ITEM 6. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND
ANALYSIS OR PLAN OF OPERATION
INTRODUCTION
Concurrent with the February 2,
2005 deployment of our new www.GoMoGear.com e-commerce website, as
more fully discussed below, we principally became an Internet-based
retailer of a broad and diversified offering of various consumer
electronics with an emphasis on products that are portable or
mobile. Prior thereto, and since 1998, we were a more
narrowly-focused wholesaler and, to a lesser extent, Internet-based
retailer through our www.ibizpda.com e-commerce website, of various
accessories primarily intended for use with Personal Digital
Assistants ("PDAs"). We continue to conduct substantially all of our
non-research and development related activities through our
wholly-owned subsidiary, iBIZ, Inc. (hereinafter, "iBIZ, Inc.").
As a result of our January 20,
2004 acquisition of Synosphere, LLC (hereinafter, "Synosphere"), as
more fully discussed below, we subsequently have engaged in
significant activities directed at, among other efforts, further
developing certain of the acquired technologies. We currently
conduct substantially all of our product research and development
activities through Synosphere, now as a wholly-owned subsidiary of
ours.
With the exception of the
aforementioned warranty-related technical support services, the only
other services we performed during the fiscal years reported herein
were pursuant to maintenance agreements associated with our
technical servicing and support of computer terminals and printers
for financial institutions, which business we no longer actively
market or pursue. Our maintenance service revenues, which
constituted 5.7% of our total consolidated revenues for the fiscal
year ended October 31, 2004, will likely continue to decrease in
future fiscal years.
OUR RECENT SIGNIFICANT
DEVELOPMENTS
Business Evolution - On February
2, 2005, we deployed a second e-commerce website at
www.GoMoGear.com.. This website currently features approximately
5,000 consumer electronics products available to us on a
non-exclusive basis through a significant new vendor relationship
with DBL Distributing, Inc., a privately-held, wholesale distributor
of consumer electronics based in Scottsdale, Arizona. This site
additionally offers, as does our www.ibizpda.com website,
approximately one-hundred and thirty accessories for PDAs that we
procure on a non-exclusive basis from a number of other vendors. Our
product offerings on www.GoMoGear.com currently range in complexity
and price from disposable batteries with a suggested retail price of
$0.99 at the low end to sophisticated color printers with a
suggested retail price of $4,999.95 at the high-end. Our current
product offering on www.GoMoGear.com emphasizes, consistent with our
prior emphasis of PDA accessories, consumer electronics products and
related accessories that are portable or mobile, such as MP3
players, DVD players, digital cameras and GPS devices.
Acquisition of Synosphere - On
January 20, 2004, we acquired all of the outstanding membership
interests in Synosphere, a Texas-based limited liability
development-stage company, pursuing the development of certain
handheld computing technologies, in exchange for 30.0 million shares
of our common stock. As the technological feasibility of each of the
acquired technologies had yet to be fully established as of the
acquisition date, the aggregate $1.2 million purchase price, based
on the then prevailing market price of our common stock, was
immediately reflected within our results of operations for our
fiscal 2004 first quarter ended January 31, 2004. Subsequent to the
acquisition, we have engaged in significant activities directed at
further developing certain of the acquired technologies.
OUR CRITICAL ACCOUNTING
POLICIES
The following discussions of our
consolidated results of operations and financial condition,
including our liquidity and capital resources, are based upon our
consolidated financial statements as included elsewhere in this
filing. The preparation of consolidated financial statements in
conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the
United States of America requires us to make certain estimates and
assumptions that affect the reported amounts and timing of revenue
and expenses, the reported amounts and classification of assets and
liabilities, and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities.
Our actual results have differed, and will likely continue to
differ, to some extent from our initial estimates and assumptions.
We currently believe that the following accounting policies entail
making particularly difficult, subjective or complex judgments of
inherently uncertain matters that, given any reasonably possible
variance therein, would make such policies particularly critical to
a materially accurate portrayal of our historical or reasonably
foreseeable financial condition or results of operations:
o Revenue Recognition for Product
Sales and Related Allowances for Sales Returns and Rebates. In
accordance with SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 101, "Revenue
Recognition in Financial Statements," we recognize a product sale,
including related shipping and handling income, and the cost of the
sale, upon product shipment provided that all material risks and
rewards of ownership are concurrently transferred from us to our
customer, collection of the related receivable by us is reasonably
assured, and we are able to reliably estimate appropriate allowances
for probable sales returns and rebates based on our relevant
historical experience and future expectations. We unconditionally
accept product returns during the initial thirty days following the
date of sale. We periodically offer promotional rebates of a limited
duration, typically one week, on certain product sales, for which we
outsource the processing and tracking of related customer
submissions. The periodic provisions made by us to establish and
maintain appropriate allowances for sales returns and rebates are
charged to our results of operations via offsets to our gross
product sales. Actual sales returns and rebates realized by us are
charged against the related allowances with any favorable or
unfavorable experience, as compared to our preceding estimates,
having a corresponding impact on our results of operations.
o Accounts Receivable and Related
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts. In addition to corresponding
reductions made for the allowances for sales returns and rebates, as
discussed above, we further reduce our consolidated accounts
receivable by an appropriate allowance for accounts where doubt
exists in our opinion, based on known specifics or the passage of
time, as to their ultimate collectability. We routinely offer our
customers payment terms that range from 30 to 60 days. We do not
access interest on, nor do we require any securing collateral of,
past due customer balances. The periodic provisions made by us to
establish and maintain an appropriate allowance for doubtful
accounts are charged to our results of operations via increases to
our selling, general and administrative expenses. Actual collection
experience realized by us on previously designated doubtful
accounts, including final determinations of uncollectability, is
charged against the allowance for doubtful accounts with any
favorable or unfavorable experience, as compared to our preceding
estimates, having a corresponding impact on our results of
operations.
o Inventories. Our consolidated
inventories, which consist solely of finished products available for
sale, are stated at the lower of average cost or market, reduced by
an appropriate allowance estimated by us for probable obsolescence.
We record an allowance for obsolescence based on our historical
experience and future expectations. The periodic provisions made by
us to establish and maintain an appropriate allowance for
obsolescence are charged to our results of operations via increases
to our cost of goods sold. Actual disposition experience realized by
us on previously designated obsolete inventory is charged against
the allowance for obsolescence with any favorable or unfavorable
experience, as compared to our preceding estimates, having a
corresponding impact our its results of operations.
o Impairment of Long-Lived Assets.
We evaluate, on at least a quarterly basis, each of our long-lived
assets for impairment by comparing our then estimate of its related
future cash flows, on an undiscounted basis, to its net book value.
If impairment is indicated, we reduce the net book value of the
asset to an amount equal to our estimate of related future cash
flows, on an appropriately discounted basis, with a corresponding
impairment charge to our results of operations.
o Convertible Debt Securities. We
have periodically issued debentures that have non-detachable
conversion features. In those instances where the stated conversion
price reflects a discount from the then prevailing market price for
our common stock, we make, at the date of the debenture issuance, an
estimate as to the fair value of this beneficial conversion feature.
The value assigned to the beneficial conversion feature is then
immediately recognized in our results of operations via an
interest/financing charge with a corresponding incremental credit to
additional paid-in capital.
o Non-Cash Equity Issuances. We
periodically issue shares of our common stock in exchange for, or in
settlement of, services. Our management values the shares issued in
such transactions at either the then market price of our common
stock, after taking into consideration factors such as the volume of
shares issued or trading restrictions, or the value of the services
received, whichever is more readily determinable. We also issue
options, at a discount from market, for services. Our management
values such options using Black Scholes.
OUR CONSOLIDATED RESULTS OF
OPERATIONS
Our consolidated total revenues
for the year ended October 31, 2004 ("fiscal 2004 year end") were
$368,650, a decrease of $116,732, or 24%, as compared to $485,382
for the year ended October 31, 2003 ("fiscal 2003 year end"). Our
product sales constituted 94% of our consolidated total revenues for
the fiscal year end as compared to 93% of our consolidated total
revenues for the fiscal year end, respectively. Our maintenance
revenues, which constituted the balance of our consolidated total
revenues for each respective fiscal period, will continue to
decrease in future fiscal periods as we no longer actively market or
pursue maintenance services.
Our product sales were $347,544
for the fiscal 2004 year end, a decrease of $106,253, or 23%, as
compared to $453,797 in product sales for the fiscal 2003 year end.
We substantially attribute the preceding decrease to sales of our
pocketRADIOs, which we began shipping to customers in late October
2003. The pocketRADIOs accounted for approximately 38% of our
product sales in fiscal 2004 year end and approximately 53% of our
product sales in fiscal 2003 year end. Sales of our Travel Kits
represented 10% ($37,045) of our sales in the fiscal 2004 year end
and 16%($78,019) of our sales in the fiscal 2003 year end. Although
to a significantly lesser extent, we also realized incremental
decrease in product sales from our XELA Keyboard, which we began
shipping to customers in March 2003. Sale of our XELA Keyboard
accounted for approximately 6% and 8% of our sales in fiscal 2004
and 2003 year end, respectively. Offsetting these decreases was an
increase in sales of our KeySync Keyboard. Sales from our KeySync
Keyboards accounted for approximately 9% ($32,942) during the fiscal
2004 year end while they only accounted for approximately 4%
($18,821) of our sales during the fiscal 2003 year end. Variances in
the average prices realized by us on products in existence during
both fiscal periods did not have a significant impact, favorably or
unfavorably, on the overall net increase in our product sales for
the fiscal years ended October 31, 2004 and 2003.
We incurred consolidated gross
losses of $335,812 for the fiscal year end and consolidated gross
loss of $33,621 for the fiscal 2003 year end.. In turn, these
consolidated gross losses equated to negative gross margins of 91%
for the fiscal 2004 year end and a negative gross margin of 7% for
the fiscal year end. Our fiscal 2004 consolidated gross loss and
negative gross margin were attributable to gross losses of $324,925,
and a resulting negative gross margin of 93%, on our product sales
during the fiscal 2004 year end. Our fiscal 2003 year end
consolidated gross loss and negative gross margin was attributable
to gross loss of $43,478 and a resulting negative gross margin of
10%. We principally attribute the preceding gross losses and
negative gross margins on our product sales to our inability, given
our continuing reduction of product sales, to leverage our allocable
direct labor ($179,505 or 25% of Cost of Revenues in the fiscal 2004
year end). In addition, during 2004 we experienced an increase cost
of revenues due to the write off of obsolete inventory ($139,214, or
20% of Costs of Revenues).
Our consolidated total operating
expenses were $13,097,485 for the fiscal 2004 year end, an increase
of $10,312,943, or 370%, from the $2,784,542 incurred during the
fiscal 2003 year end. As further detailed below, this overall
increase in our operating expenses primarily was attributable to
non-cash charges incurred for stock-based officer bonuses and the
write-down of certain intellectual property rights and molds.
Our consolidated SG&A expenses
were $3,501,397 for the fiscal 2004 year, an increase of $1,887,142,
or 117%, from the $1,614,255 incurred during the fiscal 2003 year.
We incurred a 85% increase in our payroll costs from the fiscal year
ended 2003 of $590,505 to $1,287,543. This is a direct result of the
inclusion of Synosphere's operations, including $672,500 (paid in
stock) in sign-on and contractual performance bonuses for the key
officers of Synosphere. We also experienced substantial increases in
our consulting and legal fees ($1,192,226 and $281,183 for the
fiscal years ended 2004 and 2003, respectively) as we continue to
pay consultants and attorneys with common stock in order to reduce
cash outlays. See discussion below where we have accounted for
Consulting Fess paid with stock options as a separate line item in
our Consolidated Statement of Losses included in this filing. The
expenses for consultants and attorneys have increased as a result of
our efforts to expand our business and search for new opportunities.
Our accounting and auditing fees increased due to the additional
work to meet SEC filing requirements and respond to SEC comment
letters on our filings in 2004 ($251,538 and $179,390 for the fiscal
years 2004 and 2003, respectively). We have also accrued $100,000 as
a potential penalty for our failure to fulfill a sales contract in
our fiscal quarter ended April 30, 2004.
Our consolidated selling, general
and administrative ("SG&A") expenses were $1,614,255 for fiscal
2003, an increase of $212,192, or 15.1%, from the $1,402,063
incurred during fiscal 2002.Despite the relatively modest net change
in our SG&A expenses, their composition varied significantly. We
incurred substantial dollar and percentage increases in our
accounting and auditing fees during fiscal 2003 as a result of the
proposed spin-off of our iBIZ, Inc. subsidiary, as previously
discussed, and, to a lesser extent, the increased outsourcing of our
accounting and financial functions and the required implementation
of certain provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. To a
significantly lesser dollar extent, we incurred a substantial
percentage increase in our depreciation and amortization expenses as
a result of our fiscal 2002 purchases of intellectual property
rights and property and equipment, in our advertsing expenses as a
result of marketing activities associated with the introductions of
our pocketRADIOs and XELA Keyboards, and in our sales expenses as a
result of our transitioning to incrementally more expensive, yet
more variable in nature, external commissioned field sales
representatives. Substantially offsetting the preceding were
significant dollar and percentage expense decreases realized
primarily as a result of the non-recurrence of significant fiscal
2002 charges associated with our then outsourcing of billing and
collection functions and various legal consultations made in
connection with certain business ventures then under consideration,
certain proposals to settle then outstanding debt obligations, and
the contemplated changes in certain businesses. As a result of
ongoing working capital constraints, our two officers continued to
receive during fiscal 2003 only sporadic payments of salaries which
often were in amounts less that that stipulated for in their
respective employment contracts. Additionally, our other employees
periodically experienced delays in the payment of their salaries or
wages due to cash shortfalls. In recognition of the resulting
personal hardships that were imposed and in an effort to retain
these remaining critical employees, particularly given of minimal
staffing, we deemed it critical to award retention bonuses during
fiscal 2003. As the retention bonuses paid to our two officers
principally took the form of common stock issuances, $1,045,287, or
82.1%, of the overall $1,273,189 bonus compensation charge to our
fiscal 2003 results of operations was non-cash in nature. We
similarly awarded $114,713 in stock-based retention bonuses to our
two officers during fiscal 2002. During our fiscal 2003 fourth
quarter, we recognized a $125,000 impairment charge related to the
write-down of molds and intellectual property rights underlying our
XELA Keyboard which we acquired in July 2002. This impairment was
based on our then downwardly revised estimate of the anticipated
cash flows to be derived from future sales of our XELA Keyboard as a
result of lower than anticipated sales. We incurred no such
impairment charges during fiscal 2002.
Our consolidated research and
development ("R&D") expenses were $597,121 for the fiscal 2004 year.
These research and development costs are directly related to the
acquisition of Synosphere and their continuing efforts to develop
new products for introduction in the PDA marketplace. As noted in
Note 14 to the October 31, 2004 Condensed Consolidated Financial
Statements included in this filing, we have expensed the cost of our
acquisition of Synosphere, $1,200,000, as Acquired Research and
Development costs. In light of our continuing working capital
constraints, we currently do not anticipate performing any product
research and development activities during fiscal 2005. As such, we
will remain materially dependent upon procuring innovative and
competitive products from external vendors. We incurred no research
and development expenses during fiscal 2003.
Our consolidated asset impairment
expenses were $652,281 for the fiscal 2004 year, an increase of 422%
or $527,281 from the $125,000 asset impairment experienced in fiscal
2003. During fiscal 2004, we placed an initial purchase order with
Enterprise AG, ("Enterprise"), for a new virtual keyboard product
and remitted a required $400,000 deposit. When Enterprise
subsequently failed to deliver such keyboards, we filed a lawsuit in
Israel against Enterprise for breach of contract and demanding that
the deposit be immediately returned. However, we have uncertainties
regarding our ability to recover this deposit and deemed the asset
as impaired and wrote-off the $400,000 balance in its entirety.
During fiscal 2004 we also entered into a three-year agreement with
Virtual Devices, Inc., ("VDI"), pursuant to which we would be
licensed to use certain patented technologies of VDI applicable to
handheld computing devices. We submitted $200,000 of the required
$300,000 payment to VDI in July 2004. Due to cash constraints we
have been unable to fulfill the cash requirements of the agreement
and continue with this agreement. We deemed the licensed
intellectual property rights to be impaired and wrote-off the
$200,000 unamortized balance in its entirety. During fiscal 2004
Ttools, Inc., the licensor and vendor of our XELA keyboard product
filed a lawsuit against us for breach of contract. As a result we
deemed the underlying tooling and intellectual property rights as
impaired and wrote-off the then unamortized balance of $52,281 in
its entirety. Previously, during our fiscal 2003 year, we downwardly
revised our estimated cash flows from the XELA keyboard product and
recognized a $125,000 impairment charge to write-down the underlying
tooling and intellectual property rights.
During fiscal 2004, we granted
stock options to individuals in exchange for the following
consulting services. We valued the options granted using the
Black-Scholes stock option pricing model. The total fair value of
the options granted during fiscal 2004 was $6,969,186. Based on the
uncertainty of any future value of these agreements, we expensed the
value of the options in fiscal 2004.
November 2003 - Options valued at
$260,000 to purchase 200 million shares of common stock (at a 40%
discount from market, as defined) were issued to D. Scott Elliott
for general business and financial consulting services to assist us
with our expansion plans and entry into other markets.
December 2003 - Options valued at
$60,000 to purchase 50 million shares of common stock (at a 15%
discount form market, as defined) were issued to Jeffrey Firestone
for providing legal counsel on International issues in mergers and
acquisitions.
January 2004 - Options valued at
$4,450,000 to purchase 100 million shares of common stock (at a 50%
discount from market, as defined) were issued to Pangea Investments
GmbH for consulting and acquisition services in Europe and Israel.
Sam Elimalech, an officer of Enterprise Capital AG, is also a member
of Pangea Investments GmbH.
March 2004 - Options valued at
$1,616,186 to purchase 151,045,455 shares of common stock (at a 20%
discount from market, as defined) to D. Scott Elliott for general
business and financial consulting services to assist us with our
expansion plans and entry into other markets.
May 2004 - Options valued at
$492,000 to purchase 40,000,000 shares of common stock (at a 7.5%
discount from market, as defined) to Steven Green for financial
management, business management and business optimization through
mergers and acquisitions. These consulting services are offered for
a term of three years. Options to purchase 35,000,000 shares were
exercised in May 2004 resulting in the receipt of approximately
$345,000. The remaining 5,000,000 shares were deposited into an
escrow account (see Common Stock Held in Escrow above).
May 2004 - Options valued at
$91,000 to purchase 10,000,000 shares of common stock (at a 15%
discount from market, as defined) to Jeffrey Firestone for providing
legal counsel on International issues in mergers and acquisitions.
Options to purchase 10,000,000 shares were exercised in May 2004
resulting in the receipt of approximately $128,000.
During fiscal 2004, we wrote-off
$150,000 of a note receivable that we deemed uncollectible. The
original note arose when options to purchase 100 million shares of
common stock (at a 50% discount from market, as defined) were issued
to Pangea Investments GmbH (parent company of Enterprise Capital AG)
on January 28, 2004 for consulting and acquisition services in
Europe and Israel. Pursuant to the option agreement, we transferred
100 million shares of our common stock into an escrow account
pending payment of the aggregate $1.5 million exercise price and
note receivable. Through June 4, 2004, 15 million shares were issued
upon receipt of $74,990 and the application of $175,000 to the
Deposit for the Virtual Keyboard product. Subsequently, on June 23,
2004, we cancelled the above stock option in light of
non-performance of the required consulting services and requested
that the escrow agent return the above common shares. We then
recorded a $150,000 expense based on our estimated probable loss
relating to the share recovery.
Our resulting losses from
operations for the fiscal year ended 2004 was $13,433,297. The
preceding compares to losses from operations for the fiscal year
ended 2003 of $2,818,163, respectively.
Our non-operating other income
primarily consist of gains on settlements of debenture and vendor
obligations and miscellaneous other income. During the fiscal 2004
year we realized non-cash aggregate gains of $232,583 on settlements
of debenture obligations. The balance of our non-operating income
and expenses items, including interest income, were inconsequential
to our consolidated results of operations. Our non-operating
expenses primarily consist of interest expense, including non-cash
charges attributable to the non-detachable beneficial conversion
feature of newly issued debentures. Our interest expense was
$211,328 for the fiscal 2004 year, a decrease of $1,521,265, or 88%,
from the $1,732,593 incurred during the fiscal 2003 year. This
decrease is due to $1,379,077 of beneficial conversion features of
debentures issued during the fiscal 2003 year. These charges were
not repeated during fiscal 2004.
Primarily as a result of the
foregoing, we incurred a net loss of $13,389,175 ($0.01) per basic
and diluted share) in fiscal 2004 as compared to a net loss of
$4,462,182 ($0.02 per basic and diluted share) in fiscal 2003.
Our future ability to achieve
profitability in any given future fiscal period remains highly
contingent upon us realizing significantly increased product sales
sufficient to leverage our non-variable, likely to be recurring
expenses. For instance, our ability to achieve gross profits and
positive gross margins in any given future fiscal period remains
highly contingent upon us being able to leverage through significant
incremental product sales the non-variable direct labor and overhead
components of our costs of goods sold. Similarly, our ability to
realize income from operations is further dependent upon our ability
to additionally leverage through significant incremental sales our
SG&A expenses, the majority of which currently are non-variable and
recurring in nature. To the extent that we incur other less frequent
or non-recurring operating expenses, as in fiscal 2003, we will
require additional incremental product sales in order to leverage
them. Lastly, our ability to realize net income and net income per
common share remains highly contingent upon us being able to
leverage through incremental product sales any significant net
non-operating expenses, such as charges for the beneficial
conversion features of any issued debentures and our interest
expense on any outstanding debt. Correspondingly, our ability to
realize significant incremental product sales in any given future
fiscal period remains highly contingent upon us obtaining
significant equity infusions and/or long-term debt financing
sufficient to fund the increased and sustained campaign of marketing
and advertising activities we believe necessary to build broad
consumer awareness of, and demand for, our PDA accessories. Even if
we were to be successful in procuring such funding, there can be no
assurance that we will be successful in our marketing and
advertising efforts, and that we will subsequently realize the
significant incremental product sales we require.
OUR CONSOLIDATED LIQUIDITY
AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
OUR OVERVIEW
During the course of transitioning
our Company over the last several years from our discontinued
computer service businesses to our current business of marketing and
distributing various accessories primarily intended for use with
PDAs, we have incurred substantial operating and net losses, as well
as negative operating cash flows. As of our fiscal year ended
October 31, 2004, our working capital deficit was $3,423,584 and our
stockholders' deficit was $3,373,445. Such reflects a decrease from
our preceding fiscal year ended October 31, 2003 when our working
capital deficit was $6,093,514 and our stockholders' deficit was
$6,716,685. We had a nominal unrestricted cash balance of only $88
at October 31, 2004, as compared to $2,140 at October 31, 2003.
We had outstanding convertible
debentures with an aggregate principal face amount of $863,675 at
October 31, 2004, of which $863,675 is currently due and payable.
During December 2004, the remaining debentures balances and accrued
interest thereon were converted into common stock and, accordingly,
are considered paid in full.
OUR CONSOLIDATED CASH FLOWS
Our operating activities utilized
$2,476,216 in cash during the fiscal 2004 year end, an increase of
$1,692,570, or 216%, from the $783,646 in cash utilized during the
fiscal 2003 year end. Our increased utilization substantially . . .