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CSP Inc.

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FY2013 Annual Report · CSP Inc.
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UNITED STATES 
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION 
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549 
FORM 10-K 

  ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES 

      EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 

For the Fiscal Year Ended September 30, 2013. 

  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 000-10843 
CSP Inc. 

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its Charter) 

Massachusetts
(State of incorporation)

04-2441294
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

43 Manning Road, Billerica, Massachusetts 01821-3901 (978) 663-7598 
(Address and telephone number of principal executive offices) 

Securities Registered Pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: 

Title of Each Class

Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share

Name of Exchange of Which Registered 

NASDAQ Global Market

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: 
None 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities 

Act.    Yes  

    No  

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  

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  

    No  

. 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every 

Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such 
shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).    Yes  

    No  

. 

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K 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  
Non-accelerated filer  

Accelerated filer  
Smaller Reporting Company  

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.    Yes  

    No  

As of March 31, 2013, the aggregate market value of the registrant's common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant was  

$17,570,592 based on the closing sale price of $5.85 as reported on the Nasdaq Global Market. 

As of December 2, 2013, we had outstanding 3,571,041 shares of common stock. 

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE 

Certain portions of the information required in Part III of this Form 10-K are incorporated by reference from our definitive proxy 
statement for our 2013 annual meeting of stockholders to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission within 120 days after the end 
of our fiscal year ended September 30, 2013. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

PART I.

Item 1.

Business

Item 1A.

Risk Factors

Item 2.

Item 3.

Item 4.

PART II.
Item 5.

Item 7.

Item 8.

Item 9.

Properties

Legal Proceedings

Mine Safety Disclosures

Market for Registrant's Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of 
Equity Securities

Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

Financial Statements and Supplementary Data

Change in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosures

Item 9A.

Controls and Procedures

Item 9B. Other Information

PART III.

Item 10.

Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance

Item 11.
Item 12.

Item 13.

Executive Compensation
Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder 
Matters
Certain Relationships, Related Transactions and Director Independence

Item 14.

Principal Accountant Fees and Services

PART IV.

Item 15.

Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules

Note: Items 1B, 6 and 7A are not required for Smaller Reporting Companies and therefore are not furnished.

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 7

13

 13

13

14

 15

27

 27

28

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29

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29

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29

30

i

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Item 1. 

Business 

PART I 

CSP Inc. (“CSPI” or “the Company” or “we” or “our”) was incorporated in 1968 and is based in Billerica, Massachusetts. 

To meet the diverse requirements of our industrial, commercial, and defense customers worldwide, CSPI and its subsidiaries 
develop and market IT integration solutions and high-performance cluster computer systems. 

Segments 

CSPI operates in two segments, the Systems segment and the Service and System Integration segment. 

• 

• 

The Systems segment consists primarily of CSPI's MultiComputer Division (the “MultiComputer Division”) which 
designs and manufactures commercial high-performance computer signal processing systems for a variety of 
complex real time applications in defense and commercial markets. In our MultiComputer Division we develop 
open, standards-based, vendor independent, scalable products, based on an architectural solution that is easily 
integrated with third-party products and compatible with future product offerings. These products utilize cluster 
technologies, multi-core processors, and many-core General Purpose Graphics Processing Units ("GPGPUs"). 
MultiComputer systems consist of “blades” (self-contained, high-density computer boards) and are designed to 
achieve a high level of computer processing and to operate in environments with size, weight and power ("SWaP") 
limitations. The blades and other components that make up the system can be housed in commercially available air-
cooled chassis or in ruggedized chassis, designed to withstand physically demanding environments. These systems 
have traditionally been utilized for sonar and radar digital signal processing (“DSP”) and image recognition 
applications. The MultiComputer Division sells all its products through its own direct sales force in the United States 
and via distributors and authorized resellers in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. 

The Service and System Integration Segment consists of the computer maintenance, integration services and third-
party computer hardware and software value added reseller (“VAR”) businesses of our Modcomp subsidiary 
(“Modcomp”). Modcomp is a wholly owned subsidiary of CSPI which operates in the United States, Germany and 
the United Kingdom (the “U.K.”). Modcomp markets and sells services and third party products through its own 
direct sales force. Modcomp provides solutions and services for complex IT environments including storage and 
servers, unified communications solutions, IT security solutions and consulting services. Modcomp also provides 
managed IT services through its network operations center (“NOC”).

Financial Information about Industry Segments 

The following table details our sales by operating segment for fiscal years ending September 30, 2013 and 2012. 

Additional segment and geographical information is set forth in Note 12 to our financial statements. 

Segment

Systems
Service and System Integration
Total Sales

Systems Segment 

Products and Services 

2013

%

2012

%

$

$

7,000
80,619
87,619

(Amounts in thousands)
11,141
8% $
73,666
92%
84,807
100% $

13%
87%
100%

The Systems segment's MultiComputer products utilize commercially available, industry standard compliant hardware 

components and open source software to deliver a high-performance, high density and low power consuming computer solution 
to our customers. These systems incorporate tens to hundreds of processors, interconnected by a high-bandwidth network. They 
are specifically designed for analysis of complex signals and images in real-time or in modeling and simulations. CSPI's 
leadership in processing density, large memory subsystems, high-bandwidth networking components, optimized signal 
processing libraries, and specialized algorithms make these products a natural fit for applications in the military/defense and 
scientific/engineering markets.

1

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Hardware Products 

Historically MultiComputer Division products have integrated industry standard software, hardware and architecture 

technologies to minimize the risks associated with proprietary solutions. Over the years CSPI has met customer requirements 
with scalable products based on cluster technologies, multi-core processors, and many-core GPGPUs.

Introduced in 1997, the first generation of MultiComputer Division cluster computer systems was referred to as the 
FastCluster 2000 SERIES. Based upon industry standards, the 2000 SERIES systems included a VME 6U form factor (the form 
factor best suited for use in rugged applications), the Motorola™ G4 PowerPC RISC processors with AltiVec™ technology, 
high-speed memory and Myrinet-2000™ cluster interconnect. The 2000 SERIES product line was ideally suited for use by 
customers in the aerospace, commercial and defense markets seeking Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (“COTS”) solutions to reduce 
costs and ensure widespread availability. To remain competitive, our COTS solutions incorporated the latest industry standard 
technologies and minimized the risks associated with proprietary solutions. The 2000 SERIES advanced processing capabilities 
coupled with the smaller footprint was also suited for exploration operations in the geophysical market.

In fiscal 2006, we announced the next generation FastCluster product line, the 3000 SERIES VXS. The 3000 SERIES 
VXS product line was designed to deliver performance that was superior to our predecessor products in interconnect bandwidth 
and processing density while preserving absolute code reuse at the application layer. The 3000 SERIES VXS product line 
targeted high performance DSP, signal intelligence (“SIGINT”), radar and sonar applications in airborne, shipboard and 
unmanned aerial vehicle (“UAV”) platforms where space, power and cooling are at a premium. With its built-in 10-Gigabit 
Ethernet technology, the 3000 SERIES VXS supported the most prevalent networking standard found in both business and 
industrial settings.

In fiscal 2010, we announced the development of the 3000 SERIES OpenVPXTM with Intel multi-core processors and the 

OpenVPXTM VITA/ANSI standard (Vita 65) to support high performance radar, sonar, C4ISR and SIGINT applications.  
OpenVPXTM is the architectural framework that defines system-level interoperability for multivendor, multimode, integrated 
system environments. OpenVPXTM's consideration of system-level requirements improves interoperability between computing 
and communications platforms and reduces customization, testing, cost and risk. Since our initial development of the first 3000 
SERIES OpenVPXTM  processor blade, we have introduced several enhancements including converged fabric technology and 
our 3300GTX NVIDIA GPGPU coprocessor board.  The CSPI Converged Fabric integrates the Mellenox SwitchXTM Virtual 
Protocol Interconnect® technology - allowing Infiniband, Ethernet, and Fibre Channel traffic to exist on a single “one-wire” 
fabric.  The 3300GTX coprocessor enables Teraflop levels of performance for applications that require high bandwidth data 
streaming and can benefit from massively parallel processing. The 3000 SERIES OpenVPXTM platform with these 
enhancements, is currently being marketed as our TeraXP Embedded Server.  We will expend development resources we 
consider necessary for the TeraXP platform, as we pursue initial sales opportunities for this new product line.

In fiscal 2011, we announced our new 4000 SERIES ATCA products.  The 4000 SERIES is based on InfiniBand, 
Advanced Telecom Computing Architecture (“AdvancedTCA” or “ATCA”) and Network Equipment Building System 
(“NEBS”) standards to deliver affordability, sustainability and high availability to manned and unmanned large mobile 
platforms (land, sea and air.)  ATCA was originally designed to address the high availability, robust system management and 
DC power distribution needs of the telecom and communications markets.  ATCA has since become attractive to defense 
markets as well as commercial markets.

The 4000 SERIES ATCA products target computing and communication applications that share the need for increased 

bandwidth and reliability, extremely robust mechanical and electrical definitions, power efficiency and unprecedented 
processor density.  ATCA provides built-in high reliability features such as a 40-gigabit Ethernet backplane, redundant shelf 
managers, fail-over capability and support of live insertion of boards, power supplies and fans. We will expend development 
resources we consider necessary as we pursue initial sales opportunities for the 4000 SERIES ATCA product line. 

All of the products of the MultiComputer Division offer the user a choice in selecting the system software best suited to 

their application requirements. For customers wanting a lower cost solution, our cluster computer systems are available with 
the commercially available open-source Linux operating system and toolkit. Customer applications requiring real-time 
response have the option of purchasing systems with the industry standard VxWorks real-time operating system and Tornado II 
development tools suite. 

All MultiComputer cluster computer systems use open systems software technologies including message passing 
interface (“MPI”) software for interprocessor communications and CSPI's highly optimized industry standard math libraries. 
This software facilitates the development of truly portable code for seamless reuse across applications, while taking advantage 
of optimized performance on both PowerPC with AltiVec and Intel processors.

2

 
  
 
 
Royalties 

We license the design of certain of our 2000 SERIES computer processor boards and switched interconnect 
technology.  In exchange for licensing this technology, we receive a royalty payment for each processor board that the licensee 
produces that utilizes our design for these products.

Markets, Marketing and Dependence on Certain Customers 

Aerospace & Defense Market 

We market our MultiComputer products to defense and commercial markets with an emphasis on applications requiring 
the analysis of complex signals such as sonar, radar, seismic exploration and scientific/engineering research. We commercially 
distribute our products in these markets as an original equipment manufacturer (“OEM”) supplier to system integrators, 
distributors and value-added resellers. In these markets, the supplier/customer relationship is viewed as a long-term strategic 
partnership. 

A prime contractor will typically incorporate our products into their own future product developments and, therefore, will 

need early access to low-level, detailed technical specifications and prototype units. These prime contractors typically demand 
long term product availability and support. As a supplier in this market, we recognize that there may be a significant up-front 
investment of time and resources in building a business partnership. However, the result of this partnership is a strong potential 
for long-term revenue streams as programs progress from development phases into deployment. 

Our use of high performance embedded computing technologies to support information exchange in real-time are 
becoming increasingly significant to twenty-first century “network centric warfare” military operations. There has been steady 
growth of new programs requiring signal/image processing and analysis equipment as well as upgrades to existing military 
programs. However, the efficiency inherent in these technologies reduces the number of systems required to achieve the same 
results. Both new and upgraded programs require a substantial investment in development and evaluation before products 
deploy into field use. The time from development to deployment varies based on the program; however, it very often extends 
beyond twenty-four months. Looking forward to fiscal 2014 and beyond, our focus is to continue to build interest in our 3000 
SERIES VXS products by integrating the latest PowerPC with AltiVec processor, and to market our 4000 SERIES ATCA and 
TeraXP OpenVPXTM embedded server products among our existing customers as well as additional commercial application 
customers. 

Competition 

The Systems segment's markets are very competitive. Customer requirements coupled with advances in technology drive 
our efforts to continuously improve existing products and develop new ones.  Applications expertise, product innovation, strong 
technical support and dedicated customer service allow us to compete favorably as a provider of high-performance embedded 
computing systems. 

Our direct competitors in the aerospace and defense market are Mercury Computer Inc., Kontron, Curtis Wright and G. E. 

Intelligent Platforms. Our indirect competitors are the board manufacturers that specialize in the DSP segment of this market. 
In the past, manufacturers such as Emerson, HP, IBM and Dell participated in the low performance segment of the general-
purpose computer and single board computer market. Today, those companies manufacture general-purpose computer systems 
incorporating multi-core processors and have the potential to become formidable competitors in compute intensive 
applications, such as radar and sonar. While our products are designed to offer the best overall value in combined performance, 
features and price, we may not overcome the capabilities of larger companies to address the needs of the cost sensitive 
customer, where price, as opposed to system performance, size and specialized packaging, is the primary factor in the buying 
decision. 

New companies enter the field periodically and larger companies with greater technical resources and marketing 

organizations could decide to compete in the future. The future growth of this market depends upon continued growth in 
strategic partnerships and providing high density and scalability in a compact, low power and cost effective package that can 
easily be integrated into OEM designs for high performance computation. Since the majority of sales are to prime contractors, 
the principal barrier to gaining market share is the reluctance of established users to redesign their product once it is in 
production. A key area of opportunity exists in design wins on new programs. 

Manufacturing, Assembly and Testing 

All MultiComputer systems are shipped to our customers directly from our plant in Billerica, Massachusetts. Our 
manufacturing activities consist mainly of final assembly and testing of printed circuit boards and systems that are designed by 
us and fabricated by outside vendors. 

3

  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Upon receipt of material and components by us from outside suppliers, our quality assurance technicians inspect these 

products and components. During manufacture and assembly, both subassemblies and completed systems are subjected to 
extensive testing, including burn-in and environmental stress screening designed to minimize equipment failure at delivery and 
over its useful service life. We also use diagnostic programs to detect and isolate potential component failures. A 
comprehensive log is maintained of past failures to monitor the ongoing reliability of our products and improve design 
standards. 

We provide a warranty covering defects arising from products sold and service performed, which varies from 90 days to 

one year, depending upon the particular unit. 

Customer Support 

Our MultiComputer Division supports our customers with telephone assistance, on-site service, system installation, 
training and education. We provide product support service during the warranty period. Customers may purchase extended 
software and hardware maintenance and on-site service contracts for support beyond the warranty period. 

We offer training courses at our corporate headquarters or the customer site. Field and customer service support is 

provided by employees located at our headquarters in Billerica, Massachusetts for Systems segment customers. 

Sources and Availability of Raw Materials 

Several components used in our Systems segment products are obtained from sole-source suppliers. We are dependent on 

key vendors like Mellanox Technologies for our high-speed interconnect components, Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. for 
PowerPC processors for our 2000 SERIES and our 3000 SERIES VXS products and Intel for our microprocessors for our 
TeraXP OpenVPXTM embedded servers and Wind River Systems, Inc. for VxWorks operating system software. Despite our 
dependence on these sole-source suppliers, based on our current forecast, we do not consider the risk of interruption of supply 
to be significant to meet our projected revenue requirements for the near term, because we have adequate inventory on hand 
and/or our requirements currently exist in the supply chain. Also, all components used to build our 3000 SERIES VXS, 4000 
SERIES and TeraXP OpenVPXTM products are currently available in a timely manner. 

Research and Development 

For the year ended September 30, 2013, our expenses for research and development were approximately $1.9 million 

compared to approximately $1.7 million for fiscal year 2012. Expenditures for research and development are expensed as they 
are incurred. Product development efforts in fiscal year 2013 involved new enhancements to our VXS product line, with a focus 
on continuing to provide our customers with increased processing capabilities based on the latest industry standard 
technologies: Freescale QorIQ  multi-core processors and 10 and 40 Gigabit Ethernet support. We expect to continue to make 
substantial expenditures related to the development of new hardware products and the software that enables the hardware to 
function. Our current development plan is intended to extend the usefulness and marketability of existing products by 
continuing to develop enhancements to our 3000 SERIES VXS, 4000 SERIES and TeraXP OpenVPXTM product lines and 
introduce new products into existing market segments. 

We do not have any patents that are material to our business. 

Backlog 

The backlog of customer orders and contracts in the Systems segment was approximately $0.4 million at September 30, 
2013 as compared to $3.1 million at September 30, 2012. Our backlog can fluctuate greatly. These fluctuations can be due to 
the timing of receiving large orders representing prime contractor purchases. It is expected that all of the customer orders in 
backlog will ship within the next twelve months.

 Recent Developments

On November 4, 2013, the Company purchased the assets of Myricom, Inc. (“Myricom”), a manufacturer of high 
performance interconnect computing devices and software. With the Myricom asset purchase, the Company has acquired 
interconnect technology critical to its latest generation MultiComputer products as well as a strong base of new customers in 
commercial growth markets. The Company will now offer Myricom’s Myri-10G Ethernet adapters and associated network 
adapter software. Myri-10G is a family of high performance 10 Gigabit Ethernet adapters for Linux, Windows, Mac OS X and 
VMware ESX.  The Company also acquired inventory for use in the latest generation CSPI MultiComputers.  CSPI has also 
retained key Myricom technical personnel who will be working on the next-generation interconnect technology.

4

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Myricom has been a key supplier to the CSPI MultiComputer Division for more than 15 years.  Its interconnect technology 

is an important component of the latest generation Multicomputer products that CSPI currently supplies to its customers. 

The Company paid $0.5 million in cash in exchange for the assets that were acquired in the transaction.

Service and System Integration Segment 

Products and Services 

Integration Solutions 

Over the past several years, the business of our Service and System Integration segment has evolved away from selling 

our proprietary process control and data acquisition (“PCDA”) computer systems, into becoming a systems integrator and VAR 
of integrated solutions including third-party hardware, software and technical computer-related consulting services and 
managed services. Our value proposition is our ability to integrate diverse third-party components together into a complete 
solution and install the system at the customer site and to offer high value IT consulting services to deliver solutions.

Third-Party Hardware and Software 

Modcomp sells third-party hardware and software products in the information technology market, with a strategic focus 

on industry standard servers and data center infrastructure solutions, midrange data storage infrastructure products, network 
products, unified communications and IT security hardware and software solutions. Our key offerings include products from 
HP, Cisco Systems, Sun/Oracle, IBM, Juniper Networks, Hitachi, QLogic, Dell, Enterasys, Citrix, APC, EMC, Intel, VMWare, 
Fortinet, nCirlce, Microsoft, Arcsight and Checkpoint. Through our supplier relationships with these vendors, we are able to 
offer competitively priced best-of-breed products to meet our customers' diverse technology needs, providing procurement and 
engineering expertise in server infrastructure, storage, security, unified communications and networking, to the small-to-
medium sized businesses (“SMBs”) and large enterprise businesses (“LEBs”) with complex IT environments. We offer our 
customers a single point of contact for complex multi-vendor technology purchases. Many of our SMB customers have unique 
technology needs and may lack technical purchasing expertise or have very limited IT engineering resources on staff. We also 
provide installation, integration, logistical assistance and other value-added services that customers may require. Our current 
customers are in web and infrastructure hosting, education, telecommunications, health services, distribution, financial services, 
professional services, manufacturing and entertainment industries. We target SMB and LEB customers across all industries. 

Professional Services 

We provide professional IT consulting services in the following areas: 

•  Maintenance and technical support both for third-party products and proprietary Modcomp legacy PCDA systems -

hardware and software, operating system and user support. 

• 

• 

Implementation, integration, migration, configuration and installation services.

Storage area network (“SAN”) solutions. We help our customers implement SAN solutions using products from 
Hitachi, EMC, HP, DataDomain and NetApp.  SANs have advantages over conventional storage architecture.  These 
advantages include cost savings from better utilization of hardware and lower headcount requirements to run and 
maintain data storage systems, higher availability and faster data access rates resulting in increased productivity.

•  Virtualization - We implement virtualization solutions using products from companies such as VMWare. 

Virtualization allows one computer to do the job of multiple computers by sharing resources of a single computer 
across multiple environments.  With virtual servers and desktops, users can host multiple operating systems and 
applications, which can eliminate physical and geographical limitations. Other benefits include energy cost savings, 
lower capital expenditure requirements, high availability of resources, better desktop management, increased security 
and improved disaster recovery processes.  

• 

• 

Enterprise security intrusion prevention, network access control and unified threat management.  Using third-party 
products from companies like Checkpoint, Juniper Networks and Cisco Systems, our services are designed to ensure 
data security and integrity through the establishment of virtual private networks, firewalls and other technologies. 

IT security compliance services.  We provide services for IT security compliance with personal privacy laws such as 
HIPAA and internal control regulations under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. 

5

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
•  Unified communications, wireless and routing and switching solutions using Cisco Systems' products and services. 

•  Custom software applications and solutions development and support.  We develop custom applications to customer 
specifications using industry standard platforms such as Microsoft.Net, Sharepoint and OnBase. We are a Microsoft 
Gold Partner. 

•  NOC managed IT services that include monitoring, reporting and management of alerts for the resolution and 

preventive general IT and IT security support tasks. 

Markets, Marketing and Dependence on Certain Customers 

We are an IT systems integrator and computer hardware and software VAR. We also provide technical services to achieve 

a value-add to our customers. We operate within the VAR sales channels of major computer hardware and software OEMs, 
primarily within the geographic areas of our sales offices and across the U.S. We provide innovative IT solutions, including a 
myriad of infrastructure products with customized integration consulting services and managed services to meet the unique 
requirements of our customers. We market the products we sell and services we provide through various sales offices in the 
U.S., Germany and the U.K. using our direct sales force (for a detailed list of our locations, see Item 2 of this Form 10-K). 

Competition 

The primary competition in the Service and System Integration segment are other VARs, ranging from small companies 

that number in the thousands, to large enterprises such as CDW, PC Connection, Insight, MoreDirect, Dimension Data, Bechtle 
AG, Presidio and Computacenter AG & Co oHG. In addition, we compete directly with many of the companies who 
manufacture the third-party products that we sell including Cisco Systems, IBM, HP EMC, Hitachi and others. In the network 
management, security and storage systems integration services business, our competitors are extensive and vary to a certain 
degree in each of the geographical markets, but they include such competitors as HP/EDS, IBM and Cap Gemini. 

Nearly all of our product offerings are available through other channels. Favorable competitive factors for the Service and 

System Integration segment include procurement capability, product diversity allowing for delivery of complete and custom 
solutions to our customers, strength of key partner relationships with the major IT OEMs, ability to supply unique and/or 
specialized needs of the SMB and LEB markets, strong knowledge of the IT products that we sell, ability to provide managed 
services through our NOC and the consulting integration services required to design and install the custom solutions that fit our 
customers' IT needs. Unfavorable competitive factors include low name recognition, limited geographic coverage and pricing. 

Backlog 

The backlog of customer orders and contracts for the Service and System Integration segment was approximately $7.7 
million at September 30, 2013, as compared to $7.1 million at September 30, 2012. Our backlog can fluctuate greatly. These 
fluctuations can be due to the timing of receiving large orders for third- party products and/or IT services. It is expected that all 
of the customer orders in backlog will ship and/or be provided within the next twelve months. 

Significant Customers 

See Note 12 to the notes to the consolidated financial statements for detailed information regarding customers which 

comprised 10% or more of consolidated revenues for the years ended September 30, 2013 and 2012. 

Employees 

On September 30, 2013, we had approximately 167 full time equivalent employees worldwide for our consolidated 
operations. None of our employees are represented by a labor union and we had no work stoppages. We consider relations with 
our employees to be good. 

Financial Information about Geographic Areas 

Information regarding our sales by geographic area and percentage of sales based on the location to which the products 

are shipped or services are rendered are in Note 12 to the notes to the consolidated financial statements.

6

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Item 1A. 

Risk Factors  

We depend on a small number of customers for a significant portion of our revenue and loss of any customer could 

significantly affect our business 

We are dependent on a small number of customers for a large portion of our revenues. Both the Systems and Service and 
System Integration segments are reliant upon a small number of significant customers, the loss of any one of which could have 
a material adverse effect on our business. A significant diminution in the sales to or loss of any of our major customers would 
have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, our revenues are 
largely dependent upon the ability of our customers to have continued growth or need for services or to develop and sell 
products that incorporate our products. No assurance can be given that our customers will not experience financial or other 
difficulties that could adversely affect their operations and, in turn, our results of operations.

We depend on contracts with the federal government  for a significant portion of our revenue, and our  business could be 

seriously harmed if the government significantly decreased or ceased doing business with us. 

We derived 7% of our total revenue in FY2013 and 13% of our total revenue in FY2012 from the Department of Defense 
("DoD") as a subcontractor.  We expect that the DoD contracts will continue to be important to our business for the foreseeable 
future.  If we were suspended or debarred from contracting with the federal government generally, the General Services 
Administration, or any significant agency in the intelligence community or the DoD, or if our reputation or relationship with 
government agencies were to be impaired, or if the government otherwise ceased doing business with us or significantly 
decreased the amount of business it does with us, our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results could be 
materially and adversely affected.

Our business has been and could  continue to be adversely affected by changes in budgetary priorities of the federal 

government.  

Because we derive a significant percentage of our revenue from contracts with the federal government, changes in federal 

government budgetary priorities could directly affect our financial performance.  A significant decline in government 
expenditures, a shift of expenditures away from programs that we support or a change in federal government contracting 
policies could cause federal government agencies to reduce their purchases under contracts, to exercise their right to terminate 
contracts at any time without penalty or not to exercise options to renew contracts.  

During 2011, the federal government was unable to reach agreement on budget reduction measures required by the 
Budget Control Act of 2011 (Budget Act) passed by Congress.  Because Congress and the Administration could not reach 
agreement, the Budget Act triggered automatic reductions in both defense and discretionary spending in January 2013, which 
adversely impacted our business. While the future impact of sequestration is uncertain, these automatic across-the-board budget 
cuts in sequestration could continue to have significant negative consequences to our business and industry.  

In years when Congress does not complete its budget process before the end of its fiscal year (September 30), government 

operations are funded through a continuing resolution (CR) that temporarily funds federal agencies.  Recent CRs have 
generally provided funding at the levels provided in the previous fiscal year and have not authorized new spending initiatives.  
When the federal government operates under a CR, delays can occur in the procurement of products and services.  Historically, 
such delays have not had a material effect on our business; however, should funding of the federal government by CR be 
prolonged or extended through the entire government 2014 fiscal year, and sequestration is not alleviated, it could continue to 
have significant consequences to our business and our industry.

Additionally, our business could be seriously affected if the demand for and priority of funding for combat operations in 

Afghanistan decreases which may reduce the demand for our services on contracts supporting some operations and 
maintenance activities in the Department of Defense or if we experience an increase in set-asides for small businesses, which 
could result in our inability to compete directly for prime contracts.

.

Federal government contracts contain numerous provisions that are unfavorable to us.

Federal government contracts contain provisions and are subject to laws and regulations that give the government rights 

and remedies, some of which are not typically found in commercial contracts, including allowing the government to: 

• 

• 

cancel multi-year contracts and related orders if funds for contract performance for any subsequent year become 
unavailable; 

 claim rights in systems and software developed by us; 

7

 
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
• 

• 

• 

 suspend or debar us from doing business with the federal government or with a governmental agency; 

 impose fines and penalties and subject us to criminal prosecution; and 

 control or prohibit the export of our data and technology.  

If the government terminates a contract for convenience, we may recover only our incurred or committed costs, 

settlement expenses and profit on work completed prior to the termination.  If the government terminates a contract for default, 
we may be unable to recover even those amounts, and instead may be liable for excess costs incurred by the government in 
procuring undelivered items and services from another source.  Depending on the value of a contract, such termination could 
cause our actual results to differ materially and adversely from those anticipated.

As is common with government contractors, we have experienced and continue to experience occasional performance 
issues under certain of our contracts.  Depending upon the value of the matters affected, a performance problem that impacts 
our performance of a program or contract could cause our actual results to differ materially and adversely from those 
anticipated.

We rely on single sources for supply of certain components and our business may be seriously harmed if our supply of any 

of these components or other components is disrupted 

Several components used in our Systems products are currently obtained from sole-source suppliers. We are dependent 
on key vendors like Mellanox Technologies for our high-speed interconnect components, Freescale for many of our PowerPC 
line of processors and Intel for our microprocessors, and Wind River Systems, Inc. for VxWorks operating system software. 
Generally, suppliers may terminate their purchase order with us without cause upon 30 days' notice and may cease offering 
products to us upon 180 days' notice. Although we do not consider the risk of interruption of supply to be a significant risk in 
the near term, if in the future, Mellanox Technologies or Freescale were to limit or reduce the sale of such components to us, or 
if these or other component suppliers to us, some of which are small companies, were to experience future financial difficulties 
or other problems which could prevent them from supplying us with the necessary components, such events could have a 
material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. These sole source and other suppliers are 
each subject to quality and performance issues, materials shortages, excess demand, reduction in capacity and other factors that 
may disrupt the flow of goods to us or our customers, which thereby may adversely affect our business and customer 
relationships.

We have no guaranteed supply arrangements with our suppliers and there can be no assurance that our suppliers will 
continue to meet our requirements. If our supply arrangements are interrupted, there can be no assurance that we would be able 
to find another supplier on a timely or satisfactory basis. Any shortage or interruption in the supply of any of the components 
used in our products, or the inability to procure these components from alternate sources on acceptable terms, could have a 
material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. There can be no assurance that severe 
shortages of components will not occur in the future. Such shortages could increase the cost or delay the shipment of our 
products, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Significant 
increases in the prices of these components would also materially adversely affect our financial performance since we may not 
be able to adjust product pricing to reflect the increase in component costs. We could incur set-up costs and delays in 
manufacturing should it become necessary to replace any key vendors due to work stoppages, shipping delays, financial 
difficulties or other factors and, under certain circumstances, these costs and delays could have a material adverse effect on our 
business, financial condition and results of operations. 

Our International Operations are Subject to a Number of Risks

We market and sell our products in certain international markets and we have established operations in the U.K. and 
Germany.  Foreign-based revenue is determined based on the location to which the product is shipped or services are rendered 
and represented 33% and 44% of our total revenue for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2013 and 2012, respectively.  If 
revenues generated by foreign activities are not adequate to offset the expense of establishing and maintaining these foreign 
subsidiaries and activities, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected.  In 
addition, there are certain risks inherent in transacting business internationally, such as changes in applicable laws and 
regulatory requirements, export and import restrictions, export controls relating to technology, tariffs and other trade barriers, 
longer payment cycles, problems in collecting accounts receivable, political instability, fluctuations in currency exchange rates, 
expatriation controls and potential adverse tax consequences, any of which could adversely impact the success of our 
international activities.  A portion of our revenues are from sales to foreign entities, including foreign governments, which are 
primarily paid in the form of foreign currencies.  There can be no assurance that one or more of such factors will not have a 
material adverse effect on our future international activities and, consequently, on our business, financial condition or results of 
operations.

8

 
 
 
We depend on key personnel and skilled employees and face competition in hiring and retaining qualified employees.

We are largely dependent upon the skills and efforts of our senior management, managerial, sales and technical 

employees.  None of our senior management personnel or other key employees are subject to any employment contracts except 
Victor Dellovo, our Chief Executive Officer and President.  The loss of services of any of our executives or other key personnel 
could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.  Our future success will 
depend to a significant extent on our ability to attract, train, motivate and retain highly skilled technical professionals.  Our 
ability to maintain and renew existing engagements and obtain new business depends, in large part, on our ability to hire and 
retain technical personnel with the skills that keep pace with continuing changes in industry standards and technologies.  The 
inability to hire additional qualified personnel could impair our ability to satisfy our growing client base, requiring an increase 
in the level of responsibility for both existing and new personnel.  There can be no assurance that we will be successful in 
retaining current or future employees.

New 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 relationships with customers.

On August 22, 2012, as mandated by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010, the SEC 

adopted new disclosure regulations for public companies that manufacture products that contain certain minerals and their 
derivatives, namely tin, tantalum, tungsten or gold, known as “conflict minerals,” if these minerals are necessary to the 
functionality or production of the company's products.  These regulations require such issuers to report annually whether or not 
such minerals originate from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and adjoining countries and in some cases to perform 
extensive due diligence on their supply chains for such minerals.

The implementation of these new requirements could adversely affect the sourcing, availability and pricing of conflict 
minerals used in the manufacture of  our products.  In addition, we may incur additional costs to comply with the disclosure 
requirements, including costs related to determining the source of any of the relevant minerals used in our products.  Because 
our supply chain is complex, the due diligence procedures that we implement may not enable us to ascertain the origins for 
these minerals or determine that these minerals are DRC conflict-free, which may harm our reputation.  We may also face 
difficulties in satisfying customers who may require that our products be certified as DRC conflict-free, which could harm our 
relationships with these customers and lead to a loss of revenue.  These new requirements also could have the effect of limiting 
the pool of suppliers from which we source these minerals, and we may be unable to obtain conflict-free minerals at 
competitive prices, which could increase our costs and adversely affect our manufacturing operations and our profitability.

Systems failures may disrupt our business and have an adverse effect on our results of operations.

Any systems failures, including network, software or hardware failures, whether caused by us, a third party service 

provider, unauthorized intruders and hackers, computer viruses, natural disasters, power shortages or terrorist attacks, could 
cause loss of data or interruptions or delays in our business or that of our clients.  Like other companies, we have experienced 
cyber security threats to our data and systems, our company sensitive information, and our information technology 
infrastructure, including malware and computer virus attacks, unauthorized access, systems failures and temporary disruptions.  
We may experience similar security threats at customer sites that we operate and manage as a contractual requirement.  Prior 
cyber attacks directed at us have not had a material adverse impact on our business or our financial results, and we believe that 
our continuing commitment toward threat detection and mitigation processes and procedures will avoid such impact in the 
future.  Due to the evolving nature of these security threats, however, the impact of any future incident cannot be predicted.

In addition, the failure or disruption of our mail, communications or utilities could cause us to interrupt or suspend our 
operations or otherwise harm our business.  Our property and business interruption insurance may be inadequate to compensate 
us for all losses that may occur as a result of any system or operational failure or disruption and, as a result, our actual results 
could differ materially and adversely from those anticipated.

The systems and networks that we maintain for our clients, although highly redundant in their design, could also fail.  If a 

system or network we maintain were to fail or experience service interruptions, we might experience loss of revenue or face 
claims for damages or contract termination.  Our errors and omissions liability insurance may be inadequate to compensate us 
for all the damages that we might incur and, as a result, our actual results could differ materially and adversely from those 
anticipated.

We face competition that could adversely affect our sales and profitability. 

9

 
 
 
 
The markets for our products are highly competitive and are characterized by rapidly changing technology, frequent 
product performance improvements and evolving industry standards.  Due to the rapidly changing nature of technology, new 
competitors may emerge of which we have no current awareness.  Competitors may be able to offer more attractive pricing or 
develop products that could offer performance features that are superior to our products, resulting in reduced demand for our 
products.  Such competitors could have a negative impact on our ability to win future business opportunities.  There can be no 
assurance that a new competitor will not attempt to penetrate the various markets for our products and services.  Their entry 
into markets historically targeted by us may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of 
operations.

Our operating results may fluctuate significantly. 

Our operating results have fluctuated widely on a quarterly and annual basis during the last several years and we expect to 

experience significant fluctuations in future operating results.  Many factors, some of which are beyond our control, have 
contributed to these fluctuations in the past and may continue to do so.  Such factors include: 

• 

• 

• 

sales in relatively large dollar amounts to a relatively small number of customers; 

competitive pricing programs and volume discounts; 

loss of customers; 

•  market acceptance of our products; 

• 

• 

• 

product obsolescence; 

general economic conditions; 

change in the mix of products sold; 

•  whether or not we are able to secure design wins for significant customer systems; 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

timing of significant orders; 

delays in completion of internal product development projects; 

delays in shipping our products; 

delays in acceptance testing by customers; 

production delays due to quality programs with outsourced components; 

shortages of components; 

timing of product line transitions; 

declines of revenues from previous generations of products following announcement of replacement products 
containing more advance technology; and 

• 

fixed nature of our expenditures on personnel, facilities and marketing programs. 

We believe that period-to-period comparisons of our results of operations will not necessarily be meaningful and should 

not be relied upon as indicative of our future performance. It is also possible that in some periods, our operating results may be 
below the expectations of securities analysts and investors. In such circumstances, the price of our common stock may decline.  

To be successful, we must respond to the rapid changes in technology. 

Our future success will depend in part on our ability to enhance our current products and to develop new products on a 
timely and cost-effective basis in order to respond to technological developments and changing customer needs.  The defense 
market, in particular, demands constant technological improvements as a means of gaining military advantage.  Military 

10

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
planners historically have funded significantly more design projects than actual deployments of new equipment and those 
systems that are deployed tend to contain the components of the subcontractors selected to participate in the design process.  In 
order to participate in the design of new defense electronics systems, we must be able to demonstrate our ability to deliver 
superior technological performance on a timely and cost-effective basis.  There can be no assurance that we will be able to 
secure an adequate number of defense electronics design wins in the future, that the equipment in which our products are 
intended to function eventually will be deployed in the field, or that our products will be included in such equipment if it is 
eventually deployed. 

The design-in process is typically lengthy and expensive and there can be no assurance that we will be able to continue to 

meet the product specifications of our customers in a timely and adequate manner.  In addition, if we fail to anticipate or to 
respond adequately to changes in technology and customer preferences, or if there is any significant delay in product 
developments or introductions, this could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of 
operations, including the risk of inventory obsolescence.  Because of the complexity of our products, we have experienced 
delays from time to time in completing products on a timely basis.  If we are unable to design, develop or introduce competitive 
new products on a timely basis, our future operating results would be adversely affected, particularly in our Systems segment.  
There can be no assurance that we will be successful in developing new products or enhancing our existing products on a 
timely or cost-effective basis, or that such new products or product enhancements will achieve market acceptance. 

 We need to continue to expend resources on research and development efforts to meet the needs of our customers. 

The industry in which our Systems segment competes is characterized by the need for continued investment in research 
and development.  If we fail to invest sufficiently in research and development, our products could become less attractive to 
potential customers and our business and financial condition could be materially adversely affected.  As a result of our need to 
maintain or increase our spending levels in this area and the difficulty in reducing costs associated with research and 
development, our operating results could be materially harmed if our revenues fall below expectations.  In addition, as a result 
of CSPI's commitment to invest in research and development, spending as a percent of revenues may fluctuate in the future.

Our business could be adversely impacted if we have deficiencies in our disclosure controls and procedures or internal 

controls over financial reporting. 

Effective internal control over financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures are necessary in order for us to 

provide reliable financial and other reports and effectively prevent fraud. These types of controls are designed to provide 
reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the proper preparation of our financial statements, as 
well as regarding the timely reporting of material information. If we cannot maintain effective internal control or disclosure 
controls and procedures, or provide reliable financial statements or SEC reports or prevent fraud, investors may lose confidence 
in our reported financial information, our common stock could be subject to delisting on the stock exchange where it is traded, 
our operating results and the trading price of our common stock could suffer and we might become subject to litigation.

While our management will continue to review the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting and 
disclosure controls and procedures, there is no assurance that our disclosure controls and procedures or our internal control over 
financial reporting will be effective in accomplishing all control objectives, including the prevention and detection of fraud, all 
of the time. 

Our Stock Price May Continue to be Volatile 

Historically, the market for technology stocks has been extremely volatile. Our common stock has experienced and may 
continue to experience, substantial price volatility. The following factors could cause the market price of our common stock to 
fluctuate significantly: 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

loss of a major customer; 

loss of a major supplier; 

the addition or departure of key personnel; 

variations in our quarterly operating results; 

announcements by us or our competitors of significant contracts, new products or product enhancements; 

acquisitions, distribution partnerships, joint ventures or capital commitments; 

regulatory changes; 

11

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
• 

• 

• 

sales of our common stock or other securities in the future; 

changes in market valuations of technology companies; and 

fluctuations in stock market prices and volumes. 

In addition, the stock market in general and the NASDAQ Global Market and technology companies in particular, have 

experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that have often been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating 
performance of such companies. These broad market and industry factors may materially adversely affect the market price of 
our common stock, regardless of our actual operating performance. In the past, following periods of volatility in the market 
price of a company's securities, securities class action litigation has often been instituted against such companies. 

Factors that may Affect Future Performance 

This document contains forward-looking statements based on current expectations that involve a number of risks and 

uncertainties. Further, any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which such statement is made and we 
undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which such 
statement is made. As it is not possible to predict every new factor that may emerge, forward-looking statements should not be 
relied upon as a prediction of actual future financial condition or results. In response to competitive pressures or new product 
introductions, we may take certain pricing or marketing actions that could adversely affect our operating results. In addition, 
changes in the products and services mix may cause fluctuations in our gross margin. Due to the potential quarterly fluctuations 
in operating results, we believe that quarter-to-quarter comparisons of our results of operations are not necessarily an indicator 
of future performance. 

Markets for our products and services are characterized by rapidly changing technology, new product introductions and 

short product life cycles. These changes can adversely affect our business and operating results. Our success will depend upon 
our ability to enhance our existing products and services and to develop and introduce, on a timely and cost effective basis, new 
products that keep pace with technological developments and address increasing customer requirements. The inability to meet 
these demands could adversely affect our business and operating results.

12

 
 
 
 
 
 
Item 2. 

Properties 

Listed below are our principal facilities as of September 30, 2013. Management considers all facilities listed below to be 

suitable for the purpose(s) for which they are used, including manufacturing, research and development, sales, marketing, 
service and administration. 

Location

Principal Use 

Systems Segment Properties:
CSP Inc.
43 Manning Road
Billerica, MA

Corporate Headquarters
Manufacturing, Sales,
Marketing and
Administration

Service and Systems Integration Segment Properties:
Modcomp, Inc.
1500 S. Powerline Road
Deerfield Beach, FL

Division Headquarters
Sales, Marketing and
Administration

Owned 
or
Leased

Approximate
Floor Area 

Leased

11,450 S.F.

Leased

15,482 S.F.

Modcomp, Inc.
9155 South Dadeland Blvd, Suite 1112
Miami, FL

Modular Computer Systems GmbH
Oskar-Jager-Strasse 50
D-50825 Koln
Germany

Modcomp, Ltd.
12a Oaklands Business Park, Fishponds Road
Wokingham Berkshire
United Kingdom

Modcomp AG
Gartenstr. 23-27
D-61352 Bad Homburg
Germany

Item 3. 

Legal Proceedings

Sales, Marketing and Service

Leased

 1,356 S.F.

Sales, Marketing, Service
and Administration

Leased

12,443 S.F.

Sales, Marketing and
Administration

Leased

2,490 S.F.

Sales, Marketing and Service

Leased

   323 S.F.

We are currently not a party to any material legal proceedings. 

Item 4. 

Mine Safety Disclosures

Not Applicable.

13

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Item 5.  Market for Registrant's Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

Market information.    Our common stock is traded on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol CSPI. The following 
table provides the high and low sales prices of our common stock as reported on the Nasdaq Global Market for the periods indicated. 

PART II 

Fiscal Year: 
1st Quarter
2nd Quarter
3rd Quarter
4th Quarter

2013

High  
$ 6.65
6.89
9.43
8.94

Low 
$ 4.51
5.09
5.36
6.62

High 
$ 3.73
4.48
4.53
4.99

2012

$

Low 

3.15
3.04
3.82
3.84

Stockholders.    We had approximately 101 holders of record of our common stock as of December 11, 2013. This 
number does not include stockholders for whom shares were held in a “nominee” or “street” name. We believe the number of 
beneficial owners of our shares of common stock (including shares held in street name) at that date was approximately 1,600.

Dividends.        On December 10, 2012, the Company's board of directors declared a cash dividend of $0.20 per share 
which was paid on December 28, 2012 to stockholders of record as of December 20, 2012, the record date. On May 8, 2013, 
the Company's board of directors declared a cash dividend of $0.10 per share which was paid on June 3, 2013 to stockholders 
of record as of May 24, 2013, the record date.   On August 7, 2013, the Company's board of directors declared a cash dividend 
of $0.10 per share which was paid on August 30, 2013 to stockholders of record as of August 21, 2013, the record date.

On January 12, 2012, our Board of Directors declared a cash dividend of $0.10 per share which was paid on February 
3, 2012 to stockholders of record as of January 27, 2012, the record date. On August 7, 2012, our board of directors declared a 
cash dividend of  $0.12 per share which was paid on August 31, 2012 to stockholders of record as of August 23, 2012, the 
record date.

On December 17, 2013, our board of directors declared a cash dividend of  $0.10 per share payable on January 7, 2014 

to stockholders of record as of December 27, 2013, the record date.

14

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Item 7. 

Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations 

The discussion below contains certain forward-looking statements related to statements concerning future revenues and 

future business plans. Actual results may vary from those contained in such forward-looking statements. 

Overview of Fiscal 2013 Results of Operations 

CSPI operates in two segments: 

• 

• 

Systems - the Systems segment consists of our MultiComputer Division which designs, commercially develops and 
manufactures signal processing computer platforms that are used primarily in military applications and the process 
control and data acquisition (“PCDA”) proprietary hardware business of our Modcomp subsidiary. 

Service and System Integration - the Service and System Integration segment includes the computer systems' 
maintenance and integration services and third-party computer hardware and software products businesses of our 
Modcomp subsidiary. 

Key results include: 

•  Revenue increased by approximately $2.8 million, or 3%, to $87.6 million for the year ended September 30, 2013 

versus $84.8 million for the year ended September 30, 2012.

• 

• 

• 

For year ended September 30, 2012 we realized income from proceeds of an officer life insurance settlement of 
approximately $2.1 million. While no such income was recognized in the ended September 30, 2013, we did receive 
the settlement during the current fiscal year.

For the year ended September 30, 2013, we had an operating profit of approximately $0.7 million versus an operating 
profit of approximately $5.0 million for the year ended September 30, 2012, for a decrease of approximately $4.3 
million.

For the year ended September 30, 2013, net income was approximately $0.4 million versus net income of 
approximately $6.6 million for the year ended September 30, 2012, for an decrease of approximately $6.2 million.

•  Net cash provided by operating activities was approximately $0.2 million for the year ended September 30, 2013 
compared to net cash provided by operating activities of $6.3 million for the year ended September 30, 2012.

The increase in revenues of $2.8 million resulted from strong growth in revenues from our Service and System 

Integration segment partially offset by a decrease in revenues from our Systems segment. Revenues in the Service and System 
Integration segment  increased by approximately $7.0 million from $73.7 million the year ended September 30, 2012  to $80.6 
million for the year ended September 30, 2013, while Systems segment revenue decreased from $11.1 million for fiscal 2012 to 
$7.0 million for fiscal 2013 for a decrease of approximately $4.1 million. 

In the Service and System Integration segment we experienced growth in both product and service revenues. Product 
revenues for the segment increased by $5.0 million, which was a 9% increase from $55.4 million in fiscal 2012 to $60.4 million 
in fiscal 2013.  Service revenue in the segment increased by $2.0 million which was an 11% increase from $18.3 million in 
fiscal 2012 to $20.3 million in fiscal 2013.  The product revenue increase was derived in large part from our U.S. operation, 
where product sales increased by approximately $14.1 million.  The increase in services revenues was due substantially to an 
increase in the German division, where service revenue increased by approximately $1.2 million and an increase in the US 
division of approximately $0.7 million. In Germany, the increase was driven by service sales to new customers of 
approximately $0.8 million and favorable foreign exchange of approximately $0.2 million. In the US division, the increase in 
service revenues was from higher third party maintenance revenue.

The revenue decrease in the Systems segment was largely the result of lower royalty revenues which were $6.4 million 

for fiscal 2012 versus $0.8 million in fiscal 2013.  Royalty revenues are particularly significant because there is no cost of sales 
associated with royalty revenues, hence the profit margin is 100% on this revenue. This $5.6 million decrease in royalty 
revenue was partially offset by higher product revenue in fiscal 2013 versus fiscal 2012 which increased by approximately $1.3 
million. 

In assessing the outlook for fiscal 2014, we expect to receive orders for royalties to fulfill a full rate production phase of 

the E2D program during the year. As a result, anticipating that we will realize significant royalty revenue, we are assuming a 
more optimistic view for the Systems segment for next year in comparison to the operating results we realized for fiscal 2013.    

15

 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
However, based on the risks associated with the economic environment within the defense market, we plan to manage the 
Systems segment with a cautiously optimistic outlook for fiscal 2014. In the Service and System Integration segment, we also  
have a cautiously optimistic outlook for fiscal 2014, in terms of revenue, where much will depend upon the level of overall 
growth in the private sector economy both domestically and in our European markets.   We plan to focus our attention and 
resources in the Service and System Integration segment on higher-margin consulting and managed service business as we 
move forward. While this may put pressure on sales growth in fiscal 2014, we believe this strategy will achieve profitable 
growth for the long term.

The following table details our results of operations in dollars and as a percentage of sales for the years ended 

September 30, 2013 and 2012:

Sales
Costs and expenses:
Cost of sales
Engineering and development
Selling, general and administrative

Total costs and expenses
Income from proceeds of officer life insurance settlement
Operating income
Other expense
Income before income taxes
Income tax expense (benefit)
Net income

$

$

Sales

September 30,
2013

%
of sales

September 30,
2012

%
of sales

(Dollar amounts in thousands)
100 % $

84,807

87,619

100 %

69,036
1,857
16,025
86,918
—
701
(12)
689
321
368

79 %
2 %
18 %
99 %
— %
1 %
— %
1 %
— %

1 % $

64,386
1,720
15,847
81,953
2,115
4,969
(100)
4,869
(1,740)
6,609

76 %
2 %
19 %
97 %
3 %
6 %
— %
6 %
(2)%
8 %

The following table details our sales by operating segment for the years ended September 30, 2013 and 2012:

For the Year Ended September 30, 2013:
Product
Services
Total
% of Total

For the Year Ended September 30, 2012:
Product
Services
Total
% of Total

Systems

Service and
System
Integration
(Dollar amounts in thousands)

Total

% of
Total

5,483
1,517
7,000

$

$

60,361
20,258
80,619

$

$

65,844
21,775
87,619

8%

92%

100%

75%
25%
100%

Systems

Service and
System
Integration

Total

% of
Total

4,214
6,927
11,141

$

$

55,369
18,297
73,666

$

$

59,583
25,224
84,807

13%

87%

100%

70%
30%
100%

$

$

$

$

16

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Increase (Decrease)
Product
Services
Total
% increase

Systems

Service and
System
Integration

Total

%
increase

$

$

1,269
(5,410)
(4,141)

$

$

4,992
1,961
6,953

$

$

6,261
(3,449)
2,812

(37)%

9%

3%

11 %
(14)%
3 %

As shown above, total revenues increased by approximately $2.8 million, or 3%, for the year  ended September 30, 2013 

compared to the year ended September 30, 2012.  Revenue in the Service and System Integration segment increased by 
approximately $7.0 million, while revenues in the Systems segment decreased for the current year versus the prior year by 
approximately $4.1 million.

Product revenues increased by approximately $6.3 million, or 11%, for the year ended September 30, 2013 compared to 
the prior fiscal year. Product revenues in the Service and System Integration segment increased by approximately $5.0 million 
while in the Systems segment product revenue increased by approximately $1.3 million for the year ended September 30, 2013 
versus the year ended September 30, 2012.

In the US division of the Service and System Integration segment, product sales increased by approximately $14.1 
million, sales in this segment’s German division decreased by approximately $8.2 million and in the UK division product sales 
decreased by approximately $0.9 million.

In the US division, the increase in product sales was due in part to sales to new customers (customers to which no sales 

were made in the prior year), which totaled approximately $5.0 million for the year ended September 30, 2013.  In addition, 
sales increased to large existing customers in the IT hosting vertical by an aggregate of approximately $13.6 million.  These 
increases were partially offset by aggregate net decreases to existing customers across all other verticals of approximately $4.5 
million.

In Germany, the $8.2 million decrease in product revenue was driven by decreased sales to the division’s largest 

customer, a large UK-based wireless carrier, to which product sales decreased by approximately $3.2 million. In addition, 
product sales to another of the division's largest customers from the previous year decreased by approximately $5.3 million.  
Partially offsetting these decreases, new customer sales totaled approximately $1.2 million.  Sales to all other customers 
decreased by a net of approximately $0.9 million. The decrease in product sales in the UK division was the result of weaker 
demand from our UK customer base in the current-year. 

The increase in product revenues in the Systems segment of approximately $1.3 million was due to an increase of $1.4 
million in sales of parts, components and spares to existing US defense department customers, and an increase of $0.6 million 
due to hardware sales to a commercial customer.  These increases were partially offset by a decrease in sales to our Japanese 
defense department customer of approximately $0.7 million. 

As shown in the table above, service revenues decreased by approximately $3.4 million, or 14%.  This decrease was 
made up of a decrease in the Systems segment of $5.4 million and an increase in the Service and System Integration segment of 
approximately $2.0 million. The decrease in the Systems segment service revenue was due to lower royalty revenue recorded in 
the year ended September 30, 2013 which was approximately $0.8 million versus $6.4 million for the year ended 
September 30, 2012. The increase in service revenues in the Service and System Integration segment was primarily from the 
German division, where service revenue increased by approximately $1.2 million and an increase in the US division of 
approximately $0.7 million. In Germany, the increase was driven by service sales to new customers of approximately $0.8 
million and favorable foreign exchange of approximately $0.2 million. In the US division, the increase in service revenues was 
from higher third party maintenance revenue.

17

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Our sales by geographic area, based on the location to which the products were shipped or services rendered, are as 

follows:

Americas
Europe
Asia

Totals

For the Year ended,

September 30,
2013

%

September 30,
2012

%

$ Increase
(Decrease)

% Increase
(Decrease)

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

$

$

59,116
25,512
2,991
87,619

68% $
29%
3%
100% $

47,163
34,053
3,591
84,807

56% $
40%
4%
100% $

11,953
(8,541)
(600)
2,812

25 %
(25)%
(17)%
3 %

The increase in Americas revenue for the year ended September 30, 2013 versus the year ended September 30, 2012 was 

from an increase in the US division of the Service and System Integration segment to customers in the Americas of 
approximately $15.5 million, partially offset by decreases in sales to US customers in the Systems segment of approximately 
$3.6 million.  

The decrease in sales in Europe was primarily the result of the lower sales in the German and UK divisions of the 
Service and System Integration segment. The decrease in Asia sales was the result of the decrease in sales to our existing 
customer that supplies a large Japanese defense program (see discussion above).

Cost of Sales, Gross Profit and Gross Margins

The following table details our cost of sales, gross profit and gross margins by operating segment for the fiscal years 

ended September 30, 2013 and 2012:

For the Year Ended September 30, 2013:
Cost of Sales:
Product
Services
Total
% of Total
% of Sales
Gross Profit:
Product
Services
Total
% of Total
Gross Margins:
Product
Services
Total

For the Year Ended September 30, 2012:
Cost of Sales:
Product
Services
Total
% of Total
% of Sales

Systems

Service and
System
Integration

Total

% of
Total

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

2,439
270
2,709

4 %
39 %

3,044
1,247
4,291

$

$

$

$

51,584
14,743
66,327

96 %
82 %

8,777
5,515
14,292

$

$

$

$

54,023
15,013
69,036

100 %
79 %

11,821
6,762
18,583

23 %

56 %
82 %
61 %

77 %

100 %

15 %
27 %
18 %

18 %
31 %
21 %

2,508
283
2,791

$

$

47,718
13,877
61,595

$

$

50,226
14,160
64,386

4 %
25 %

96 %
84 %

100 %
76 %

$

$

$

$

$

$

18

78 %
22 %
100 %

64 %
36 %
100 %

78 %
22 %
100 %

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Gross Profit:
Product
Services
Total
% of Total
Gross Margins:
Product
Services
Total

Increase (decrease)
Cost of Sales:
Product
Services
Total
% Increase (decrease)
% of Sales
Gross Profit:
Product
Services
Total
% increase (decrease)
Change in Gross Margin percentage:
Product
Services
Total

Systems

Service and
System
Integration

Total

% of
Total

1,706
6,644
8,350

$

$

7,651
4,420
12,071

$

$

9,357
11,064
20,421

46 %
54 %
100 %

41 %

40 %
96 %
75 %

(69)
(13)
(82)
(3)%
14 %

1,338
(5,397)
(4,059)

59 %

100 %

14 %
24 %
16 %

16 %
44 %
24 %

$

$

$

$

3,866
866
4,732

8 %
(2)%

1,126
1,095
2,221

$

$

$

$

3,797
853
4,650

7 %
3 %

2,464
(4,302)
(1,838)

8 %
6 %
7 %

26 %
(39)%
(9)%

$

$

$

$

$

$

(49)%

18 %

(9)%

16 %
(14)%
(14)%

1 %
3 %
2 %

2 %
(13)%
(3)%

Total cost of sales increased by approximately $4.7 million when comparing the year ended September 30, 2013 versus 
the year ended September 30, 2012.   A significant factor which caused this increase in cost of sales was the overall increase in 
sales as discussed previously, however whereas sales increased by 3%, cost of sales increased by 7% .  The resulting lower 
gross profit margin ("GPM") of 21% for the year ended September 30, 2013 versus 24% for 2012 was due to several factors 
which are discussed below.

In the Systems segment, the overall GPM decreased from 75% to 61% as shown in the table above.  This was because in 

fiscal year 2013 royalty revenue, which carries a 100% GPM, was $0.8 million, or 11% of total Systems segment revenue, 
versus the prior year royalty revenue which was $6.4 million or 57% of total Systems segment revenue.  Partially offsetting the 
unfavorable GPM impact of the lower royalty revenue in the current year however, was the impact of higher product GPM in 
the current year versus the prior year.  As shown in the table above, the GPM on product sales was 56% for the current  year 
versus the prior year product GPM of 40%.  This is due to the current year higher volume of production and product sales 
resulting in proportionately greater absorption of fixed factory overhead, therefore these fixed costs were proportionately lower 
versus production and sales volume, which resulted in the low GPM on product sales in the prior year.

In the Service and System Integration segment, the overall GPM was 18% for the year ended September 30, 2013 versus 

16% for the prior year.  Product GPM in the segment increased to 15% from 14% when comparing the year ended 
September 30, 2013 to the year ended September 30, 2012, while the segment’s service GPM also increased from 24% to 
27%.  The increase in the product GPM was due to smaller deal size and more favorable product mix in fiscal year 2013 versus 
fiscal 2012, while the increase in service GPM was due primarily to higher utilization of in-house service engineers in 
providing billable services in Germany, and higher third-party maintenance revenue for the current fiscal year versus the prior 
year.

19

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Engineering and Development Expenses

The following table details our engineering and development expenses by operating segment for the year ended 

September 30, 2013 and 2012:

For the Year ended,

September 30,
2013

% of
Total

September 30,
2012

% of
Total

$ Decrease % Decrease

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

By Operating Segment:
Systems
Service and System Integration

Total

$

$

1,857
—
1,857

100% $
—
100% $

1,720
—
1,720

100% $
—
100% $

137
—
137

8%
—
8%

The $0.1 million increase in engineering and development expenses displayed above was due to higher engineering 

consulting expenditures in connection with the development of the next generation of MultiComputer products in the Systems 
segment.

Selling, General and Administrative

The following table details our selling, general and administrative (“SG&A”) expense by operating segment for the 

years ended September 30, 2013 and 2012:

For the Year ended,

September 30,
2013

% of
Total

September 30,
2012

% of
Total

$ Increase % Increase

(Dollar amounts in thousands)

By Operating Segment:
Systems
Service and System Integration

Total

$

$

4,037
11,988
16,025

25% $
75%
100% $

5,515
10,332
15,847

35% $
65%
100% $

(1,478)
1,656
178

(27)%
16 %
1 %

 SG&A expenses increased in the Service and System Integration segment by approximately $1.7 million when 

comparing the fiscal year ended September 30, 2013 versus the prior year. This increase was due primarily to higher 
commissions and other incentive compensation expense which increased by approximately $0.7 million, due to the higher gross 
profit, and operating profit in the segment, higher salary expenses for additional headcount and promotions of approximately 
$0.9 million.

The decrease in SG&A expense in the Systems segment was due in large part to a non-recurring reduction in the cash 
surrender value of officer life insurance of approximately $0.9 million, related to a policy on our former chief executive, who 
died in fiscal 2012. In addition, retirement expense was lower by approximately $0.4 million and bonus expense was lower by 
approximately $0.5 million the year ended September 30, 2013, versus the prior year.  The reductions in expenses were 
partially offset by higher legal expenses of approximately $0.3 million in connection with a proxy challenge during the year 
ended September 30, 2013.

Proceeds from officer life insurance settlement

In fiscal year 2012, we recognized approximately $2.1 million for the settlement from a life insurance policy for our 
former chief executive officer, who died during fiscal 2012.  No such settlements occurred during for the fiscal year ended 
September 30, 2013.

20

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Other Income/Expenses

The following table details our other income/expenses for the years ended September 30, 2013 and 2012:

Interest expense
Interest income
Foreign exchange gain (loss)
Other income (expense), net
Total other expense, net

For the Year ended,

September 30,
2013

September 30,
2012

Increase
(Decrease)

(Amounts in thousands)

$

$

(86) $
32
(18)
60
(12) $

(85) $
44
(60)
1
(100) $

(1)
(12)
42
59
88

Other income (expense), net, for the years ended September 30, 2013 and 2012 was not significant nor was the change 

from the prior year to the current year.

Income Taxes

The Company recorded an income tax expense of approximately $0.3 million, which reflected an effective tax expense 
rate of 47% for the year ended September 30, 2013, compared to income tax benefit of approximately $1.7 million for the year 
ended September 30, 2012, which reflected an effective tax benefit rate of 36%.

As of September 30, 2013, management assessed the positive and negative evidence in the U.S operations, and 
estimated we will have sufficient future taxable income to utilize the existing deferred tax assets. Significant objective positive 
evidence included the cumulative profits that we realized over the most recent years.  This evidence enhances our ability to 
consider other subjective evidence such as our projections for future growth. Other factors we considered are the likelihood for 
continued royalty income in future years, and our expectation that the Service and Systems Integration segment will continue to 
be profitable in future years. On the basis of this evaluation, as of September 30, 2013, we have concluded that our US deferred 
tax asset is more likely than not to be realized. It should be noted however, that the amount of the deferred tax asset realized 
could be adjusted in future years, if estimates of taxable income during the carryforward periods are reduced, or if objective 
negative evidence such as cumulative losses is present.

We realized a tax benefit for the year ended September 30, 2012, despite the fact that we had positive earnings before 
taxes for the year.  This was because we reversed the U.S. valuation allowance of $3.0 million on our deferred tax assets, which 
had been accumulated over the past several years, resulting in this overall tax benefit. The recording and ultimate reversal of 
valuation allowances for our deferred tax asset requires significant judgment associated with past and projected performance.  
In assessing the realizability of deferred tax assets, we consider our taxable future earnings and the expected timing of the 
reversal of temporary differences. In prior years, we recorded a valuation allowance which reduced the gross deferred tax asset 
to an amount that we believed was more likely than not to be realized because our inability to project future profitability 
beyond fiscal year 2012 in the U.S. and cumulative losses incurred in recent years in the United Kingdom represented sufficient 
negative evidence to record a valuation allowance against certain deferred tax assets.

We continue to  maintain a full valuation allowance against our United Kingdom deferred tax assets as we have 
experienced cumulative losses and do not have any indication that the operation will be profitable in the future to an extent that 
will allow us to utilize much of our net operating loss carryforwards. To the extent that actual experience deviates from our 
assumptions, our projections would be affected and hence our assessment of realizability of our deferred tax assets may change.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Our primary source of liquidity is our cash and cash equivalents, which decreased by approximately $1.9 million to 
$18.6 million as of September 30, 2013 from $20.5 million as of September 30, 2012. At September 30, 2013, cash equivalents 
consisted of money market funds which totaled $3.5 million.

Significant sources of cash for the year ended September 30, 2013 included net income of approximately $0.4 million,  

depreciation and amortization of approximately $0.4 million, decrease in officer life insurance settlement receivable of 

21

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
approximately $2.2 million, a decrease in inventories of approximately $1.4 million, and a decrease in other assets of 
approximately $0.3 million.  Significant uses of cash included a decrease in accounts payable and accrued expenses of 
approximately $3.3 million, payment of dividends of approximately $1.4 million, an increase in accounts receivable of 
approximately $1.1 million and purchases of property and equipment of $0.9 million.

Cash held by our foreign subsidiaries located in Germany and the United Kingdom totaled approximately $6.6 million as 

of September 30, 2013 and $9.8 million as of September 30, 2012. This cash is included in our total cash and cash equivalents 
reported above. We consider this cash to be permanently reinvested into these foreign locations because repatriating it would 
result in unfavorable tax consequences.  Consequently, it is not available for activities that would require it to be repatriated to 
the U.S.

If cash generated from operations is insufficient to satisfy working capital requirements, we may need to access funds 
through bank loans or other means. There is no assurance that we will be able to raise any such capital on terms acceptable to 
us, on a timely basis or at all. If we are unable to secure additional financing, we may not be able to complete development or 
enhancement of products, take advantage of future opportunities, respond to competition or continue to effectively operate our 
business.

Based on our current plans and business conditions, management believes that the Company’s available cash and cash 

equivalents, the cash generated from operations and availability on our lines of credit will be sufficient to provide for the 
Company’s working capital and capital expenditure requirements for the foreseeable future.

22

 
 
 
Critical Accounting Policies 

Our discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations are based upon our consolidated financial 

statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. The 
preparation of these financial statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, 
liabilities, revenues and expenses. On an on-going basis, we evaluate our estimates, including those related to uncollectible 
receivables, inventory valuation, goodwill and intangibles, income taxes, deferred compensation, revenue recognition, 
retirement plans, restructuring costs and contingencies. We base our estimates on historical performance and on various other 
assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making 
judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may 
differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. 

We believe the following critical accounting policies affect our more significant judgments and estimates used in the 
preparation of our consolidated financial statements: revenue recognition; valuation allowances, specifically the allowance for 
doubtful accounts and net deferred tax asset valuation allowance; inventory valuation; intangibles; and pension and retirement 
plans. 

Revenue Recognition 

The Company recognizes product revenue from customers at the time of transfer of title and risk of loss which is 

generally at the time of shipment, provided that persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, the price is fixed or determinable 
and collectability of sales proceeds is reasonably assured. We include freight billed to our customers as sales and the related 
freight costs as cost of sales. The Company reduces revenue for estimated customer returns. 

The Company recognizes revenue from software licenses when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, delivery of 

the product has occurred and the fee is fixed or determinable and collectability is probable, in accordance with Financial 
Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") Accounting Standards Codification ("FASC") Section 985-605-25 Software - Revenue 
Recognition ("FASC 985-605-25"). When delivery of services accompany software sales, and vendor specific objective 
evidence does not exist, and the only undelivered element is services that do not involve significant modification, or 
customization, of software, then the entire fee is recognized as the services are performed.  If no pattern of performance is 
discernible, the fee is recognized straight line over the service period.  In accordance with FASC 985-605-25, for tangible 
products containing software components and non-software components, we determine whether these elements function 
together to deliver the tangible product essential functionality.  If the software and non-software components of the tangible 
product function together to deliver the tangible product's essential functionality, software revenue recognition guidance is not 
applied, but rather other appropriate revenue recognition guidance is followed.

The Company also offers training, maintenance agreements and support services. The Company has established fair value 

on its training, maintenance and support services based on prices charged in separate sales to customers at prices established 
and published in its standard price lists. These prices are not discounted. Revenue from these service obligations under 
maintenance contracts is deferred and recognized on a straight-line basis over the contractual period, which is typically three to 
twelve months, if all other revenue recognition criteria have been met. Support services provided on a time and material basis 
are recognized as provided if all of the revenue recognition criteria have been met for that element and the support services 
have been provided. Training revenue is recognized when performed.

In certain multiple-element revenue arrangements, the Company is obligated to deliver to its customers multiple products 

and/or services (“multiple elements”). In these transactions, the Company allocates the total revenue to be earned under the 
arrangement among the various elements based on the Company's best estimate of the standalone selling price. The allocation 
is based on vendor specific objective evidence, third party evidence or estimated selling price when that element is sold 
separately. The Company recognizes revenue related to the delivered products or services only if the above revenue recognition 
criteria are met and the delivered element has standalone value. 

The Company follows Sections 605-25 Revenue Recognition - Multiple Element Arrangements ("FASC 605-25"). FASC 

605-25 provides accounting principles and application guidance on whether multiple deliverables exist, how the arrangement 
should be separated, and how the consideration should be allocated.  This guidance provides for separate revenue recognition 
based upon management's estimate of the selling price for an undelivered item when there is no other means to determine the 
fair value of that undelivered item.

23

 
 
 
 
 
Description of multiple-deliverable arrangements and Software Elements

In many cases, our multiple-deliverable arrangements involve initial shipment of hardware (including tangible products 

that include software and non-software elements), software products and subsequent delivery of services which add value to the 
products that have been shipped.  In some instances, services are performed prior to product shipment, but more typically 
services are performed subsequent to shipment of the hardware products. The timing of the delivery and performance of 
deliverables may vary case-by-case.  In accordance with FASC 605-25, we evaluate whether we can determine Vendor Specific 
Objective Evidence ("VSOE") or third-party evidence to allocate revenue among the various elements in an arrangement. When 
VSOE or third-party evidence cannot be determined, we use estimated selling prices to allocate revenue to the various 
elements.  Estimated selling prices are determined using the targeted gross margin for each element and calculating the gross 
revenue for each element that would have been required to achieve the targeted gross margin, and allocating revenue to each 
element based on those relative values.

Typically, product revenue which may consist of hardware (including tangible products that include software and non-

software elements) and/or software elements are recognized upon shipment, or when risk of loss passes to the customer.  
Services elements are typically recognized upon completion for fixed-price service arrangements, and as services are performed 
for time and materials service arrangements. 

The following policies are applicable to the Company's major categories of segment revenue transactions: 

Systems Segment Revenue 

Revenue in the Systems segment consists of product and service revenue. Generally, product revenue is recognized when 

product is shipped, provided that all revenue recognition criteria are met. Service revenue consists principally of royalty 
revenue related to the licensing of certain of the Company's proprietary system technology and repair services. The Company 
recognizes royalty revenues upon notification by the customer of shipment of the systems produced pursuant to the royalty 
agreement. Repair service revenue is generally based upon a fixed price and is recognized upon completion of the repair. 

From time to time we enter into multiple element arrangements in the Systems segment. We follow the accounting 

policies described above for such arrangements. 

The Company's standard sales agreements generally do not include customer acceptance provisions. However, in certain 

instances when arrangements include a customer acceptance provision or there is uncertainty about customer acceptance, 
revenue is deferred until the Company has evidence of customer acceptance. Customers generally do not have the right of 
return, once customer acceptance has occurred. 

Service and System Integration Segment Revenue 

Revenue in the Service and System Integration segment consists of product and service revenue. 

Revenue from the sale of third-party hardware and third-party software is recognized when the revenue recognition 
criteria are met. The Company's standard sales agreements generally do not include customer acceptance provisions. However, 
in certain instances when arrangements include a customer acceptance provision or there is uncertainty about customer 
acceptance, revenue is deferred until the Company has evidence of customer acceptance. Customers do not have the right of 
return. 

Service revenue is comprised of information technology consulting development, installation, implementation and 
maintenance services. We follow the accounting policies described above for service transactions. For arrangements that 
include a customer acceptance provision, or if there is uncertainty about customer acceptance of services rendered, revenue is 
deferred until the Company has evidence of customer acceptance.

 For sales that are financed by customers through leases with a third party, when risk of loss does not pass to the customer 

until the lease is executed, revenue is recognized upon cash receipt and execution of the lease.

We sell certain third party service contracts, which are evaluated to determine whether the sale of such service revenue 

should be recorded as gross sales or net sales in accordance with the sales recognition criteria as required by FASC 605-45 
Principal Agent Considerations. We must determine whether we act as a principal in the transaction and assume the risks and 
rewards of ownership or if we are simply acting as an agent or broker. Under gross sales recognition, the entire selling price is 
recorded in sales and our cost to the third-party service provider or vendor is recorded in cost of goods sold. Under net sales 
recognition, the cost to the third-party service provider or vendor is recorded as a reduction to sales resulting in net sales equal 
to the gross profit on the transaction and there are no costs of goods sold. We use the net sales recognition method for the third 

24

  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
party service contracts that we sell when we are not the primary obligor on the contract. We use the gross sales recognition for 
the third party service contracts that we sell when we act as principal and are the primary obligor.

Product Warranty Accrual 

Our product sales generally include a 90-day to one-year hardware warranty. At time of product shipment, we accrue for 

the estimated cost to repair or replace potentially defective products. Estimated warranty costs are based upon prior actual 
warranty costs for substantially similar products. 

Engineering and Development Expenses 

Engineering and development expenses include payroll, employee benefits, stock-based compensation and other 
headcount-related expenses associated with product development.  Engineering and development expenses also include third-
party development and programming costs. We consider technological feasibility for our software products to be reached upon 
the release of the software, accordingly, no internal software development costs have been capitalized.

Income Taxes 

We use the asset and liability method of accounting for income taxes whereby deferred tax assets and liabilities are 
recognized for the estimated future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying 
amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using 
enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect 
on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment 
date. We also reduce deferred tax assets by a valuation allowance if, based on the weight of available evidence, it is more likely 
than not that some portion or all of the recorded deferred tax assets will not be realized in future periods. This methodology 
requires estimates and judgments in the determination of the recoverability of deferred tax assets and in the calculation of 
certain tax liabilities. Valuation allowances are recorded against the gross deferred tax assets that management believes, after 
considering all available positive and negative objective evidence, historical and prospective, with greater weight given to 
historical evidence, that it is more likely than not that these assets will not be realized. 

In addition, we are required to recognize in the consolidated financial statements, those tax positions determined to be 
more-likely-than-not of being sustained upon examination, based on the technical merits of the positions as of the reporting 
date. If a tax position is not considered more-likely-than-not to be sustained based solely on its technical merits, no benefits of 
the position are recognized. 

In addition, the calculation of the Company's tax liabilities involves dealing with uncertainties in the application of 

complex tax regulations in a multitude of jurisdictions. The Company records liabilities for estimated tax obligations in the 
U.S. and other tax jurisdictions. These estimated tax liabilities include the provision for taxes that may become payable in the 
future.

 Intangible Assets 

Intangible assets that are not subject to amortization are also required to be tested annually, or more frequently if events 

or circumstances indicate that the asset may be impaired. We did not have intangible assets with indefinite lives other than 
goodwill at any time during the two years ended September 30, 2013. Intangible assets subject to amortization are amortized 
over their estimated useful lives, generally three to ten years, and are carried at cost, less accumulated amortization. The 
remaining useful lives of intangible assets are evaluated on an annual basis. Intangible assets subject to amortization are also 
tested for recoverability whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that their carrying amount may not be 
recoverable. If the fair value of an intangible asset subject to amortization is determined to be less than its carrying value, then 
an impairment charge is recorded to write down that asset to its fair value. 

Inventories 

Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or market, with cost determined using the first-in, first-out method. The 
recoverability of inventories is based upon the types and levels of inventories held, forecasted demand, pricing, competition 
and changes in technology. We write down our inventory for estimated obsolescence or unmarketable inventory equal to the 
difference between the cost of inventory and the estimated market value based upon assumptions about future demand and 
market conditions. If actual market conditions are less favorable than those projected by management, additional inventory 
write-downs may be required.

25

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Pension and Retirement Plans 

The funded status of pension and other post-retirement benefit plans is recognized prospectively on the balance sheet. 

Gains and losses, prior service costs and credits and any remaining transition amounts that have not yet been recognized 
through pension expense will be recognized in accumulated other comprehensive income, net of tax, until they are amortized as 
a component of net periodic pension/post-retirement benefits expense. Additionally, plan assets and obligations are measured as 
of our fiscal year-end balance sheet date (September 30). 

We have defined benefit and defined contribution plans in the United Kingdom (the “U.K.”), Germany and in the U.S. In 
the U.K. and Germany, the Company provides defined benefit pension plans for certain employees and former employees and 
defined contribution plans for the majority of the employees. The defined benefit plans in both the U.K. and Germany are 
closed to newly hired employees and have been for the two years ended September 30, 2013. In the U.S., the Company also 
provides defined contribution plans that cover most employees and supplementary retirement plans to certain employees and 
former employees who are now retired. These supplementary retirement plans are also closed to newly hired employees and 
have been for the two years ended September 30, 2013. These supplementary plans are funded through whole life insurance 
policies. The Company expects to recover all insurance premiums paid under these policies in the future, through the cash 
surrender value of the policies and any death benefits or portions thereof to be paid upon the death of the participant. These 
whole life insurance policies are carried on the balance sheet at their cash surrender values as they are owned by the Company 
and not assets of the defined benefit plans. In the U.S., the Company also provides for officer death benefits and post-retirement 
health insurance benefits through supplemental post-retirement plans to certain officers. The Company also funds these 
supplemental plans' obligations through whole life insurance policies on the officers. 

Pension expense is based on an actuarial computation of current future benefits using estimates for expected return on 

assets, expected compensation increases and applicable discount rates. Management has reviewed the discount rates and rates 
of return with our consulting actuaries and investment advisor and concluded they were reasonable.  A decrease in the expected 
return on pension assets would increase pension expense. Expected compensation increases are estimated based on historical 
and expected increases in the future. Increases in estimated compensation increases would result in higher pension expense 
while decreases would lower pension expense. Discount rates are selected based upon rates of return on high quality fixed 
income investments currently available and expected to be available during the period to maturity of the pension benefit. A 
decrease in the discount rate would result in greater pension expense while an increase in the discount rate would decrease 
pension expense. 

The Company funds its pension plans in amounts sufficient to meet the requirements set forth in applicable employee 

benefits laws and local tax laws. Liabilities for amounts in excess of these funding levels are accrued and reported in the 
consolidated balance sheets.

Inflation and Changing Prices 

Management does not believe that inflation and changing prices had significant impact on sales, revenues or income 

(loss) during fiscal 2013 or 2012. There is no assurance that the Company's business will not be materially and adversely 
affected by inflation and changing prices in the future. 

26

 
 
 
 
 
Item 8. 

Financial Statements and Supplementary Data 

The consolidated financial statements are included herein. 

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

Consolidated Balance Sheets as of September 30, 2013 and 2012

Consolidated Statements of Operations for the years ended September 30, 2013 and 2012

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income for the years ended September 30, 2013 and 2012

Consolidated Statements of Shareholders' Equity for the years ended September 30, 2013 and 2012

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the years ended September 30, 2013 and 2012

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

Item 9.  Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosures

None.

Page 
33

34

35

36

37

38

39

27

 
 
 
 
Item 9A. 

Controls and Procedures 

Evaluation of Controls and Procedures 

Disclosure Controls and Procedures. The Company evaluated the effectiveness of the design and operation of our 
disclosure controls and procedures as of September 30, 2013. Our chief executive officer, our chief financial officer and other 
members of our senior management team supervised and participated in this evaluation. The term “disclosure controls and 
procedures,” as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act, means controls and other procedures of a 
company that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by a company in the reports that it files or 
submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the 
SEC's rules and forms. Disclosure controls and procedures include, without limitation, controls and procedures designed to 
ensure that information required to be disclosed by a company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is 
accumulated and communicated to the company's management, including its principal executive and principal financial 
officers, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.  Management recognizes that any controls and 
procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving their objectives and 
management necessarily applies its judgment in evaluating the cost-benefit relationship of possible controls and procedures. 
Based on the evaluation of our disclosure controls and procedures as of September 30, 2013, the Company's chief executive 
officer and chief financial officer concluded that, as of such date, our disclosure controls and procedures were effective. 

Management's Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting.

The Company's management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial 
reporting. As defined in Rule 13a-15(f) under the Exchange Act, internal control over financial reporting is a process designed 
by or under the supervision of a company's principal executive and principal financial officers and effected by a company's 
board of directors, management and other personnel, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial 
reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with accounting principles generally 
accepted in the United States of America. It includes those policies and procedures that: 

•  pertain to the maintenance of records that in reasonable detail accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and 

dispositions of the assets of a company; 

•  provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements 

in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and that receipts and expenditures of a company are being 
made only in accordance with authorizations of management and the board of directors of a company; and 

•  provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition 

of a company's assets that could have a material effect on its financial statements. 

Management has assessed the effectiveness of the Company's internal control over financial reporting as of September 30, 

2013. In making its assessment of internal control, management used the criteria described in “Internal Control-Integrated 
Framework” issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations (“COSO”) of the Treadway Commission. As a result of its 
assessment, management has concluded that the Company's internal control over financial reporting was effective as of 
September 30, 2013.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. 

Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become 
inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate. 

This Annual Report on Form 10-K does not include an attestation report of the Company's independent registered public 

accounting firm regarding internal control over financial reporting. Management's assessment of the effectiveness of the 
Company's internal control over financial reporting as of September 30, 2013 was not subject to attestation by the Company's 
independent registered public accounting firm pursuant to rules of the SEC that call for the Company to provide only 
management's report in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

 Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting. 

During the quarter ended September 30, 2013, there were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting that 

have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

Item 9B. 

Other Information

None.

28

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Item 10. 

Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance 

PART III

We incorporate the information required by this item by reference to the sections captioned “Nominees for Election”, “Our 

Board of Directors”, “Our Executive Officers”, “Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance” and “Corporate 
Governance” in our Schedule 14A Proxy Statement for our 2014 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, to be filed with the SEC 
within 120 days after the end of our fiscal year ended September 30, 2013. 

Item 11. 

Executive Compensation 

We incorporate the information required by this item by reference to the sections captioned “Compensation of Executive 
Officers” and “Compensation of Non-Employee Directors” in our Schedule 14A Proxy Statement for our 2014 Annual Meeting 
of Stockholders to be filed with the SEC within 120 days after the end of our fiscal year ended September 30, 2013. 

Item 12. 

Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters 

Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans. 

The equity compensation plans approved by our stockholders consist of the CSP, Inc.1997 Incentive Stock Option Plan, 

2003 Stock Incentive Plan and 2007 Stock Incentive Plan.   In fiscal 2013 and 2012, the Company granted certain officers 
including its Chief Executive Officer and non-employee directors shares of non-vested common stock instead of stock options. 
The vesting periods for the officers', the Chief Executive Officer's and the directors' non-vested stock awards are four years, 
three years and one year, respectively. The following table sets forth information as of September 30, 2013 regarding the total 
number of securities outstanding under these stock option plans. 

(a) 

(b)

Number of securities 
to be
issued upon exercise 
of
outstanding options, 
warrants
and rights, and non-
vested shares issued  

Weighted-
average
exercise price 
of outstanding
options, 
warrants and 
rights

(c) 
Number of securities
remaining available 
for future
issuance under 
equity
compensation plans 
(excluding
securities reflected 
in column
(a))

Plan Category

Equity compensation plans approved by
security holders (1)

262,393

$

3.10

184,033

(1)   Includes 154,717 non-vested shares issued.

We incorporate additional information required by this Item by reference to the section captioned “Security Ownership 

of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management” in our Schedule 14A Proxy Statement for our 2014 Annual Meeting of 
Stockholders to be filed with the SEC within 120 days after the end of our fiscal year ended September 30, 2013.

Item 13. 

Certain Relationships and Related Transactions and Director Independence 

We incorporate the information required by this item by reference to the section captioned “Corporate Governance” in 

our Schedule 14A Proxy Statement for our 2014 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be filed with the SEC within 120 days after 
the end of our fiscal year ended September 30, 2013. 

Item 14. 

Principal Accountant Fees and Services 

We incorporate the information required by this item by reference to the section captioned “Fees for Professional 
Services” and “Pre-approval Policies and Procedures” in our Schedule 14A Proxy Statement for our 2014 Annual Meeting of 
Stockholders to be filed with the SEC within 120 days after the end of our fiscal year ended September 30, 2013. 

29

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
PART IV

Item 15. 

Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules 

(a)   (1)   Financial statements filed as part of this report:

Consolidated Balance Sheets as of September 30, 2013 and 2012 

Consolidated Statements of Operations for the years ended September 30, 2013 and 2012 

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income for the years ended September 30, 2013 and 2012. 

Consolidated Statements of Shareholders' Equity for the years ended September 30, 2013 and 2012 

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the years ended September 30, 2013 and 2012 

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements 

(2)   Financial Statement Schedules 

All other financial statements and schedules not listed have been omitted since the required information is included in the 

consolidated financial statements or the notes thereto included in Item 8, or is not applicable, material or required. 

30

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CSPI Supplemental Retirement Income Plan

10-K

December 29, 2008

10.2

Filed 
with
this 
Form
10-K

Incorporated by Reference

Form

Filing Date

10-K

10-K

December 26, 2007

December 20, 2012

10-K November 22, 1996

Exhibit
No..

3.1

3.1

10.3

DEF 14A

December 1, 1997

DEF 14A

December 23, 2003

DEF 14A

March 30, 2007

A

B

B

10-K

December 22, 2009

10.11

10-K

December 22, 2009

10.11

10-K

December 22, 2009

10.11

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

(3)   Exhibits 

Exhibit
No.

Description 

3.1

3.2

10.1

10.2

10.6*

10.8*

10.9*

10.10*

10.11*

10.12*

10.13*

Articles of Organization and amendments thereto

By-laws, as amended December 13, 2012

Form of Employee Invention and Non-Disclosure
Agreement

1997 Incentive Stock Option Plan, as amended

2003 Stock Incentive Plan

2007 Stock Incentive Plan

2013 Variable Compensation (Executive Bonus) and
Base Programs dated November 8, 2012

Death Benefit and Retirement Benefit Agreement
between the Company and Victor Dellovo dated
September 13, 2013

Form of Change of Control Agreement with Gary W.
Levine, Walter Pastucha and William E. Bent Jr. each
dated January 11, 2008

Form of Change of Control Agreement with Robert A.
Stellato, Andrew Shieh, Robert Gove, Peter Haebler,
Kevin Magee and Stephen Pfeil each dated January 11,
2008

10.14*

Employment Agreement with Victor Dellovo dated
April 11, 2003

21.1

23.1

31.1

31.2

32.1

101.INS**

Subsidiaries

Consent of McGladrey LLP, Independent Registered
Public Accounting Firm

Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to
Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to
Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

Certification of Chief Executive Officer and  Chief
Financial Officer pursuant to Section 906 of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
XBRL Instance

101.SCH**

XBRL Taxonomy Schema

101.CAL**

XBRL Taxonomy  Extension Calculation

101.DEF**

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition

101.LAB**

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Labels

101.PRE**

XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation

*  Management contract or compensatory plan.

**  XBRL information is furnished and not filed or a part of a registration statement or prospectus for purposes of sections 11 
or 12 or the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, is deemed not filed for purposes of section 18 of the Securities Exchange 
Act of 1934, as amended, and otherwise is not subject to liability under these sections.

31

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly 

caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized. 

SIGNATURES 

CSP INC.

By:

/s/ Victor Dellovo
Victor Dellovo
Chief Executive Officer and President

Date: December 24, 2013 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the 

following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated. 

Name

 Title 

 Date 

  /s/ Victor Dellovo  
Victor Dellovo

Chief Executive Officer, President
and Director

December 24, 2013

/s/ Gary W. Levine
Gary W. Levine

Chief Financial Officer
(Principal Financial Officer)

December 24, 2013

   /s/Robert A. Stellato
Robert A. Stellato

Vice President of Finance
(Chief Accounting Officer)

December 24, 2013

        /s/ J. David Lyons
J. David Lyons

        /s/ C. Shelton James
C. Shelton James

        /s/ Robert M. Williams
Robert M. Williams

Director

December 24, 2013

Director

December 24, 2013

Director

December 24, 2013

        /s/ Raymond Charles Blackmon
Raymond Charles Blackmon

Director

December 24, 2013

/s/ Marilyn T. Smith
Marilyn T. Smith

/s/ Robert Bunnett
Robert Bunnett

Director

December 24, 2013

Director

December 24, 2013

32

 
 
 
 
 
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM 

To the Board of Directors and Shareholders
CSP Inc. and subsidiaries

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of CSP Inc. and subsidiaries as of September 30, 2013 and 
2012, and the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income, shareholders' equity, and cash flows for the 
years then ended.  These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management.  Our responsibility is to 
express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audits.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States).  
Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial 
statements are free of material misstatement.  The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit 
of its internal control over financial reporting.  Our audits included consideration of internal control over financial reporting as 
a basis for designing audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an 
opinion on the effectiveness of the Company's internal control over financial reporting.  Accordingly, we express no such 
opinion.  An audit also includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial 
statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the 
overall financial statement presentation.  We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial 
position of CSP Inc. and subsidiaries as of September 30, 2013 and 2012, and the results of their operations and their cash 
flows for the years then ended in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. 

/s/ McGladrey LLP 

Boston, Massachusetts
December 24, 2013 

33

 
  
CSP INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(Amounts in thousands, except par value) 

September 30,
2013

September 30,
2012

Current assets:

Cash and cash equivalents

ASSETS

Accounts receivable, net of allowances of $242 and $243

Officer life insurance settlement receivable

Inventories

Refundable income taxes

Deferred income taxes

Other current assets

Total current assets

Property, equipment and improvements, net

Other assets:

Intangibles, net

Deferred income taxes

Cash surrender value of life insurance

Other assets

Total other assets

Total assets

LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY

Current liabilities:

Accounts payable and accrued expenses
Deferred revenue
Pension and retirement plans
Income taxes payable

Total current liabilities

Pension and retirement plans
Deferred income taxes
Other long term liabilities
Total liabilities

Commitments and contingencies

Shareholders’ equity:

Common stock, $.01 par value per share; authorized, 7,500 shares; issued and
outstanding 3,496 and 3,399 shares, respectively
Additional paid-in capital

Retained earnings

Accumulated other comprehensive loss
Total shareholders’ equity

$

18,619

$

$

$

13,529

—

4,791

624

1,313

2,042

40,918

1,420

410

1,771

2,481

225

4,887

47,225

$

$

10,503
3,816
746
60
15,125
8,660
—
405
24,190

35

11,137

17,728

(5,865)
23,035

Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity

$

47,225

$

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

34

20,493

12,145

2,172

6,276

121

1,284

2,215

44,706

991

492

2,373

2,181

323

5,369

51,066

13,574
3,693
717
184
18,168
9,431
—
426
28,025

34

10,875

18,744

(6,612)
23,041

51,066

 
 
 
 
CSP INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(Amounts in thousands, except for per share data)

For the year ended

September 30,
2013

September 30,
2012

$

65,844

$

21,775
87,619

54,023

15,013

69,036

59,583

25,224
84,807

50,226

14,160

64,386

18,583

20,421

Sales:

Product

Services

Total sales

Cost of sales:

Product

Services

Total cost of sales

Gross profit

Operating expenses:

Engineering and development

Selling, general and administrative

Total operating expenses

Income from proceeds of officer life insurance
settlement
Operating income

Other (expense):

Foreign exchange (loss)

Other (expense), net

Total other (expense), net

Income before income taxes

Income tax expense (benefit)

Net income

Net income attributable to common stockholders

Net income per share – basic

Weighted average shares outstanding – basic

Net income per share – diluted

Weighted average shares outstanding – diluted

$

$

$

$

1,857

16,025

17,882

—

701

(18)

6

(12)

689

321

368

361

0.11

3,389

$

$

$

0.10

$

3,441

1,720

15,847

17,567

2,115

4,969

(59)

(41)

(100)

4,869

(1,740)

6,609

6,496

1.93

3,362

1.91

3,405

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

35

 
 
 
CSP INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
(Amounts in thousands)

For the year ended

September 30,
2013

September 30,
2012

Net income

$

368

$

6,609

Other comprehensive income (loss):

Unrealized actuarial gain (loss) on
minimum pension liability

Foreign currency translation gain
(loss)

Other comprehensive income (loss)

630

117

747

(664)

(45)

(709)

Total comprehensive income

$

1,115

$

5,900

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

36

CSP INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
For the Year Ended September 30, 2013: 
(Amounts in thousands)

Shares

Amount

Additional
Paid-in
Capital

Retained
Earnings

Accumulated
other
comprehensive
loss

Total
Shareholders’
Equity

Balance as of September 30, 2011

3,417

$

34

$

10,880

$

12,885

$

(5,903) $

17,896

Comprehensive loss:

Net income

Other comprehensive loss

Stock-based compensation

Purchase of common stock

Restricted stock shares issued

Cash dividends on common stock
($0.22 per share)

—

—

—

(28)

10

Balance as of September 30, 2012

3,399

Comprehensive income (loss):

Net income

Other comprehensive gain

Stock-based compensation

Purchase of common stock

Restricted stock issuance

Exercise of stock options
Cash dividends on common stock
($0.40 per share)
Balance as of September 30, 2013

—

—

—

56

41

—

3,496

$

—

—

—

—

—

34

—

—

—

1

—

35

— $

6,609

—

17
(97)
75

—

—

—

10,875

(750)
18,744

—

4

—

144

114

—

368

—

—

—

(1,384)

—

(709)
—

—

(6,612)

—

747

—

—

—

—

$

11,137

$

17,728

$

(5,865) $

6,609

(709)

17

(97)

75

(750)

23,041

368

747

4

—

145

114

(1,384)

23,035

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

37

 
CSP INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(Amounts in thousands)

Cash flows from operating activities:

Net income
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash used in operating activities:

Depreciation and amortization
Amortization of intangibles

Loss on disposal of fixed assets, net
Foreign exchange loss

Non-cash changes in accounts receivable
Non-cash changes in inventory
Stock-based compensation expense on stock options and restricted stock awards

Deferred income taxes

Increase (decrease) in cash surrender value of life insurance
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:

(Increase) decrease in accounts receivable
(Increase) decrease in officer life insurance settlement receivable
Decrease in inventories

(Increase) decrease in refundable income taxes
(Increase) decrease in other assets

Increase (decrease) in accounts payable and accrued expenses
Increase (decrease) in deferred revenue
Decrease in pension and retirement plans liability
Increase (decrease) in income taxes payable
Increase (decrease) in other long term liabilities

Net cash provided by operating activities

Cash flows from investing activities:
Life insurance premiums paid
Proceeds from the sale of fixed assets
Purchases of property, equipment and improvements

Net cash used in investing activities

Cash flows from financing activities:

Dividends paid
Proceeds from issuance of shares under employee stock purchase plan
Purchase of common stock
Net cash used in financing activities
Effects of exchange rate on cash
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period

Supplementary cash flow information:

Cash paid for income taxes

Cash paid for interest

For the year ended

September 30,
2013

September 30,
2012

$

368

$

6,609

438
82

(3)
18

(2)
63
149

600

(100)

(1,135)
2,172
1,436

(496)
347

(3,250)
(7)
(304)
(127)
(22)
227

(200)
17
(858)
(1,041)

(1,384)
114
—
(1,270)
210
(1,874)
20,493
18,619

434

85

$

$

$

378
82

—
59

(54)
210
92

(2,855)

881

825
(2,172)
286

101
(652)

1,604
824
(116)
63
141
6,306

(143)
—
(551)
(694)

(750)
—
(97)
(847)
(146)
4,619
15,874
20,493

1,056

85

$

$

$

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

38

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CSP INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2012 AND 2011

Organization and Business

CSP Inc. (“CSPI” or “the Company” or “we” or “our”) was founded in 1968 and is based in Billerica, Massachusetts. 

To meet the diverse requirements of its industrial, commercial and defense customers worldwide, CSPI and its subsidiaries 
develop and market IT integration solutions and high-performance cluster computer systems. The Company operates in two 
segments, its Systems segment and its Service and System Integration segment. 

1.         Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Principles of Consolidation 

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its subsidiaries. All significant inter-

company accounts and transactions have been eliminated.

Foreign Currency Translation 

The U.S. Dollar is the reporting currency for all periods presented. The financial information for entities outside the 

United States is measured using the local currency as the functional currency. Assets and liabilities of the Company's foreign 
operations are translated into U.S. dollars at the exchange rates in effect at the balance sheet date. Revenue and expenses are 
translated at average rates in effect during the period. The resulting translation adjustment is reflected as accumulated other 
comprehensive income (loss), a separate component of shareholders' equity on the consolidated balance sheets. The translation 
adjustment for intercompany foreign currency loans that are of a long-term-investment nature is also reflected as accumulated 
other comprehensive income (loss). Currency transaction gains and losses are recorded as other income (expense) in the 
statements of operations. 

Cash Equivalents 

For purposes of the consolidated statement of cash flows, highly liquid investments with original maturities of three 

months or less at the time of acquisition are considered cash equivalents.

Research and Development Expense

For the year ended September 30, 2013, our expenses for research and development were approximately $1.9 million 

compared to approximately $1.7 million for fiscal year 2012. Expenditures for research and development are expensed as they 
are incurred. 

Fair Value Measurements 

We follow current accounting standards for fair value measurements, which define fair value as “the price that would be 
received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement 
date” and establish a fair value hierarchy that requires an entity to maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use 
of unobservable inputs when measuring fair value. A financial instrument's categorization within the fair value hierarchy is 
based upon the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. There are three levels of inputs that may 
be used to measure fair value: 

Level 1 

Level 1 applies to assets or liabilities for which there are quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. 

Level 2 

Level 2 applies to assets or liabilities for which there are inputs other than quoted prices included within Level 1 that are 

observable for the asset or liability such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets; quoted prices for 
identical assets or liabilities in markets with insufficient volume or infrequent transactions (less active markets); or model-
derived valuations in which significant inputs are observable or can be derived principally from, or corroborated by, observable 
market data. 

39

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Level 3 

Level 3 applies to assets or liabilities for which there are unobservable inputs to the valuation methodology that are 

significant to the measurement of the fair value of the assets or liabilities. 

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets 

The Company reviews its long-lived assets, including intangible assets subject to amortization, for impairment whenever 
events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. Management assesses 
the recoverability of the long-lived assets (other than goodwill) by comparing the estimated undiscounted cash flows associated 
with the related asset or group of assets against their respective carrying amounts. The amount of impairment, if any, is 
calculated based on the excess of the carrying amount over the fair value of those assets. 

 Intangible Assets 

Intangible assets that are not subject to amortization are also required to be tested annually, or more frequently if events 

or circumstances indicate that the asset may be impaired. We did not have intangible assets with indefinite lives at any time 
during the two years ended September 30, 2013. Intangible assets subject to amortization are amortized on a straight-line basis 
over their estimated useful lives, generally three to ten years, and are carried at cost, less accumulated amortization. The 
remaining useful lives of intangible assets are evaluated on an annual basis. Intangible assets subject to amortization are also 
tested for recoverability whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that their carrying amount may not be 
recoverable. If the fair value of an intangible asset subject to amortization is determined to be less than its carrying value, then 
an impairment charge is recorded to write down that asset to its fair value. 

Inventories 

Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or market, with cost determined using the first-in, first-out method. The 
recoverability of inventories is based upon the types and levels of inventories held, forecasted demand, pricing, competition 
and changes in technology. We write down our inventory for estimated obsolescence or unmarketable inventory equal to the 
difference between the cost of inventory and the estimated market value based upon assumptions about future demand and 
market conditions. If actual market conditions are less favorable than those projected by management, additional inventory 
write-downs may be required. 

Property, Equipment and Improvements 

The components of property, equipment and improvements are stated at cost. The Company provides for depreciation by 

use of the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the related assets (three to seven years). Leasehold 
improvements are amortized by use of the straight-line method over the lesser of the estimated useful life of the asset or the 
lease term. Repairs and maintenance costs are expensed as incurred. Property, equipment and improvements are tested for 
recoverability whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that its carrying amount may not be recoverable. If the fair 
value of property, equipment and improvements is determined to be less than their carrying value, then an impairment charge is 
recorded to write down that asset to its fair value. 

Trade Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts 

Trade accounts receivable are stated at amounts that have been billed to customers less an allowance for doubtful 
accounts. Allowances for doubtful accounts are recorded for the estimated losses resulting from the inability of our customers 
to make required payments. The estimates for the allowance for doubtful accounts are based on the length of time the 
receivables are past due, current business environment and our historical experience. If the financial condition of our customers 
were to deteriorate, resulting in impairment of their ability to make payments, additional allowances may be required. Accounts 
receivable are charged off against the reserve when management has determined they are uncollectible. 

Pension and Retirement Plans 

The funded status of pension and other postretirement benefit plans is recognized on the balance sheet. Gains and losses, 
prior service costs and credits and any remaining transition amounts that have not yet been recognized through pension expense 
will be recognized in accumulated other comprehensive income, net of tax, until they are amortized as a component of net 
periodic pension/postretirement benefits expense. Additionally, plan assets and obligations are measured as of our fiscal year-
end balance sheet date (September 30). 

We have defined benefit and defined contribution plans in the United Kingdom (the “U.K.”), Germany and in the U.S. In 
the U.K. and Germany, the Company provides defined benefit pension plans for certain employees and former employees and 

40

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
defined contribution plans for the majority of the employees. The defined benefit plans in both the U.K. and Germany are 
closed to newly hired employees and have been for the two years ended September 30, 2013. In the U.S., the Company also 
provides defined contribution plans that cover most employees and supplementary retirement plans to certain employees and 
former employees who are now retired. These supplementary retirement plans are also closed to newly hired employees and 
have been for the two years ended September 30, 2013. These supplementary plans are funded through whole life insurance 
policies. The Company expects to recover all insurance premiums paid under these policies in the future, through the cash 
surrender value of the policies and any death benefits or portions thereof to be paid upon the death of the participant. These 
whole life insurance policies are carried on the balance sheet at their cash surrender values as they are owned by the Company 
and not assets of the defined benefit plans. In the U.S., the Company also provides for officer death benefits and post-retirement 
health insurance benefits through supplemental post-retirement plans to certain officers. The Company also funds these 
supplemental plans' obligations through whole life insurance policies on the officers. 

Pension expense is based on an actuarial computation of current future benefits using estimates for expected return on 

assets, expected compensation increases and applicable discount rates. Management has reviewed the discount rates and rates 
of return with our consulting actuaries and investment advisor and concluded they were reasonable.  A decrease in the expected 
return on pension assets would increase pension expense. Expected compensation increases are estimated based on historical 
and expected increases in the future. Increases in estimated compensation increases would result in higher pension expense 
while decreases would lower pension expense. Discount rates are selected based upon rates of return on high quality fixed 
income investments currently available and expected to be available during the period to maturity of the pension benefit. A 
decrease in the discount rate would result in greater pension expense while an increase in the discount rate would decrease 
pension expense. 

The Company funds its pension plans in amounts sufficient to meet the requirements set forth in applicable employee 

benefits laws and local tax laws. Liabilities for amounts in excess of these funding levels are accrued and reported in the 
consolidated balance sheets.

Revenue Recognition 

The Company recognizes product revenue from customers at the time of transfer of title and risk of loss which is 

generally at the time of shipment, provided that persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, the price is fixed or determinable 
and collectability of sales proceeds is reasonably assured. We include freight billed to our customers as sales and the related 
freight costs as cost of sales. The Company reduces revenue for estimated customer returns. 

The Company recognizes revenue from software licenses when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, delivery of 

the product has occurred and the fee is fixed or determinable and collectability is probable, in accordance with Financial 
Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") Accounting Standards Codification ("FASC") Section 985-605-25 Software - Revenue 
Reecognition ("FASC 985-605-25"). When delivery of services accompany software sales, and vendor specific objective 
evidence does not exist, and the only undelivered element is services that do not involve significant modification, or 
customization, of software, then the entire fee is recognized as the services are performed.  If no pattern of performance is 
discernible, the fee is recognized straight line over the service period.  In accordance with FASC 985-605-25, for tangible 
products containing software components and non-software components, we determine whether these elements function 
together to deliver the tangible product essential functionality.  If the software and non-software components of the tangible 
product function together to deliver the tangible product's essential functionality, software revenue recognition guidance is not 
applied, but rather other appropriate revenue recognition guidance is followed.

The Company also offers training, maintenance agreements and support services. The Company has established fair value 

on its training, maintenance and support services based on prices charged in separate sales to customers at prices established 
and published in its standard price lists. These prices are not discounted. Revenue from these service obligations under 
maintenance contracts is deferred and recognized on a straight-line basis over the contractual period, which is typically 3 to 12 
months, if all other revenue recognition criteria have been met. Support services provided on a time and material basis are 
recognized as provided if all of the revenue recognition criteria have been met for that element and the support services have 
been provided. Training revenue is recognized when performed.

In certain multiple-element revenue arrangements, the Company is obligated to deliver to its customers multiple products 

and/or services (“multiple elements”). In these transactions, the Company allocates the total revenue to be earned under the 
arrangement among the various elements based on the Company's best estimate of the standalone selling price. The allocation 
is based on vendor specific objective evidence, third party evidence or estimated selling price when that element is sold 
separately. The Company recognizes revenue related to the delivered products or services only if the above revenue recognition 
criteria are met and the delivered element has standalone value.

41

 
 
 
 
 
 The Company follows Sections 605-25 Revenue Recognition - Multiple Element Arrangements ("FASC 605-25"). FASC 

605-25 provides accounting principles and application guidance on whether multiple deliverables exist, how the arrangement 
should be separated, and how the consideration should be allocated.  This guidance provides for separate revenue recognition 
based upon management's estimate of the selling price for an undelivered item when there is no other means to determine the 
fair value of that undelivered item.

Description of multiple-deliverable arrangements and Software Elements

In many cases, our multiple-deliverable arrangements involve initial shipment of hardware (including tangible products 

that include software and non-software elements), software products and subsequent delivery of services which add value to the 
products that have been shipped.  In some instances, services are performed prior to product shipment, but more typically 
services are performed subsequent to shipment of the hardware products. The timing of the delivery and performance of 
deliverables may vary case-by-case.  In accordance with FASC 605-25, we evaluate whether we can determine Vendor Specific 
Objective Evidence ("VSOE") or third-party evidence to allocate revenue among the various elements in an arrangement. When 
VSOE or third-party evidence cannot be determined, we use estimated selling prices to allocate revenue to the various 
elements.  Estimated selling prices are determined using the targeted gross margin for each element and calculating the gross 
revenue for each element that would have been required to achieve the targeted gross margin, and allocating revenue to each 
element based on those relative values.

Typically, product revenue which may consist of hardware (including tangible products that include software and non-

software elements) and/or software elements are recognized upon shipment, or when risk of loss passes to the customer.  
Services elements are typically recognized upon completion for fixed-price service arrangements, and as services are performed 
for time and materials service arrangements. 

The following policies are applicable to the Company's major categories of segment revenue transactions: 

Systems Segment Revenue 

Revenue in the Systems segment consists of product and service revenue. Generally, product revenue is recognized when 

product is shipped, provided that all revenue recognition criteria are met. Service revenue consists principally of royalty 
revenue related to the licensing of certain of the Company's proprietary system technology and repair services. The Company 
recognizes royalty revenues upon notification by the customer of shipment of the systems produced pursuant to the royalty 
agreement. Repair service revenue is generally based upon a fixed price and is recognized upon completion of the repair. 

From time to time we enter into multiple element arrangements in the Systems segment. We follow the accounting 

policies described above for such arrangements. 

The Company's standard sales agreements generally do not include customer acceptance provisions. However, in certain 

instances when arrangements include a customer acceptance provision or there is uncertainty about customer acceptance, 
revenue is deferred until the Company has evidence of customer acceptance. Customers generally do not have the right of 
return, once customer acceptance has occurred. 

Service and System Integration Segment Revenue 

Revenue in the Service and System Integration Segment consists of product and service revenue. 

Revenue from the sale of third-party hardware and third-party software is recognized when the revenue recognition 
criteria are met. The Company's standard sales agreements generally do not include customer acceptance provisions. However, 
in certain instances when arrangements include a customer acceptance provision or there is uncertainty about customer 
acceptance, revenue is deferred until the Company has evidence of customer acceptance. Customers do not have the right of 
return. 

Service revenue is comprised of information technology consulting development, installation, implementation and 
maintenance services. We follow the accounting policies described above for service transactions. For arrangements that 
include a customer acceptance provision, or if there is uncertainty about customer acceptance of services rendered, revenue is 
deferred until the Company has evidence of customer acceptance.

 For sales that are financed by customers through leases with a third party, when risk of loss does not pass to the customer 

until the lease is executed, revenue is recognized upon cash receipt and execution of the lease.

We sell certain third party service contracts, which are evaluated to determine whether the sale of such service revenue 

should be recorded as gross sales or net sales in accordance with the sales recognition criteria as required by accounting 
principles generally accepted in the U.S. We must determine whether we act as a principal in the transaction and assume the 

42

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
risks and rewards of ownership or if we are simply acting as an agent or broker. Under gross sales recognition, the entire selling 
price is recorded in sales and our cost to the third-party service provider or vendor is recorded in cost of goods sold. Under net 
sales recognition, the cost to the third-party service provider or vendor is recorded as a reduction to sales resulting in net sales 
equal to the gross profit on the transaction and there are no costs of goods sold. We use the net sales recognition method for the 
third party service contracts that we sell when we are not the primary obligor on the contract. We use the gross sales recognition 
for the third party service contracts that we sell when we act as principal and are the primary obligor.

Product Warranty Accrual 

Our product sales generally include a 90-day to one-year hardware warranty. At time of product shipment, we accrue for 

the estimated cost to repair or replace potentially defective products. Estimated warranty costs are based upon prior actual 
warranty costs for substantially similar products. 

Engineering and Development Expenses 

Engineering and development expenses include payroll, employee benefits, stock-based compensation and other 
headcount-related expenses associated with product development.  Engineering and development expenses also include third-
party development and programming costs. We consider technological feasibility for our software products to be reached upon 
the release of the software, accordingly, no internal software development costs have been capitalized. 

Income Taxes 

We use the asset and liability method of accounting for income taxes whereby deferred tax assets and liabilities are 
recognized for the estimated future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying 
amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using 
enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect 
on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment 
date. We also reduce deferred tax assets by a valuation allowance if, based on the weight of available evidence, it is more likely 
than not that some portion or all of the recorded deferred tax assets will not be realized in future periods. This methodology 
requires estimates and judgments in the determination of the recoverability of deferred tax assets and in the calculation of 
certain tax liabilities. Valuation allowances are recorded against the gross deferred tax assets that management believes, after 
considering all available positive and negative objective evidence, historical and prospective, with greater weight given to 
historical evidence, that it is more likely than not that these assets will not be realized. 

In addition, we are required to recognize in the consolidated financial statements, those tax positions determined to be 
more-likely-than-not of being sustained upon examination, based on the technical merits of the positions as of the reporting 
date. If a tax position is not considered more-likely-than-not to be sustained based solely on its technical merits, no benefits of 
the position are recognized. 

In addition, the calculation of the Company's tax liabilities involves dealing with uncertainties in the application of 

complex tax regulations in a multitude of jurisdictions. The Company records liabilities for estimated tax obligations in the 
U.S. and other tax jurisdictions. These estimated tax liabilities include the provision for taxes that may become payable in the 
future. 

Earnings per Share of Common Stock 

Basic net income per common share is computed by dividing net income available to common shareholders by the 

weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the period. Diluted net income per common share reflects the 
maximum dilution that would have resulted from the assumed exercise and share repurchase related to dilutive stock options 
and is computed by dividing net income by the assumed weighted average number of common shares outstanding.

We are required to present earnings per share, or EPS, utilizing the two class method because we had outstanding, non-

vested share-based payment awards that contain non-forfeitable rights to dividends or dividend equivalents, which are 
considered participating securities.  

Basic and diluted earnings per share computations for the Company's reported net income attributable to common 

stockholders are as follows:

43

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Net income
Less: Net income attributable to nonvested common stock
Net income attributable to common stockholders

For the year ended  

September 30,
2013

September 30,
2012

(Amounts in thousands except per share data)
6,609
$
113
6,496

368
7
361

$

$

$

Weighted average total shares outstanding - basic
Less: weighted average non-vested shares outstanding
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding -
basic
Potential common shares from non-vested stock awards and the
assumed exercise of stock options
Weighted average common shares outstanding - diluted
Net income per share - basic
Net income per share - diluted

$
$

3,458
69

3,389

52
3,441
0.11
0.10

$
$

3,421
59

3,362

43
3,405
1.93
1.91

All anti-dilutive securities, including stock options, are excluded from the diluted income per share computation. For the 

year ended September 30, 2013, 133 thousand options were excluded from the diluted income per share calculation because 
their inclusion would have been anti-dilutive.  For the year ended September 30, 2012, approximately 197 thousand options 
were excluded from the diluted income per share calculation because their inclusion would have been anti-dilutive.

Use of Estimates 

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the 

United States requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities 
and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues 
and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results may differ from those estimates under different assumptions or 
conditions. 

Stock-Based Compensation 

We measure and recognize compensation expense for all stock-based payment awards made to employees and directors 
including stock options and nonvested shares of common stock based on estimated fair values of stock-based payment awards 
on the date of grant. The Company uses the Black-Scholes option-pricing model to calculate the fair value of stock option 
grants. The fair value of nonvested share awards is equal to the quoted market price of our common stock as quoted on the 
Nasdaq Global Market on the date of grant. The value of the portion of the award that is ultimately expected to vest is 
recognized as expense over the requisite service periods in the Company's Consolidated Statement of Operations. 

Because stock-based compensation expense recognized in the Consolidated Statements of Operations for the fiscal years 

ended September 30, 2013 and 2012 is based on awards ultimately expected to vest, it has been reduced for estimated 
forfeitures and will be revised, if necessary, in subsequent periods if actual forfeitures differ from those estimates. 

Stock-based compensation expense recognized for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2013 and 2012 consisted of 

stock-based compensation expense related to options and nonvested stock granted pursuant to the Company's stock incentive 
and employee stock purchase plans of approximately $149 thousand and $92 thousand, respectively. 

Concentrations of Credit Risk 

Cash and cash equivalents are maintained with several financial institutions in the US, Germany and in the UK. Deposits 

held with banks may exceed the amount of insurance on such deposits. Generally, these deposits may be redeemed upon 
demand. The Company has not experienced any losses in such accounts and believes it is not exposed to any significant credit 
risk on cash and cash equivalents.

Subsequent Events 

The Company recognizes in the consolidated financial statements the effects of all subsequent events that provide 

additional evidence about conditions that existed at the date of the statement of financial position, including the estimates 
inherent in the process of preparing financial statements. The Company has evaluated subsequent events through the date of 
this filing.  

44

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
New Accounting Pronouncements and Tax Legislation

In July 2013, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2013-11 Presentation of an Unrecognized Tax Benefit When 
a Net Operating Loss Carryforward, a Similar Tax Loss, or a Tax Credit Carryforward Exists (“ASU 2013-11”). ASU 2013-11 
requires that to the extent a net operating loss carryforward, a similar tax loss, or a tax credit carryforward is not available at the 
reporting date under the tax law of the applicable jurisdiction to settle any additional income taxes that would result from the 
disallowance of a tax position or the tax law of the applicable jurisdiction does not require the entity to use, and the entity does 
not intend to use, the deferred tax asset for such purpose, the unrecognized tax benefit should be presented in the financial 
statements as a liability and should not be combined with deferred tax assets. The assessment of whether a deferred tax asset is 
available is based on the unrecognized tax benefit and deferred tax asset that exist at the reporting date and should be made 
presuming disallowance of the tax position at the reporting date. For example, an entity should not evaluate whether the 
deferred tax asset expires before the statute of limitations on the tax position or whether the deferred tax asset may be used 
prior to the unrecognized tax benefit being settled.

  ASU 2013-11 is effective for fiscal years and interim periods within those years beginning after December 15, 2013. 

The Company will adopt this standard for the quarter ending December 31, 2014.  The Company has not determined what 
impact the adoption of this standard will have on the consolidated financial statements.

In February 2013, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2013-02 Reporting of Amounts Reclassified Out of 

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (“ASU 2013-02”). ASU 2013-02 requires an entity to provide information about 
the amounts reclassified out of accumulated other comprehensive income by component. In addition, an entity is required to 
present, either on the face of the statement where net income is presented or in the notes, significant amounts reclassified out of 
accumulated other comprehensive income by the respective line items of net income but only if the amount reclassified is 
required under U.S. GAAP to be reclassified to net income in its entirety in the same reporting period. For other amounts that 
are not required under U.S. GAAP to be reclassified in their entirety to net income, an entity is required to cross-reference to 
other disclosures required under U.S. GAAP that provide additional detail about those amounts.

  ASU 2013-02 is effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2013. The Company will adopt this 
standard for the quarter ending December 31, 2014.  The Company has not determined what impact the adoption of this 
standard will have on the consolidated financial statements.

In September 2013, the Internal Revenue Service released the final tangible property regulations for Sections 162(a) and 

263(a) of the Internal Revenue Code, regarding the deduction and capitalization of amounts paid to acquire, produce, or 
improve tangible property.  The final regulations replace temporary regulations that were issued in December 2011 and are 
effective for tax years beginning January 1, 2014, with early adoption permitted for tax years beginning January 1, 2012.  The 
final regulations are effective for the Company for its tax year beginning October 1, 2014, and the Company is currently 
evaluating the impact of the final regulations on its consolidated financial statements.

2.         Inventories

Inventories consist of the following:

Raw materials

Work-in-process

Finished goods

Total

September 30,
2013

September 30,
2012

(Amounts in thousands)

$

$

1,587

$

404

2,800

4,791

$

941

1,407

3,928

6,276

Finished goods includes inventory that has been shipped, but for which all revenue recognition criteria has not been met, 

of approximately $0.5 million and $1.4 million as of September 30, 2013 and September 30, 2012, respectively.

Total inventory balances in the table above are shown net of reserves for obsolescence of approximately $4.6 million and 

$4.4 million as of September 30, 2013 and September 30, 2012, respectively.

45

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
3.        Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss

 The components of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss are as follows:

Balance as of September 30, 2011

Change in Period

Tax effect of change in period

Balance as of September 30, 2012

Change in Period

Tax effect of change in period

Balance as of September 30, 2013

Effect of
Foreign
Currency
Translation

Minimum
Pension
Liability

Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
Loss

(Amounts in thousands)

$

$

$

(2,228) $

(3,675) $

(5,903)

(45)

—

(591)

(73)

(636)

(73)

(2,273) $

(4,339) $

(6,612)

117

—

667

(37)

784

(37)

(2,156) $

(3,709) $

(5,865)

The changes in the minimum pension liability are net of amortization of net gain of $18 thousand in 2013 and net loss of $182 
thousand in 2012 included in net periodic pension cost.

4. 

Income Taxes

 The components of income (loss) before income tax and income tax expense (benefit) are comprised of the following: 

Income (loss) before income tax:

U.S.

Foreign

Income tax expense (benefit):

Current:

Federal

State

Foreign

Deferred:

Federal

State

Foreign

$

$

$

For the Years Ended
September 30,

2013

2012
(Amounts in thousands)

809

$

4,382

(120)

487

689

$

4,869

(308) $

1,088

62

(3)

58

40

(249)

1,186

601

(41)

10

570

(2,734)

(274)

82

(2,926)

$

321

$

(1,740)

46

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 As of September 30, 2013, management assessed the positive and negative evidence in the U.S operations, and estimated 
we will have sufficient future taxable income to utilize the existing deferred tax assets. Significant objective positive evidence 
included the cumulative profits that we realized over the most recent years.  This evidence enhances our ability to consider 
other subjective evidence such as our projections for future growth. Other factors we considered are the likelihood for 
continued royalty income in future years, and our expectation that the Service and Systems Integration segment will continue to 
be profitable in future years. On the basis of this evaluation, as of September 30, 2013, we have concluded that our US deferred 
tax asset is more likely than not to be realized. It should be noted however, that the amount of the deferred tax asset realized 
could be adjusted in future years, if estimates of taxable income during the carryforward periods are reduced, or if objective 
negative evidence in the form of cumulative losses is present.

We realized a tax benefit for the year ended September 30, 2012, despite the fact that we had positive earnings before 
taxes for the year.  This was because we reversed the U.S. valuation allowance of $3.0 million on our deferred tax assets, which 
had been accumulated over the past several years, resulting in this overall tax benefit. The recording and ultimate reversal of 
valuation allowances for our deferred tax asset requires significant judgment associated with past and projected performance.  
In assessing the realizability of deferred tax assets, we consider our taxable future earnings and the expected timing of the 
reversal of temporary differences. In prior years, we recorded a valuation allowance which reduced the gross deferred tax asset 
to an amount that we believed was more likely than not to be realized because our inability to project future profitability 
beyond fiscal year 2012 in the U.S. and cumulative losses incurred in recent years in the United Kingdom represented sufficient 
negative evidence to record a valuation allowance against certain deferred tax assets.

We continue to  maintain a full valuation allowance against our United Kingdom deferred tax assets as we have 

experienced cumulative losses and do not have any indication that the operation will be profitable in the future to an extent that 
will allow us to utilize much of our net operating loss carryforwards. To the extent that actual experience deviates from our 
assumptions, our projections would be affected and hence our assessment of realizability of our deferred tax assets may change.

Reconciliation of “expected” income tax expense (benefit) to “actual” income tax expense (benefit) is as follows: 

Computed “expected” tax expense
Increases (reductions) in taxes resulting from:

State income taxes, net of federal tax benefit

Foreign operations

Change in valuation allowance

Permanent differences

Stock-based compensation

Foreign net operating loss

Uncertain tax liability adjustment

Research & Development Credit
Other items
Income tax expense (benefit)

For the Years Ended September 30,

2013

2012

$

234

(Dollar amounts in thousands)
34.0 % $ 1,656

34.0 %

0.3 %

5.8 %

— %

(3.2)%

22.9 %

(2.2)%

(8.9)%

(236)

(176)

(4.9)%

(3.6)%

(2,762)

(56.8)%

(388)

(8.0)%

4

107

37

0.1 %

2.2 %

0.8 %

— %
0.4 %
(35.8)%

—
(7.3)%
18
5.2 %
46.6 % $ (1,740)

1

40

—

(22)

158

(15)

(61)

(50)
36
321

$

47

 
 
 
 
For the years ended September 30, 2013 and 2012, temporary differences, which give rise to deferred tax assets 

(liabilities), are as follows: 

Deferred tax assets:
Pension
Goodwill
Other reserves and accruals
Inventory reserves and other
State credits, net of federal benefit
Federal and state net operating loss carryforwards
Foreign net operating loss carryforwards
Foreign tax credits
Depreciation and amortization
Gross deferred tax assets
Less: valuation allowance
Realizable deferred tax asset
Gross deferred tax liabilities
Net deferred tax assets

September 30,
2013

September 30,
2012

(Amounts in thousands)

$

$

1,539
606
498
703
34
45
1,804
7
109
5,345
(2,261)
3,084
—
3,084

$

$

1,911
723
625
713
79
30
1,815
7
61
5,964
(2,307)
3,657
—
3,657

The deferred tax valuation allowance decreased by approximately $50 thousand, as shown above. In assessing the 
realizability of deferred tax assets, the Company considers its taxable future earnings and the expected timing of the reversal of 
temporary differences. Accordingly, the Company has recorded a valuation allowance which reduces the gross deferred tax 
asset to an amount which management believes will more likely than not be realized. The valuation allowance was determined 
by assessing both positive and negative evidence whether it is more likely than not that deferred tax assets are realizable. Such 
assessment is done on a jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction basis. The Company's inability to project future profitability beyond fiscal 
year 2013 and the cumulative losses incurred in recent years in the U.K. represent sufficient negative evidence to record a 
valuation allowance against certain deferred tax assets. 

As of September 30, 2013 and 2012, the Company had U.S. net operating loss carryforwards for state tax purposes of 

approximately $1.2 million which are available to offset future taxable income through 2030. 

As of September 30, 2013, the Company had U.K. net operating loss carryforwards of approximately $8.9 million that 

have an indefinite life with no expiration. 

Undistributed earnings of the Company's foreign subsidiaries amounted to approximately $3.3 million and $3.4 million at 

September 30, 2013 and 2012, respectively. The Company's policy is that its undistributed foreign earnings are indefinitely 
reinvested and, accordingly, no U.S. federal and state deferred tax liabilities have been recorded. 

In addition, the calculation of the Company's tax liabilities involves dealing with uncertainties in the application of 

complex tax regulations in a multitude of jurisdictions. The Company records liabilities for estimated tax obligations in the 
U.S. and other tax jurisdictions. These estimated tax liabilities include the provision for taxes that may become payable in the 
future. 

As of September 30, 2013, the total amount of uncertain tax liabilities was $0.6 million, all of which would affect our 
effective tax rate if recognized. We recognize interest and potential penalties accrued related to unrecognized tax benefits in our 
provision for income taxes.

48

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
A reconciliation of the beginning and ending balances of the total amounts of gross unrecognized tax benefits is as 

follows:

For the Year Ended
September 30, 2013

For the Year Ended
September 30, 2012

(Amounts in thousands)

Balance, beginning of year
Increases in tax positions in the current year
Settlements
Lapse in statute of limitations
Accrued penalties and interest
Balance, end of period

$

$

611
39
(105)
—
44
589

$

$

472
104
—
(2)
37
611

We file income tax returns in the U.S. federal jurisdictions and various state and foreign jurisdictions.  The Company has 
reviewed the tax positions taken on returns filed domestically and in its foreign jurisdictions for all open years, generally fiscal 
2010 through 2013, and believes that tax adjustments in any audited year will not be material, except for the uncertain tax 
position described above.

5.    Property, Equipment and Improvements, Net 

  Property, equipment and improvements, net consist of the following: 

Leasehold improvements
Equipment
Automobiles

Less accumulated depreciation and amortization
Property, equipment and improvements, net

September 30,
2013

September 30,
2012

(Amounts in thousands)

$

$

370
8,009
67
8,446
(7,026)
1,420

$

$

370
7,178
118
7,666
(6,675)
991

The Company uses the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets to record depreciation expense. 
Depreciation expense was $438 thousand and $378 thousand for the years ended September 30, 2013 and 2012, respectively. 

49

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
6.    Acquired Intangible Assets 

 As of September 30, 2013 and 2012, intangible assets are as follows:

September 30, 2013

September 30, 2012

Weighted
Average
Remaining
Amortization
Period

Gross

Accumulated
Amortization

Net

Weighted
Average
Remaining
Amortization
Period

Gross

Accumulated
Amortization

Net

Customer list
Non-Compete
agreements
Total

5 years

$ 820

$

—
5 years

93
$ 913

$

410

93
503

(Amounts in thousands)
$ 410

6 years

$ 820

$

328

$

492

—
$ 410

—
6 years

93
$ 913

$

93
421

$

—
492

Amortization expense on these intangible assets was $82 thousand and $82 thousand for fiscal 2013 and 2012, 

respectively. 

Annual amortization expense related to intangible assets for each of the following successive fiscal years is as follows:

Fiscal year ending September 30: 
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
Total

7.    Accounts Payable and Accrued Expenses 

Accounts payable and accrued expenses consist of the following:

Accounts payable
Commissions
Compensation and fringe benefits
Professional fees and shareholders' reporting costs
Taxes, other than income
Warranty
Current portion of capital lease
Other

8.    Stock Options and Awards 

(Amounts in thousands)
82
$
82
82
82
82
410

$

September 30,

2013

2012

(Amounts in thousands)

$

$

6,940
209
2,202
450
316
109
—
277
10,503

$

$

9,458
225
2,593
572
316
146
13
251
13,574

In 1997, the Company adopted the 1997 Stock Option Plan (the “1997 Plan”), and authorized 199,650 shares of common 
stock to be reserved for issuance pursuant to the 1997 Plan. The 1997 plan expired in 2007. Because the 1997 Plan has expired, 
no further awards will be issued under this plan. In 2003, the Company adopted the 2003 Stock Incentive Plan (the “2003 
Plan”) and authorized 200,000 shares of common stock to be reserved for issuance pursuant to the 2003 Plan. As of 
September 30, 2013, there were 76,750 shares available to be granted under the 2003 Plan. In 2007, the Company adopted the 
2007 Stock Incentive Plan (the “2007 Plan”) and authorized 250,000 shares of common stock to be reserved for issuance 
pursuant to the 2007 Plan. As of September 30, 2013, there were 107,283 shares available to be granted under the 2007 Plan. In 
2003, the Company issued non-qualified stock options to non-officer employees hired as part of an acquisition. These options 
were granted at their fair value on the date of grant. These options vested over a period of four years and expire ten years from 
the date of grant. Under all of the stock incentive plans, both incentive stock options and non-qualified stock options may be 

50

  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
granted to officers, key employees and other persons providing services to the Company. The 2003 Plan and 2007 Plan also 
provide for awards of nonvested shares of common stock. All of the Company's stock incentive plans have a ten year life. The 
total number of available shares under all plans for future awards was 184,033 as of September 30, 2013. 

Options issued under any of the stock option plans are not affected by termination of the plan. The Company issues stock 

options at their fair market value on the date of grant. Vesting of stock options granted pursuant to the Company's stock 
incentive plans is determined by the Company's compensation committee. Generally, options granted to employees vest over 
four years and expire ten years from the date of grant. Options granted to non-employee directors have historically included 
cliff vesting after six months from the date of grant and expire three years from the date of grant. In fiscal 2011, 2012 and 2013, 
the Company granted certain officers including its Chief Executive Officer and non-employee directors shares of nonvested 
common stock instead of stock options. The vesting periods for the officers', the Chief Executive Officer's and the directors' 
nonvested stock awards are four years, three years and one year, respectively. 

We measure and recognize compensation expense for all stock-based payment awards made to employees and directors 
including employee stock options and awards of nonvested stock based on estimated fair values, as described in note 1. Stock-
based compensation expense incurred and recognized for the years ended September 30, 2013 and 2012 related to stock options 
and nonvested stock granted to employees and non-employee directors under the Company's stock incentive and employee 
stock purchase plans totaled approximately $149 thousand and $92 thousand, respectively. The classification of the cost of 
share-based compensation, in the statements of operations, is consistent with the nature of the services being rendered in 
exchange for the share based payment. The following table summarizes stock-based compensation expense in the Company's 
consolidated statements of operations: 

Cost of sales
Engineering and development
Selling, general and administrative
Total

Year ended

September 30,
2013

September 30,
2012

(Amounts in thousands)

$

$

1
4
144
149

$

$

—
5
87
92

For the year ended September 30, 2013, the Company granted 7,500 nonvested shares to certain key employees, 36,000 

nonvested shares to certain officers, which includes 30,000 shares granted to the Chief Executive Officer and 13,750 nonvested 
shares to its non-employee directors. For the year ended September 30, 2012, the Company granted 1,750 stock options to 
certain key employees, 28,000 nonvested shares to certain officers including its Chief Executive Officer and 10,000 nonvested 
shares to its non-employee directors. 

The Company measures the fair value of nonvested stock awards based upon the market price of its common stock as of 
the date of grant. The Company uses the Black-Scholes option-pricing model to value stock options. The Black-Scholes model 
requires the use of a number of assumptions including volatility of the Company's stock price, the weighted average risk-free 
interest rate and the weighted average expected life of the options, at the time of grant. The expected dividend yield is equal to 
the divided per share declared, divided by the closing share price on the date the options were granted.   All equity 
compensation awards granted for the year ended September 30, 2013 were non-vested stock awards. The table below 
summarizes the assumptions used to value the options that were issued for fiscal year 2012: 

Expected volatility
Expected dividend yield
Risk-free interest rate
Expected term (in years)

Year ended

September 30,
2013
—%
—%
—%
0.00

September 30,
2012
52%
2.92%
1.32%
7.25

The volatility assumption is based on the historical weekly price data of the Company's stock over a period equivalent to 
the weighted average expected life of the Company's options. Management evaluated whether there were factors during those 
periods which would distort the volatility figures if used to estimate future volatility and concluded that there were no such 
factors. 

51

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The risk-free interest rate assumptions are based on U.S. Treasury rates determined at the date of option grant. 

The expected terms of employee stock options represent weighted-average periods that the stock options are expected to 
remain outstanding. They are based upon the historical average of the actual terms that stock options were outstanding, or are 
expected to be outstanding. Management believes this historical data is representative of the expected term of options granted 
for the years ended September 30, 2013 and 2012. 

As stock-based compensation expense recognized in the consolidated statements of operations is based on awards 
ultimately expected to vest, expense for grants beginning upon adoption on October 1, 2005 has been reduced for estimated 
forfeitures. Forfeitures are estimated at the time of grant and revised, if necessary, in subsequent periods if actual forfeitures 
differ from those estimates. The forfeiture rates for the years ended September 30, 2013 and 2012 were based on actual 
forfeitures. 

No cash was used to settle equity instruments granted under share-base payment arrangements in any of the years in the 

two-year period ended September 30, 2013. 

The following tables provide summary data of stock option award activity: 

Weighted
average
exercise
price

Weighted
Average
Remaining
Contractual
Term

Aggregate
Intrinsic
Value
(in thousands)

Number
of Shares 

Outstanding at September 30, 2011
Granted
Expired
Forfeited
Exercised
Outstanding at September 30, 2012
Granted
Expired
Forfeited
Exercised
Outstanding at September 30, 2013
Exercisable at September 30, 2013
Vested and expected to vest at September 30, 2013

$

$
245,425
1,750
$
(750) $
—
—
246,425
—
(97,500) $
—
(41,249)
107,676
104,925
107,676

$
$
$

7.13
3.43
4.79
—
—
7.11
—
8.46
—
2.77
7.56
7.67
7.56

—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—

2.89 Years $
2.77 Years $
2.89 Years $

—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
88
78
88

There were no stock options granted in the year ended September 30, 2013.  The weighted average grant date fair value 
of stock options granted during the year ended September 30, 2012 was $3.43. The aggregate intrinsic value of stock options 
exercised during the year ended September 30, 2013 was $218 thousand. There were no stock options exercised in fiscal 2012.

52

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The following table provides summary data of nonvested stock award activity: 

Weighted
Average
grant date
Fair
Value

Weighted
Average
Remaining
Contractual
Term 

Aggregate
Intrinsic
Value 
(in thousands)

Number of
nonvested
shares

Nonvested shares outstanding at September 30, 2011
Activity in 2012:
Granted
Vested
Forfeited
Nonvested shares outstanding at September 30, 2012
Activity in 2013:
Granted

Vested

Forfeited
Nonvested shares outstanding at September 30, 2013
Vested at September 30, 2013
Vested and expected to vest at September 30, 2013

55,849

$

3.86

38,000
$
(27,766) $
(29,333)
36,750

$

57,250

$

(18,000) $

(2,500)
73,500
81,217
154,717

$
$
$

3.56
3.87
—
3.68

5.80

3.79

6.63
5.21
3.67
4.40

—

—
—
—
—

—

—

—

2.18 Years $
0.26 Years $
1.17 Years $

—

—
—
—
—

—

—

—
520
574
1,094

As of September 30, 2013 there was $267 thousand of total unrecognized compensation cost related to nonvested 
share-based compensation arrangements (including stock option and nonvested stock awards) granted under the company's 
stock incentive plans. This cost is expected to be expensed over a weighted average period of approximately 2.27 years. The 
total fair value of shares vested during the years ended September 30, 2013 and 2012 was $76 thousand and $141 thousand, 
respectively.

9.    Pension and Retirement Plans 

We have defined benefit and defined contribution plans in the U.K., Germany and in the U.S. In the U.K. and Germany, 

the Company provides defined benefit pension plans for certain employees and former employees and defined contribution 
plans for the majority of the employees. The defined benefit plans in both the U.K. and Germany are closed to newly hired 
employees and have been for the two years ended September 30, 2013. In the U.S., the Company also provides defined 
contribution plans that cover most employees and supplementary retirement plans to certain employees and former employees 
who are now retired. These supplementary retirement plans are also closed to newly hired employees and have been for the two 
years ended September 30, 2013. These supplementary plans are funded through whole life insurance policies. The Company 
expects to recover all insurance premiums paid under these policies in the future, through the cash surrender value of the 
policies and any death benefits or portions thereof to be paid upon the death of the participant. These whole life insurance 
policies are carried on the balance sheet at their cash surrender values as they are owned by the Company and not assets of the 
defined benefit plans. In the U.S., the Company also provides for officer death benefits and post-retirement health insurance 
benefits through supplemental post-retirement plans to certain officers. The Company also funds these supplemental plans' 
obligations through whole life insurance policies on the officers. 

Defined Benefit Plans 

The Company funds its pension plans in amounts sufficient to meet the requirements set forth in applicable employee 

benefits laws and local tax laws. Liabilities for amounts in excess of these funding levels are accrued and reported in the 
consolidated balance sheet. 

The German Plan does not have any assets and therefore all costs and benefits of the plan are funded annually with cash 

flow from operations. 

The domestic supplemental retirement plans have life insurance policies which are not considered plan assets but were 

purchased by the Company as a vehicle to fund the costs of the plan. These insurance policies are included in the balance sheet 
at their cash surrender value, net of policy loans, aggregating $1.8 million and $1.8 million as of September 30, 2013 and 2012, 

53

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
respectively. The loans against the policies have been taken out by the Company to pay the premiums. The costs and benefit 
payments for these plans are paid through operating cash flows of the Company to the extent that they can not be funded 
through the use of the cash values in the insurance policies. The Company expects that the recorded value of the insurance 
policies will be sufficient to fund all of the Company's obligations under these plans. 

Assumptions: 

The following table provides the weighted average actuarial assumptions used to determine the actuarial present value of 

projected benefit obligations at:

Discount rate:
Expected return on plan assets:
Rate of compensation increase:

Domestic 
September 30, 

International 
September 30, 

2013

2012

2013

2012

5.00%
—%
—%

4.00%
—%
—%

4.40%
4.80%
1.00%

4.05%
4.70%
1.00%

The following table provides the weighted average actuarial assumptions used to determine net periodic benefit cost for 

years ended: 

Discount rate:
Expected return on plan assets:
Rate of compensation increase:

Domestic 

September 30, 

International 

September 30, 

2013

2012

2013

2012

4.75%
—%
—%

5.25%
—%
—%

4.05%
5.40%
1.12%

5.04%
5.40%
1.12%

For domestic plans, the discount rate was determined by comparison against the Citigroup Pension Discount Curve and 
Liability Index for AA rated corporate instruments. The Company monitors other indices to assure that the pension obligations 
are fairly reported on a consistent basis. The international discount rates were determined by comparison against country 
specific AA corporate indices, adjusted for duration of the obligation. 

The periodic benefit cost and the actuarial present value of projected benefit obligations are based on actuarial 
assumptions that are reviewed on an annual basis. The Company revises these assumptions based on an annual evaluation of 
long-term trends, as well as market conditions that may have an impact on the cost of providing retirement benefits. 

54

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The components of net periodic benefit costs related to the U.S. and international plans are as follows: 

Years Ended September 30 

2013

Foreign 

U.S. 

Total 

Foreign 
(amounts in thousands)

2012

U.S. 

Total 

Pension:
Service cost
Interest cost
Expected return on plan assets
Amortization of:
Prior service gains
Amortization of net (gain)/loss
Net periodic benefit cost
Post Retirement:
Service cost
Interest cost
Expected return on plan assets
Amortization of:
Prior service costs/(gains)
Amortization of net (gain)/loss
Net periodic benefit cost
Pension:

$

$

$

$

59
683
(410)

59
$ — $
64
747
— (410)

—
141
473

—
24
$ 88

—
165
$ 561

$

$

— $ — $ — $
—
—

35
—

35
—

$

61
708
(462)

10
84
—

$

71
792
(462)

—
82
389

—
30
$ 124

—
112
$ 513

— $ — $ —
71
71
—
—
—
—

—
—
— (183)
— $ (148) $ (148) $

—
(183)

—
—
70
—
— $ 141

—
70
$ 141

Increase (decrease) in minimum liability included in other
comprehensive income (loss)
Post Retirement:
Increase (decrease) in minimum liability included in other
comprehensive income (loss)
Total:
Increase (decrease) in minimum liability included in
comprehensive income (loss)

$

(688) $ (104) $ (792) $

1,367

$ (14) $ 1,353

—

127

127

—

(762)

(762)

$

(688) $ 23

$ (665) $

1,367

$ (776) $ 591

55

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The following table presents an analysis of the changes in 2013 and 2012 of the benefit obligation, the plan assets and the 

funded status of the plans: 

Pension:
Change in projected benefit obligation (“PBO”)
Balance beginning of year
Service cost
Interest cost
Changes in actuarial assumptions
Foreign exchange impact
Benefits paid
Projected benefit obligation at end of year
Changes in fair value of plan assets:
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year
Actual gain (loss) on plan assets
Company contributions
Foreign exchange impact
Benefits paid
Fair value of plan assets at end of year
Funded status
Unamortized net loss

Net amount recognized
Post Retirement:
Change in projected benefit obligation
(“PBO”):
Balance beginning of year
Service cost
Interest cost
Changes in actuarial assumptions
Foreign exchange impact
Benefits paid
Projected benefit obligation at end of year
Changes in fair value of plan assets:
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year
Actual gain/(loss) on plan assets
Company contributions
Foreign exchange impact
Benefits paid from plan assets
Fair value of plan assets at end of year

Funded status
Unamortized net loss
Net amount recognized

Years Ended September 30 

Foreign 

2013

U.S. 

Total 

Foreign 
(Amounts in thousands)

2012

U.S. 

Total 

$ 16,575
59
683
(508)
235
(393)
$ 16,651

$ 1,605
—
64
(76)
—
(222)
$ 1,371

$ 18,180
59
747
(584)
235
(615)
$ 18,022

$ 14,107
61
708
1,863
271
(435)
$ 16,575

$ 1,759
10
84
13
—
(261)
$ 1,605

$ 15,866
71
792
1,876
271
(696)
$ 18,180

—
222
—
(222)

$ — $ 8,914
475
673
26
(615)
$ — $ 9,473

$ — $ 7,598
$ 8,914
1,004
475
702
451
306
26
(696)
(393)
$ 9,473
— $ 8,914
$ (7,178) $ (1,371) $ (8,549) $ (7,661) $ (1,605) $ (9,266)
—

$ 7,598
1,004
441
306
(435)
$ 8,914

—
261
—
(261)

—

—

—

—

—

$ (7,178) $ (1,371) $ (8,549) $ (7,661) $ (1,605) $ (9,266)

$ — $
—
—
—
—
—
$ — $

882
—
35
(60)
—
—
857

$

$

882
—
35
(60)
—
—
857

$ — $ 1,498
—
71
—
(687)
—
882

—
—
—
—
—
$ — $

$ 1,498
—
71
—
(687)
—
882

$

—
—
—
—
—

—
—
—
—
—
$ — $ — $ — $ — $ — $ —

—
—
—
—
—

—
—
—
—
—

—
—
—
—
—

—
—
—
—
—

$ — $
—
$ — $

(857) $
—
(857) $

(857) $ — $

—

—

(857) $ — $

(882) $
—
(882) $

(882)
—
(882)

56

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The amounts recognized in the consolidated balance sheet consist of: 

Years Ended September 30 

Foreign 

2013

U.S. 

Foreign 
Total 
(Amounts in thousands)

2012

U.S. 

Total 

Pension:
Accrued benefit liability
Deferred tax
Accumulated other comprehensive
income
Net amount recognized

Post Retirement:
Accrued benefit liability
Deferred tax
Accumulated other comprehensive
income
Net amount recognized

Total pension and post retirement:
Accrued benefit liability
Deferred tax
Accumulated other comprehensive
income
Net amount recognized

Accumulated Benefit Obligation:
Pension
Post Retirement
Total accumulated benefit obligation

$ (7,178) $ (1,371) $ (8,549) $ (7,661) $ (1,605) $

(188)

29

(159)

(233)

6

3,895

3,896
$ (3,471) $ (1,341) $ (4,812) $ (3,354) $ (1,517) $

4,540

82

1

(9,266)
(227)

4,622
(4,871)

$

$

— $
—

—
— $

(857) $
239

(857) $
239

(186)
(804) $

(186)
(804) $

— $
—

—
— $

(882) $
269

(283)
(896) $

(882)
269

(283)
(896)

$ (7,178) $ (2,228) $ (9,406) $ (7,661) $ (2,487) $ (10,148)
42

(233)

(188)

275

268

80

3,895

3,710
$ (3,471) $ (2,145) $ (5,616) $ (3,354) $ (2,413) $

4,540

(201)

(185)

4,339
(5,767)

$ (16,541) $ (1,371) $ (17,912) $ (16,469) $ (1,605) $ (18,074)
(882)
$ (16,541) $ (2,228) $ (18,769) $ (16,469) $ (2,487) $ (18,956)

(857)

(857)

(882)

—

—

Plans with projected benefit obligations in excess of plan assets are attributable to unfunded domestic supplemental 

retirement plans, our German plans which are legally not required to be funded and our U.K. retirement plan. 

Accrued benefit liability reported as: 

Current accrued benefit liability
Noncurrent accrued benefit liability
Total accrued benefit liability

September 30, 

2012
2013
(Amounts in thousands)

$

$

746
8,660
9,406

$

$

717
9,431
10,148

As of September 30, 2013 and 2012 the amounts included in accumulated other comprehensive income, consisted of 

deferred net losses totaling approximately $3.7 million and $4.3 million, respectively. 

The amount of net deferred gain expected to be recognized as a component of net periodic benefit cost for the year 

ending September 30, 2013, is approximately $62 thousand. 

Contributions 

The Company expects to contribute $0.7 million to its pension plans for fiscal 2013. 

57

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Estimated Future Benefit Payments 

The following benefit payments, which reflect expected future service, as appropriate, are expected to be paid (amounts 

in thousands): 

Fiscal year ending September 30: 
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
Thereafter

Plan Assets

(Amounts in thousands)
712
$
761
792
786
763
4,486

At September 30, 2013, our pension plan in the U.K. was the only plan with assets, holding investments of approximately 
$9.5 million.  Pension plan assets are managed by a fiduciary committee.  The Company's investment strategy for pension plan 
assets is to maximize the long-term rate of return on plan assets within an acceptable level of risk while maintaining adequate 
funding levels.  Local regulations, local funding rules, and local financial and tax considerations are part of the funding and 
investment process.   In deciding on the investments to be held, the trustees take into account the risk of possible fluctuations in 
income from, and market values of, the assets as well as the risk of departing from an asset profile which broadly matches the 
liability profile.  The committee has invested the plan assets in a single pooled fund with an authorized investment company 
(the “Fund”).  The Fund selected by the trustees is consistent with the plan's overall investment principles and strategy 
described herein.  There are no specific targets as to asset allocation other than those contained within the Fund that is managed 
by the authorized investment company.

The fair value of the assets held by the UK pension plan by asset category are as follows:

September 30, 2013
Fair Value Measurements Using Inputs
Considered as

September 30, 2012
Fair Value Measurements Using Inputs
Considered as

Fair Values as of

Asset Category

Total

Level I

Level II

Level III

Total

Level I

Level II

Level III

$

452
Cash on deposit
Pooled Funds
9,021
Total Plan Assets $ 9,473

$

452
—
452

$

— $ — $

9,021
$ 9,021

—
$ — $

392
8,522
8,914

$

$

392
—
392

$ — $
8,522
$ 8,522

$

—
—
—

(Thousands)

The expected long-term rates of return on plan assets are equal to the yields to maturity of appropriate indices for 
government and corporate bonds and by adding a premium to the government bond return for equities.  The expected rate of 
return on cash is the Bank of England base rate in force at the effective date. 

The Company uses the Net Asset Value ("NAV") to determine the fair value of the underlying investments which (a) do 
not have readily determinable fair value; and (b) prepare their financial statements consistent with the measurement principles 
of an investment company. The Fund is not exchange traded. The Fund is not subject to any redemption notice periods or 
restrictions and can be redeemed on a daily basis. No gates or holdbacks or dealing suspensions are being applied to the Fund. 
The Fund is of perpetual duration.

Defined Contribution Plans 

The Company has defined contribution plans in domestic and international locations under which the Company matches 
a portion of the employee's contributions and may make discretionary contributions to the plans. The Company's contributions 
were $185 thousand and $172 thousand for the years ended September 30, 2013 and 2012, respectively. 

58

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
10.    Lines of Credit 

As of September 30, 2013 and September 30, 2012, the Company maintained lines of credit notes that allow for 
borrowings of up to $2.5 million.  Availability under these facilities is reduced by outstanding borrowings thereunder. The 
interest rates on outstanding borrowings range from Prime plus 1% to London Inter-Bank Offer Rate (“LIBOR”) plus 2.5%, 
with a floor of 4%.  Borrowings under the credit agreements are required to be repaid on demand by the lender in some cases, 
upon termination of the agreements or may be prepaid by the Company without penalty.  The credit agreements contain various 
covenants including financial covenants which require the Company to maintain various financial ratios at prescribed levels. 

In addition to the terms described above, the Company maintains an inventory line of credit in connection with one of the 
credit lines included in the description above.  The inventory line of credit may be used by the Company to purchase inventory 
from approved vendors with payment terms which exceed those offered by the vendors. No interest accrues under the inventory 
line of credit. The amounts outstanding under the inventory line of credit as of September 30, 2013 was approximately $2.4 
million and $3.1 million as of September 30, 2012. These amounts are included in accounts payable in the consolidated 
financial statements.

11.    Commitments and Contingencies 

Leases 

The Company occupies office space under lease agreements expiring at various dates during the next four years. The 

leases are classified as operating leases and provide for the payment of real estate taxes, insurance, utilities and maintenance. 

The Company was obligated under non-cancelable operating leases as follows: 

Fiscal year ending September 30: 
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
Thereafter

(Amounts in thousands)

$

$

789
516
273
43
—
—
1,621

Occupancy expenses under the operating leases approximated $1.0 million in 2013 and $1.1 million in 2012. 

Common Stock Repurchase 

From time to time the Company's Board of Directors passes resolutions to authorize the Company to purchase shares of 
its outstanding common stock.  Pursuant to such resolutions, the Company repurchased approximately 28 thousand shares of its 
outstanding common stock during the year ended September 30, 2012.  The Company did not repurchase any shares during the 
year ended September 30, 2013. As of September 30, 2013 the Company is authorized to repurchase an additional 201 
thousand shares pursuant to such resolutions.

59

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
12.        Segment Information

The following table presents certain operating segment information.

For the Years Ended September 30,

Systems
Segment

Germany

United
Kingdom

U.S.

Total

Consolidated
Total

(Amounts in thousands)

Service and System Integration Segment

2013

Sales:

      Product

      Service

Total sales

Profit from operations

Assets

Capital expenditures

Depreciation and amortization

2012

Sales:

Product

Service

Total sales

Profit (loss) from operations

Assets

Capital expenditures

Depreciation and amortization

$

5,483

$

8,666

$

581

$

51,114

$

60,361

$

1,517

7,000

(1,603)

15,377

340

155

14,975

23,641

154

13,094

232

183

1,409

1,990

(141)
3,170

8

13

3,874

54,988

2,291

15,584

278

169

20,258

80,619

2,304

31,848

518

365

$

4,214

$

16,846

$

1,484

$

37,039

$

55,369

$

6,927

11,141

3,230

18,451

222

111

13,730

30,576

598

14,058

197

167

1,434

2,918

57

3,504

27

26

3,133

40,172

1,084

15,053

105

156

18,297

73,666

1,739

32,615

329

349

65,844

21,775

87,619

701

47,225

858

520

59,583

25,224

84,807

4,969

51,066

551

460

Profit (loss) from operations is sales less cost of sales, engineering and development, selling, general and 
administrative expenses but is not affected by either non-operating charges/income or by income taxes. Non-operating 
charges/income consists principally of investment income and interest expense.  All intercompany transactions have 
been eliminated.

The following table details the Company's sales by operating segment for fiscal years September 30, 2013 and 
2012. The Company's sales by geographic area based on the location of where the products were shipped or services 
rendered are as follows: 

2013

Systems
Service and System Integration
Total
% of Total

2012

Systems
Service and System Integration
Total
% of Total

Total 

% of
Total 

Americas 

$

4,031
55,085
$ 59,116

Europe 

$

12
25,500
$ 25,512

Asia 
(Amounts in thousands)
$ 2,957
34
$ 2,991

$

7,000
80,619
$ 87,619

68%

29%

3%

100%

$

7,584
39,579
$ 47,163

$

— $ 3,557
34
$ 3,591

34,053
$ 34,053

$ 11,141
73,666
$ 84,807

56%

40%

4%

100%

8%
92%
100%

13%
87%
100%

Substantially all Americas amounts are United States. 

60

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Long-lived assets by geographic location at September 30, 2013 and 2012 were as follows: 

North America
Europe
Totals

September 30,
2013

September 30,
2012

(Amounts in thousands)

$

$

1,287
543
1,830

$

$

994
489
1,483

Deferred tax assets by geographic location at September 30, 2013 and 2012 were as follows: 

North America
Europe
Totals

September 30,
2013

September 30,
2012

(Amounts in thousands)

$

$

2,553
531
3,084

$

$

3,106
551
3,657

The following table lists customers from which the Company derived revenues in excess of 10% of total 

revenues for the years ended September 30, 2013 and 2012.

For the year ended

September 30, 2013

September 30, 2012

Amount

$

$

$

15.7

13.4

10.5

Customer A

Customer B

Customer C

% of
Revenues

Amount
(Amounts in millions)
12.6

18% $

15% $

12% $

14.7

2.6

% of
Revenues

15%

17%

3%

13.        Fair Value Measures

Assets and Liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis are as follows:

Fair Value Measurements Using

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3
As of September 30, 2013

(Amounts in thousands)

Total
Balance

3,503
3,503

$
$

— $
— $

— $
— $

3,503
3,503

As of September 30, 2012

(Amounts in thousands)

3,498
3,498

$
$

— $
— $

— $
— $

3,498
3,498

Assets:
Money Market funds
Total assets measured at fair value

Assets:
Money Market funds
Total assets measured at fair value

$
$

$
$

61

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
These assets are included in cash and cash equivalents in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.  All other 
monetary assets and liabilities are short-term in nature and approximate their fair value.  The Company did not have any 
transfers between Level 1, Level 2 or Level 3 measurements.

The Company had no liabilities measured at fair value as of September 30, 2013 or September 30, 2012. The Company 

had no assets or liabilities measured at fair value on a non recurring basis as of September 30, 2013 or September 30, 2012.

14. 

Dividend

On January 12, 2012, our Board of Directors declared a cash dividend of $0.10 per share which was paid on February 
3, 2012 to stockholders of record as of January 27, 2012, the record date. On August 7, 2012, our board of directors declared a 
cash dividend of  $0.12 per share which was paid on August 31, 2012 to stockholders of record as of August 23, 2012, the 
record date.

On December 10, 2012, our board of directors declared a cash dividend of  $0.20 per share payable on December 28, 

2012 to stockholders of record as of December 20, 2012, the record date. On May 8, 2013, our board of directors declared a 
cash dividend of $0.10 per share which was paid on June 3, 2013 to stockholders of record as of May 24, 2013, the record date. 
On August 7, 2013, our board of directors declared a cash dividend of $0.10 per share which was paid on August 30, 2013 to 
stockholders of record as of August 21, 2013, the record date. 

On December 17, 2013, our board of directors declared a cash dividend of  $0.10 per share payable on January 7, 2014 

to stockholders of record as of December 27, 2013, the record date.

15. 

Subsequent Events

The Company has evaluated subsequent events through the date of this filing. 

On November 4, 2013, the Company purchased the assets of Myricom, Inc. (“Myricom”), a manufacturer of high 

performance interconnect computing devices and software. The Company paid $0.5 million in cash in exchange for the assets 
that were acquired in the transaction. The Myricom purchase price allocation has not yet been finalized due to the timing of the 
closing of the acquisition.  The final determination of fair value for assets and liabilities will be completed as soon as the 
information necessary to complete the analysis is obtained.

62