10-K 1 a10ktasr123116.htm 10-K Document

 
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
Form 10-K
 
(Mark One)
x
ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016
or
¨
TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the transition period from                      to                     
Commission File Number: 001-16391
TASER International, Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware
 
86-0741227
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)
 
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)
 
 
17800 North 85th Street
Scottsdale, Arizona
 
85255
(Address of principal executive offices)
 
(Zip Code)
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code:
(480) 991-0797
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class
 
Name of exchange on which registered
Common Stock, $0.00001 par value per share
 
The Nasdaq Global Select Market
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
None
(Title of Class)
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.    Yes  ¨    No  ý
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.    Yes  ¨    No  ý
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.    Yes  ý    No  ¨
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Website, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).    Yes  ý    No  ¨
Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (§229.405 of this chapter) is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.  ¨
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
 
Large accelerated filer
 
ý
  
Accelerated filer
 
¨
 
 
 
 
Non-accelerated filer
 
¨ (Do not check if a smaller reporting company)
  
Smaller reporting company
 
¨
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).    Yes  ¨    No  ý
The aggregate market value of the common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant, based on the last sales price of the issuer’s common stock on June 30, 2016, which was the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter, as reported by NASDAQ, was approximately $1,273,000,000. Solely for purposes of this disclosure, shares of common stock held by executive officers and directors of the registrant as of such date have been excluded because such persons may be deemed to be affiliates. This determination of executive officers and directors as affiliates is not necessarily a conclusive determination for any other purposes.
The number of shares of the registrant’s common stock outstanding as of February 15, 2017 was 52,334,648
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
Parts of the registrant’s definitive proxy statement for its 2017 annual meeting of stockholders to be prepared and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission not later than 120 days after December 31, 2016 are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Form 10-K.

 




TASER INTERNATIONAL, INC.
INDEX TO ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K
FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2016
 
 
Page
 
 
 
 
 
 


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PART I
Statements contained in this report that are not historical are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), including statements regarding our expectations, beliefs, intentions and strategies regarding the future. We intend that such forward-looking statements be subject to the safe-harbor provided by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements relate to, among other things:
 
our intentions about future development efforts and activities, including our intentions to invest in research and development as well as the development of new product and service lines and enhanced features for our existing product and service lines;
our need and the willingness of customers to upgrade and replace existing conducted electrical weapons (“CEW”) units;
that we may have more sales denominated in foreign currencies in 2017;
our intention to increase our investment in the development of sales in the international, military and law enforcement market;
our plans to expand our sales force;
that cloud and mobile technologies are fundamentally changing the police environment;
our plan to invest in web activities and law enforcement trade shows in 2017;
our intention to not pay dividends;
that increases in marketing and sales activities will lead to an increase in sales;
our belief that the video evidence capture and management market will grow significantly in the near future and the reasons thereto;
our intentions to continue to pursue the personal security market;
our intention to grow direct sales;
the sufficiency of our facilities and our strategy to expand manufacturing capacity if needed;
that we may lease facilities from parties that specialize in handling and manufacturing of firearm materials;
that we expect to continue to depend on sales of our X2 and X26P CEW devices;
our strategy and plans, and the expected benefits relating thereto, to expand our international sales;
that we expect further increases in our trial Axon programs and that these programs will lead to additional sales;
our intention to apply for and prosecute our patents;
that selling, general and administrative expense will increase in 2017;
that research and development expenses will increase in 2017;
the timing of the resolution of uncertain tax positions;
our intention to hold investments to maturity;
the effect of interest rate changes on our annual interest income;
that we may engage in currency hedging activities;
our intentions concerning, and the effectiveness of, our ongoing marketing efforts through web activities, trial programs, tech summits and law enforcement trade shows;
the benefits of our CEW products compared to other lethal and less-lethal alternatives;
the benefits of our Axon products compared to our competitors';
our belief that customers will honor multi-year contracts despite the existence of appropriations (or similar) clauses;
our belief that customers will renew their Evidence.com service subscriptions at the end of the contractual term;
our insulation from competition and our competitive advantage in the weapons business;
estimates regarding the size of our target markets and our competitive position in existing markets;
the availability of alternative materials and components suppliers;
the benefits of the continued automation of our production process;
the sufficiency and availability of our liquid assets and capital resources;
our financing and growth strategies, including: our decision not to pay dividends, potential joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, stock repurchases and hedging activities;
the safety of our products;

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our litigation strategy; including the outcome of legal proceedings in which we are currently involved;
our ability to maintain secure and consistent customer data access and storage, including the use of third-party data storage providers, and the impact of a loss of customer data, a breach of security or an extended outage;
our ability to attract and retain the qualified professional services necessary to implement and maintain our business, both through employment and through other partnership arrangements;
the effect of current and future tax strategies;
the impact of recently adopted and future accounting standards;
that the complaint filed by Digital Ally is frivolous; and
the ultimate resolution of financial statement items requiring critical accounting estimates.
These statements are qualified by important factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those reflected by the forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to, those factors detailed in Part I Item 1A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K entitled “Risk Factors.” The risks included in the foregoing list are not exhaustive. Other sections of this report may include additional factors that could adversely affect our business and financial performance. New risk factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for management to predict all such factors, nor can it assess the impact of all such risk factors or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect changed assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events or changes to expectations over time.
TASER International, Inc. owns the following trademarks: ADVANCED TASER, Axon, TASER, XREP, the bolt on West Hemisphere logo, the bolt on ball logo, the bolt on circle logo, and the bolt within circle logo, all registered in the United States. All other trademarks and service marks including Bolt, CheckLok, C2, X2, X3, M18, M26, Protect Life, Protect Truth, Pulse, Strikelight, X26, X26C, X26P, X12, XREP, Axon Flex, Axon Body, Axon Body 2, Axon Flex 2, Axon Interview, Axon Fleet, Axon Mobile, Axon Signal, Evidence.com, Shockwave, TASER CAM and designs belong to TASER International, Inc., except as expressly indicated as belonging to another.


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Item 1. Business
Company Background and Business Strategy
TASER International, Inc.’s (the “Company” or “TASER” or “we” or “our”) core mission is to protect life through innovative technologies that make communities safer. We are the market leader in the development, manufacture and sale of conducted electrical weapons (“CEWs”) designed for use by law enforcement, corrections, military forces, private security personnel and by private individuals for personal defense. We are also the market leader in connected wearable on-officer cameras which utilize our cloud-based digital evidence management solution which is part of our Axon network that connects devices, apps and people to serve law enforcement. Our core goal is to have every officer in the world carry a TASER, deploy an Axon camera and be connected to the Axon network. Our key strategies going into Fiscal 2017 are as follows:
Devices: Launch innovative new products, scale Axon Fleet, scale existing Axon cameras and devices
Apps: Drive incremental usage, expand the product platform and deliver quality at scale
People: Drive network adoption, achieve full deployment, grow global markets and maximize service plans and product bundles.
Technological innovation is the foundation of our long-term growth. By investing in research and development, we will continue to develop novel, high-value solutions across our product platforms. In 2016, we continued to refine our Axon platform by developing next generation applications and devices. In December 2016, the Company launched a new artificial intelligence ("AI") group called "Axon AI." The Company acquired certain proprietary technology, and hired a team of researchers and engineers to accelerate the introduction of new AI-powered capabilities for public safety. The technology acquired is aimed at improving the accuracy, efficiency and speed of processing images and video to enable customers to gain more insight from video, photos and audio. In January 2017, the Company completed another acquisition bringing the Axon AI team of researchers and engineers to nearly 20. This transaction included the acquisition of a computer-vision and deep learning systems to make the visual contents in video searchable in real time. This acquisition will give customers the ability to quickly isolate and analyze the most important aspects of footage from large amounts of video data.

Company Organization
Our products are sold directly to law enforcement agencies and through a network of distribution channels we developed for selling and marketing our products and services. The Company manages its business primarily on a geographic basis. Domestic law enforcement agencies are served through the Company's headquarters in Scottsdale, Arizona, and its Axon business unit located in Seattle, Washington, with various sales representatives strategically located throughout the United States. TASER International, B.V. (the "BV"), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, located in Amsterdam, Netherlands, serves as a permanent international headquarters. During 2016, the BV formed Axon Public Safety Australia Pty LTD to better facilitate growth and serve existing customers in the Australian region. The Company also has subsidiaries located in the United Kingdom ("UK"), Germany and Canada.
In May 2015, the Company acquired all of the outstanding common stock of MediaSolv Solutions Corporation ("MediaSolv"). MediaSolv provided solutions for interview room video, closed-circuit television and on-premise digital evidence management. The acquisition also allowed the Company to leverage MediaSolv's existing network and customer relationships. In July 2015, the Company acquired, through one of its wholly owned subsidiaries, all of the outstanding common stock of Tactical Safety Responses Limited ("TSR"), the Company's licensed distributor in the United Kingdom ("UK"). The acquisition has allowed the Company to expand operations in the UK and grow its in-country sales and support team.
The Company’s operations are comprised of two reportable segments: the sale of CEWs, accessories and other related products and services (the “TASER Weapons” segment); and the Axon business, focused on devices, wearables, applications, cloud and mobile products (the "Axon" segment). Within the Axon segment, the Company includes only revenues and costs attributable to that segment which include: costs of sales for both products and services, direct labor, selling expense for the sales team, product management and marketing expenses, trade shows and related expenses, finance and accounting expenses, and research and development for products included, or to be included, within the Axon segment. All other costs are included in the TASER Weapons segment. Further information about our reportable segments and sales by geographic region is included in Notes 1(p) and 16 of the consolidated financial statements in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.


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Products
TASER Weapons Products
We make CEWs that use our proprietary Neuro Muscular Incapacitation (“NMI”) effects for two main types of market segments: (i) the law enforcement, military, corrections and private security markets; and (ii) the consumer market. Our products use a replaceable cartridge containing compressed nitrogen to deploy and propel two small probes that are attached to the CEW by insulated conductive wires with lengths ranging from 15 to 35 feet. Our CEWs transmit electrical pulses along the wires and into the body affecting the sensory and motor functions of the peripheral nervous system. The basic design is to provide incapacitating effects that last in cycles of five seconds for our law enforcement, military, corrections and private security products and up to thirty seconds for our consumer market models. This effect can be extended, if necessary, by the operator.
The benefits of using CEWs in the field have been significant. By some studies, TASER CEWs have prevented death or serious injury more than 178,000 times from the first deployment in 2000 to the end of 2016. In addition to protecting life, the use of these devices instead of other force options has significantly reduced injuries for suspects and officers with substantial liability and workers’ compensation savings to government agencies around the world.
The following products are core to the Company's TASER Weapons product line:
TASER X26P - The X26P is currently our smallest and most compact Smart Weapon for law enforcement and military use, and is ergonomically designed with ease of performance in mind. TASER Smart Weapons are built on an all-digital platform, and have the ability to regulate charge output, perform health checks, update firmware over the Internet and provide analytics displaying how and when someone uses a device. Through the Company's Evidence.com platform important records, such as event logs and pulse logs, can be viewed and analyzed. Event logs save every user action for record-keeping, including safety activation, and trigger event duration with times, dates, and battery life. Pulse logs display a pulse-by-pulse record of weapon output.
TASER X2 - The X2, designed for law enforcement and the military but available to general consumers, provides users with the same Smart Weapon features as the X26P. Additionally, the X2 incorporates law enforcement agencies' most requested features such as a backup shot, dual lasers to ensure accuracy, and a warning arc to ensure accuracy and effectiveness. The warning arc, a visible electric charge, increases voluntary surrenders and helps stop conflicts from escalating. It issues an audible and visual warning directly over the front of live cartridges.
TASER C2 - The C2 is one of the Company's consumer CEW models. The C2 features the same NMI effects as those available to law enforcement in a discreet appearance and compact and light form factor. The TASER C2 provides incapacitating effects that lasts in cycles of 30 seconds which is intended to allow adequate time for the user to escape the threat.
TASER Pulse - During January 2016, the Company introduced its newest consumer product, the TASER Pulse CEW, which is a sub-compact model with a newly designed form factor with additional features as compared to the TASER C2, all at a comparable price point. The TASER Pulse became available for sale in the first quarter of 2016.
Replacement Cartridges - We manufacture multiple cartridge types for varying ranges and purposes. Types of cartridges include, among others, standard cartridges, smart cartridges and training cartridges. Smart cartridges communicate with the fire control system within the TASER X2 indicating the type of cartridge loaded in each bay and its deployment status. Standard cartridges are designed for use within the X26P CEW systems and are also used in our legacy X26E and M26 products. The Company also offers standard replacement cartridges for the C2 and Pulse consumer models. Our cartridges are available in unique variations for warm and cold climates, training scenarios, and tactical situations.
Axon Connected Solutions
Axon creates connected technologies for truth in public safety. As a segment of TASER, we're building on a history of innovation in policing. Axon is more than a collection of individual technologies; it is a cohesive ecosystem. Every product works together, built by the same team of engineers and supported by the same technicians. Every product from our Smart Weapons to our body-worn cameras to our digital evidence management system integrates seamlessly with one another, and often complements the systems and processes a customer already uses. Below are the products and features that are core to the Axon platform.

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Hardware Products:
Axon Body 2 - Axon Body 2 builds upon the original platform bringing officers new features such as high-definition ("HD") video, wireless fidelity ("Wi-Fi") offload capabilities, longer battery life, and additional security enhancements. Both the original Axon Body and Axon Body 2 eliminate the need for the camera to be mounted above the shoulder of the individual and rather hooks into the shirt of the officer at mid-chest level. These cameras also eliminate all wires from the wearer’s body.
Axon Flex - The Axon Flex camera system records video and audio of critical incidents from the visual perspective of the officer. Axon Flex provides complete flexibility in how an officer chooses to wear the device, including an option to deploy as an attachment to Oakley Flak Jacket eyewear.
Axon Flex 2 - The Axon Flex 2 builds upon the original Axon Flex camera system and was designed with a more rugged industrial design, new mounts and advanced capabilities like unlimited HD video, a 120-degree field of view, extended battery life, improved buffering and wireless activation.
TASER CAM HD - The TASER CAM is a recording device, which integrates with Evidence.com, that captures both video and audio of potential and actual TASER use incidents as an accessory to a TASER CEW. The device can capture video and audio before, during and after a TASER CEW deployment, which provides law enforcement with a greater level of accountability to support their use of TASER weapons against a resistant subject.
Axon Fleet - Axon Fleet is a breakthrough in-car video system with advanced capabilities and a price that is significantly less than traditional systems. Axon Fleet includes automatic activation, HD video and a flexible design. It is also upgrades continuously behind the scenes with new software features, and is part of a powerful platform that connects mobile, cloud, and wearable technologies.
Axon Interview - Axon Interview is a video and audio recording system designed for the critical context of the interview room. The system records crucial interviews with redundant, high-quality video and audio technology, ensuring that every moment is captured. The system is available with a 24/7 buffering option that allows agencies to capture key dialogue even after it occurs.
Axon Dock - With the Axon Dock, the camera charging station is also the automatic data downloader. At the end of a shift, the Axon Dock syncs video from the user's Axon Flex or Axon Body camera during routine charging. Videos are uploaded directly to Evidence.com, eliminating manual filing processes.
Axon Signal - Axon Signal is a technology that enables Axon Body 2, Axon Flex, Axon Flex 2 and Axon Fleet cameras to start recording automatically upon certain triggering events such as the opening of a patrol car door, activation of a patrol car lightbar or when a TASER X26P or X2 Smart Weapon is unholstered.
Axon Software and Mobile Technologies:
Evidence.com - As the sources of digital evidence expand, storage alone is not enough to keep track of the body-worn camera videos, photos, audio recordings and other data that is overwhelming agency servers and systems. Evidence.com is a robust end-to-end solution that not only allows agencies to store all that data, but also enables new workflows for managing and sharing that data. Officers and command staff can upload content from Axon and TASER devices or other systems easily, manage it simply with search and retrieval features, and then collaborate effortlessly with prosecutors by using powerful sharing features. When storage needs or users increase, the cloud-based system allows agencies to scale instantly and cost-effectively. Evidence.com offers several license options, ranging in price, that tailors to the needs of agencies of all sizes. We currently offer our Basic, Standard and Pro licenses that contain incremental feature sets with Pro license containing all of the advanced features currently available. The Company also offers its Ultimate license that includes the Pro license features with Axon camera upgrades and extended warranty services. The Company's Unlimited plan contains the offerings under the Ultimate tier, and includes unlimited HD storage of Axon digital evidence uploads. Finally, the Company offers its Officer Safety Plan tier that provides the highest value by bundling a TASER Smart Weapon with all of the features offered in the Unlimited Plan. All product and service revenues described above, with the exception of the TASER Smart Weapon, are included in the Company's calculation of Axon segment bookings.
Evidence.com for Prosecutors - The same end-to-end evidence management solutions of Evidence.com now allow prosecutors to manage evidence of any type, from any agency, all in one place. Ramp-up time is immediate, and scaling to meet future needs is effortless. Files can be shared during discovery, complete chain of custody is maintained, and all evidence is encrypted. Plus, for prosecuting attorneys working with agencies already using Evidence.com, standard prosecutor licenses are provided at no cost.
Evidence Sync - Evidence Sync is a desktop-based application that enables evidence in any format, from any source to be uploaded to Evidence.com. TASER Smart Weapon logs, Axon camera videos, dash cam and interview room footage, still photos and more can be uploaded, stored, and managed in one location, accessible anytime, anywhere. Sources new and old—from TASER devices

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or other brands—are equally supported. Network servers, SD cards, CDs, and computer folders can be synced with ease, and frequently used folders or drives can be set up to automatically sync on schedule.
Axon Capture - Axon Capture is a mobile application built specifically to allow officers to capture digital evidence right from the field. The app eliminates the need to carry three separate devices for photo, video, and audio recording. Instead, it builds upon the capabilities of an officer's mobile phone with the security and organization needed to protect truth. Officers can add tags, titles or GPS coordinates to any recordings before uploading the data to Evidence.com.
Axon View - Axon View is a mobile application that wirelessly connects with an Axon camera to provide instant playback of unfolding events from the field, in the field, and the app's live display ensures the camera is positioned correctly.
Axon Five - Axon Five is the most complete software application available to help customers enhance and analyze images and videos. An unmatched feature set lets a customer uncover details that assists officers in solving crimes. Since time is valuable, Axon Five also automates time-consuming tasks like removing duplicated or mismatched frames, making officers more productive at work.
Axon Convert - Is a local software solution that gives customers the power to convert unplayable file formats with ease. It ingests and converts files in minutes with only a few clicks, making manual conversion a thing of the past. Since we know maintaining an evidence trail is important, Axon Convert not only produces a playable file, but also preserves the original file and creates a report detailing the exact conversion/translation changes.
Axon Detect - Axon Detect is a photo analysis program for tamper detection. It goes beyond image-matching to offer a robust suite of authentication tools to certify evidence in-house. This reduces the need for external consultants, shortens turnaround time, and allows for use of evidence captured by the public.
Markets and Distribution
Law Enforcement
Our primary target market for both our weapon and video products is federal, state and local law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and throughout the world. In the law enforcement market, more than 17,800 law enforcement agencies in nearly 150 countries have made initial purchases of our TASER brand devices for testing or deployment. We estimate that in the U.S., approximately two-thirds of all law enforcement patrol officers carry a TASER CEW and internationally, approximately one out of every fifty eligible law enforcement officers carries a TASER CEW. Our goal is to have our CEWs be standard issue equipment for all domestic and international law agencies.
Other Markets
We also target military forces, private security, correctional facilities and consumer personal protection markets to provide technologies that offer a less lethal force of protection.
U.S. Distribution
The Company sells directly to law enforcement agencies in the U.S. as well as through a distribution network. Distributors are selected based upon their reputation within their respective industries, contacts and distribution network. Our regional sales managers work closely with the distributors in their territory to inform and educate the law enforcement communities. We continue to monitor our law enforcement distributors closely to help ensure that our service standards are achieved. Where appropriate, we intend to grow our direct sales over time. Distributors often allow us to penetrate regions at lower fixed costs; however, direct sales allow us greater control over the customer relationship.
Sales in the private citizen market are primarily made through our distributors and our website. We have implemented a variety of marketing initiatives to support sales of our consumer products, with a focus on web, public relations and consumer trade shows. We have consulted with professional digital media and public relations professionals to assist us in media and press events, and editorial placements along with attending numerous trade shows specifically to target the consumer market.
International Distribution
We market and distribute our CEW products to foreign markets through our international subsidiaries as well as through a network of distributors. For geographical and cultural reasons, our distributors usually have a territory defined by their country’s

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borders. These distributors market both our law enforcement, military, and corrections products, and our consumer products where allowed by law. Our distributors work with local law enforcement, military and corrections agencies in the same manner as our domestic market distributors. For example, they may perform demonstrations, attend industry trade shows, maintain country specific websites, engage in print advertising and arrange training classes.
In order to more effectively engage customers internationally, we have also implemented direct sales teams strategically located throughout each major geographic region of the world. Having dedicated sales personnel stationed full time in these regions will allow us to better serve existing customers as well as execute our sales and marketing strategies more efficiently in order to continue to grow our customer base in new markets.
Manufacturing
We perform light manufacturing, final assembly, and final test operations at our headquarters in Scottsdale, Arizona, and own substantially all of the equipment required to develop, prototype, manufacture and assemble our finished products. This includes critical injection molds, schematics, automation equipment, test equipment and prototypes utilized by our supply chain for the conversion of raw materials into sub-assemblies. We have implemented lean/six sigma methodologies to optimize most direct and indirect resources within the organization, which has helped boost capacity for existing products, as well as provide flexibility to accommodate production of new TASER and Axon product introductions. We are currently operating one to two production shifts depending on inventory levels and demand. However, other capacity options, including the use of additional shifts, will be considered should we experience higher demand resulting from large orders of legacy or new product releases. We continue to maintain our ISO 9001 certification.
The Company currently purchases finished circuit boards and injection-molded plastic components from suppliers located in the U.S., Mexico and Taiwan. Although the Company currently obtains many of these components from single source suppliers, the Company owns the injection molded component tooling used in their production. As a result, management believes it could obtain alternative suppliers in most cases without incurring significant production delays. The Company also purchases small, machined parts from a vendor in Taiwan, custom cartridge assemblies from a proprietary vendor in the U.S., and electronic components from a variety of foreign and domestic distributors. Management believes that there are readily available alternative suppliers in most cases who can consistently meet the Company's needs for these components. The Company acquires most of its components on a purchase order basis and does not have long-term contracts with suppliers. Therefore, many components used by the Company, could at times be subject to industry-wide shortage, and significant pricing fluctuations that could materially adversely affect the Company’s financial condition and operating results.
Business Seasonality and Product Introductions
The Company has historically experienced higher net sales in its second and fourth quarters compared to other quarters in its fiscal year due to municipal budget cycles. Additionally, new product introductions can significantly impact net sales, product costs and operating expenses. However, historical seasonal patterns, municipal budgets or historical patterns of product introductions should not be considered reliable indicators of the Company’s future net sales or financial performance.
Backlog
Our backlog for products and services includes all orders that have been received and are believed to be firm. As of December 31, 2016 and 2015 our backlog was $384.2 million and $183.9 million, respectively. Included in our backlog as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 was deferred revenue of $85.2 million and $51.0 million, respectively. Of the deferred revenue balances recorded at December 31, 2016 and 2015, current deferred revenue was $45.1 million and $20.9 million, respectively.
Competition
Law Enforcement, Corrections and Private Security Markets
Law enforcement customers partner with TASER for the long-term. The primary competitive factors in the law enforcement and corrections market include a weapon’s accuracy, effectiveness, safety, cost, ease of use and an exceptional customer experience. We are aware of competitors providing competing CEW products, primarily in international markets.
We also believe our CEWs compete indirectly with a variety of other less-lethal alternatives. These alternatives include, but are not limited to, pepper spray, batons and impact weapons sold by companies such as Defense Technology. We believe our TASER brand devices’ advanced technology, versatility, portability, effectiveness, built-in accountability systems, and low injury rate enable us to compete effectively against these other less-lethal alternatives.

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Private Citizen Market
CEWs have gained limited acceptance in the private citizen market. These devices primarily compete with guns, but also with other less lethal weapons such as pepper spray. The primary competitive factors in the private citizen market include a weapon’s cost, effectiveness, safety and ease of use.
Video Evidence Market
The video evidence capture and management market segment is a highly fragmented and competitive market. Continued evolution in the industry and technology shifts are creating opportunities for both established and new competitors. Key competitive factors include: product performance; product features; product quality and warranty; total cost of ownership; data security; data and information work flows; company reputation and financial strength; and relationship with customers. 
Our digital evidence management system, Evidence.com, is a cloud-based platform. Cloud computing fundamentally changes the way local, state and federal government agencies will develop and deploy software applications. Applications used by these agencies have historically required the agency to deploy their own infrastructure of servers, storage, network devices and operating systems. With a cloud-based system, the entire storage infrastructure is managed by third-parties who specialize in infrastructure management. Agencies use Internet web browsers to access the application. Our cloud-based Evidence.com service enables agencies to store, manage and analyze digital evidence. We believe our end-to-end solution of Axon and Evidence.com is a compelling value proposition for law enforcement agencies to implement.
Regulatory Matters
U.S. Regulation
The majority of TASER weapons, as well as the cartridges used by these devices, are subject to regulations; however, most are not considered to be a “firearm” by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The TASER XREP, a non-core shotgun CEW product, does use a propellant system which falls under the definition of a “firearm” and is, therefore, subject to federal firearms-related regulations. Many states have regulations restricting the sale and use of stun guns, hand-held shock devices and electronic weapons. We believe existing stun gun laws and regulations apply to our devices.
In many cases, the law enforcement and corrections market is subject to different regulations than the private citizen market. Where different regulations exist, we assume the regulations affecting the private citizen market also apply to the private security markets, except as the applicable regulations otherwise specifically provide.
As of December 31, 2016, the possession of stun guns by the general public, including TASER CEWs, is prohibited in five states: Hawaii, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island, as well as in the District of Columbia. Some cities and municipalities also prohibit private citizen possession or use of our CEW products.
We are also subject to environmental laws and regulations, including restrictions on the presence of certain substances in electronic products. Reference is made to Section 1A, Risk Factors under the heading “Environmental laws and regulations subject us to a number of risks and could result in significant liabilities and costs.”
Evidence.com is subject to government regulation of the Internet in many areas, including telecommunications, data protection, user privacy and online content.
U.S. Export Regulation
CEWs are considered a crime control product by the U.S. government. Accordingly, the export of our devices is regulated under export administration regulations. As a result, we must obtain export licenses from the Department of Commerce for all shipments to foreign countries other than Canada. Most of our requests for export licenses have been granted, and the need to obtain these licenses has not caused a material delay in our shipments. Export regulations also prohibit the further shipment of our products from foreign markets in which we hold a valid export license to foreign markets in which we do not hold an export license for our products.
The Department of Commerce restricts the export of technology used in our CEWs. These regulations apply to both the technology incorporated in our CEW systems and to the processes used to produce them. The technology export regulations do not apply to production that takes place within the U.S. but is applicable to some sub-assemblies and controlled items manufactured outside the U.S.

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Foreign Regulation
Foreign regulations, which may affect our devices, and sale thereof, are numerous and often unclear. We prefer to work with a distributor who is familiar with the applicable import regulations in each of our foreign markets. Experience with foreign distributors in the past indicates that restrictions may prohibit certain sales of our products in a number of countries. The vast majority of countries permit TASER devices to be sold and used by law enforcement. We maintain strong communication channels with our distributors to ensure we are aware of those countries where TASER CEW devices are prohibited or restricted.
Contracts
Our business is affected by numerous laws and regulations, including those related to the award, administration and performance of contracts. Governmental agencies generally have the ability to terminate our contracts, in whole or in part, for reasons including, but not limited to, non-appropriation of funds. We monitor our policies and procedures with respect to our contracts on a regular basis to enhance consistent application under similar terms and conditions, as well as compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.
Intellectual Property
We protect our intellectual property with U.S. and foreign patents and trademarks. Our patents and pending patent applications relate to technology used by us in connection with our products. We also rely on international treaties, organizations and foreign laws to protect our intellectual property. As of December 31, 2016, we hold 122 U.S. patents, 54 U.S. registered trademarks, 100 foreign patents, and 257 foreign registered trademarks, and also have numerous patents and trademarks pending. We continuously assess whether and where to seek formal protection for particular innovations and technologies based on such factors as the commercial significance of our operations and our competitors’ operations in particular countries and regions, our strategic technology or product directions in different countries, and the degree to which intellectual property laws exist and are meaningfully enforced in different jurisdictions. TASER has the exclusive rights to many Internet domain names primarily including ‘TASER.com’, ‘Axon.com’, ‘Axon.net’, ‘Evidence.com' and 'Axon.io.’
Confidentiality agreements are used with employees, consultants and key suppliers to help ensure the confidentiality of our trade secrets.
Research and Development
Our research and development initiatives focus on next generation technology. Internally funded research has been primarily focused on improvements to existing TASER products and digital evidence management systems and other cloud-based apps, or the development of new applications for TASER technology that we believe generally will have broad market appeal. Our investment in internally funded research and development totaled $30.6 million, $23.6 million and $14.9 million in 2016, 2015, and 2014, respectively.
Within the Axon segment, the Company's team of application developers conduct research and development initiatives for cloud applications, wearable and mobile technologies in law enforcement, focused specifically on new revenue opportunities that align with our Axon product solutions.
Within the TASER Weapons segment, current research and development initiatives include bio-medical research and electrical, mechanical and software engineering. We expect that future CEW development projects will focus on extending the range, reducing the size, improving the functionality and developing new delivery options for our products.
Our return on investment is intended to be realized over the long-term, although new systems and technologies often can have a more immediate impact on our business.
Employees
As of December 31, 2016, we had 699 full-time employees and 202 temporary employees. The breakdown of our full-time employees by department is as follows: 175 direct manufacturing employees and 524 administrative and manufacturing support employees. Of the 524 administrative and manufacturing support employees, 213 were involved in sales, marketing, communications and training. Of the 202 temporary employees, more than 92% worked in direct manufacturing roles. Our employees are not covered by any collective bargaining agreement, and we have never experienced a work stoppage. We believe that our relations with our employees are good.

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Available Information
We were incorporated in Arizona in September 1993 as ICER Corporation. We changed our name to AIR TASER, Inc. in December 1993 and to TASER International, Incorporated in April 1998. In January 2001, we reincorporated in Delaware as TASER International, Inc.
Our Annual Report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 are available free of charge on our website at http://www.TASER.com as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish such material to, the SEC. The SEC maintains a website that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC at http://www.sec.gov.

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Item 1A. Risk Factors
Because of the following factors, as well as other variables affecting our operating results, our past financial performance may not be a reliable indicator of our future performance and historical trends should not be used to anticipate our results or trends in future periods.
We are materially dependent on acceptance of our products by law enforcement markets, both domestic and international. If law enforcement agencies do not continue to purchase and use our products, our revenues will be adversely affected.
At any point, due to external factors and opinions not related to product performance, law enforcement agencies may elect to no longer purchase our CEWs or video products
We substantially depend on sales of our TASER X26P and X2 CEWs, and if these products do not continue to be widely accepted, our growth prospects will be diminished.
In the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, we derived our revenues predominantly from sales of TASER CEW brand devices and related cartridges, and expect to depend on sales of these products for the foreseeable future. We are seeing a large number of customers upgrade their devices to the X2 or the new X26P device, which we introduced in 2011 and 2013, respectively. This is a trend we expect to continue. A decrease in the selling prices of, or demand for these products, or their failure to maintain broad market acceptance, would significantly harm our growth prospects, operating results and financial condition.
The success of our Evidence.com software as a service (“SaaS”) delivery model is materially dependent on acceptance of this business model by our law enforcement customers. Delayed or lengthy time to adoption by law enforcement agencies will negatively impact our sales and profitability.
A substantial number of law enforcement agencies may be slow to adopt our Evidence.com digital data evidence management and storage solution, requiring extended periods of trial and evaluation. The hosted service delivery business model is not presently widely adopted by our law enforcement customer base. As such, the sales cycle has additional complexity with the need to educate our customers and address issues regarding agency bandwidth requirements, data retention policies, data security and chain of evidence custody. Delays in successfully securing widespread adoption of Evidence.com services could adversely affect our revenues, profitability and financial condition.
If we are unable to design, introduce and sell new products or new product features successfully, our business and financial results could be adversely affected.
Our future success will depend on our ability to develop new products or new product features that achieve market acceptance in a timely and cost-effective manner. The development of new products and new product features is complex, time consuming and expensive, and we may experience delays in completing the development and introduction of new products. We cannot provide any assurance that products that we may develop in the future will achieve market acceptance. If we fail to develop new products or new product features on a timely basis that achieve market acceptance, our business, financial results and competitive position could be adversely affected.
Delays in product development schedules may adversely affect our revenues and cash flows.
The development of CEWs, cameras and software products such as Evidence.com is a complex and time-consuming process. New products and enhancements to existing products can require long development and testing periods. Our increasing focus on our SaaS platform also presents new and complex development issues. Significant delays in new product or service releases or significant problems in creating new products or services could adversely affect our revenue.
We face risks associated with rapid technological change and new competing products.
The technology associated with law enforcement devices is receiving significant attention and is rapidly evolving. While we have some patent protection in certain key areas of our CEW, Axon and SaaS technology, it is possible that new technology may result in competing products that operate outside our patents and could present significant competition for our products which could adversely affect our revenue.

Defects in our products could reduce demand for our products and result in a loss of sales, delay in market acceptance and damage to our reputation.
Complex components and assemblies used in our products may contain undetected defects that are subsequently discovered at any point in the life of the product. Defects in our products may result in a loss of sales, delay in market acceptance and damage to our reputation and increased warranty costs, which could have a material adverse effect on profitability and financial condition.

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If our security measures are breached and unauthorized access is obtained to customers’ data or our data, our network, data centers and service may be perceived as not being secure, customers may curtail or stop using our service and we may incur significant legal and financial exposure and liabilities.
Our service involves the storage and transmission of customers’ proprietary information, and security breaches could expose us to a risk of loss of this information, litigation and possible liability. We devote significant resources to engineer secure products and ensure security vulnerabilities are mitigated. Despite these efforts, security measures may be breached as a result of third-party action, employee error, and malfeasance or otherwise. Breaches could occur during transfer of data to data centers or at any time, and result in unauthorized access to our data or our customers’ data. Third-parties may attempt to fraudulently induce employees or customers into disclosing sensitive information such as user names, passwords or other information in order to gain access to our data or our customers’ data. Additionally, hackers may develop and deploy viruses, worms, and other malicious software programs that attack or gain access to our networks and data centers. Because the techniques used to obtain unauthorized access, or to sabotage systems, change frequently and generally are not recognized until launched against a target, we may be unable to anticipate these techniques or to implement adequate preventative measures. Any security breach could result in a loss of confidence in the security of our service, damage our reputation, lead to legal liability and negatively impact our future sales.
Interruptions or delays in service from our third-party cloud storage providers for our Evidence.com service, or the loss or corruption of digitally stored evidence, would impair the delivery of our service and harm our business.
We currently serve our Evidence.com customers from third-party cloud storage providers based in the U.S. and other countries. Interruptions in our service, or loss or corruption of digital evidence, may reduce our revenue, cause us to issue credits or pay penalties, cause customers to terminate their subscriptions and adversely affect our renewal rates and our ability to attract new customers. Our business will also be harmed if our customers and potential customers believe our service is unreliable.
Most of our end-user customers are subject to budgetary and political constraints that may delay or prevent sales.
Most of our end-user customers are government agencies. These agencies often do not set their own budgets and therefore, have limited control over the amount of money they can spend. In addition, these agencies experience political pressure that may dictate the manner in which they spend money. As a result, even if an agency wants to acquire our products, it may be unable to purchase them due to budgetary or political constraints, particularly in challenging economic environments. There can be no assurance that the economic and budgeting issues will not worsen and adversely impact sales of our products. Some government agency orders may also be canceled or substantially delayed due to budgetary, political or other scheduling delays which frequently occur in connection with the acquisition of products by such agencies and such cancellations may accelerate or be more severe than we have experienced historically.
We expend significant resources in anticipation of a sale due to our lengthy sales cycle and may receive no revenue in return.
Generally, law enforcement and corrections agencies consider a wide range of issues before committing to purchase our products, including product benefits, training costs, the cost to use our products in addition to, or in place of, other products, budget constraints and product reliability, safety and efficacy. The length of our sales cycle may range from a few weeks to as long as several years. Adverse publicity surrounding our products or the safety of such products has in the past, and could in the future, lengthen our sales cycle with customers. In the past, we believe that the Company’s sales were adversely impacted by negative publicity surrounding our products or the use of our products. We may incur substantial selling costs and expend significant effort in connection with the evaluation of our products by potential customers before they place an order. If these potential customers do not purchase our products, we will have expended significant resources and received no revenue in return.
Due to municipal government funding rules, certain of our contracts are subject to appropriation (or similar) cancellation clauses, which could allow our customers to cancel contracts in the future.
Although TASER has entered into contracts for the delivery of products and services in the future and anticipates the contracts will be completed, if agencies do not appropriate money in future year budgets, or if other cancellation clauses are invoked, revenue associated with these bookings will not ultimately be recognized, and will result in a reduction to bookings.

Changes in civil forfeiture laws may affect our customers’ ability to purchase our products
Some of our customers use funds seized through civil forfeiture proceedings to fund the purchase of our products.  Changes in state legislatures could impact our customers’ ability to seize funds or use seized funds to fund purchases.  Changes in civil forfeiture statutes or regulations are outside of our control and could limit the amount of funds available to our customers which could adversely affect the sale of our products.

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SaaS revenue for Evidence.com is recognized over the terms of the contracts, which may be several years, and, as such, trends in new business may not be immediately reflected in our operating results.
Our SaaS product revenue is generally recognized ratably over the terms of the contracts, which generally range from one to five years. As a result, most of the SaaS revenue we report each quarter is the result of agreements entered into during previous quarters. Consequently, current positive or negative trends in this portion of our business may not be fully reflected in our revenue results for several periods.
We utilize multiple third-party cloud-based storage providers to host the Axon Evidence.com platform.
Utilizing and administering multiple cloud-based storage providers may result in duplication of efforts and resources, increased cost structure, and organization complexities. These complexities and additional costs could adversely affect our business, financial condition or operating results.
We may face personal injury, wrongful death and other liability claims that harm our reputation and adversely affect our sales and financial condition.
Our CEW products are often used in aggressive confrontations that may result in serious, permanent bodily injury or death to those involved. Our CEW products may be associated with these injuries. A person, or the family members of a person, injured in a confrontation or otherwise in connection with the use of our products, may bring legal action against us to recover damages on the basis of theories including wrongful death, personal injury, negligent design, defective product or inadequate warning. We are currently subject to a number of such lawsuits and we have recently been subject to significant adverse judgments and settlements. We may also be subject to lawsuits involving allegations of misuse of our products. If successful, wrongful death, personal injury, misuse and other claims could have a material adverse effect on our operating results and financial condition and could result in negative publicity about our products. Although we carry product liability insurance, we do incur significant legal expenses within our self-insured retention in defending these lawsuits and significant litigation could also result in a diversion of management’s attention and resources, negative publicity and a potential award of monetary damages in excess of our insurance coverage. The outcome of any litigation is inherently uncertain and there can be no assurance that our existing or any future litigation will not have a material adverse effect on our revenues, our financial condition or financial results.
Other litigation may subject us to significant litigation costs and judgments and divert management attention from our business.
We have been or could in the future be involved in numerous other litigation matters relating to our products, contracts and business relationships, including litigation against persons who we believe have infringed on our intellectual property, infringement litigation filed against the Company, litigation against a competitor and litigation filed by a former distributor against the Company. Such matters have resulted, and are expected to continue to result in, substantial costs to us, judgments, settlements and some diversion of our management’s attention, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition or operating results. There is also a risk of adverse judgments, as the outcome of litigation is inherently uncertain.
If we are unable to protect our intellectual property, we may lose our competitive advantage or incur substantial litigation costs to protect our rights. We may be subject to intellectual property infringement claims, which could cause us to incur litigation costs and divert management attention from our business.
Our future success depends upon our proprietary technology. Our protective measures, including patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secret protection, and Internet identity registrations, may prove inadequate to protect our proprietary rights and market advantage. The right to stop others from misusing our trademarks and service marks in commerce depends, to some extent, on our ability to show evidence of enforcement of our rights against such misuse in commerce. Our efforts to stop improper use, if insufficient, may lead to loss of trademark and service mark rights, brand loyalty and notoriety among our customers and prospective customers. The scope of any patent to which we have or may obtain rights to may not prevent others from developing and selling competing products. The validity and breadth of claims covered in technology patents involve complex legal and factual questions, and the resolution of such claims may be highly uncertain, lengthy and expensive. In addition, our patents may be held invalid upon challenge, or others may claim rights in or ownership of our patents. Moreover, we are subject to litigation with parties that claim, among other matters, that we infringed their patents or other intellectual property rights. The defense and prosecution of patent and other intellectual property claims are both costly and time consuming and could result in a material adverse effect on our business and financial position.
Also, any intellectual property infringement claims against us, with or without merit, could be costly and time-consuming to defend and divert our management’s attention from our business. If our products were found to infringe a third-party’s proprietary rights, we could be forced to enter into costly royalty or licensing agreements in order to be able to sell our products or discontinue use of the protected technology. Such royalty and licensing agreements may not be available on terms acceptable to us or at all.

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There is no guarantee that our use of conventional technology searching and brand clearance searching will identify all potential rights holders. Rights holders may demand payment for past infringements and/or force us to accept costly license terms or discontinue use of protected technology and/or works of authorship that may include, for example, photos, videos, and software. Our current research and development focus on developing software-based products increases this risk.
In foreign countries we can enforce patent rights only in the jurisdictions in which our patent applications have been granted.
Our U.S. patents protect us from imported infringing products coming into the U.S. from abroad. We have made applications for patents in a few foreign countries; however, these may be inadequate to protect markets for our products in other foreign countries. Each foreign patent is examined and granted according to the law of the country where it was filed independent of whether a U.S. patent on similar technology was granted. A patent in a foreign country may be subject to cancellation if the claimed invention has not been sold in that country. Meeting the requirements of working invention differs by country and ranges from sales in the country to manufacturing in the country. U.S. export law, or the laws of some foreign countries, may prohibit us from satisfying the requirements for working the invention, creating a risk that some of our foreign patents may become unenforceable.
Government regulations applied to our CEW products may affect our markets for and sales of these products.
We rely on the opinions of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, including the determination that a device that has projectiles propelled by the release of compressed gas in place of the expanding gases from ignited gunpowder, are not classified as firearms. Changes in statutes, regulations, and interpretation outside of our control may result in our products being classified or reclassified as firearms. Our private citizen market could be substantially reduced if consumers are required to obtain a registration to own a firearm prior to purchasing our products.
Federal regulation of sales in the U.S.: With the exception of the TASER XREP, our CEWs are not firearms regulated by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, but our consumer products are regulated by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Although there are currently no Federal laws restricting sales of our core CEW products in the U.S., future Federal regulation could adversely affect sales of our products.
Federal regulation of international sales: Our CEW devices are considered a “crime control” product by the U.S. Department of Commerce (“DOC”) for export directly from the U.S. Consequently, we must obtain an export license from the DOC for the export of our CEW devices from the U.S. other than to Canada. In addition, certain of our camera and software products require classifications from the DOC before they may be shipped internationally. Our inability to obtain DOC export licenses or classifications on a timely basis for sales of our products to our international customers could significantly and adversely affect our international sales.
State and local regulation: Our CEW devices are controlled, restricted or their use prohibited by a number of state and local governments. Our CEW devices are banned from private citizen purchase or use by statute in five states: Hawaii, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island, as well as in the District of Columbia. Some cities and municipalities also prohibit private citizen possession or use of our CEW products. Other jurisdictions may ban or restrict the sale of our CEW products and our product sales may be significantly affected by additional state, county and city governmental regulation.
Foreign regulation: Certain foreign jurisdictions prohibit, restrict, or require a permit for the importation, sale, possession or use of CEWs, including in some countries by law enforcement agencies, limiting our international sales opportunities.
We face unique regulatory and political challenges presented by international markets.
Our international business, including any expansion in new international markets, may be adversely affected by local laws and customs and U.S. laws applicable to foreign operations, including the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
Risks inherent in international operations also include, among others:
Foreign countries could change laws and regulations, change tax structures, or impose currency restrictions and other restraints;
Risks associated with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and local anti-bribery law compliance;
Political changes and economic crises may lead to changes in the business environment in which we operate;
Local distributors of our products may not comply with existing laws and regulations;
Some countries impose burdensome tariffs and quotas; and
Economic sanctions may be imposed by the U.S. on some countries, which could disrupt the markets for products we sell, even if we do not sell in the target country.

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An attempt by the President's administration to withdraw from or materially modify the North American Free Trade Agreement ("NAFTA") and certain other international trade agreements could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
A portion of our business activities are conducted in foreign countries. The President's administration has made comments suggesting that it was not supportive of certain existing international trade agreements, including NAFTA. At this time, it remains unclear what the administration would or would not do with respect to these international trade agreements. If action is taken to withdraw from, or materially modify NAFTA or certain other international trade agreements, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.
United Kingdom Vote to Exit the European Union
On June 23, 2016, the United Kingdom (“U.K.”) held a referendum in which voters approved an exit from the European Union (“E.U.”), commonly referred to as “Brexit”. As a result of the referendum, it is expected that the British government will begin negotiating the terms of the U.K.’s future relationship with the E.U. Although it is unknown what those terms will be, it is possible that there will be greater restrictions and potential increased costs, as well as increased regulatory complexities. These changes may adversely affect our operations and financial results.
Environmental laws and regulations subject us to a number of risks and could result in significant liabilities and costs.
We are subject to various state, federal and international laws and regulations governing the environment, including restricting the presence of certain substances in our products and making producers for those products financially responsible for the collection, treatment, recycling and disposal. Environmental legislation within the European Union (“EU”) may increase our cost of doing business internationally and impact our revenues from EU countries as we comply with and implement these requirements.
The EU has published Directives on the restriction of certain hazardous substances in electronic and electrical equipment (the “RoHS Directive”) and on electronic and electrical waste management (the “WEEE Directive”). The RoHS Directive restricts the use of a number of substances, including lead. The WEEE Directive directs members of the EU to enact laws, regulations, and administrative provisions to ensure that producers of electric and electronic equipment are financially responsible for the collection, recycling, treatment and environmentally responsible disposal of certain products sold into the EU. In addition, similar environmental legislation has been or may be enacted in other jurisdictions, including the U.S. (under federal and state laws) and other countries, the cumulative impact of which could be significant.
We continue to monitor the impact of specific registration and compliance activities required by the RoHS and WEEE Directives. We endeavor to comply with applicable environmental laws, yet compliance with such laws could increase our operations and product costs, increase the complexities of product design, procurement, and manufacturing, limit our ability to manage excess and obsolete non-compliant inventory, limit our sales activities, and impact our future financial results. Any violation of these laws can subject us to significant liability, including fines, penalties, and prohibiting sales of our products into one or more states or countries, and result in a material adverse effect on our financial condition.
Regulations related to voice, data and communications services may impact our ability to sell our products.
The radio spectrum is required to provide wireless voice, data and video communications services. The allocation of spectrum is regulated in the U.S. and other countries and limited spectrum space is allocated to wireless services and specifically to public safety users. In the U.S., the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) regulates spectrum use by non-federal entities and federal entities. Similarly, countries around the world have one or more regulatory bodies that define and implement the rules for use of radio spectrum and electromagnetic interference, pursuant to their respective national laws. We manufacture and market products in spectrum bands already made available by regulatory bodies. Consequently, our results could be positively or negatively affected by the rules and regulations adopted from time to time by the FCC or regulatory agencies in other countries. Regulatory changes in current spectrum bands may also provide opportunities or may require modifications to some of our products so they can continue to be manufactured and marketed. If current products do not comply with the regulations set forth by these governing bodies, we may be unable to sell our products or could incur penalties, which could have an adverse impact on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Regulations related to conflict minerals may force us to incur additional expenses, may make our supply chain more complex and may result in damage to our reputation with customers.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") has enacted disclosure requirements for companies that use certain minerals and metals, known as “conflict minerals,” in their products, whether or not these products are manufactured by third-parties. These requirements require companies to perform due diligence, disclose and report whether or not such minerals originate from the Democratic Republic of Congo and adjoining countries. We have incurred and will likely continue to incur costs to comply with the disclosure requirements, including costs related to determining the source of any of the relevant minerals and

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metals used in our products. In addition, these new requirements could adversely affect the sourcing, availability and pricing of minerals used in our products. Because our supply chain is complex, we may not be able to sufficiently verify the origins for these minerals and metals used in our products through the due diligence procedures that we implement, which may harm our reputation. In such an event, we may also face difficulties in satisfying customers who require that all of the components of our products are certified as conflict-free.
Our dependence on third-party suppliers for key components of our devices could delay shipment of our products and reduce our sales.
We depend on certain domestic and foreign suppliers for the delivery of components used in the assembly of our products. Our reliance on third-party suppliers creates risks related to our potential inability to obtain an adequate supply of components or sub-assemblies and reduced control over pricing and timing of delivery of components and sub-assemblies. Specifically, we depend on suppliers of sub-assemblies, machined parts, injection molded plastic parts, printed circuit boards, custom wire fabrications and other miscellaneous customer parts for our products. We do not have long-term agreements with any of our suppliers and there is no guarantee that supply will not be interrupted. Due to changes imposed for imports of foreign products into the U.S., as well as potential port closures and delays created by terrorist attacks or threats, public health issues, national disasters or work stoppages, we are exposed to risk of delays caused by freight carriers or customs clearance issues for our imported parts. Any interruption of supply for any material components of our products could significantly delay the shipment of our products and have a material adverse effect on our revenues, profitability and financial condition.
Component shortages could result in our inability to produce at a volume to adequately meet customer demand, which could result in a loss of sales, delay in deliveries and injury to our reputation.
Single or sole-source components used in the manufacture of our products may become unavailable or discontinued. Delays caused by industry allocations or obsolescence may take weeks or months to resolve. In some cases, parts obsolescence may require a product re-design to ensure quality replacement components. These delays could cause significant delays in manufacturing and loss of sales, leading to adverse effects significantly impacting our financial condition or results of operations and injure our reputation.
We may experience a decline in gross margins due to rising raw material and transportation costs associated with a future increase in petroleum prices.
A significant number of our raw materials are comprised of petroleum-based products, or incur some form of landed cost associated with transporting the raw materials or components to our facility. A significant rise in oil prices could adversely impact our ability to sustain current gross margins by increasing component pricing and transportation costs.
We may experience a decline in gross margins due to a shift in product sales from CEWs to Axon devices which may continue to carry a lower gross margin.
We continue to invest in the growth of the Axon segment, and this expected growth may result in a higher percentage of total revenues being comprised of Axon products and services. Gross margin as a percentage of net sales for the Axon segment is currently lower than that of the TASER Weapons segment, and may continue to be lower in the future.
To the extent demand for our products increases, our future success will be dependent upon our ability to manage our growth and to increase manufacturing production capacity, which may be accomplished by the implementation of customized manufacturing automation equipment.
To the extent demand for our products increases significantly in future periods, one of our key challenges will be to increase our production capacity to meet sales demand while maintaining product quality. Our primary strategies to accomplish this include introducing additional shifts, increasing the physical size of our assembly facilities, the hiring of additional production staff, and the implementation of additional customized automation equipment. The investments we make in this equipment may not yield the anticipated labor and material efficiencies. Our inability to meet any future increase in sales demand or effectively manage our expansion could have a material adverse effect on our revenues, financial results and financial condition.
Our future success is dependent on our ability to expand sales through distributors and direct sales and our inability to recruit new distributors or increase direct sales would negatively affect our sales.
Our distribution strategy is to pursue sales through multiple channels with an emphasis on independent distributors and direct sales. Our inability to establish relationships with and retain law enforcement equipment distributors, who we believe can successfully sell our products, would adversely affect our sales. In addition, our arrangements with our distributors are generally short-term. We are also focusing on direct sales to larger agencies through our regional sales managers and our inability to grow sales to these agencies in this manner could adversely affect our sales. If we do not competitively price our products, meet the

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requirements of our distributors or end-users, provide adequate marketing support, or comply with the terms of our distribution arrangements, our distributors may fail to aggressively market our products or may terminate their relationships with us. These developments would likely have a material adverse effect on our sales. Our reliance on the sales of our products by others also makes it more difficult to predict our revenues, cash flow and operating results.
The increased focus on direct sales compared to sales through distribution is dependent on our ability to sell into the states or foreign jurisdictions that have established distributor relationships.
In certain states and foreign jurisdictions we have decided to pursue sales directly with law enforcement customers, rather than working through established distribution channels. Our customers may have strong working relationships with distributors and we may face resistance to this change. If we do not overcome this resistance and effectively build a direct relationship with our customers, sales may be adversely affected.
Acquisitions and joint ventures may have an adverse effect on our business.
We may consider additional acquisitions or joint ventures as part of our long-term business strategy. These transactions involve significant challenges and risks including that the transaction does not advance our business strategy, that we don’t realize a satisfactory return on our investment, or that we experience difficulty in the integration or coordination of new employees, business systems, and technology, or there is a diversion of management’s attention from our other businesses. These events could harm our operating results, financial condition or cash flows.
If our goodwill or finite-lived intangible assets become impaired, we may be required to record a significant charge to earnings. 
We review our finite-lived intangible assets for impairment when events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying value may not be recoverable, such as a decline in stock price and market capitalization. We test goodwill for impairment at least annually. If such goodwill or finite-lived intangible assets are deemed to be impaired, an impairment loss equal to the amount by which the carrying amount exceeds the fair value of the assets would be recognized. We may be required to record a significant charge in our financial statements during the period in which any impairment of our goodwill or finite-lived intangible assets is determined, which would negatively affect our results of operations.
Catastrophic events may disrupt our business.
A disruption or failure of our systems or operations in the event of a major earthquake, weather event, fire, explosion, failure to contain hazardous materials, industrial accident, cyber-attack, terrorist attack, or other catastrophic event could cause delays in completing sales, providing services, or performing other mission-critical functions.  A catastrophic event that results in the destruction or disruption of any of our critical business or information technology systems could harm our ability to conduct normal business operations and our operating results as well as expose us to claims, litigation and governmental investigations and fines.
The Company’s financial performance is subject to risks associated with changes in the value of the U.S. dollar versus local currencies.
For current and potential foreign customers whose contracts are denominated in U.S. dollars, the relative change in currency values creates fluctuations in our product pricing. These changes in foreign end-user costs may result in lost orders and reduce the competitiveness of our products in certain foreign markets.
For non-U.S. dollar denominated sales, weakening of foreign currencies relative to the U.S. dollar generally leads us to raise international pricing, potentially reducing demand for our products. Should we decide not to raise local prices to fully offset the dollar’s strengthening, or at all, the U.S. dollar value of our foreign currency denominated sales and earnings would be adversely affected. We do not currently engage in hedging activities. Fluctuations in foreign currency could result in a change in the U.S. dollar value of our foreign denominated assets and liabilities including accounts receivable. Therefore, the U.S. dollar equivalent collected on a given sale could be less than the amount invoiced causing the sale to be less profitable than contemplated.
We also import selected components which are used in the manufacturing of some of our products. Although our purchase orders are generally in U.S. dollars, weakness in the U.S. dollar could lead to price increases for the components.

19


Unanticipated changes in our effective tax rate and additional tax liabilities may impact our operating results
We are subject to income taxes in the United States and various jurisdictions outside of the United States. Our effective tax rate could fluctuate due to changes in the mix of earnings and losses in countries with differing statutory tax rates. Our tax expense could also be impacted by changes in non-deductible expenses, changes in excess tax benefits related to exercises and vesting of stock-based expense, changes in the valuation of deferred tax assets and liabilities and our ability to utilize them and the applicability of withholding taxes.
We are subject to tax examinations in multiple jurisdictions. While we regularly evaluate new information that may change our judgment resulting in recognition, derecognition or change in measurement of a tax position taken, there can be no assurance that the final determination of any examinations will not have an adverse effect on our operating results and financial position.
Our tax provision could also be impacted by changes in federal, state or international tax laws including fundamental tax law changes applicable to corporate multinationals currently being considered by many countries including the United States as well as several European countries.
Additionally, we may be subject to additional tax liabilities due to changes in non-income taxes resulting from changes in federal, state or international tax laws, changes in taxing jurisdictions’ administrative interpretations, decisions, policies, and positions, results of tax examinations, settlements or judicial decisions, changes in accounting principles, changes to the business operations, including acquisitions, as well as the evaluation of new information that results in a change to a tax position taken in a prior period.
We maintain most of our cash balances, some of which are not insured, at five depository institutions.
We maintain the majority of its cash and cash equivalents accounts at five depository institutions. As of December 31, 2016, the aggregate balances in such accounts were $33.2 million. The Company’s balances with these institutions regularly exceed Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) insured limits for domestic deposits and various deposit insurance programs covering our deposits in the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Australia and Germany.
We could suffer losses with respect to the uninsured balances if the depositary institutions failed and the institution’s assets were insufficient to cover its deposits and/or the governments did not take actions to support deposits in excess of existing insurance limits. Any such losses could have a material adverse effect on our liquidity, financial condition and results of operations.
We depend on our ability to attract and retain our key management, sales and technical personnel.
Our success depends upon the continued service of our key management personnel. Our success also depends on our ability to continue to attract, retain and motivate qualified technical personnel. Although we have employment agreements with certain of our officers, the employment of such persons is “at-will” and either we or the employee can terminate the employment relationship at any time, subject to the applicable terms of the employment agreements. The competition for our key employees is intense. The loss of the service of one or more of our key personnel could harm our business.
Risks Related to Ownership of Our Common Stock
The trading price of our common stock has been, and is likely to continue to be, volatile. In addition to the factors discussed in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, the trading price of our common stock may fluctuate significantly in response to numerous factors, many of which are beyond our control, including:
actual or anticipated fluctuations in our revenue and other operating results;
the financial projections we may provide to the public, any changes in these projections or our failure to meet these projections;
actions of securities analysts who initiate or maintain coverage of us, changes in financial estimates by any securities analysts who follow our company, or our failure to meet these estimates or the expectations of investors;
investor sentiment with respect to our competitors, our business partners, and our industry in general;
announcements by us or our competitors of significant products or features, technical innovations, acquisitions, strategic partnerships, joint ventures, or capital commitments;
announcements by us or estimates by third-parties of actual or anticipated changes in the size of our user base, addressable market or the effectiveness of our products;
changes in operation performance and stock market valuations of technology companies in our industries, including our developers and competitors;
price and volume fluctuations in the overall stock market, including as a result of trends in the economy as a whole;
media coverage of our business and financial performance;
lawsuits threatened or filed against us;

20


developments in anticipated or new legislation and pending lawsuits or regulator actions, including interim or final rulings by tax, judicial or regulatory bodies; and
other events or factors, including those resulting from war or incidents of terrorism, or responses to these events.
Our revenues and operating results may fluctuate unexpectedly from quarter-to-quarter, which may cause our stock price to decline.
Our revenues and operating results have varied significantly in the past and may vary significantly in the future due to various factors, including, but not limited to:
budgetary cycles of municipal, state and federal law enforcement and corrections agencies;
market acceptance of our products and services;
the timing of large domestic and international orders;
the outcome of any existing or future litigation;
adverse publicity surrounding our products, the safety of our products, or the use of our products;
changes in our sales mix;
new product introduction costs;
increased raw material expenses;
changes in our operating expenses; and
regulatory changes that may affect the marketability of our products.
As a result of these and other factors, we believe that period-to-period comparisons of our operating results may not be meaningful in the short term, and our performance in a particular period may not be indicative of our performance in any future period.
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments
None.
Item 2. Properties
Our corporate headquarters and manufacturing facilities are based in a 100,000 square foot facility in Scottsdale, Arizona, which we own. We also lease premises in Scottsdale, Arizona; Seattle, Washington; Topsfield, Massachusetts; Amsterdam, Netherlands; Daventry, England; London, England; Frankfurt, Germany; Brisbane, Australia and Sydney, Australia. We believe our existing facilities are well maintained and in good operating condition. We also believe we have adequate manufacturing capacity for our existing product lines. To the extent that we introduce new products in the future, we will likely need to acquire additional facilities to locate the associated production lines. However, we believe we can acquire or lease such facilities on reasonable terms. The Company continues to make investments in capital equipment as needed to meet anticipated demand for its products.
Item 3. Legal Proceedings
See discussion of litigation in Note 9(c) to the consolidated financial statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, which discussion is incorporated by reference herein.
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures
None.


21


PART II
 
Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
Market Information
Our common stock is quoted under the symbol “TASR” on The NASDAQ Global Select Market. The following tables set forth the high and low sales prices per share for our common stock as reported by NASDAQ for each quarter of the last two fiscal years.
 
High
 
Low
Year Ended December 31, 2016:
 
 
 
First quarter
$
20.69

 
$
13.56

Second quarter
24.94

 
17.18

Third quarter
30.15

 
24.46

Fourth quarter
28.49

 
21.50

 
High
 
Low
Year Ended December 31, 2015:
 
 
 
First quarter
$
28.30

 
$
21.39

Second quarter
35.95

 
23.41

Third quarter
34.91

 
18.05

Fourth quarter
26.48

 
16.14

Holders
As of December 31, 2016, there were 274 holders of record of our common stock.
Dividends
To date, the Company has not declared or paid cash dividends on its common stock. The Company does not intend to pay cash dividends in the foreseeable future, and its revolving line of credit prohibits the payment of cash dividends.
Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
In February 2016, the Company's Board of Directors authorized a stock repurchase program to acquire up to $50.0 million of the Company’s outstanding common stock subject to stock market conditions and corporate considerations. The stock repurchase program does not have a stated expiration date. During the year ended December 31, 2016, the Company purchased, under a Rule 10b5-1 plan, approximately 1.8 million common shares for a total cost of approximately $33.7 million, or a weighted average cost of $18.90 per share. As of December 31, 2016, $16.2 million remains available under the plan for future purchases. The Company suspended its 10b-5 plan during the third quarter of 2016, and any future purchases will be discretionary.


22


Stock Performance Graph
The following stock performance graph compares the performance of our common stock to the NASDAQ Composite Index and the Russell 3000 Index. The graph covers the period from December 31, 2011 to December 31, 2016. The graph assumes that the value of the investment in our stock and in each index was $100 at December 31, 2011, and that all dividends were reinvested. We do not pay dividends on our common stock.
a10ktasr123_chart-29274a04.jpg
 
2011
 
2012
 
2013
 
2014
 
2015
 
2016
TASER International, Inc.
$
100.00

 
$
174.61

 
$
310.16

 
$
517.19

 
$
337.70

 
$
473.44

NASDAQ Composite
100.00

 
116.41

 
165.47

 
188.69

 
200.32

 
216.54

Russell 3000
100.00

 
116.42

 
155.47

 
175.00

 
175.84

 
198.23



23


Item 6.    Selected Financial Data
The following selected financial data should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto, and with Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.” The statement of operations data for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, and the balance sheet data as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, have been derived from, and should be read in conjunction with, our audited consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto included herein. The statement of operations data for the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012, and the balance sheet data as of December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, is derived from our historical audited consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto which are not included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Dollars are in thousands, except per share amounts.
 
For the Year Ended December 31,
 
2016
 
2015
 
2014
 
2013
 
2012
Statements of Operations Data:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Net sales
$
268,245

 
$
197,892

 
$
164,525

 
$
137,831

 
$
114,753

Cost of products sold and services delivered
97,709

 
69,245

 
62,977

 
51,988

 
47,038

Gross margin
170,536

 
128,647

 
101,548

 
85,843

 
67,715

Sales, general and administrative expenses
108,076

 
69,698

 
54,158

 
46,557

 
39,247

Research and development expenses
30,609

 
23,614

 
14,885

 
9,888

 
8,139

Litigation judgments (recoveries)

 

 

 
1,450

 
(2,200
)
Income from operations
31,851

 
35,335

 
32,505

 
27,948

 
22,529

Interest and other income (expense), net
(354
)
 
26

 
(194
)
 
86

 
83

Income before provision for income taxes
31,497

 
35,361

 
32,311

 
28,034

 
22,612

Provision for income taxes
14,200

 
15,428

 
12,393

 
9,790

 
7,874

Net income
$
17,297

 
$
19,933

 
$
19,918

 
$
18,244

 
$
14,738

Net income per common and common equivalent shares:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Basic
$
0.33

 
$
0.37

 
$
0.38

 
$
0.35

 
$
0.27

Diluted
$
0.32

 
$
0.36

 
$
0.37

 
$
0.34

 
$
0.27

Weighted average number of common and common equivalent shares outstanding:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Basic
52,667

 
53,548

 
52,948

 
51,880

 
53,827

Diluted
53,536

 
54,638

 
54,500

 
54,152

 
54,723

 
As of December 31,
 
2016
 
2015
 
2014
 
2013
 
2012
Balance Sheet Data:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Working capital
$
99,192

 
$
123,269

 
$
102,669

 
$
67,237

 
$
51,548

Total assets
278,163

 
229,881

 
185,368

 
148,382

 
116,236

Total current liabilities
78,039

 
38,140

 
31,973

 
23,129

 
18,109

Total long-term debt and capital leases, net of current portion
118

 
81

 
29

 
67

 
103

Total stockholders’ equity
150,888

 
157,004

 
129,106

 
108,347

 
87,285



24


Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (“MD&A”) is designed to provide a reader of our consolidated financial statements with a narrative from the perspective of our management on our financial condition, results of operations, liquidity and certain other factors that may affect our future results. Our MD&A should be read in conjunction with the other sections of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including Part I, Item 1A: “Risk Factors”; Part II, Item 6: “Selected Financial Data”; and Part II, Item 8: “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.” The various sections of this MD&A contain a number of forward-looking statements, all of which are based on our current expectations and could be affected by the uncertainties and risk factors described throughout this filing. The tables in the MD&A sections below are derived from exact numbers and may have immaterial rounding differences.
Executive Overview and Key Strategic Initiatives
Our core mission is to protect life through innovative technologies that make communities safer. We are the market leader in the development, manufacture and sale of conducted electrical weapons (“CEWs”) designed for use by law enforcement, corrections, military forces, private security personnel and by private individuals for personal defense. We are also the market leader in connected wearable on-officer cameras which utilize our cloud-based digital evidence management solution which is part of our Axon network that connects devices, apps and people to serve law enforcement. Our core goal is to have every officer in the world carry a TASER, deploy an Axon camera and be connected to the Axon network.
axonnetwork.jpg
Our key strategies going into Fiscal 2017 are as follows:
Devices: Launch innovative new products, scale Axon Fleet, scale existing Axon cameras and devices
Apps: Drive incremental usage, expand the product platform and deliver quality at scale
People: Drive network adoption, achieve full deployment, grow global markets and maximize service plans and product bundles.
Execution of Our Strategy
Devices - Our TASER CEWs are one of the few weapons which can truly incapacitate a person without requiring death or serious injury. Over the past few decades, the TASER CEW has become one of the most frequently used weapons in the North American Law Enforcement Market, with injuries and deaths dropping dramatically as a result. Our Axon hardware products currently consist of our on-officer cameras that capture critical digital evidence aimed at protecting truth, a host of related accessory devices and an in-car camera variant which is in field testing preparing for 2017 launch. We believe our CEWs and Axon cameras should be standard issue equipment for all patrol officers domestically and internationally. We have created and are continuing to create service plans and product bundles to ensure agencies have the latest devices and technology at predictable annual costs.
Apps - The Axon Evidence.com platform is a central place for all agencies' digital evidence. It is an end-to-end solution for not only storing data, but also for efficiently managing and sharing that data. We are continuously seeking to develop new features such as secure sharing, audit trails, integration of other data sources, transcription and redaction services, among others. These feature sets are designed to provide the customers we serve with valuable tools to police more efficiently and effectively while enabling greater transparency with the communities in which they serve.
Our constant drive to develop innovative apps is evidenced by two recent strategic acquisitions. In December 2016, the Company launched a new artificial intelligence ("AI") group called "Axon AI." The Company acquired certain proprietary technology and

25


hired a team of researchers and engineers to accelerate the introduction of new AI-powered capabilities for public safety. The technology acquired is aimed at improving the accuracy, efficiency and speed of processing images and video to enable customers to gain more insight from video, photos and audio. In January 2017, the Company completed another transaction which included the acquisition of a computer-vision and deep learning system to make the visual contents in video searchable in real time. This acquisition will give customers the ability to quickly isolate and analyze the most important aspects of footage from large amounts of video data.
People - With our TASER weapons and Axon platform, we have created relationships with over 20,000 public safety agencies around the world. Some of our customers report that police officers are spending over 60% of their time on paperwork related tasks, rather than on value-add public safety work. The real opportunity is to leverage this connected platform to enable a broad suite of mobile, wearable, and data management capabilities to bring modern information technology capabilities to every law enforcement officer. Our technologies will not only allow our customers to spend more time on public safety work, but will allow for a capture to courtroom workflow of information. The ability to share files with prosecutors during discovery while maintaining a complete chain of custody and ensuring all evidence remains encrypted will provide a cohesive ecosystem that will deliver increased value to all stakeholders in the public safety and judicial communities.
Results of Operations
The following table presents data from our statements of operations as well as the percentage relationship to total net sales of items included in our statements of operations (dollars in thousands):
 
Year Ended December 31,
 
2016
 
2015
 
2014
Net sales
$
268,245

 
100.0
 %
 
$
197,892

 
100.0
%
 
$
164,525

 
100.0
 %
Cost of products sold and services delivered
97,709

 
36.4

 
69,245

 
35.0

 
62,977

 
38.3

Gross margin
170,536

 
63.6

 
128,647

 
65.0

 
101,548

 
61.7

Operating expenses:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Sales, general and administrative
108,076

 
40.3

 
69,698

 
35.2

 
54,158

 
32.9

Research and development
30,609

 
11.4

 
23,614

 
11.9

 
14,885

 
9.0

Total operating expenses
138,685

 
51.7

 
93,312

 
47.2

 
69,043

 
42.0

Income from operations
31,851

 
11.9

 
35,335

 
17.9

 
32,505

 
19.8

Interest and other income (expense), net
(354
)
 
(0.1
)
 
26

 

 
(194
)
 
(0.1
)
Income before provision for income taxes
31,497

 
11.7

 
35,361

 
17.9

 
32,311

 
19.6

Provision for income taxes
14,200

 
5.3

 
15,428

 
7.8

 
12,393

 
7.5

Net income
$
17,297

 
6.4
 %
 
$
19,933

 
10.1
%
 
$
19,918

 
12.1
 %
Net sales to the U.S. and other countries are summarized as follows (dollars in thousands):
 
Year Ended December 31,
 
2016
 
2015
 
2014
United States
$
218,757

 
81.6
%
 
$
161,803

 
81.8
%
 
$
132,205

 
80.4
%
Other Countries
49,488

 
18.4

 
36,089

 
18.2

 
32,320

 
19.6

Total
$
268,245

 
100.0
%
 
$
197,892

 
100.0
%
 
$
164,525

 
100.0
%

The Company’s operations are comprised of two reportable segments: the sale of CEWs, accessories and other related products and services (the “TASER Weapons” segment); and the Axon business, focused on devices, wearables, applications, cloud and mobile products (the "Axon" segment). Within the Axon segment, the Company includes only revenues and costs attributable to that segment which include: costs of sales for both products and services, direct labor, selling expense for the sales team, product management and marketing expenses, trade shows and related expenses, finance and accounting expenses, and research and development for products included, or to be included, within the Axon segment. All other costs are included in the TASER Weapons segment. The chief operating decision maker does not review assets by segment as part of the financial information provided; therefore, no asset information is provided in the following tables.

26


Net Sales - For the Years Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015
Net sales by product line were as follows for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015 (dollars in thousands):
 
Year Ended December 31,
 
Dollar
Change
 
Percent
Change
 
2016
 
2015
 
 
TASER Weapons segment:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
TASER X26P
$
72,490

 
27.0
%
 
$
55,969

 
28.3
%
 
$
16,521

 
29.5
 %
TASER X2
52,665

 
19.6

 
42,746

 
21.6

 
9,919

 
23.2

TASER X26
6,372

 
2.4

 
7,337

 
3.7

 
(965
)
 
(13.2
)
TASER Pulse and Bolt
3,580

 
1.3

 
2,146

 
1.1

 
1,434

 
66.8

Single cartridges
52,305

 
19.5

 
41,674

 
21.1

 
10,631

 
25.5

Extended warranties including TAP
9,880

 
3.7

 
7,402

 
3.7

 
2,478

 
33.5

Other
5,352

 
2.0

 
5,101

 
2.6

 
251

 
4.9

TASER Weapons segment
202,644

 
75.5

 
162,375

 
82.1

 
40,269

 
24.8

Axon segment:

 


 

 


 

 


Axon Body
12,911

 
4.8

 
4,029

 
2.0

 
8,882

 
220.5

Axon Flex
5,323

 
2.0

 
6,880

 
3.5

 
(1,557
)
 
(22.6
)
Axon Dock
7,422

 
2.8

 
4,022

 
2.0

 
3,400

 
84.5

Evidence.com
29,260

 
10.9

 
11,765

 
5.9

 
17,495

 
148.7

TASER Cam
4,888

 
1.8

 
5,746

 
2.9

 
(858
)
 
(14.9
)
Extended warranties including TAP
3,710

 
1.4

 
1,794

 
0.9

 
1,916

 
106.8

Other
2,087

 
0.8

 
1,281

 
0.6

 
806

 
62.9

Axon segment
65,601

 
24.5

 
35,517

 
17.9

 
30,084

 
84.7

Total net sales
$
268,245

 
100.0
%
 
$
197,892

 
100.0
%
 
$
70,353

 
35.6

Net unit sales by product line were as follows:
 
Year Ended December 31,
 
 
 
 
 
2016
 
2015
 
Unit
Change
 
Percent
Change
TASER X26P
79,218

 
62,383

 
16,835

 
27.0
 %
TASER X2
47,700

 
38,050

 
9,650

 
25.4

TASER X26
2,655

 
4,928

 
(2,273
)
 
(46.1
)
TASER Pulse and Bolt
9,549

 
8,121

 
1,428

 
17.6

Cartridges
1,979,051

 
1,694,450

 
284,601

 
16.8

Axon Body
66,154

 
17,522

 
48,632

 
277.5

Axon Flex
14,173

 
18,823

 
(4,650
)
 
(24.7
)
Axon Dock
16,983

 
6,979

 
10,004

 
143.3

TASER Cam
9,566

 
11,634

 
(2,068
)
 
(17.8
)
Net sales were $268.2 million and $197.9 million for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively, an increase of $70.4 million or 35.6%. Net sales for the TASER Weapons segment were $202.6 million and $162.4 million for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively, an increase of $40.3 million or 24.8%. Net sales for the Axon segment were $65.6 million and $35.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively, an increase of $30.1 million or 84.7%. International sales were $49.5 million in 2016 compared to $36.1 million in 2015, an increase of 37.1%.
The increase in net sales for 2016 compared to 2015 in the TASER Weapons segment was primarily driven by the Company's ability to increase the frequency of upgrades through trade-in programs along with increased demand for the Company's installment payment plans, the Officer Safety Plan ("OSP") and TASER 60. These programs allow customers to pay for hardware and services

27


over an extended contractual life, which is typically five years. In the Axon segment, the increase in net sales was driven by the continued adoption of the Axon on-officer cameras and Evidence.com application in the law enforcement markets.
To gain more immediate feedback regarding activity for Axon products and Evidence.com services, we also review bookings for these products. We consider bookings to be a statistical measure defined as the sales contract value (not invoiced sales), net of cancellations, placed in the relevant fiscal period, regardless of when the products or services ultimately will be provided. Some bookings will be invoiced in subsequent years. Due to municipal government funding rules, certain of the future year amounts included in bookings are subject to budget appropriation or other contract cancellation clauses. Although TASER has entered into contracts for the delivery of products and services in the future and anticipates the contracts will be completed, if agencies do not appropriate money in future year budgets or enact a cancellation clause, revenue associated with these bookings will not ultimately be recognized, resulting in a future reduction to bookings. Bookings related to Evidence.com and Axon products and services, net of cancellations, increased to $254.1 million during 2016, compared to $135.1 million in 2015, an increase of 88.0%.
The chart below illustrates the Company's quarterly Axon bookings for each of the previous six fiscal quarters (in thousands):
a10ktasr123_chart-32731a02.jpg


28


Net Sales - Three Months Ended December 31, 2016 Compared to September 30, 2016
Net sales by product line were as follows for the three months ended December 31, 2016 and September 30, 2016 (dollars in thousands):
 
Three Months Ended
December 31, 2016
 
Three Months Ended
September 30, 2016
 
Dollar
Change
 
Percent
Change
TASER Weapons segment:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
TASER X26P
$
20,233

 
24.7
%
 
$
18,943

 
26.4
%
 
$
1,290

 
6.8
 %
TASER X2
15,529

 
18.9

 
13,514

 
18.8

 
2,015

 
14.9

TASER X26
2,042

 
2.5

 
1,549

 
2.2

 
493

 
31.8

TASER Pulse and Bolt
944

 
1.2

 
1,039

 
1.4

 
(95
)
 
(9.1
)
Single cartridges
15,292

 
18.6

 
13,898

 
19.3

 
1,394

 
10.0

Extended warranties including TAP
2,778

 
3.4

 
2,645

 
3.7

 
133

 
5.0

Other
1,519

 
1.9

 
1,350

 
1.9

 
169

 
12.5

TASER Weapons segment
58,337

 
71.1

 
52,938

 
73.6

 
5,399

 
10.2

Axon segment:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Axon Body
5,694

 
6.9

 
3,540

 
4.9

 
2,154

 
60.8

Axon Flex
564

 
0.7

 
2,316

 
3.2

 
(1,752
)
 
(75.6
)
Axon Dock
2,499

 
3.0

 
2,438

 
3.4

 
61

 
2.5

Evidence.com
11,239

 
13.7

 
8,544

 
11.9

 
2,695

 
31.5

TASER Cam
1,577

 
1.9

 
696

 
1.0

 
881

 
126.6

Extended warranties including TAP
1,276

 
1.6

 
1,015

 
1.4

 
261

 
25.7

Other
891

 
1.1

 
395

 
0.5

 
496

 
125.6

Axon segment
23,740

 
28.9

 
18,944

 
26.4

 
4,796

 
25.3

Total net sales
$
82,077

 
100.0
%
 
$
71,882

 
100.0
%
 
$
10,195

 
14.2

Net unit sales by product line were as follows:
 
Three Months Ended
 
 
 
 
 
12/31/2016
 
9/30/2016
 
Unit
Change
 
Percent
Change
TASER X26P
20,833

 
23,259

 
(2,426
)
 
(10.4
)%
TASER X2
13,003

 
12,481

 
522

 
4.2

TASER X26
769

 
365

 
404

 
110.7

TASER Pulse and Bolt
3,027

 
1,936

 
1,091

 
56.4

Cartridges
554,395

 
544,671

 
9,724

 
1.8

Axon Body
25,177

 
25,093

 
84

 
0.3

Axon Flex
3,147

 
4,961

 
(1,814
)
 
(36.6
)
Axon Dock
5,747

 
6,432

 
(685
)
 
(10.6
)
TASER Cam
3,106

 
1,323

 
1,783

 
134.8

Net sales were $82.1 million and $71.9 million for the three months ended December 31, 2016 and September 30, 2016, respectively, an increase of $10.2 million or 14.2%. Net sales for the TASER Weapons segment were $58.3 million and $52.9 million for the three months ended December 31, 2016 and September 30, 2016, respectively, an increase of $5.4 million or 10.2%. Net sales for the Axon segment were $23.7 million and $18.9 million for the three months ended December 31, 2016 and September 30, 2016, respectively, an increase of $4.8 million or 25.3%. International sales were $18.6 million in for the three months ended December 31, 2016 compared to $11.3 million for the three months ended September 30, 2016, an increase of $7.2 million or 63.9%.

29


The increase in net sales in the TASER Weapons segment on a quarterly sequential basis was primarily driven by the Company's ability to increase the frequency of upgrades through trade-in programs along the increased demand in the Company's installment payment plans, OSP and TASER 60. Additionally, revenues in the fourth quarter are historically the highest of the fiscal year due to the expiration of budget appropriations which also contributed to the sequential increase.
During the fourth quarter of 2016, the Company publicly announced the introduction of its next generation point of view camera, Flex 2. This introduction led to an increase in bookings for the quarter ended December 31, 2016 as compared to September 30, 2016, as many agencies placed orders for the new model, but this adversely impacted recognized revenues, as many agencies opted to order Flex 2 instead of the original Flex units. The Company continued to receive increased orders for its Axon Body 2 cameras due to continued adoption by both domestic and international agencies. The Company also continued to experience sequential revenue increases due to increased users on its Axon platform.
Net Sales - For the Years Ended December 31, 2015 and 2014
Net sales by product line were as follows for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014 (dollars in thousands):
 
Year Ended December 31,
 
Dollar
Change
 
Percent
Change
 
2015
 
2014
 
 
TASER Weapons segment:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
TASER X26P
$
55,969

 
28.3
%
 
$
43,512

 
26.4
%
 
$
12,457

 
28.6
 %
TASER X2
42,746

 
21.6

 
28,774

 
17.5

 
13,972

 
48.6

TASER X26
7,337

 
3.7

 
18,712

 
11.4

 
(11,375
)
 
(60.8
)
TASER Pulse and Bolt
2,146

 
1.1

 
2,084

 
1.3

 
62

 
3.0

Single cartridges
41,674

 
21.1

 
38,539

 
23.4

 
3,135

 
8.1

Extended warranties including TAP
7,402

 
3.7

 
6,024

 
3.7

 
1,378

 
22.9

Other
5,101

 
2.6

 
7,968

 
4.8

 
(2,867
)
 
(36.0
)
TASER Weapons segment
162,375

 
82.1

 
145,613

 
88.5

 
16,762

 
11.5

Axon segment:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Axon Body
4,029

 
2.0

 
3,404

 
2.1

 
625

 
18.4

Axon Flex
6,880

 
3.5

 
3,981

 
2.4

 
2,899

 
72.8

Axon Dock
4,022

 
2.0

 
1,719

 
1.0

 
2,303

 
134.0

Evidence.com
11,765

 
5.9

 
4,039

 
2.5

 
7,726

 
191.3

TASER Cam
5,746

 
2.9

 
4,674

 
2.8

 
1,072

 
22.9

Extended warranties including TAP
1,794

 
0.9

 

 

 
1,794

 
*

Other
1,281

 
0.6

 
1,095

 
0.7

 
186

 
17.0

Axon segment
35,517

 
17.9

 
18,912

 
11.5

 
16,605

 
87.8

Total net sales
$
197,892

 
100.0
%
 
$
164,525

 
100.0
%
 
$
33,367

 
20.3


30


Net unit sales by product line were as follows:
 
Year Ended December 31,
 
 
 
 
 
2015
 
2014
 
Unit
Change
 
Percent
Change
TASER X26P
62,383

 
51,283

 
11,100

 
21.6
 %
TASER X2
38,050

 
26,901

 
11,149

 
41.4

TASER X26
4,928

 
17,770

 
(12,842
)
 
(72.3
)
TASER Pulse and Bolt
8,121

 
7,249

 
872

 
12.0

Cartridges
1,694,450

 
1,618,117

 
76,333

 
4.7

Axon Flex
18,823

 
10,034

 
8,789

 
87.6

Axon Body
17,522

 
13,219

 
4,303

 
32.6

Axon Dock
6,979

 
4,219

 
2,760

 
65.4

TASER Cam
11,634

 
9,303

 
2,331

 
25.1

Net sales were $197.9 million and $164.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively, an increase of $33.4 million or 20.3%. Net sales for the TASER Weapons segment were $162.4 million and $145.6 million for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively, an increase of $16.8 million or 11.5%. Net sales for the Axon segment were $35.5 million and $18.9 million for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively, an increase of $16.6 million or 87.8%.
The increase in net sales for 2015 compared to 2014 in the TASER Weapons segment was primarily driven by increased adoption of the TASER X26P and X2 Smart Weapons, as customers upgrade their legacy CEWs to the new models. The Company has also introduced upgrade programs to incentivize agencies to replace older CEWs with the Company's new Smart Weapons. In the Axon segment, the increase in net sales was driven by the continued adoption of the Axon on-officer cameras and Evidence.com application in the law enforcement markets. International sales were $36.1 million in 2015 compared to $32.3 million in 2014, an increase of 11.7%.
Cost of Products Sold and Services Delivered
(dollars in thousands)
 
Year Ended December 31,
 
Year Ended December 31,
 
 
 
Dollar
Change
 
Percent
Change
 
 
 
Dollar
Change
 
Percent
Change
 
2016
 
2015
 
 
 
2015
 
2014
 
 
TASER Weapons segment:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Cost of products sold
$
61,930

 
$
48,821

 
$
13,109

 
26.9
%
 
$
48,821

 
$
47,680

 
$
1,141

 
2.4
%
Cost as % of sales
30.6

 
30.1

 
 
 
 
 
30.1

 
32.7

 
 
 
 
Axon segment:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Cost of products sold
29,606

 
16,201

 
13,405

 
82.7

 
16,201

 
13,233

 
2,968

 
22.4

Cost of services delivered
6,173

 
4,223

 
1,950

 
46.2

 
4,223

 
2,064

 
2,159

 
104.6

Total cost of products sold and services delivered
35,779

 
20,424

 
15,355

 
75.2

 
20,424

 
15,297

 
5,127

 
33.5

Cost as % of sales
54.5

 
57.5

 
 
 
 
 
57.5

 
80.9

 
 
 
 
Total cost of products sold and services delivered
$
97,709

 
$
69,245

 
$
28,464

 
41.1

 
$
69,245

 
$
62,977

 
$
6,268

 
10.0

Cost as % of sales
36.4

 
35.0

 
 
 
 
 
35.0

 
38.3

 
 
 
 
Cost of products sold and services delivered was $97.7 million and $69.2 million for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively, an increase of $28.5 million or 41.1%. As a percentage of net sales, cost of products sold and services delivered increased to 36.4% in 2016 compared to 35.0% in 2015. Within the TASER Weapons segment, cost of products sold increased $13.1 million, or 26.9%, to $61.9 million in 2016, compared to $48.8 million in 2015, and remained relatively consistent as a percent of sales at 30.6% from 30.1%. The overall increase in cost of products sold was attributable to higher unit sales.
Within the Axon segment, cost of products sold and services delivered was $35.8 million, an increase of $15.4 million, or 75.2% from 2015. As a percentage of net sales, cost of products sold and services delivered decreased to 54.5% in 2016 from 57.5% in 2015. The increase in cost of products sold and services delivered was driven by continued growth, increased data storage

31


costs as more agencies utilize Evidence.com, as well as increased costs for our professional services team. The decrease as a percentage of sales was primarily driven by improvements in Evidence.com service margins.
Cost of products sold and services delivered was $69.2 million and $63.0 million for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively, an increase of $6.3 million, or 10.0%. As a percentage of net sales, cost of products sold and services delivered decreased to 35.0% in 2015 compared to 38.3% in 2014. Within the TASER Weapons segment, cost of products sold increased $1.1 million, or 2.4%, to $48.8 million in 2015, compared to $47.7 million in 2014, and decreased as a percent of sales to 30.1% from 32.7%. The overall increase in cost of products sold was attributable to higher unit sales, and the decrease of cost as a percentage of sales was primarily attributable to higher average selling prices and increased leverage of fixed operating costs.
Within the Axon segment, cost of products sold and services delivered were $20.4 million, an increase of $5.1 million, or 33.5% from 2014. As a percentage of net sales, cost of products sold and services delivered decreased to 57.5% in 2015 from 80.9% in 2014. The increase in cost of products sold and services delivered was driven by growing sales in this segment, increased data storage costs as more agencies utilize Evidence.com, as well as increased costs for our professional services team. The decrease in cost of products sold and services delivered as a percentage of sales was driven by higher sales and by improvements to our Evidence.com margins.
Gross Margin
(dollars in thousands)
 
Year Ended December 31,
 
Year Ended December 31,
 
 
 
Dollar
Change
 
Percent
Change
 
 
 
Dollar
Change
 
Percent
Change
 
2016
 
2015
 
 
 
2015
 
2014
 
 
TASER Weapons segment
$
140,714

 
$
113,554

 
$
27,160

 
23.9
%
 
$
113,554

 
$
97,933

 
$
15,621

 
16.0
%
Axon segment
29,822

 
15,093

 
14,729

 
97.6

 
15,093

 
3,615

 
11,478

 
317.5

Total gross margin
$
170,536

 
$
128,647

 
$
41,889

 
32.6

 
$
128,647

 
$
101,548

 
$
27,099

 
26.7

Gross margin as % of sales
63.6

 
65.0

 
 
 
 
 
65.0

 
61.7

 
 
 
 
Gross margin increased $41.9 million to $170.5 million for 2016 compared to $128.6 million for 2015. As a percentage of net sales, gross margin decreased to 63.6% for 2016 from 65.0% for 2015. The decrease in gross margin as a percentage of sales was due primarily to a change in product mix, as lower margin Axon sales became a greater percentage of the consolidated total. As a percentage of net sales, gross margin for the TASER Weapons segment was relatively consistent at 69.4% and 69.9% for 2016 and 2015, respectively, while the same measure for these years for the Axon segment were 45.5% and 42.5%, respectively. The improvement in Axon segment gross margin is primarily attributable to higher service margins due to increased users on the Evidence.com platform.
Gross margin increased $27.1 million to $128.6 million for 2015 compared to $101.5 million for 2014. As a percentage of net sales, gross margin increased to 65.0% for 2015 compared to 61.7% for 2014. The increase is attributable to stronger margins in both the TASER Weapons and Axon segments. As a percentage of net sales, gross margin for the TASER Weapons segment was 69.9% and 67.3% for 2015 and 2014, respectively, while the same measure for these years for the Axon segment were 42.5% and 19.1%, respectively. The Company experienced improvements in margins for the TASER Weapons and Axon segments individually, due to higher average selling prices and continued leverage of fixed operating costs.

32


Sales, General and Administrative Expenses
Sales, general and administrative (“SG&A”) expenses were comprised of the following for 2016 and 2015 (dollars in thousands):
 
Year Ended December 31,
 
Dollar
Change
 
Percent
Change
 
2016
 
2015
 
 
Salaries, benefits and bonus
$
43,058

 
$
25,032

 
$
18,026

 
72.0
%
Stock-based compensation
5,707

 
4,299

 
1,408

 
32.8

Professional, consulting and lobbying
19,321

 
13,165

 
6,156

 
46.8

Sales and marketing
15,132

 
10,776

 
4,356

 
40.4

Travel and meals
8,970

 
5,649

 
3,321

 
58.8

Other
15,888

 
10,777

 
5,111

 
47.4

Total sales, general and administrative expenses
$
108,076

 
$
69,698

 
$
38,378

 
55.1

Sales, general, and administrative as a percentage of net sales
40.3
%
 
35.2
%
 
 
 
 
Sales, general and administrative expenses were $108.1 million and $69.7 million for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively, an increase of $38.4 million, or 55.1%. As a percentage of total net sales, SG&A expenses increased to 40.3% for 2016 compared to 35.2% for 2015.
SG&A by type and by segment were as follows for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015 (dollars in thousands):
 
Year Ended December 31,
 
Dollar Change
 
Percent Change
 
2016
 
2015
 
 
TASER Weapons segment:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Salaries, benefits and bonus
$
24,534

 
22.7
%
 
$
16,767

 
24.1
%
 
$
7,767

 
46.3
 %
Stock-based compensation
3,339

 
3.1

 
3,187

 
4.6

 
152

 
4.8

Professional, consulting and lobbying
10,128

 
9.4

 
10,258

 
14.7

 
(130
)
 
(1.3
)
Sales and marketing
8,305

 
7.7

 
5,411

 
7.8

 
2,894

 
53.5

Travel and meals
4,277

 
4.0

 
3,089

 
4.4

 
1,188

 
38.5

Other
13,034

 
12.1

 
8,928

 
12.8

 
4,106

 
46.0

TASER Weapons segment
63,617

 
58.9

 
47,640

 
68.4

 
15,977

 
33.5

Axon segment:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Salaries, benefits and bonus
18,524

 
17.1

 
8,265

 
11.9

 
10,259

 
124.1

Stock-based compensation
2,368

 
2.2

 
1,112

 
1.6

 
1,256

 
112.9

Professional, consulting and lobbying
9,193

 
8.5

 
2,907

 
4.2

 
6,286

 
216.2

Sales and marketing
6,827

 
6.3

 
5,365

 
7.7

 
1,462

 
27.3

Travel and meals
4,693

 
4.3

 
2,560

 
3.7

 
2,133

 
83.3

Other
2,854

 
2.6

 
1,849

 
2.7

 
1,005

 
54.4

Axon segment
44,459

 
41.1

 
22,058

 
31.6

 
22,401

 
101.6

Total sales, general and administrative expenses
$
108,076

 
100.0
%
 
$
69,698

 
100.0
%
 
$
38,378

 
55.1

Within the TASER Weapons segment, SG&A increased $16.0 million, or 33.5%, to $63.6 million from $47.6 million in 2015. Salaries, benefits, bonus and stock-based compensation in the TASER Weapons increased approximately $7.9 million in 2016 compared to 2015. This increase was primarily attributable to the Company's efforts to build the corporate infrastructure to facilitate future growth in departments such as supply chain, legal, finance and information technology. The increase in travel and meals was primarily attributable to the growth in the direct sales teams both domestically and internationally. The increase in sales and marketing of $2.9 million was primarily attributable to higher commissions of $3.2 million partially offset by a decrease in marketing related costs partially due to lower spending at the 2016 International Association of Chiefs of Police conference as compared to 2015. The increase in other expenses was made up primarily of $1.2 million in higher computer related costs, $0.3 million of higher rent expense, and $2.0 million of litigation costs incurred, including resolution expenses, that were not incurred during the same period in 2015.

33


Within the Axon segment, SG&A increased $22.4 million, or 101.6%, to $44.5 million in 2016 in comparison to the prior year. Salaries, benefits, bonus and stock-based compensation in the Axon segment increased $11.5 million as the Company continued to hire additional engineering, product management personnel, sales and marketing personnel and general support staff to further expand upon existing product offerings as well as the development of new apps and cloud technologies. The increase in travel and meals was primarily attributable to the growth in the direct sales teams both domestically and internationally. Of the increase in professional, consulting and lobbying, $4.1 million represented primarily increased lobbying fees aimed at securing long-term body-worn camera and service contracts, $0.8 million of increased legal costs primarily attributable to the ongoing Digital Ally lawsuit, and $0.6 million related to increased patent and trademark costs. The increase in sales and marketing of $1.5 million was primarily attributable to higher commissions of $2.4 million partially offset by a decrease of $0.9 million in marketing related costs partially due to lower spending at the 2016 International Association of Chiefs of Police conference as compared to 2015.
The Company expects to see increases in SG&A in 2017 compared to 2016 as it plans to make additional investments in customer-facing positions both domestically and internationally along with increased investments in sales and marketing.
Of the increase in SG&A above, there was increased expense associated with customer-facing positions, including: salaries, benefits, bonus and stock-based compensation, as well as sales commissions, which are included in the sales and marketing line item in the table above. Positions were added throughout the year, with the following customer-facing headcount as of the end of each year:
 
As of December 31,
 
2016
 
2015
 
2014
TASER Weapons sales representatives
26

 
18

 
12

Axon sales representatives
44

 
27

 
16

International sales representatives (i)
11

 
13

 
5

Sales support staff
31

 
20

 
8

Telesales
42

 
27

 
17

Other customer-facing roles
59

 
33

 
20

Total customer-facing roles
213

 
138

 
78

(i) In certain international markets where the Company does not have a legal entity, it generally engages sales managers as consultants. These expenses are reflected in the consulting and lobbying caption within selling, general and administrative expenses.
Sales, general and administrative expenses were comprised of the following for 2015 and 2014 (dollars in thousands):
 
Year Ended December 31,
 
Dollar
Change
 
Percent
Change
 
2015
 
2014
 
 
Salaries, benefits and bonus
$
25,032

 
$
18,179

 
$
6,853

 
37.7
 %
Stock-based compensation
4,299

 
3,558

 
741

 
20.8

Professional, consulting and lobbying
13,165

 
8,561

 
4,604

 
53.8

Sales and marketing
10,776

 
8,124

 
2,652

 
32.6

Travel and meals
5,649

 
4,778

 
871

 
18.2

Other
10,777

 
10,958

 
(181
)
 
(1.7
)
Total sales, general and administrative expenses
$
69,698

 
$
54,158

 
$
15,540

 
28.7

Sales, general, and administrative as a percentage of net sales
35.2
%
 
32.9
%
 
 
 
 
Sales, general and administrative expenses were $69.7 million and $54.2 million for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively, an increase of $15.5 million, or 28.7%. As a percentage of total net sales, SG&A expenses increased to 35.2% for 2015 compared to 32.9% for 2014.

34


SG&A by type and by segment were as follows for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014 (dollars in thousands):
 
Year Ended December 31,
 
Dollar Change
 
Percent Change
 
2015
 
2014
 
 
TASER Weapons segment:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Salaries, benefits and bonus
$
16,767

 
24.1
%
 
$
14,522

 
26.8
%
 
$
2,245

 
15.5
 %
Stock-based compensation
3,187

 
4.6

 
2,598

 
4.8

 
589

 
22.7

Professional, consulting and lobbying
10,258

 
14.7

 
7,381

 
13.6

 
2,877