Zscaler Inc

Previous wording

•the impact of global economic disruptions, including as a result of geopolitical uncertainty and instability, inflation, global health crises like the COVID-19 pandemic, and governmental responses thereto, remains uncertain and may have a material adverse impact on our business.

Current wording

•the impact of global economic disruptions, including as a result of geopolitical uncertainty and instability, inflation, global health crises, and governmental responses thereto, remains uncertain and may have a material adverse impact on our business.

Previous wording

We have incurred net losses in all periods since our inception, and we expect we will continue to incur net losses for the foreseeable future. We experienced net losses of $202.3 million, $390.3 million and $262.0 million for fiscal 2023, fiscal 2022 and fiscal 2021, respectively. As of January 31, 2024, we had an accumulated deficit of $1,152.3 million. Because the market for our cloud platform is rapidly evolving and cloud security solutions have not yet reached widespread adoption, it is difficult for us to predict our future results of operations. We expect our operating expenses to increase significantly over the next several years as we continue to hire additional personnel, particularly in research and development and sales and marketing, expand our operations and infrastructure, both domestically and internationally, and continue to develop our platform. If we fail to increase our revenue to offset the increases in our operating expenses, we may not achieve or sustain profitability in the future.

Current wording

We have incurred net losses in all annual periods since our inception, and we expect we will continue to incur net losses for the foreseeable future. We experienced net losses of $202.3 million, $390.3 million and $262.0 million for fiscal 2023, fiscal 2022 and fiscal 2021, respectively. As of April 30, 2024, we had an accumulated deficit of $1,133.2 million. Because the market for our cloud platform is rapidly evolving and cloud security solutions have not yet reached widespread adoption, it is difficult for us to predict our future results of operations. We expect our operating expenses to increase significantly over the next several years as we continue to hire additional personnel, particularly in research and development and sales and marketing, expand our operations and infrastructure, both domestically and internationally, and continue to develop our platform. If we fail to increase our revenue to offset the increases in our operating expenses, we may not achieve or sustain profitability in the future.

Previous wording

To increase our revenue and achieve and maintain profitability, we must add new customers. To do so, we must successfully convince IT decision makers that, as they adopt SaaS applications and the public cloud, security delivered through the cloud provides significant advantages over legacy on-premises appliance-based security products. Additionally, many of our customers broadly deploy our products, which requires a significant commitment of resources from our customers. These factors significantly impact our ability to add new customers and increase the time, resources and sophistication required to do so. In addition, numerous other factors, many of which are out of our control, have now and may in the future impact our ability to add new customers, including potential customers’ commitments to legacy IT security vendors and products, real or perceived switching costs, competition from hybrid or cloud security products, our failure to expand, retain and motivate our sales and marketing personnel, our failure to develop or expand relationships with our channel partners or to attract new channel partners, failure by us to help our customers to successfully deploy our cloud platform, negative media or industry or financial analyst commentary regarding us or our solutions, or similar solutions offered by our competitors, litigation and deteriorating general economic conditions. For example, the COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affected certain of the industries and markets which we serve, such as transportation, hospitality, and leisure, and increased inflation and higher interest rates have disproportionately affected other industries and markets which we serve, such as banking, financial services, and retail. As a result of challenging macroeconomic conditions, we have experienced and may experience in the future increased scrutiny and a longer approval process for initial purchases by new customers, particularly for larger transactions. We cannot predict how long these challenging economic conditions will persist, and customer cautiousness could continue or worsen or result in potential customers deciding to forego our services entirely. If our efforts to attract new customers are not successful, our revenue and rate of revenue growth may decline, we may not achieve profitability and our future results of operations could be materially harmed.

Current wording

To increase our revenue and achieve and maintain profitability, we must add new customers. To do so, we must successfully convince IT decision makers that, as they adopt SaaS applications and the public cloud, security delivered through the cloud provides significant advantages over legacy on-premises appliance-based security products. Additionally, many of our customers broadly deploy our products, which requires a significant commitment of resources from our customers. These factors significantly impact our ability to add new customers and increase the time, resources and sophistication required to do so. In addition, numerous other factors, many of which are out of our control, have now and may in the future impact our ability to add new customers, including potential customers’ commitments to legacy IT security vendors and products, real or perceived switching costs, competition from hybrid or cloud security products, our failure to expand, retain and motivate our sales and marketing personnel, our failure to develop or expand relationships with our channel partners or to attract new channel partners, failure by us to help our customers to successfully deploy our cloud platform, negative media or industry or financial analyst commentary regarding us or our solutions, or similar solutions offered by our competitors, litigation and deteriorating general economic conditions. As a result of challenging macroeconomic conditions, we have experienced and may experience in the future increased scrutiny and a longer approval process for initial purchases by new customers, particularly for larger transactions. We cannot predict how long these challenging economic conditions will persist, and customer cautiousness could continue or worsen or result in potential customers deciding to forego our services entirely. If our efforts to attract new customers are not successful, our revenue and rate of revenue growth may decline, we may not achieve profitability and our future results of operations could be materially harmed.

Previous wording

In order for us to maintain or improve our results of operations, it is important that our customers renew their subscriptions for our services when existing contract terms expire, and that we expand our commercial relationships with our existing customers. Our customers have no obligation to renew their subscriptions for our services after the expiration of their contractual subscription period, which is typically one to three years, and in the normal course of business, some customers have elected not to renew. In addition, in certain cases, customers may cancel their subscriptions without cause either at any time or upon advance written notice (typically ranging from 30 days to 60 days), typically subject to an early termination penalty for unused services. In addition, our customers may renew for fewer users, renew for shorter contract lengths or switch to a lower-cost suite. If our customers do not renew their subscription services, we could incur impairment losses related to our deferred contract acquisition costs. It is difficult to accurately predict long-term customer retention because of our varied customer base and given the length of our subscription contracts. Our customer retention and expansion may decline or fluctuate as a result of a number of factors, including our customers’ satisfaction with our services, our prices and pricing plans, our customers’ spending levels, decreases in the number of users to which our customers deploy our solutions, mergers and acquisitions involving our customers, competition, deteriorating general economic conditions which may result in reductions in IT budgets and lower employee headcounts.

Current wording

In order for us to maintain or improve our results of operations, it is important that our customers renew their subscriptions for our services when existing contract terms expire, and that we expand our commercial relationships with our existing customers. Our customers have no obligation to renew their subscriptions for our services after the expiration of their contractual subscription period, which is typically one to three years, and in the normal course of business, some customers have elected not to renew. In addition, in certain cases, customers may cancel their subscriptions without cause either at any time or upon advance written notice (commonly ranging from 30 days to 60 days), typically subject to an early termination penalty for unused services. In addition, our customers may renew for fewer users, renew for shorter contract lengths or switch to a lower-cost product suite. If our customers do not renew their subscription services, we could incur impairment losses related to our deferred contract acquisition costs. It is difficult to accurately predict long-term customer retention because of our varied customer base and given the length of our subscription contracts. Our customer retention and expansion may decline or fluctuate as a result of a number of factors, including our customers’ satisfaction with our services, our prices and pricing plans, our customers’ spending levels, decreases in the number of users to which our customers deploy our solutions, mergers and acquisitions involving our customers, competition, deteriorating general economic conditions which may result in reductions in IT budgets and lower employee headcounts.

Previous wording

The market for network security solutions is intensely competitive and characterized by rapid changes in technology, customer requirements, industry standards and frequent introductions of new products and services and improvements of existing products and services. Our business model of delivering security through the cloud rather than legacy on-premises appliances, while gaining support, has not yet achieved widespread market adoption. Moreover, we compete with many established network and security vendors who are aggressively competing against us with their legacy appliance-based solutions and have also introduced cloud-based services that purport to have functionality similar to our cloud platform. We expect competition to increase as other established and emerging companies enter the security solutions market, in particular with respect to cloud-based security solutions, as customer requirements evolve and as new products, services and technologies are introduced. If we are unable to anticipate or effectively react to these competitive challenges, our competitive position could weaken, and we could experience a decline in revenue or our growth rate that could materially and adversely affect our business and results of operations.

Current wording

The market for network security solutions is intensely competitive and characterized by rapid changes in technology, customer requirements, industry standards and frequent introductions of new products and services and improvements of existing products and services. Our business model of delivering security through the cloud rather than legacy on-premises appliances, while gaining increasing support, has not yet achieved widespread market adoption. Moreover, we compete with many established network and security vendors who are aggressively competing against us with their legacy appliance-based solutions and have also introduced cloud-based services that purport to have functionality similar to our cloud platform. We expect competition to increase as other established and emerging companies enter the security solutions market, in particular with respect to cloud-based security solutions, as customer requirements evolve and as new products, services and technologies are introduced. If we are unable to anticipate or effectively react to these competitive challenges, our competitive position could weaken, and we could experience a decline in revenue or our growth rate that could materially and adversely affect our business and results of operations.

Previous wording

•companies such as Skyhigh Security (previously McAfee Enterprise), Trellix (a combination of McAfee Enterprise and FireEye, Inc.), Forcepoint Inc. (previously, Websense, Inc.), Netskope, Inc. and Ivanti (previously Pulse Secure), LLC with point solutions that compete with some of the features of our cloud platform, such as proxy, firewall, CASB, sandboxing and advanced threat protection, data loss prevention, encryption, load balancing and VPN; and

Current wording

•companies such as Skyhigh Security, Trellix, Forcepoint Inc., Netskope, Inc. and Ivanti, LLC with point solutions that compete with some of the features of our cloud platform, such as proxy, firewall, CASB, sandboxing and advanced threat protection, data loss prevention, encryption, load balancing and VPN; and

Previous wording

Conditions in our market could change rapidly and significantly as a result of technological advancements, partnering or acquisitions by our competitors or continuing market consolidation. New start-up companies that innovate and large competitors that are making significant investments in research and development may introduce similar or superior products, services and technologies that compete with our cloud platform. In addition, large companies with substantial communications infrastructure, such as global telecommunications services provider partners or public cloud providers, have entered or could choose to enter the security solutions market. Some of our current or potential competitors have made or could make acquisitions of businesses or establish cooperative relationships that may allow them to offer more directly competitive and comprehensive solutions than were previously offered and adapt more quickly to new technologies and customer needs. These competitive pressures in our market or our failure to compete effectively may result in price reductions, fewer orders, reduced revenue and gross margins, increased net losses and loss of market share. Any failure to meet and address these factors could materially harm our business and operating results.

Current wording

Conditions in our market change rapidly and significantly as a result of technological advancements, partnering or acquisitions by our competitors or continuing market consolidation. Start-up companies that innovate and large competitors that are making significant investments in research and development may introduce similar or superior products, services and technologies that compete with our cloud platform. In addition, large companies with substantial communications infrastructure, such as global telecommunications services provider partners or public cloud providers, have entered or could choose to enter the security solutions market. Some of our current or potential competitors have made or could make acquisitions of businesses or establish cooperative relationships that may allow them to offer more directly competitive and comprehensive solutions than were previously offered and adapt more quickly to new technologies and customer needs. These competitive pressures in our market or our failure to compete effectively may result in price reductions, fewer orders, reduced revenue and gross margins, increased net losses and loss of market share. Any failure to meet and address these factors could materially harm our business and operating results.

Previous wording

•general economic conditions in either domestic or international markets, including as a result of geopolitical uncertainty and instability (such as the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas crises) and global health crisis and pandemics, and governmental responses thereto.

Current wording

•general economic conditions in either domestic or international markets, including as a result of geopolitical uncertainty and instability (such as the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas crises), global health crises and pandemics, and governmental responses thereto.

Previous wording

Increasingly, enterprises are subject to a wide variety of attacks on their networks and systems, including traditional threat actors, malicious code (such as viruses and worms), social engineering attacks (such as deep fakes), distributed denial-of-service attacks, sophisticated attacks conducted or sponsored by nation-states, advanced persistent threat intrusions, ransomware and other malware and theft or misuse of intellectual property or business or personal data, including by disgruntled employees, former employees or contractors. No security solution, including our cloud platform, can address all possible security threats or block all methods of penetrating a network or otherwise perpetrating a security breach or incident. Our customers must rely on complex network and security infrastructures, which include products and services from multiple vendors, to secure their networks. If any of our customers becomes infected with malware or experiences a security breach or incident, they could be disappointed with our services, regardless of whether our services are intended to block the attack or would have blocked the attack if the customer had properly configured our cloud platform. Additionally, if any enterprises that are publicly known to use our services are the subject of a cyberattack that becomes publicized, our current or potential customers may look to our competitors for alternatives to our services.

Current wording

Increasingly, enterprises are subject to a wide variety of attacks on their networks and systems, including traditional threat actors, malicious code (such as viruses and worms), social engineering attacks (such as deep fakes), targeted phishing attacks made more sophisticated with the development of artificial intelligence ("AI") and machine learning ("ML"), distributed denial-of-service attacks, advanced attacks conducted or sponsored by nation-states, advanced persistent threat intrusions, ransomware and other malware and theft or misuse of intellectual property or business or personal data, including by disgruntled employees, former employees or contractors. No security solution, including our cloud platform, can address all possible security threats or block all methods of penetrating a network or otherwise perpetrating a security breach or incident. Our customers must rely on complex network and security infrastructures, which include products and services from multiple vendors, to secure their networks. If any of our customers becomes infected with malware or experiences a security breach or incident, they could be disappointed with our services, regardless of whether our services are intended to block the attack or would have blocked the attack if the customer had properly configured our cloud platform. Additionally, if any enterprises that are publicly known to use our services are the subject of a cyberattack that becomes publicized, our current or potential customers may look to our competitors for alternatives to our services.

Previous wording

We currently derive most of our revenue from sales through our channel partner network, and we expect for the foreseeable future most of our future revenue growth will also be driven through this network. Not only does our joint sales approach require additional investment to grow and train our sales force, but we believe that continued growth in our business is dependent upon identifying, developing and maintaining strategic relationships with our existing and potential channel partners, including global systems integrators and regional telecommunications service providers that will in turn drive substantial revenue and provide additional value-added services to our customers. Our agreements with our channel partners are generally non-exclusive, meaning our channel partners may offer customers the products of several different companies, including products that compete with our cloud platform. In general, our channel partners may also cease marketing or reselling our platform with limited or no notice and without penalty. If our channel partners do not effectively market and sell subscriptions to our cloud platform, choose to promote our competitors’ products or fail to meet the needs of our customers, our ability to grow our business and sell subscriptions to our cloud platform may be adversely affected. For example, sales through our top five channel partners and their affiliates, in aggregate, represented 26% of our revenue for fiscal 2023, 28% of our revenue for fiscal 2022 and 34% of our revenue for fiscal 2021, and 25% and 27% of our revenue for the six months ended January 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. In addition, our channel partner structure could subject us to lawsuits or reputational harm if, for example, a channel partner misrepresents the functionality of our cloud platform to customers or violates applicable laws or our corporate policies. Moreover, our channel partners' operations may be negatively impacted by events including pandemics, international conflicts, inflation, and other events affecting the global economy in general. For example, these events could increase credit risk of end customers and create uncertainty in credit markets. Our ability to achieve revenue growth in the future will depend in large part on our success in maintaining successful relationships with our channel partners, identifying additional channel partners and training our channel partners to independently sell and deploy our platform. If we are unable to maintain our relationships with our existing channel partners or develop successful relationships with new channel partners or if our channel partners fail to perform, our business, financial position and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

Current wording

We currently derive most of our revenue from sales through our channel partner network, and we expect for the foreseeable future most of our future revenue growth will also be driven through this network. Not only does our joint sales approach require additional investment to grow and train our sales force, but we believe that continued growth in our business is dependent upon identifying, developing and maintaining strategic relationships with our existing and potential channel partners, including global systems integrators and regional telecommunications service providers that will in turn drive substantial revenue and provide additional value-added services to our customers. Our agreements with our channel partners are generally non-exclusive, meaning our channel partners may offer customers the products of several different companies, including products that compete with our cloud platform. In general, our channel partners may also cease marketing or reselling our platform with limited or no notice and without penalty. If our channel partners do not effectively market and sell subscriptions to our cloud platform, choose to promote our competitors’ products or fail to meet the needs of our customers, our ability to grow our business and sell subscriptions to our cloud platform may be adversely affected. For example, sales through our top five channel partners and their affiliates, in aggregate, represented 26% of our revenue for fiscal 2023, 28% of our revenue for fiscal 2022 and 34% of our revenue for fiscal 2021, and 25% and 26% of our revenue for the nine months ended April 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively. In addition, our channel partner structure could subject us to lawsuits or reputational harm if, for example, a channel partner misrepresents the functionality of our cloud platform to customers or violates applicable laws or our corporate policies. Moreover, our channel partners' operations may be negatively impacted by events including pandemics, international conflicts, inflation, and other events affecting the global economy in general. For example, these events could increase credit risk of end customers and create uncertainty in credit markets. Our ability to achieve revenue growth in the future will depend in large part on our success in maintaining successful relationships with our channel partners, identifying additional channel partners and training our channel partners to independently sell and deploy our platform. If we are unable to maintain our relationships with our existing channel partners or develop successful relationships with new channel partners or if our channel partners fail to perform, our business, financial position and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

Previous wording

The timing of our sales and related revenue recognition is difficult to predict because of the length and unpredictability of the sales cycle for our cloud platform, particularly with respect to large organizations. Our sales efforts typically involve educating our prospective customers about the uses, benefits and the value proposition of our cloud platform. Customers often view the subscription to our cloud platform as a significant decision as part of a strategic transformation initiative and, as a result, frequently require considerable time to evaluate, test and qualify our platform prior to entering into or expanding a relationship with us. Large enterprises and government entities in particular often undertake a significant evaluation process that further lengthens the sales cycle. In addition, the impact of macroeconomic conditions, including the ongoing impact to global and U.S. economies as a result of COVID-19 or other widespread pandemics, international conflicts or the increasing effects of inflation, could materially and adversely affect our business, operating results and financial condition in a number of ways, including by reducing sales, lengthening sales cycles and lowering prices for our services. As a result of challenging macroeconomic conditions, we have experienced and may experience in the future increased scrutiny and a longer approval process for initial purchases by new customers, particularly for larger transactions. We cannot predict how long these challenging economic conditions will persist, and customer cautiousness could continue or worsen or result in potential customers deciding to forego our services entirely.

Current wording

The timing of our sales and related revenue recognition is difficult to predict because of the length and unpredictability of the sales cycle for our cloud platform, particularly with respect to large organizations. Our sales efforts typically involve educating our prospective customers about the uses, benefits and the value proposition of our cloud platform. Customers often view the subscription to our cloud platform as a significant decision as part of a strategic transformation initiative and, as a result, frequently require considerable time to evaluate, test and qualify our platform prior to entering into or expanding a relationship with us. Large enterprises and government entities in particular often undertake a significant evaluation process that further lengthens the sales cycle. In addition, the impact of macroeconomic conditions, including the impact of widespread pandemics, international conflicts or the increasing effects of inflation, could materially and adversely affect our business, operating results and financial condition in a number of ways, including by reducing sales, lengthening sales cycles and lowering prices for our services. As a result of challenging macroeconomic conditions, we have experienced and may experience in the future increased scrutiny and a longer approval process for initial purchases by new customers, particularly for larger transactions. We cannot predict how long these challenging economic conditions will persist, and customer cautiousness could continue or worsen or result in potential customers deciding to forego our services entirely.

Previous wording

The industry in which we compete is characterized by rapid technological change, frequent introductions of new products and services, evolving industry standards and changing regulations, as well as changing customer needs, requirements and preferences. Our ability to attract new customers and increase revenue from existing customers will depend in significant part on our ability to anticipate and respond effectively to these changes on a timely basis and continue to introduce enhancements to our cloud platform. For example, advancements in technology, such as artificial intelligence ("AI") and machine learning ("ML"), are changing the way our industry identifies and responds to cyber threats, and businesses that are slow to adopt or fail to adopt these new technologies may face a competitive disadvantage. The success of our cloud platform depends on our continued investment in our research and development organization to increase the reliability, availability and scalability of our existing solutions. The success of any enhancement depends on several factors, including the timely completion and market acceptance of the enhancement. Any new service that we develop might not be introduced in a timely or cost-effective manner and might not achieve the broad market acceptance necessary to generate significant revenue. If new technologies emerge that deliver competitive products and services at lower prices, more efficiently, more conveniently or more securely, these technologies could adversely impact our ability to compete effectively. Any delay or failure in the introduction of enhancements could materially harm our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Current wording

The industry in which we compete is characterized by rapid technological change, frequent introductions of new products and services, evolving industry standards and changing regulations, as well as changing customer needs, requirements and preferences. Our ability to attract new customers and increase revenue from existing customers will depend in significant part on our ability to anticipate and respond effectively to these changes on a timely basis and continue to introduce enhancements to our cloud platform. For example, advancements in technology, such as AI and ML, are changing the way our industry identifies and responds to cyber threats, and businesses that are slow to adopt or fail to adopt these new technologies may face a competitive disadvantage. The success of our cloud platform depends on our continued investment in our research and development organization to increase the reliability, availability and scalability of our existing solutions. The success of any enhancement depends on several factors, including the timely completion and market acceptance of the enhancement. Any new service that we develop might not be introduced in a timely or cost-effective manner and might not achieve the broad market acceptance necessary to generate significant revenue. If new technologies emerge that deliver competitive products and services at lower prices, more efficiently, more conveniently or more securely, these technologies could adversely impact our ability to compete effectively. Any delay or failure in the introduction of enhancements could materially harm our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Previous wording

If we do not provide superior support to our customers, our ability to renew subscriptions, increase the number of users and sell additional services to customers will be adversely affected. We believe that successfully delivering our cloud solution requires a particularly high level of customer support and engagement. We or our channel partners must successfully assist our customers in deploying our cloud platform, resolving performance issues, addressing interoperability challenges with a customer’s existing network and security infrastructure and responding to security threats and cyberattacks. Many enterprises, particularly large organizations, have very complex networks and require high levels of focused support, including premium support offerings, to fully realize the benefits of our cloud platform. Any failure by us to maintain the expected level of support could reduce customer satisfaction and hurt our customer retention, particularly with respect to our large enterprise customers. Additionally, if our channel partners do not provide support to the satisfaction of our customers, we may be required to provide this level of support to those customers, which would require us to hire additional personnel and to invest in additional resources. We may not be able to hire such resources fast enough to keep up with demand, particularly if the sales of our platform exceed our internal forecasts. We may also not be successful in our efforts to fully onboard new hires and provide adequate training to our employees, many of whom continue to work remotely. To the extent that we or our channel partners are unsuccessful in hiring, training and retaining adequate support resources, our ability and the ability of our channel partners to provide adequate and timely support to our customers will be negatively impacted, and our customers’ satisfaction with our cloud platform could be adversely affected. We currently rely in part on contractors provided by third-party service providers internationally to provide support services to our customers, and we expect to expand our international customer service support team to other countries. Any failure to properly train or oversee such contractors could result in a poor customer experience and an adverse impact on our reputation and ability to renew subscriptions or engage new customers. Furthermore, as we sell our solutions internationally, our support organization faces additional challenges, including those associated with delivering support, training and documentation in languages other than English. Any failure to maintain high-quality customer support, or a market perception that we do not maintain high-quality support, could materially harm our reputation, adversely affect our ability to sell our solutions to existing and prospective customers and could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Current wording

Many enterprises, particularly large organizations, have very complex networks and require high levels of focused support, including premium support offerings, to fully realize the benefits of our cloud platform. Any failure by us to maintain the expected level of support could reduce customer satisfaction and hurt our customer retention, particularly with respect to our large enterprise customers. Additionally, if our channel partners do not provide support to the satisfaction of our customers, we may be required to provide this level of support to those customers, which would require us to hire additional personnel and to invest in additional resources. We may not be able to hire such resources fast enough to keep up with demand, particularly if the sales of our platform exceed our internal forecasts. We may also not be successful in our efforts to fully onboard new hires and provide adequate training to our employees, many of whom continue to work remotely. To the extent that we or our channel partners are unsuccessful in hiring, training and retaining adequate support resources, our ability and the ability of our channel partners to provide adequate and timely support to our customers will be negatively impacted, and our customers’ satisfaction with our cloud platform could be adversely affected.

Previous wording

Our future success is substantially dependent on our ability to attract, retain and motivate the members of our management team and other key employees throughout our organization. In particular, we are highly dependent on the services of Jay Chaudhry, our chief executive officer and chairman of our board of directors, who is critical to our future vision and strategic direction. We rely on our leadership team in the areas of operations, security, marketing, sales, support and general and administrative functions, and on individual contributors on our research and development team. Although we have entered into employment agreements with our key personnel, these agreements have no specific duration and constitute at-will employment. We do not maintain key person life insurance policies on any of our employees. The loss of one or more of our executive officers or key employees could seriously harm our business.

Current wording

Our future success is substantially dependent on our ability to attract, retain and motivate the members of our management team and other key employees throughout our organization. In particular, we are highly dependent on the services of Jay Chaudhry, our chief executive officer and chairman of our board of directors, who is critical to our future vision and strategic direction. We rely on our leadership team in the areas of operations, security, marketing, sales, support and general and administrative functions, and on individual contributors on our research and development team. Although we have entered into employment agreements with our key personnel, these agreements have no specific duration and constitute at-will employment. We do not maintain key person life insurance policies on any of our employees. The loss of one or more of our executive officers or key employees could seriously harm our business. In the last year, we have added several new senior management employees. Any significant leadership change or senior management transition involves risk, especially nearly simultaneous changes involving so many leaders and employees, and any failure to transition effectively or to retain these new leaders could hinder our strategic planning, business execution and future performance.

Previous wording

To execute our growth plan, we must attract and retain highly qualified personnel. Competition for these personnel in the San Francisco Bay Area, where our headquarters are located, and in other locations where we operate, is intense, especially for experienced sales professionals and for engineers experienced in designing and developing cloud applications, security software and AI and ML solutions. In addition, the United States and other regions in which we operate have in the past and may again in the future experience acute workforce shortages for highly skilled workers, which in turn, can create hyper-competitive wage environments that may impact our ability to attract and retain employees. We have from time to time experienced, and we may continue to experience, difficulty in hiring and retaining employees with appropriate qualifications. For example, in recent years, recruiting, hiring and retaining employees with expertise in the cybersecurity industry has become increasingly difficult as the demand for cybersecurity professionals has increased as a result of the ongoing cybersecurity attacks on global corporations and governments. Recently, we have needed to hire and expect to hire key sales leaders for various markets. Many of the companies with which we compete for experienced personnel have greater resources than we have. In addition, job candidates and existing employees often consider the value of the equity awards they receive in connection with their employment. Volatility or lack of performance in our stock price may also affect our ability to attract and retain our key employees. Also, certain of our key employees have become, or will soon become, vested in a substantial amount of equity awards, which may give them a substantial amount of personal wealth. This may make it more difficult for us to retain and motivate these employees, and this wealth could affect their decision about whether or not they continue to work for us. If we fail to successfully attract, integrate or retain qualified personnel to fulfill our current or future needs, or if we need to materially increase the value of the compensation packages necessary to attract and retain these employees, our business, operating results and financial condition could be materially and adversely affected.

Current wording

To execute our growth plan, we must attract and retain highly qualified personnel. Competition for these personnel in the San Francisco Bay Area, where our headquarters are located, and in other locations where we operate, is intense, especially for experienced sales professionals and for engineers experienced in designing and developing cloud applications, security software and AI and ML solutions. In addition, the United States and other regions in which we operate have in the past and may again in the future experience acute workforce shortages for highly skilled workers, which in turn, can create hyper-competitive wage environments that may impact our ability to attract and retain employees. We have from time to time experienced, and we may continue to experience, difficulty in hiring and retaining employees with appropriate qualifications. For example, in recent years, recruiting, hiring and retaining employees with expertise in the cybersecurity industry has become increasingly difficult as the demand for cybersecurity professionals has increased as a result of the ongoing cybersecurity attacks on global corporations and governments. Recently, as a result of attrition and other factors, we have needed to hire and expect to hire key sales leaders and other sales personnel for various markets. Many of the companies with which we compete for experienced personnel have greater resources than we have. In addition, job candidates and existing employees often consider the value of the equity awards they receive in connection with their employment. Volatility or lack of performance in our stock price may also affect our ability to attract and retain our key employees. Also, certain of our key employees have become, or will soon become, vested in a substantial amount of equity awards, which may give them a substantial amount of personal wealth. This may make it more difficult for us to retain and motivate these employees, and this wealth could affect their decision about whether or not they continue to work for us. If we fail to successfully attract, integrate or retain qualified personnel to fulfill our current or future needs, or if we need to materially increase the value of the compensation packages necessary to attract and retain these employees, our business, operating results and financial condition could be materially and adversely affected.

Previous wording

We rely on a limited number of suppliers for several components of the equipment we use to operate our cloud platform and provide services to our customers. Our reliance on these suppliers exposes us to risks, including reduced control over production costs and constraints based on the then-current availability, terms and pricing of these components. For example, we generally purchase these components on a purchase order basis, and do not have long-term contracts guaranteeing supply. In addition, the technology industry has experienced component shortages, delivery delays and price increases in the past, and we may experience shortages, delays or materially increased costs, including as a result of natural disasters, increased demand in the industry or if our suppliers do not have sufficient rights to supply the components in all jurisdictions in which we may host our services. For example, though global economic conditions have not yet had a material impact on our supply chain, these conditions have resulted in increased costs and could result in disruptions and delays for these components in the future. If our supply of certain components is disrupted or delayed, there can be no assurance that additional supplies or components can serve as adequate replacements for the existing components or that supplies will be available on terms that are favorable to us, if at all. Any disruption or delay in the supply of our components may delay opening new data centers, delay increasing capacity or replacing defective equipment at existing data centers or cause other constraints on our operations that could damage our channel partner or customer relationships.

Current wording

We rely on a limited number of suppliers for several components of the equipment we use to operate our cloud platform and provide services to our customers. Our reliance on these suppliers exposes us to risks, including reduced control over production costs and constraints based on the then-current availability, terms and pricing of these components. For example, we generally purchase these components on a purchase order basis, and do not have long-term contracts guaranteeing supply. In addition, the technology industry has experienced component shortages, delivery delays and price increases in the past, and we may experience shortages, delays or materially increased costs, including as a result of natural disasters, acts of war or international conflicts, increased demand in the industry or if our suppliers do not have sufficient rights to supply the components in all jurisdictions in which we may host our services. While global economic conditions have not yet had a material impact on our supply chain, these conditions have increased our costs in the past and could result in disruptions and delays for components in the future. If our supply of certain components is disrupted or delayed, there can be no assurance that additional supplies or components can serve as adequate replacements for the existing components or that supplies will be available on terms that are favorable to us, if at all. Any disruption or delay in the supply of our components may delay opening new data centers, delay increasing capacity or replacing defective equipment at existing data centers or cause other constraints on our operations that could damage our channel partner or customer relationships.

Previous wording

We derive a portion of our revenue from contracts with government organizations, and we believe the success and growth of our business will in part depend on our successful procurement of additional public sector customers. However, demand from government organizations is often unpredictable, and we cannot assure you that we will be able to maintain or grow our revenue from the public sector. Sales to government entities are subject to substantial risks, including the following:

Current wording

We derive a portion of our revenue from contracts with government organizations, and we believe the success and growth of our business will in part depend on our successful procurement of additional public sector customers. However, demand from government organizations is often unpredictable, and we cannot assure you that we will be able to maintain or grow our revenue from the public sector.

Previous wording

The U.S. federal government, and various state and foreign governments, have adopted or proposed laws and regulations on the collection, distribution, use, storage, and other processing of information relating to individuals. Such laws and regulations may, among other things, require companies to implement privacy and security policies, permit customers to access, correct and delete information stored or maintained by such companies, inform individuals of security breaches that affect their information, and, in some cases, obtain individuals’ consent to use information for certain purposes. For example, the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”) took effect in January 2020 and was subsequently modified by the California Privacy Rights Act ("CPRA") which took effect in January 2023. The CCPA imposes obligations on companies that process California residents’ personal information, including an obligation to provide certain new disclosures to such residents and creates new consumer rights. Numerous other states, including Colorado, Delaware, Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Montana, Oregon, Texas, Tennessee, Utah, and Virginia, have enacted privacy laws that have gone into effect, or will go into effect through 2026, and a federal privacy law is being considered. In addition, in certain jurisdictions, regulatory requirements may be more stringent than those in the U.S. For example, the European Union has implemented the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”), which provides for substantial obligations relating to the handling, storage and other processing of information relating to individuals and fines of up to 20 million euros or 4% of the annual global revenue of the noncompliant company, whichever is greater. Further, the UK has implemented legislation that substantially mirrors the GDPR, and which provides for similar fines for noncompliance as the GDPR. The number of emerging and existing data protection, privacy and security laws and regulations creates the risk that obligations may be interpreted inconsistently between jurisdictions which may generate tension with our efforts to align our practices to comply with our privacy, data protection, and security obligations globally. Many of these laws and regulations impose substantial penalties for noncompliance.

Current wording

The U.S. federal government, and various state and foreign governments, have adopted or proposed laws and regulations on the collection, distribution, use, storage, and other processing of information relating to individuals. Such laws and regulations may, among other things, require companies to implement privacy and security policies, permit customers to access, correct and delete information stored or maintained by such companies, inform individuals of security breaches that affect their information, and, in some cases, obtain individuals’ consent to use information for certain purposes. For example, the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”) took effect in January 2020 and was subsequently modified by the California Privacy Rights Act ("CPRA") which took effect in January 2023. The CCPA imposes obligations on companies that process California residents’ personal information, including an obligation to provide certain new disclosures to such residents and creates new consumer rights. Numerous other states, including Colorado, Delaware, Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Montana, Oregon, Texas, Tennessee, Utah, and Virginia, have enacted privacy laws that have gone into effect, or will go into effect through 2026, and a federal privacy law is being considered. In addition, in certain jurisdictions, regulatory requirements may be more stringent than those in the U.S. For example, the European Union has implemented the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”), which provides for substantial obligations relating to the handling, storage and other processing of information relating to individuals and fines of up to €20 million or 4% of the annual global revenue of the noncompliant company, whichever is greater. Further, the UK has implemented legislation that substantially mirrors the GDPR, and which provides for similar fines for noncompliance as the GDPR. The number of emerging and existing data protection, privacy and security laws and regulations creates the risk that obligations may be interpreted inconsistently between jurisdictions which may generate tension with our efforts to align our practices to comply with our privacy, data protection, and security obligations globally. Many of these laws and regulations impose substantial penalties for noncompliance.

Previous wording

The United States has recently experienced historically high levels of inflation. While inflation rates moderated in 2023, the U.S. Department of Labor reported that annual inflation rates for the United States were approximately 6.5% for 2022 and 7.0% for 2021. The existence of inflation in the U.S. and global economy has and may continue to result in higher interest rates and capital costs, shipping costs, supply shortages, increased costs of labor, weakening exchange rates and other similar effects. If the inflation rate continues to remain elevated, it will likely affect our expenses, especially employee compensation. Additionally, the United States technology industry is experiencing a workforce shortage for highly skilled workers, which, in turn, has created a hyper-competitive wage environment that may further increase our operating costs. In addition, rising interest rates could adversely affect the value of our investments and cash on hand and increase our borrowing costs. Inflation and related increases in interest rates could also increase our customers' operating costs, which could result in reduced IT budgets, less demand for our solutions, or delays in new orders, renewals or payments due to us.

Current wording

The United States and the global economy have recently experienced historically high levels of inflation. While inflation rates moderated in 2023 and continue to moderate into 2024, they remain high. The existence of inflation in the U.S. and global economy and the pricing pressure created by rising inflation in prior periods has and may continue to result in higher interest rates and capital costs, shipping costs, supply shortages, increased costs of labor, weakening exchange rates and other similar effects. If the inflation rate continues to remain elevated, it will likely affect our expenses, especially employee compensation. In addition, rising interest rates could adversely affect the value of our investments and cash on hand and increase our borrowing costs. Inflation and related increases in interest rates could also increase our customers' operating costs, which could result in reduced IT budgets, less demand for our solutions, or delays in new orders, renewals or payments due to us.

Previous wording

Governments are raising interest rates and implementing fiscal policy interventions in response to high levels of inflation. Even if these interventions lower inflation, they may also reduce economic growth rates, create recessions and increase unemployment rates. This could have an adverse effect on our consolidated financial condition and results of operations. For example, if our customers were to reduce their IT budgets or workforces in response to deteriorating economic conditions, they may not purchase or renew subscriptions for our services or may renew for fewer users or less expensive services. These policy changes have provided a benefit to us as a result of increased interest income we earn on our cash and investments, but a reduction of interest rates in the future would reduce this income.

Current wording

Governments have and are implementing fiscal policy interventions in response to high levels of inflation, including raising interest rates or keeping them at elevated levels. Even if these interventions lower inflation to desirable levels, they may also reduce economic growth rates, create recessions and increase unemployment rates. This could have an adverse effect on our consolidated financial condition and results of operations. For example, if our customers were to reduce their IT budgets or workforces in response to deteriorating economic conditions, they may not purchase or renew subscriptions for our services or may renew for fewer users or less expensive services. These policy changes have provided a benefit to us as a result of the increased interest income we earn on our cash and investments, but a reduction of interest rates in the future would reduce this income.

Previous wording

The impact of economic conditions, including the ongoing effects of COVID-19, inflation and regional or global recessions could materially and adversely affect our business, operating results and financial condition in a number of ways, including by reducing sales, lengthening sales cycles and requiring us to lower prices for our services.

Current wording

The impact of economic conditions, including the ongoing effects of inflation, high interest rates and regional or global recessions could materially and adversely affect our business, operating results and financial condition in a number of ways, including by reducing sales, lengthening sales cycles and requiring us to lower prices for our services.

Previous wording

We have numerous arrangements with financial institutions that include cash and investment deposits, and uncollateralized interest rate swap contracts and foreign currency forward contracts. As a result, we are subject to the risk that the counterparty to one or more of these arrangements may default, on its performance under the terms of the arrangement. In times of market distress, a counterparty may default rapidly and without notice, and we may be unable to take action to cover our exposure, either because of lack of contractual ability to do so or because market conditions make it difficult to take effective action. If one of our counterparties becomes insolvent or files for bankruptcy, our ability eventually to recover any losses suffered as a result of that counterparty’s default may be limited by the impaired liquidity of the counterparty or the applicable legal regime governing the bankruptcy proceedings. In the event of such a default, we could incur significant losses, which could harm our business and adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

Current wording

We have numerous arrangements with financial institutions that include cash and investment deposits, and non-collateralized interest rate swap contracts and foreign currency forward contracts. As a result, we are subject to the risk that the counterparty to one or more of these arrangements may default, on its performance under the terms of the arrangement. In times of market distress, a counterparty may default rapidly and without notice, and we may be unable to take action to cover our exposure, either because of lack of contractual ability to do so or because market conditions make it difficult to take effective action. If one of our counterparties becomes insolvent or files for bankruptcy, our ability eventually to recover any losses suffered as a result of that counterparty’s default may be limited by the impaired liquidity of the counterparty or the applicable legal regime governing the bankruptcy proceedings. In the event of such a default, we could incur significant losses, which could harm our business and adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

Previous wording

As of January 31, 2024, our executive officers, directors, current 5% or greater stockholders and affiliated entities together beneficially owned approximately 44.0% of our common stock outstanding with Jay Chaudhry, our chief executive officer and chairman of our board of directors, and his affiliates beneficially owning approximately 17.9% of our common stock. As a result, these stockholders, acting together, will have significant control over most matters that require approval by our stockholders, including the election of directors and approval of significant corporate transactions. Corporate action might be taken even if other stockholders oppose them. This concentration of ownership might also have the effect of delaying or preventing a change of control of us that other stockholders may view as beneficial.

Current wording

As of April 30, 2024, our executive officers, directors, current 5% or greater stockholders and affiliated entities together beneficially owned approximately 43.5% of our common stock outstanding with Jay Chaudhry, our chief executive officer and chairman of our board of directors, and his affiliates beneficially owning approximately 17.8% of our common stock. As a result, these stockholders, acting together, will have significant control over most matters that require approval by our stockholders, including the election of directors and approval of significant corporate transactions. Corporate action might be taken even if other stockholders oppose them. This concentration of ownership might also have the effect of delaying or preventing a change of control of us that other stockholders may view as beneficial.

Previous wording

During any period, the conditional conversion feature of the Notes is triggered, holders will be entitled to convert the Notes at any time during specified periods at their option. During the three months ended January 31, 2024, the conditions allowing holders of the Notes to convert were met. Accordingly, the Notes are currently convertible, in whole or in part, at the option of the holders from February 1, 2024 through April 30, 2024 (the last trading day of the fiscal quarter). If one or more holders elect to convert their Notes, unless we elect to satisfy our conversion obligation by delivering solely shares of our common stock (other than paying cash in lieu of delivering any fractional share), we would be required to settle a portion or all of our conversion obligation through the payment of cash, which could adversely affect our liquidity. In addition, even if holders do not elect to convert their Notes, we could be required under applicable accounting rules to reclassify all or a portion of the outstanding principal of the Notes as a current rather than long-term liability, which would result in a material reduction of our net working capital.

Current wording

During any period, the conditional conversion feature of the Notes is triggered, holders will be entitled to convert the Notes at any time during specified periods at their option. During the three months ended April 30, 2024, the conditions allowing holders of the Notes to convert were not met. If one or more holders elect to convert their Notes, unless we elect to satisfy our conversion obligation by delivering solely shares of our common stock (other than paying cash in lieu of delivering any fractional share), we would be required to settle a portion or all of our conversion obligation through the payment of cash, which could adversely affect our liquidity. In addition, even if holders do not elect to convert their Notes, we could be required under applicable accounting rules to reclassify all or a portion of the outstanding principal of the Notes as a current rather than long-term liability, which would result in a material reduction of our net working capital.

Previous wording

In addition, natural disasters, acts of war, international conflicts, such as the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas crises, terrorism and other geo-political unrest or health issues, such as an outbreak of a pandemic or epidemic disease, or fear of such events, could cause disruptions in our or our customers’ businesses, national economies or the world economy as a whole. In addition, computer malware, viruses and computer hacking, fraudulent use attempts and phishing attacks have become more prevalent in our industry, and may become more frequent and effective through the use of AI, and our internal systems may be victimized by such attacks. Although we maintain incident management and disaster response plans, in the event of a major disruption caused by a natural disaster or man-made problem, we may be unable to continue our operations and may endure system interruptions, reputational harm, delays in our development activities, lengthy interruptions in service, security breaches and incidents and loss of critical data. Though it is difficult to determine what, if any, harm may directly result from any specific interruption or attack, any failure to maintain performance, reliability, security and availability of our platform to the satisfaction of our users may materially harm our reputation and our ability to retain existing customers and attract new customers.

Current wording

In addition, natural disasters, acts of war, international conflicts, such as the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas crises, terrorism and other geopolitical unrest or health issues, such as an outbreak of a pandemic or epidemic disease, or fear of such events, could cause disruptions in our or our customers’ businesses, national economies or the world economy as a whole. In addition, computer malware, viruses and computer hacking, fraudulent use attempts and phishing attacks have become more prevalent in our industry, and may become more frequent and effective through the use of AI, and our internal systems may be victimized by such attacks. Although we maintain incident management and disaster response plans, in the event of a major disruption caused by a natural disaster or man-made problem, we may be unable to continue our operations and may endure system interruptions, reputational harm, delays in our development activities, lengthy interruptions in service, security breaches and incidents and loss of critical data. Though it is difficult to determine what, if any, harm may directly result from any specific interruption or attack, any failure to maintain performance, reliability, security and availability of our platform to the satisfaction of our users may materially harm our reputation and our ability to retain existing customers and attract new customers.