continue to improve our internal processes related to financial reporting which enables us to report our results in a more timely manner.”
Third and Fourth Quarter 2006 Outlook
WiderThan is issuing financial guidance for the third quarter and fourth quarter of 2006 based on information as of August 8, 2006. This guidance assumes that our major currency exchange rates remain constant.
         
    Third Quarter 2006   Fourth Quarter 2006
Net Revenues
  $31.0—$33.0 million   $34.8—$37.3 million
US GAAP Net Income
  $3.9—$4.3 million   $5.0—$5.6 million
Adjusted Net Income
  $4.5—$4.9 million   $5.6—$6.2 million
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Presentation, Conference Call and Web Cast
On Wednesday, August 9, 2006 at 4:15 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, WiderThan will post to its web site at http://ir.widerthan.com a prerecorded presentation and transcript of the WiderThan management team’s review of the company’s second quarter financial performance. There will be a live question and answer (Q&A) conference call to allow analysts and investors to ask questions of the WiderThan management team at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time that same day. A listen-only web cast of the Q&A session will be available at http://ir.widerthan.com. Those wishing to participate in the live Q&A session should use the following numbers to dial into the session:
Calling from the United States or Canada: 800-260-8140
Calling from other countries: 617-614-3672
Pass code: 11764871
An online replay of the presentation and Q&A web cast will be available at http://ir.widerthan.com following the completion of the live call and will remain available for at least 90 days.
Non-GAAP Measures
To supplement WiderThan’s consolidated financial statements presented in accordance with US GAAP, WiderThan uses non-US GAAP measures of certain components of financial performance, including adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) and adjusted net income, which are adjusted from our US GAAP results. These non-GAAP results provide useful information to both management and investors by excluding expenses which we believe may not be indicative of the Company’s core operating results. These measures should be considered in addition to results prepared in accordance with US GAAP, but should not be considered a substitute for, or superior to, US GAAP results. The non-GAAP measures included in this press release have been reconciled to the nearest US GAAP measure.
Adjusted EBITDA excludes non-cash stock-based compensation expense, depreciation and amortization expense from the Company’s statement of operations. Adjusted net income excludes non-cash based stock compensation expense from the Company’s statement of operations.
About WiderThan
WiderThan is a leading provider of integrated mobile entertainment solutions for wireless carriers. Our applications, content and services enable wireless carriers to provide a broad range of mobile entertainment, such as ringback tones, music-on-demand, mobile games, ringtones, messaging and information services, to their subscribers. WiderThan currently provides mobile entertainment solutions to more than 50 wireless carriers in over 25 countries, including SK Telecom in Korea, Cingular Wireless, Sprint Nextel, T-Mobile USA and Verizon Wireless in the United States, Bharti Airtel in India and Globe Telecom in the Philippines.
Forward-Looking and Cautionary Statements
Any statements in this announcement about the future expectations, plans or prospects of WiderThan, including statements containing the words “believe,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “expect,” “estimate,” “will” and similar expressions, constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. There are a number of important factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements, including factors described in WiderThan’s annual report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2005. These factors include the fluctuations of revenues and earnings, our reliance on SK Telecom to generate a majority of revenues and as a partner to develop and test services, the fact that the markets in which we operate are highly competitive, the challenges of global expansion, the lack of any contractual obligation for our carrier customers to use our services, the fact that a substantial portion of our revenues are subject to pricing decisions of carrier customers, the consolidation among our potential customer base, the dynamics of the wireless carrier markets in which our largest potential customers compete with one another, the fact that our carrier customers could begin developing and/or providing some or all of our carrier application services on their own, our dependence on ringback tone service for a significant portion of our revenue, potential increases in royalty rates payable to music label companies, currency exchange rate fluctuations, maintaining an effective system of internal controls and complying with regulations required by the telecom industry and in Korea. The forward-looking statements included in this announcement represent WiderThan’s view as of the date of this release. WiderThan anticipates that subsequent events and developments may cause WiderThan’s views to change. However, WiderThan disclaims any intention or obligation to update any forward-looking statements as a result of developments occurring after the date of this document. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing WiderThan’s views as of any date subsequent to the date of this announcement.
# # #
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WiderThan Co., Ltd.
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (Unaudited)
(In thousands of US dollars, except share and per share information)
                                 
    Three Months Ended June 30,     Six Months Ended June 30,  
    2005     2006     2005     2006  
Revenues
                               
Service revenues
                               
Carrier application services
  $ 13,860     $ 22,878     $ 26,004     $ 43,485  
Content services
    3,979       3,576       9,727       7,044  
Professional and other services
    2,082       3,081       4,263       5,466  
 
                       
Total service revenues
    19,921       29,535       39,994       55,995  
System sales
    2,283       3,531       4,479       5,874  
 
                       
Total revenues
    22,204       33,066       44,473       61,869  
 
                       
 
                               
Costs and expenses (Note A)
                               
 
                               
Cost of service revenues (exclusive of depreciation and amortization, as shown below)
    7,342       10,909       14,566       20,683  
Cost of system sales (exclusive of depreciation and amortization, as shown below)
    1,573       1,370       2,621       2,766  
Depreciation and amortization
    1,051       1,369       2,031       2,640  
Selling and marketing
    1,324       1,273       2,283       1,949  
General and administrative
    5,722       9,747       11,784       18,837  
Research and development
    3,179       2,120       5,794       5,138  
 
                       
Total costs and expenses
    20,191       26,788       39,079       52,013  
 
                       
Operating income
    2,013       6,278       5,394       9,856  
 
                       
 
                               
Other income
                               
Interest income
    121       935       249       1,768  
Foreign exchange gain (loss), net
    39       (92 )     92       (367 )
 
                       
Total other income
    160       843       341       1,401  
 
                       
 
                               
Income before taxes, minority interest and earnings from equity method investment
    2,173       7,121       5,735       11,257  
Income taxes
    643       2,659       1,555       4,221  
 
                       
Income before minority interest and earnings from equity method investment
    1,530       4,462       4,180       7,036  
 
                       
Minority Interest
                       
Gain (loss) from equity method investment
    57       91       (60 )     168  
 
                       
Income before cumulative effect of a change in accounting principle
    1,587       4,553       4,120       7,204  
 
                               
Cumulative effect on prior years of retroactive application of FAS123(R)
                      152  
 
                       
 
Net Income
  $ 1,587     $ 4,553     $ 4,120     $ 7,356  
 
                       
 
                               
Accretion of preferred shares
    (297 )           (626 )      
Amounts allocated to participating preferred shareholders
    (586 )           (1,061 )      
 
                       
Net income attributable to common shares
  $ 704     $ 4,553     $ 2,433     $ 7,356  
 
                       
 
                               
Earning per share — basic
  $ 0.08     $ 0.23     $ 0.23     $ 0.37  
 
                       
Earning per share — diluted
  $ 0.08     $ 0.23     $ 0.23     $ 0.36  
 
                       
 
                               
Weighted average number of shares — basic
    10,500,000       19,807,216       10,500,000       19,807,216  
 
                       
Weighted average number of shares — diluted
    10,510,517       20,220,824       10,510,517       20,258,320  
 
                       
Note A: The following stock compensation expenses resulting from our stock options, employee stock ownership association (ESOA) and virtual stock options (VSOs) are included in the following expense categories:
                                 
    Three Months Ended June 30,     Six Months Ended June 30,  
    2005     2006     2005     2006  
Cost of service revenues
  $ 57     $ 130     $ 111     $ 222  
Cost of system sales
    7       10       10       16  
General and administrative
    434       454       820       1,005  
Research and development
    138       57       250       116  
 
                       
Total
  $ 636     $ 651     $ 1,191     $ 1,359  
 
                       
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WiderThan Co., Ltd.
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet
(In thousands of US dollars)
                 
    December 31,     June 30,  
    2005     2006  
    (Audited)     (Unaudited)  
Assets
               
Current assets
               
Cash and cash equivalents
  $ 71,171     $ 50,931  
Short-term financial instruments
    14,851       42,172  
Accounts receivable, net
    34,924       32,972  
Deferred costs
    5,589       6,998  
Other current assets
    2,745       3,629  
 
           
Total current assets
    129,280       136,702  
 
           
 
               
Property, plant and equipment, net
    10,346       11,870  
Goodwill
    18,673       19,883  
Other non-current assets
    10,034       11,359  
 
           
Total assets
  $ 168,333     $ 179,814  
 
           
 
               
Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity
               
Current liabilities
               
Accounts payable
    22,636       22,537  
Current portion of deferred income
    6,614       2,931  
Accrued expenses
    6,099       5,488  
Taxes payable
    2,620       3,284  
Other current liabilities
    3,753       3,937  
Cash Appreciation Right liability
    1,210        
 
           
Total current liabilities
    42,932       38,177  
Non-current liabilities
               
Long-term deferred income, net of current portion
    3,158       2,056  
Other non-current liabilities
    1,247       2,343  
 
Total liabilities
    47,337       42,576  
 
           
 
               
Commitments and contingencies
               
Minority interest
    (133 )      
 
           
 
               
Stockholders’ equity
               
Common stock: Won 500 par value; authorized 30 million shares, issued and outstanding 10.5 million, and 19.8 million shares in 2005 and 2006, respectively
    8,871       8,871  
Additional paid-in capital
    87,540       89,080  
Retained earnings
    17,805       24,828  
Accumulated other comprehensive income
    6,913       14,459  
 
           
Total stockholders’ equity
    121,129       137,238  
 
           
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity
  $ 168,333     $ 179,814  
 
           
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WiderThan Co., Ltd.
Condensed Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows (Unaudited)
(In thousands of US dollars)
                 
    Three Months Ended     Six Months Ended  
    June 30, 2006     June 30, 2006  
Cash flows from operating activities:
               
Net income
  $ 4,553     $ 7,356  
 
               
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss)
to net cash provided by operating activities:
               
Depreciation and amortization
    1,369       2,640  
Stock compensation expenses
    651       1,359  
Cumulative effect on prior years of retroactive application of FAS123(R)
          (152 )
Foreign exchange translation loss, net
    92       367  
Equity in gain of related equity investment
    (91 )     (168 )
Provision for severance benefits
    323       634  
 
               
Change in operating assets and liabilities:
               
Decrease (increase) in accounts receivable
    (2,684 )     3,790  
Increase in deferred costs
    (696 )     (1,032 )
Increase in other assets
    (1,592 )     (1,383 )
Increase (decrease) in trade accounts payable
    1,528       (1,545 )
Decrease in deferred income
    (2,450 )     (4,054 )
Increase (decrease) in accrued expenses
    900       (992 )
Increase in taxes payable
    1,012       487  
Increase (decrease) in long-term deferred income
    362       (1,289 )
Payment of severance benefits
    (42 )     (50 )
Payment of cash appreciation right liability
    (1,210 )     (1,210 )
Increase in other liabilities
    1,021       358  
 
           
Net cash provided by operating activities
    3,046       5,116  
 
           
 
               
Cash flows from investing activities:
               
(Decrease) increase in short-term financial instruments, net
          (25,985 )
Purchase of property, plant and equipment
    (2,365 )     (3,290 )
 
           
Net cash used in investing activities
    (2,365 )     (29,275 )
 
           
 
               
Cash flows from financing activities:
               
Decrease in minority interest
    149       133  
 
           
Net cash provided by financing activities
    149       133  
 
           
 
               
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents
    953       3,786  
 
           
Net decrease (increase) in cash and cash equivalents
    1,783       (20,240 )
Cash and cash equivalents:
               
Beginning of year
    49,148       71,171  
 
           
End of period
  $ 50,931     $ 50,931  
 
           
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WiderThan Co., Ltd.
Reconciliation of Non GAAP Measures to GAAP (Unaudited)
(In thousands of US dollars, except share and per share information)
                                 
    Three Months Ended June 30,     Six Months Ended June 30,  
    2005     2006     2005     2006  
Reconciliation to adjusted EBITDA:
                               
Net income
  $ 1,587     $ 4,553     $ 4,120     $ 7,356  
Cumulative effect on prior years of retroactive application of FAS123(R)
                      152  
(Gain) loss from equity method investment
    (57 )     (91 )     60       (168 )
Minority interest
                       
Income taxes
    643       2,659       1,555       4,221  
Total other income
    (160 )     (843 )     (341 )     (1,401 )
Depreciation and amortization
    1,051       1,369       2,031       2,640  
Stock compensation expenses
    636       651       1,191       1,359  
 
                       
Adjusted EBITDA
  $ 3,700     $ 8,298     $ 8,616     $ 14,159  
 
                       
                                 
    Three Months Ended June 30,     Six Months Ended June 30,  
    2005     2006     2005     2006  
Reconciliation to adjusted net income:
                               
Income before cumulative effect of a change in accounting principle
  $ 1,587     $ 4,553     $ 4,120     $ 7,356  
Stock compensation expenses
    636       651       1,191       1,359  
 
                       
Adjusted net income
  $ 2,223     $ 5,204     $ 5,311     $ 8,715  
 
                       
 
                               
Adjusted net income per share — diluted
  $ 0.21     $ 0.26     $ 0.51     $ 0.43  
Weighted average number of shares — diluted
    10,510,517       20,220,824       10,510,517       20,258,320  
WiderThan Co., Ltd.
Selected Operational Data for Carrier Application Services
                 
    For the Three Months Ended June 30,
    2005   2006
Ringback tones:
               
Number of carriers (1)
    6       7  
Number of accessible subscribers (2) (in millions)
    116.5       148.0  
Number of ringback tone subscribers (3) (in millions)
    11.9       16.9  
Inter-carrier messaging:
               
Number of carriers (1)
    26       37  
Number of messages delivered (4) (in billions)
    4.0       9.2  
Music-on-demand:
               
Number of carriers (1)
    1       2  
Number of accessible subscribers (2) (in millions)
    19.2       74.8  
 
Notes:    
 
(1)   Represents the aggregate number of carriers for which the relevant service was in operation during the relevant period.
 
(2)   Represents the approximate aggregate number of our carriers customers’ wireless subscribers at the end of the relevant period as reported publicly by our carrier customers.
 
(3)   Represents the aggregate number of subscribers to the ringback tone service provided by our carrier customers during the relevant period.
 
(4)   Represents the aggregate number of messages delivered by means of our inter-carrier messaging service on behalf of our carrier customers during the relevant period.
WiderThan Co., Ltd.
Geographic Revenue Distribution
                 
    For the Three Months Ended June 30,
    2005   2006
Korea
    69 %     62 %
America
    24 %     31 %
Asia (ex-Korea)
    5 %     6 %
EMEA
    2 %     1 %
                 
    For the Six Months Ended June 30,
    2005   2006
Korea
    68 %     62 %
America
    24 %     31 %
Asia (ex-Korea)
    7 %     6 %
EMEA
    2 %     1 %
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