Attention: | Mr. Mark Kronforst Accounting Branch Chief |
Re: | Synchronoss Technologies, Inc. Form 10-K for Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2007 Filed February 29, 2008 Form 10-Q for Fiscal Quarter Ended March 31, 2008 Filed May 8, 2008 Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A Filed April 9, 2008 File No. 000-52049 |
1. | In future filings, please consider expanding this section of MD&A to describe in greater detail and/or quantify the material impact that known trends and uncertainties will have, or are reasonably likely to have, on your liquidity, capital resources or results of operations. For instance, clarify how such factors as order provisioning, local number portability, and the implementation of new technologies will increase demand for your services. See SEC Release Nos. 33-6835 and 33-8350. | |
RESPONSE TO COMMENT 1: | ||
In future filings beginning with the Form 10-Q for the second quarter of 2008, SNCR will expand the MD&A to describe in greater detail and/or quantify the material impact that known trends and uncertainties will have, or are reasonably likely to have on SNCRs liquidity, capital resources or results of operations |
2. | We note your discussion of cash flows only addresses fiscal 2007 and 2006. Please explain to us how you considered Instruction 1 to paragraph 303(a) of Regulation S-K. | |
RESPONSE TO COMMENT 2: | ||
When preparing its discussion of cash flows, SNCR considered Instruction 1 to paragraph 303(a) of Regulation S-K. SNCR also referred to Article 8 of Regulation S-X when preparing its discussion of liquidity and capital resources which provides that generally the discussion shall cover a three year period in order to enhance the readers understanding of the financial statements. SNCR completed its initial public offering (its IPO) in June 2006. Over the period from January 1, 2005 through December 31, 2007, the primary contributors to the strength of SNCRs balance sheet were due to increased volume from transactions processed and the proceeds received from its IPO. In each of the periods presented, the reasons for the changes in cash flows from operations, investing, and financing activities were similar; with the exception of the cash flows from financing activities in 2006 related to the proceeds received from the IPO. In this case, the proceeds received as a result of SNCRs IPO have been noted on page 30 of SNCRs annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007. The main difference in 2005 was associated with income taxes and the reduction of SNCRs valuation allowance which was discussed in SNCRs prospectus for its |
IPO and in its annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006. SNCR therefore does not believe that fiscal 2005 information enhances the readers understanding of its financial statements. Nevertheless, in response to the Staffs comment, in future filings beginning with the Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008, SNCR will include the comparison for all periods presented. | ||
3. | In your discussion of cash flows, you refer to various factors that have materially impacted results without quantifying the impact of each factor. For example, you disclose on page 34 that net cash provided by operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2007 was $23.5 million, compared to $14.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2006, and that the increase of $9.5 million was primarily due to income derived from increased volume from transactions and increased accounts payable and accrued expenses balances partially offset by an increase to accounts receivable and prepaid expenses and other current assets as well as an increase to tax benefit from stock option exercises. Where a material change is attributed to two or more factors, including any offsetting factors, the contribution of each identified factor should be described in quantified terms. See Section IV.B. of SEC Release No. 33-8350. | |
RESPONSE TO COMMENT 3: | ||
SNCR prepares its Statement of Cash Flows under the indirect method, so that the items included in its explanation are all readily available within the Statement of Cash Flows. SNCR does not believe there was any material information that was not readily available in SNCRs cash flow statement during the periods disclosed, with the exception of the number of transactions processed, which is not included in SNCRs Statement of Cash Flows. SNCR does not disclose the number of transactions processed because such disclosure could result in a breach of SNCRs confidentiality obligations, would impact its competitive advantage, compromise its pricing information and could impact its ability to obtain new customers and retain existing ones. However, in response to the Staffs comment, in future filings beginning with the Form 10-Q for the second quarter of 2008, where a material change is attributed to two or more factors, including any offsetting factors, SNCR will describe in quantified terms the contribution of each identified factor. |
4. | We note your statement in Note 1 that your services enable CSPs to retain service customers. We also note that your revenue recognition policy does not appear to address cancellation provisions or rights of refund in the event service customers are not retained. Please tell us whether CSP customer cancellations impact your revenue recognition. |
5. | We note that your chief executive and chief financial officers concluded that as of December 31, 2007, your disclosure controls and procedures are effective in that they provide reasonable assurance that information required to be disclosed by [you] in the reports that [you] file or submit under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the Securities and Exchange Commissions rules and forms. We note similar disclosure in your report on Form 10-Q for the period ended March 31, 2008. Your text suggests that the disclosure controls and procedures that were evaluated by your principal executive officer and principal financial officer were narrower than the disclosure controls and procedures defined by Rule 13a-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The rule requires, among other matters, that the disclosure controls and procedures also be designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by an issuer . . . is accumulated and communicated to the issuers management ... as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. In your response letter, please tell us whether the effectiveness conclusions of the CEO and CFO were made with respect to the companys controls and procedures as that term is defined in Rule 13a-15(e) for the periods ended December 31, 2007 and March 31, 2008, and confirm that you will conform your disclosure to the rule in future filings. | |
RESPONSE TO COMMENT 5: | ||
SNCR hereby confirms that the effectiveness conclusions of Stephen Waldis, SNCRs Chief Executive Officer, and Lawrence Irving, SNCRs Chief Financial Officer, for each of the periods ended December 31, 2007 and March 31, 2008, were made with respect to SNCRs controls and procedures as that term is defined in Rule 13a-15(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. In future filings beginning with |
6. | We note with respect to Exhibit 10.11 your indication that confidential treatment for the exhibit has been requested. It appears that the order granting confidential treatment may have expired. Please advise. In your response, please provide us with a copy of the order granting confidential treatment. In the event that confidential treatment has expired, please note that you may submit a request for an extension of the order for confidential treatment provided that the subject information has not been publicly disclosed, See Division of Corporation Finance Staff Legal Bulletin No. 1A. | |
RESPONSE TO COMMENT 6: | ||
Attached is a copy of the Order granting confidential treatment with respect to the Master Service Agreement dated as of September 1, 2005 between Cingular Wireless, Inc. and Synchronoss Technologies, Inc. and the Statement of Work thereto. As we continue to deem this information confidential and have not publicly disclosed it, we have separately submitted a request for an extension of the order for confidential treatment. |
7. | We note you discussed on your first quarter earnings conference call that you believe the increasing gap between the total number of iPhones sold and the actual number you activate is a trend that will have a material unfavorable impact on your results of operations. Please tell us what consideration you gave to disclosing this trend pursuant to Item 303(a)(3)(ii) of Regulation S-K. | |
RESPONSE TO COMMENT 7: | ||
SNCR did review and took into consideration Item 303(a)(3)(ii) of Regulation S-K prior to filing its Form 10-Q for the first quarter of 2008. The discussion relating to the gap between the total number of iPhones sold and the actual number of iPhones that SNCR activated addressed SNCRs revision of its forward looking guidance for the full year 2008. During the first quarter earnings conference call, SNCR explained that it expected this gap to increase during the year and that such increase was one of the reasons that SNCR was revising its previous guidance. Pursuant to SEC Release No. 33-8350 (eff Dec. 29, 2003), MD&A should focus on known material events and uncertainties that would cause reported financial information not to be necessarily indicative of future operating performance or of future financial condition. SNCR concluded that since its guidance for the full year 2008 was not included in its Form 10-Q for the first quarter of 2008, no disclosure was required. Nevertheless, in response to the Staffs comment, SNCR intends to include this disclosure in future filings beginning with the Form 10-Q for the second quarter of 2008. |
8. | It appears that individual performance was a significant factor in how the compensation committee determined amounts to be paid as base salaries and annual incentive bonuses. For instance, you state that your base salary rewards satisfactory individual performance and a satisfactory level of contribution to [y]our overall business goals and that one purpose of your annual performance incentive compensation plan is to reward your executives for their individual achievements. However, you do not describe any of the specific performance objectives or otherwise describe the nature of the individual performance objectives. If you focused on specific individual performance goals and contributions to your business objectives, as your disclosure seems to indicate, please include a complete discussion of each |
9. | You have not included the grant date fair value of each equity award computed in accordance with FAS 123R (column (1)) in your Grants of Plan Based Awards table. Please advise. Confirm that you will include this information, as applicable, in future filings. See Item 402 (d)(2)(viii) of Regulation S-K. | |
RESPONSE TO COMMENT 9: | ||
SNCR had interpreted Item 402(d)(2)(viii) of Regulation S-K to not require a column for Grant Date Fair Value of Stock and Option Awards in the event that during the applicable period there had been no adjustment or amendment of the exercise or base price of any options, SARs or similar option-like instruments previously awarded to any of the named executive officers. Accordingly, SNCR did not include such a column in its Proxy Statement for 2008 because during 2007 SNCR did not adjust or amend the exercise or base price of any options, SARs or similar optionlike instruments previously awarded to any of its named executive officers. Nevertheless, in response to the Staffs comment, in SNCRs Proxy Statement for 2009 and future Proxy Statements, SNCR will include the fair value of such awards computed in accordance with FAS 123R in the Grants of Plan Based Awards table. |
10. | We note your statement on page 6 that [a]ll related party transactions will be approved by our Audit Committee before we enter into them. It does not appear that this statement satisfies the requirements of Item 404(b) of Regulation S-K, which requires a discussion of your policies and procedures for the review, approval or ratification of transactions with related persons. Please provide the disclosure required by Item 404(b) in future filings. | |
RESPONSE TO COMMENT 10: | ||
In response to the Staffs comment, SNCR will include in its Proxy Statement for 2009 and future Proxy Statements the following discussion of its policies and procedures for the review, approval or ratification of transactions with related persons: |
(a) | SNCR is responsible for the adequacy and accuracy of the disclosure in each of the above-referenced filings with the SEC; | ||
(b) | Staff comments or changes to disclosure in response to staff comments do not foreclose the Commission from taking any action with respect to the above-referenced filings with the Commission; and | ||
(c) | SNCR may not assert Staff comments as a defense in any proceeding initiated by the Commission or any person under the federal securities laws of the United States. |
cc: | Mr. Stephen G. Waldis Mr. Lawrence R. Irving Marc Dupre, Esq. |