SEC Company Response from SCIENTIFIC LEARNING CORP (CIK 0001042173) — Aug 5, 2005
SCIENTIFIC LEARNING CORP (CIK 0001042173)
Date: Aug. 5, 2005 · CIK: 0001042173 · Accession: 0001169232-05-003895
AI Filing Summary & Sentiment
Referenced dates: July 19, 2005
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CORRESP
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CORRESP
[Scientific
Learning Letterhead]
August 5, 2005
Via EDGAR and US mail
Securities and Exchange
Commission
Division of Corporation Finance
Washington, D.C. 20549
Attn: Mr. Larry Spirgel
Mail Stop 3561
Re:
Scientific
Learning Corporation
Form 10-K/A for year ended December 31, 2004, filed May 26,
2005
Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2005, filed May 26, 2005
File No.
0-24547
Ladies and Gentlemen:
The
following comprises our responses to comments by the staff (the “Staff”) of
the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) received by
letter dated July 19, 2005 with respect to the our Form 10-K/A for the year ended
December 31, 2004, filed May 26, 2005, and Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31,
2005, filed May 26, 2005 (such reports, collectively, the “Reports”).
Each of the Staff’s comments has been reproduced in italics for convenience of
reference. Our response follows each comment. Capitalized terms used but not defined
herein have the meanings given to them in the Reports, as applicable.
Form 10-K for the year
ending December 31, 2004
Item 7 Management’s
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Result of Operations
Results of Operations,
page 23
1. We
note that you attributed the decline in 2004 product revenue compared to 2003 to several
factors such as booked sales, shift in sales mix, change in pricing structure and volume
discounts. Please expand your discussion and analysis to quantify the impact of each
factor. In addition, discuss whether or not you expect the trend to continue or change
and the reasons why. Refer to Item 303(a)(3) of Regulation S-K.
We
note the Staff’s comment to quantify the impact of 2003 booked sales. In this
regard, we respectfully refer the Staff to the table set forth in our Form 10-K for
the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004 (filed on April 15, 2005) under “—Booked
sales and selling activities” on page 24, which discloses the 8% increase in booked
sales from 2002 to 2003.
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Because
sales booked in 2004 and in prior periods may be recognized into revenue over periods as
long as five years, the impact of the shift in sales mix is not easily quantifiable.
We refer the Staff to the table set forth in the Form 10-K under “—Booked
sales and selling activities.” The effect of such shift is reflected in the
increase from 2003 to 2004 in “Current and long-term deferred revenue at end of
period” which exceeds the increase in “Booked sales” over the same
period. The effect is further reflected in the $3.2 million increase in “Deferred
revenue, long term” as set forth on our balance sheet in our Form 10K/A. We
advise the Staff that we will continue to include in future filings a table consistent
with that set forth under “—Booked sales and selling activities” that
sets forth our booked sales, revenues and change in deferred revenue. However, in
lieu of presenting current and long-term deferred revenue at the end of the period on
a combined basis, we will separately present current deferred revenue at the end of
the period and long-term deferred revenue at the end of the period.
We
supplementally advise the Staff that because the sales mix in 2004 was skewed towards
multi-year contracts primarily due to a limited number of large contracts, we are
unable to determine whether shift in sales mix constitutes a trend that will continue.
We
supplementally advise the Staff that the amount of revenue attributable to sales of
perpetual software licenses recognized in 2004 following the change in pricing structure
was less than $700,000.
With
respect to volume discounts, we advise the Staff that future filings will include
our expectation that large sales will include volume discounts, but that the
percentage discount applicable to a given sale transaction will vary and that the
relative percentage of large sales to small sales in a given quarter may fluctuate.
Future filings will also clarify that because we discount product license fees but do
not discount service and support fees, product sales and revenue are disproportionately
affected by volume discounting. We note that quantitative data regarding large
sales in the periods presented is set forth in the Form 10-K under “—Booked
sales and selling activity.”
Note 1. Summary of
Significant Accounting Policies
Revenue, page 10
2. Refer to your disclosure
that the Company allocates revenue to each element of a transaction based on VSOE. Since
it appears that you have VSOE on all the elements it is unclear to us why you concluded
that revenue from the sale of software on a perpetual basis should be recognized at the
later of product delivery date or contract start using the residual method.
Addressing the relevant guidance describe for us your basis for your conclusion. In
addition confirm to us that you have VSOE, for all the elements in your arrangements.
We
respectfully advise the Staff that the statement that “we allocate revenue to each
element of a transaction based upon...VSOE” was not intended to convey that we have
VSOE on all elements. Similar to many software vendors, we have not established VSOE for
the software license element of our transactions. Wherever we have VSOE for all
undelivered elements, but
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not for the delivered perpetual
license, we recognize the license element using the residual methodology in accordance
with the guidance of SOP 98-9. As described in our response to comment number 3, through
late 2004 we did not have VSOE for the Initial Fee (as defined below) charged in connection with our Project
Tracker tool. Subsequent to the discontinuance of the sale of that Initial Fee element,
we believe that we now have VSOE for all elements other than product licenses. To avoid
any ambiguity, we will clarify our disclosure in future filings to read “The Company
allocates revenue to each element of a transaction based upon its fair value as
determined in reliance on `vendor specific objective evidence’ (“VSOE”) if
VSOE exists for each element”.
3.
We note your disclosure that sales to your school customers typically include multiple
elements. Describe for us in detail the nature and types of elements included in these
arrangements. In addition, addressing relevant guidance tell us how you determine the
unit of accounting in your arrangements with multiple elements and the applicable revenue
recognition policy.
Background
We
supplementally advise the Staff that our primary products are the Fast ForWord family of
software products, which products are sold as either perpetual or term licenses. We
also sell various services, primarily product training, non-complex installation
services, conferences, an online analysis and reporting tool called “Progress
Tracker” (“PT”), consulting, including data analysis, and support (“PCS”).
Prior
to the second quarter of 2003, we sold the 2.X version of the ForWord family of
products, which required an Internet connection in order to operate. In June 2002,
we introduced the Quickstart version and continued to sell the 2.X version.
Quickstart is a stand-alone product and did not require the customer to connect to the
Internet. In June 2002, we also introduced PT as an optional online analysis and
reporting tool. PT is a complementary product to the core Fast ForWord products and
cannot function independently without the licensed Fast ForWord products. The Fast
ForWord products, however, can and do operate fully without PT.
Prior
to December 2004, we charged both a one-time license fee (“Initial Fee”) for
PT and a recurring access fee. The Initial Fee did not provide additional software
product to the customer; it simply allowed the customer to use the web-based service.
Upon renewal, the PT access fee for the subsequent year was the same as what was
charged in the initial year. Customers were under no obligation to renew PT and could
choose not to renew at any time.
In
December 2004, we made a strategic change in our pricing structure and discontinued the
practice of charging the Initial Fee.
Analysis
There
are essentially three scenarios under which we sell licenses in multiple-element
arrangements, each of which requires different revenue recognition treatment:
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1.
Perpetual
license sold with PT or its predecessor pre-December 2004;
2.
Perpetual
license sold without PT pre-December 2004 and perpetual license sold with PT
post-December 2004; and
3.
Term-based
licenses.
We
account for PT as a service and not as a software product because no additional
functionality or code is delivered to customers in connection with this feature, which
summarizes and analyzes data submitted to our databases and sends reports to the customer.
1.
Perpetual
license sold with PT or it predecessor pre December 2004
SOP
97-2, as amended by SOP 98-9, states that if an arrangement includes multiple
elements, any fee should be allocated to each element using VSOE. If sufficient VSOE
does not exist, all revenue from the arrangement should be deferred until VSOE is
established or all elements are delivered.
VSOE
has not been established for PT as a whole (which was comprised of Initial Fee and
ongoing access) because the Initial Fee charged to access PT has not been
reasonably consistent. As PT could not be substantively separated into an initial
and an ongoing deliverable, the entire fee for PT was evaluated for VSOE purposes.
Consequently, wherever PT was sold as an element of an arrangement, the entire
arrangement fee (Fast ForWord license, PCS, Initial Fee, PT, shrink wrapped
product, and professional services) was initially deferred until PT access had
commenced, and then was recognized ratably over the longest contractual period
stated in the contract in accordance with paragraphs 12 and 58(a) of SOP 97-2.
2.
Perpetual
licenses sold without PT pre-December 2004 and perpetual licenses sold with PT
post-December 2004
For
perpetual licenses sold without PT, the residual method of revenue recognition is
applicable in accordance with SOP 98-9. We have established VSOE for all undelivered
elements in these arrangements (PCS and services) and therefore can allocate the total
fair value to the undelivered elements, as indicated by VSOE, and the difference
between the total arrangement fee and the amount deferred for the undelivered
elements is recognized as revenue related to the delivered licenses.
For
perpetual licenses sold with PT post December 2004, we eliminated the Initial
Fee. We retained the annual access fee for PT, for
which VSOE has been established based on renewals of this service. Consistent with
SOP 98-9, we allocate the total fair value to the undelivered elements, as indicated
by VSOE, and the difference between the total arrangement fee and the amount deferred
for the undelivered elements is recognized as revenue related to the delivered licenses.
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3.
Term-based
licenses
We
also sell term-based licenses with PCS whereby the PCS is coterminous with the term of
the license. Per TPA 5100.53, if the term of the agreement is less than one year, there
can be no VSOE of PCS. TPA 5100.54 addresses term-based licenses greater than one
year and requires that the renewal rate for PCS be substantive compared to the PCS
included in the original contract. As the PCS term in our arrangements is always
coterminous with the license term and PCS is therefore never sold separately, there is
no renewal rate specified, and therefore there cannot be VSOE for PCS sold with a term
license.
In
addition, all term licenses are sold with PT. As all term licenses are sold with
PT, there is no separate Initial Fee. Rather, we charge a separate fee for PT that
is proportionate to the length of the term agreement. As with PCS discussed above,
the PT is coterminous with the software license. Since PT is coterminous, there is no
renewal rate specified, and therefore there cannot be VSOE over PT.
As
discussed above, since VSOE does not exist for PCS when sold coterminous with a term
based software license, paragraph 65 of SOP 97-2 is not applicable to services
treatment in such arrangements. Therefore, the contracted-for professional
services in these arrangements, where there is no VSOE for PCS, may not be treated
separately from the remainder of the agreement. All revenue is accordingly bundled and
recognized ratably over the coterminous period of the license term/PCS arrangement.
4.
Clarify for us the statement made on your press release dated October 19, 2004
indicating that if your Progress Tracker is considered not separable, then 97-2
would require you to recognize all parts of the sale ratably over the Progress Tracker
access term. You also noted that while some of your customers do not buy Progress
Tracker, it is part of most of your sales to the K-12 business. It appears to us that
this statement contradicts the revenue recognition policy on the sale of your perpetual
licenses.
We
respectfully refer the Staff to our response to Comment #3 above. Prior to the change in
our pricing strategy in December 2004, Progress Tracker was considered not separable from
the remainder of the arrangement. Accordingly, we recognized all elements of the sale
ratably over the contractual Progress Tracker service period. Therefore, our statement
made on October 19, 2004 does not contradict our revenue recognition policy regarding
perpetual licenses.
Item 9A. Controls and
Procedures, page 25
5.
We note your disclosure that your controls and procedures were not effective as of
December 31, 2004 and that you concluded that there is a material weakness in the Company’s
internal controls. You should provide here or in the MD&A a detailed discussion of the
reasons for the material weakness in the internal controls and the steps that you are
taking to remedy or mitigate the significant deficiency in your internal controls.
We
respectfully advise the Staff that we will include the following discussion of the
material weakness in Item 4 (“Controls and Procedures”) of Part I of our Form
10-Q for the
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quarterly period ending June 30,
2005:
In
December 2004, based on our review of a major contract that we booked in June 2004, our
management and the Audit Committee of our Board of Directors concluded that we should
change our revenue recognition method for most of our K-12 school contracts. This change
in our revenue recognition method reflected a correction in our application of AICPA
Statement of Position 97-2, Software Revenue Recognition (as amended by Statement of
Position 98-9) to our historical K-12 school contracts. As a result of this change, our
management and the Audit Committee of our Board of Directors concluded that we should
restate our historical financial statements for the period from 2000 through June 30,
2004. Controls over the application of accounting policies are within the scope of our
internal control over financial reporting. Therefore, our management concluded that, for
our Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004, filed on April 15, 2005, there
was a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting, as defined by
the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board.
In
addition, in May 2005, in