Spok Holdings, Inc

Previous wording

From time to time, it may be necessary to reorient our sales representatives to focus on specific market segments, product lines or new software solutions or to remove underperforming individuals, which may require additional resources to maintain productivity. The impact of these changes could adversely impact our ability to achieve our sales productivity goals. We have also identified the following risks that could impact our sales productivity:

Current wording

From time to time, we have needed to reorient our sales representatives to focus on specific market segments, product lines or new software solutions or to remove underperforming individuals, which has required and in the future may require additional resources to maintain productivity. The impact of these changes could adversely impact our ability to achieve our sales productivity goals. We have also identified the following risks that could impact our sales productivity:

Previous wording

We cannot provide any assurances that we will be successful in finding such acquisitions or consummating future acquisitions on favorable terms. We anticipate that future acquisitions will be financed through a combination of methods, including, but not limited to, the use of available cash on hand, and, if necessary, borrowings from third-party financial institutions. Disruptions or volatility in credit markets may impede our access to capital markets, including higher borrowing costs, less available capital, more stringent terms and tighter covenants may limit our ability to finance acquisitions.

Current wording

We cannot provide any assurances that we will be successful in finding such acquisitions or consummating future acquisitions on favorable terms. We anticipate that future acquisitions will be financed through a combination of methods, including, but not limited to, the use of available cash on hand, and, if necessary, borrowings from third-party financial institutions. Disruptions or volatility in credit markets may impede our access to capital markets, including higher borrowing costs, less available capital, more stringent terms and tighter covenants, which may limit our ability to finance acquisitions.

Previous wording

Our business is sensitive to recessionary economic cycles, higher interest rates, inflation, higher levels of unemployment, higher tax rates and other changes in tax laws, or other economic factors that may affect business spending or buying habits that could adversely affect the demand for our services. Adverse economic conditions could increase the rate of gross subscriber cancellations and/or the level of revenue erosion for our wireless business and could cause delays in or the loss of software revenue or bookings, which impacts license, professional services, hardware and subscription revenues.

Current wording

Our business is sensitive to recessionary economic cycles, the impact of trade disputes, tariffs and other trade protection measures, higher interest rates, inflation and higher levels of unemployment, higher tax rates and other changes in tax laws, or other economic factors that may affect business spending or buying habits that could adversely affect the demand for our services. Adverse economic conditions could increase the rate of gross subscriber cancellations and/or the level of revenue erosion for our wireless business and could cause delays in or the loss of software revenue or bookings, which impacts license, professional services, hardware and subscription revenues.

Previous wording

We may experience a long sales cycle for our software products.

Current wording

We experience a long sales cycle for our software products.

Previous wording

Our software revenue growth results from a long sales cycle that from initial contact to final sales order may take six to 18 months, depending on the type of software solution. Our software sales and marketing efforts involve educating our customers on the technical capabilities of our software solutions and the potential benefits from the deployment of our software, as well as educating ourselves as to the clinical needs of our customers. The inherent unpredictability of decision-making in our target market segment of healthcare, resulting from customer budget constraints, multiple approvals and administrative issues, may result in fluctuating bookings and revenue from month to month, quarter to quarter and year to year. Our bookings and corresponding revenue are dependent on actions that have occurred in the past. Each month, we need to spend substantial time, effort, and expense on our marketing and sales efforts that may not result in future revenue.

Current wording

Our software revenue growth results from a long sales cycle that from initial contact to final sales order takes six to 18 months, depending on the type of software solution. Our software sales and marketing efforts involve educating our customers on the technical capabilities of our software solutions and the potential benefits from the deployment of our software, as well as educating ourselves as to the clinical needs of our customers. The inherent unpredictability of decision-making in our target market segment of healthcare, resulting from customer budget constraints, multiple approvals and administrative issues, may result in fluctuating bookings and revenue from month to month, quarter to quarter and year to year. Our bookings and corresponding revenue are dependent on actions that have occurred in the past. Each month, we need to spend substantial time, effort, and expense on our marketing and sales efforts that may not result in future revenue.

Previous wording

We may be unable to find vendors that are able to supply us with wireless paging equipment based on future demands.

Current wording

We may be unable to find vendors that are able to supply us with wireless paging equipment based on future demand.

Previous wording

We use channel partners, such as resellers, consulting firms, original equipment manufacturers, and technology partners, to license and support our products. We rely, to a significant degree, on each of our channel partners to select, screen and maintain relationships with its respective distribution network and to distribute our offerings in a manner that is consistent with applicable law and regulatory requirements and our quality standards. Contract defaults by any of these channel partners or the loss of our relationships with them may materially adversely affect our ability to develop, market, sell, or support our communication solution offerings. If our indirect distribution channel is disrupted, we may be required to devote more resources to distribute our offerings directly and support our customers, which may not be as effective and could lead to higher costs, reduced revenue and growth that is slower than expected.

Current wording

We use channel partners, such as resellers, consulting firms, original equipment manufacturer, and technology partners, to license and support our products. We rely, to a significant degree, on each of our channel partners to select, screen and maintain relationships with its respective distribution network and to distribute our offerings in a manner that is consistent with applicable law and regulatory requirements and our quality standards. Contract defaults by any of these channel partners or the loss of our relationships with them may materially adversely affect our ability to develop, market, sell, or support our communication solution offerings. If our indirect distribution channel is disrupted, we may be required to devote more resources to distribute our offerings directly and support our customers, which may not be as effective and could lead to higher costs, reduced revenue and growth that is slower than expected.

Previous wording

We may experience litigation claiming intellectual property infringement by us, and we may not be able to protect our rights in intellectual property that we own and develop.

Current wording

We may experience material litigation claiming intellectual property infringement by us, and we may not be able to protect our rights in intellectual property that we own and develop.

Previous wording

Intellectual property infringement litigation has become commonplace, particularly in the wireless and software industries in which we operate. Litigation can be protracted, expensive, and time consuming. There is no assurance that we will remain immune to this litigation. Any such claims, whether meritorious or not, could be time-consuming and costly in terms of both resources and management time.

Current wording

Intellectual property infringement litigation has become commonplace, particularly in the wireless and software industries in which we operate, and from time to time we are involved in intellectual property disputes. Litigation can be protracted, expensive, and time consuming. There is no assurance that litigation will not materially impact us. Any such claims, whether meritorious or not, could be time-consuming and costly in terms of both resources and management time.

Previous wording

Our portfolio of issued patents and copyrights may be insufficient to defend ourselves against intellectual property infringement claims, and the validity and scope of our patents could be challenged by third parties were we to seek to enforce them.

Current wording

Our portfolio of issued patents and copyrights may be insufficient to defend ourselves against material intellectual property infringement claims, and the validity and scope of our patents could be challenged by third parties were we to seek to enforce them.

Previous wording

We rely heavily on a range of IT Systems for critical business operations. In addition, we and various third parties collect, process and store our customers’, suppliers’ and employees’ confidential information, as well as our own proprietary business information (collectively, "Confidential Information"). We are also dependent on a number of third-party providers of various technology, tools and services relating to, among other things, human resources, electronic communications, data storage, finance, and other business functions, and we are, of necessity, dependent on the security systems of these providers.

Current wording

We rely heavily on a range of IT Systems for critical business operations. In addition, we and various third parties collect, process and store our customers’, suppliers’ and employees’ confidential information, as well as our own proprietary business information (collectively, "Confidential Information"). We are also dependent on a number of third-party providers of various technology, tools and services relating to, among other things, human resources, electronic communications, data storage, finance, and other business functions, and we are, of necessity, dependent on but do not control the security systems of these providers.

Previous wording

We face numerous and evolving cybersecurity risks that threaten the confidentiality, integrity and availability of IT Systems and Confidential Information. Accidental or willful cyberattacks, breaches or other unauthorized access events committed or enabled by third parties or by our employees or contractors (for example, due to social engineering or phishing attacks) impact the security and integrity of our facilities, our systems or the systems of our third-party providers, and the information maintained in such systems. In addition, computer viruses, malware (for example, ransomware) or security vulnerabilities in our or our service providers' data, software, products or services, as well as external cyberattacks and data breaches, expose us to the risks of material corruption, loss, and misappropriation of proprietary and confidential information. We also routinely transmit and receive proprietary and Confidential Information, including through third parties, which makes that information vulnerable to interception, misuse or mishandling that may materially impact our business.

Current wording

We face numerous and evolving cybersecurity risks that threaten the confidentiality, integrity and availability of IT Systems and Confidential Information. Accidental or willful cyberattacks, breaches or other unauthorized access events committed or enabled by third parties or by our employees or contractors (for example, due to social engineering or phishing attacks) impact the security and integrity of our facilities, our systems or the systems of our third-party providers, and the information maintained in such systems. In addition, we are vulnerable to computer viruses, malware (for example, ransomware) and both known and unknown security vulnerabilities in our or our service providers' data, software, products or services, as well as external cyberattacks and data breaches that expose us to the risks of material corruption, loss, and misappropriation of proprietary and confidential information. We also routinely transmit and receive proprietary and Confidential Information, including through third parties, which makes that information vulnerable to interception, misuse or mishandling that may materially impact our business.

Previous wording

The frequency and scope of cyberattacks has been steadily increasing, and attackers are increasingly sophisticated, using tools and techniques, including artificial intelligence, to evade detection or cause significant delays in detection and identification. Even once identified, investigation and remediation of an incident is increasingly challenging due to attackers taking steps to obfuscate or remove forensic evidence and to circumvent logging tools and counter-measures, which renders us unable to fully anticipate or implement adequate preventative or restorative measures.

Current wording

The frequency and scope of cyberattacks has been steadily increasing, and attackers are increasingly sophisticated, using tools and techniques, including artificial intelligence, to evade detection or cause significant delays in detection and identification. Even once identified, investigation and remediation of an incident is increasingly challenging due to attackers taking steps to obfuscate or remove forensic evidence and to circumvent logging tools and counter-measures, which renders us unable to fully anticipate or implement adequate preventative or restorative measures. Any integration of artificial intelligence in our or any third-party provider’s operations, products or services is expected to pose new or unknown cybersecurity risks.

Previous wording

We and our service providers are routinely subjected to cyberattacks, such as denial of service, attempted unauthorized network intrusions, malware, viruses, social engineering (phishing), ransomware attacks or other persistent cyber threats. In addition, remote working arrangements at our Company and many third-party providers, increase cybersecurity risks due to the IT challenges associated with managing remote computing assets and vulnerabilities inherent in many non-corporate and home networks. There can also be no assurance that our or our third-party providers’ cybersecurity risk management programs, including relevant policies, processes and controls, will be fully implemented, complied with or effective in protecting IT Systems or Confidential Information that are critical to our business from materially adverse events.

Current wording

We and our service providers regularly experience cyberattacks and other incidents, and we expect that attacks and incidents will continue in varying degrees. For example, we have experienced distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks, social engineering/phishing/business email compromise (BEC) attacks, supply chain attacks, malware, and attacks on various of our third-party service providers. While to date no attacks or incidents have had a material impact on our operations or financial results, we cannot guarantee that material incidents will not occur in the future. In addition, remote working arrangements at our Company and many third-party providers, increase cybersecurity risks due to the IT challenges associated with managing remote computing assets and vulnerabilities inherent in many non-corporate and home networks. There can also be no assurance that our or our third-party providers’ cybersecurity risk management programs, including relevant policies, processes and controls, will be fully implemented, complied with or effective in protecting IT Systems or Confidential Information that are critical to our business from materially adverse events.

Previous wording

Any cyberattack or incident that compromises the confidentiality, integrity or availability of IT Systems or Confidential Information, for example, the theft, misuse of, or unauthorized access to Confidential Information, could result in, among other things, unfavorable publicity, damage to our reputation, loss of our trade secrets and other competitive information, difficulty in marketing our products, increased costs of investigation, remediation and compliance, allegations by our customers that we have not performed our contractual obligations, litigation by affected parties (including class actions) and possible financial obligations for liabilities and damages related to the theft or misuse of such information, regulatory investigations and enforcement actions, as well as fines and other sanctions pursuant to data privacy and security rules and regulations, any or all of which could have a material adverse effect on our reputation, operations, business, profitability and financial condition. Any losses, costs and liabilities may not be covered by, or may exceed the coverage limits of, any or all of our applicable insurance policies.

Current wording

A significant cyberattack or incident that compromises the confidentiality, integrity or availability of IT Systems or Confidential Information, for example, the theft, misuse of, or unauthorized access to Confidential Information, could result in, among other things, unfavorable publicity, damage to our reputation, loss of our trade secrets and other competitive information, difficulty in marketing our products, increased costs of investigation, remediation and compliance, allegations by our customers that we have not performed our contractual obligations, litigation by affected parties (including class actions) and possible financial obligations for liabilities and damages related to the theft or misuse of such information, regulatory investigations and enforcement actions, as well as fines and other sanctions pursuant to data privacy and security rules and regulations, any or all of which could have a material adverse effect on our reputation, operations, business, profitability and financial condition. Any losses, costs and liabilities may not be covered by, or may exceed the coverage limits of, any or all of our applicable insurance policies.

Previous wording

We have significant deferred income tax assets that are available to offset future taxable income and increase cash flows from operations. The use of these deferred income tax assets is dependent on the availability of taxable income in future periods. The availability of future taxable income is dependent on our ability to profitably manage our operations to support a growing base of software revenue offset by declining wireless subscribers and revenue. To the extent that anticipated reductions in wireless operating expenses do not occur or sufficient revenue is not generated, we may not achieve sufficient taxable income to allow for use of our deferred income tax assets. The accounting for deferred income tax assets is based upon an estimate of future results, and any valuation allowance we may apply to our deferred tax assets may be increased or decreased as conditions change or if we are unable to implement certain tax planning strategies. If we are unable to use these deferred income tax assets, our financial condition and results of operations may be materially affected. In addition, a significant portion of our deferred income tax assets relate to net operating losses. If our ability to utilize these losses is limited, due to Internal Revenue Code ("IRC") Section 382, our financial condition and results of operations may be materially affected. For example, we maintained a valuation allowance of $2.3 million at December 31, 2024 and 2023 to reduce net deferred income tax assets as their realization did not meet the applicable more-likely-than-not criterion.

Current wording

We have significant deferred income tax assets, including net operating loss ("NOL") carryforwards, that are available to offset future taxable income and increase cash flows from operations. Our ability to realize these benefits depends on generating sufficient taxable income before expiration and avoiding limitations under Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code ("IRC"). The availability of future taxable income is dependent on our ability to profitably manage our operations to support a growing base of software revenue offset by declining wireless subscribers and revenue. To the extent that anticipated reductions in wireless operating expenses do not occur or sufficient revenue is not generated, we may not achieve sufficient taxable income to allow for use of our deferred income tax assets before they expire. The accounting for deferred income tax assets is based upon an estimate of future results, and any valuation allowance we may apply to our deferred tax assets may be increased or decreased as conditions change, tax laws or interpretations change, or if we are unable to implement certain tax planning strategies. If we are unable to use these deferred income tax assets, our financial condition and results of operations may be materially affected. In addition, a significant portion of our deferred income tax assets relate to NOLs. For example, we had a valuation allowance of $1.9 million and $2.3 million at December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively, to reduce net deferred income tax assets as their realization did not meet the applicable more-likely-than-not criterion. In addition, if we use all of our deferred income tax assets, those benefits will not be available for future periods, which would negatively impact our financial condition and results of operations in such future periods.

Previous wording

For example, the FCC issued an order in October 2007 that mandated paging carriers (including the Company) along with all other CMRS providers serving a defined minimum number of subscribers to maintain an emergency back-up power supply at all cell sites to enable operation for a minimum of eight hours in the event of a loss of commercial power (the "Back-up Power Order"). Ultimately, after a hearing by the United States Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit and disapproval by the Office of Management and Budget (the "OMB") of the information collection requirements of the Back-up Power Order, the FCC indicated that it would not seek to override the OMB’s disapproval. Rather the FCC indicated that it would issue a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking with the goal of adopting revised back-up power rules. To date, the FCC has not adopted revised back-up power rules applicable to the Company, and we are unable to predict what impact, if any, revised back-up power rules to which the Company is subject could have on our business, financial condition, operating results and ability to pay cash dividends to stockholders.

Current wording

"Back-up Power Order"). Ultimately, after a hearing by the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit and disapproval by the Office of Management and Budget (the "OMB") of the information collection requirements of the Back-up Power Order, the FCC indicated that it would not seek to override the OMB’s disapproval. Rather the FCC indicated that it would issue a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking with the goal of adopting revised back-up power rules. To date, the FCC has not adopted revised back-up power rules applicable to the Company, and we are unable to predict what impact, if any, revised back-up power rules to which the Company is subject could have on our business, financial condition, operating results and ability to pay cash dividends to stockholders.

Previous wording

As a further example, the FCC has considered changes to the rules governing the collection of universal service fees, including a flat monthly charge per assigned telephone number as opposed to assessing universal service contributions based on telecommunication carriers’ interstate and international revenue. However, there is no timetable for any rulemaking to implement this numbers-based methodology. If the FCC adopts a numbers-based methodology, our attempt to recover the increased contribution costs from our customers could significantly diminish demand for our services, and our failure to recover such increased contribution costs could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and operating results. In addition, the FCC’s universal service contribution mechanism has been the subject of several recent court challenges, and the United States Supreme Court has agreed to consider the validity of the methodology on constitutional and other grounds. The outcome of this case is uncertain, but a decision by the Supreme Court invalidating the FCC’s universal service contribution mechanism could impact our business.

Current wording

As a further example, the FCC has considered changes to the rules governing the collection of universal service fees, including a flat monthly charge per assigned telephone number as opposed to assessing universal service contributions based on telecommunication carriers’ interstate and international revenue. However, there is no timetable for any rulemaking to implement this numbers-based methodology. If the FCC adopts a numbers-based methodology, our attempt to recover the increased contribution costs from our customers could significantly diminish demand for our services, and our failure to recover such increased contribution costs could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and operating results.