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Note 2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2018
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Cash and Cash Equivalents

We consider all highly liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less at the date of purchase to be cash equivalents. Cash and cash equivalents are carried at cost, which approximates fair value.

 

The Company’s financial instruments that are exposed to concentrations of credit risk primarily consist of its cash and cash equivalents. The Company places its cash and cash equivalents with financial institutions of high credit worthiness. The Company’s management plans to assess the financial strength and credit worthiness of any parties to which it extends funds, and as such, it believes that any associated credit risk exposures are limited.

 

The Company places its cash and cash equivalents on deposit with financial institutions in the United States, Canada, and Europe. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) covers $250,000 for substantially all depository accounts in the United States. As of December 31, 2018, the Company had $16,500,000 which exceeds the insured amounts in the United States. The Company also had cash of $226,000 in Europe, and $165,000 in Canada on hand at December 31, 2018.

 

Revenue Recognition

The Company adopted ASC Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, on January 1, 2018, using the modified retrospective approach.

 

Substantially all of the Company’s revenue comes from contracts with customers for subscriptions to its cloud-based products or contracts to perform compliance or other services. Customers consist primarily of corporate issuers and professional firms, such as investor relations and public relations firms. In the case of our news distribution offering, our customers also include private companies. The Company accounts for a contract with a customer when there is an enforceable contract between the Company and the customer, the rights of the parties are identified, the contract has economic substance, and collectability of the contract consideration is probable. The Company's revenues are measured based on consideration specified in the contract with each customer.

 

 The Company's contracts include either a subscription to our entire platform or certain modules within our platform, or an agreement to perform services or any combination thereof, and often contain multiple subscriptions and services. For these bundled contracts, the Company accounts for individual subscriptions and services as separate performance obligations if they are distinct, which is when a product or service is separately identifiable from other items in the bundled package, and a customer can benefit from it on its own or with other resources that are readily available to the customer. The Company separates revenue from its contracts into two revenue streams: i) Platform and Technology and ii) Services. Performance obligations of Platform and Technology contracts include providing subscriptions to certain modules or the entire Platform id. system, distributing press releases on a per release basis or conducting webcasts on a per event basis. Performance obligations of Service contracts include obligations to deliver compliance services and annual report printing and distribution on either a stand ready obligation or on a per project or event basis. Set up fees for compliance services are considered a separate performance obligation and are satisfied upfront. Set up fees for our transfer agent module and investor relations content management module are immaterial. The Company’s subscription and service contracts are generally for one year, with automatic renewal clauses included in the contract until the contract is cancelled. The contracts do not contain any rights of returns, guarantees or warranties. Since contracts are generally for one year, all of the revenue is expected to be recognized within one year from the contract start date. As such, the Company has elected the optional exemption that allows the Company not to disclose the transaction price allocated to performance obligations that are unsatisfied or partially satisfied at the end of each reporting period.

 

The Company recognizes revenue for subscriptions evenly over the contract period, upon distribution for per release contracts and upon event completion for webcasting events. For service contracts that include stand ready obligations, revenue is recognized evenly over the contract period. For all other services delivered on a per project or event basis, the revenue is recognized at the completion of the event. The Company believes recognizing revenue for subscriptions and stand ready obligations using a time-based measure of progress, best reflects the Company’s performance in satisfying the obligations.

 

For bundled contracts, revenue is allocated to each performance obligation based on its relative standalone selling price. Standalone selling prices are based on observable prices at which the Company separately sells the subscription or services. If a standalone selling price is not directly observable, the Company uses the residual method to allocate any remaining costs to that subscription or service. The Company regularly reviews standalone selling prices and updates these estimates if necessary.

 

The Company invoices its customers based on the billing schedules designated in its contracts, typically upfront on either a monthly, quarterly or annual basis or per transaction at the completion of the performance obligation. Deferred revenue for the periods presented was primarily related to subscription and service contracts, which are billed upfront, quarterly or annually, however the revenue has not yet been recognized. The associated deferred revenue is generally recognized ratably over the billing period. Deferred revenue as of December 31, 2018 and 2017 was $1,249,000 and $887,000, respectively, and is expected to be recognized within one year. Revenue recognized for the year ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, that was included in the deferred revenue balance at the beginning of each reporting period, was approximately $887,000 and $843,000, respectively. Accounts receivable related to contracts with customers was $1,593,000 and $1,275,000 as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. Since substantially all of the contracts have terms of one year or less, the Company has elected to use the practical expedient regarding the existence of a significant financing.

 

Costs to obtain contracts with customers consist primarily of sales commissions. As of December 31, 2018, the Company capitalized $18,000 of costs to obtain contracts that are expected to be amortized over more than one year. For contract costs expected to be amortized in less than one year, the Company has elected to use the practical expedient allowing the recognition of incremental costs of obtaining a contract as an expense when incurred. The Company has considered historical renewal rates, expectations of future renewals and economic factors in making these determinations.

 

Fixed Assets

Fixed assets are recorded at cost and depreciated over the estimated useful lives of the assets using principally the straight-line method. When items are retired or otherwise disposed of, income is charged or credited for the difference between net book value and proceeds realized thereon. Ordinary maintenance and repairs are charged to expense as incurred, and replacements and betterments are capitalized. The range of estimated useful lives used to calculate depreciation for principal items of property and equipment are as follow:

 

Asset Category  Depreciation / Amortization Period
Computer equipment  3 years
Furniture & equipment  3 to 7 years
Leasehold improvements  7 years or lesser of the lease term

 

Earnings per Share

Earnings per share accounting guidance requires that basic net income per common share be computed by dividing net income for the period by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted net income per share is computed by dividing the net income for the period by the weighted average number of common and dilutive common equivalent shares outstanding during the period. Shares issuable upon the exercise of stock options and restricted stock units totaling 41,000 and 89,500 were excluded in the computation of diluted earnings per common share during the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively, because their impact was anti-dilutive.

 

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

We provide an allowance for doubtful accounts, which is based upon a review of outstanding receivables as well as historical collection information. Credit is granted on an unsecured basis. In determining the amount of the allowance, management is required to make certain estimates and assumptions. The allowance is made up of specific reserves, as deemed necessary, on customer account balances, and a reserve based on our historical experience. The following is a summary of our allowance for doubtful accounts during the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017 (in 000’s):

 

  

Year Ended

December 31,

2018

 

Year Ended

December 31,

2017

Beginning balance  $425   $429 
Bad debt expense   359    181 
Write-offs   (250)   (185)
Ending balance  $534   $425 

 

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with US GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Significant estimates include the allowance for doubtful accounts and the valuation of goodwill, intangible assets, deferred tax assets, and stock-based compensation. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

 

Income Taxes

Deferred income tax assets and liabilities are computed for differences between the financial statement and tax bases of assets and liabilities that will result in future taxable or deductible amounts based on enacted tax laws and rates applicable to the periods in which the differences are expected to affect taxable income. Valuation allowances are established, when necessary, to reduce deferred income tax assets to the amounts expected to be realized. For any uncertain tax positions, we recognize the impact of a tax position, only if it is more likely than not of being sustained upon examination, based on the technical merits of the position. Our policy regarding the classification of interest and penalties is to classify them as income tax expense in our financial statements, if applicable.

 

Capitalized Software

Costs incurred to develop our cloud-based platform products and disclosure management system components are capitalized when the preliminary project phase is complete, management commits to fund the project and it is probable the project will be completed and used for its intended purposes. Once the software is substantially complete and ready for its intended use, the software is amortized over its estimated useful life. Costs related to design or maintenance of the software are expensed as incurred. The Company capitalized $21,000 and $991,000 during the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. Included in the amount capitalized for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017 was $0 and $57,000 related to stock-based compensation. The Company recorded amortization expense of $813,000 and $290,000 during the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively, $795,000 and $280,000 of which is included in Cost of revenues on the Consolidated Statements of Income. For the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, the remaining amount of $18,000 and $10,000 is included in Depreciation and amortization, as it relates to back-office supporting systems.

 

Impairment of Long-lived Assets

In accordance with the authoritative guidance for accounting for long-lived assets, assets such as property and equipment, trademarks, and intangible assets subject to amortization, are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset group may not be recoverable. Recoverability of asset groups to be held and used is measured by a comparison of the carrying amount of an asset group to estimated undiscounted future cash flows expected to be generated by the asset group. If the carrying amount of an asset group exceeds its estimated future cash flows, an impairment charge is recognized by the amount by which the carrying amount of an asset group exceeds fair value of the asset group.

 

Fair Value Measurements

ASC Topic 820 establishes a fair value hierarchy that requires an entity to maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs when measuring fair value. Assets and liabilities recorded at fair value in the financial statements are categorized based upon the hierarchy of levels of judgment associated with the inputs used to measure their fair value. Hierarchical levels directly related to the amount of subjectivity associated with the inputs to fair valuation of these assets and liabilities, are as follows:

  

Level 1 – Quoted prices are available in active markets for identical assets or liabilities at the reporting date. Generally, this includes debt and equity securities that are traded in an active market. Our cash and cash equivalents are quoted at Level 1.

 

Level 2 – Observable inputs other than Level 1 prices such as quote prices for similar assets or liabilities; quoted prices in markets that are not active; or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities. Generally, this includes debt and equity securities that are not traded in an active market.

 

Level 3 – Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair value of the assets or liabilities. Level 3 assets and liabilities include financial instruments whose value is determined using pricing models, discounted cash flow methodologies, or other valuation techniques, as well as instruments for which the determination of fair value requires significant management judgment or estimation.

 

As of December 31, 2018 and 2017, we believe that the fair value of our financial instruments other than cash and cash equivalents, such as, accounts receivable, our line of credit, notes payable, and accounts payable approximate their carrying amounts.

 

Stock-based compensation

We account for stock-based compensation under FASB ASC No. 718 – Compensation – Stock Compensation. The authoritative guidance for stock compensation requires that companies estimate the fair value of share-based payment awards on the date of the grant using an option-pricing model. The cost is to be recognized over the period during which an employee is required to provide service in exchange for the award.

 

Translation of Foreign Financial Statements

The financial statements of the foreign subsidiaries of the Company have been translated into U.S. dollars. All assets and liabilities have been translated at current rates of exchange in effect at the end of the period. Income and expense items have been translated at the average exchange rates for the year or the applicable interim period. The gains or losses that result from this process are recorded as a separate component of other accumulated comprehensive income (loss) until the entity is sold or substantially liquidated.

 

Comprehensive Income

Comprehensive income consists of net income and other comprehensive income related to changes in the cumulative foreign currency translation adjustment.

 

Business Combinations, Goodwill and Intangible Assets

We account for business combinations under FASB ASC No. 805 – Business Combinations and the related acquired intangible assets and goodwill under FASB ASC No. 350 – Intangibles – Goodwill and Other. The authoritative guidance for business combinations specifies the criteria for recognizing and reporting intangible assets apart from goodwill. We record the assets acquired and liabilities assumed in business combinations at their respective fair values at the date of acquisition, with any excess purchase price recorded as goodwill. Goodwill is an asset representing the future economic benefits arising from other assets acquired in a business combination that are not individually identified and separately recognized. Intangible assets consist of client relationships, customer lists, distribution partner relationships, software, technology and trademarks that are initially measured at fair value. At the time of the business combination, trademarks are considered an indefinite-lived asset and, as such, are not amortized as there is no foreseeable limit to cash flows generated from them. The goodwill and intangible assets are assessed annually for impairment, or whenever conditions indicate the asset may be impaired, and any such impairment will be recognized in the period identified. The client relationships (7-10 years), customer lists (3 years), distribution partner relationships (10 years), trademarks related to PIR (3-5 years) and software and technology (3-5 years) are amortized over their estimated useful lives.

 

Advertising

The Company expenses advertising as incurred, except for direct-response advertising, which is capitalized and amortized over its expected period of future benefits. Advertising expense totaled $115,000 and $104,000, during the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

In August 2018, the FASB announced Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2018-15 Intangibles—Goodwill and Other—Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40): Customer’s Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement That Is a Service Contract. The amendments in this pronouncement align the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred in a hosting arrangement that is a service contract with the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred to develop or obtain internal-use software (and hosting arrangements that include an internal use software license). The accounting for the service element of a hosting arrangement that is a service contract is not affected by these amendments. This pronouncement is effective for public business entities for annual periods, including interim periods within those annual periods, beginning after December 15, 2019. Early adoption is permitted, including adoption in any interim period. The amendments should be applied either retrospectively, or prospectively, to all implementation costs incurred after the date of adoption. The Company elected to adopt ASU 2018-05 as of July 1, 2018, on a prospective basis. As a result, the Company capitalized $21,000 of costs related to the implementation of a cloud-based component of Platform id., which will be licensed to customers. Capitalized costs are amortized as Cost of revenues on the Statement of Operations over an estimated life of four years.

 

In June 2018, the FASB announced ASU 2018-07 Compensation-Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Nonemployee Share-Based Payment Accounting. ASU 2018-07 expands the scope of Topic 718, Compensation—Stock Compensation (which currently only includes share-based payments to employees) to include share-based payments issued to nonemployees for goods or services. Consequently, the accounting for share-based payments to nonemployees and employees will be substantially aligned. The ASU supersedes Subtopic 505-50, Equity—Equity-Based Payments to Non-Employees. ASU 2018-07 is effective for public companies for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within that fiscal year. Early adoption is permitted, but no earlier than a company’s adoption date of Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. The Company elected to adopt ASU 2018-07 as of January 1, 2018. The adoption did not require the Company to restate any previously reported periods of the Statement of Operations or Balance Sheet. The Company has one contract with a non-employee to perform services for share-based payments, the compensation of which is properly accounted for in the Consolidated Financial Statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2018.

 

In March 2018, the FASB announced ASU 2018-05 Income Taxes (Topic 740): Amendments to Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) Paragraphs Pursuant to SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin No.118 (“SAB 118”). ASU 2018-05 adds guidance indicated in Questions 1 and 2 from SAB 118 to the codification. SAB 118 addresses the application of US GAAP in situations when a registrant does not have all of the necessary information available, prepared and analyzed (including computations) in reasonable detail to complete the accounting for certain income tax effects of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (the “2017 Act”), which was signed into law on December 22, 2017. In previous quarters the Company included a best estimate of the effects of the 2017 Act, and has now completed the calculation as of the most recent provision. The Company has determined the impact of the adoption of the 2017 Act to be a benefit of $316,000. The Company recognized a provisional tax benefit of $351,000 during the year ended December 31, 2017 and recorded an expense of $35,000 during the year ended December 31, 2018. ASU 2018-05 is effective immediately upon addition to the FASB codification.

 

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09 Revenue from Contracts with Customers, which supersedes previous revenue recognition guidance. The new standard requires that a company recognize revenue when it transfers promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration the company expects to receive in exchange for those goods or services. In-depth reviews of customer contracts were completed and analyzed to meet the standard’s reporting and disclosure requirements. Disclosures related to the nature, amount and timing of revenue and cash flows arising from contracts with customers are included in this Note under the subheading Revenue Recognition as well as Note 10, Revenues.

 

The adoption of ASU 2014-09 did not require the Company to restate any previously reported periods of the Statement of Operations or Balance Sheet related to a change in the timing of revenue recognition. The adoption also did not affect liquidity. However, the adoption did impact the allocation of revenue associated with the Company’s shareholder outreach offering that included both electronic dissemination and physical delivery of a customer’s annual reports. Historically, revenue from these bundled contracts was reported in the Services revenue stream because an allocation between electronic and physical hardcopy distribution was not made, however, under ASC 606, a portion of the revenue from these contracts is required to be allocated to the Platform and Technology revenue stream in accordance with stand-alone contracts for the shareholder outreach subscription. A comparison of revenue under previously reported legacy GAAP and revenue under current GAAP is provide below for comparability purposes (in 000’s):

 

  

For the Year Ended

December 31, 2018

 

For the Year Ended

December 31, 2017

   Legacy     Current  Legacy     Current
Revenue:  GAAP  Adjustments  GAAP  GAAP  Adjustments  GAAP
Platform and Technology  $8,136   $457   $8,593   $6,398   $683   $7,081 
Services   6,096    (457)   5,639    6,230    (683)   5,547 
Total Revenue  $14,232   $—     $14,232   $12,628   $—     $12,628 

 

In analyzing the impact of adoption, the Company used the practical expedient that allows the Company to only apply the new revenue standard to contracts that are not completed as of the date of initial application, January 1, 2018. A completed contract is defined as a contract for which all (or substantially all) of the revenue was recognized in accordance with revenue guidance that was in effect before the date of initial application.

 

The SEC released SEC Final Rule Release No. 33-10532 Disclosure Update and Simplification, which adopts amendments to certain disclosure requirements that have become redundant, duplicative, overlapping, outdated, or superseded, in light of other SEC disclosure requirements, U.S. GAAP, or changes in the information environment. The amendments also refer certain SEC disclosure requirements that overlap with, but require information incremental to U.S. GAAP to the FASB for potential incorporation into U.S. GAAP. The amendments are intended to facilitate the disclosure of information to investors and simplify compliance without significantly altering the total mix of information provided to investors. These amendments are part of an initiative by the Division of Corporation Finance to review disclosure requirements applicable to issuers to consider ways to improve the requirements for the benefit of investors and issuers. The amendments were effective November 5, 2018 and have not had a material impact to the Company.

 

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted

In February 2016, the FASB established Topic 842, Leases, by issuing Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2016-02, which requires lessees to recognize leases on-balance sheet and disclose key information about leasing arrangements. Topic 842 was subsequently amended by ASU No. 2018-01, Land Easement Practical Expedient for Transition to Topic 842; ASU No. 2018-10, Codification Improvements to Topic 842, Leases; and ASU No. 2018-11, Targeted Improvements. The new standard establishes a right-of-use model (ROU) that requires a lessee to recognize a ROU asset and lease liability on the balance sheet for all leases with a term longer than 12 months. Leases will be classified as finance or operating, with classification affecting the pattern and classification of expense recognition in the income statement.

 

The new standard is effective for us on January 1, 2019, with early adoption permitted. A modified retrospective transition approach is required, applying the new standard to all leases existing at the date of initial application. An entity may choose to use either (1) its effective date or (2) the beginning of the earliest comparative period presented in the financial statements as its date of initial application. If an entity chooses the second option, the transition requirements for existing leases also apply to leases entered into between the date of initial application and the effective date. The entity must also recast its comparative period financial statements and provide the disclosures required by the new standard for the comparative periods. We expect to adopt the new standard on January 1, 2019 and use the effective date as our date of initial application. Consequently, financial information will not be updated and the disclosures required under the new standard will not be provided for dates and periods before January 1, 2019.

 

The new standard provides a number of optional practical expedients in transition. We expect to elect the ‘package of practical expedients’, which permits us not to reassess under the new standard our prior conclusions about lease identification, lease classification and initial direct costs. We do not expect to elect the use-of-hindsight or the practical expedient pertaining to land easements; the latter not being applicable to us.

 

We expect the adoption of this standard will not have a material effect on our financial statements. While we continue to assess all of the effects of adoption, we currently believe the most significant effects relate to the recognition of new ROU assets and lease liabilities on our balance sheet for our office operating leases and providing significant new disclosures about our leasing activities. We do not expect a significant change in our leasing activities between now and adoption.

 

On adoption, we currently expect to recognize additional operating liabilities of approximately $135,000, with corresponding ROU assets of the same amount based on the present value of the remaining minimum rental payments under current leasing standards for existing operating leases.

 

The new standard also provides practical expedients for an entity’s ongoing accounting. We currently expect to elect the short-term lease recognition exemption for our Utah and London office leases that qualify. This means, for those leases that qualify, we will not recognize ROU assets or lease liabilities. We also currently expect to elect the practical expedient to not separate lease and non-lease components for all of our leases.

 

In connection with the Company’s acquisition of the VisualWebcaster Platform (“VWP”) from Onstream Media Corporation (See Note 13), the Company assumed two short term leases in New York City, NY and entered into a three-year office lease in Florida for which the Company expects to recognize a ROU asset and lease liability of approximately $125,000.