exhibit99.htm

Wireless Ronin Technologies, Inc., or persons acting on our behalf, or outside reviewers retained by us making statements on our behalf, or underwriters of our securities, from time to time, may make, in writing or orally, “forward-looking statements” as defined under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. This Cautionary Statement, when used in conjunction with an identified forward-looking statement, is for the purpose of qualifying for the “safe harbor” provisions of the Litigation Reform Act and is intended to be a readily available written document that contains factors which could cause results to differ materially from such forward-looking statements. These factors are in addition to any other cautionary statements, written or oral, which may be made, or referred to, in connection with any such forward-looking statement.

The following matters, among others, may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, liquidity, results of operations or prospects, financial or otherwise, or on the trading price of our common stock. Reference to this Cautionary Statement in the context of a forward-looking statement or statements shall be deemed to be a statement that any one or more of the following factors may cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statement or statements.

We have not been profitable in any year of our operating history and anticipate incurring additional losses into the foreseeable future. We do not know whether or when we will become profitable. Even if we are able to achieve profitability in future periods, we may not be able to sustain or increase our profitability in successive periods. We may require additional financing in the future to support our operations. For further information, please review the risk factor “Adequate funds for our operations may not be available, requiring us to curtail our activities significantly”.

We have formulated our business plans and strategies based on certain assumptions regarding the acceptance of our business model and the marketing of our products and services. However, our assessments regarding market size, market share, market acceptance of our products and services and a variety of other factors may prove incorrect. Our future success will depend upon many factors, including factors which may be beyond our control or which cannot be predicted at this time.

Our success will depend to a large extent on broad market acceptance of RoninCast® software and our other products and services among our prospective customers. Our prospective customers may still not use our solutions for a number of other reasons, including preference for static signage, unfamiliarity with our technology, preference for competing technologies or perceived lack of reliability. We believe that the acceptance of RoninCast® software and our other products and services by our prospective customers will depend on the following factors:

Our software is complex and must meet stringent user requirements. Our products could contain errors or defects, especially when first introduced or when new models or versions are released, which could cause our customers to reject our products, result in increased service costs and warranty expenses and harm our reputation. We must develop our products quickly to keep pace with the rapidly changing digital signage and communications market. In the future, we may experience delays in releasing new products as problems are corrected. In addition, some undetected errors or defects may only become apparent as new functions are added to our products. Delays, costs and damage to our reputation due to product defects could harm our business.

Disruptions in the economy and constraints in the credit markets have caused companies to reduce or delay capital investment. Some of our prospective customers may cancel or delay spending on the development or roll-out of capital and technology projects with us due to the economic downturn. Furthermore, the downturn has adversely affected certain industries in particular, including the automotive and restaurant industries, in which we have major customers. We could also experience lower than anticipated order levels from current customers, cancellations of existing but unfulfilled orders, and extended payment or delivery terms. The economic crisis could also materially impact us through insolvency of our suppliers or current customers. While we have down-sized our operations to reflect the decrease in demand, we may not be successful in mirroring current demand.

We may experience variability in our total sales on a quarterly basis as a result of many factors, including the condition of the electronic communication and digital signage industry in general, shifts in demand for software and hardware products, technological changes and industry announcements of new products and upgrades, absence of long-term commitments from customers, timing and variable lead-times of customer orders, delays in or cancellations of customer orders, variations in component costs and/or adverse changes in the supply of components, variations in operating expenses, changes in our pricing policies or those of our competitors, the ability of our customers to pay for products and services, effectiveness in managing our operations and changes in economic conditions in general. We may not consider it prudent to adjust our spending levels on the same timeframe; therefore, if total sales decline for a given quarter, our operating results may be materially adversely affected. As a result of the potential fluctuations in our quarterly operating results, we believe that period-to-period comparisons of our financial results should not be relied upon as an indication of future performance. Further, it is possible that in future quarters our operating results will be below the expectations of public market analysts and investors. In such event, the price of our common stock would likely be materially adversely affected.

In the case of insolvency by one of our significant customers, an account receivable with respect to that customer might not be collectible, might not be fully collectible, or might be collectible over longer than normal terms, each of which could adversely affect our financial position. In one case in the past, we converted a customer’s account receivable into a secured note receivable then into the underlying collateral, which we ultimately wrote off. In the future, if we convert other accounts receivable into notes receivable or obtain the collateral underlying notes receivable, we may not be able to fully recover the amount due, which could adversely affect our financial position. Furthermore, the value of the collateral which serves to secure any such obligation is likely to deteriorate over time due to obsolescence caused by new product introductions and due to wear and tear suffered by those portions of the collateral installed and in use. There can be no assurance that we will not suffer credit losses in the future.

Integration of an acquisition involves numerous risks, including difficulties in converting information technology systems and assimilating the operations and products or services of an acquired business, the diversion of management’s attention from other business concerns, risks of entering markets in which we have limited or no direct prior experience, assumption of unknown liabilities, increased accounting and financial reporting risk, the potential loss of key associates and/or customers, difficulties in completing strategic initiatives already underway in the acquired or acquiring companies, unfamiliarity with partners of the acquired company, and difficulties in attracting additional key employees necessary to manage acquired operations, each of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

In addition, we may determine to grow through future acquisitions of technologies, products or businesses. We may complete future acquisitions using cash, or through issuances of equity securities which could be dilutive, or through the incurrence of debt which could contain restrictive covenants. In addition, acquisitions may result in significant amortization expenses related to intangible assets. Such methods of financing could adversely affect our earnings. We cannot assure you that we will be successful in integrating any business acquired in the future. Finally, we cannot assure you that we will pursue or consummate future acquisitions or that any acquisitions, if consummated, will be advantageous or profitable for our company.

Most of our contracts are terminable by our customers following limited notice and without early termination payments or liquidated damages due from them. In addition, each stage of a project often represents a separate contractual commitment, at the end of which the customers may elect to delay or not to proceed to the next stage of the project. We cannot assure you that one or more of our customers will not terminate a material contract or materially reduce the scope of a large project. The delay, cancellation or significant reduction in the scope of a large project or number of projects could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results and financial condition.

It is difficult for us to forecast the timing and recognition of revenue from sales of our products because our prospective customers often take significant time evaluating our products before purchasing them. The period between initial customer contact and a purchase by a customer may be more than one year. During the evaluation period, prospective customers may decide not to purchase or may scale down proposed orders of our products for various reasons, including:

Based on our current and anticipated expense levels and our existing capital resources, we anticipate that our cash will be adequate to fund our operations for at least the next twelve months. Our future capital requirements, however, will depend on many factors, including our ability to successfully market and sell our products, develop new products and establish and leverage our strategic partnerships and reseller relationships. In order to meet our needs should we not become cash flow positive or should we be unable to sustain positive cash flow, we may be required to raise additional funding through public or private financings, including equity financings. Any additional equity financings may be dilutive to shareholders, and debt financing, if available, may involve restrictive covenants. Adequate funds for our operations, whether from financial markets, collaborative or other arrangements, may not be available when needed or on terms attractive to us, especially in light of recent turmoil in the credit markets. If adequate funds are not available, our plans to expand our business may be adversely affected and we could be required to curtail our activities significantly. We may need additional funding in the future. Necessary funding may not be available on terms that are favorable to our company, if at all.

We rely on third parties to manufacture and supply parts and components for digital signage systems we provide, and to provide order fulfillment, installation, repair services and technical and customer support. Our strategy to rely on third party manufacturers, suppliers and service providers involves a number of significant risks, including the loss of control over the manufacturing process, the potential absence of adequate capacity, the unavailability of certain parts and components used in our products and reduced control over delivery schedules, quality and costs. For example, we do not generally maintain a significant inventory of parts or components, but rely on suppliers to deliver necessary parts and components to third party manufacturers, in a timely manner, based on our forecasts. If delivery of our products and services to our customers is interrupted, or if our products experience quality problems, our ability to meet customer demands would be harmed, causing a loss of revenue and harm to our reputation. Increased costs, transition difficulties and lead times involved in developing additional or new third party relationships could adversely affect our ability to deliver our products and meet our customers’ demands and harm our business.

We currently sell most of our digital signage systems and software licenses through an internal sales force. We anticipate that strategic partners and resellers will become a larger part of our sales strategy. We may not, however, be successful in forming relationships with qualified partners and resellers. If we fail to attract qualified partners and resellers, we may not be able to expand our sales network, which may have an adverse effect on our ability to generate revenue. Our anticipated reliance on partners and resellers involves several risks, including the following:

The market for our products and services is characterized by rapidly changing technology, evolving industry standards, changes in customer needs, heavy competition and frequent new product and service introductions. If we fail to develop new products and services or modify or improve existing products and services in response to these changes in technology, customer demands or industry standards, our products and services could become less competitive or obsolete.

We must respond to changing technology and industry standards in a timely and cost-effective manner. We may not be successful in using new technologies, developing new products and services or enhancing existing products and services in a timely and cost effective manner. Our pursuit of necessary technology may require substantial time and expense. We may need to license new technologies to respond to technological change. These licenses may not be available to us on commercially reasonable terms or at all. We may not succeed in adapting our products and services to new technologies as they emerge. Furthermore, even if we successfully adapt our products and services, these new technologies or enhancements may not achieve market acceptance.

In 2008 we replaced a large portion of our management team, including our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Executive Vice President of Engineering and Product Development, Executive Vice President and Chief Technical Officer and Executive Vice President of Content Engineering. We only recently hired a permanent Chief Financial Officer and a Vice President of Product Development. These transitions could create uncertainty and confusion among our employees, customers and shareholders. In addition, the transitions may adversely affect or delay customer purchase decisions or decisions about the strategic direction of our business and raise concerns among our employees, customers and shareholders, all of which could affect our business, operating results and financial position. Our future success depends on the ability of our senior management team, including a Chief Executive Officer who has been with our company only since December 2008 and a Chief Financial Officer who has been with our company only since March 2009, to work together to successfully implement our strategies and manage our operations.

Furthermore, we made two substantial reductions in corporate headcount, which we refer to as RIFs, in the fourth quarter of 2008. The RIFs could create uncertainty and confusion among our current employees, customers and suppliers. In addition, the RIFs might not result in the cost savings or efficiencies we anticipate. The RIFs will require our remaining employees to fulfill new roles that they had not been filling in the past, and such staff reductions can cause increased attrition among remaining employees. If we cannot operate our business in an effective manner, it may adversely affect our business, operating results and financial position.

If we fail to retain our key personnel or to attract, retain and motivate other qualified employees, our ability to maintain and develop our business may be adversely affected. Our future success depends significantly on the continued service of our key technical, sales and senior management personnel and their ability to execute our growth strategy. The loss of the services of our key employees could harm our business. We may be unable to retain our employees or to attract, assimilate and retain other highly qualified employees who could migrate to other employers who offer competitive or superior compensation packages.

Our success and ability to compete depends substantially on our proprietary technologies. We regard our copyrights, service marks, trademarks, trade secrets and similar intellectual property as critical to our success, and we rely on trademark and copyright law, trade secret protection and confidentiality agreements with our employees, customers and others to protect our proprietary rights. Despite our precautions, unauthorized third parties might copy certain portions of our software or reverse engineer and use information that we regard as proprietary. In addition, confidentiality agreements with employees and others may not adequately protect against disclosure of our proprietary information.

As of September 30, 2009, we had one U.S. patent, and three U.S. and one Canadian patent applications pending relating to various aspects of our RoninCast® system. We cannot provide assurance that any additional patents will be granted. Even if they are granted, our patents may be successfully challenged by others or invalidated. In addition, any patents that may be granted to us may not provide us a significant competitive advantage. Although we have been granted patents and trademarks, they could be challenged in the future. If future trademark registrations are not approved because third parties own these trademarks, our use of these trademarks would be restricted unless we enter into arrangements with the third party owners, which might not be possible on commercially reasonable terms or at all. If we fail to protect or enforce our intellectual property rights successfully, our competitive position could suffer. We may be required to spend significant resources to monitor and protect our intellectual property rights. We may not be able to detect infringement and may lose competitive position in the market. In addition, competitors may design around our technology or develop competing technologies. Intellectual property rights may also be unavailable or limited in some foreign countries, which could make it easier for competitors to capture market share.

The digital media and communications industry is characterized by uncertain and conflicting intellectual property claims and frequent intellectual property litigation, especially regarding patent rights. We could be subject to claims of infringement of third party intellectual property rights, which could result in significant expense and could ultimately result in the loss of our intellectual property rights. From time to time, third parties may assert patent, copyright, trademark or other intellectual property rights to technologies that are important to our business. In addition, because patent applications in the United States are not publicly disclosed until the patent is issued, applications may have been filed which relate to our industry of which we are not aware. We may in the future receive notices of claims that our products infringe or may infringe intellectual property rights of third parties. Any litigation to determine the validity of these claims, including claims arising through our contractual indemnification of our business partners, regardless of their merit or resolution, would likely be costly and time consuming and divert the efforts and attention of our management and technical personnel. If any such litigation resulted in an adverse ruling, we could be required to:

MediaTile Company USA has informed us that it filed a patent application in 2004 related to the use of cellular technology for delivery of digital content. We currently use cellular technology to deliver digital content on a limited basis. While MediaTile has not alleged that our products infringe its rights, it may so allege in the future. We have not received any communications from MediaTile subsequent to its initial contact with us in February 2006, though we cannot assure you that MediaTile will not take up the matter again and seek to either bar us from using an allegedly infringing technology or seek a royalty for our use of such an allegedly infringing technology.

Our business may be adversely affected by malicious applications that make changes to our customers’ computer systems and interfere with the operation and use of our products. These applications may attempt to interfere with our ability to communicate with our customers’ devices. The interference may occur without disclosure to or consent from our customers, resulting in a negative experience that our customers may associate with our products. These applications may be difficult or impossible to uninstall or disable, may reinstall themselves and may circumvent other applications’ efforts to block or remove them. In addition, we offer a number of products and services that our customers download to their computers or that they rely on to store information and transmit information over the Internet. These products and services are subject to attack by viruses, worms and other malicious software programs, which could jeopardize the security of information stored in a customer’s computer or in our computer systems and networks. The ability to reach customers and provide them with a superior product experience is critical to our success. If our efforts to combat these malicious applications fail, or if our products and services have actual or perceived vulnerabilities, there may be claims based on such failure or our reputation may be harmed, which would damage our business and financial condition.

Prior to our initial public offering, we financed our development and operations with proceeds from the sale of debt and equity securities to accredited investors. These securities were not registered under federal or state securities laws because we believed such sales were exempt under Section 4(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and under Regulation D under the Securities Act. In addition, we issued stock purchase warrants to independent contractors and associates as compensation or as incentives for future performance in reliance upon the exemption provided by Rule 701 promulgated under Section 3(b) of the Securities Act. We have received no claim that such sales were in violation of securities registration requirements under such laws, but should a claim be made, we would have the burden of demonstrating that sales were exempt from such registration requirements. In addition, it is possible that a purchaser of our securities could claim that disclosures to them in connection with such sales were inadequate, creating potential liability under the anti-fraud provisions of federal and state securities or other laws. If successful, claims under such laws could require us to pay damages, perform rescission offers, and/or pay interest on amounts invested and attorneys’ fees and costs. Depending upon the magnitude of a judgment against us in any such actions, our financial condition and prospects could be materially and adversely affected.

The market for digital signage software and systems is highly competitive and we expect competition to increase in the future. Some of our competitors or potential competitors have significantly greater financial, technical and marketing resources than our company. These competitors may be able to respond more rapidly than we can to new or emerging technologies or changes in customer requirements. They may also devote greater resources to the development, promotion and sale of their products than our company.

We expect competitors to continue to improve the performance of their current products and to introduce new products, services and technologies. Successful new product and service introductions or enhancements by our competitors could reduce sales and the market acceptance of our products and services, cause intense price competition or make our products and services obsolete. To be competitive, we must continue to invest significant resources in research and development, sales and marketing and customer support. If we do not have sufficient resources to make these investments or are unable to make the technological advances necessary to be competitive, our competitive position will suffer. Increased competition could result in price reductions, fewer customer orders, reduced margins and loss of market share. Our failure to compete successfully against current or future competitors could adversely affect our business.

Our results of operations may depend upon selling our products and services to those companies, and within those industries, that have many sites that could benefit from digital signage systems. Digital signage systems installation projects deploying hundreds or even thousands of systems present significant technical and logistical challenges that we have not yet demonstrated our ability to overcome. Digital signage technology employs sophisticated hardware and software that constantly evolves. Sites into which digital signage systems may be installed vary widely, including such factors as interference with wireless networks, ambient light, extremes of temperature and other factors that may make each individual location virtually unique. Managing the process of installing hundreds or thousands of dynamic, complicated digital signage systems into unique environments may present difficulties that we have not yet faced on projects performed to date with smaller numbers of digital signage systems. If our customers opt to engage us to provide system monitoring and maintenance services through our network operations center (“NOC”) on one or more large-scale implementations, we may not successfully or profitably monitor and maintain the hardware, software and content in a manner satisfactory to our customers or in compliance with our contractual obligations. The efficiency and effectiveness of NOC monitoring and maintenance are directly affected by our software and that software’s ability to monitor our customers’ systems. For large-scale implementations, we may need to further develop our software to facilitate efficient and effective system monitoring and maintenance. We cannot assure you that we will succeed in developing our software, digital signage systems, project management and infrastructure to successfully implement, monitor, manage and maintain large-scale implementation projects or ongoing operations. Our failure to do so could harm our business and financial condition.

In accordance with current federal, state and local tax laws, and the constitutional limitations thereon, we currently collect sales, use or other similar taxes in state and local jurisdictions where we have a physical presence that we understand to be sufficient to require us to collect and remit such taxes. One or more state or local jurisdictions may seek to impose sales tax collection obligations on us and other out-of-state companies which engage in commerce with persons in that state. Several U.S. states have taken various initiatives to prompt more sellers to collect local and state sales taxes. Furthermore, tax law and the interpretation of constitutional limitations thereon are subject to change. In addition, new or expanded business operations in states where we do not currently have a physical presence sufficient to obligate us to collect and remit taxes could subject shipments of goods into or provision of services in such states to sales tax under current or future laws. If our company grows, increased sales of our products and services to locations in various states and municipalities may obligate us to collect and remit sales tax and to pay state income and other taxes based upon increased presence in those jurisdictions. We will endeavor to collect, remit and pay those state and local taxes that we owe according to applicable law. State and local tax laws are, however, subject to change, highly complex and diverse from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. If one or more state or local jurisdictions successfully asserts that we must collect sales or other taxes beyond our current practices or that we owe unpaid sales or other taxes and penalties, it could adversely affect our business and financial condition.

We have received tax notices from local jurisdictions in Michigan seeking payment of property taxes for digital signage systems originally owned by NewSight Corporation in Meijer, Inc. stores but later subject to our collateral interest when we converted the NewSight account receivable to a secured promissory note. Subsequent to our contractual agreement with NewSight to take ownership of hardware composing the digital signage networks to satisfy NewSight’s debt, local jurisdictions in Michigan asserted that we owed property taxes on such systems. We have transferred ownership of these systems to Meijer, Inc. and its affiliates for a nominal sum. We made this transfer in light of the facts that the network was not useful to us, had no commercial value, and that the costs of removing the hardware would be far greater than any amount we could recover from selling that hardware. As a result, we believe that we owe nothing to the local taxing authorities but this is a determination that could be subject to dispute. We do not believe that any amount that we expend to resolve the matter will be material but we cannot assure you of the outcome with certainty.

Since a portion of our operations and revenue occur outside the United States and in currencies other than the U.S. dollar, our results could be adversely affected by changes in foreign currency exchange rates. Additionally, given our ownership of Wireless Ronin Technologies (Canada), Inc., changes in the exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and the Canadian dollar can significantly affect company balances and our results of operations.

In the event we identify significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting that we cannot remediate in a timely manner, or if we are unable to receive a positive attestation from our independent registered public accounting firm with respect to our internal control over financial reporting, investors and others may lose confidence in the reliability of our financial statements, and the trading price of our common stock and ability to obtain any necessary equity or debt financing could suffer. In addition, if our independent registered public accounting firm is unable to rely on our internal control over financial reporting in connection with its audit of our financial statements, and if it is unable to devise alternative procedures in order to satisfy itself as to the material accuracy of our financial statements and related disclosures, it is possible that we would be unable to file our annual report with the SEC, which could also adversely affect the trading price of our common stock and our ability to secure any necessary additional financing, and could result in the delisting of our common stock from NASDAQ and the ineligibility of our common stock for quotation on the OTC Bulletin Board. In that event, the liquidity of our common stock would be severely limited and the market price of our common stock would likely decline significantly.

In addition, the foregoing regulatory requirements could make it more difficult or more costly for us to obtain certain types of insurance, including directors’ and officers’ liability insurance, and we may be forced to accept reduced policy limits and coverage or incur substantially higher costs to obtain the same or similar coverage. The impact of these events could also make it more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified persons to serve on our board of directors, on board committees or as executive officers.

Generally, our common stock must sustain a minimum bid price of at least $1.00 per share and we must satisfy the other requirements for continued listing on NASDAQ. If our common stock is delisted from NASDAQ, trading in our common stock would likely thereafter be conducted in the over-the-counter markets in the so-called pink sheets or the OTC Bulletin Board. In such event, the liquidity of our common stock would likely be impaired, not only in the number of shares which could be bought and sold, but also through delays in the timing of the transactions, and there would likely be a reduction in the coverage of our company by securities analysts and the news media, thereby resulting in lower prices for our common stock than might otherwise prevail.

Anti-takeover provisions of our articles of incorporation, as amended bylaws, as amended and Minnesota law could diminish the opportunity for shareholders to participate in acquisition proposals at a price above the then current market price of our common stock. For example, while we have no present plans to issue any preferred stock, our board of directors, without further shareholder approval, may issue up to 16,666,666 shares of undesignated preferred stock and fix the powers, preferences, rights and limitations of such class or series, which could adversely affect the voting power of our common stock. In addition, our bylaws, as amended provide for an advance notice procedure for nomination of candidates to our board of directors that could have the effect of delaying, deterring or preventing a change in control. Further, as a Minnesota corporation, we are subject to provisions of the Minnesota Business Corporation Act, or MBCA, regarding “control share acquisitions” and “business combinations.” We may, in the future, consider adopting additional anti-takeover measures. The authority of our board of directors to issue undesignated preferred stock and the anti-takeover provisions of the MBCA, as well as any future anti-takeover measures adopted by us, may, in certain circumstances, delay, deter or prevent takeover attempts and other changes in control of our company not approved by our board of directors.

We have agreed not to issue common stock, subject to certain exceptions, at a price per share less than $2.90 before May 9, 2010, without certain investor consent. Without the prior written consent of the investors who purchased a majority in interest of the shares sold in the registered direct common stock offering we closed on November 9, 2009, for a period of 180 days after the closing of such offering, we will not issue, enter into any agreement to issue or announce the issuance or proposed issuance of any shares of common stock, or securities exercisable, exchangeable or convertible into common stock, at a price per share less than $2.90, except pursuant to specified exempt issuances. Because we are contractually precluded from issuing securities below such price in capital-raising transactions without investor consent, our ability to fund continued operations through the issuance of equity securities is restricted. This restriction may adversely affect our ability to obtain adequate funds for operations when needed. If adequate funds are not available when needed, our plans to expand our business may be adversely affected and we could be required to curtail our activities significantly.

We have never declared or paid any cash dividends on our shares of common stock. We intend to retain any future earnings to fund the operation and expansion of our business and, therefore, we do not anticipate paying cash dividends on our shares of common stock in the foreseeable future. As a result, capital appreciation, if any, of our common stock will be the sole source of gain for investors in our common stock for the foreseeable future.

We have registered for resale 2,315,722 shares of our outstanding common stock and 1,802,523 shares underlying warrants under the registration statement that was originally declared effective by the SEC on February 8, 2007. If these shares, or additional shares that may be eligible for resale into the market, are sold, or if it is perceived that they will be sold, in the public market, the trading price of our common stock could be adversely affected.