Quarterlytics / Technology / Hardware, Equipment & Parts / Image Sensing Systems, Inc.

Image Sensing Systems, Inc.

isns · NASDAQ Technology
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Ticker isns
Exchange NASDAQ
Sector Technology
Industry Hardware, Equipment & Parts
Employees 51-200
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FY2016 Annual Report · Image Sensing Systems, Inc.
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Annual Report 2016

To Our Shareholders:

2016  was  a  pivotal  year  for  Image  Sensing  Systems 
(ISS)  and  one  that  will  set  the  stage  for  future  growth.  
We successfully launched our new flagship intersection 
product,  the  Autoscope  Vision,  as  well  as  a  new  radar 
product, the RTMS Sx-300 BT.  We have already realized 
an uptick on our Autoscope royalty revenue and continue 
to  see  our  Sx-300  radar  products  provide  reliable 
service.  I am excited to be part of the future evolution 
of our business as we capitalize on our new technology, 
continue  to  focus  on  operating  efficiencies,  and  enable 
our talented staff to create best in class solutions for our 
customers. 

2016:  Setting the stage for future growth

My belief is that our success begins and ends with the 
relevance  of  our  technology.    As  with  any  technology 
centric  business,  you  need  to  constantly  monitor  your 
competition  and  determine  if  and  when  an  upgrade  of 
core  technology  components  is  required.    In  2014  we 
made  the  decision  to  launch  a  multi-year  research  and 
development  project,  the  largest  in  the  history  of  our 
company,  which  culminated  in  the  Autoscope  Vision 
product.    The  Autoscope  Vision  combines  25  years 
of  industry  knowledge  with  state  of  the  art  hardware 
and  software  designs,  providing  an  unparalleled  user 
experience.  Collaborating with our partner Econolite, we 
successfully launched the Vision product through a series 
of  roadshow  events  where  the  customers  could  gain 
first-hand experience with the new product.  The success 
of  the  launch  was  apparent  in  the  fourth  quarter  as  we 
realized significant booking results.  We are excited at the 
rate  of  market  adoption  and  believe  the  Vision  product 
will serve the intersection segment for many years.  

2016 also marked the introduction of the RTMS Sx-300 
BT which integrates our proven side-fired radar platform 
with a dual channel Bluetooth travel time module.  This 
combination  is  the  ideal  sensor  for  monitoring  travel 
time  and  origin/destination  information  alongside  the 
data  collection  capabilities  our  customers  have  come 
to expect from RTMS.  Our radar business experienced 
8%  growth  in  2016,  which  is  the  first  growth  year  in  5 
years.   This is largely due to the acceptance and proven 

performance of the Sx-300 and earning back customer’s 
trust  after  experiencing issues with our legacy product.  
We  are  happy  to  report  that  through  2016,  the  Sx-
300  experienced  a  return  rate  of  less  than  3%.    As  an 
indication of our commitment to quality, we continue to 
offer  a  five-year  warranty  with  every  Sx-300  sold.    Our 
product performance has been recognized in the United 
Kingdom  (UK),  where  we  have  received  type  approval 
from  Highways  England  which  is  one  of  the  most 
stringent  and  respected  certifications  in  all  of  Europe.   
Since receiving that type-approval, ISS has won 80% of 
the market share in the UK in 2016. 

Feeding  off  of  the  renewed  focus  obtained  in  2015, 
we  were  able  to  reduce  our  expenses  and  apply  our 
resources to initiatives that hold future potential.  We will 
continue  to  monitor  our  expenses  and  operate  a  lean, 
agile organization.  

2017:  New opportunities enabled by new technology

While  we  are  excited  about  the  fast  market  adoption 
of  Vision,  we  are  even  more  excited  about  the  new 
opportunities presenting themselves as we realize the full 
potential  of  our  new  hardware  and  software  platforms.  
Our new technology is designed around the concepts of 
modularity  and  portability  which  we  believe  will  enable 
a  common  user  experience  across  future  products.  
Our  research  and  development  goals  for  2017  include 
creation  of  new  products  and  services  to  address  our 
existing  markets  as  well  as  re-enter  markets  previously 
dismissed  due  to  poor  product/market  alignment.    We 
will  also  continue  to  invest  in  ISS  Labs,  a  research 
oriented team focused on identifying market trends and 
innovative technologies that could be realized in the three 
to five-year time frame.   

To prepare for the future, we need to ensure that product 
and  business  decisions  made  today  do  not  limit  our 
ability to pivot as the market evolves.  In order to make 
sound strategic decisions we must stay connected with 
the market, which is why you will see an increased focus 
on customer engagement in 2017.  Our goal is to work 
directly  with  valued  partners  and  end  users  to  identify 

features and functions as well as refine product concepts 
as  they  mature.    These  engagements  also  offer  the 
opportunity  to  better  understand  market  dynamics  and 
more  precisely  apply  resources  to  assist  our  partners 
in  their  sales  objectives.    We  are  also  increasing  the 
investment  in  our  international  sales  resources  and  are 
actively  pursuing  additional  sales  channels  to  more 
aggressively  seek  out  opportunities  and  promote  our 
brand  as  new  product  offerings  become  available.    We 
believe  the  combination  of  these  initiatives  will  position 
the company for sustained growth in the coming years.

Results beyond expectations

I  joined  Image  Sensing  Systems  in  June  of  2011  and 
immediately realized the potential of our company.  Having 
come from the defense industry, I was only familiar with 
the slow moving, bureaucratic environment that seemed 
to  limit  individual  contribution  and  influence  on  the 
success of a company.  As a result of this experience, I 
have made it a personal goal to create a workplace culture 
where our employees are empowered to make decisions 
and directly influence our success through their efforts.  
This started within our algorithm development team and 
progressed  through  the  larger  engineering  organization 
as  I  assumed  the  role  of  vice  president  of  engineering, 
and will now expand to the company as a whole.  There is 
a direct link between corporate culture and the success 
and profitability we will realize.  Our culture is one where 
we  empower  our  staff  to  create  revolutionary  products, 
manage and lead our talented staff, and oversee business 
initiatives within an environment that energizes resources 
and  creates  a  self-imposed  desire  to  achieve  results 
beyond expectations.

In closing, this is an exciting time for Image Sensing as 
we begin to see our new technology, business initiatives, 
and leadership team clear a path for a bright future.  Thank 
you, shareholders, customers, and strategic partners for 
your continued support.  I look forward to updating you 
on our progress as the new year unfolds.

Sincerely,
Chad Stelzig
Chief Executive Officer

Corporate Information

Directors and Officers

Andrew T. Berger*†‡
Executive Chairman of the Board

James W. Bracke*†‡
Director

Geoffrey Davis
Director

Richard Ehrich
Chief Financial Officer

Paul F. Lidsky*†‡
Director

Chad Stelzig
President and Chief Executive Officer

* Member of audit committee
† Member of compensation and stock option committee
‡ Member of nominating and corporate governance committee

Annual Shareholders’ Meeting
The annual meeting of the shareholders will be held on May 
11, 2017, at 9:00 am CDT at Image Sensing Systems, 1600 
University Avenue West, Suite 500, St. Paul, MN 55104.

Legal Counsel
Winthrop & Weinstine, P.A.

Independent Registered Public 
Accounting Firm
Boulay PLLP

Stock Transfer Agent
Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company

Location
Corporate Headquarters
500 Spruce Tree Centre
1600 University Avenue West
St. Paul, Minnesota 55104-3825

A copy of the Company’s Form 10-K, filed with the Securities 
and Exchange Commission, may be obtained without charge 
upon written request to the Company.

A copy of this 2016 Annual Report to Shareholders can be 
obtained from our Web site: imagesensing.com 

Price Range for Common Stock

The Company’s common stock trades on The Nasdaq Capital Market tier of The Nasdaq Stock Market under the symbol ISNS.  
The table below presents the price range of the high and low trading prices for the Company’s common stock for each period 
indicated as reported by Nasdaq.

Quarter
First
Second
Third
Fourth

2016

2015

High
$ 3.43
 2.90
 4.09
 3.98

Low
$ 2.63 
 2.15
 2.24
3.55

High
$ 2.78
 3.47
 4.66
 3.99

Low
$ 2.24 
 2.44
 3.38
3.55

Image Sensing Systems, Inc.  1600 University Avenue West, Suite 500, St. Paul, Minnesota 55104
Phone +1.651.603.7700 Fax +1.651.305.6402   imagesensing.com