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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Date of earliest event reported: December 1, 1998
AUTONOMOUS TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Florida 0-28278 59-2554729
(State or other jurisdiction (Commission File Number) (I.R.S. Employer
of incorporation) Identification No.)
2800 Discovery Drive, Orlando, Florida 32826
(Address of registrant's principal executive offices) (Zip Code)
Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (407) 384-1600
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ITEM 4. CHANGES IN REGISTRANT'S CERTIFYING ACCOUNTANT.
Effective December 1, 1998, Autonomous Technologies Corporation (the
"Company") engaged Deloitte & Touche LLP as its independent public accountant
and on that same date, the Company dismissed Arthur Andersen LLP as its
independent public accountants. The engagement of Deloitte & Touche was
recommended and approved by the audit committee of the Company's Board of
Directors.
The audit report of Arthur Andersen LLP on the Company's financial
statements for the year ended December 31, 1996, did not contain an adverse
opinion or a disclaimer of opinion and was not qualified or modified as to
uncertainty, audit scope, or accounting principles. In its report on the
financial statements of the Company for the year ended December 31, 1997, Arthur
Andersen LLP modified its opinion on the financial statements to indicate that
they were prepared on the assumption that the Company would continue as a going
concern. As such, Arthur Andersen pointed out certain factors disclosed by the
Company in it's financial statements that raised a substantial doubt about the
ability of the Company to continue as a going concern.
In connection with the audits of the Company's financial statements for
each of the two years ended December 31, 1997, and in the subsequent unaudited
interim period through December 1, 1998, there were no disagreements between the
Company and Arthur Andersen LLP on any matters of accounting principles or
practices, financial statement disclosure, or auditing scope and procedures
which, if not resolved to the satisfaction of Arthur Andersen LLP, would have
caused it to make reference to the subject matter of the disagreement in
connection with its report on the audited financial statements.
During the Company's two most recently completed years and through present
date, there have been no reportable events (as defined in Item 304 of Regulation
S-K ) with Arthur Andersen LLP and during such periods the Company has not
consulted Deloitte & Touche LLP regarding the application of accounting
principles to a specified transaction, either completed or proposed, of the type
of audit opinion that might be rendered on the Company's financial statements. A
letter from Arthur Andersen LLP is attached as Exhibit 16.
On October 1, 1998, the Company and Summit Technology, Inc. announced that
they had entered into a merger agreement whereby the Company and a subsidiary of
Summit Technology, Inc. would merge. Deloitte & Touche LLP is the independent
certified public accountants for Summit Technology, Inc.
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ITEM 7. - EXHIBITS
Exhibit Number Exhibit Description
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16 Letter from Arthur Andersen LLP dated December 7, 1998
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 hereunto duly authorized.
Autonomous Technologies Corporation
Date: December 7, 1998 By: /s/Monty K. Allen
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Monty K. Allen, Chief Financial Officer
INDEX TO EXHIBITS
Exhibit Number Exhibit Description
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16 Letter from Arthur Andersen LLP dated December 7, 1998
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Exhibit 16
LETTERHEAD OF ARTHUR ANDERSEN LLP
Suite 2100
200 South Orange Avenue
Orlando, FL 32801-3475
407 841 4601
December 7, 1998
Office of the Chief Accountant
Securities and Exchange Commission
450 Fifth Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20549
Dear Sir/Madam:
We have read Item 4 included in the Form 8-K dated December 7, 1998 of
Autonomous Technologies Corporation to be filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission and are in agreement with the statements contained therein.
Very truly yours,
/s/Arthur Andersen LLP
Copy to:
Mr. Monty Allen, Chief Financial Officer, Autonomous Technologies Corporation
