VTEL CORP
10-Q, 2000-12-15
RADIO & TV BROADCASTING & COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT
Previous: CORPORATE INCOME FD INTERM TERM SER 47 DEFINED ASSET FDS, 497, 2000-12-15
Next: PRIMEDIA INC, SC 13D/A, 2000-12-15





                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                              Washington, DC 20549

                                    FORM 10-Q

                QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d)
                     OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

                 For the quarterly period ended October 31, 2000

                         Commission file number 0-20008

                                VTEL Corporation

     A Delaware Corporation                  IRS Employer ID No. 74-2415696

                               108 Wild Basin Road
                               Austin, Texas 78746

                                 (512) 437-2700

The registrant has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d)
of the  Securities  Exchange Act of 1934 during the  preceding 12 months (or for
such shorter  period that the  registrant was required to file such reports) and
has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.

At November 30, 2000 the registrant  had  outstanding  24,824,352  shares of its
Common Stock, $0.01 par value.


<PAGE>


VTEL CORPORATION

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>


CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(Amounts in thousands, except per share data)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


                                                                      October 31,      July 31,
                                                                          2000           2000
                                                                      (Unaudited)

ASSETS
Current assets:
<S>                                                                 <C>               <C>
    Cash and equivalents                                            $    4,855        $    6,868
    Short-term investments                                              34,764            39,742
    Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful
       accounts of $1,349 and $888 at October 31, 2000
       and July 31, 2000                                                14,935            23,368
    Inventories                                                         16,647            14,733
    Prepaid expenses and other current assets                            1,561             1,803
                                                                ---------------   ---------------
        Total current assets                                            72,762            86,514

Property and equipment, net                                             17,230            19,275
Intangible assets, net                                                  11,664            11,994
Capitalized software, net                                                4,270             4,728
Other assets                                                               942             1,022
                                                                ---------------   ---------------
                                                                    $  106,868        $  123,533
                                                                ===============   ===============

LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
Current liabilities:
    Accounts payable                                                $   12,982        $   14,957
    Accrued compensation and benefits                                    4,784             4,773
    Other accrued liabilities                                            3,975             3,981
    Notes payable, current portion                                          25               610
    Deferred revenue                                                    11,345            11,886
                                                                ---------------   ---------------
        Total current liabilities                                       33,111            36,207

Long-term liabilities:
    Other long-term obligations                                          4,133             4,665
                                                                ---------------   ---------------
        Total long-term liabilities                                      4,133             4,665

Stockholders' equity:
    Preferred stock, $.01 par value; 10,000
      authorized; none issued or outstanding                                 -                 -
    Common stock, $.01 par value; 40,000 authorized;
      24,835 and 24,847 issued and outstanding at
      October 31, 2000 and July 31, 2000                                   248               248
    Additional paid-in capital                                         261,657           261,712
    Accumulated deficit                                               (203,157)         (189,368)
    Unearned compensation                                                    -                (4)
    Accumulated other comprehensive income                              10,876            10,073
                                                                ---------------   ---------------
        Total stockholders' equity                                      69,624            82,661
                                                                ---------------   ---------------
                                                                    $  106,868        $  123,533
                                                                ===============   ===============
</TABLE>

              The accompanying notes are an integral part of these
                  condensed consolidated financial statements.

                                       2
<PAGE>


VTEL CORPORATION

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(Amounts in thousands, except per share data)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


                                                                             For the
                                                                       Three Months Ended
                                                                            October 31,
                                                                    2000               1999
                                                                            (Unaudited)
<S>                                                           <C>                <C>
Revenues:

  Products                                                    $        14,086    $       24,375
  Services and other                                                   10,444            10,691
                                                              ----------------   ---------------
     Total revenues                                                    24,530            35,066
                                                              ----------------   ---------------
Cost of sales:
  Products                                                              9,501            14,518
  Services and other                                                    7,786             7,424
                                                              ----------------   ---------------
     Total cost of sales                                               17,287            21,942
                                                              ----------------   ---------------
  Gross margin                                                          7,243            13,124
                                                              ----------------   ---------------

Operating expenses:
  Selling, general and administrative                                  13,843            14,025
  Research and development                                              5,679             3,768
  Restructuring charge                                                  1,708                 -
  Amortization of intangible assets                                       328               364
                                                              ----------------   ---------------
     Total operating expenses                                          21,558            18,157
                                                              ----------------   ---------------

Loss from operations                                                  (14,315)           (5,033)
                                                              ----------------   ---------------
Other income (expense):
  Interest income                                                         509                80
  Interest expense and other                                               17              (391)
                                                              ----------------   ---------------
                                                                          526              (311)
                                                              ----------------   ---------------
Net loss before income taxes                                          (13,789)           (5,344)
Income taxes                                                                -                 -
                                                              ----------------   ---------------
Net loss                                                      $       (13,789)   $       (5,344)
                                                              ================   ===============

Net loss per share-basic and diluted                          $         (0.56)   $        (0.22)
                                                              ================   ===============

Weighted average shares outstanding:
  Basic and diluted                                                    24,835            24,298
                                                              ================   ===============

</TABLE>

                          The accompanying notes are an integral part
                          of these consolidated financial statements


                                       3
<PAGE>


VTEL CORPORATION
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(Amounts in thousands)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


                                                                               For the
                                                                         Three Months Ended
                                                                              October 31,
                                                                         2000            1999
                                                                              (Unaudited)
<S>                                                                   <C>             <C>
Cash flows from operating activities:
     Net loss                                                         $ (13,789)      $  (5,344)

     Adjustments to reconcile net loss
     to net cash provided by (used  in)
     operations:
        Depreciation and amortization                                     3,303           2,620
        Provision for doubtful accounts                                     719             259
        Amortization of unearned compensation                                 4              75
        Non-cash restructuring charge                                       343               -
        Foreign currency translation gain                                   (17)             (2)
        Gain on sale of fixed assets                                        (34)            (42)
        Decrease in accounts receivable                                   7,714           8,496
        Increase in inventories                                          (1,914)           (447)
        Decrease in prepaid expenses and other current assets               242             135
        Decrease in accounts payable                                     (1,976)         (3,883)
        Decrease in accrued expenses                                       (378)           (912)
        Decrease in deferred revenues                                      (924)           (374)
                                                                  -------------  ---------------
            Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities          (6,707)            581
                                                                  -------------  ---------------

Cash flows from investing activities:
     Net sales of short-term investments                                  5,466           2,938
     Net purchases of property and equipment                               (383)           (914)
     (Issuance) collection of notes receivable                              (44)             12
     Increase in capitalized software                                         -          (1,702)
     (Increase) decrease in other assets                                   (154)             92
                                                                  -------------  ---------------
            Net cash provided by investing activities                     4,885             426
                                                                  -------------  ---------------

Cash flows from financing activities:
     Net proceeds from issuance of stock                                    119             111
     Proceeds from sale of treasury stock                                     -              12
     Borrowings under line of credit                                          -           2,800
     Payments on notes payable                                             (642)           (453)
                                                                  -------------  ---------------
            Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities            (523)          2,470
                                                                  -------------  ---------------

Effect of translation exchange rates on cash                                332              (6)
                                                                  -------------  ---------------

Net (decrease) increase in cash and equivalents                          (2,013)          3,471

Cash and equivalents at beginning of period                               6,868           7,805
                                                                  -------------  ---------------
Cash and equivalents at end of period                                 $   4,855     $    11,276
                                                                  =============  ===============

</TABLE>


              The accompanying notes are an integral part of these
                     condensed consolidated financial statements.

                                       4
<PAGE>


VTEL CORPORATION

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(Amounts in thousands, except share, per share, and employee data unless
otherwise noted)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Note 1 - General and Basis of Financial Statements

         The accompanying  unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements
have  been  prepared  in  accordance  with  the  rules  and  regulations  of the
Securities  and  Exchange  Commission  and  accordingly,   do  not  include  all
information  and  footnotes  required  under  accounting   principals  generally
accepted in the United States for complete financial statements.  In the opinion
of  management,  these interim  financial  statements  contain all  adjustments,
consisting of normal,  recurring adjustments,  necessary for a fair presentation
of the  financial  position  of VTEL as of  October  31,  2000 and the result of
operations  and cash flows for the three months ended October 31, 2000 and 1999.
The results for interim periods are not necessarily  indicative of results for a
full fiscal year.

Note 2 - Inventories

         Inventories consist of the following:

                                                 October 31,            July 31,
                                                    2000                  2000

         Raw materials                           $  10,144              $  8,394
         Work in process                             1,269                   669
         Finished goods                              4,224                 4,480
         Finished goods held for evaluation
           and rental and loan agreements            1,010                 1,190
                                                 ---------             ---------
                                                 $  16,647             $  14,733
                                                 =========             =========

         Finished goods held for evaluation  consist of completed digital visual
communications systems used for demonstration and evaluation purposes.

Note 3 - Restructuring Activities

         On August 23,  2000,  VTEL  announced  a new  business  charter and the
restructuring  of its  organization.  The new  business  charter is  intended to
execute a change in  business  strategy  that  leverages  VTEL's  solutions  and
systems  integration  capabilities  in order to become  the  industry  leader in
providing visual communication solutions over broadband enterprise networks. The
restructuring   involves  the  involuntary   termination  of  approximately  200
employees  globally,  or 34% of the Company's workforce and the consolidation of
leased office space in Austin,  Texas,  Sunnyvale,  California  and other remote
facilities.  These workforce  reductions and  consolidations of office space are
intended  to reduce  costs and focus  resources  on efforts  to support  the new
business charter. The Company anticipates completing all terminations by January
31, 2001. During the three months ended October 31, 2000, the Company recorded a
restructuring charge of $1,708.


                                       5
<PAGE>

VTEL CORPORATION

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(Amounts in thousands, except share, per share, and employee data unless
otherwise noted)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

         The following schedule  summarizes the components and activities of the
restructuring plan:

                                     Restructuring       Expenditures      Balance Accrued at
                                         Charge            Incurred         October 31, 2000
<S>                                <C>                 <C>                <C>
Termination and severance
 benefits                          $           1,565   $        1,365     $           200
Facility closure and other
 (primarily non-cancelable lease
 obligations)                                    143                -                 143
                                   -----------------   --------------     ---------------
                                   $           1,708   $        1,281     $           343
                                   =================   ==============     ===============
</TABLE>

Note 4 - Comprehensive Loss

         Our  comprehensive  income  (loss) is comprised  of net income  (loss),
foreign  currency  translation  adjustments  and unrealized  gains and losses on
marketable  securities  held as  available-for-sale  investments.  Comprehensive
losses for the three  months  ended  October 31, 2000 and 1999 were  $12,986 and
$5,434, respectively.

Note 5 - Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities

         On  August  31,  2000  the  Company  adopted   Statement  of  Financial
Accounting Standards (SFAS) No. 133, "Accounting for Derivative  Instruments and
Hedging Activities." SFAS No. 133 establishes accounting and reporting standards
for derivative instruments, including certain derivative instruments embedded in
other  contracts  (collectively  referred  to as  derivatives)  and for  hedging
activities.  SFAS 133  requires the  recognition  of all  derivatives  as either
assets or liabilities in the statement of financial position and the measurement
of those  instruments  at fair value.  The  Company  utilizes  forward  currency
exchange  contracts to reduce the exposure to fluctuations  in foreign  currency
exchange  rates related to the European Euro and the  Australian  Dollar.  These
contracts  have  historically  been  recorded at fair value in the  statement of
financial condition with changes reflected in the statement of operations. Other
than these  contracts,  the Company does not maintain  derivatives as defined in
SFAS 133. Therefore the adoption of this standard had no effect on the Company's
statement of financial  position or results of operations  for the quarter ended
October 31, 2000.

Note 6 - Recent Accounting Pronouncements

         In December 1999, the Securities and Exchange  Commission  issued Staff
Accounting  Bulletin (SAB) 101, "Revenue  Recognition in Financial  Statements,"
which  provides  guidance  on revenue  recognition  issues.  VTEL is required to
implement SAB 101 beginning on May 1, 2001.  The Company has not  determined the
effect of  implementing  SAB 101 on its  financial  position  or its  results of
operations.

                                       6
<PAGE>

Note 7 - Segment Information

         The Company  manages its business  primarily  on a products,  solutions
(formerly  services) and Internet  ventures  basis and these are the  reportable
segments.   The  Products  segment  provides  multi-media  visual  communication
(commonly referred to as videoteleconferencing)  products to customers primarily
through a network of resellers,  and to a lesser  extent  directly to end-users.
The Solutions  segment provides custom  integrated  systems,  installations  and
product support services to customers.  The Internet Ventures are business units
established to focus on delivering visual  communications  products and services
for the World Wide Web.

The Company evaluates the performance of its segments and allocates resources to
them  based on  revenue  and  operating  income;  however,  there is a charge to
allocate corporate operating expenses to the segments.  The prior year's segment
information has been restated to present the Company's reportable segments.

         The  table  below  presents  segment  information  about  revenue  from
unaffiliated  customers,  depreciation and operating income (loss) for the three
month periods ended October 31, 2000 and 1999:

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

                                                                         Internet        Unallocated
                                          Products       Solutions        Ventures          Items             Total
                                         ------------    -----------     -----------    --------------     ------------

For the three-month period
ending October 31, 2000
<S>                                        <C>             <C>             <C>                 <C>           <C>
Revenues from unaffiliated customers       $  14,086       $ 10,444        $      -                          $  24,530
Depreciation and amortization                  1,834          1,278             191                              3,303
Operating income (loss)                       (9,230)           258          (4,287)           (1,056)         (14,315)

Total assets                               $  58,445       $ 43,333        $  5,090                 -        $ 106,868

For the three-month period
ending October 31, 1999

Revenues from unaffiliated customers       $  24,375      $  10,691        $      -                          $  35,066
Depreciation and amortization                  1,692            884              44                              2,260
Operating income (loss)                       (3,303)           445          (2,175)                            (5,033)

Total assets                               $  75,871      $  33,278        $  6,916                 -        $ 116,065

<CAPTION>
</TABLE>

                                       7

<PAGE>

Item 2.  Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results
of Operations

         The  following  review of VTEL's  financial  position as of October 31,
2000 and July 31, 2000 and for the three months ended  October 31, 2000 and 1999
should be read in  conjunction  with our 2000  Annual  Report on Form 10-K filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 30, 2000.

Results of Operations

         The following table provides the percentage of revenues  represented by
certain items in VTEL's Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations:

                                                                For the Three
                                                                Months Ended
                                                                 October 31,
                                                             2000          1999

    Product revenues                                          57%           70%
    Services and other revenues                               43            30
    Gross margin                                              30            37
    Selling, general and administrative                       56            40
    Research and development                                  23            11
    Restructuring expense                                      7             -
    Total operating expenses                                  88            52
    Other income (expense), net                                2            (1)
    Net loss                                                 (56)%         (15)%


Three Months Ended October 31, 2000 and 1999

         Revenues.  Revenue for the quarter ended October 31, 2000  decreased by
$10.6 million, or 30%, to $24.5 million from $35.1 million for the quarter ended
October 31, 1999.

     The  decline in overall  revenue  is  primarily  the result of a decline in
product sales of  videoconferencing  units whereas  service revenue has remained
stable as compared to similar periods.  On August 23, 2000, VTEL announced a new
business  charter and  strategy  that  leverages  VTEL's  strengths in services,
systems   integration,   network  management  and  software   development  ("New
Charter").  By executing this change in business strategy, our goal is to become
the industry leader in providing visual  communication  solutions over broadband
enterprise networks.  We believe we can execute this change in business strategy
by doing the  following:

o    Expand  on  current  product   offerings,   by  actively   marketing  other
     manufacturers'   products  that  deliver  visual  communication   solutions
     athrough our Multi-Vendor Partners program ("MVP");

o    Expand our customer service and systems  integration  capabilities to cover
     other visual communication products available within the industry;

o    Focus our research and  development  efforts to enhance our Smart Video Net
     Manager   ("SVNM")   network   management   software   platform  that  will
     interoperate in a multi-vendor  environment to manage visual  communication
     traffic over IP networks;

o    Build on our existing services and integration  businesses by marketing and
     delivering   additional  but  related   services  such  as  system  design,
     implementation, management and training.


                                       8

<PAGE>

     The  decision  to pursue the New  Charter  was based in part on a declining
trend within the industry of sales of high-end  videoconferencing  products. The
sale  of  high-end  videoconferencing  products  historically  has  been  a  key
component  of our revenue  structure.  Because  this trend in product  sales has
occurred  over several  quarters,  it magnifies  the product  sales decline when
reporting periods are compared year over year as opposed to sequential quarters.
As we anticipated a decline in product revenues, we made the decision during the
quarter to avoid additional product discounting in favor of maintaining stronger
gross  margins on our most popular  models which  contributed  to the decline in
revenue for the three months ended October 31, 2000.

     For the Company to better meet the needs of its  customers,  resellers  and
strategic  partners,  as well as to return to  profitability,  we  announced  on
November 11, 2000 the creation of two separate  stand-alone  business  units for
our Products and Solutions businesses,  respectively. The separation is intended
to leverage the strengths of our existing services,  integration and sales teams
to offer  the  best-in-class  visual  communication  solutions  in the  emerging
broadband marketplace,  while also allowing the Products business unit to remain
focused on the design,  development,  manufacture,  marketing,  and sales of our
videoconferencing  equipment. We believe the visual communications industry will
continue to shift towards software solutions, but also expect continued downward
price pressure on videoconferencing  products.  As a result, we will continue to
pursue aggressive efforts to reduce product costs as well as operating expenses.

     The  Products  business  unit's  goals are to return to  profitability,  to
preserve our current  market  position for the VTEL brand and customer  base, to
establish  long-term  plans for the Galaxy(TM)  product line and beyond,  and to
grow the business.  We believe the separation of the Company's  core  businesses
will allow the Products business unit to concentrate on these goals.  Indicators
to verify this business unit's progress  include certain contract wins involving
the internet  protocol H.323  technology  and the upcoming  Galaxy 2.02 release,
which include international capabilities and enhanced stability. As the Products
unit's emphasis shifts from the circuit  switched H.320  technology to the H.323
technology,  we expect to  experience a decline in product  revenue in the short
term. However, the Company expects future increased product revenue as we pursue
H.323 opportunities.

         For the three month periods  ended  October 31, 2000 and 1999,  service
and  other  revenue,  as  a  percent  of  total  revenues,   was  43%  and  30%,
respectively.  Service and other  revenue,  totaling  $10.4  million  during the
quarter  ended  October 31,  2000,  declined by $0.2 million in the three months
ended  October 31, 2000,  compared to the three  months ended  October 31, 1999.
Service revenue  represents the combined revenues of our Solutions business unit
that  provides   installation  and  maintenance   services  as  well  as  custom
videoconferencing integration solutions.

         The  ability of our  Solutions  business  unit to  maintain  consistent
revenue streams from service and maintenance contracts despite declining product
revenues  reflects  the quality of our  service  performance.  Additionally,  we
believe the industry lacks a player to provide integrated solutions that address
the  overall  Internet  Protocol  (IP)  environment.  Therefore,  the  Solutions
business  is  focusing  on the  continued  establishment  of  profitable  growth
propositions,   introducing  new  prominent  customers  and  developing  a  next
generation  network management  platform.  During the three months ended October
31, 2000 the Company pursued these goals by creating the  Multi-Vendor  Partners
Program(TM)  (MVP),  which allows VTEL to market and  distribute  various vendor

                                       9

<PAGE>

products  through its Solutions  business.  Charter members include  PictureTel,
Polycom, Ezenia, and several others. By bidding the multiple products within the
MVP  portfolio,   the  business  unit  is  establishing  new  relationships  and
re-energizing old relationships with market partners and network players.

         International  sales represented  approximately 27% of product revenues
for the three months ended October 31, 2000 compared to 21% for the three months
ended October 31, 1999.  These revenue  percentages  represent export sales from
our domestic operations, as well as sales from our foreign subsidiaries that are
installed  in foreign  locations.  The increase in  international  sales for the
three months  ended  October 31, 2000 is due  primarily to several  large orders
from our China operations.  Our European operations have strictly focused on the
VTEL product line, which impaired their  competitiveness as the demand in Europe
for videoconferencing products shifted toward low-end products even more rapidly
than in the United States. As a result,  during the first quarter of fiscal 2001
we have substantially reduced the scope of European operating activities,  while
maintaining an emphasis on European customer service activities.

         VTEL sells its  products  primarily  through  resellers.  For the three
months  ended  October  31,  2000 and 1999,  reseller  sales were 81% and 76% of
product sales,  respectively.  All other sales of our products are made directly
to the end user  customer.  We  expect  that  VTEL  developed  videoconferencing
endpoints  will  continue  to  be  sold  predominately  through  reseller  sales
channels. However, as we develop our new business model, which includes sales of
a broader range of third-party visual communications  software and equipment, we
expect that a larger  percentage of our overall revenues will become more direct
in nature.

         We have made decisions  regarding the business based on certain revenue
expectations  with respect to our core products.  There can be no assurance that
product  revenues will not decline faster than we have predicted,  nor can we be
certain that our service revenues will increase as intended.  Our expense levels
are based, in part, on our  expectations as to future revenue levels,  which are
difficult to predict. Our expense base is relatively fixed in the short term. If
revenue levels are below  expectations,  operating results may be materially and
adversely affected and net income is likely to be  disproportionately  adversely
affected.

         Gross margin.  Gross margin as a percentage  of total  revenues was 30%
and 37% for the three months ended October 31, 2000 and 1999, respectively.

         Product  margins were 33% for the three  months ended  October 31, 2000
and 40% for the three  months  ended  October  31,  1999.  This  decline  is due
primarily to a one-time  expense of $0.7 million that was  classified as product
cost of sales.  Excluding the effect of these  non-recurring  expenses,  product
margin for the three months  ended  October 31, 2000 was 38% and the decrease in
margin was due  primarily  to a less  favorable  product mix, as compared to the
product  margin  for the three  months  ended  October  31,  1999.  To return to
profitability  in our Products  business,  we intend to focus our  manufacturing
process on the most profitable and highly  demanded  product  configurations  as
well as  taking  measures  to reduce  our cost of  products  sold.  We intend to
minimize deep product discounting practices that were used to remain competitive
and to maintain  market share. It is our belief that we can manage our inventory
levels and thus our costs  more  effectively  by  generating  predictable  sales
volume of our most popular product configurations.

         Service  margins were 25% for the three  months ended  October 31, 2000
and 31% for the three months ended October 31, 1999. The gross margins generated
by  our  Global  Services  division,  which  provides  maintenance  and  systems
integration  revenues,  have historically been lower than the gross margins from
our product  sales.  Whereas  service costs are  relatively  fixed,  integration

                                       10

<PAGE>

margins  are  subject to product  mix shifts  based on the types of  integration
solutions  we produce.  The decline in service  margins  during the three months
ended  October  31, 2000 was  attributable  to cost  overruns  on several  large
integration  projects.  In addition to helping deliver segment profitability and
generating in-house solutions expertise, the integration business also acts as a
conduit to deliver service maintenance contracts on the projects we deliver.

         We believe that, as part of our new charter,  service revenues can grow
as we offer our service  capabilities  to a broader range of third-party  visual
communications products.  Despite apparent lower gross margins, service revenues
do not carry the associated cost of sales that product sales do.  Therefore,  we
believe the Solutions business will contribute greater overall profitability.

         Selling,    general   and   administrative.    Selling,   general   and
administrative  expenses were $13.8 million during the quarter ended October 31,
2000 and $14.0 million  during the quarter ended October 31, 1999. The decreased
was $0.2  million,  or 1%.  Selling,  general and  administrative  expenses as a
percentage  of revenues  were 56% and 40% for the three months ended October 31,
2000 and 1999, respectively.

         While selling,  general and administrative  expenses for the comparable
periods remained  relatively  flat, the substantial  increase as a percentage of
revenue includes non-recurring consulting costs totaling $1.1 million associated
with the development  and initial  execution of the New Charter and $0.4 million
in stay bonuses paid to certain employees. We are committed to reducing selling,
general and  administrative  expenses to be in line with expected future revenue
levels. The reduction in workforce and office space as part of the restructuring
efforts  initiated during the quarter ended October 31, 2000 are two significant
steps  that  the  Company  has  taken  to  reduce  its  overhead  expenses  (see
Restructuring Charge below). The impact of these cost reduction measures will be
realized in future quarters.

         Research and development.  Research and development  expenses were $5.7
million for the quarter  ended October 31, 2000 and $3.8 million for the quarter
ended October 31, 1999. The increase was $1.9 million, or 51%.

           The increase in research and development expenses is due primarily to
$1.7  million in software  development  costs that were  capitalized  during the
three  months  ended  October  31,  1999.   Overall   research  and  development
expenditures (including capitalized costs) remained relatively stable during the
three months ended  October 31, 2000 in  comparison  with the three months ended
October 31, 1999. The research and development projects that were capitalized in
1999 were related to the user interface software resident in our Galaxy product,
and software for visual  communications  over IP networks.  In October 1999, the
user  interface  software  was  released  with  our new  Galaxy  line of  visual
communication  systems.  No such costs were capitalized  during the period ended
October 31,  2000,  as the  projects  under  development  in fiscal 2001 had not
reached  technologically  feasibility.  Research and  development  expenses as a
percentage  of revenues  were 23% and 11% for the three months ended October 31,
2000 and 1999, respectively.

         Our ability to  successfully  develop  software  solutions  to visually
enable  broadband  enterprise  networks will be a  significant  factor in VTEL's
success.  As we shift our  research  and  development  strategy,  we  anticipate
additional  costs  associated  with the  recruiting and retention of engineering
professionals adept at broadband technologies.  We will also maintain sustaining
engineering  efforts on our  existing  product  lines,  including  our  flagship
endpoint  product,  Galaxy.  We will attempt to effectively  manage research and
development expenses to be in-line with expected revenue levels in the future.


                                       11

<PAGE>

         Restructuring Charge. On August 23, 2000, VTEL announced a new business
charter and the  restructuring  of its  organization and recorded a $1.7 million
charge during the quarter ended October 31, 2000. The  restructuring  charge was
less than the  estimated  range of $6 to $8 million  provided in our fiscal 2000
Annual  Report.  This  difference  is  due  to the  unanticipated  delay  in the
reduction of some of the  workforce,  unexpected  success in subletting  certain
facilities,  and  non-recurring  costs  totaling  $2.2  million  that  have been
classified as either product costs or selling, general and administrative.

           The   restructuring   involves   the   involuntary   termination   of
approximately 200 employees globally, or 34% of the Company's workforce, and the
consolidation of leased office space in Austin, Texas and Sunnyvale, California.
The  consolidation  of the  office  space  resulted  in a  120,000  square  feet
reduction,  or 40% of the office space occupied.  The Company's  affected leases
will be terminated or subleased to other tenants. These workforce reductions and
consolidations  of office space are intended to reduce costs and focus resources
on efforts to support the new business charter.  As a result of the terminations
and office space reduction,  the Company  anticipates saving  approximately $4.0
million in personnel costs and  approximately  $1.0 million in occupancy expense
per quarter, starting in the third quarter of fiscal 2001.

         Net loss.  VTEL  generated  a net loss of $13.8  million,  or $0.56 per
share,  during the quarter ended October 31, 2000 compared to a net loss of $5.3
million,  or $.22 per share,  during the quarter ended October 31, 1999.  Losses
from operations during the three months ended October 31, 2000 are the result of
declining  revenues  against  costs that  remain  relatively  fixed prior to the
restructuring efforts taken during the quarter.

         Approximately  $4.3 million of the total  operating  loss for the three
months  ended  October 31, 2000 is made up of our  continued  investment  in our
Internet  businesses.  Despite  successful  Pixelgram(TM) beta testing and other
products  doing  well  in the  testing  phase  for  Onscreen24(TM),  the  market
acceptance has been slow and external funding has been less than expected due to
the decline in the venture  capital  market.  We have made the  decision  not to
commit our resources to the substantial  infrastructure  necessary to distribute
the  Pixelgram(TM)  product.  Based on this  decision,  our intention is to find
licensing  partners for the intellectual  property  developed by Onscreen24(TM).
Meanwhile, Articulearn(TM) has made progress in spite of the difficult market by
delivering products and developing business partners and customers. In addition,
Articulearn has won recent critical acclaim within  E-Learning  industry for its
Web Hosting design.  Articulearn anticipates the delivery of third party funding
during  fiscal  2001.  Although we plan to continue  supporting  these  Internet
businesses,  we intend to focus on less cash  intensive  strategies  in order to
preserve cash for our core businesses.

         While  we  hope  that  our  efforts  to  change  the  business  will be
successful,  there can be no assurances that this business strategy will succeed
in  generating  net  operating  income  in the  future,  or  that  our  Internet
businesses will prove successful. If revenues decline by more than we expect, or
if the  product mix shifts to lower  margin  products,  the Company  could incur
further losses in the future and may need to consider  additional  restructuring
charges in future  quarters  that may have a material  adverse  affect on VTEL's
financial position and results of operations.

                                       12
<PAGE>


Introduction of New Product Lines and Services

     VTEL  continually  strives to  introduce  the latest  technology  in visual
communications.   In  October   1999,   we   introduced   our  latest   line  of
videoconferencing   products,  the  Galaxy  visual  communication  systems.  The
software  within the Galaxy  line is H.323  capable for  videoconferencing  over
Internet  Protocol  networks  and/or H.320  capable for  videoconferencing  over
traditional  circuit  switched  networks.   The  Galaxy  product  line  provides
state-of-the-art  audio and video with high  resolution  slide  capture and send
graphics.  Within this product family there are solutions that support single or
dual monitor  configurations,  with data rates from 128Kbps to 1920Kbps (T1/E1).
Despite  our  plans  to  embark  on a  broader  array of  visual  communications
products,  we intend to continue  to develop the  features of Galaxy in order to
support our customers who have already  invested in this  feature-rich  product.
Such  developments  include the newest release of Galaxy product line,  which we
will introduce in the second  quarter of fiscal 2001. The 2.02 release  contains
international  capabilities and a Serial Applications  Program Interface (SAPI).
The SAPI permits the customization of the user interface and thereby permits the
integration of Galaxy with other hardware and software  products.  Additionally,
the Company is building new network  management  platforms  and plans to release
the  SmartVideoNetManager(TM)  3.0 in the next  quarter.  Although  this current
architecture  is primarily  VTEL based,  the Company is looking at options for a
new  platform  which can  accommodate  all of the  products  within the  MVP(TM)
portfolio.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

         At  October  31,  2000,  VTEL had  working  capital  of $39.7  million,
including  $39.6 million in cash, cash  equivalents and short-term  investments.
Cash used in  operating  activities  was $6.7 million for the three months ended
October 31, 2000 and primarily  resulted from  operating  losses  (including the
restructuring  and other  one-time  charges  of $3.9  million)  and  changes  in
accounts  receivable,   inventories  and  accounts  payable.  Cash  provided  by
operating  activities  was $0.6 million for the three  months ended  October 31,
1999 and  primarily  resulted  from  significant  cash  collections  during that
quarter.  For the three months ended October 31, 2000,  the Company's days sales
outstanding was 55 days, a 22 days reduction from the 77 days sales  outstanding
for the same period  ended  October 31,  1999.  This  improvement  reflects  the
Company's commitment to aggressively collect outstanding receivables in order to
better manage cash flow.

         Net cash provided by investing activities during the three months ended
October 31, 2000 was $4.9 million and  primarily  resulted from the net sales of
short-term  investments.  Net cash provided by investing  activities  during the
three months ended October 31, 1999 was $0.4 million and primarily resulted from
net  sales of  short-term  investments,  which  were  offset by  investments  in
capitalized  software development costs and net investments in fixed assets. The
Company's  capital  budget for fiscal 2001 is $3.0  million,  which will be used
principally  to  support  on going  operations  and  demonstration  systems  and
facilities.  At October 31, 2000,  the Company had incurred  $0.3 million in net
capital expenditures.

         Cash used in financing activities during the three months ended October
31, 2000 was $0.5 million and primarily resulted from payments on notes payable.
Cash provided by financing  activities during the three months ended October 31,
1999 was $2.5 million and related  primarily to  borrowings  under the Company's
line of credit  agreements.  In March 2000, the Company  repaid the  outstanding
balance on its line of credit with a banking syndicate.  At October 31, 2000, we
did not have a line of  credit  in place  but  management  expects  to obtain an
alternative line of credit during the current fiscal year.


                                       13
<PAGE>


         Our  principal  sources of liquidity  at October 31, 2000  consisted of
$39.6 million of cash, cash  equivalents and short-term  investments.  The $39.6
million  includes $11.2 million in common stock of Accord Networks  (Accord),  a
networking  equipment  manufacturer.  The  1.3  million  shares  of  Accord  are
available for sale upon  completion of a regulatory  holding  period of not less
than six months after the invested  company's  initial  public  offering in June
2000. At October 31, 2000,  the Company  recorded the  unrealized  gain of $10.5
million related to the Accord stock as part of other comprehensive income.

Legal Matters

         VTEL is the defendant or plaintiff in various actions that arose in the
normal  course  of  business.  In  the  opinion  of  management,   the  ultimate
disposition  of these  matters  will not have a material  adverse  affect on our
financial condition or results of operations.

General

         The markets for our products are characterized by a highly  competitive
and rapidly changing  environment in which operating  results are subject to the
effects of frequent product introductions,  manufacturing technology innovations
and rapid  fluctuations  in product  demand.  While we attempt to  identify  and
respond to these changes as soon as possible, prediction of and reaction to such
events will be an ongoing challenge and may result in revenue  shortfalls during
certain periods of time.

         VTEL's future  results of operations and financial  condition  could be
impacted by the following factors, among others: trends in the videoconferencing
market;  introduction of new products by competitors;  increased competition due
to the entrance of other companies into the videoconferencing market, especially
more  established  companies  with  greater  resources  than ours;  delay in the
introduction of higher performance  products;  market acceptance of new products
we introduce; price competition; interruption of the supply of low-cost products
from third-party manufacturers; changes in general economic conditions in any of
the countries in which we do business;  or adverse legal  disputes and delays in
purchases related to federal government procurement.

         Due to the factors noted above and elsewhere in Management's Discussion
and  Analysis of  Financial  Condition  and Results of  Operations,  VTEL's past
earnings  and stock  price  have  been,  and  future  earnings  and stock  price
potentially  may  be,  subject  to  significant  volatility,  particularly  on a
quarterly basis. Past financial  performance should not be considered a reliable
indicator of future  performance and investors are cautioned in using historical
trends to  anticipate  results or trends in future  periods.  Any  shortfall  in
revenue or earnings from the levels  anticipated  by securities  analysts  could
have an  immediate  and  significant  effect on the trading  price of our common
stock in any given period.  Also, we participate  in a highly dynamic  industry,
which often contributes to the volatility of our common stock price.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Risks and Uncertainties That May Affect Future
Results

         Certain  portions of this  report  contain  forward-looking  statements
about the  business,  financial  condition  and  prospects  of VTEL.  Our actual
results  could differ  materially  from those  indicated by the  forward-looking
statements  because  of  various  risks  and  uncertainties  including,  without
limitation,  changes  in  demand  for our  products  and  services,  changes  in
competition,  economic conditions,  interest rates fluctuations,  changes in the
capital  markets,  changes  in tax and  other  laws and  governmental  rules and
regulations applicable to our business, and other risks indicated in our filings
with the Securities and Exchange  Commission.  These risks and uncertainties are
beyond the ability of our control,  and in many cases,  we cannot predict all of
the risks and  uncertainties  that  could  cause its  actual  results  to differ
materially from those indicated by the forward-looking  statements. When used in


                                       14

<PAGE>

this   report,   the  words   "believes,"   "estimates,"   "plans,"   "expects,"
"anticipates"  and similar  expressions as they relate to VTEL or its management
are intended to identify forward-looking statements.

PART II -- OTHER INFORMATION

Item 1.  Legal Proceedings

         VTEL is the defendant or plaintiff in various actions that arose in the
normal  course  of  business.  In  the  opinion  of  management,   the  ultimate
disposition  of these  matters  will not have a material  adverse  affect on our
financial condition or results of operations.

Item 2.

                  None

Item 4.  Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders

                  None

Item 5.  Other Information

                  None

Item 6.  Exhibits and Reports on Form 8-K

         (a) Exhibits:

                  None

         (B) Reports on Form 8-K:

                  None

                                      * * *

                                       15

<PAGE>



                                   SIGNATURES

Pursuant  to the  requirements  of the  Securities  Exchange  Act of  1934,  the
registrant  has duly  caused  this  report  to be  signed  on its  behalf by the
undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

                                     VTEL CORPORATION



         December 15, 2000           By: /s/ Stephen L. Von Rump
                                        ----------------------------------------
                                        Stephen L. Von Rump
                                        Chief Executive Officer


                                     By: /s/ Jay C. Peterson
                                        ----------------------------------------
                                        Jay C. Peterson
                                        interim Chief Financial Officer
                                        (Principal Accounting Officer)






                                       16



© 2022 IncJournal is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission