Quarterlytics / Technology / Software - Application / Sonic Foundry Inc. / FY2018 Annual Report

Sonic Foundry Inc.
Annual Report 2018

SOFO · NASDAQ Technology
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Ticker SOFO
Exchange NASDAQ
Sector Technology
Industry Software - Application
Employees 51-200
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FY2018 Annual Report · Sonic Foundry Inc.
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  2 0 1 8   A N N U A L   R E P O R T

P O W E R I N G  

A   S M A R T E R ,  

M O R E  

C O N N E C T E D  

W O R L D

Dear Fellow Shareholders,

This is my first annual letter to shareholders, and I’ve been looking forward to 

the opportunity to share my thoughts on Sonic Foundry – our challenges, op-

portunities and our plans to rebuild the business. Regaining and expanding 

the trust of our customers, our team and you, our shareholders is paramount. 

Though I have been in my position for a short time, I intend to prove to you 

that walking the walk and living up to expectations are core values for me, 

and I am excited for what lies ahead.

There is no doubt that we have a very solid foundation, and that begins in 

house. I spent a great deal of time in my first 60 days as CEO meeting with 

all employees to identify individual strengths and listen to their input. It was 

a very encouraging exercise, and I’m proud to say we have an incredibly re-

sourceful, passionate and collaborative team in place. I’m honored to lead 

them going forward and am confident they’ll get the job done. 

Before I talk about where we’re going, let’s look at where we’ve been over the past year. 

2018 in Review
Our strategy to make video creation more accessible, powerful and easy has been resonating very well with our 

largest customer base — higher education — as Mediasite is continually selected by leading educational institutions 

around the globe. Sonic Foundry continues to be the market leader, with more customers and higher revenue than 

our competitors, a fact that is supported by the independent research of industry analysts like Wainhouse Research 

and Frost & Sullivan who cover our market. 

By increasing the breadth and depth of our offerings and expanding our product leadership in mission critical, 

wide-scale campus video adoption, we’ve secured numerous new Mediasite customers including Iqra University in 

Pakistan, Deakin University in Australia, Cuyahoga Community College in Ohio and University of the Witwatersrand, 

Johannesburg in South Africa. 

Among the new customers are a number of key wins from our competitors from this past year. Leading the way 

were several large-scale deployments which helped shore up our belief that we have the best offering to revolu-

tionize the modern academic experience. Schools like Texas A&M College of Engineering, Florida Atlantic Univer-

sity and University of North Texas Health Sciences Center have all reported tens of thousands of video views in a 
short time with Mediasite. 

In our efforts to make progress across the entire campus footprint, long term customers have expanded into other 

professional schools, including Duquesne University Law, University of Chicago Booth School of Business and 

Duke Engineering. We also see an increasing number of customers in emerging markets such as India and China. 

It’s exciting to see all the innovative ways schools and organizations globally are finding to use Mediasite. 

With this appetite for adoption, customers are increasingly looking at us to provide additional service offerings. Over 

the past year we formalized a customer success initiative to promote more effective product use. When our customers 

can better realize Mediasite’s benefits, they’re more likely to stick with us and expand. Whether they rely on our cus-

tomer success team, our managed services or our cloud solutions, these customers are finding Mediasite an economi-

cally sensible way to accomplish their online video needs without adding internal personnel or equipment. 

As higher education and enterprises mature to expect flawless user experiences, we plan to place more emphasis on 

our cloud offering. This is a trend we expect will accelerate as it clearly matches the preference of our existing users. 

This past year we saw our Mediasite Join video and web conference capture and management solution find a new 

home in the fast-growing unified communications space. The workplace and classrooms are increasingly becoming 

more collaborative and geographically dispersed, and a lot of valuable knowledge is being shared across distance 

via video and web conferences in heterogeneous environments. We’re seeing demand strengthen for the ability to 

intelligently capture, manage and route that knowledge. The medical/healthcare, pharmaceutical and technology 

segments are particularly strong enterprise markets for Mediasite Join, which will continue to be a primary focus for 

us over the next year.

Our integration with IBM Watson speech-to-text technology gives our customers deeper insights into their video 

content. This integration enables new workflows to create cleaner video transcripts, something especially important 

in higher education where accessibility requirements are high. We plan to continue to focus on and expand upon 

this exciting area in the coming year and see endless possibilities for how artificial intelligence can enhance our 

customers’ video experiences. 

Strategic Perspective
Even as we celebrate these positive trends, our past performance cannot be ignored. We have fallen short of our 

revenue-growth targets for several years, and our quarterly numbers have been unsatisfactory from a profitability 

standpoint. These dynamics have translated directly into poor shareholder value. 

To remedy this, I decided to refocus our resources and trim our cost base. That will help drive us to profitability with 

urgency, while working to support our customers and refine our long-term strategy. 

Our number one priority is to sustainably grow the top line of the business. By listening to the evolving needs and 

desires of our customers we can continue to be creative and add functions, features and services to Mediasite 

while attracting new customers and expanding existing ones. Traditionally we’ve leveraged our technology as a 

platform. Moving forward, we’re exploring adding a more solutions-based approach to make even more customers 

successful with their Mediasite rollout and foster additional growth. 

As we look at the next three to five years, we need to be better at creating our own markets. We’re exploring 

how we can apply our best-in-class solutions and services beyond our important commitment to the existing 

customer base.

Continued success means meaningful expansion of our customer relationships, bringing new high-impact solutions 

to the market and delivering a support backbone to ensure the success of our customers at every step. 

We have a fantastic team in place that will be able to respond to what comes our way in the marketplace. I’m opti-

mistic about our position and our ability to impact our destiny and look forward to the journey.

Sincerely, 

Michael Norregaard 

CEO

SONIC FOUNDRY, INC. 
222 West Washington Avenue  
Madison, Wisconsin 53703 

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS 
To Be Held September 12, 2019 

The Annual Meeting of Stockholders of SONIC FOUNDRY, INC., a Maryland corporation (“Sonic”) will be held at 
the Overture Center for the Arts, Wisconsin Studio, 201 State Street, Madison, Wisconsin 53703 on September 12, 2019 
at 9:00 a.m. local time, for the following purposes: 

1. 

2. 

3. 

To elect two directors to hold office for the terms set forth herein and until their successors are duly elected and 
qualified. 
To ratify the appointment of Wipfli LLP as our independent auditors for the fiscal year ending September 30, 
2019. 

To transact such other business as may properly come before the meeting or any adjournments thereof. 

All the above matters are more fully described in the accompanying Proxy Statement.   

Only holders of record of Common Stock and, Series A Preferred Stock, at the close of business on July 22, 2019 are 
entitled to notice of, and to vote at, this meeting or any adjournment or adjournments thereof. 

Please complete and return the enclosed proxy in the envelope provided or follow the instructions on the proxy card to 
authorize a proxy by telephone or over the Internet, whether or not you intend to be present at the meeting in person. 

By Order of the Board of Directors, 

Madison, Wisconsin 
August 2, 2019 

Kenneth A. Minor 
Secretary 

  ───────────────────────────────────── 

If you cannot personally attend the meeting, it is earnestly requested that you promptly indicate your vote on the 
issues included on the enclosed proxy and date, sign and mail it in the enclosed self-addressed envelope, which 
requires no postage if mailed in the United States or, follow the instructions on the proxy card to authorize a proxy 
by telephone or over the Internet.  Doing so will save us the expense of further mailings.  If you sign and return 
your proxy card without marking choices, your shares will be voted in accordance with the recommendations of 
the Board of Directors.  

───────────────────────────────────── 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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SONIC FOUNDRY, INC. 
222 W. Washington Avenue 
Madison, Wisconsin 53703 

PROXY STATEMENT 

August 2, 2019 

The Board of Directors of Sonic Foundry, Inc., a Maryland corporation (“Sonic”), hereby solicits the enclosed proxy.  
Unless instructed to the contrary on the proxy, it is the intention of the persons named in the proxy to vote the proxies:  

FOR the election of Nelson A. Murphy and David F. Slayton, for terms expiring in 2024;  

FOR the ratification of the appointment of Wipfli LLP as independent auditors of Sonic for the fiscal year ending 
September 30, 2019.   

In the event that the nominees for director becomes unavailable to serve, which management does not expect, the 
persons named in the proxy reserve full discretion to vote for any other persons who may be nominated.  Proxies may 
also be authorized by telephone or over the Internet by following the instructions on the proxy card. Any stockholder 
giving  a  proxy  may  revoke  it  at  any  time  prior  to  the  voting  of  such  proxy.    This  Proxy  Statement  and  the 
accompanying proxy are being mailed on or about August 8, 2019.   

Each holder of Common Stock will be entitled to one vote for each share of Common Stock standing in his or her 
name  on  our  books  at  the  close  of  business  on  July  22,  2019  (the  “Record  Date”).    Only  holders  of  issued  and 
outstanding shares of Sonic's Common stock as of the close of business on the Record Date are entitled to notice of 
and  to  vote  at  the  Annual  Meeting,  including  any  adjournment  or  postponement  thereof.    On  that  date,  we  had 
outstanding and entitled to vote 6,758,865 shares of Common Stock, held by approximately 3,100 stockholders, of 
which approximately 200 were held in street name. 

QUORUM; VOTES REQUIRED  

Votes cast by proxy or in person at the Annual Meeting will be tabulated by the inspector of elections appointed for 
the Annual Meeting and will determine whether or not a quorum is present.  Where, as to any matter submitted to the 
stockholders for a vote, proxies are marked as abstentions (or stockholders appear in person but abstain from voting), 
such abstentions will be treated as shares that are present and entitled to vote for purposes of determining the presence 
of a quorum, but will not be treated as present and entitled to vote for any other purpose.  If a broker indicates on the 
proxy  that  it  does  not  have  discretionary  authority  as  to  certain  shares  to  vote  on  a  particular  matter  and  has  not 
received  instructions  from  the  beneficial  owner,  which  is  known  as  a  broker  non-vote,  such  shares  will  also  be 
considered present for purposes of a quorum, provided that the broker exercises discretionary authority on any other 
matter in the Proxy. A majority of the shares of stock issued, outstanding and entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting, 
present in person or represented by proxy, shall constitute a quorum at the Annual Meeting.  The election of Directors 
require a plurality of the votes present and entitled to vote.  Therefore, the two directors who receive the highest vote 
total will be elected.  Neither an abstention nor a withheld vote will affect the outcome of the election.  The ratification 
of the appointment of Wipfli LLP requires the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the votes cast at the 
Annual Meeting.  If you abstain or withhold your vote on this proposal, it will have no effect on the outcome of the 
proposal.   

The New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE") has rules that govern brokers who have record ownership of listed company 
stock held in brokerage accounts for their clients who beneficially own the shares. Under these rules, brokers who do 
not receive voting instructions from their clients have the discretion to vote uninstructed shares on certain discretionary 
matters but do not have discretion to vote uninstructed shares as to certain other non-discretionary matters. A broker 
may return a proxy card on behalf of a beneficial owner from whom the broker has not received instructions that casts 
a vote with regard to discretionary matters but expressly states that the broker is not voting as to non-discretionary 
matters. The broker's inability to vote with respect to the non-discretionary matters with respect to which the broker 
has not received instructions from the beneficial owner is referred to as a "broker non-vote". Under current NYSE 

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interpretations,  the  proposal  to  ratify  the  appointment  of  wipfli,  LLP  as  our  independent  auditor  is  considered  a 
discretionary matter. 

DATE, TIME AND PLACE OF ANNUAL MEETING 

The Annual Meeting will be held on September 12, 2019 at 9:00 a.m. (Central time) at the Overture Center for the 
Arts, Wisconsin Studio, 201 State Street, Madison, Wisconsin 53703. 

PROPOSAL ONE: ELECTION OF DIRECTORS 

Our Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws provide that the Board of Directors shall be divided 
into five classes, with each class having a five-year term.  Directors are assigned to each class in accordance with a 
resolution or resolutions adopted by the Board of Directors.  Vacancies on the Board of Directors resulting from death, 
resignation, disqualification, removal or other causes may be filled by either the affirmative vote of the holders of a 
majority of the then-outstanding shares or by the affirmative vote of a majority of the remaining directors then in office, 
even if less than a quorum of the Board of the Directors.  Newly created directorships resulting from any increase in the 
number of directors may, unless the Board of Directors determines otherwise, be filled only by a majority vote of the 
entire Board of Directors.  A director elected by the Board of Directors to fill a vacancy (including a vacancy created by 
an increase in the number of directors) shall serve until the next annual meeting of stockholders or until such director’s 
successor is elected and qualified. 

Our Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation provide that the number of directors, which shall constitute the 
whole Board of Directors, shall not be less than three or more than twelve.  The currently authorized number of directors 
is six. The seats on the Board of Directors currently held by David F. Slayton and Nelson A. Murphy are designated as 
Class I Board seats, with terms expiring at the Annual Meeting. The Board of Directors has nominated Nelson A. Murphy 
and David F. Slayton as Class I Directors for election at the Annual Meeting. 

If elected at the Annual Meeting, Messrs. Murphy and Slayton would serve until the 2024 Annual Meeting until their 
successors are elected and qualified or until their earlier death, resignation or removal. 

The election of Messrs. Murphy and Slayton require a plurality of the votes present and entitled to vote. 

Nominees for Director for a Five-Year term expiring on the 2024 Annual Meeting 

Nelson A. Murphy 

Mr. Murphy, age 59, has been a Director since November 2017. Since January 2015, Mr. Murphy has been the 
Executive VP, Finance & Operations for Catawba College, a private liberal arts college. From August 2013 to June 
2015 Mr. Murphy was VP, International Finance at Syniverse Technologies, Inc. in Luxembourg, a provider of 
mobile technologies, and from October 2010 to August 2013 served as VP – Finance, Defensive Systems Division at 
Northrop Grumman Corporation, a global security company. Previously, Mr. Murphy served in various senior 
finance roles at AT&T including responsibility for finance in operations located in Europe, the Middle East and 
Latin America. Mr. Murphy has a B.S. in Accounting from Wake Forest University. 

David F. Slayton 

Mr.  Slayton,  age  50,  has  been  a  Director  since  November  2017.  Since  April  2013,  Mr.  Slayton  has  been  the  Chief 
Financial Officer of Ovative Group, a digital media agency and analytics firm. From July 2008 to March 2013, Mr. 
Slayton was co-founder, Executive Vice President – CFO and a member of the board of Alice.com, an e-commerce retail 
marketplace. Prior to his service at Alice.com, Mr. Slayton served in senior financial management roles at numerous 
companies including as Chief Financial Officer at Shavlik Technologies from June 2005 to July 2008, Managing Director 
and co-founder at Haviland Partners Inc. from August 2003 to February 2005 and as Chief Financial of NameProtect Inc. 
from July 2000 to July 2003. Mr. Slayton earned a BS in Economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology 
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(June 1991) and an MBA in Business Administration from Harvard University (June 1996). 

The members of the Board of Directors unanimously recommend a vote FOR the election of Messrs. Murphy and 
Slayton as Class I Directors. 

DIRECTORS CONTINUING IN OFFICE 

Mark D. Burish   

Term Expires in 2020 
(Class II Director) 

Mr. Burish, age 66, has been a director since March 2010 and has served as Non-Executive Chair since April 2011. 
Mr. Burish is a shareholder of the law firm of Hurley Burish, Madison, WI, which he co-founded in 1983.  He is 
President and principal owner of Steakhouse, LLC, a chain of steakhouse restaurants and co-founder and principal of 
MB  Solutions,  a  pharmaceutical  company.  He  sits  on  the  board  of  Forward  Health  Group,  a  healthcare  analytics 
software company and serves as a director of Monona Bank, a Madison based banking Company. Mr. Burish also 
presently serves on the board of VIP Crowd, an online business that rewards customers, employees, prospects, and 
networks for helping grow and improve their business. Previously, Mr. Burish was the founder, CEO and owner of 
Our House Senior Living, LLC, Milestone Senior Living, LLC and Milestone Management Services, LLC which he 
started in 1997. Our House Senior Living was sold in 2010 and Milestone was sold in 2017.  Mr. Burish received his 
BA degree in communications from Marquette University in 1975 and his JD degree from the University of Wisconsin 
in 1978. 

Frederick H. Kopko, Jr.   

Term Expires in 2021 
(Class III Director) 

Frederick H. Kopko, age 64, served as Sonic Foundry’s Secretary from April 1997 to February 2001 and has been a 
Director since December 1995. Mr. Kopko is a partner of the law firm of McBreen & Kopko, Chicago, Illinois, and 
has  been  a  partner  of  that  firm  since  January  1990.  Mr.  Kopko  practices  in  the  area  of  corporate  law.  He  is  the 
Managing Director, Neltjeberg Bay Enterprises LLC, a merchant banking and business consulting firm and has been 
a Director of Mercury Air Group, Inc. since 1992. He also serves on the board of Mercury Air Group Inc. subsidiaries, 
as  well  as  on  the  board  of  managers  of  Altathera  Pharmaceuticals  LLC.  Mr.  Kopko  received  a  B.A.  degree  in 
Economics from the University of Connecticut, a J.D. degree from the University of Notre Dame Law School and an 
M.B.A. degree from the University of Chicago. 

Brian T. Wiegand 

Term Expires in 2022 
(Class IV Director) 

Mr.  Wiegand,  age,  50,  has  been  a  director  of  the  Company  since  July  2012,  and  is  a  serial  entrepreneur  who 
successfully founded and sold several internet-based companies.  He is currently the founder and CEO of Gravy, Inc., 
a  video  platform  for  brands  and  influencers  to  host  live  mobile  shopping  parties  to  drive  brand  engagement  and 
impulse purchases.  Mr. Wiegand founded and served as CEO of Hopster, a company that links digital marketing 
efforts  with  real-world  shopping  behavior  by  rewarding  consumer  purchase  loyalty,  engagement  and  advocacy.  
Hopster announced in October 2014 that it was acquired by Inmar, Incorporated, where Mr. Wiegand served as SVP 
of Growth and Strategy from the date of purchase to August 2016. Mr. Wiegand co-founded and served as executive 
chair of the board of Alice.com, an online retail platform that connects manufacturers and consumers in the consumer 
packaged goods market. Alice.com filed for receivership in August 2013. Mr. Wiegand also co-founded Jellyfish.com, 
a shopping search engine, in June of 2006. He served as CEO until October 2007 when the company was sold to 
Microsoft. Mr. Wiegand continued with Microsoft as the General Manager of Social Commerce until May 2008. He 
also co-founded NameProtect, a trademark research and digital brand protection services company in August 1997 
which was sold to Corporation Services Company in March 2007. In addition, Mr. Wiegand founded BizFilings in 
1996, the Internet’s leading incorporation Services Company. He served as the president and CEO until 2002 when 

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the company was acquired by Wolters Kluwer. Mr. Wiegand presently serves on the board of VIP Crowd, an online 
business that rewards customers, employees, prospects, and networks for helping grow and improve their business. 
Mr. Wiegand attended the University of Wisconsin – Madison. 

Gary R. Weis  

Term Expires in 2023 
(Class V Director) 

Mr. Weis, age 72, served as Chief Executive Officer from March 2011 until April 2019, Chief Technology Officer 
from September 2011 to April 2019 and a Director of Sonic since February 2004.  Presently, he serves as a senior 
advisor to the Company. Prior to joining Sonic, he served as President, Chief Executive Officer and a Director of 
Cometa Networks, a wireless broadband Internet access company from March 2003 to April 2004. From May 1999 
to February 2003 he was Senior Vice President of Global Services at AT&T where he was responsible for one of the 
world's largest data and IP networks, serving more than 30,000 businesses and providing Internet access to more than 
one million individuals worldwide. While at AT&T, Mr. Weis also was CEO of Concert, a joint venture between 
AT&T and British Telecom. Previously, from January 1995 to May 1999 he was General Manager of IBM Global 
Services,  Network  Services.  Mr.  Weis  served  as  a  Director  from  March  2001  to  February  2003  of  AT&T  Latin 
America, a facilities-based provider of telecom services in Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru and Columbia. Mr. Weis 
earned BS and MS degrees in Applied Mathematics and Computer Science at the University of Illinois, Chicago.  

When considering whether the Board of Directors and nominees thereto have the experience, qualifications, attributes 
and skills, taken as a whole, to enable the Board of Directors to satisfy its oversight responsibilities effectively in light 
of our business and structure, the Board of Directors focused primarily on the information discussed in each of the 
Board  members'  biographical  information  set  forth  above.  Each  of  the  Company's  directors  possess  high  ethical 
standards, act with integrity and exercise careful, mature judgment. Each is committed to employing his skills and 
abilities  to  aid  the  long-term interests of the stakeholders of the Company.  In addition, each of our directors has 
exhibited judgment and skill, and has either been actively involved with the Company for a considerable period of 
time  or  has  experience  with  other  organizations  of  comparable  or  greater  size.  In  particular,  Mr.  Kopko  has  had 
extensive experience with companies comparable in size to Sonic Foundry, including serving as a director of Mercury 
Air Group, Inc. and fills a valuable need with experience in securities and other business law.  Mr. Weis has had 
experience in both developing and established companies, having served as a CEO and Director of Cometa Networks 
and in several positions at AT&T and IBM, including Senior Vice President of Global Services. While at AT&T, Mr. 
Weis also was CEO of Concert, a joint venture between AT&T and British Telecom.  Mr. Weis served as CEO of the 
Company from March 2011 to April 2019.  Mr. Burish brings additional valuable legal experience to the Board as 
well  as  experience  obtained  through  founding  multiple  companies.    Mr.  Wiegand  has  significant  experience  in 
founding and operating technology companies and building brand awareness with both businesses and consumers. 
Mr. Murphy has significant experience in finance and accounting both in the higher education field as well as with 
technology companies and Mr. Slayton has substantial financial experience in growing technology companies. 

Director Independence 

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE 

Although the Company’s stock is no longer listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market (“NASDAQ”), the Company intends 
to comply with most of the listing requirements for such market and all of the requirements of the OTC Markets, 
where the Company’s stock is currently quoted. Both NASDAQ and the OTC Markets require that a majority of the 
members of our Board be independent, as defined under NASDAQ’s rules. The NASDAQ rules have both objective 
tests and a subjective test for determining who is an “independent director.”  The objective tests state, for example, 
that a director is not considered independent if he or she is an employee of the Company or has engaged in various 
types of business dealings with the Company. The subjective test states that an independent director must be a person 
who lacks a relationship that in the opinion of the Board would interfere with the exercise of independent judgment 
in carrying out the responsibilities of a director. The Board has made a subjective determination as to each independent 
director that no relationship exists that, in the opinion of the Board, would interfere with the exercise of independent 

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judgment  in  carrying  out  the  responsibilities  of  a  director.  In  making  these  determinations,  the  Board  reviews 
information provided by the directors in an annual questionnaire with regard to each director’s business and personal 
activities as they relate to the Company. Based on this review and consistent with NASDAQ’s independence criteria, 
the  Board  has  affirmatively  determined  that Mark  D.  Burish,  Nelson  A.  Murphy,  David  F.  Slayton  and  Brian  T. 
Wiegand are independent. 

Related Person Transaction 

The Board has adopted a Related Person Transaction Policy (the “Policy”), which is a written policy governing the 
review and approval or ratification of Related Person Transactions, as defined in SEC rules. 

Under the Policy, each of our directors and executive officers must notify the Chairman of the Audit Committee in 
writing of any new potential Related Person Transaction involving such person or an immediate family member. The 
Audit Committee will review the relevant facts and circumstances and will approve or ratify the transaction only if it 
determines  that  the  transaction  is  not  inconsistent  with,  the  best  interests  of  the  Company.    The  Related  Party 
Transaction must then be approved by the independent directors.  In determining whether to approve or ratify a Related 
Person Transaction, the Audit Committee and the independent directors may consider, among other things, the benefits 
to the Company; the impact on the director’s independence (if the Related Person is a director or an immediate family 
member); the availability of other sources for comparable products or services; the terms of the transaction; and the 
terms available to unrelated third parties or to employees generally.  

Board Leadership Structure and Role in Risk Oversight 

Mark  D.  Burish  serves  as  Non-Executive  Chairman of  the  Board  and  Michael  Norregaard  serves  as  our  Chief 
Executive Officer.  The Company believes that having separate positions provides an appropriate leadership structure.   

Our business and affairs are managed under the direction of our board, which is the Company’s ultimate decision-
making body, except with respect to those matters reserved to our stockholders. Our Board’s key mission is to 
maximize long-term stockholder value. Our Board establishes our overall corporate policies, selects and evaluates 
our executive management team (which is charged with the conduct of our business), and acts as an advisor and 
counselor to executive management. Our board also oversees our business strategy and planning, as well as the 
performance of management in executing its business strategy and assessing and managing risks.  

What is the Board’s role in risk oversight?  

The board takes an active role in monitoring and assessing the Company’s risks, which include risks associated with 
operations, credit, financing and capital investments. Management is responsible for the Company’s day-to-day risk 
management  activities  and  our  board’s  role  is  to  engage  in  informed  risk  oversight.  Management,  through  its 
disclosure committee, compiles an annual ranking of risks to which the Company could be subjected and reviews the 
results of this risk assessment with the audit committee. Any significant risks are then reviewed by the board and 
assigned for oversight. In fulfilling this oversight role, our board focuses on understanding the nature of our enterprise 
risks, including our operations and strategic direction, as well as the adequacy of our risk management process and 
overall  risk  management  system.  There  are  a  number  of  ways  our  board  performs  this  function,  including  the 
following:  

•  at its regularly scheduled meetings, the board receives management updates on our business operations, 

financial results and strategy and discusses risks related to the business;  

• 

the  audit  committee  assists  the  board  in  its  oversight  of  risk  management  by  discussing  with  management, 
particularly,  the  Chief  Financial  Officer,  our  guidelines  and  policies  regarding  financial  and  enterprise  risk 
management and risk appetite, including major risk exposures, and the steps management has taken to monitor 
and control such exposures; and  

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• 

through  management  updates  and  committee  reports,  the  board  monitors  our  risk  management  activities, 
including the annual risk assessment process, risks relating to our compensation programs, and financial and 
operational risks being managed by the Company.  

The board of directors also has oversight responsibility for risks and exposures related to employee compensation 
programs  and  management  succession  planning,  and  assesses  whether  the  organization’s  compensation  practices 
encourage  risk  taking  that  would  have  a  material  adverse  effect  on  the  Company.  The  compensation  committee 
periodically  reviews  the  structure  and  elements  of  our  compensation  programs  and  its  policies  and  practices  that 
manage  or  mitigate  such  risk,  including  the  balance  of  short-term  and  long-term  incentives,  use  of  multiple 
performance  measures,  and  a  multi-year  vesting  schedule  for  long-term  incentives.  Based  on  these  reviews,  the 
committee believes our compensation programs do not encourage excessive risk taking.  

Board Structure and Meetings 

The Board met six times during Fiscal 2018.  The Board also acted by written consent from time to time. All directors 
attended at least 75% of the total number of Board meetings and committee meetings on which they serve (during the 
period in which each director served).   In addition, NASDAQ marketplace rules contemplate that the independent 
members of our Board will meet during the year in separate closed meetings referred to as “executive sessions” without 
any employee director or executive officer present.  Executive sessions were usually held after regularly scheduled 
Board meetings during Fiscal 2018.  

The Board of Directors has three standing committees, the Audit Committee, the Executive Compensation Committee 
and  the  Nominations  Committee.    The  Board  of  Directors  also  established  a  special  committee  of  independent  and 
disinterested members to investigate, evaluate and negotiate on behalf of the Board with respect to various corporate 
transactional opportunities with which the Board may from time to time be presented, as well as to consider and negotiate 
the terms of transactions by Mark D. Burish, the Company’s chair. 

Sonic has a standing audit committee established in accordance with Section 3(a)(58)(A) of the Securities Exchange 
Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). Members of the Audit Committee are Messrs. Murphy (chair), Slayton 
and  Wiegand.  Sonic’s  Board  of  Directors  has  determined  that  all  members  of  Sonic’s  Audit  Committee  are 
“independent” as that term is used in Item 7(d)(3)(iv) of Schedule 14A under the Exchange Act and as defined under 
Nasdaq listing standards.  The Audit Committee provides assistance to the Board in fulfilling its oversight responsibility 
including: (i) internal and external financial reporting, (ii) risks and controls related to financial reporting, and (iii) the 
internal and external audit process.  The Audit Committee is also responsible for recommending to the Board the selection 
of our independent public accountants and for reviewing all related party transactions.  A copy of the charter of the Audit 
Committee is available on Sonic’s website. 

Sonic's Board of Directors has determined that, due to his experience serving in senior financial roles at several companies 
as well as his degree in accounting and designation as a certified public accountant, Mr. Murphy meets the definition of 
audit committee financial expert as that term is defined under the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission. The 
members of the Audit Committee also meet the Nasdaq Stock Market requirements regarding the financial sophistication 
and the financial literacy of members of the Audit Committee. 

The Compensation Committee consists of Messrs. Burish (chair) and Wiegand. The Board of Directors has determined 
that all of the members of the Compensation Committee are “independent” as defined under Nasdaq listing standards. 
The Compensation Committee makes recommendations to the Board with respect to salaries of employees, the amount 
and allocation of any incentive bonuses among the employees, and the amount and terms of stock options to be granted 
to executive officers.  A copy of the charter of the Compensation Committee is available on Sonic’s website. 

The Nominations Committee consists of Messrs. Burish (chair) and Wiegand.  The Board of Directors has determined 
that all of the members of the Nominations Committee are “independent” as defined under Nasdaq listing standards.  The 
purpose  of  the  Nominations  Committee  is  to  evaluate  and  recommend  candidates  for  election  as  directors,  make 

6 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
recommendations concerning the size and composition of the Board of Directors, develop specific criteria for director 
independence, and assess the effectiveness of the Board of Directors.  Our Board of Directors has adopted a charter for 
the  Nominations  Committee,  which  is  available  on  Sonic’s  website.    The  Nominations  Committee  will  review  all 
candidates in the same manner regardless of the source of the recommendation.  In recommending candidates for election 
to  the  Board  of  Directors,  the  Nominations  Committee  reviews  each  candidate’s  qualifications,  including  whether  a 
candidate  possesses  any  of  the  specific  qualities  and  skills  desirable  in  certain  members  of  the  Board  of  Directors.  
Evaluations of candidates generally involve a review of background materials, internal discussions and interviews with 
selected candidates as appropriate.  Generally, the Nominations Committee will consider various criteria in considering 
whether to make a recommendation.  These criteria include expectations that directors have substantial accomplishments 
in their professional backgrounds and are able to make independent, analytical inquiries and exhibit practical wisdom 
and mature judgment.  Director candidates should possess the highest personal and professional ethics, integrity and 
values,  be  committed  to  promoting  the  long-term  interest  of  our  stockholders  and  be  able  and  willing  to  devote  the 
necessary time to carrying out their duties and responsibilities as members of the Board.  While the Board of Directors 
has not adopted a policy regarding diversity, we also believe our directors should come from diverse backgrounds and 
experience  bases  in  order  to  promote  the  representation  of  diverse  views  on  the  Board  of  Directors.    Stockholder 
recommendations of candidates for Board membership will be considered when submitted to Corporate Secretary, Sonic 
Foundry, Inc., 222 W. Washington Ave., Madison, WI 53703.  When submitting candidates for nomination to be elected 
at  Sonic's  annual  meeting  of  stockholders,  stockholders  must  also  follow  the  notice  procedures  and  provide  the 
information required by Sonic's bylaws. 

In particular, for a stockholder to nominate a candidate for election at the 2020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, the 
nomination must be delivered or mailed to and received by Sonic's Secretary between May 14, 2020 and June 13, 2020 
(or, if the 2020 annual meeting is advanced by more than 30 days or delayed by more than 60 days from September 12, 
2020, not earlier than the close of business on the 120th day prior to such annual meeting and not later than the close of 
business on the later of the 90th day prior to such annual meeting or the tenth calendar day following the date on which 
public announcement of the date of the annual meeting is first made). The nomination must include the same information 
as is specified in Sonic's bylaws for stockholder nominees to be considered at an annual meeting, including the following: 

•  The stockholder's name and address and the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the nomination is 

proposed; 

•  The stockholder's reason for making the nomination at the annual meeting, and the signed consent of the 

nominee to serve if elected; 

•  The number of shares owned by, and any material interest of, the record owner and the beneficial owner, 

if any, on whose behalf the record owner is proposing the nominee; 

•  A description of any arrangements or understandings between the stockholder, the nominee and any other 

• 

person regarding the nomination; and 
Information regarding the nominee that would be required to be included in Sonic's proxy statement by the 
rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the nominee's age, business experience for the 
past five years and any other directorships held by the nominee. 

DIRECTORS COMPENSATION 

Our directors who are not also our full-time employees, will receive reduced compensation from prior years with an 
annual retainer of $10,000 (down from $20,000) in addition to a fee of $750 for attendance at each meeting of the Board 
of Directors (down from $750) and $500 per committee meeting attended (down from $1,000). Special independent and 
disinterested committee members will continue to be paid a fee of $1,000 for each meeting attended. In addition, the 
chair of the Audit Committee receives an Audit Committee annual retainer of $4,000 and the chair of the Compensation 
Committee  receives  a  $1,500  Compensation  Committee  annual  retainer.  Mr.  Burish  receives  an  annual  retainer  of 
$17,500 as compensation for his services as Chair of the Board of Directors.  The total fee compensation earned by the 
five non- employee directors combined in Fiscal 2018 was $227,160. When traveling from out-of-town, the members of 
the Board of Directors are also eligible for reimbursement for their travel expenses incurred in connection with attendance 
at Board meetings and Board Committee meetings.  Directors who are also employees do not receive any compensation 
for their participation in Board or Board Committee meetings. 

7 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Pursuant to the 2008 Sonic Foundry Non-Employee Amended Directors Stock Option Plan (the “Directors Plan”) we 
grant to each non-employee director who is reelected or who continues as a member of the Board of Directors at each 
annual stockholders meeting a stock option to purchase 2,000 shares of Common Stock. Further, the chair of our Audit 
Committee receives an additional stock option grant to purchase 500 shares of Common Stock per year pursuant to 
Sonic’s Non-Employee Amended Directors Stock Option Plan. 

The exercise price of each stock option granted was equal to the market price of Common Stock on the date the stock 
option was granted. Stock options issued under the Directors Plan vest fully on the first anniversary of the date of grant 
and expire after ten years from date of grant. An aggregate of 150,000 shares are reserved for issuance under the Directors 
Plan.   

If any change is made in the stock subject to the Directors Plan, or subject to any option granted thereunder, the Directors 
Plan and options outstanding thereunder will be appropriately adjusted as to the type(s), number of securities and price 
per share of stock subject to such outstanding options. 

The  options  and  warrants  set  forth  above  have  an  exercise  price  equal  to  the  fair  market  value  of  the  underlying 
common stock on the date of grant.  The term of all such options is ten years. 

The following table summarizes cash and equity compensation provided our non-employee directors during the fiscal 
year ended September 30, 2018. 

Fees Earned 
Or Paid In 
Cash 
($)(1) 
(b) 

— 
— 
4,500 
— 
— 

Stock 
Awards 
($)(2) 
(c) 

67,000 
30,000 
45,095 
38,425 
35,000 

Option 
Awards 
($)(3) 
(d) 

1,360 
1,360 
1,700 
1,360 
1,360 

Non-Equity 
Incentive  
Plan Compen-
sation 
($) 
(e) 

— 
— 
— 
— 
— 

Name 
(a) 

Mark D. Burish 
Frederick H. Kopko 
Nelson A. Murphy 
David F. Slayton 
Brian T. Wiegand 

Change in 
Pension  
Value and  
Non-qualified 
Deferred 
Compen- 
sation  
Earnings 
($) 
(f) 

— 
— 
— 
— 
— 

All Other 
Compensation 
($) 
(g) 

— 
— 
— 
— 
— 

Total 
($) 
(h) 

68,360 
31,360 
51,295 
39,785 
36,360 

(1) 
(2) 

(3) 

The amount reported in column (b) is the total of retainer fees and meeting attendance fees paid in cash.  
The amount reported in column (c) is the total of retainer fees and meeting attendance fees awarded in common 
stock.  
The amount reported in column (d) is the aggregate grant date fair value of options granted during the fiscal year 
ended September 30, 2018 in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718.  Each director received an option award 
of 2,000 shares on May 17, 2018 at an exercise price of $2.24 with a grant date fair value of $1,360.  In addition, 
Mr. Murphy received a grant of 500 shares on May 17, 2018 at an exercise price of $2.24 with a grant date fair 
value of $340 in connection with his position as chair of the Audit Committee.   

EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF SONIC 

Our  executive  officers,  who  are  appointed  by  the  Board  of  Directors,  hold  office  for  one-year  terms  or  until  their 
respective successors have been duly elected and have qualified.  There are no family relationships between any of the 
executive officers of Sonic. 

8 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Michael Norregaard, age 58, has been Chief Executive Officer since May 2019 and joined the Company in January 
2013. During Mr. Norregaard’s tenure with the Company he served in various sales and operations roles including as 
Chief Operating Officer, Vice President of Business Development and Senior Vice President of Sales Operations. From 
2007 to January 2013 Mr. Norregaard served as Managing Director / Divisions Director Outsourcing Services for Logica 
PLC, a multinational IT and management consulting company headquartered in the United Kingdom.  Prior to his role 
with Logica, Mr. Norregaard held various other executive roles in European technology companies as well as client 
manager and sales executive at IBM and general manager at AT&T. Mr. Norregaard has a Bachelor of Business from 
the Copehagen Business School and a Master of Social Economics from the University of Copenhagen. 

Kenneth A. Minor, age 57, has been our Chief Financial Officer since June 1997, Assistant Secretary from December 
1997 to February 2001 and Secretary since February 2001.  Effective October 1, 2019, Mr. Minor will transition from 
Chief Financial Officer to Senior Financial Advisor and will, among other things, continue to coordinate the preparation 
of the Company’s financial statements and certify financial statements filed with the SEC. From September 1993 to April 
1997, Mr. Minor was employed as Vice President and Treasurer for Fruehauf Trailer Corporation, a manufacturer and 
global  distributor  of  truck  trailers  and  related  aftermarket  parts  and  service  where  he  was  responsible  for  financial, 
treasury and investor relations functions. Prior to 1993, Mr. Minor served in various senior accounting and financial 
positions for public and private corporations as well as the international accounting firm of Deloitte Haskins and Sells. 
Mr. Minor is a certified public accountant and has a B.B.A. degree in accounting from Western Michigan University.  

Robert M. Lipps, age 48, has been Executive Vice President of Sales since April 2008, joining Sonic Foundry in April 
2006 as Vice President of International Sales and assuming expanded responsibility for U.S. central sales in 2007. Mr. 
Lipps leads the company’s global sales organization including oversight of domestic, international and channel sales. He 
holds 15 years of sales leadership, business development and emerging market entry expertise in the technology and 
manufacturing  sectors,  including  sales  and  channel  management.   From  January  2004  to  March  2006  he  served  as 
General Manager of Natural Log Homes LLC, a New Zealand based manufacturer of log homes.  From July 1999 to Dec 
2002 he served as Latin America Regional Manager of Adaytum, a software publisher of planning and performance 
management solutions, (acquired by Cognos Software, an IBM Company, in January 2003) and from May 1996 to July 
1999  he  served  as  International  Sales  Manager  for  Persoft,  a  software  publisher  of  host  access  and  mainframe 
connectivity  solutions  (acquired  by  Esker  software  in  1998).  Mr.  Lipps  has  a  B.S.  degree  in  Marketing  from  the 
University of Wisconsin at La Crosse. 

SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT 

The following table shows information known to us about the beneficial ownership of our Common Stock as of July 22, 
2019, by each stockholder known by us to own beneficially more than 5% of our Common Stock, each of our executive 
officers named in the Summary Compensation Table (“Named Executive Officers”), each of our directors, and all of our 
directors and executive officers as a group. Unless otherwise noted, the mailing address for these stockholders is 222 
West Washington Avenue, Madison, Wisconsin 53703. 

Beneficial ownership is determined in accordance with the rules of the SEC, and includes voting or investment power 
with respect to shares. Shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of stock options or warrants exercisable within 
60 days after July 22, 2019, which we refer to as Presently Exercisable Options or Presently Exercisable Stock Warrants, 
are deemed outstanding for computing the percentage ownership of the person holding the options but are not deemed 
outstanding  for  computing  the  percentage  ownership  of  any  other  person.  Unless  otherwise  indicated  below,  to  our 
knowledge, all persons named in the table have sole voting and investment power with respect to their shares of common 
stock, except to the extent authority is shared by spouses under applicable law. The inclusion of any shares in this table 
does not constitute an admission of beneficial ownership for the person named below. 

9 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Name of Beneficial Owner(1) 

Common Stock 

Mark D. Burish(3) 
33 East Main St. 
Madison, WI 53703 

Andrew D. Burish(4) 
8020 Excelsior Drive 
Madison, WI, 53717 

Wealth Trust Axiom LLC (5) 
4 Radnor Corp Center, suite 520  
Radnor PA 19087 

Gary R. Weis(6) 

Kenneth A. Minor(7) 

Robert M. Lipps(7) 

Frederick H. Kopko, Jr.(8) 
209 west Jackson, Suite 900 
Chicago, IL 60603 

Brian T. Wiegand (9) 
1600 Aspen Commons 
Middleton, WI 53562 

David F. Slayton(10) 
701 Washington Ave N., Suite 400 
Minneapolis, MN 55401 

Nelson A. Murphy(11) 
2300 W. Innes St. 
Salisbury, NC 28144 

Michael Norregaard(12) 

Number of Shares of 
Class 
Beneficially Owned 

Percent 
of Class(2) 

2,211,783 

32.5% 

1,080,845 

15.4 

352,435 

302,440 

161,834 

120,430 

91,532 

84,385 

65,274 

50,592 

21,229 

5.2 

4.3 

2.4 

1.8 

1.4 

1.2 

1.0 

* 

* 

All current Executive Officers and Directors as a Group (9 

3,109,502 

42.5% 

persons)(13) 

less than 1%  

* 
(1)  Sonic believes that the persons named in the table above, based upon information furnished by such persons, except 
as set forth in note (5) where such information is based on a Schedule 13G, have, except as set forth in note (5), sole 
voting and dispositive power with respect to the number of shares indicated as beneficially owned by them. 
(2)  Applicable percentages are based on 6,758,865 shares outstanding, adjusted as required by rules promulgated by the 

Securities and Exchange Commission. 
Includes 35,905 shares subject to presently Exercisable Warrants and 18,000 shares subject to Presently Exercisable 
Options.  
Includes 271,455 shares subject to Presently Exercisable Common Stock Warrants.   

(3) 

(4) 

10 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(5) 

(6) 
(7) 
(8) 

Information is based on Schedule 13G filed on January 7, 2019 by Albert C. Matt, President of Wealth Trust Axiom 
LLC. Based on such information, Wealth Trust Axiom LLC has sole dispositive power but not sole voting power 
with respect to such shares. 
Includes 206,554 shares subject to Presently Exercisable Options. 
Includes 118,355 shares subject to Presently Exercisable Options.   
Includes 20,000 shares subject to Presently Exercisable Options, and include all shares owned by Neltjeberg Bay 
Enterprises LLC, which is controlled and owned by Mr. Kopko. 
(9) 
Includes 14,000 shares subject to Presently Exercisable Options. 
(10)  Includes 4,500 shares subject to Presently Exercisable Options. 
(11)  Includes 4.000 shares subject to Presently Exercisable Options. 
(12)  Includes 15,416 shares subject to Presently Exercisable Options. 
(13)  Includes an aggregate of 555,086 Presently Exercisable Options and warrants. 

Introduction 

Compensation Discussion and Analysis 

This Compensation Discussion and Analysis describes our compensation strategy, policies, programs and practices 
for the executive officers identified in the Summary Compensation Table. Throughout this proxy statement, we refer 
to these individuals, who serve as our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President 
of Sales as the “Named Executive Officers.” 

The Executive Compensation Committee (“Committee”) establishes and oversees our compensation and employee 
benefits programs and approves the elements of total compensation for the executive officers. The day-to-day design 
and administration of our retirement and employee benefit programs available to our employees are handled by our 
Human Resources and Finance Department employees. The Committee is responsible for reviewing these programs 
with management and approving fundamental changes to them. 

Overview and Objectives of our Executive Compensation Program 

The  compensation  program  for  our  executive  officers  is  designed  to  attract,  motivate,  reward  and  retain  highly 
qualified  individuals  who  can  contribute  to  Sonic’s  growth  with  the  ultimate  objective  of  increasing  stockholder 
value.   Our compensation program consists of several forms of compensation:  base salary, annual bonus, long-term 
incentives and limited perquisites and benefits. 

Base  salary  and  annual  bonus  are  cash-based  while  long-term  incentives  consist  of  stock  option  awards.  The 
Committee does not have a specific allocation goal between cash and equity-based compensation or between annual 
and long-term incentive compensation. Instead, the Committee relies on the process described in this discussion and 
analysis in its determination of compensation levels and allocations for each executive officer. 

The Committee established performance metrics for each of its Named Executive Officers in fiscal 2018 designed to 
match Company performance to the amount of incentive compensation paid to such officers following completion of 
the fiscal year. 

 The recommendations of the Chief Executive Officer play a significant role in the compensation-setting process. The 
Chief  Executive  Officer  provides  the  Committee  with  an  annual  overall  assessment  of  Sonic’s  achievements  and 
performance, his evaluation of individual performance and his recommendations for annual compensation and long-
term  incentive  awards.  The  Committee  has  discretion  to  accept,  reject  or  modify  the  Chief  Executive  Officer’s 
recommendations.  The  Committee  determines  the  compensation  for  the  Chief  Executive  Officer  in  an  executive 
session. 

Market Competitiveness 

The Committee’s target is for total cash compensation to average between the 50th and 75th percentile of published 

11 

 
 
 
 
 
 
compensation data derived from two sources: (i) a peer group of companies that are in our industry, competitors for 
key talent, or with similar financial characteristics; and (ii) published market survey data for companies within our 
revenue range. The peer group data was obtained from the most recently filed proxy statement of 12 publicly-traded 
technology  companies  with  annual  revenues  ranging  from  approximately  $10  million  to  just  under  $100  million; 
market  capitalization  from  approximately  $10  million  to  approximately  $200  million  and  approximately  300 
employees or less.  The following companies comprised the peer group for the study: Adesto Technologies, Corp, 
Asure  Software  Inc.,  Bsquare  Corporation,  Datawatch  Corp.,  FalconStor  Software  Inc.,  GlobalSCAPE  Inc., 
Glowpoint  Inc.,  GSE  Systems  Inc.,  Inuvo  Inc.,  MAM  Software  Group,  Inc.,  Qumu  Corporation  and  Smith  Micro 
Software Company. Given competitive recruiting pressures, the Committee retains its discretion to deviate from this 
target under appropriate circumstances. The Committee periodically receives updates of the published compensation 
data. 

Pay for Performance 

The Committee believes that both long and short term compensation of executive officers should correlate to Sonic’s 
overall  financial  performance.   Incentive  payouts  will  be  larger  with  strong  performance  and  smaller  if  Sonic’s 
financial  results  decline.  From  time  to  time,  extraordinary  Board-approved  initiatives  in  a  fiscal  year,  such  as  a 
restructuring,  acquisition,  or  divestiture,  are  considered  by  the  Committee  in  its  overall  evaluation  of  Sonic’s 
performance. 

Peer Group Analysis 

Compensation data came from a peer group of twelve public companies that we consider similar to our market for 
sales, or for key talent, or with similar financial or other characteristics such as number of employees. The companies 
in the peer group are described above.   

Components of Executive Compensation 

Base Salary 

The Committee seeks to pay the executive officers a competitive base salary in recognition of their job responsibilities 
for a publicly held company. As noted above, the target compensation range for an executive’s total cash compensation 
(salary and bonus) is between the 50th and 75th percentile of the market data reviewed by the Committee. 

As  part  of  determining  annual  compensation  review,  the  Committee  also  considers  the  Chief  Executive  Officer’s 
recommendation regarding individual performance as well as internal equitable considerations. 

In evaluating individual performance, the Committee considers initiative, leadership, tenure, experience, skill set for 
the particular position, knowledge of industry and business, and execution of strategy in placing the individual within 
the range outlined. 

The Committee met on February 1, 2019 for consideration of base wage changes for Messrs. Weis, Minor and Lipps 
which have been frozen since December 1, 2016. At the recommendation of management, the Committee agreed to 
reduce compensation for Messrs. Weis and Minor and Lipps. Base wages for Messrs. Weis and Minor were reduced 
to $350,000 and $250,000 on an annual basis from $489,880 and $301,986, respectively. Base wages for Mr. Lipps 
were maintained at $242,810 but his incentive compensation was capped at $7,190 on an annual basis. After its review 
of  all  sources  of  market  data  as  described  above,  the  Committee  believes  that  the  base  salaries  and  the  bonuses 
described are below its targeted range for total cash compensation. Mr. Norregaard was appointed Chief Operating 
Officer in March 2019 and Chief Executive Officer in May 2019 and received an annual base salary of $231,750. In 
July  2019  the  Board  agreed  to  increase  the  annual  base  wage  for  Mr.  Norregaard  to  $281,750,  subject  to  final 
negotiation of his amended employment agreement.  

12 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Annual Performance-Based Variable Compensation  

The performance-based variable compensation reported for each executive officer represents compensation that was 
earned based on incentive plans. The following describes the methodologies used by the Compensation Committee to 
determine the final annual performance-based variable compensation earned by each executive officer:  

Selection  of  Performance  Metrics.  For  fiscal  2018,  the  Compensation  Committee  designed  a  short-term  incentive 
program (“STIP”) driven by four performance measures that it determined were appropriate to drive desired business 
behavior  for  the  Company  and  would  correlate  positively  with  total  shareholder  return.  These  measures  were  the 
Company’s results with respect to (1) customer billings and (2) adjusted EBITDA. Messrs. Weis, Minor and Lipps 
were included in the plan.  Mr. Lipps’ short term incentive plan included a separate component based solely on the 
level of customer billings achieved. 

Payout  Based  on  Performance  Against  Goals.  For  fiscal  2018  the  Company’s  performance,  as  evaluated  by  the 
Compensation Committee, lead to the determination that none of the objectives were met with regard to financial 
performance of the Company and therefore, no incentives were earned under the STIP compensation plan.   Total 
billings – based incentives paid to Mr. Lipps during fiscal 2018 was $68,862.  No variable compensation plan was 
approved for fiscal 2019. 

Stock Options  

The Committee has a long-standing practice of providing long-term incentive compensation grants to the executive 
officers. The Committee believes that such grants, in the form of stock options, help align our executive officers’ 
interests with those of Sonic’s stockholders. All stock options have been granted under our 1995 Stock Option Plan, 
the 1999 Non-Qualified Plan or the 2009 Stock Incentive Plan (“Employee Plans”).  All but the 2009 Stock Incentive 
Plan are now terminated. 

The Committee reviews option grant recommendations by the Chief Executive Officer for each executive officer, but 
retains full discretion to accept, reject or revise each recommendation.  The Committee’s policy is to grant options on 
the date it approves them or such other future date as the Committee may agree at the time of approval. The exercise 
price is determined in accordance with the terms of the Employee Plan and cannot be less than the Fair Market Value, 
as defined in the Plan, of Sonic’s common stock. The Committee typically grants options once a year, but may grant 
options to newly hired executives at other times. 

In  making  its  determinations,  the  Committee  considers  the  number  of  options  or  shares  owned  by  the  executive 
officers. 

No additional option grants were made to Messrs. Weis, Minor and Lipps following the end of fiscal 2018.  At a 
compensation committee meeting held February 1, 2019, the executive management team proposed cancelling certain 
vested stock options they held in order to make them available for future employee grants. The impact was to cancel 
175,764 options for Mr. Weis and 109,690 options each for Messrs. Minor and Lipps. The committee accepted the 
management recommendation and authorized cancelation immediately.  

Health and Welfare Benefits 

Our officers are covered under the same health and welfare plans, including our 401(k) plan, as salaried employees.   

Employment Agreements 

The Company has employment agreements with Messrs. Norregaard, Minor and Lipps. Pursuant to such employment 
agreements,  Messrs.  Norregaard,  Minor  and  Lipps  receive  annual  base  salaries  subject  to  increase  each  year  at  the 
discretion of the Board of Directors. Messrs. Norregaard, Minor and Lipps are also entitled to incidental benefits of 

13 

 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
employment under the agreements. Each of the employment agreements provides that a cash severance payment be made 
upon termination, other than for cause, or upon death or disability.  In each case, such cash severance is equal to the 
highest cash compensation paid in any of the last three fiscal years immediately prior to termination.  In addition, Messrs. 
Norregaard, Minor and Lipps will receive immediate vesting of all previously unvested common stock and stock options 
and have the right to voluntarily terminate their employment, and receive the same severance arrangement detailed above 
following (i) any “person” becoming a “ beneficial” owner of stock of Sonic Foundry representing 50% or more of the 
total voting power of Sonic Foundry’s then outstanding stock; or, (ii) Sonic Foundry is acquired by another entity through 
the  purchase  of  substantially  all  of  its  assets  or  securities;  or  (iii)  Sonic  Foundry  is  merged  with  another  entity, 
consolidated with another entity or reorganized in a manner in which any “person” is or becomes a “beneficial” owner 
of  stock  of  the  surviving  entity  representing  50%  or  more  of  the  total  voting  power  of  the  surviving  entity’s  then 
outstanding stock; and, within two years and ninety days of any such event, Messrs. Norregaard, Minor or Lipps, as the 
case may be, is demoted without cause or his title, authority, status or responsibilities are substantially altered, their salary 
is  reduced  or  the  principal  office  is  more  than  50  miles  outside  the  Madison  metropolitan  area.    Pursuant  to  the 
employment  agreements,  each  of  Messrs.  Norregaard,  Minor  and  Lipps  has  agreed  not  to  disclose  our  confidential 
information and not to compete against us during the term of his employment agreement and for a period of one year 
thereafter. Such non-compete clauses may not be enforceable, or may only be partially enforceable, in state courts of 
relevant jurisdictions.  

For illustrative purposes, if Sonic terminated Messrs. Minor, Norregaard and Lipps on September 30, 2018, (not for 
cause),  or  if  Messrs.  Minor,  Norregaard  and  Lipps  elected  to  terminate  their  employment  following  a  demotion  or 
alteration  of  duties  on  September 30,  2018,  and  a  change  of  control  as  defined  in  the  employment  agreements  had 
occurred,  Sonic  would  be  obligated  to  pay  $334,237,  $232,186  and  $329,018,  respectively  (based  on  fiscal  2016 
compensation which was the fiscal year with highest cash compensation in three year period preceding September 30, 
2018  for  Messrs.  Minor  and  Lipps  and  fiscal  2018  for  Mr.  Norregaard).    In  addition,  any  non-vested  rights  of 
Messrs. Weis,  Minor,  Norregaard  and  Lipps  under  the  Employee  Plans,  would  vest  as  of  the  date  of  employment 
termination. The value of accelerated vesting of the options under these circumstances would be $122,000 for Mr. Weis, 
$13,000 for Mr. Norregaard and $67,000 for both Messrs. Minor and Lipps.  

In July 2019, the Board approved a change to the employment agreement for Mr. Minor that includes the resignation of 
Mr. Minor from all his positions with the Company effective September 30, 2019 pursuant to a retirement and transition 
agreement. Such agreement provides that Minor will provide transitional assistance to the Company, and is subject to 
final negotiation and execution. Pursuant to the transition agreement Mr. Minor will receive $200,000 over the year 
ending September 30, 2020 unless he elects to have the Company provide health insurance coverage to him, in which 
case he will receive $185,000 over the period. In addition, Mr. Minor’s options will fully vest and not expire by virtue of 
the termination of Mr. Minor’s active employment but rather his termination will be considered to be September 30, 2020 
for determination of expiration of his options. In addition, a non-recourse note payable by Mr. Minor to the Company in 
the original amount of $25,000 will be forgiven. Mr. Minor will also continue to provide services to the Company in 
connection with the preparation and certification of financial statements and other related financial matters pursuant to a 
consulting agreement which provides for a monthly fee of $7,500. 

In July 2019, the Board agreed to increase the base salary of Mr. Norregaard from $231,750 to $281,750 and change the 
calculation of severance from an amount equal to the highest cash compensation during the last three fiscal years to his 
base compensation at the time of is severance. 

Personal Benefits 

Our executives receive a limited number of personal benefits certain of which are considered taxable income to them 
and which are described in the footnotes to the section of this Proxy Statement entitled “Summary Compensation 
Table ”. 

Internal Revenue Code Section 162(m) 

14 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Internal Revenue Code Section 162(m) limits the ability of a public company to deduct compensation in excess of $1 
million paid annually to each of the Chief Executive Officer and each of the other executive officers named in the 
Summary Compensation Table. There are exemptions from this limit, including compensation that is based on the 
attainment of performance goals that are established by the Committee and approved by the Company stockholders. 
No executive officer was affected by this limitation in fiscal 2018. 

COMPENSATION COMMITTEE REPORT 

The  Compensation  Committee  of  Sonic  Foundry  has  reviewed  and  discussed  the  Compensation  Discussion  and 
Analysis required by Item 402(b) of Regulation S-K with management and, based on such review and discussions, the 
Compensation Committee recommended to the Board that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in 
the Company’s 2019 Proxy Statement included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year 
ended September 30, 2018, as amended and filed in a Form 10-K. 
Proxy Statement. 

COMPENSATION COMMITTEE 

Mark D. Burish, Chair 
Brian T. Wiegand 

15 

 
 
 
 
 
 
The following table sets forth the compensation of our principal executive officer, our principal financial officer and our 
other executive officer for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2018. 

Summary Compensation 

Salary 
($) 
(c) 

Bonus 
($) 
(d) 

Stock 
Awards 
($) 
(e) 

Option 
Awards 
($)(1) 
(f) 

Non-Equity 
Incentive Plan 
Compensation 
($)(2) 
(g) 

Change in 
Pension  
Value and  
Non-qualified 
Deferred 
Compensation 
Earnings 
($) 
(h) 

Name and Principal 
Position 
(a)(4) 

Gary R. Weis 
Chief Executive  and 
Chief Technology 
Officer 

Year 
(b) 

2018 
2017 
2016 

489,880 
487,136 
475,615 

Kenneth A. Minor 
Chief Financial Officer 
and Secretary 

2018 
2017 
2016 

301,990 
300,298 
293,190 

Robert M. Lipps 
Executive Vice  
President - Sales 

2018 
2017 
2016 

242,810 
241,450 
235,739 

— 
— 
— 

— 
— 
— 

— 
— 
— 

— 
— 
— 

— 
— 
— 

— 
— 
— 

— 
89,143 
157,350 

— 
— 
95,123 

— 
49,028 
76,355 

— 
— 
41,047 

— 
49,028 
76,355 

68,862 
61,997 
93,279 

— 
— 
— 

— 
— 
— 

— 
— 
— 

All Other 
Compen- 
sation 
($)(3) 
(i) 

Total 
($) 
(j) 

4,304 
7,537 
9,021 

494,184 
583,819 
737,109 

17,548 
13,826 
17,299 

319,538 
363,152 
435,883 

8,614 
6,149 
9,950 

320,286 
358,624 
415,323 

(1)  The option awards in column (f) represent the aggregate grant date fair value computed in accordance with FASB 
ASC  Topic  718  for  stock  options  granted  during  the  fiscal  year.  The  assumptions  and  methodology  used  in 
calculating  the  compensation  expense  of  the  option  awards  are  provided  in  Sonic’s  Form 10-K.   See  Note  1, 
“Accounting  for  Stock  Based  Compensation”  in  the  Notes  to  the  Consolidated  Financial  Statements  in  Sonic’s 
Form 10-K.  The  amounts  in  this  column  represent  value  attributed  to  the  awards  at  the  date  of  grant  and  not 
necessarily the actual value that will be realized by the executive. There can be no assurance that the options will 
ever be exercised (in which case no value will be realized by the executive) or that the value on exercise will equal 
the ASC Topic 718 value.   

(2)  The amounts in column (g) represent cash bonuses which were awarded for performance during the prior fiscal year 

based on a pre-established formula.   

(3)  The amount shown under column (i) for the fiscal year 2018 includes Sonic’s matching contribution under our 401(k) 
plan of $4,304, $10,398 and $8,614 for Messrs. Weis, Minor and Lipps.  Mr. Minor receives $650 per month as a 
car allowance of which the taxable personal portions were $7,150.  Mr. Lipps receives a car allowance of $700 per 
month of which there was no taxable personal portion.  Mr. Weis received car and housing allowances totaling 
$2,500 per month, of which there was no taxable personal portion.   

(4)  Mr. Norregaard was appointed Chief Operating Officer on March 4, 2019 and Chief Executive Officer on April 22, 

2019, following the retirement of Mr. Weis as Chief Executive Officer.  

16 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The following table shows the plan-based awards granted to the Named Executive Officers during fiscal 2018. 

Grants of Plan-Based Awards 

Name 
(a) 

Grant 
Date 
(b) 

Estimated Future Payouts 
Under Non-Equity Incentive 
Plan Awards 
Target 
($) 
(d) 

Maximum 
($) 
 (e) 

Threshold 
($) 
(c) 

Estimated Future Payouts 
Under Equity  
Incentive 
Plan Awards 
Target 
($) 
(g) 

Maximum 
($) 
 (h) 

Threshold 
($) 
(f) 

All other 
stock 
awards: 
Number of 
Shares of 
stock or 
units 
(#) 
(i) 

All other 
option 
awards: 
Number of 
Securities 
Underlying 
Options 
(#) 
(j) 

Exercise or 
base price 
of option 
awards 
($/Sh) 
(1) 
(k) 

Grant  
Date fair 
Value of 
Stock and 
option 
awards 
($) 
(2) 
(l) 

Gary R. Weis 
Kenneth A. Minor 
Robert M. Lipps 

1/17/18  — 
1/17/18  — 
1/17/18  — 

— 
— 
— 

— 
— 
— 

— 
— 
— 

— 
— 
— 

— 
— 
— 

— 
— 
— 

92,857 
51,071 
51,071 

2.49 
2.49 
2.49 

89,143 
49,028 
49,028 

(1)  Sonic grants employee stock options with exercise prices equal to the closing stock price on the date of grant. 
(2)  The amount reported in column (l) represents the grant date fair value of the award following the required FASB 
ASC Topic 718 compensation methodology.  Grant date fair value is calculated using the Lattice method.  See Note 
1, “Accounting for Stock Based Compensation” in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Sonic’s 
Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2018 for an explanation of the methodology and assumptions 
used in FASB ASC Topic 718 valuation.  With respect to the option grants, there can be no assurance that the options 
will ever be exercised (in which case no value will be realized by the executive) or that the value on exercise will 
equal the FASB ASC Topic 718 value. 

Sonic grants options to its executive officers under our employee stock option plans. As of September 30, 2018, options 
to purchase a total of 2,029,741 shares were outstanding under the plans, and options to purchase 739,259 shares remained 
available for grant thereunder.  

17 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End 

The following table shows information concerning outstanding equity awards as of September 30, 2018 held by the 
Named Executive Officers. 

Stock Awards 

Equity 
Incentive 
Plan 
Awards: 
Market or  
Payout 
Value of 
Unearned 
Shares, 
Units or 
Other 
Rights  
That Have 
Not  
Vested 
($) 
(j) 

Equity 
Incentive 
Plan 
Awards: 
Number  
of  
Unearned 
Shares, 
Units or 
Other Rights  
That Have  
Not  
Vested 
(#) 
(i) 

Market 
Value of 
Shares or 
Units of 
Stock  
That  
Have  
Not  
Vested 
($) 
(h) 

Number  
of Shares  
or Units  
of Stock 
That Have 
 Not  
Vested 
(#) 
(g) 

Option Awards 

Equity 
Incentive  
Plan  
Awards: 
Number 
 of  
Securities 
Underlying 
Unexercised 
Unearned 
Options 
(#) 
(d) 
None 

None 

None 

Number  
of  
Securities 
Underlying 
Unexercised 
Options 
(#) 
Exercisable 
(1) 
(b) 
5,000 
2,000 
2,000 
2,000 
50,000 
73,000 
61,500 
62,264 
33,716 
25,014 
92,857 
6,000 
14,120 
27,500 
40,000 
33,825 
34,245 
18,546 
13,758 
51,071 

6,000 
14,120 
27,500 
40,000 
33,825 
34,245 
18,546 
13,758 
51,071 

Number  
of  
Securities 
Underlying 
Unexercised 
Options 
(#) 
Unexercisable 
(1) 
(c) 

0 
0 
0 
0 
0 
0 
0 
0 
16,858 
50,028 
0 
0 
0 
0 
0 
0 
0 
9,273 
27,515 
0 

0 
0 
0 
0 
0 
0 
9,273 
27,515 
0 

Option 
Exercise 
Price 
($) 
(1) 
(e) 
5.00 
5.50 
6.90 
14.83(2) 
8.68(2) 
7.80 
9.45(2) 
9.36(2) 
7.17 
4.75 
2.49 
5.26 
15.21(2) 
9.46(2) 
7.80 
9.45(2) 
9.36(2) 
7.17 
4.75 
2.49 

5.26 
15.21(2) 
9.46(2) 
7.80 
9.45(2) 
9.36(2) 
7.17 
4.75 
2.49 

Option 
Expiration Date 
(1) 
(f) 
11/3/2018 
3/5/2019 
3/4/2020 
3/3/2021 
9/30/2021 
10/17/2022 
10/28/2023 
11/10/2024 
11/5/2025 
12/27/2026 
1/17/2028 
12/2/2019 
11/24/2020 
10/24/2021 
10/17/2022 
10/28/2023 
11/10/2024 
11/5/2025 
12/27/2026 
1/17/2028 

12/2/2019 
11/24/2020 
10/24/2021 
10/17/2022 
10/28/2023 
11/10/2024 
11/5/2025 
12/27/2026 
1/17/2028 

Name 
(a) 

Gary R. Weis 

Kenneth A. Minor 

Robert M. Lipps 

(1)  All options were granted under either our stockholder approved Employee Stock Option Plans or the Non-

Qualified Stock Option Plan.  All unexercisable options listed in the table become exercisable over a three-year 
period in equal annual installments beginning one year from the date of grant.  

(2)  Denotes option cancelled February 1, 2019 

18 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The following table shows information concerning option exercises in fiscal 2018 by the Named Executive Officers. 

Option Exercises and Stock Vested 

Option Awards 

Stock Awards 

  Number of Shares 
Acquired on 
Exercise 
(#) 

Value Realized 
on Exercise 
($) 

Number of 
Shares Acquired 
on Vesting 
(#) 

Value Realized 
on Vesting 
($) 

None 

Equity Compensation Plan Information 

Plan category 

Number of securities 
to be issued upon 
exercise of 
outstanding options 

Weighted average 
exercise price of 
outstanding 
options 

Number of 
securities 
remaining 
available for 
future issuance 

(a) 

(b) 

(c) 

Equity compensation plans approved by security holders (1) 

Equity compensation plans not approved by security holders (2) 

Total 

2,011,241 

  $ 

6.93 

695,759 

18,500 
2,029,741    $ 

5.90 
7.03 

— 

695,759 

(1)  Consists of the 2009 Stock Incentive Plan, Employee Incentive Stock Option Plan and the Directors Stock 
Option  Plans.  For  further  information  regarding  these  plans,  reference  is  made  to  Note  5  of  the  financial 
statements. 

(2)  Consists of the Non-Qualified Stock Option Plan. For further information regarding this plan, reference is 

made to Note 5 of the financial statements. 

Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation  

The members of the Executive Compensation Committee of Sonic's Board of Directors for fiscal 2018 were those named 
in the Executive Compensation Committee Report. No member of the Committee was at any time during fiscal 2018 or at 
any other time an officer or employee of Sonic Foundry, Inc.  

No executive officer of Sonic Foundry, Inc. has served on the board of directors or compensation committee of any other 
entity that has or has had one or more executive officers serving as a member of the Board of Directors of Sonic Foundry.  

19 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
 
 
 
PROPOSAL TWO: RATIFICATION OF APPOINTMENT OF INDEPENDENT AUDITORS 

The  Board  of  Directors,  upon  the  recommendation  of  the  Audit  Committee,  has  appointed  the  firm  of  Wipfli  LLP 
(“Wipfli”) as independent auditors to audit our financial statements for the year ending September 30, 2019, and has 
further  directed  that  management  submit  the  selection  of  independent  public  accountants  for  ratification  by  the 
stockholders at the annual meeting. Representatives of Wipfli are expected to be present at the annual meeting to respond 
to stockholders' questions and to have the opportunity to make any statements they consider appropriate. 

Stockholder ratification of the selection of Wipfli as our independent auditors is not required by our Bylaws or otherwise.  
However, the Board is submitting the selection of Wipfli to the stockholders for ratification as a matter of good corporate 
practice.  If the stockholders fail to ratify the selection, the Board and the Audit Committee will reconsider whether or 
not to retain that firm.  Even if the selection is ratified, the Board and the Audit Committee in their discretion may direct 
the appointment of a different independent accounting firm at any time during the year if they determine that such a 
change would be in the best interests of Sonic and its stockholders. 

The ratification of the appointment of Wipfli as independent public accountants requires the approval of a majority of 
the votes cast at the Annual Meeting. 

Recommendation of Board of Directors 

The Board of Directors unanimously recommends a vote FOR proposal 2 ratifying the appointment of Wipfli as 
independent auditors for Sonic Foundry.    

Relations with Independent Auditors 

The Company, upon the recommendation of its audit committee has selected Wipfli, LLP (“Wipfli”) as its independent 
auditor for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2019.   

On April 2, 2019, the Company, upon the recommendation of its audit committee, notified Baker Tilly Virchow Krause 
(“BT”) that it had selected an alternative auditor for the fiscal year commenced October 1, 2018, and appointed Wipfli, 
LLP (“Wipfli”) as its independent auditor for that fiscal year. 

During the years ended September 30, 2018 and 2017 and through April 22, 2019, neither the Company nor its audit 
committee consulted Wipfli with respect to the application of accounting principles to a specified transaction, either 
completed or proposed, or the type of audit opinion that might be rendered on our financial statements, as defined in 
Item 304(a)(2)(i) of Regulation S-K, for which was concluded an important factor considered by the Company in 
reaching a decision as to the accounting, auditing or financial reporting issue. Likewise, neither the Company nor 
the audit committee consulted Wipfli regarding any matter that was the subject of a disagreement or a reportable 
event, as defined in Item 304(a)(2)(ii) of Regulation S-K. 

As stated in Proposal 2, the Board has selected Wipfli to serve as our independent auditors for the fiscal year ending 
September 30, 2019. 

Audit services performed by BT for Fiscal 2018 and 2017 consisted of the examination of our financial statements, 
review of fiscal quarter results, and services related to filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).  
We also retained BT to perform certain audit related services associated with the audit of our benefit plan.  All fees 
paid to BT were reviewed, considered for independence and upon determination that such payments were compatible 
with maintaining such auditors’ independence, approved by Sonic’s audit committee prior to performance.  

20 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
Fiscal Years 2018 and 2017 Audit Firm Fee Summary 

During fiscal years 2018 and 2017, we retained our principal accountant, Baker Tilly Virchow Krause LLP to provide 
services in the following categories and amounts: 

Audit Fees 
Audit Related 
Tax Fees 

Years Ended September 30, 
2018 
2017 
$327,186 
360,237 
13,222 
13,200 
—  
—  

All  of  the  services  described  above  were  approved  by  Sonic’s  audit  committee  prior  to  performance.  The  Audit 
Committee may, in its discretion, delegate to one or more of its members the authority to pre-approve any audit or non-
audit services to be performed by the independent auditors, provided that any such approvals are presented to the Audit 
Committee at its next scheduled meeting.  The audit committee has determined that the payments made to its independent 
accountants for these services are compatible with maintaining such auditors’ independence.  

REPORT OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE 1 

The Audit Committee's role includes the oversight of our financial, accounting and reporting processes, our system of 
internal  accounting  and  financial  controls  and  our  compliance  with  related  legal  and  regulatory  requirements,  the 
appointment, engagement, termination and oversight of our independent auditors, including conducting a review of their 
independence, reviewing and approving the planned scope of our annual audit, overseeing the independent auditors' audit 
work, reviewing and pre-approving any audit and non-audit services that may be performed by them, reviewing with 
management and our independent auditors the adequacy of our internal financial controls, and reviewing our critical 
accounting policies and the application of accounting principles. The Audit Committee held five meetings during fiscal 
2018.  

Messrs. Murphy, Slayton and Wiegand meet the rules of the SEC for audit committee membership and are "independent" 
as that term is used in Item 7(d)(3)(iv) of Schedule 14A under the Exchange Act and under Nasdaq listing standards. A 
copy of the Audit Committee Charter is available on Sonic’s website.  

As set forth in the Audit Committee Charter, management of Sonic is responsible for the preparation, presentation and 
integrity  of  Sonic’s  financial  statements  and  for  the  effectiveness  of  internal  control  over  financial  reporting.  
Management and the accounting department are responsible for maintaining Sonic’s accounting and financial reporting 
principles and internal controls and procedures designed to assure compliance with accounting standards and applicable 
laws and regulations.  The independent auditors are responsible for auditing Sonic’s financial statements and expressing 
an opinion as to their conformity with generally accepted accounting principles. 

We  have  reviewed  and  discussed  with  our  predecessor  independent  auditors,  BT,  matters  required  to  be  discussed 
pursuant to Auditing Standard No. 16 (Communications with Audit Committees) as promulgated by the Public Company 
Accounting Oversight Board. We have received from the auditors a formal written statement describing the relationships 
between the auditor and Sonic that might bear on the auditor's independence consistent with applicable requirements of 
the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. We have discussed with BT matters relating to its independence, 
including  a  review  of  audit  related  fees,  and  considered  the  compatibility  of  non-audit  services  with  the  auditors' 
independence.  

1 The material in this report is not “soliciting material”, is not deemed filed with the SEC, and is not to be incorporated 
by reference in any of our filings under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Exchange Act of 
1934, as amended, whether made before or after the date hereof and irrespective of any general incorporation language 
in such filing. 

21 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The members of the Audit Committee are not full-time employees of Sonic and are not performing the functions of 
auditors or accountants.  As such, it is not the duty or responsibility of the Audit Committee or its members to conduct 
“field work” or other types of auditing or accounting reviews or procedures or to set auditor independence standards.  
Members of the Committee necessarily rely on the information provided to them by management and the independent 
accountants.  Accordingly, the Audit Committee’s considerations and discussions referred to above do not assure that the 
audit of Sonic’s financial statements has been carried out in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards, that 
the financial statements are presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles or that Sonic’s auditors 
are in fact “independent”. 

We have reviewed and discussed with management and BT the audited financial statements. We discussed with BT the 
overall scope and plans of their audit. We met with BT, with and without management present, to discuss results of their 
examination and the overall quality of Sonic’s financial reporting.  

Based on the reviews and discussions referred to above and our review of Sonic’s audited financial statements for fiscal 
2018, we recommended to the Board that the audited financial statements be included in the Annual Report on 
Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2018, for filing with the SEC effective March 15, 2019.  
Respectfully submitted, 

AUDIT COMMITTEE 
Nelson A. Murphy, Chair 
David F. Slayton 
Brian T. Wiegand 

CERTAIN TRANSACTIONS 

On  November  7,  2017,  the  Company  entered  into  an  Agreement  with  Mark  Burish,  the  Chair  of  the  Company, 
("Burish"), such that Burish waived his right to convert any of his holdings of Series A Preferred into common stock 
until shareholder approval has been obtained, and also to waive his right to vote his shares of Series A Preferred Stock 
to approve the issuance of the Series A Preferred Stock. 

On November 9, 2017, the Company sold to Burish $500 thousand of shares of Preferred Stock, Series A, at $762.85 
per share. Burish beneficially owns more than 5% of the Company’s common stock. All sales of Preferred Stock, 
Series A, were approved by a special committee of disinterested directors. 

On  January  19,  2018,  the  Company  and  a  director  entered  into  a  Subscription  Agreement  (the  “Subscription 
Agreement”).  Pursuant  to  the  Subscription  Agreement,  (i)  on  January  19,  2018,  Burish  purchased  a 
10.75% Convertible  Secured  Subordinated  Promissory  Note  for  $500,000  in  cash;  and  (ii)  on  February  15,  2018, 
Burish purchased an additional 10.75% Convertible Secured Promissory Note for $500,000 in cash (each, a “Note”, 
and collectively, the “Notes”). 

On May 17, 2018, following approval by the stockholders of the Company of the conversion of the Notes sufficient 
to comply with rules and regulations of Nasdaq, the Notes were automatically converted into 1,902 shares of Series 
A Preferred stock. The number of shares was determined by dividing the total principal and accrued interest due on 
each Note by $542.13 (the “Conversion Rate”). 

On April 16, 2018, the Company issued 232,558 shares of common stock to an affiliated party. The shares were issued 
at a price of $2.15 per share, representing the closing price on April 13, 2018. On April 16, 2018, the closing price of 
the  Company’s  common  stock  was  $2.18 per  share.  The  affiliated  party  also  received  warrants  to  purchase 

22 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
232,558 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $2.50 per share, respectively, which expire on April 16, 2025. 

On November 15, 2018, 718 shares of Preferred Stock, Series A were automatically converted by the Company into 
169,741 shares of common stock. The amount of shares converted represents all preferred shares issued on November 
9, 2017, including related dividends. 

On  January  4,  2019,  Sonic  Foundry,  Inc.  and  a  director  entered  into  a  Promissory  Note  (the  "Promissory  Note") 
pursuant to which Burish purchased a 9.25% Unsecured Promissory Note for $1,000,000 in cash. The terms of the 
Promissory Note were ratified by the special committee of independent and disinterested directors as being in the best 
interest of the Company and its shareholders. 

Interest accrued and outstanding principal on the Promissory Note is due and payable on January 4, 2020. 

The Promissory Note may be prepaid at any time without penalty. 

The Promissory Note was later included in the Note Purchase Agreement, dated February 28, 2019, as detailed below. 

On  January  31,  2019,  Sonic  Foundry,  Inc.  and  a  director  entered  into  a  Promissory  Note  (the  "January  31,  2019 
Promissory Note") pursuant to which Burish purchased a 9.25% Unsecured Promissory Note for $1,000,000 in cash. 

Interest accrued and outstanding principal on the January 31, 2019 Promissory Note is due and payable on January 
31, 2020. 

The  January  31,  2019  Promissory  Note  may  be  prepaid  any  time  without  penalty.  The  note  may  be  paid  by  the 
Company by issuing common stock to Burish, with each share valued at $1.30 per share. 

The January 31, 2019 Promissory Note was later included in the Note Purchase Agreement, dated February 28, 2019, 
as detailed below. 

The  Disinterested  Directors  also  ratified  as  fair  and  in  the  best  interest  of  the  Company  and  its  shareholders  the 
transaction  on  February  14,  2019,  between  Sonic  Foundry,  Inc.  and  Burish,  whereby  Burish  purchased  a  9.25% 
Unsecured Promissory Note for $1,000,000 in cash (the "February 14, 2019 Promissory Note"). 

Interest accrued and outstanding principal on the February 14, 2019 Promissory Note is due and payable on February 
14, 2020. 

The  February  14,  2019  Promissory  Note  may  be  prepaid  any  time  without  penalty.  The  note  may  be  paid  by  the 
Company by issuing common stock to Burish, with each share valued at $1.30 per share. 

The February 14, 2019 Promissory Note was later included in the Note Purchase Agreement, dated February 28, 2019, 
as detailed below. 

On April 25, 2019, Burish exercised his warrant to purchase 728,155 shares of common stock of the Company at an 
exercise  price  of  $1.18  per  share,  which  was  entered  into  coincident  with  the  execution  of  the  Note  Purchase 
Agreement  on  February  28,  2019.  The  special  committee  of  disinterested  directors  approved  the  issuance  of  the 
warrant coincident with the execution of a note purchase agreement with Burish. 

On  May  17,  2019,  2,080  shares  of  Preferred  Stock  Series  A  were  automatically  converted  by  the  Company  into 
491,753 shares on common stock. The amount of shares converted represents all preferred shares issued on May 17, 
2018, including related dividends. 

23 

 
 
 
 
 
Burish beneficially owns more than 5% of the Company’s common stock. The affiliated party beneficially owns more 
than 5% of the Company's common stock. All transactions with Burish and with the affiliated party were approved by 
the Disinterested Directors. 

Frederick H. Kopko, Jr., a director and stockholder of Sonic Foundry, is a partner in McBreen & Kopko. Pursuant to 
the 2008 Non-Employee Directors Plan, Mr. Kopko was granted options to purchase 20,000 shares of Common Stock 
at exercise prices ranging from $2.24 to $14.83.  During fiscal 2018, we paid the Chicago law firm of McBreen & 
Kopko certain compensation for legal services rendered subject to standard billing rates.  

Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance 

Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 requires Sonic's officers and directors, and persons who own 
more than ten percent of the Common Stock, to file reports of ownership and changes in ownership with the Securities 
and Exchange Commission. Based solely upon a review of Forms 3 and Forms 4 furnished to us pursuant to Rule 16a-
3 under the Exchange Act during our most recent fiscal year, to Sonic Foundry's knowledge, all reporting persons 
complied with all applicable filing requirements of Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. 

Code of Ethics  

Sonic has adopted a Code of Ethics (as defined in Item 406 of Regulation S-K) that applies to its principal executive, 
financial and accounting officers.  Sonic Foundry will provide a copy of its code of ethics, without charge, to any 
investor who requests it.    Requests should be addressed in writing to Mr. Kenneth Minor, Corporate Secretary, 222 
West Washington Ave, Madison, WI 53703. 

COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS 

Any stockholder who desires to contact our Board or specific members of our Board may do so electronically by 
sending an email to the following address: directors@sonicfoundry.com. Alternatively, a stockholder can contact our 
Board or specific members of our Board by writing to: Secretary, Sonic Foundry Incorporated, 222 West Washington 
Avenue, Madison, WI 53703.  

Each communication received by the Secretary will be promptly forwarded to the specified party following normal 
business procedures. The communication will not be opened but rather will be delivered unopened to the intended 
recipient. In the case of communications to the Board or any group or committee of Directors, the Secretary will open 
the communication and will make sufficient copies of the contents to send to each Director who is a member of the 
group or committee to which the envelope is addressed. 

STOCKHOLDER PROPOSALS FOR 2020 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS 

Requirements for Stockholder Proposals to be Considered for Inclusion in Sonic's Proxy Materials.  
Stockholders  of  Sonic  may  submit  proposals  on  matters  appropriate  for  stockholder  action  at  meetings  of  Sonic's 
stockholders  in  accordance  with  Rule  14a-8  promulgated  under  the  Securities  Exchange  Act  of  1934.  For  such 
proposals to be included in Sonic's proxy materials relating to its 2020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, all applicable 
requirements  of  Rule  14a-8  must  be  satisfied  and  such  proposals  must  be  received  by  Sonic  no  later  than  the 
anniversary  date  of  120  days  prior  to  the  date  of  this  proxy  statement  (April  9,  2020).  Such  proposals  should  be 
delivered to Corporate Secretary, Sonic Foundry, Inc., 222 West Washington Avenue, Madison, Wisconsin 53703. 

24 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Requirements for Stockholders Proposals to be Brought Before the Annual Meeting. 

Sonic's bylaws provide that, except in the case of proposals made in accordance with Rule 14a-8, for stockholder 
nominations to the Board of Directors or other proposals to be considered at an annual meeting of stockholders, the 
stockholder must have given timely notice thereof in writing to the Secretary not less than ninety nor more than one 
hundred twenty calendar days prior to the anniversary of the date on which Sonic held its immediately preceding 
annual meeting of stockholders. To be timely for the 2020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, a stockholder's notice 
must be delivered or mailed to and received by Sonic's Secretary at the principal executive offices of Sonic between 
May 14, 2020 and June 13, 2020. However, in the event that the annual meeting is advanced by more than 30 days or 
delayed by more than 60 days from September 12, 2020, to be timely, notice by the stockholders must be so received 
not earlier than the close of business on the 120th day prior to such annual meeting and not later than the close of 
business on the later of the 90th day prior to such annual meeting or the tenth calendar day following the date on which 
public announcement of the date of the annual meeting is first made. In no event will the public announcement of an 
adjournment of an annual meeting of stockholders commence a new time period for the giving of a stockholder's 
notice as provided above. A stockholder's notice to Sonic's Secretary must set forth the information required by Sonic's 
bylaws with respect to each matter the stockholder proposes to bring before the annual meeting. 

In addition, the proxy solicited by the Board of Directors for the 2020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders will confer 
discretionary authority to vote on (i) any proposal presented by a stockholder at that meeting for which Sonic has not 
been provided with notice on or prior to the anniversary date of 45 days prior to the date of this proxy statement (June 
23, 2020) and (ii) any other proposal, if the 2019 proxy statement briefly describes the matter and how management's 
proxy holders intend to vote on it, and if the stockholder does not comply with the requirements of Rule 14a-4(c)(2) 
under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.  Notwithstanding the above, all stockholder proposals must comply with 
the provisions of Sonic’s bylaws. 

OTHER MATTERS 

The Board of Directors has at this time no knowledge of any matters to be brought before this year's Annual Meeting 
other than those referred to above.  However, if any other matters properly come before this year's Annual Meeting, it is 
the intention of the persons named in the proxy to vote such proxy in accordance with their judgment on such matters. 

GENERAL 

A copy of our Annual Report to Stockholders for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2018 is being mailed, together with 
this Proxy Statement, to each stockholder.  Additional copies of such Annual Report and of the Notice of Annual Meeting, 
this Proxy Statement and the accompanying proxy may be obtained from us. We will, upon request, reimburse brokers, 
banks and other nominees, for costs incurred by them in forwarding proxy material and the Annual Report to beneficial 
owners of Common Stock. In addition, directors, officers and regular employees of Sonic and its subsidiaries, at no 
additional  compensation,  may  solicit  proxies  by  telephone,  telegram  or  in  person.    All  expenses  in  connection  with 
soliciting management proxies for this year's Annual Meeting, including the cost of preparing, assembling and mailing 
the Notice of Annual Meeting, this Proxy Statement and the accompanying proxy are to be paid by Sonic. 

Sonic will provide without charge (except for exhibits) to any record or beneficial owner of its securities, on written 
request, a copy of Sonic's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission for the 
fiscal year ended September 30, 2018, including the financial statements and schedules thereto.  Exhibits to said 
report, and exhibits to this proxy statement, will be provided upon payment of fees limited to Sonic's reasonable 
expenses in furnishing such exhibits.  Written requests should be directed to Investor Relations, 222 West 
Washington Avenue, Madison, Wisconsin 53703.  We also make available, free of charge, at the “Investor 
Information” section of our website, our annual report on Form 10-K, our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, our 
current reports on Form 8-K, our proxy statement, amendments and exhibits to such reports as soon as practicable 
after the filing of such reports, exhibits and proxy statements with the Securities and Exchange Commission. 

25 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
In order to assure the presence of the necessary quorum at this year's Annual Meeting, and to save Sonic the expense of 
further mailings, please date, sign and mail the enclosed proxy promptly in the envelope provided.  No postage is 
required if mailed within the United States. The signing of a proxy will not prevent a stockholder of record from voting 
in person at the meeting. 

By Order of the Board of Directors, 

August 2, 2019 

Kenneth A. Minor, Secretary  

26 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
UNITED STATES 
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION 
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549 

FORM 10-K 

(Mark One) 

ý  ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 

For the fiscal period ended September 30, 2018 
OR 

¨  TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 

Commission File Number 000-30407 

SONIC FOUNDRY, INC. 

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter) 

MARYLAND 

39-1783372 

(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) 

(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) 

222 W. Washington Ave, Madison, WI 53703 

(Address of principal executive offices) 

(608) 443-1600 

(Issuer’s telephone number) 

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

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: Common stock par value $0.01 per share 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.    Yes  ¨    No  ý 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Act.    Yes  ¨    No  ý 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 
during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing 
requirements for the past 90 days.    Yes  ý    No  ¨ 

Indicate by check mark 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.    Yes  ý    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 (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period 
that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).    Yes  ý    No  ¨ 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a small reporting company, or an 
emerging  growth  company.  See  the  definitions  of  “large  accelerated  filer,”  “accelerated  filer”,  “smaller  reporting  company”,  and  "emerging  growth 
company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. 

Large accelerated filer 

Non-accelerated filer 

  ¨ 

  ¨ 

  Accelerated filer 

  Smaller reporting company 

  Emerging growth company 

  ¨ 

  x 

  ¨ 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any 
new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.   ¨ 

1 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
   
   
 
   
   
   
 
   
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).    Yes  ¨    No  ý 

The aggregate market value of the registrant’s common stock held by non-affiliates computed by reference to the price at which the common equity was 
last sold, or the average bid and asked price of such common equity, as of the last business day of the Registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal 
quarter was approximately $8,661,176. 

The number of shares outstanding of the registrant’s common equity was 5,278,778 as of March 12, 2019. 

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE 

Portions of the Proxy Statement for the 2019 Annual Meeting of Stockholders are incorporated by reference into Part III. A definitive Proxy Statement 
pursuant to Regulation 14A will be filed with the Commission for required sections. 

2 

 
 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

PART I 

PAGE NO. 

Item 1. 

Business 

Item 1A. 

Risk Factors 

Item 1B. 

Unresolved Staff Comments 

Item 2. 

Item 3. 

Item 4. 

Properties 

Legal Proceedings 

Mine Safety Disclosures 

PART II 

Item 5. 

Item 6. 

Item 7. 

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

Selected Consolidated Financial Data 

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

Item 7A.  Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk 

Item 8. 

Consolidated Financial Statements and Supplementary Data: 

Report of Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, LLP, Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm 

Consolidated Balance Sheets 

Consolidated Statements of Operations 

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss 

Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity (Deficit) 

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows 

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements 

Item 9. 

Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure 

Item 9A. 

Controls and Procedures 

Item 9B. 

Other Information 

PART III 

Item 10. 

Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance 

Item 11. 

Executive Compensation 

Item 12. 

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

Item 13. 

Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence 

Item 14. 

Principal Accounting Fees and Services 

4 

13 

30 

30 

31 

31 

32 

34 

35 

45 

46 

47 

49 

50 

51 

52 

54 

83 

83 

85 

86 

86 

86 

86 

87 

3 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

This annual report on Form 10-K (this "Report") contains statements that are considered forward-looking statements within the meaning 
of  Section  27A  of  the  Securities Act  of  1933,  as  amended,  and  its  rules  and  regulations  (the  "Securities Act"),  and  Section  21E  of  the 
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and its rules and regulations (the "Exchange Act"). When used in this Report, the words 
“anticipate”,  “expect”,  “plan”,  “believe”,  “seek”,  “estimate”  and  similar  expressions  are  intended  to  identify  such  forward-looking 
statements. These are statements that relate to future periods and include, but are not limited to, statements about the features, benefits and 
performance  of  our  Rich  Media  products,  our  ability  to  introduce  new  product  offerings  and  increase  revenue  from  existing  products, 
expected  expenses  including  those  related  to  selling  and  marketing,  product  development  and  general  and  administrative,  our  beliefs 
regarding the health and growth of the market for our products, anticipated increase in our customer base, expansion of our products 
functionalities, expected revenue levels and sources of revenue, expected impact, if any, of legal proceedings, the adequacy of liquidity and 
capital resources, and expected growth in business. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause 
actual results to differ materially from those projected. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, market acceptance for 
our products, our ability to attract and retain customers and distribution partners for existing and new products, our ability to control our 
expenses, our ability to recruit and retain employees, the ability of distribution partners to successfully sell our products, legislation and 
government regulation, shifts in technology, global and local business conditions, our ability to effectively maintain and update our products 
and service portfolio, the strength of competitive offerings, the prices being charged by those competitors, and the risks discussed elsewhere 
herein. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof. We expressly disclaim any obligation or undertaking to release 
publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in our expectations with regard 
thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based. 

PART I 

ITEM 1. BUSINESS 

Who We Are 

Sonic Foundry (OTC Pink Sheets:SOFO) (the “Company”) is the global leader for video capture, management and streaming 
solutions. Trusted by more than 4,900 educational institutions, corporations, health organizations and government entities in 
over 65 countries, its Mediasite Video Platform quickly and cost-effectively automates the capture, management, delivery and 
search of live and on-demand streaming videos. 

Sonic Foundry, Inc. was founded in 1991, incorporated in Wisconsin in March 1994 and merged into a Maryland corporation of 
the same name in October 1996. Our executive offices are located at 222 West Washington Ave., Madison, Wisconsin 53703 and 
our telephone number is (608) 443-1600. Our Sonic Foundry International B.V. ("Sonic Foundry International") (formerly Media 
Mission B.V.) office is located in the Netherlands, and our Mediasite K.K. ("Mediasite KK" or "MSKK") office is located in 
Japan. Our corporate website is www.sonicfoundry.com. In the “Investors” section of our website we make available, free of 
charge, our annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to reports 
required to be filed pursuant to Sections 13(a) and 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as soon as reasonably practicable 
after the filing of such reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission. 

Challenges We Address 
Every organization faces a fundamental need to share information and communicate efficiently. Universities and colleges connect 
instructors  with  students  to  educate  and  prepare  the  next  generation.  Businesses  strive  for  effective  communication  and 
collaboration  among  employees  to  provide  value  to  customers.  Government  agencies  must  keep  partners,  stakeholders  and 
constituents informed to operate effectively. And yet, communication and e-learning challenges remain, including how to: 

Improve learners’ academic and professional success 

•  
•   Keep geographically-dispersed audiences and mobile teams connected 
•   Boost productivity and overall organizational knowledge 
•   Reduce logistical and financial impacts of day-to-day communications 

4 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

Sonic Foundry Solutions 
Sonic Foundry transforms the way organizations share and use information with these video solutions: 

Mediasite Video Platform 
Mediasite Video  Platform  is  a  scalable  on-premises  solution  to  publish,  stream,  manage,  search  and  analyze  all  video. With 
Mediasite Video Platform, enterprises and education institutions: 
•   Stream live and on-demand video to any device 
•   Create an enterprise or campus YouTube with Mediasite Showcase 
•   Automatically publish video to their learning management system (LMS), content management system (CMS), training 

portal or any website 

•   Deepen engagement and improve learning with quizzing, annotations, comments, polls, surveys and other interactive tools 
•   Search everything with fully indexed audio, video and slide content 
•   Monitor who is watching what videos when to measure learner engagement and outcomes 
•   Centrally manage and secure any video 

Mediasite Video Cloud 
Mediasite Video Cloud is a secure, reliable SaaS (Software as a Service) solution offering the same capabilities as Mediasite 
Video Platform to publish, stream, manage, search and analyze all video. Customers conveniently host and manage all of their 
content with Mediasite Video Cloud, or use it as needed for large events to divert heavy viewing traffic from their on-premises 
Mediasite Video Platform. Our co-located and high availability data center and experienced team successfully manage customers’ 
cloud-based video streaming in a secure, fault-tolerant environment. 

Mediasite Capture Solutions 
Valuable knowledge and expertise is shared every minute, but what’s the best way to capture that knowledge before it evaporates 
into thin air? Mediasite provides flexible options to record and upload any video-based content from anywhere. 
•   My  Mediasite:  My  Mediasite  makes  it  a  snap  for  instructors,  employees  and  students  to  create  great  looking  videos, 
screencasts  and  slideshows  from  their  computers  or  mobile  devices.  From  demos  and  video  training  to  flipped  classes, 
lectures and assignments, everything to record, upload, manage and publish personal videos is in one simple-to-use tool, 
requiring no pro video skills. 

•   Mediasite RL Recorders: The RL Series of built-in room appliances uses schedule-based capture and advanced audio/video 
integration to fully automate video and content recording in lecture halls, training rooms, simulation labs and auditoriums. 
Instructors and speakers teach and present as they are most comfortable, free from technology worries and confident that 
everything they say and show is captured. 

•   Mediasite  RL  Mini: The  Mini  provides  the  automation  and  high-quality  capture  Mediasite  is  known  for  in  a  compact, 
affordable device, ensuring even more students never miss a lecture. With the Mini, there’s no need for AV in the room. 
Instructors simply plug in their laptop and camera and start teaching. The plug-and-play device makes it easy to build or 
expand an automated lecture capture programs in community colleges, vocational-tech schools, small departments and even 
K12 classrooms. 

•   Mediasite Catch:  Mediasite Catch provides a scalable, economical solution to extend video capture to any classrooms on 
campus,  even  if  they’re  not  equipped  with  extensive  audio/video  capabilities.  Combining  the  reliability  of  Mediasite’s 
recorder-based  scheduling  automation  with  the  affordability  and  simplicity  of  podium-based  software,  Mediasite  Catch 
provides faculty a worry-free classroom recording experience. 

•   Mediasite ML Recorders: Anyone can be a video producer with the ML Series of portable recording solutions to capture 
and  stream  broadcast-quality  video.  Designed  for  on-the-go  webcasting,  hybrid  events,  guest  speakers  and  conferences, 
Mediasite ML’s lightweight design moves easily from location to location and can be set up and ready to record in only a 
few minutes. 

5 

 
 
 
 
 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

•   Mediasite  Join:  Real-time  video  is  how  today’s  best  teams,  businesses  and  schools  collaborate,  exchange  ideas  and  get 
things done. But too often great ideas, subject matter expertise and important details are forgotten or left behind when a video 
call  ends.  Mediasite  Join  automatically  records  video  and  web  conferences,  transforming  them  into  valuable,  searchable 
video on demand. 

Mediasite Events 
Mediasite Events is a leading global provider of live and on-demand webcasting services for conferences, hybrid events and high-
profile broadcasts, supplying turnkey streaming solutions for hundreds of events each year. Fortune 500 companies, universities, 
associations, sporting events and charitable organizations use Mediasite Events to produce high-quality online event experiences. 
With Mediasite Events, customers: 
•   Expand their audience reach by streaming to those that cannot attend in person 
•   Maximize event ROI by generating additional revenue streams from video recordings 
•   Differentiate themselves from competing events  
•   Bolster training and communication effectiveness with interactive video and audience engagement tools 
•   Build stronger teams and deepen morale 
•   Save travel time and money 
•  

Improve retention and learning outcomes 

Mediasite Services 
Organizations maximize their return on video with these additional Mediasite Services: 
•   Advanced  Integration  Services:  The  value  of  Mediasite  grows  when  customers’  video  assets  and  streaming  workflows 
seamlessly  integrate  with  the  systems  that  drive  their  online  learning,  training  or  communication  strategies.  Mediasite 
Advanced Integration Services provides the resources and expertise to incorporate Mediasite video creation, management 
and delivery processes into existing or planned application platforms, infrastructures and workflows. Leveraging Mediasite’s 
open architecture and application programming interfaces (APIs), Sonic Foundry developers collaborate with customers to 
scope, design and implement a Mediasite solution tailored to their unique requirements. 
Installation  Services:  Sonic  Foundry  provides  on-site  consulting  and  installation  services  to  help  customers  optimize 
deployments and efficiently integrate Mediasite within existing AV and IT infrastructures, processes and workflows. 

•  

•   Training Services: Expert Sonic Foundry trainers provide the necessary knowledge transfer so organizations feel confident 
in using, managing and leveraging Mediasite’s capabilities. On-site training is customized to specific requirements and skill 
levels, while online training provides convenient anytime access to a web-based catalog of training modules. 

•   Mediasite Monitoring Service: Customers get near real time monitoring of all Mediasite assets, proactive incident notification 
and  Sonic  Foundry  support  response  for  critical  issues,  exceptions  and  anticipated  issues  that  may  impact  day-to-day 
Mediasite operations. 

Mediasite Customer Care 
Standard and Enhanced Customer Care plans give customers peace of mind knowing that they have access to expert technical 
skills at the level they need. 

With a Mediasite Standard Customer Care plan, customers are entitled to: 
•   Software upgrades and updates for Mediasite Video Platform and Mediasite Capture Solutions 
•   Unlimited technical support assistance 
•   Mediasite Recorder hardware warranty extension 
•   Advanced Mediasite Recorder replacement 
•   Authorized access to the Mediasite Customer Care Portal for 24/7 case management, software downloads, documentation, 

the Mediasite Knowledge Base and other technical resources  

•   Authorized access to the Mediasite Community for online training videos, customer-exclusive webcasts, peer-to-peer best 

practice sharing and more 

6 

 
 
 
 
 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

Enhanced Customer Care clients receive the most comprehensive access to Sonic Foundry’s world-class technical expertise by 
selecting the services that are of greatest value to their organization. The Enhanced Plan includes everything in the Standard Plan, 
plus any combination of these services: 
•   Priority technical support with queue bypass and support case escalation 
•   Proactive Mediasite version administration and management 
•   Mediasite roadmap discussions with Sonic Foundry’s executive team 
•   Exclusive training and an annual call with a Mediasite consultant 

Nearly all of our customers purchase a Customer Care plan when they purchase Mediasite Video Platform or Mediasite Capture 
Solutions. 

Annual service contracts for Mediasite Video Cloud include a Standard Customer Care plan. 

What Sets Mediasite Apart? 
For enterprises to maximize their return on video, it takes more than capturing, storing and streaming content. The true impact 
and power of video is realized when content is transformed into highly interactive learning experiences rich with searchable 
metadata and detailed viewing statistics. Mediasite provides: 

•   Complete  platform  addressing  the  entire  video  lifecycle  -  From  content  creation  and  delivery  to  retention  and 
management. Mediasite’s portfolio of video solutions provides customers maximum flexibility and scalability to develop a 
comprehensive enterprise video strategy. 
Interactive,  consistent  playback  experiences  across  devices  -  Mediasite  involves  the  viewer  in  their  online  video 
experience with polls, bookmarks, sharing, ask-a-question, resource links and more. Plus, Mediasite’s consistent playback 
experience across all devices significantly reduces learning curves and accelerates adoption and content mastery. 

•  

•   Auto-indexing and powerful video search - As a video search pioneer for over a decade, we have substantial experience 
in search precision. Mediasite SmartSearch automatically makes all videos as searchable as text, so keywords can be found 
anywhere - in audio, slides, handwriting, video or tags. 

•   Deep viewership analytics - Mediasite’s powerful video analytics and built-in reports show exactly who is watching what 
and when. It’s the deep insight users need to understand viewing behaviors and engagement, to measure video’s impact and 
value and make informed decisions. 

•   Unmatched  support  network  -  Sonic  Foundry  and  the  growing  Mediasite  Community  provide  a  reliable,  collaborative 
support  network  for  all  Mediasite  customers.  Our  worldwide  network  of  field-based  system  engineers  and  responsive 
customer care ensure that customers have resources committed to their success. Plus, with nearly 2,000 active customers, the 
Mediasite Community is one of the most vibrant and growing user communities for video, webcasting, lecture capture and 
e-learning.  Members  share  ideas  and  get  feedback  year-round  from  community  experts  through  a  private  online  portal, 
customer-exclusive webcasts and unrivaled networking and learning opportunities at the global Mediasite user conference 
and other regional customer events. 

Sonic Foundry Solutions in Higher Education: 
Among post-secondary institutions, Mediasite is used for all academic and campus environments, including: 
•   Lecture capture 
•   Flipped classroom instruction: students view lectures from home and use classroom time for discussion 
•   Blended, hybrid and distance learning  
•   Continuing education 
•   Campus YouTube 
•   Special events: commencement, guest speakers, sporting events, etc. 
•   Faculty training and development 

7 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

•   Student video projects 
•   Recruitment and admissions 
•   University business: leadership meetings, alumni relations, outreach 

Improves student learning outcomes 

Higher education institutions consistently report that Mediasite: 
•  
•   Keeps their institution competitive by supporting higher enrollment and/or tuition without new classrooms 
•   Empowers faculty with technology supporting new teaching pedagogies both in the classroom and online 
•   Boosts campus outreach, recruitment efforts and awareness of campus events 
•   Helps campuses manage, secure and search all campus video 

To remain relevant, colleges and universities are striving to differentiate themselves through technical leadership as a means to 
attract tech-savvy students, while balancing their campus technology improvements with systems that faculty will embrace and 
adopt. As a result, the education market is restructuring and increasing investments around online learning. 

Historically, graduate programs and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math)-oriented degree programs in schools of 
medicine, nursing, engineering or business have comprised the majority of our academic customer base. We are now experiencing 
heightened market demand for academic video within undergraduate and community college programs as well. 

Frost & Sullivan analysts report that the academic lecture capture market is “characterized by growing cloud-based deployments, 
enormous shifts in the technological demands of students, growing use of data analytics to measure student engagement, the 
increasing  use  of  multi-source  video  capture  to  enrich  user  experience,  and  deeper  in-video  metadata  schema  to  improve 
searchability.”  Further,  they  estimate  the  lecture  capture  market  crossed  $270  million  in  revenue  in  2017.  (Global Academic 
Lecture Capture Systems Market report, 2018) 

The visible integration of video-based learning into core university applications like learning management systems (LMSes) and 
the success of bundled online learning technology solutions are two healthy indicators for the widespread adoption of campus 
video.  LMSes  like  Canvas  by  Instructure,  Brightspace™,  Blackboard®,  Moodle  and  Sakai  are  ubiquitous  in  the  education 
enterprise. As the foundation for e-learning, these systems are rapidly evolving to be students’ single-source portal for all course-
related materials including recorded lecture and assignment videos. Mediasite’s packaged LMS integrations and support for the 
Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI) standard, address the need to make learning content accessible to students when and where 
they  need  it.  Similarly,  video  management  platforms  are  emerging  as  repositories  for  campus’  media-centric  content.  These 
platforms provide additional opportunities through which to make Mediasite content accessible to faculty, staff and students. 

Sonic Foundry Solutions in the Enterprise: 
Executives,  event  planners  and  line-of-business  managers  for  human  resources,  talent  development,  sales,  marketing,  and 
customer service are pushing for more video in their organizations to improve communication, collaboration and results. 

Mediasite has numerous applications within medium to large corporate, healthcare and government enterprises: 

In corporate enterprises it is used for: 
•   Executive communications: town hall meetings, all-hands meetings  
•   Workforce development: onboarding and training, HR communications, policy documentation 
•   Secure corporate YouTube 
•   Sales, marketing and customer support 
•  
•   Conferences and events: user group, sales and annual meetings 

Investor relations: earnings calls, analyst briefings, annual reports 

8 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

In health-related enterprises it is used for: 
•   Continuing medical education, medical conferences and seminars  
•   Grand rounds, simulations and procedural training 
•   Pharmaceutical and new product education  
•   Caregiver and patient education 
•   Emergency response coordination and public health announcements 
•   Research and collaboration  

Inter- and intra-agency communications 

In government agencies it is used for: 
•   Training and compliance 
•  
•   Legislative proceedings 
•   Constituent outreach, committee meetings, public safety announcements 
•   Relief work, military coordination, emergency preparedness  

Through interviews across these verticals, enterprise customers report that Mediasite: 
•   Expands training and communications opportunities 
•   Cuts travel and meeting expenses 
•   Boosts efficiency by allowing participants to watch when it’s convenient to avoid interruptions and increase retention 
•   Helps build stronger teams through direct management and employee communications 

Wainhouse Research reports that healthcare organizations are making increased investments in streaming video, which is poised 
for explosive growth. In an August 2017 survey, nearly 9 out of 10 (89%) healthcare respondents described streaming video as 
an effective tool for communicating work-related information. In addition, 77% percent said online training sessions can match 
or exceed the opportunities in the traditional classroom setting. “Healthcare managers are embracing emerging technologies (like 
streaming video) that can help them communicate with their teams more effectively,” the firm wrote. (Prescribing New Solutions 
for Communications in Healthcare, 2017) 

Future Direction 
Video management, webcasting and lecture capture are becoming an everyday part of the way people work and learn. We strive 
to  shorten  the  time  it  takes  to  not  only  capture  and  distribute  information  but  to  also  transform  video  into  more  interactive, 
discoverable content with rich management, search and analytics capabilities. As a company, we are helping create and manage 
the video libraries of tomorrow. Our ongoing innovations focus on supporting this vision by: 
•   Advancing  enterprise  video  content  management  to  accommodate  organizations’  existing  digital  video  assets,  content 

•  

generated from third-party video sources and the corresponding metadata associated with those video assets. 
Introducing new applications to easily publish, search and retrieve videos from a video library as well as expanding and 
automating Mediasite’s powerful multi-modal search capabilities.  

•   Offering the industry’s widest variety of content capture solutions capable of scaling economically across entire organizations 

and allowing anyone, on any device, to capture and share their knowledge or expertise. 

•   Delivering content capture solutions that test the limits of recording, synchronizing and playing back multiple high definition 

video sources. 

•   Supporting consistent, interactive content playback experiences across all viewing devices. 
•   Deepening integration with core enterprise platforms including collaborative platforms like video and web conferencing, 
learning and course management systems (LMS/CMS), content management systems and student information systems (SIS). 
Introducing market-driven innovations to our Mediasite Video Cloud offering. 

•  

9 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

Segment Information 

We  have  determined  that  in  accordance  with  the  Financial  Accounting  Standards  Board  (“FASB”)  Accounting  Standards 
Codification (“ASC”) 280-10, Segment Reporting, we operate in three operating segments, however these segments meet the 
criteria for aggregation for reporting purposes as one reporting segment as of September 30, 2018. 

Billings and Distribution 

Our services are typically billed and collected in advance of providing the service.  Billings, which are a non-GAAP measure, are 
a  better  indicator  of  customer  activity  and  cash  flow  than  revenue  is,  in  management’s  opinion,  and  is  therefore  used  by 
management as a key operational indicator. Billings is computed by combining revenue with the change in unearned revenue. 

Our largest individual customers are typically value added resellers (“VARs”) and distributors since the majority of our end users 
require  additional  complementary  products  and  services  which  we  do  not  provide. Accordingly,  in  fiscal  2018  and  2017  one 
master distributor, Synnex Corporation (“Synnex”), contributed 6% and 11%, respectively, of total world-wide billings. A second 
master distributor, Starin Marketing, Inc. (“Starin”), contributed 11% and 15% of total world-wide billings in fiscal 2018 and 
2017, respectively.  As master distributors, Synnex and Starin fulfill transactions to VARs, end users and other distributors. No 
other customer represented over 10% of billings in 2018 or 2017. 

Sales 

We  sell  and  market  our  offerings  through  a  sales  force  that  manages  a  channel  of  value-added  resellers,  system  integrators, 
consultants  and  distributors.  These  third  party  representatives  specialize  in  understanding  both  audio/video  systems  and  IT 
networking. In fiscal 2018, we utilized two master distributors in the U.S. and approximately 250 resellers, and sold our products 
to over 1,225 total end users. Our focus has been primarily in the United States and primarily to customers we have identified as 
having the greatest potential for high use; that is, organizations with presenters, trainers, lecturers, marketers, event planners and 
leaders who have a routine need to communicate to many people in higher education, government, health and certain corporate 
markets. Despite our historical attention on the United States market, reseller, customer interest and sales outside the United 
States  has  grown  and  accordingly,  we  made  two  international  acquisitions  in  fiscal  2014  in  the  Netherlands  and  Japan, 
significantly increasing our international headcount in sales, operations, technical and administrative positions. To date, we have 
sold our products to customers in over 65 countries outside the United States. Total non-GAAP billings for Mediasite product and 
support outside the United States totaled 36% and 43% in fiscal 2018 and 2017, respectively. 

Market expansion: Over two-thirds of our revenue is realized from the education market. Recent trends including the economic 
recovery are driving more students, particularly adult learners, to seek online education options. Similarly, demand for lecture 
capture within undergraduate, community college and blended learning programs is demonstrating growth. This development 
represents an emerging trend beyond the traditional academic customer base for the company, which has primarily consisted of 
post-graduate, distance learning and technical degree programs. 

For our higher education as well as corporate, government and association clients, we anticipate economic conditions will expand 
market demand for more outsourced services versus licensed sales. Over the last two years, the company has made extensive 
capital and technology investments to advance its services model with turnkey event webcasting, a comprehensive cloud-based 
Software as a Service (SaaS) datacenter, and e-commerce capabilities that position us well to deliver more diversified business 
services. 

With  Mediasite  Events,  we  continue  to  see  growing  demand  for  conference  webcasting  and  streaming.  These  event-based 
communication, education and training applications, combined with outsourced webcasting services, are expected to drive the 
company’s corporate sales activities going forward. 

10 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

Repeat orders: Many customers initially purchase a small number of Mediasite Recorders to test or pilot in a department, school 
or business unit. A successful pilot project and the associated increase in webcasting demand from other departments or schools 
leads to follow up, multiple Recorder orders, as well as, increased Mediasite Video Platform or Mediasite Video Cloud capacity. 
In fiscal 2018, 91% of billings were to preexisting customers compared to 92% of billings in fiscal 2017. 

Renewals: As is typical in the industry, we offer annual support and maintenance service contract extensions for a fee to our 
customer base.  Nearly all customers purchase a Customer Care plan with their initial Mediasite Recorders and Mediasite Video 
Platform, and the majority renew their contracts annually. 

Marketing 

In the enterprise, our marketing strategy is based on a cross-industry approach with programs targeting a blend of IT and line of 
business  decision  makers  responsible  for  video  initiatives  in  corporate  communications,  training  and  development,  live 
webcasting and/or corporate events. The addition of Mediasite Join to our family of enterprise video solutions boosts demand 
generation  marketing  to  specifically  target  use  cases  for  streaming  and  managing  the  rapidly  growing  amount  of  unified 
communication and collaboration (UCC)-generated video. The medical/healthcare, pharmaceutical and technology segments are 
particularly strong enterprise markets for us. 

Across higher education institutions, Mediasite maintains its market leadership position for scalable and affordable lecture capture 
and  video  management.  Our  marketing  focuses  on  professional  schools  of  business,  academic  health,  law  and  engineering. 
Mediasite  Join  provides  new  demand  generation  opportunities  as  UCC  technologies  are  the  basis  of  many  distance  learning 
programs. 

Spanning both education and enterprise are marketing programs targeting continuing education. Across these two macro markets 
we  maintain  a  balanced  blend  of  new  demand  generation  and  customer  nurturing,  to  drive  Mediasite  expansion  and  add-on 
business in existing accounts. 

Our integrated marketing strategy leverages: 
•   Customer success stories regularly shared through our best practices webinar series, speaking placements at industry 

events, email marketing, industry guest columns and blog 

•   Thought leadership content created and curated from customer successes, Sonic Foundry subject matter experts (SMEs) 

and industry experts in the form of ebooks, whitepapers, videos, best practice toolkits and more 

•   The Mediasite Community, a vibrant online community of 2000+ users and its companion community events including the 
global Mediasite User Conference, Unleash; Mediasite Summits in Europe and Australia/New Zealand; and year-round 
regional chapter meetings 

Sonic Foundry also has field sales/support personnel in Europe, Japan and China to deliver its marketing message and execute 
region-specific marketing programs. 

Operations 

We contract with a third party to build the hardware for our Mediasite Recorders and purchase quantities sufficient to fill specific 
customer orders, including purchases of inventory by resellers. Quantities are maintained in inventory by the third party provider 
and shipped directly to the end customer or reseller. The hardware manufacturer provides a limited one-year warranty on the 
hardware, which we pass on to our customers who purchase a Mediasite Customer Care support and maintenance plan. We believe 
there are alternative sources of manufacturing for our recorders and believe there are numerous additional sources and alternatives 
to the existing production process. We have experienced delays in production of our products and component parts used in our 

11 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

products in the past and expect to continue to maintain excess quantities of inventory in the future to mitigate the risk of such 
delays.  To date, we have not experienced any material returns due to product defects. 

OTHER INFORMATION 

Competition 

Various vendors provide lecture capture, enterprise webcasting or video content management capabilities, but few offer an end-
to-end solution that addresses all phases of the video content lifecycle (capture, delivery, transformation and management) in a 
single platform like Mediasite. 

Lecture capture solutions designed specifically for higher education differ in their technology approach. 
•   Appliance- or room-based lecture capture provides a fully integrated system with complete recording automation for live or 
on-demand content. The automated, pre-scheduled workflow results in the greatest faculty and staff adoption and largest 
volumes of recorded content in the shortest amount of time. 

•   Software-based lecture capture that resides on a podium or computer in the classroom also captures and publishes rich 

media content, but relies on campus- or user-supplied hardware. 

•   Desktop capture tools reside on individual users’ laptops or computers allowing them to record user-generated content.  

Few lecture capture vendors offer a mix of all lecture capture approaches to best suit customers’ needs. Most vendors, including 
Crestron, Panopto and Tegrity, support only one approach to lecture capture. Likewise, a very small number of vendors provide 
an integrated platform like Mediasite to archive and manage video and rich media recorded with their solution. Most rely on a 
third-party platform, typically the institution’s learning or course management system, to publish, search and secure content. 

Enterprise  video  management  solutions  serve  as  centralized  media  repositories  that  facilitate  the  delivery,  publishing  and 
management of on-demand video. Unlike Mediasite, most platforms do not include a video capture, webcasting or live streaming 
component, but instead ingest or import video-based content captured by other third-party devices or solutions. Also, most other 
platforms focus on ingesting video-only content rather than rich video which combines multiple synchronous video and/or slide 
streams into an interactive media experience. 

Some  current  and  potential  customers  develop  their  own  home-grown  lecture  capture,  webcasting  or  video  content  solutions 
which may also compete with Mediasite. However, we often find many of these organizations are now looking for a commercial 
solution that offers comprehensive management capabilities, requires fewer resources and internal maintenance and delivers a 
less cumbersome workflow. 

Intellectual Property 

The status of United States patent protection in the internet industry is not well defined and will evolve as the U.S. Patent and 
Trademark  Office  grants  additional  patents.    Currently  four  U.S.  patents  have  been  issued  to  us  and  we  may  seek  additional 
patents in the future.  We do not know if any future patent application will result in any patents being issued with the scope of the 
claims we seek, if such patents are issued at all.  We do not know whether our patents which have been issued or any patents we 
may  receive  in  the  future  will  be  challenged,  invalidated  or  be  of  any  value.    It  is  difficult  to  monitor  unauthorized  use  of 
technology, particularly in foreign countries where the laws may not protect our proprietary rights as fully as in the United States, 
and our competitors may independently develop technology similar to ours.  We will continue to seek patent and other intellectual 
property  protections,  when  appropriate,  for  those  aspects  of  our  technology  that  we  believe  constitute  innovations  providing 
significant competitive advantages.  Any future patent applications may not result in the issuance of valid patents. 

12 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

Our success depends in part upon our rights to proprietary technology.  We rely on a combination of copyright, trade secret, 
trademark  and  contractual  protection  to  establish  and  protect  our  proprietary  rights.   We  have  registered  three  U.S.  and  four 
foreign  country  trademarks.    We  require  our  employees  to  enter  into  confidentiality  and  nondisclosure  agreements  upon 
commencement of employment.  Before we will disclose any confidential aspects of our services, technology or business plans 
to customers, potential business distribution partners and other non-employees, we routinely require such persons to enter into 
confidentiality  and  nondisclosure  agreements.    In  addition,  we  require  all  employees,  and  those  consultants  involved  in  the 
deployment of our services, to agree to assign to us any proprietary information, inventions or other intellectual property they 
generate, or come to possess, while employed by us.  Despite our efforts to protect our proprietary rights, unauthorized parties 
may attempt to copy or otherwise obtain and use our services or technology.  These precautions may not prevent misappropriation 
or infringement of our intellectual property. 

Third parties may infringe or misappropriate our copyrights, trademarks and similar proprietary rights.  In addition, we may be 
subject to claims of alleged infringement of patents and other intellectual property rights of third parties or may be required to 
defend against alleged infringement claims filed against our customers due to indemnification agreements.  We may be unaware 
of filed patent applications which have not yet been made public and which relate to our services. 

Intellectual  property  claims  may  be  asserted  against  us  in  the  future.    Intellectual  property  litigation  is  expensive  and  time-
consuming and could divert management’s attention away from running our business.  Intellectual property litigation could also 
require us to develop non-infringing technology or enter into royalty or license agreements.  These royalty or license agreements, 
if required, may not be available on acceptable terms, if at all.  Our failure or inability to develop non-infringing technology or 
license the proprietary rights on a timely basis would harm our business. 

Research and Development 

We believe that our future success will depend in part on our ability to continue to develop new business, and to enhance our 
existing business. Accordingly, we invest a significant amount of our resources in research and development activities. During 
the fiscal years ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, we spent $7.1 million and $7.2 million, respectively, on internal research 
and development activities in our business. These amounts represent 21% and 20%, respectively, of total revenue in each of those 
years.  The decrease is a result of flat spending as well as a decrease in revenue compared to last year. 

Global Expansion 

We acquired Sonic Foundry International in the Netherlands and Mediasite KK in Japan in fiscal 2014. With these acquisitions, 
we significantly expanded our global market reach in the Asia-Pacific Region and Europe, and accelerate our commitment to 
enterprise video communication world-wide. 

Employees 

At September 30, 2018 and 2017, we had 198 and 188 full-time employees, respectively. Our employees are not represented by 
a labor union, nor are they subject to a collective bargaining agreement. We have never experienced a work stoppage and believe 
that our employee relations are satisfactory. 

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS 

YOU  SHOULD  CAREFULLY  CONSIDER  THE  RISKS  DESCRIBED  BELOW  BEFORE  MAKING  AN  INVESTMENT 
DECISION. THE RISKS DESCRIBED BELOW ARE NOT THE ONLY ONES WE FACE. ADDITIONAL RISKS THAT WE ARE 
NOT PRESENTLY AWARE OF OR THAT WE CURRENTLY BELIEVE ARE IMMATERIAL MAY ALSO IMPAIR OUR BUSINESS 
OPERATIONS. OUR BUSINESS COULD BE HARMED BY ANY OR ALL OF THESE RISKS. THE TRADING PRICE OF OUR 
COMMON STOCK COULD DECLINE SIGNIFICANTLY DUE TO ANY OF THESE RISKS, AND YOU MAY LOSE ALL OR 

13 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

PART OF YOUR INVESTMENT. IN ASSESSING THESE RISKS, YOU SHOULD ALSO REFER TO THE OTHER INFORMATION 
CONTAINED  OR  INCORPORATED  BY  REFERENCE  IN  THIS  ANNUAL  REPORT  ON  FORM 10-K,  INCLUDING  OUR 
CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND RELATED NOTES. 

We may need to raise additional capital. 

At September 30, 2018, we had cash of $1.2 million, $1.1 million of which was in our foreign operations. There was a remaining 
amount of $3.4 million available under our line of credit facility with Silicon Valley Bank at September 30, 2018, with $621 
thousand outstanding and a credit limit of $4.0 million in total. The credit facility with Silicon Valley Bank expired on January 
31, 2019. In addition, $500 thousand on the term facility with Partners for Growth was subsequently disbursed on November 8, 
2018. The Company has a history of losses and has historically financed its operations primarily through cash from sales of equity 
securities, and to a limited extent, cash from operations and through bank credit facilities. The Company has a goal to increase 
revenue in fiscal 2019 and maintain flat operating expense, in an effort to reach an adjusted EBITDA breakeven point. We cannot 
ensure that revenue will grow as anticipated and, if revenue is determined to be growing at a rate less than anticipated and expenses 
are not sufficiently reduced, our line of credit may not be sufficient to support working capital needs, and our ability to develop, 
maintain, and sell our products could be negatively impacted. Our financial condition may, in the future, cause us to be in non-
compliance with the provisions of our debt facilities. If our debt facilities are not sufficient to support working capital needs, our 
financial  condition  causes  us  to  be  in  non-compliance  with  certain  provisions  of  our  debt  facilities,  we  may  have  to  borrow 
additional money from other debt providers or raise additional equity capital. 

On February 28, 2019, a special committee of independent and disinterested directors (“Disinterested Directors”) unanimously 
authorized us to enter into a Note Purchase Agreement (“NPA”) with Mark Burish, the Chairman of the Board of the Company, 
for $5.0 million in cash. Following extended negotiations with an independent third party for a similar financing (“Independent 
Third-Party  Financing”)  that  was  not  consummated,  the  Disinterested  Directors  engaged  in  extensive  deliberations  and 
negotiations with its Chairman for an alternative financing. The Disinterested Directors approved the alternative financing on 
terms and conditions as set forth in the NPA, which it believes is fair and superior to the Independent Third-Party Financing, and 
is in the best interest of the Company and its stockholders. 

In the event we need to borrow additional money or raise additional equity capital, we may not be able to do so on acceptable 
terms and conditions. If we are in non-compliance with the covenants of our existing debt facility, other lenders may be unwilling 
to lend us capital and we may not be able to raise equity from independent investors. In that event, we may seek to raise money 
from entities that are affiliated with the Company, as we have done in the past. However, most investors will require that their 
investment be in the form of convertible preferred stock or convertible debt. It is also likely that access to capital will be limited 
due to the time constraints associated with the need for capital, and the Company may need to rely on its Chairman, Mark Burish, 
to provide additional capital on terms reasonable and acceptable to the independent members of the Board of Directors. 

As a result of the non-cash goodwill and other intangible assets impairment charges recorded in fiscal 2018, the Company is no 
longer able to satisfy the NASDAQ requirement to maintain $2.5 million of stockholders' equity. On December 18, 2018, the 
Board of Directors approved the voluntary transfer of its common stock from the NASDAQ Stock Exchange to the OTCQB 
Market ("the "QTCQB"). The OTCQB Market is operated by OTC Markets Group, a centralized electronic quotation service for 
over-the-counter-securities. The Company ceased trading on NASDAQ at the close of business on December 28, 2018 and began 
trading on the OTCQB on December 31, 2018 under its current trading symbol "SOFO". The Company ceased trading on the 
OTCQB at the close of business on February 15, 2019 and began trading on the OTC Pink Sheets on February 18, 2019 under its 
current trading symbol "SOFO". The Company has remained a reporting company under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as 
amended, notwithstanding its voluntary withdrawal from the NASDAQ. As a result of the Company's inability to satisfy the 
NASDAQ requirements, its ability to raise equity capital may be adversely affected. 

In the event we are able to borrow money, we may incur significant interest charges, which could harm our profitability. Holders 
of debt would also have rights, preferences or privileges senior to those of existing holders of our common stock. In the event we 
are able to raise additional equity, the terms of such financing may dilute the ownership interests of current investors and cause 
our stock price to fall significantly. We may not be able to secure debt or equity financing upon acceptable terms, if at all. If we 

14 

 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

cannot raise funds on acceptable terms, our business, operating results, and financial condition could be negatively impacted. The 
Company believes its cash position and available credit is adequate to accomplish its business plan through at least the next 
twelve months. 

If the funds held by our foreign subsidiaries are needed for our operations in the United States, the repatriation of some of these 
funds to the United States could require payment of additional U.S. taxes. 

Our common stock is subject to low trading volume and broad price swings. 

Our  common  stock  is  quoted  on  the  OTC  Market  (“OTC  Pink  Sheets”)  administered  by  the  Financial  Industry  Regulatory 
Authority under the symbol “SOFO” since December 31, 2018. Prior to that our common stock was traded on the NASDAQ 
exchange under the same symbol. Trading of our stock on the NASDAQ exchange has often been subject to very low volumes, 
broad price swings and often at times with no company news. Stocks traded on the OTC Pink Sheets are often characterized by 
similar behavior so the price of our stock is likely to continue to be volatile. Due to recent price levels of our common stock, 
needs for additional capital may cause substantial dilution to existing shareholders. 

Provisions  of  our  charter  documents  and  Maryland  law  could  also  discourage  an  acquisition  of  our  company  that  would 
benefit our stockholders and our insiders control a substantial percentage of our stock. 

Provisions of our articles of incorporation and by-laws may make it more difficult for a third party to acquire control of our 
company, even if a change in control would benefit our stockholders. Our articles of incorporation authorize our board of directors, 
without stockholder approval, to issue one or more series of preferred stock, which could have voting and conversion rights that 
adversely affect or dilute the voting power of the holders of common stock. Furthermore, our articles of incorporation provide 
for a classified board of directors, which means that our stockholders may vote upon the retention of only one or two of our five 
directors  each  year.  Moreover,  Maryland  corporate  law  restricts  certain  business  combination  transactions  with  “interested 
stockholders” and limits voting rights upon certain acquisitions of “control shares.” In addition, even when there are no interested 
stockholders involved in a transaction, Maryland law requires that a transaction involving a merger, consolidation, transfer of 
assets, or share exchange, must be approved by the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the Company’s stockholders. 

Our executive officers and directors together beneficially own, on an “as converted basis”, over 40% of our outstanding common 
stock, and Mark Burish, individually, owns 33% on an as converted basis. As a result, these stockholders, if they act together or 
in a block, or individually in the case of Burish, could have significant influence over most matters that require approval by our 
stockholders,  including  the  approval  of  significant  corporate  transactions,  even  if  other  stockholders  oppose  them.  This 
concentration of ownership might also have the effect of delaying or preventing a change of control of our company that other 
stockholders may view as beneficial. In the event additional capital is provided by executive officers or directors, then, due to the 
low price levels of our common stock, control by such executive officers or directors may substantially increase. 

We have a history of losses. 

Our investments in growing revenues have generated losses in most years. Despite our plans to grow revenue and maintain flat 
expenses in fiscal 2019, we may not realize sufficient revenues to reach or sustain profitability on a quarterly or annual basis. For 
the year ended September 30, 2018, we had a gross margin of $24.9 million on revenue of $34.5 million with which to cover 
selling, marketing, product development and general and administrative costs. Our selling, marketing, product development and 
general  and  administrative  costs  have  historically  been  a  significant  percentage  of  our  revenue,  due  partly  to  the  expense  of 
developing leads, the relatively long period required to convert leads into sales associated with selling products that are not yet 
considered “mainstream” technology investments and the cost of developing and maintaining those products. Fluctuations in 
profitability or failure to maintain profitability have and will likely impact the price of our stock in the future. 

Multiple unit deals are needed for continued success. 

We need to sell multiple units to educational, corporate and government institutions in order to sell most efficiently and remain 
profitable. In fiscal 2018 and fiscal 2017, 91% and 92% of billings were generated by sales to existing customers, respectively. 
In particular, sales of multiple units to corporate customers have lagged behind results achieved in the higher education market; 
consequently, we have allocated more resources to the higher education market. While we have addressed a strategy to leverage 

15 

 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

existing customers, better address the needs of potential new customers, and close multiple unit transactions, a customer may 
choose not to make expected purchases of our products. The failure of our customers to make expected purchases will harm our 
business. 

If a sufficient number of customers do not accept our products, our business may not succeed. 

Part of our strategic challenge is to convince enterprise customers of the productivity, improved communications, cost savings, 
suitability  and  other  benefits  of  our  products.  In  higher  education  the  decision  to  include  lecture  capture  technology  in  the 
classroom is often influenced by the professor teaching the class, who sometimes views lecture capture technology as a threat to 
their job. The market for content delivery solutions is very complex, includes many products and solutions that address various 
aspects of customer needs and as a result it is often difficult for customers and channel partners to understand how our products 
and  services  compare.  Further,  corporate  customers  may  use  video  as  a  tool,  but  may  choose  to  rely  upon  their  own  IT 
infrastructure and resources to manage their video content. Because many companies generally are predisposed to maintaining 
control of their IT systems and infrastructure, there may be resistance to using software as a service provided by a third party. 
Our future revenue and revenue growth rates will depend in large part on our success in delivering these products effectively, 
creating market acceptance for these products and meeting customer’s needs for new or enhanced products. If we fail to do so, 
our products will not achieve widespread market acceptance, and we may not generate sufficient revenue to offset our product 
development and selling and marketing costs, which will hurt our business. 

Manufacturing disruption or capacity constraints would harm our business. 

We subcontract the manufacturing of our recorders to a third-party contract manufacturer. Although we believe there are multiple 
sources of supply from other contract manufacturers, as well as, multiple suppliers of component parts required by our contract 
manufacturer, a disruption of supply of component parts or completed products, even if short term, would have a material negative 
impact on our revenues. Likewise, we are susceptible to any material change in terms; such as pricing, level of services performed 
or changes to payment terms by our contract manufacturer. Many component parts currently have long delivery lead times or 
cease production of certain components with limited notice in which to evaluate or obtain alternate supply, requiring conservative 
estimation  of  production  requirements.  Lengthening  lead  times,  product  design  changes  and  other  third-party  manufacturing 
disruptions have caused delays in delivery in the past. In order to compensate for supply delays, we have sourced components 
from off-shore locations, used cross component parts, paid significantly higher prices or premium fees to expedite delivery for 
short supply components and converted inventory from one version to another. We have typically maintained greater amounts of 
inventory as insurance against delays but currently hold substantially lower quantities of inventory in order to improve liquidity. 
Many of these strategies have increased our costs or require substantial resources to maintain and may not be sufficient to ensure 
against a product shortage. We depend on our subcontract manufacturer to produce our products efficiently while maintaining 
high levels of quality despite frequent changes in configuration and scheduling imposed by us. Any manufacturing or component 
defects, delay in production or changes in product features will likely cause customer dissatisfaction and may harm our reputation. 
Moreover, any incapacitation of the manufacturing site due to destruction, natural disaster or similar events could result in a loss 
of product inventory. As a result of any of the foregoing, we may not be able to meet demand for our products, which could 
negatively affect revenues in the quarter of the disruption or longer depending upon the magnitude of the event, and could harm 
our reputation. 

We may not be able to innovate to meet the needs of our target market. 

Our future success will continue to depend upon our ability to develop new products, product enhancements or service offerings 
that address future needs of our target markets and to respond to these changing standards and practices on a timely basis. The 
success of new products, product enhancements or service offerings depend on several factors, including the timely completion, 
quality and market acceptance of the product, enhancement or service. Our fiscal 2019 business plan includes an expectation for 
revenue  contribution  from  both  new  and  existing  customers  associated  with  the  introduction  of  lower  priced  hardware  and 
software recorders in locations that can’t support our more comprehensive solutions. There can be no assurance that we will be 
successful in achieving our revenue expectations from these new products or that we are able to retain existing customers in our 
more comprehensive solutions. Our revenue could be reduced if we do not capitalize on our current market leadership by timely 
development of innovative new products, product enhancements or service offerings that will increase the likelihood that our 

16 

 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

products and services will be accepted in preference to the products and services of our current and future competitors. Some of 
our prospective customers may delay the purchase of our products or services until certain features are completed, may require 
custom development of certain features as part of the purchase decision, or may condition additional payments tied to completion 
of such features. Prioritizing such custom features can be difficult to adapt to other customers and distracts our engineering team 
from implementing features required by other customers. 

If our marketing and lead generation efforts are not successful, our business will be harmed. 

We believe that continued marketing efforts will be critical to achieve widespread acceptance of our products. Our marketing 
campaigns may not be successful given the expense required. For example, failure to adequately generate and develop sales leads 
could cause our future revenue to decrease. In addition, our inability to generate and cultivate sales leads into large organizations, 
where there is the potential for significant use of our products, could have a material effect on our business. We may not be able 
to identify and secure the number of strategic sales leads necessary to help generate marketplace acceptance of our products. If 
our marketing or lead-generation efforts are not successful, our business and operating results will be harmed. 

There is a great deal of competition in the market for our products, which could lower the demand for our products and have 
a negative impact on our operations. 

The  market  for  our  products  and  services  is  intensely  competitive,  dynamic  and  subject  to  rapid  technological  change.  The 
intensity of the competition and the pace of change are expected to increase in the future. Increased competition has, and will 
likely continue to result in price reductions, reduced gross margins and may result in loss of market share, any one of which could 
seriously harm our business. Competitors vary in size and in the scope and breadth of the products and services offered, many of 
which have greater financial resources, greater name recognition, more employees and greater financial, technical, marketing, 
public relations and distribution resources than we have. In addition, new competitors with greater financial resources may arise 
through partnerships, distribution agreements, mergers, acquisitions or other types of transactions at any time. In particular, large 
companies  have  begun  to  make  investments  in  and/or  partner  with  smaller  companies  to  enter  the  lecture  capture  and  video 
management markets. 

Various vendors provide lecture capture, enterprise webcasting or video content management capabilities, but few offer an end-
to-end solution that addresses all phases of the video content lifecycle (capture, delivery, transformation and management) in a 
single platform like Mediasite. 

Lecture capture solutions designed specifically for higher education differ in their technology approach. 

•   Appliance- or room-based lecture capture provides a fully integrated system with complete recording automation for 
live or on-demand content. The automated, pre-scheduled workflow results in the greatest faculty and staff adoption and 
largest volumes of recorded content in the shortest amount of time. 

•   Software-based lecture capture that resides on a podium or computer in the classroom also captures and publishes rich 

media content, but relies on campus- or user-supplied hardware. 

•   Desktop capture tools reside on individual users’ laptops or computers allowing them to record user-generated content.  

Few lecture capture vendors offer a mix of all lecture capture approaches to best suit customers’ needs. Most vendors, including 
Crestron, Panopto and Tegrity, support only one approach to lecture capture. Likewise, a very small number of vendors provide 
an integrated platform like Mediasite to archive and manage video and rich media recorded with their solution. Most rely on a 
third-party platform, typically the institution’s learning or course management system, to publish, search and secure content. 

Enterprise video management solutions (e.g. Kaltura, Qumu) serve as centralized media repositories that facilitate the delivery, 
publishing and management of on-demand video. Unlike Mediasite, most platforms do not include a video capture, webcasting 
or live streaming component, but instead ingest or import video-based content captured by other third-party devices or solutions. 
Also, most other platforms focus on ingesting video-only content rather than rich video which combines multiple synchronous 
video and/or slide streams into an interactive media experience. 

17 

 
 
 
 
 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

Some  current  and  potential  customers  develop  their  own  home-grown  lecture  capture,  webcasting  or  video  content  solutions 
which may also compete with Mediasite. However, we often find many of these organizations are now looking for a commercial 
solution that offers comprehensive management capabilities, requires fewer resources and internal maintenance and delivers a 
less cumbersome workflow. 

The  competitive  environment  may  require  us  to  make  changes  in  our  products,  pricing,  licensing,  services,  or  marketing  to 
maintain  and  extend  our  current  technology. Price  concessions  or  the  emergence  of  other  pricing,  licensing,  and  distribution 
strategies or technology solutions of competitors may reduce our revenue, margins or market share. Other changes we have to 
make in response to competition could cause us to expend significant financial and other resources, disrupt our operations, strain 
relationships  with  partners,  release  products  and  enhancements  before  they  are  thoroughly  tested  or  result  in  customer 
dissatisfaction, any of which could harm our operating results and stock price. 

Because  most  of  our  service  contracts  are  renewable  on  an  annual  basis,  a  reduction  in  our  service  renewal  rate  could 
significantly reduce our revenues. 

Our clients have no obligation to renew their content hosting agreements, customer support contracts or other annual service 
contracts after the expiration of the initial period, which is typically one year, and some clients have elected not to do so. A decline 
in renewal rates could cause our revenues to decline. We have limited historical data with respect to rates of renewals, so we 
cannot accurately predict future renewal rates. Our renewal rates may decline or fluctuate as a result of a number of factors, 
including client dissatisfaction with our products and services, our slow response to customer technical inquiries, our failure to 
update our products to maintain their attractiveness in the market, deteriorating economic conditions or budgetary constraints or 
changes in budget priorities faced by our clients. If our retention rates decrease, we may need to provide more incentives, reduce 
pricing or generate greater lead generation through marketing in order to increase revenues, all of which could reduce profitability. 

Our business is susceptible to risks associated with international operations. 

International product and service billings ranged from 36% to 43% of our total billings in each of the past two years and are 
expected to continue to account for a significant portion of our business in the future, particularly as a result of growth in the 
operations of businesses acquired in fiscal 2014 in the Netherlands and Japan. International sales are subject to a variety of risks, 
including: 

•   Difficulties in establishing and managing international subsidiaries, distribution channels and operations; 
•   Difficulties  in  selling,  servicing  and  supporting  overseas  products,  translating  products  into  foreign  languages  and 

compliance with local hardware requirements; 

•   Difficulties in managing the demands of large international deployments, many of which distract key sales personnel from 

opportunities in other parts of the world; 

•   Challenges associated with management transition; 
•   Challenges related to language or cultural differences; 
•   The  uncertainty  of  laws  and  enforcement  in  certain  countries,  such  as  China,  relating  to  the  protection  of  intellectual 

property or requirements for product certification, protection of personal data or other restrictions; 

•   Competitive pressure impacting other parts of the world; 
•   Multiple and possibly overlapping tax structures; 
•   Currency and exchange rate fluctuations and imposition of tariffs or quotas; 
•   Difficulties in collecting accounts receivable in foreign countries, including complexities in documenting letters of 

credit; 

•   Economic or political changes in international markets; 
•   Restrictions on access to the Internet; and 
•   Difficulty in complying with international employment related requirements 

Changes in U.S. trade policy, including the imposition of tariffs and the resulting consequences, may have a material adverse 
impact on our business, operating results and financial condition. 

18 

 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

The  U.S.  government  has  indicated  its  intent  to  adopt  a  new  approach  to  trade  policy  and  in  some  cases  to  renegotiate,  or 
potentially terminate, certain existing bilateral or multi-lateral trade agreements, such as the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement and 
the North American Free Trade Agreement ("NAFTA"). It has also initiated tariffs on certain foreign goods and has raised the 
possibility of imposing significant, additional tariff increases or expanding the tariffs to capture other types of goods. In response, 
certain foreign governments have imposed retaliatory tariffs on goods that their countries import from the U.S. Changes in U.S. 
trade policy could result in one or more foreign governments adopting responsive trade policies that make it more difficult or 
costly for us to do business in or import our products from those countries.  This in turn could require us to increase prices to our 
customers, which may reduce demand, or, if we are unable to increase prices, result in lowering our margin on products sold. 

We  cannot  predict  the  extent  to  which  the  U.S.  or  other  countries  will  impose  quotas,  duties,  tariffs,  taxes  or  other  similar 
restrictions upon the import or export of our products in the future, nor can we predict future trade policy or the terms of any 
renegotiated trade agreements and their impact on our business.  The adoption and expansion of trade restrictions, the occurrence 
of a trade war, or other governmental action related to tariffs or trade agreements or policies has the potential to adversely impact 
demand for our products, our costs, our customers, our suppliers, and the U.S. economy, which in turn could have a material 
adverse effect on our business, operating results and financial condition. 

The length of our sales and deployment cycles are uncertain, which may cause our revenue and operating results to vary 
significantly from quarter to quarter and year to year. 

During our sales cycle, we spend considerable time and expense providing information to prospective customers about the use 
and benefits of our products without generating corresponding revenue. Our expense levels are relatively fixed in the short-term 
and based in part on our expectations of future revenue. Therefore, any delay in our sales cycle could cause significant variations 
in our operating results, particularly because a relatively small number of customer orders represent a large portion of our revenue. 

Our largest potential sources of revenue are educational institutions, large corporations and government entities that often require 
long testing and approval processes before making a decision to purchase our products, particularly when evaluating our products 
for inclusion in new buildings under construction, high dollar transactions or competitive bids. In general, the process of selling 
our products to a potential customer may involve lengthy negotiations, collaborations with consultants, designers and architects, 
time consuming installation processes and changes in network infrastructure in excess of what we or our VARs are able to provide. 
In addition, educational institutions that started with small pilots are committing to more complex installations and expanding to 
include undergraduate classrooms, which, due to the increased size of these types of transactions, typically require a longer sales 
cycle. Also, our enterprise accounts are less motivated by seasonal sales and promotions, and therefore are frequently difficult to 
finalize. As a result of these factors, our sales and deployment cycles are unpredictable. Our sales and deployment cycles are also 
subject to delays as a result of customer-specific factors over which we have little or no control, including budgetary constraints, 
existing infrastructure technical issues and internal approval procedures, particularly with customers or potential customers that 
rely on government funding. 

Our products are aimed toward a broadened user base within our key markets and these products are relatively early in their 
product life cycles. We cannot predict how the market for our products will develop, and part of our strategic challenge will be 
to  convince  targeted  users  of  the  productivity,  improved  communications  and  test  scores,  cost  savings  and  other  benefits. 
Accordingly, it is likely that delays in our sales cycles with these products will occur and this could cause significant variations 
in our operating results. 

Sales  of  some  of  our  products  have  experienced  seasonal  fluctuations  which  have  affected  sequential  growth  rates  for  these 
products, particularly in our first fiscal quarter. For example, there is generally a slowdown for sales of our products in the higher 
education and corporate markets in the first fiscal quarter of each year. Seasonal fluctuations could negatively affect our business, 
which could cause our operating results to fall short of anticipated results for such quarters. As such, we believe that quarter-to-
quarter comparisons of our revenues, operating results and cash flows may not be meaningful and should not be relied upon as 
an indication of future performance. 

19 

 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

Supporting our existing and growing customer base and implementing large customer deployments could strain our personnel 
resources and infrastructure, and if we are unable to scale our operations and increase productivity, customer satisfaction 
and our business will be harmed. 

Frequent enhancements to our software puts pressure on our customers to install, maintain and train their personnel on its use. 
Further, frequent releases of the software can lead to less product stability. As a result, our customer care and engineering resources 
have come under, and are expected in the future to come under significant pressure in providing the high-quality of technical 
support our customers expect during periods of high demand. We may be unable to respond quickly enough to accommodate 
short-term  increases  in  customer  demand  for  support  services.  Increased  customer  demand  for  these  services,  without 
corresponding revenues, could increase costs and adversely affect our operating results. In addition, our sales process is highly 
dependent on our applications and business reputation and on positive recommendations from our existing customers. Any failure 
to maintain high-quality technical support, or a market perception that we do not maintain high-quality support, could adversely 
affect  our  reputation,  our  ability  to  sell  our  products  and  services  to  existing  and  prospective  customers,  and  our  business, 
operating results and financial position. 

As we target more of our sales efforts at larger initial transactions, we face increasingly complex deployments requiring substantial 
technical  and  management  resources,  including  in  some  cases  significant  product  customization  and  integration  with  other 
applications or hardware. Customers making large expenditures for our products and services typically have higher expectations 
of product and service operability and response time if issues arise. Some of these customers have asked us to host their content 
and have significant amounts of legacy content to transfer to our datacenter. Such increased activity and storage demand on our 
data centers put additional strain on our personnel and hosting infrastructure. Our hosting customers typically require a high level 
of  access,  data  security  and  need  to  capture  and  store  multiple  high  definition  streams.  Such  requirements  require  costly 
enhancements to our infrastructure. High demand on technical and management resources to manage large transactions distract 
personnel from existing customers, development of new products and other important activities which could lead to potential 
customer dissatisfaction, product development delays or other issues associated with the distraction. 

If a customer is not satisfied with the quality of work performed by us or a third party or with the type of services or solutions 
delivered, then we could incur additional costs to address the situation and delay recognition of revenue, the profitability of that 
work might be impaired, and the customer’s dissatisfaction with our services could damage our ability to obtain additional work 
from that customer. In addition, negative publicity related to our customer relationships, regardless of its accuracy, may further 
damage our business by affecting our ability to compete for new business with current and prospective customers. 

Our operating results are hard to predict as a significant amount of our sales typically occur at the end of a quarter and the 
mix of product and service orders may vary significantly. 

Revenue for any particular quarter is extremely difficult to predict with any degree of certainty. We typically ship products within 
a short time after we receive an order and therefore, we do not have an order backlog with which to estimate future revenue. In 
addition, orders from our channel partners are based on the level of demand from end-user customers. Any decline or uncertainty 
in end-user demand could negatively impact end-user orders, which could in turn significantly negatively affect orders from our 
channel partners in any given quarter. Accordingly, our expectations for both short and long-term future revenue is based almost 
exclusively on our own estimate of future demand based on history and the pipeline of sales opportunities we manage, rather than 
on firm channel partner orders. The mix of product demand varies significantly from quarter to quarter, further complicating our 
estimated product needs. Our expense and inventory levels are based largely on these estimates. In addition, our events business 
is particularly unpredictable and subject to variation due to the short time-frame between when we learn of an opportunity and 
when  the  event  occurs.  Further,  the  majority  of  our  product  orders  are  received  in  the  last  month  of  a  quarter;  thus,  the 
unpredictability of the receipt of these orders could negatively impact our future results. We historically have received all, or 
nearly all, our channel partner orders in the last month of a quarter and often in the last few days of the quarter. Accordingly, any 
significant shortfall in demand for our products or services in relation to our expectations, even if the result was a short-term 
delay in orders, would have an adverse impact on our operating results. 

20 

 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

We have experienced growing demand for our hosting and event services as well as a growing preference from our customers in 
purchasing our annually licensed software. As a result, we have seen an increase in service billings and recurring revenue as a 
percentage of total billings. We expect this trend to continue which we expect to improve predictability of revenue and gross 
margins but will delay the impact on revenue of any increase or decrease in billings during any particular quarter. We subcontract 
for some services required by our events customers, such as onsite management labor and closed captioning. We typically charge 
for such services at a lower margin than other services. The percentage of billings represented by services, provided either directly 
or indirectly, is also likely to fluctuate from quarter to quarter due to seasonality of event services and other factors. Since content 
hosting  and  support  services  are  typically  billed  in  advance  of  providing  the  service,  revenue  is  initially  deferred,  leading  to 
reduced current period revenue with a corresponding negative impact to profits or losses in periods of significant increase in the 
percentage of our billings for deferred services. 

We are subject to risks associated with our channel partners’ product inventories and product sell-through. 

We sell a significant amount of our products to strategic audio video (A/V) distributors such as Synnex Corporation and Starin 
Marketing, Inc., as well as, other international distributors and channel partners who maintain their own inventory of our products 
for sale to dealers and end-users. If these channel partners are unable to sell an adequate amount of their inventory of our products 
in a given quarter to dealers and end-users, or if channel partners decide to decrease their inventories for any reason, such as a 
long-term continuation or increase, in global economic uncertainty, dissatisfaction with inventory turn rates or profitability and 
downturn in technology spending, the volume of our sales to these channel partners and our revenue would be negatively affected. 
In addition, if channel partners decide to purchase more inventory, due to product availability or other reasons than is required to 
satisfy end-user demand or if end-user demand does not keep pace with the additional inventory purchases, channel inventory 
could grow in any particular quarter, which could adversely affect product revenue in the subsequent quarter. In addition, we also 
face the risk that some of our channel partners have inventory levels in excess of future anticipated sales. If such sales do not 
occur in the time frame anticipated by these channel partners for any reason, these channel partners may substantially decrease 
the amount of product they order from us in subsequent periods, which would harm our business. 

If stock balancing returns or price adjustments exceed our reserves, our operating results could be adversely affected. 

We provide two of our distributors with stock balancing return rights, which generally permit our distributors to return products, 
subject to ordering an equal dollar amount of alternate products. We also provide price protection rights to certain distributors. 
Price protection rights require that we grant retroactive price adjustments for inventories of our products held by distributors if 
we lower our prices for those products within a specified time period. To cover our exposure to these product returns and price 
adjustments, we establish reserves based on our evaluation of historical product trends and current marketing plans. However, we 
cannot be assured that our reserves will be sufficient to cover our future product returns and price adjustments. If we inadequately 
forecast reserves, it may compromise our ability to recognize revenue to these distributors at the time of shipment. As a result, 
we would not be able to recognize revenue until these three distributors sell the inventory to the final end user, which would have 
a material adverse effect on revenues in the period covered by that change. 

Economic conditions could materially adversely affect the Company. 

Weakness in domestic markets and global uncertainties exist in many areas of focus for us including the United Kingdom, Japan 
and  the  Middle  East.  Many  of  our  customers  rely  on  local,  state  or  Federal  government  funding,  both  domestically  and 
international.  The  Japanese  government  provides  subsidies  to  support  higher  education  from  time  to  time  but  has  not  been 
consistent. Any future delay or elimination of government programs will have a negative impact on our operations in Japan. Any 
continuing  unfavorable  economic  conditions  could  continue  to  negatively  affect  our  business  operating  results  or  financial 
condition, which could in turn affect our stock price. Weak economic conditions and the resulting impact on the availability of 
public funds along with the possibility of state and local budget cuts and reduced university enrollment could lead to a reduction 
in demand for our products and services. In addition, a prolonged economic downturn could cause insolvency of key suppliers 
resulting in product delays, inability of customers to obtain credit to finance purchases of the Company’s products and inability 
or delay of our channel partners and other customers to pay accounts receivable owed to us. 

Economic conditions may have a disproportionate effect on the sale of our products. 

21 

 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

Many of our customers will look at the total A/V equipment and labor cost to outfit a typical conference room or lecture hall as 
one amount for budgetary purposes. Consequently, although our products represent only a portion of the total cost, the cost of the 
entire project of outfitting a room or conference hall may be considered excessive and may not survive budgetary constraints. 
Alternatively, our resellers may modify their quotes to end customers by eliminating our products or substituting less expensive 
products supplied by our competitors in order to win opportunities within budget constraints. Event service partners may similarly 
suggest that customers eliminate recording and webcasting as a means of reducing event cost. Consequently, declines in spending 
by government, educational or corporate institutions due to budgetary constraints may have a disproportionate impact on the 
Company and result in a material adverse impact on our financial condition. 

Privacy concerns and laws, evolving regulation of cloud computing, cross-border data transfer restrictions and other domestic 
or foreign regulations may limit the use and adoption of our solutions and adversely affect our business. 

Regulation related to the provision of services on the Internet is increasing, as federal, state and foreign governments continue to 
adopt new laws and regulations addressing data privacy and the collection, processing, storage and use of personal information, 
including  health  data.  In  some  cases,  foreign  data  privacy  laws  and  regulations,  such  as  the  European  Union’s  General  Data 
Protection Regulation that was enacted in May 2018, and an amended Act on the Protection of Personal Information in Japan, 
impose new obligations directly on us both as a data controller and a data processor, as well as on many of our customers. These 
new laws may require us to make changes to our services and/or our customers to meet the new legal requirements, and may also 
increase our potential liability exposure through higher potential penalties for non-compliance. Further, laws such as the European 
Union’s proposed e-Privacy Regulation are increasingly aimed at the use of personal information for marketing purposes, and the 
tracking of individuals’ online activities. These new or proposed laws and regulations are subject to differing interpretations and 
may be inconsistent among jurisdictions. These and other requirements could reduce demand for our services, require us to take 
on more onerous obligations in our contracts, restrict our ability to store, transfer and process data or, in some cases, impact our 
ability to offer our services in certain locations or our customers' ability to deploy our solutions globally. For example, ongoing 
legal challenges in Europe to the mechanisms allowing companies to transfer personal data from the European Economic Area to 
the United States could result in further limitations on the ability to transfer data across borders, particularly if governments are 
unable or unwilling to reach new or maintain existing agreements that support cross-border data transfers, such as the EU-U.S. 
and Swiss-U.S. Privacy Shield framework. Additionally, certain countries have passed or are considering passing laws requiring 
local data residency. The costs of compliance with, and other burdens imposed by, privacy laws, regulations and standards may 
limit the use and adoption of our services, reduce overall demand for our services, make it more difficult to meet expectations 
from or commitments to customers, lead to significant fines, penalties or liabilities for noncompliance, or slow the pace at which 
we close sales transactions, any of which could harm our business. 

We likely will need to acquire software and hardware in order to enhance our ability to defend and to detect intrusions to our 
network infrastructure. These enhancements will be expensive and require significant staff time to deploy and develop, and there 
is no assurance that they will be effective. 

In addition to government activity, privacy advocacy and other industry groups have established, or may establish, new self-
regulatory standards that may place additional burdens on us. Many of our customers in the European Union face increasingly 
complex  procurement  requirements  that  have  delayed  some  projects  and  caused  us  not  to  be  successful  in  winning  other 
opportunities. If we are unable to maintain these certifications or meet these standards, it could adversely affect our ability to 
provide our solutions to certain customers and could harm our business. 

Our  customers  and  potential  customers  do  business  in  a  variety  of  industries,  including  financial  services,  the  public  sector, 
healthcare and telecommunications. Regulators in certain industries have adopted and may in the future adopt regulations or 
interpretive positions regarding the use of cloud computing and other outsourced services. The costs of compliance with, and 
other burdens imposed by, industry-specific laws, regulations and interpretive positions may limit customers’ use and adoption 
of our services and reduce overall demand for our services. 

The costs of compliance with, and other burdens imposed by laws, regulations and standards, may limit the use and adoption of 
our service and reduce overall demand for it, or lead to significant fines, penalties or liabilities for any noncompliance. 

22 

 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

Furthermore, concerns regarding data privacy may cause the users of our customers’ data to resist providing the data necessary 
to  allow  our  customers  to  use  our  service  effectively.  Even  the  perception  that  the  privacy  of  personal  information  is  not 
satisfactorily protected or does not meet regulatory requirements could inhibit sales of our products or services, and could limit 
adoption of our cloud-based solutions. 

Operational failures in our network infrastructure could disrupt our remote hosting services, cause us to lose clients and sales 
to potential clients and result in increased expenses and reduced revenues. 

Unanticipated problems affecting our network systems could cause interruptions or delays in the delivery of the hosting services 
we provide to some of our clients. We are not equipped to provide full disaster recovery to all of our hosted clients. If there are 
operational failures in our network infrastructure that cause interruptions, slower response times, loss of data or extended loss of 
service for our remotely hosted clients, we may be required to issue credits or pay penalties, current clients may terminate their 
contracts or elect not to renew them and we may lose sales to potential clients. We have recently acquired additional hardware 
and systems, expect to make more significant investments in hardware and outsourced most aspects of our network infrastructure 
to multiple providers. We also rely on Internet systems and infrastructure to operate our business and provide our services. As a 
result, we are reliant on third parties for network availability, so outages may be outside our control and we may need to acquire 
additional hardware in order to provide an appropriate level of redundancy required by our customers. These hardware, data, and 
cloud computing platforms may not be available at reasonable terms or prices. 

We license technology from third parties. If we are unable to maintain these licenses, our operations and financial condition 
may be negatively impacted. 

We license technology from third parties. The loss of, our inability to maintain, or changes in material terms of these licenses 
could result in increased cost or delayed sales of our software, and services, or may cause us to remove features from our products 
or services. We anticipate that we will continue to license technology from third parties in the future. This technology may not 
continue  to  be  available  on  commercially  reasonable  terms,  if  at  all. Although  we  do  not  believe  that  we  are  substantially 
dependent on any individual licensed technology, some of the component technologies that we license from third parties could 
be difficult for us to replace. The impairment of these third-party relationships, especially if this impairment were to occur in 
unison, could result in delays in the delivery of our software and services until equivalent technology, if available, is identified, 
licensed and integrated. This delay could adversely affect our operating results and financial condition. 

The  technology  underlying  our  products  and  services  is  complex  and  may  contain  unknown  defects  that  could  harm  our 
reputation, result in product liability or decrease market acceptance of our products. 

The technology underlying our products is complex and includes software that is internally developed, software licensed from 
third parties and hardware purchased from third parties. These products have, and will in the future, contain errors or defects, 
particularly when first introduced or when new versions or enhancements are released. We may not discover defects that affect 
our current or new applications or enhancements until after they are sold, and our insurance coverage may not be sufficient to 
cover our exposure. Further, there are third-party applications our products and services are dependent on, or integrate with, such 
as operating systems and learning management systems. These integrations require specialized knowledge that is difficult and 
expensive to maintain. Failure to maintain compatibility with such applications or identification of defects in our products and 
services could: 

•   Damage our reputation; 
•   Cause our customers to initiate product liability suits against us; 
•  
•   Cause customers to cancel orders, ask for partial refunds or potential customers to purchase competitive products or 

Increase our product development resources; 

services; 

•   Delay release or market acceptance of our products, or otherwise adversely impact our relationships with our customers; 

and/or 

•   Cause us to allocate valuable engineering resources to fix our existing products, which may cause us to allocate fewer 

resources toward developing new products, or toward adding features to our existing products. 

23 

 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

We depend in part on the success of our relationships with third-party resellers and integrators. 

Our  success  depends  on  various  third-party  relationships,  particularly  in  our  non-higher  education  business,  with  certain 
international geographies and our events services operations. The relationships include third party resellers, as well as, system 
integrators  that  assist  with  implementations  of  our  products  and  sourcing  of  our  products  and  services.  Identifying  partners, 
negotiating and documenting relationships with them and maintaining their relationships require significant time and resources 
from us. In addition, our agreements with our resellers and integrators are typically non-exclusive and do not prohibit them from 
working with our competitors or from offering competing products or services. We have limited control, if any, as to whether 
these  strategic  partners  devote  adequate  resources  to  promoting,  selling  and  implementing  our  products  as  compared  to  our 
competitor’s products. Our competitors may be effective in providing incentives to third parties to favor their products or services. 
If  we  are  unsuccessful  in  establishing  or  maintaining  our  relationships  with  these  third  parties,  our  ability  to  compete  in  the 
marketplace or to maintain or grow our revenue could be impaired and our operating results would suffer. 

Our cash flow could fluctuate due to the potential difficulty of collecting our receivables. 

A significant portion of our sales are fulfilled by VARs, regional distributors or master distributors. As an example, 17% of our 
billings in fiscal 2018 were to Synnex Corporation and Starin Marketing Inc., two master distributors who fulfill demand from 
other distributors, VARs or end-users. While our VARs typically maintain payment terms consistent with other end-users, our 
master distributors have longer payment terms and a delay in payment may occur as a result of a number of factors including 
changes in demand, general economic factors, financial performance, inventory levels or disputes over payments. Our distributor 
in China has been unsuccessful in building a team to address demand in China, is under-funded and, significantly behind in their 
payments to us causing us to record approximately $326 thousand and $200 thousand of bad debt in fiscal 2018 and 2017.  Any 
delay from Synnex, Starin, or other large distributors or VARs, could have a material impact on the collections of our receivables 
during a particular quarter. 

We offer credit terms to some of our international customers; however, payments tend to go beyond terms in certain countries 
and advances allowable on accounts receivable from international customers under our revolving line of credit are calculated 
using a lower advance rate than domestic receivables, exclude certain countries and are limited to $1.0 million. Therefore, as 
Europe, Asia and other international regions grow, accounts receivable balances will likely increase as compared to previous 
years and our ability to finance the increase will be limited. 

The market price of our common stock may be subject to volatility. 

In the past, the trading prices of the securities of technology companies have been highly volatile, although volatility has declined 
substantially in the last several years and in 2018. Factors affecting the market price of our common stock include: 

•   Variations in our operating results, earnings per share, cash flows from operating activities, deferred revenue and other 

financial metrics and non-financial metrics, and how those results compare to investor expectations; 

•   Our announcement of actual results for a fiscal period that are higher or lower than expected results or our announcement 
of  revenue  or  earnings  guidance  that  is  higher  or  lower  than  expected,  including  as  a  result  of  difficulty  forecasting 
seasonal variations in our financial condition and operating results; 

•   Changes in the estimates of our operating results or changes in recommendations by securities analysts that elect to follow 

our common stock; 

•   Announcements  of  technological  innovations,  new  services  or  service  enhancements,  strategic  alliances  or  significant 

agreements by us or by our competitors; 

•   Announcements by us or by our competitors of mergers or other strategic acquisitions, or rumors of such transactions 

involving us or our competitors; 

•   Announcements of customer additions and customer cancellations or delays in customer purchases; 
•   Recruitment or departure of key personnel; 
•   Disruptions in our service due to computer hardware, software, network or data center problems; 
•   The economy as a whole, market conditions in our industry and the industries of our customers; 

24 

 
 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

•   The issuance of shares of common stock and preferred stock by us, whether in connection with an acquisition or a 

capital raising transaction; 

Issuance of debt, changes to, defaults or non-renewal of debt facilities and other convertible securities; 

•   Low trading volumes of our shares and inconsistent trading activity; 
•  
•   Failure to meet NASDAQ requirements; and 
•   Any other factors discussed herein. 

In addition, if the market for technology stocks or the stock market in general experiences uneven investor confidence, the market 
price of our common stock could decline for reasons unrelated to our business, operating results or financial condition. The market 
price of our common stock might also decline in reaction to events that affect other companies within, or outside, our industry 
even if these events do not directly affect us. 

Accounting regulations and related interpretations and policies, particularly those related to revenue recognition, cause us to 
defer revenue recognition into future periods for all or portions of our products and services. 

Revenue recognition for our products and services is complex and subject to multiple sources of authoritative guidance, some of 
which are new, as well as, varied interpretations and implementation practices for such rules. These rules require us to apply 
judgment in determining revenue recognition. In certain situations, we may have to defer the entire amount of revenue from a 
transaction,  even  when  the  product  has  already  shipped.  This  may  occur  when  the  customer  has  delayed  payment  on  the 
transaction,  or  in  certain  other  circumstances,  such  as  when  we  agree  to  extend  payment  terms  on  other  invoices  from  such 
customer. In addition, we always defer revenue when services are included in a transaction, and not performed. Other factors that 
are considered in revenue recognition include those such as vendor specific objective evidence (VSOE), best estimate of selling 
price and the inclusion of other services and contingencies to payment terms. We expect that we will continue to defer portions 
or, in certain circumstances with respect to a particular customer, all of our product or service billings because of these factors, 
and to the extent that management’s judgment is incorrect it could result in an increase in the amount of revenue deferred in any 
one period. The amounts deferred may be significant and may vary from quarter to quarter depending on, among other factors, 
compliance with payment terms, the mix of products sold, combination of products and services sold together or contractual 
terms. 

Additional changes in authoritative guidance, including the interpretation of "Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 
606)", or changes in practice in applying such rules could also cause us to defer the recognition of revenue to future periods or 
recognize lower revenue.  See Note 1 - Accounting Policies of the Notes to Financial Statements (Part II, Item 8 of this Form 10-
K) for further discussion. 

We could lose revenues if there are changes in the spending policies or budget priorities for government funding of colleges, 
universities, schools and other education providers. 

Most  of  our  customers  and  potential  customers  are  public  colleges,  universities,  schools  and  other  education  providers  who 
depend substantially on government funding. Accordingly, any general decrease, delay or change in federal, state or local funding 
for colleges, universities, schools and other education providers could cause our current and potential customers to reduce or 
delay their purchases of our products and services, or to decide not to renew service contracts, either of which could cause us to 
lose revenues. In addition, a specific reduction in governmental funding support for products such as ours would also cause us to 
lose revenues. Unfavorable economic conditions may result in further budget cuts and lead to lower overall spending, including 
information technology spending, by our current and potential clients, which may cause our revenues to decrease. 

If we lose key personnel or fail to integrate replacement personnel successfully, our ability to manage our business could be 
impaired. 

Our future success depends upon the continued service of our key management, technical, sales and other critical personnel, 
particularly  our  Chief  Executive  Officer.  Most  of  our  officers  and  other  key  personnel  are  employees-at-will,  and  we  cannot 
assure that we will be able to retain them. Key personnel have left our company in the past, sometimes to accept employment 
with companies that sell similar products or services to existing or potential customers of ours. There will likely be additional 

25 

 
 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

departures of key personnel from time to time in the future and such departures could result in additional competition, loss of 
customers or confusion in the marketplace. As we seek to replace such departures, or expand our business, the hiring of qualified 
sales,  technical  and  support  personnel  is  difficult  due  to  the  limited  number  of  qualified  professionals.  The  loss  of  any  key 
employee could result in significant disruptions to our operations, including adversely affecting the timeliness of product releases, 
the successful implementation and completion of company initiatives and the results of our operations. In addition, we do not 
have life insurance policies on any of our key employees. If we lose the services of any of our key employees, the integration of 
replacement personnel could be time consuming, may cause disruptions to our operations and may be unsuccessful. 

Because  we  generally  recognize  revenues  ratably  over  the  term  of  our  service  contracts,  downturns  or  upturns  in  service 
transactions will not be fully reflected in our operating results until future periods. 

We  recognize  most  of  our  revenues  from  service  contracts  monthly  over  the  terms  of  their  agreements,  which  are  typically 
12 months, although terms have ranged from less than one month to 48 months. As a result, much of the service revenue we 
report in each quarter is attributable to agreements entered into during previous quarters. Consequently, a decline in sales, client 
renewals or market acceptance of our products in any one quarter will not necessarily be fully reflected in the revenues in that 
quarter and will negatively affect our revenues and profitability in future quarters. This ratable revenue recognition also makes it 
difficult for us to rapidly increase our revenues through additional sales in any period, as revenues from new clients must be 
recognized over the applicable agreement term. 

Currency exchange rate fluctuations could result in higher costs and decreased margins and earnings. 

The functional currency of our foreign subsidiaries in the Netherlands is the Euro and in Japan is the Japanese Yen. They are 
subject  to  foreign  currency  exchange  rate  risk.  The  conversion  rate  of  the Yen  to  the  US  Dollar  varied  from  about  106  to 
approximately 114 during fiscal 2018.  Similarly, the Euro varied from about .87 to approximately .80 to the US Dollar during 
fiscal  2018. The  strength  of  the  dollar  impacts  our  ability  to  export  profitably  to  other  countries,  and  will  likely  continue  to 
fluctuate. Any increase in the exchange rate of the US Dollar compared to the Euro or the Japanese Yen will impact our future 
operating results and financial position. 

If potential customers or competitors use open source software to develop products that are competitive with our products and 
services, we may face decreased demand and pressure to reduce the prices for our products. 

The growing acceptance and prevalence of open source software may make it easier for competitors or potential competitors to 
develop software applications that compete with our products, or for customers and potential customers to internally develop 
software applications that they would otherwise have licensed from us. One of the aspects of open source software is that it can 
be modified or used to develop new software that competes with proprietary software applications, such as ours. Such competition 
can develop without the degree of overhead and lead time required by traditional proprietary software companies. As open source 
offerings become more prevalent, customers may defer or forego purchases of our products, which could reduce our sales and 
lengthen the sales cycle for our products or result in the loss of current customers to open source solutions. If we are unable to 
differentiate our products from competitive products based on open source software, demand for our products and services may 
decline, and we may face pressure to reduce the prices of our products, which would hurt our profitability. If our use of open-
source is challenged and construes unfavorably, our operating results could be adversely impacted. 

We use open source software in our application suite. Although we monitor our use of open source software closely, the terms of 
many open source licenses have not been interpreted by United States courts, and there is risk that such licenses could be construed 
in a manner that imposes unanticipated conditions or restrictions on our ability to commercialize our products. In such event, we 
could  be  required  to  re-engineer  our  technology  or  to  discontinue  offering  all  or  a  portion  of  our  products  in  the  event  re-
engineering cannot be accomplished on a timely basis, any of which could adversely affect our business, operating results and 
financial condition. 

26 

 
 
 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

Our customers may use our products to share confidential and sensitive information, and if our system security is breached, 
our reputation could be harmed and we may lose customers. 

Our customers may use our products and services to share confidential and sensitive information, the security of which is critical 
to their business. Third parties may attempt to breach our security for customer hosted content or the networks of our customers. 
Malicious third-parties may also conduct attacks designed to temporarily deny customers access to our services. Customers may 
take inadequate security precautions with their sensitive information and may inadvertently make that information public. We 
may be liable to our customers or subject to fines for a breach in security, and any breach could harm our reputation and cause us 
to  lose  customers.  In  addition,  customers  are  vulnerable  to  computer  viruses,  physical  or  electronic  break-ins  and  similar 
disruptions, which could lead to interruptions, delays or loss of data. We may be required to expend significant capital and other 
resources to further protect against security breaches or to resolve problems caused by any breach, including litigation-related 
expenses if we are sued. 

If we are viewed only as a commodity supplier, our margins and valuations will shrink. 

We need to provide value-added services in order to avoid being viewed as a commodity supplier. This entails building long-term 
customer  relationships  and  developing  features  that  will  distinguish  our  products.  Our  technology  is  complex  and  is  often 
confused with other products and technologies in the market place, including video conferencing, streaming and collaboration. 

We  have  developed  lower  cost  hardware,  software  products  and  cloud  solutions  to  better  address  the  more  cost-conscious 
customers. Such products have more limited features compared to our existing products. While we believe we can preserve the 
market for our full-featured products due to differentiation between the two and migration to full featured products, release of 
lower cost products could reduce gross margin and demand for products sold at higher prices. Potential large-scale deployments 
of our products often include the lower cost products we sell, putting greater pressure on gross margin due to expectations for 
greater volume discounts. 

If we fail to build long-term customer relationships, develop features that distinguish our products in the market place and address 
the market for lower function and cost solutions, our margins will shrink, and our stock may become less valuable to investors. 

Our success depends upon the proprietary aspects of our technology. 

Our success and ability to compete depend to a significant degree upon the protection of our proprietary technology. We currently 
have four U.S. patents that have been issued to us. We may seek additional patents in the future. However, it is possible that: 

•   Any patents acquired by or issued to us may not be broad enough to protect us. 
•   Any issued patent could be successfully challenged by one or more third parties, which could result in our loss of the right 

to prevent others from exploiting the inventions claimed in those patents. 

•   Current and future competitors may independently develop similar technology, duplicate our services or design around 

any of our patents. 

•   Effective  patent  protection,  including  effective  legal-enforcement  mechanisms  against  those  who  violate  our  patent-

related assets, may not be available in every country in which we do or plan to do business. 

•   We may not have the resources to enforce our patents or may determine the potential benefits are not worth the cost and 

risk of ultimately being unsuccessful. 

We also rely upon trademark, copyright and trade secret laws, which may not be sufficient to protect our intellectual property. 

We also rely on a combination of laws, such as copyright, trademark and trade secret laws and contractual restrictions, such as 
confidentiality agreements and licenses, to establish and protect our technology. We have registered three U.S. and four foreign 
country trademarks. These forms of intellectual property protection are critically important to our ability to establish and maintain 
our competitive position. However, it is possible that: 

•   Third parties may infringe or misappropriate our copyrights, trademarks and similar proprietary rights. 
•   Laws and contractual restrictions may not be sufficient to prevent misappropriation of our technology or to deter others 
from developing similar technologies, particularly in foreign countries where the laws may not protect our proprietary 
rights as fully or as readily as Unites States laws. Our recent growth in activities in China will likely increase this risk. 

27 

 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

•   There have been attacks on certain patent systems, increasing the likelihood of changes to established laws, including in 
the United States. We cannot predict the long-term effects of any potential changes, which could be detrimental to our 
licensing program. 

•   Effective  trademark,  copyright  and  trade  secret  protection,  including  effective  legal-enforcement  mechanisms  against 
those who violate our trademark, copyright or trade secret assets, may be cost prohibitive or unavailable or limited in 
foreign countries. 

•   Contractual  agreements  may  not  provide  meaningful  protection  for  our  trade  secrets,  know-how  or  other  proprietary 
information in the event of any unauthorized use, misappropriation or disclosure of such trade secrets, know-how or other 
proprietary information. 

•   Other  companies  may  claim  common  law  trademark  rights  based  upon  state  or  foreign  laws  that  precede  the  federal 

registration of our marks. 

•   Policing unauthorized use of our services and trademarks is difficult, expensive and time-consuming, and we may be 

unable to determine the extent of any unauthorized use. 

Reverse engineering, unauthorized copying or other misappropriation of our proprietary technology could enable third parties to 
benefit from our technology without paying us for it, which would significantly harm our business. 

We may need to make acquisitions or form strategic alliances or partnerships in order to remain competitive in our market, 
and recent acquisitions, strategic alliances or partnerships, including the acquisition of Mediasite KK and Sonic Foundry 
International, could be difficult to integrate, disrupt our business and dilute stockholder value. 

We completed the acquisitions of Mediasite KK in Japan and MediaMission (now Sonic Foundry International) in the Netherlands 
in fiscal 2014. As a result of these acquisitions, we are integrating products, services, dispersed operations, management systems 
and very different cultures. In the future, we may acquire or form strategic alliances or partnerships with other businesses in order 
to remain competitive or to acquire new technologies. Acquisitions and investments involve numerous risks, including: 

•   The potential failure to achieve the expected benefits of the combination or acquisition; 
•   Difficulties in and the cost of integrating operations, technologies, services and personnel; 
•   Diversion of financial and managerial resources from existing operations; 
•   Risk of entering new markets in which we have little or no experience or where competitors may have stronger market 

positions; 

•   Potential write-offs of acquired assets or investments, and potential financial and credit risks associated with acquired 

customers; 

Inability to generate sufficient revenue to offset acquisition or investment costs; 

•   Potential loss of key employees; 
•  
•   The inability to maintain relationships with customers and partners of the acquired business; 
•   The difficulty of transitioning the acquired technology onto our existing platforms and maintaining the security standards 

consistent with our other services for such technology; 

•   Potential unknown liabilities associated with the acquired businesses; 
•   Unanticipated expenses related to acquired technology and its integration into existing technology; 
•   Negative impact to our results of operations because of the depreciation and amortization of amounts related to acquired 
intangible assets, fixed assets and deferred compensation, and the loss of acquired deferred revenue and unbilled deferred 
revenue; 

•   Delays in customer purchases due to uncertainty related to any acquisition; 
•   The need to implement controls, procedures and policies at the acquired company; 
•   Challenges caused by distance, language and cultural differences; 
•  

In  the  case  of  foreign  acquisitions,  the  challenges  associated  with  integrating  operations  across  different  cultures  and 
languages and currency, technological, employee and other regulatory risks and uncertainties in the economic, social and 
political conditions associated with specific countries; and 

•   The tax effects of any such acquisitions. 

28 

 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

Our failure to successfully manage the acquisitions of Mediasite KK and Sonic Foundry International, or other future acquisitions, 
strategic alliances or partnerships could seriously harm our operating results. In addition, our stockholders would be diluted if we 
finance the future acquisitions, strategic alliances or partnerships by incurring convertible debt or issuing equity securities. 

If other parties bring infringement or other claims against us, we may incur significant costs or lose customers. 

Other companies may obtain patents or other proprietary rights that would limit our ability to conduct our business and could 
assert that our technologies infringe their proprietary rights. We have incurred substantial costs to defend against such claims in 
the past and could incur legal costs in the future, even if without merit, and intellectual property litigation could force us to cease 
using key technology, obtain a license or redesign our products. In the course of our business, we may sell certain systems to our 
customers, and in connection with such sale, we may agree to indemnify these customers from claims made against them by third 
parties for patent infringement related to these systems, which could harm our business. 

We face risks associated with government regulation of the internet and related legal uncertainties. 

Currently, few existing laws or regulations specifically apply to the Internet, other than laws generally applicable to businesses. 
Many Internet-related laws and regulations, however, are pending and may be adopted in the United States, in individual states 
and local jurisdictions and in other countries. These laws may relate to many areas that impact our business, including encryption, 
network and information security, and the convergence of traditional communication services, such as telephone services, with 
Internet  communications,  taxes  and  wireless  networks.  These  types  of  regulations  could  differ  between  countries  and  other 
political and geographic divisions both inside and outside the United States. Non-U.S. countries and political organizations may 
impose,  or  favor,  more  and  different  regulation  than  that  which  has  been  proposed  in  the  United  States,  thus  furthering  the 
complexity of regulation. Certain countries have implemented, or may implement, legislative and technological actions that either 
do or can effectively regulate access to the Internet, including the ability of Internet Service Providers to limit access to specific 
websites or content. In addition, state and local governments within the United States may impose regulations in addition to, 
inconsistent with, or stricter than federal regulations. The adoption of such laws or regulations, and uncertainties associated with 
their  validity,  interpretation,  applicability  and  enforcement,  may  affect  the  available  distribution  channels  for,  and  the  costs 
associated with, our products and services. The adoption of such laws and regulations may harm our business. 

Exercise of outstanding options and warrants will result in further dilution. 

The issuance of shares of common stock upon the exercise of our outstanding options and warrants will result in dilution to the 
interests of our stockholders, and may reduce the trading price of our common stock. 

At September 30, 2018, we had 370 thousand outstanding warrants and 2.0 million of outstanding stock options granted under 
our stock option plans, 1.7 million of which are immediately exercisable. 

While nearly all outstanding warrants and options are currently priced above the market price of our common stock, dilution to 
the interests of our stockholders will likely occur if or when they are exercised. Additional options and warrants may be issued in 
the future at prices not less than 85% of the fair market value of the underlying security on the date of grant. Exercises of these 
options, or even the potential of their exercise may have an adverse effect on the trading price of our common stock. The holders 
of our options are likely to exercise them at times when the market price of the common stock exceeds the exercise price of the 
securities. Accordingly, the issuance of shares of common stock upon exercise of the options will likely result in dilution of the 
equity represented by the then outstanding shares of common stock held by other stockholders. Holders of our options can be 
expected to exercise or convert them at a time when we would, in all likelihood, be able to obtain any needed capital on terms, 
which are more favorable to us than the exercise terms provided, by these options. 

29 

 
 
 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

Our ability to utilize our net operating loss carryforwards may be limited. 

The use of our net operating loss carryforwards may have limitations resulting from certain future ownership changes or other 
factors under the Internal Revenue Code and other taxing authorities. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 changed both the federal 
deferred tax value of the net operating loss carryforwards and the rules of utilization of federal net operating loss carryforwards. 
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 lowered the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21% effective for our 2018 fiscal year. For net 
operating loss carryforwards generated in years prior to 2018, there is no annual limitation on the utilization and the carryforward 
period remains at 20 years. However, net operating loss carryforwards generated in years after 2017 will only be available to 
offset 80% of future taxable income in any single year but will not expire. 

If our net operating loss carryforwards are limited, and we have taxable income which exceeds the available net operating loss 
carryforwards  for  that  period,  we  would  incur  an  income  tax  liability  even  though  net  operating  loss  carryforwards  may  be 
available in future years prior to their expiration. Any such income tax liability may adversely affect our future cash flow, financial 
position and financial results. 

Our business is subject to changing regulations regarding corporate governance and public disclosure that will increase both 
our costs and the risk of noncompliance. 

As a publicly traded company we are subject to significant regulations, including the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. While we have 
developed and instituted a corporate compliance program based on what we believe are the current best practices and continue to 
update the program in response to newly implemented regulatory requirements and guidance, we cannot assure that we are or 
will be in compliance with all potentially applicable regulations. 

Although our non-affiliate market capitalization was less than $75 million at March 31, 2018 and we were therefore not required 
to have an auditor attestation on our internal controls over financial reporting for fiscal 2018, SEC rules may in the future require 
us  to  have  such  an  attestation  if  our  non-affiliate  market  capitalization  exceeds  a  certain  threshold. We  have  found  material 
weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting in the past and cannot assure that in the future our management or our 
auditors, will not find additional material weaknesses in connection with our internal control over financial reporting pursuant to 
Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. We also cannot assure that we could correct all such weaknesses to allow our management 
to attest that we have maintained effective internal controls over financial reporting as of the end of our fiscal year in time to 
enable our independent registered public accounting firm to attest that such assessment will have been fairly stated in our Annual 
Report on Form 10-K to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission or attest that we have maintained effective internal 
control over financial reporting as of the end of our fiscal year. If we fail to comply with any of these regulations, we could be 
subject to a range of regulatory actions, fines, or other sanctions or litigation. In addition, the disclosure of any material weakness 
in our internal control over financial reporting could have a negative impact on our stock price. 

On June 28, 2018, the SEC adopted amendments that raise the thresholds in the smaller reporting company ("SRC") definition, 
thereby  expanding  the  number  of  smaller  reporting  companies  eligible  to  comply  with  the  scaled  disclosure  requirements  in 
several Regulation S-K and Regulation S-X items. The amended definition of a smaller reporting company reduces the likelihood 
that the Company would be required to have auditor attestation on our internal controls over financial reporting in future periods. 

ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS 

None. 

ITEM 2. PROPERTIES 

Our principal office is located in Madison, Wisconsin in a leased facility of approximately 26,000 square feet. The building serves 
as our corporate headquarters, accommodating our general and administrative, product development and selling and marketing 
departments. We believe this facility is adequate for our needs. The current lease term for this office expires on December 31, 
2021. The rent for the remainder of the lease period is approximately $60 thousand per month. 

30 

 
 
 
 
 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

Our operations in Japan are managed in Tokyo, Japan in a leased facility of approximately 9,874 square feet with a term expiring 
on December 31, 2020. The facility includes sales, technical and administrative functions. The rent for the remainder of the lease 
period is approximately $39 thousand per month. 

Our European operations are managed in Utrecht, Netherlands in a leased facility of approximately 3,886 square feet with a term 
expiring on January 31, 2022. The facility includes sales, technical and administrative functions. The rent for the remainder of 
the lease period is approximately $6 thousand per month. 

ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS 

None. 

ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES 

Not applicable. 

31 

 
 
 
 
 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

PART II 

ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS, AND 
ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES 

Price Range of Common Stock 

Our common stock was initially traded on the American Stock Exchange under the symbol “SFO,” beginning with our initial 
public offering in April of 1998. On April 24, 2000, our common stock began trading on the NASDAQ Global Market under the 
symbol “SOFO.” Effective September 16, 2009, we transferred the listing of our common stock to the NASDAQ Capital Market. 
Effective December 31, 2018, we transferred the listing of our common stock to the OTCQB Market under the symbol "SOFO". 
Effective February 18, 2019, we transferred the listing of our common stock to the OTC Pink Sheets under the symbol "SOFO". 
The following table sets forth, for the periods indicated, the high and low sale prices per share of our common stock as reported 
on the NASDAQ Capital Market, the OTCQB Market, and the OTC Pink Sheets. 

Year Ended September 30, 2019: 
First Quarter 
Second Quarter (through March 12, 2019) 
Year Ended September 30, 2018: 
First Quarter 
Second Quarter 
Third Quarter 
Fourth Quarter 
Year Ended September 30, 2017: 
First Quarter 
Second Quarter 
Third Quarter 
Fourth Quarter 

Dividends 

High 

Low 

1.71    
1.77    

3.87    
3.18    
2.91    
2.32    

5.92    
5.35    
5.25    
4.13    

0.60  
0.62  

2.05  
2.20  
2.01  
1.51  

3.75  
4.50  
3.72  
3.03  

The Company has not paid any cash dividends and does not intend to pay any cash dividends in the foreseeable future. The 
Company is prohibited from paying any cash dividends pursuant to the terms of the loan and security agreement with Silicon 
Valley Bank. 

Unregistered Sale of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds 

On  January  19,  2018,  the  Company  and  a  director  entered  into  a  Subscription Agreement  (the  “Subscription Agreement”). 
Pursuant  to  the  Subscription  Agreement,  (i)  on  January  19,  2018,  the  director  purchased  a  10.75%  Convertible  Secured 
Subordinated Promissory Note for $500,000 in cash; and (ii) on February 15, 2018, the director purchased an additional 10.75% 
Convertible Secured Subordinated Promissory Note for $500,000 in cash (each, a “Note”, and collectively, the “Notes”). 

On May 17, 2018, following approval by the stockholders of the Company of the conversion of the Notes sufficient to comply 
with rules and regulations of NASDAQ, the Notes were automatically converted into 1,902 shares of Series A Preferred stock. 
The  number  of  shares  was  determined  by  dividing  the  total  principal  and  accrued  interest  due  on  each  Note  by $542.13 (the 
“Conversion Rate”). 

On April 16, 2018, the Company issued 232,558 shares of common stock to an affiliated party. The shares were issued at a price 
of  $2.15  per  share,  representing  the  closing  price  on April  13,  2018.  On April  16,  2018,  the  closing  price  of  the  Company’s 

32 

 
 
 
 
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

common stock was $2.18 per share. The affiliated party also received warrants to purchase 232,558 shares of common stock at 
an exercise price of $2.50 per share, respectively, which expire on April 16, 2025. 

On June 8, 2018, 905 shares of Preferred Stock, Series A,were automatically converted by the Company into 213,437 shares of 
common stock. The amount of shares converted represents all preferred shares issued on May 30, 2017 and June 8, 2017, including 
related dividends. 

On August 23, 2018, 717 shares of Preferred Stock, Series A were automatically converted by the Company into 169,485 shares 
of common stock. The amount of shares converted represents all preferred shares issued on August 23, 2017. 

The Company relied on Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, to issue the Notes and stock, inasmuch as the 
director and the affiliated party both received from the Company information that registration would provide and neither the 
Company nor any person acting on its behalf offered or sold the Notes or stock by any form of general solicitation or general 
advertising. 

Holders 

At March 12, 2019, there were 226 common stockholders of record and approximately 2,700 total shareholders. Many shares are 
held by brokers and other institutions on behalf of shareholders. 

Equity Compensation Plan Information 

Plan category 

Number of securities 
to be issued upon 
exercise of 
outstanding options 

Weighted average 
exercise price of 
outstanding 
options 

Number of 
securities 
remaining 
available for 
future issuance 

(a) 

(b) 

(c) 

2,011,241 

  $ 

6.93 

695,759 

Equity compensation plans approved by security holders 
(1) 
Equity compensation plans not approved by security 
holders (2) 
Total 

— 
695,759  
(1)  Consists of the 2009 Stock Incentive Plan, Employee Incentive Stock Option Plan and the Directors Stock Option Plans. 

18,500 
2,029,741     $ 

5.90 
7.03    

For further information regarding these plans, reference is made to Note 5 of the financial statements. 

(2)  Consists of the Non-Qualified Stock Option Plan. For further information regarding this plan, reference is made to Note 

5 of the financial statements. 

The graph below compares the cumulative total stockholder return on our common stock from September 30, 2013 through and 
including  September 30,  2018  with  the  cumulative  total  return  on  The  NASDAQ  Stock  Market  (US  only)  and  the  RDG 
Technology Composite. The graph assumes that $100 was invested in our common stock on September 30, 2013 for each of the 
indexes and that all dividends were reinvested. Unless otherwise specified, all dates refer to the last day of each month presented. 
The comparisons in the graph below are based on historical data, with our common stock prices based on the closing price on the 
dates indicated, and are not intended to forecast the possible future performance of our common stock. 

33 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

COMPARISON OF 5 YEAR CUMULATIVE TOTAL RETURN* 

*$100 invested on 9/30/13 in stock or index, including reinvestment of dividends fiscal year ending September 30. 

ITEM 6. SELECTED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL DATA 

The selected financial and operating data were derived from our consolidated financial statements. The selected financial data set 
forth below is qualified in its entirety by, and should be read in conjunction with, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of 
Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and our financial statements and notes thereto appearing elsewhere in this annual 
report on Form 10-K (in thousands except per share data). 

34 

 
 
 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

Statement of Operations Data: 
Revenue 
Cost of revenue 

Gross margin 
Operating expenses 
Impairment of goodwill & intangible assets 

Loss from operations 

Gain on investment in Mediasite KK 
Equity in earnings from investment in 
Mediasite KK 
Other income (expense), net 

Interest expense, net 
Benefit (provision) for income taxes 

Net loss 

Dividends on preferred stock 
Net loss attributable to shareholders 

Basic net loss per common share 
Diluted net loss per common share 
Weighted average common shares: 
       – Basic 

– Diluted 

Balance Sheet Data at September 30: 
Cash and cash equivalents 
Working capital 
Total assets 

Long-term liabilities 
Stockholders’ equity 

$ 

$ 

$ 
$ 

$ 
$ 

$ 

2018 

2017 

2016 

2015 

2014 

Years Ended September 30, 

34,544     $ 
9,656    
24,888    
29,118    
11,809    
(16,039 )  
—    

— 
142    
(601 )  
4,332    
(12,166 )   $ 

(257 )   $ 
(12,423 )   $ 

(2.67 )   $ 
(2.67 )   $ 

36,000     $ 
9,867    
26,133    
30,091    
600    
(4,558 )  
—    

— 

(65 )  

(495 )  
79    
(5,039 )   $ 

(169 )   $ 
(5,208 )   $ 

(1.17 )   $ 
(1.17 )   $ 

37,975     $ 
9,985    
27,990    
30,266    
—    
(2,276 )  
—    

— 

(178 )  

(594 )  
(269 )  

(3,317 )   $ 
—     $ 
(3,317 )   $ 

(0.76 )   $ 
(0.76 )   $ 

36,459     $ 
10,635    
25,824    
29,916    
—    
(4,092 )  
—    

— 
46    
(372 )  
(107 )  

(4,525 )   $ 
—     $ 
(4,525 )   $ 

(1.04 )   $ 
(1.04 )   $ 

35,830  
10,275  
25,555  
28,637  
—  
(3,082 ) 
1,390  

38 
173  
(231 ) 
(1,104 ) 

(2,816 ) 
—  
(2,816 ) 

(0.67 ) 
(0.67 ) 

4,655,520 
4,655,520    
2018 

4,436,333 
4,436,333    
2017 

4,389,421 
4,389,421    
2016 

4,332,576 
4,332,576    
2015 

4,174,191 
4,174,191  
2014 

1,189     $ 
(5,765 )  
13,583    
3,451    
(6,458 )  

1,211     $ 
(4,833 )  
28,356    
8,147    
3,118    

1,794     $ 
(3,720 )  
33,082    
7,249    
6,516    

1,976     $ 
(618 )  
34,803    
8,435    
7,803    

4,344  
18  
34,623  
7,268  
11,315  

ITEM 7.  MANAGEMENT’S  DISCUSSION  AND  ANALYSIS  OF  FINANCIAL  CONDITION  AND  RESULTS  OF 
OPERATIONS 

The financial and business analysis below provides information that Sonic Foundry, Inc. (the “Company”) believes is relevant to 
an assessment and understanding of the Company’s consolidated financial position and results of operations. This financial and 
business analysis should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and related notes. 

This report includes estimates, projections, statements relating to our business plans, objectives, and expected operating results 
that are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A 
of the Securities Act of 1933, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements may appear 
throughout this report, including the following sections: “Management’s Discussion and Analysis,” and “Risk Factors.” These 
forward-looking  statements  generally  are  identified  by  the  words  “believe,”  “project,”  “expect,”  “anticipate,”  “estimate,” 
“intend,” “strategy,” “future,” “opportunity,” “plan,” “may,” “should,” “will,” “would,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will likely 
result,” and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject 
to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially. We describe risks and uncertainties that could cause 
actual results and events to differ materially in “Risk Factors” (Part 1, Item 1A of this Form 10-K), “Quantitative and Qualitative 
Disclosures about Market Risk” (Part II, Item 7A of this Form 10-K), and in this Item 7. We undertake no obligation to update or 
revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether because of new information, future events, or otherwise. 

35 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
   
   
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

Overview 

Sonic Foundry, Inc. is the trusted global leader for video capture, management and streaming solutions. Trusted by educational 
institutions, corporations and government entities, Mediasite Video Platform quickly and cost-effectively automates the capture, 
management, delivery and search of live and on-demand streaming video and rich media. Mediasite transforms communications, 
training, education and events for our customers. 

Critical Accounting Policies 

We have identified the following as critical accounting policies to our Company and have discussed the development, selection 
of estimates and the disclosure regarding them with the audit committee of the board of directors: 

Impairment of long-lived assets; 

•   Revenue recognition, allowance for doubtful accounts and reserves; 
•  
•   Valuation allowance for net deferred tax assets; and 
•   Accounting for stock-based compensation. 

Revenue Recognition, Allowance for Doubtful Accounts and Reserves 

General 

Revenue is recognized when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, delivery occurs or services are rendered, the sales 
price is fixed or determinable and collectability is reasonably assured. Revenue is deferred when undelivered products or services 
are essential to the functionality of delivered products, customer acceptance is uncertain, significant obligations remain, or the 
fair value of undelivered elements is unknown. Typically, the Company does not offer customers the right to return product, other 
than for exchange or repair pursuant to a warranty or stock rotation. The Company’s policy is to reduce revenue if it incurs an 
obligation for price rebates or other such programs during the period the obligation is reasonably estimated to occur. The following 
policies apply to the Company’s major categories of revenue transactions. 

We currently are evaluating the impact of a new standard related to revenue recognition, which we anticipate will have a material 
impact on our consolidated financial statements. See Note 1 - Accounting Policies of the Notes to Financial Statements (Part II, 
Item 8 of this Form 10-K) for further discussion. 

Products 

Products are considered delivered, and revenue is recognized, when title and risk of loss have been transferred to the customer or 
upon customer acceptance if non-delivered products or services are essential to the functionality of delivered products. Under the 
terms and conditions of the sale, this occurs at the time of shipment to the customer. Product revenue currently represents sales 
of our Mediasite recorders and Mediasite related products such as our server software and other software licenses. If a license is 
time-based, the revenue is recognized over the term of the license agreement. 

Services 

The Company sells support and content hosting contracts to our customers, typically one year in length, and records the related 
revenue ratably over the contractual period. Our support contracts cover phone and electronic technical support availability over 
and  above  the  level  provided  by  our  distributors,  software  upgrades  on  a  when  and  if  available  basis,  advance  hardware 
replacement and an extension of the standard hardware warranty from 90 days to one year. The manufacturers the Company 
contracts  with  to  build  the  units  provide  a  limited  one-year  warranty  on  the  hardware. The  Company  also  sells  installation, 
training, event webcasting, and customer content hosting services. Revenue for those services is recognized when performed in 
the case of installation, training and event webcasting services. Occasionally, the Company will sell customization services to 
enhance  the  server  software.  Revenue  from  those  services  is  recognized  when  performed,  if  perfunctory,  or  under  contract 

36 

 
 
 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

accounting. Service amounts invoiced to customers in excess of revenue recognized are recorded as deferred revenue until the 
revenue recognition criteria are met. 

Revenue Arrangements that Include Multiple Elements 

Sales of software, with or without installation, training, and post customer support fall within the scope of the software revenue 
recognition rules. Under the software revenue recognition rules, the fee from a multiple-deliverable arrangement is allocated to 
each of the undelivered elements based upon vendor-specific objective evidence (VSOE), which is limited to the price charged 
when the same deliverable is sold separately, with the residual value from the arrangement allocated to the delivered element. 
The portion of the fee that is allocated to each deliverable is then recognized as revenue when the criteria for revenue recognition 
are met with respect to that deliverable. If VSOE does not exist for all of the undelivered elements, then all revenue from the 
arrangement is typically deferred until all elements have been delivered to the customer. 

In the case of the Company’s hardware products with embedded software, the Company has determined that the hardware and 
software components function together to deliver the product’s essential functionality, and therefore, the revenue from the sale of 
these  products  is  accounted  for  under  the  revenue  recognition  rules  for  tangible  products  whereby  the  fee  from  a  multiple-
deliverable arrangement is allocated to each of the deliverables based upon their relative selling prices as determined by a selling-
price hierarchy. A deliverable in an arrangement qualifies as a separate unit of accounting if the delivered item has value to the 
customer on a stand-alone basis. A delivered item that does not qualify as a separate unit of accounting is combined with the other 
undelivered items in the arrangement and revenue is recognized for those combined deliverables as a single unit of accounting. 
The selling price used for each deliverable is based upon VSOE if available, from third-party evidence (TPE) if VSOE is not 
available, and best estimate of selling price (ESP) if neither VSOE nor TPE are available. TPE is the price of the Company’s or 
any competitor’s largely interchangeable products or services in stand-alone sales to similarly situated customers. ESP is the price 
at which the Company would sell the deliverable if it were sold regularly on a stand-alone basis, considering market conditions 
and entity-specific factors. All revenue arrangements, excluding the sale of all software-only products and associated services, 
have been accounted for under this guidance. 

The selling prices used in the relative selling price allocation method are as follows: (1) the Company’s products and services are 
based upon VSOE and (2) hardware products with embedded software, for which VSOE does not exist, are based upon ESP. The 
Company does not believe TPE exists for any of these products and services because they are differentiated from competing 
products and services in terms of functionality and performance and there are no competing products or services that are largely 
interchangeable. Management establishes ESP for hardware products with embedded software using a cost plus margin approach 
with consideration for market conditions, such as the impact of competition and geographic considerations, and entity-specific 
factors,  such  as  the  cost  of  the  product  and  the  Company’s  profit  objectives.  Management  believes  that  ESP  is  reflective  of 
reasonable pricing of that deliverable as if priced on a stand-alone basis. When a sales transaction includes deliverables that are 
divided between Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) Topic 605 and ASC Subtopic 985-605, the Company allocates the 
selling  price  using  the  relative  selling  price  method  whereas  value  is  allocated  using  an  ESP  for  software  developed  using  a 
percent of list price approach. The other deliverables are valued using ESP or VSOE as previously discussed. 

While the pricing model, currently in use, captures all critical variables, unforeseen changes due to external market forces may 
result in a revision of the inputs. These modifications may result in the consideration allocation differing from the one presently 
in use. Absent a significant change in the pricing inputs or the way in which the industry structures its deals, future changes in 
the pricing model are not expected to materially affect our allocation of arrangement consideration. 

Management  has  established VSOE  for  hosting  services.  Billings  for  hosting  are  spread  ratably  over  the  term  of  the  hosting 
agreement, with the typical hosting agreement having a term of 12 months, with renewal on an annual basis. The Company sells 
most hosting contracts without the inclusion of products. When the hosting arrangement is sold in conjunction with product, the 
product revenue is recognized immediately while the remaining hosting revenue is spread ratably over the term of the hosting 
agreement. The selling price is allocated between these elements using the relative selling price method. The Company uses ESP 
for development of the selling price for hardware products with embedded software. 

37 

 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

The Company also offers hosting services bundled with events services. The Company uses VSOE to establish relative selling 
prices for its events services. The Company recognizes events revenue when the event takes place and recognizes the hosting 
revenue over the term of the hosting agreement. The total amount of the arrangement is allocated to each element based on the 
relative selling price method. 

Reserves 

The  Company  reserves  for  stock  rotations,  price  adjustments,  rebates,  and  sales  incentives  to  reduce  revenue  and  accounts 
receivable for these and other credits granted to customers. Such reserves are recorded at the time of sale and are calculated based 
on historical information (such as rates of product stock rotations) and the specific terms of sales programs, taking into account 
any other known information about likely customer behavior. If actual customer behavior differs from our expectations, it may 
compromise our ability to recognize revenue to these distributors at the time of shipment. Also, if the Company determines that 
it can no longer accurately estimate amounts for stock rotations and sales incentives, the Company would not be able to recognize 
revenue until resellers sell the inventory to the final end user. 

Credit Evaluation and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts 

We  assess  the  realization  of  our  receivables  by  performing  ongoing  credit  evaluations  of  our  customers’  financial  condition. 
Through these evaluations, we may become aware of a situation where a customer may not be able to meet its financial obligations 
due to deterioration of its financial viability, credit ratings or bankruptcy. Our reserve requirements are based on the best facts 
available to us and are reevaluated and adjusted as additional information is received. Our reserves are also based on amounts 
determined by using percentages applied to certain aged receivable categories. These percentages are determined by a variety of 
factors including, but not limited to, current economic trends, historical payment and bad debt write-off experience. Allowance 
for  doubtful  accounts  for  accounts  receivable  and  financing  receivables  was  $1.0  million  at  September 30,  2018  and  $575 
thousand at September 30, 2017. 

Impairment of long-lived assets 

Goodwill has an indefinite useful life and is recorded at cost and not amortized but, instead, tested at least annually for impairment. 
We assess the impairment of goodwill on an annual basis or whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the fair 
value of these assets is less than the carrying value. If a qualitative assessment is used and the Company determines that the fair 
value  of  goodwill  is  more  likely  than  not  (i.e.,  a  likelihood  of  more  than  50%)  less  than  its  carrying  amount,  a  quantitative 
impairment test will be performed. If goodwill is quantitatively assessed for impairment, the Company compares the estimated 
fair value of the reporting unit to which goodwill is allocated to its carrying value. The amount of impairment, if any, is equal to 
the amount   by which the carrying value of the reporting unit exceeds its fair value. 

For purposes of the fiscal 2018 and 2017 tests, goodwill balances are evaluated within three separate reporting units. In fiscal 
2018, we performed a quantitative analysis and determined that the fair value of all three of the Company's reporting units is less 
than its carrying value. The Company recognized an impairment charge of  $10.4 million, or the remaining balance of goodwill, 
as of September 30, 2018. In fiscal 2017, we performed a quantitative analysis and determined that the fair value of one of the 
Company's reporting units is less than its carrying value, and that the fair value of the remaining reporting units is greater than 
their respective carrying values. The Company recognized an impairment charge of $600 thousand as of September 30, 2017. 

Long-lived  assets  and  intangible  assets  other  than  goodwill  are  evaluated  for  impairment  whenever  events  or  changes  in 
circumstances indicate that the carrying value of an asset may not be recoverable based on expected undiscounted cash flows 
attributable to that asset. For the year ended September 30, 2018, it was determined that changes in circumstances were present, 
primarily the decline in the Company's market capitalization during the fiscal year and past performance. For the year ended 
September 30, 2018, the Company determined that intangible assets, consisting of customer relationships and product rights, 
were impaired and recognized an impairment charge of $1.4 million. For the year ended September 30, 2017, it was determined 
that changes in circumstances were present, primarily the decline in the Company's market capitalization during the fiscal year. 
However, after performing analysis of undiscounted cash flows attributable to our long-lived assets along with other relevant 
factors, such as the continued use of the assets, it was determined that, for the year ended September 30, 2017, there was no 

38 

 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

impairment of long-lived and intangible assets other than goodwill. Key assumptions utilized in the analysis of undiscounted cash 
flows for each asset or asset group being tested included 1) whether cash flows were attributable solely to the asset or group, or 
to an entire reporting unit; and 2) the useful lives of the asset or asset group.  Forecasts used in the analysis were also consistent 
with those used in determining fair value of reporting units during goodwill impairment testing. 

Valuation allowance for net deferred tax assets 

Deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on differences between the financial statement and tax bases of assets and 
liabilities using enacted tax rates in effect in the years in which the differences are expected to reverse. We do not provide for 
U.S. income taxes on the undistributed earnings of our foreign subsidiaries, which we consider to be permanently invested outside 
of the U.S. 

We make judgments regarding the realizability of our deferred tax assets. The balance sheet carrying value of our net deferred 
tax assets is based on whether we believe that it is more likely than not that we will generate sufficient future taxable income to 
realize these deferred tax assets after consideration of all available evidence. We regularly review our deferred tax assets  for 
recoverability considering historical profitability, projected future taxable income, the expected timing of the reversals of existing 
temporary differences and tax planning strategies. In assessing the need for a valuation allowance, we consider both positive and 
negative evidence related to the likelihood of realization of the deferred tax assets. The weight given to the positive and negative 
evidence is commensurate with the extent to which the evidence may be objectively verified. As such, it is generally difficult for 
positive evidence regarding projected future taxable income exclusive of reversing taxable temporary differences to outweigh 
objective negative evidence of recent financial reporting losses. Generally, cumulative loss in recent years is a significant piece 
of negative evidence that is difficult to overcome in determining that a valuation allowance is not needed. 

As of September 30, 2018 and 2017, valuation allowances have been established for all U.S. and for certain foreign deferred tax 
assets which we believe do not meet the “more likely than not” criteria for recognition. If we are subsequently able to utilize all 
or a portion of the deferred tax assets for which a valuation allowance has been established, then we may be required to recognize 
these deferred tax assets through the reduction of the valuation allowance which could result in a material benefit to our results 
of operations in the period in which the benefit is determined. 

Accounting for stock-based compensation 

The Company uses a lattice valuation model to account for all employee stock options granted. The lattice valuation model is a 
more flexible analysis to value options because of its ability to incorporate inputs that change over time, such as actual exercise 
behavior of option holders. The Company uses historical data to estimate the option exercise and employee departure behavior 
in the lattice valuation model. Expected volatility is based on historical volatility of the Company’s stock. The Company considers 
all employees to have similar exercise behavior and therefore has not identified separate homogenous groups for valuation. The 
expected term of options granted is derived from the output of the option pricing model and represents the period of time that 
options granted are expected to be outstanding. The risk-free rate for periods the options are expected to be outstanding is based 
on the U.S. Treasury yields in effect at the time of grant. Forfeitures are based on actual behavior patterns. 

All transactions in which goods or services are the consideration received for the issuance of equity instruments are accounted 
for based on the fair value of the consideration received or the fair value of the equity instrument issued, whichever is more 
reliably measured. 

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS 

You should read the following discussion of our results of operations and financial condition in conjunction with our consolidated 
financial statements and related notes thereto included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. 

39 

 
 
 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

Revenue 

Revenue from our business includes the sale of Mediasite recorders and server software products and related services contracts, 
such  as  customer  support,  installation,  customization  services,  training,  content  hosting  and  event  services.  We  market  our 
products to educational institutions, corporations and government agencies that need to deploy, manage, index and distribute 
video content on Internet-based networks. We reach both our domestic and international markets through reseller networks, a 
direct sales effort and partnerships with system integrators. 

Revenue in fiscal 2018 totaled $34.5 million, compared to $36.0 million in fiscal 2017, a decrease of 4%. Revenue consisted of 
the following: 

•   Product and other revenue from the sale of Mediasite recorder units and server software decreased from $14.9 million in 
fiscal 2017 to $12.3 million in fiscal 2018. Prior year product revenue included a large sales-type lease transaction with a 
customer in Japan as well as software revenue recorded pursuant to another large international transaction originally billed 
in Q4-2015. The average sales price per unit decreased in fiscal 2018 primarily due to an increase in sales of lower-cost 
versions including the new mini recorder model as well as the Company's RL 220. Lower-cost units shipped in the current 
fiscal year were 811 compared to 541 last year. 

Units sold 
Rack to mobile ratio 

Average sales price, excluding support (000’s) 
Refresh Units 

2018 
1,507 
13.9 to 1 

$5.9 
421 

2017 
1,544 
9.1 to 1 

$7.1 
457 

•   Services revenue represents the portion of fees charged for Mediasite customer support contracts amortized over the length 
of the contract, typically 12 months, as well as training, installation, event and content hosting services. Services revenue 
increased from $21.1 million in fiscal 2017 to $22.2 million in fiscal 2018 due primarily to an increase in events revenue 
as well as a slight increase in customer support contract revenues as compared to fiscal 2017. At September 30, 2018, 
$13.3 million of revenue was deferred, of which we expect to recognize $11.6 million in the next twelve months, including 
approximately $4.6 million in the quarter ending December 31, 2018. At September 30, 2017, $14.3 million of revenue 
was deferred. 

•   Other revenue relates to freight charges billed separately to our customers. 

Gross Margin 

Total gross margin in fiscal 2018 was $24.9 million or 72% compared to $26.1 million or 73% in fiscal 2017. The significant 
components of cost of revenue include: 

•   Material and freight costs for Mediasite recorders. Costs for fiscal 2018 Mediasite recorder hardware and other costs 
totaled $3.2 million compared to $3.5 million in fiscal 2017. Freight costs were $262 thousand, and labor and allocated 
costs were $1.5 million in fiscal 2018 compared to $259 thousand and $1.7 million, respectively, in fiscal 2017. The 
remaining $217 thousand in fiscal 2018 and $644 thousand in fiscal 2017 relate to material and freight costs for Sonic 
Foundry International and MSKK. The reduction in material and freight costs related to the subsidiaries is a result of a 
decrease of 74 units sold year over year as well as the trend in mix of recorders sold toward a greater number of lower 
cost versions. 

•   Services costs. Staff wages and other costs allocated to cost of service revenues were $1.9 million in fiscal 2018 and $1.9 
million in fiscal 2017, resulting in gross margin on services of 80% in fiscal 2018 and 82% in fiscal 2017, respectively. 
The remaining $2.5 million in fiscal 2018 and $1.8 million in fiscal 2017 relate to costs of providing content hosting, 
events and technical support services at Sonic Foundry International and MSKK. The increase in services costs for Sonic 

40 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

Foundry International and MSKK is a result of a $911 thousand increase in services revenues for the subsidiaries year 
over year. 

The Company expects the gross margin percentage to remain consistent or slightly increase in fiscal 2019 mainly as a result of 
an expected increase in software and services revenue. 

Operating Expenses 

Selling and Marketing Expenses 

Selling and marketing expenses include wages and commissions for sales, marketing and business development personnel, print 
advertising and various promotional expenses for our products. Timing of these costs may vary greatly depending on introduction 
of new products and services or entrance into new markets, or participation in major tradeshows. 

Selling and marketing expense decreased $1.3 million, or 8%, from $16.9 million in fiscal 2017 to $15.6 million in fiscal 2018. 
Fluctuations in the major categories include: 

•   Public relations expense decreased by $65 thousand. 
•   Salary,  commissions  and  benefits  expenses  decreased  by  $900  thousand  as  a  result  of  reduced  headcount  for  Sonic 
Foundry only (as shown below, headcount at our foreign subsidiaries increased) as well as lower commissions due to 
lower sales than fiscal 2017. 

•   Expenses related to business meetings decreased by $88 thousand as a result of strategic initiatives implemented during 

the second half of fiscal 2017. 

•   Selling  and  marketing  expenses  for  Sonic  Foundry  International  and  MSKK  accounted  for  $431  thousand  and  $2.5 

million, respectively in fiscal 2018, an aggregate decrease of $159 thousand from the prior year. 

At September 30, 2018, we had 122 employees in selling and marketing, an increase from 119 employees at September 30, 2017. 
Of the 122 employees in selling and marketing at September 30, 2018, 57 are employed by our foreign subsidiaries. We do not 
anticipate growth in selling and marketing headcount in fiscal 2019. 

General and Administrative Expenses 

General and administrative (“G&A”) expenses consist of personnel and related costs associated with the facilities, finance, legal, 
human resources and information technology departments, as well as other expenses not fully allocated to functional areas. 

G&A expenses increased by $413 thousand, or 7%, to $6.4 million in fiscal 2018 from $5.9 million in fiscal 2017. Fluctuations 
in major categories include: 

Increase in compensation and benefits of $165 thousand due to an increase in compensation rates and benefits. 
•  
•   Professional services increased by $158 thousand primarily due to an increase in legal and audit related expenses. 
•   Supplies expense increased $103 thousand due to European hosting infrastructure upgrade. 
•   G&A expenses for Sonic Foundry International and MSKK accounted for $179 thousand and $883 thousand, respectively 

in fiscal 2018, an aggregate decrease of $13 thousand from the prior year. 

At September 30, 2018, we had 27 full-time employees in G&A, an increase from 26 full-time employees at September 30, 2017. 
Of the 27 employees in G&A at September 30, 2018, 10 are employed by our foreign subsidiaries. We do not anticipate growth 
in G&A headcount in fiscal 2019. 

41 

 
 
 
 
 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

Product Development Expenses 

Product development expenses include salaries and wages of the software research and development staff and an allocation of 
benefits, facility and administrative expenses. 

Product development expenses decreased $96 thousand, or 1%, from $7.2 million in fiscal 2017 to $7.1 million in fiscal 2018. 
Fluctuations include: 

Increase in compensation and benefits of $291 thousand related primarily to our international quality assurance team. 

•  
•   Professional services decreased by $414 thousand due to decreased use of outsourced development. 
•   Recruiting costs decreased by $62 thousand due to less turnover. 
•   Product  development  expenses  for  Sonic  Foundry  International  and  MSKK  accounted  for  $419  thousand  and  $290 
thousand, respectively for fiscal 2018, an aggregate increase of $67 thousand from the prior year related to the subsidiaries. 

At September 30, 2018, we had 49 full-time employees in product development compared to 43 employees at September 30, 
2017. Of the 49 employees in product development at September 30, 2018, 11 are employed by our foreign subsidiaries. There 
were no software development efforts in fiscal 2018 or 2017 that qualified for capitalization. We do not anticipate growth in 
product development headcount in fiscal 2019. 

Impairment of Goodwill & Intangible Assets 

The Company recorded an impairment loss of $10.4 million for goodwill related to all three reporting units during the quarter 
ended September 30, 2018. This non-cash loss was primarily due to the fall in the Company's stock price and the decrease of our 
market capitalization and past performance. As a consequence, management forecasts were revised and additional risk factors 
were  applied.  The  Company  also  recorded  an  impairment  loss  of  $1.4  million  for  intangible  assets,  consisting  of  customer 
relationships and product rights, during the quarter ended September 30, 2018. 

The Company recognized an impairment loss of $600 thousand for goodwill related to the Mediasite KK reporting unit during 
the  quarter  ended  September 30,  2017. This  non-cash  loss  was  primarily  due  to  delays  in  expected  growth  related  to  partner 
relationships in Japan, resulting in revenues and operating cash flows being lower than expected for the reporting unit in fiscal 
2017. As a consequence, management forecasts were revised and additional risk factors were applied. There was no impairment 
charge related to the remaining intangible assets during fiscal 2017. 

The Company's operating loss, net of the one-time impairment charges, was $4.2 million in fiscal 2018 and $4.0 million in fiscal 
2017. Net loss, net of the one-time impairment charges and the benefit from the write-off of the related deferred tax liability, was 
$3.4 million in fiscal 2018 and $4.4 million in fiscal 2017. 

Other Income and Expense, Net 

Interest expense for fiscal 2018 increased $106 thousand compared to fiscal 2017, which includes $31 thousand of interest and 
$71 thousand of debt discount amortization related to a note payable funded during the fiscal year that was converted to preferred 
stock. 

The Company recorded $77 thousand of interest expense during fiscal 2018 related to the accretion of discounts on the PFG IV 
Loan and Warrant Debt with PFG IV. There was $95 thousand of expense related to the discounts and related accretion on the 
PFG Loan and Warrant Debt included in interest expense in fiscal 2017. The accretion of the discount was impacted by early 
settlement of the put feature of the warrants which occurred upon the close of the PFG V loan. 

During the year ended September 30, 2018, a gain of $12 thousand was recorded related to the fair value remeasurement on the 
derivative liability associated with the PFG IV Loan and Warrant Debt. In the year ended September 30, 2017, a gain of $55 
thousand was recorded related to the fair value remeasurement on this derivative liability. 

42 

 
 
 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

The Company recorded $6 thousand of interest expense during fiscal 2018 related to the accretion of discounts on the PFG V 
loan and Warrant Debt. The Company recorded no accretion of discount expense related to this loan and warrant debt during 
fiscal 2017. 

During  fiscal  2018,  a  gain  of  $14  thousand  was  recorded  related  to  the  fair  value  remeasurement  on  the  derivative  liability 
associated with the PFG V Loan and Warrant Debt. No gain or loss related to the fair value measurement was recorded during 
fiscal 2017. 

In the year ended September 30, 2018, no foreign currency exchange gain or loss was recorded related to re-measurement of the 
subordinated  notes  payable  related  to  the  Company's  foreign  subsidiaries.    In  the  year  ended  September 30,  2017,  a  foreign 
currency loss of $6 thousand was recorded related to the remeasurement. 

Provisions Related to Income Taxes 

The Company records a non-cash deferred tax liability related to tax amortization of goodwill acquired in 2001. The income tax 
benefit related to this amortization was $8 thousand in fiscal 2018 and 2017, respectively. The remaining balance of the deferred 
tax liability related to goodwill was fully written off as of September 30, 2018 as a result of the impairment. 

On December 22, 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“TCJA”) was enacted into law, which significantly changes existing U.S. tax 
law and includes provisions that affect our business. The TCJA reduces the U.S. federal statutory tax rate from 35% to 21% 
effective January 1, 2018. The TCJA was effective in the second quarter of fiscal year 2018 and the effective tax rate for the 
quarter  ended  December  31,  2017  is  a  blended  rate  reflecting  the  anticipated  benefit  of  the  three  quarters  of  federal  tax  rate 
reductions for fiscal 2018. During fiscal 2018, we recorded an income tax benefit of $4.3 million, with $1.5 million resulting 
from the application of TCJA to existing deferred tax balances based on reasonable estimates for those tax effects and $3.0 million 
resulting from the write-off of the deferred tax liability associated with goodwill and customer relationships as a result of the full 
impairment.  The  deemed  repatriation  of  undistributed  foreign  earnings  is  not  expected  to  result  in  a  material  change  to  our 
financial results. 

Foreign Currency Translation Adjustment 

The  Company’s  wholly-owned  subsidiaries  operate  in  Japan  and  the  Netherlands,  and  utilize  the  Japanese  Yen  and  Euro, 
respectively, as their functional currency. Assets and liabilities of the Company’s foreign operations are translated into US dollars 
at period end exchange rates whiles revenues and expenses are translated using average rates for the period. Gains and losses 
from  the  translation  are  deferred  and  included  in  accumulated  other  comprehensive  loss  on  the  consolidated  statements  of 
operations. 

For  the  year  ended  September 30,  2018,  the  Company’s  foreign  currency  translation  adjustment  was  a  loss  of  $81  thousand 
compared to a loss of $412 thousand in the year ended September 30, 2017. The loss in fiscal 2018 is attributable to the weakening 
in the Japanese Yen and the Euro compared to the U.S. dollar during the period as compared to fiscal 2017. 

LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES 

The Company’s primary sources of liquidity are its cash and debt and equity financing. During fiscal 2018, the Company used 
$638 thousand of cash from operating activities compared with $671 thousand of cash generated from operating activities in 
fiscal 2017. The Company had an increase in net loss in fiscal 2018 as compared to fiscal 2017 of $7.1 million, mainly due to the 
full  impairment  of  goodwill  and  intangible  assets  of  $11.8  million  recorded  in  Q4-2018.  The  change  in  net  cash  flow  from 
operating activities was primarily a result of changes in deferred tax liability and changes in unearned revenue, the latter of which 
includes  a  write-off  of  $1.5  million  that  occurred  in  Q2-2018.  For  additional  information  on  the  write-off,  see  Financing 
Receivables section of Note 1. 

43 

 
 
 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

Capital expenditures for property and equipment were $840 thousand in fiscal 2018 compared to $839 thousand in fiscal 2017. 

The Company generated $1.5 million of cash from financing activities during fiscal 2018, primarily due to proceeds from the 
issuance of term debt of $2.0 million with PFG V. In addition, the Company issued two convertible notes totaling $1.0 million in 
Q2-2018, which were fully converted to preferred stock in May 2018. The Company also received $500 thousand as a result of 
issuing preferred stock in Q1-2018 and $500 thousand from the issuance of common stock and 232,558 warrants during Q3-2018. 
These transactions were partially offset by debt and capital lease payments of $1.3 million. For the same period in fiscal 2017, 
the Company used $474 thousand of cash from financing activities, mainly due to line of credit proceeds, that were more than 
offset by term debt payments. 

At September 30, 2018, the Company had a $4.0 million revolving line of credit with Silicon Valley Bank. The line of credit 
bears interest at prime rate plus 2.00%. Collections from accounts receivable are directly applied to the outstanding obligations 
under the revolving line of credit. At September 30, 2018, the outstanding balance was $621 thousand. The highest balance on 
the line of credit during the year was $3.1 million. At September 30, 2018, there was a remaining amount of $3.4 million available 
under the line of credit for advances. At September 30, 2017, outstanding borrowings were $1.6 million. 

Historically, the Company has relied on the ability to draw proceeds as needed from its revolving line of credit with Silicon Valley 
Bank to fund operations. At September 30, 2018, we had a balance of $621 thousand outstanding on this line of credit, which 
matures January 31, 2019. The Company does not plan to renew the line of credit prior to the maturity date. 

At September 30,  2018,  a  balance  of $264  thousand was  outstanding  on  the  line  of  credit  with  Mitsui  Sumitomo  Bank. 
At September 30, 2017, a balance of $417 thousand was outstanding on the line of credit. The notes and credit facility are both 
related to Mediasite K.K., and both accrue interest at an annual rate of approximately one-and-one half percent (1.5%). 

At September 30,  2018,  the  Company  had $1.9  million outstanding,  net  of  warrant  debt  and  debt  discounts,  related  to  notes 
payable with PFG V. The Company received proceeds of $3.0 million from loan agreements with a director and PFG V, and made 
payments of $815 thousand on term debt related to PFG IV and SVB (both of which are paid in full) resulting in net proceeds 
of $2.2  million from  notes  during  the fiscal  2018 compared  to  net  payments  of $1.7  million on  notes  in  the  fiscal 2017.  The 
Company also fully converted $1.0 million of subordinated debt due to that same director into preferred stock shares, which did 
not and will not require cash settlement. 

At September 30, 2018 approximately $1.1 million of cash and cash equivalents was held by the Company’s foreign subsidiaries. 

On February 28, 2019, Sonic Foundry, Inc. entered into a Note Purchase Agreement with a director of the Company for $5.0 
million in cash. 

See Note 14 - Subsequent Events for additional information on this transaction. 

The Company believes its cash position plus available resources is adequate to accomplish its business plan through at least the 
next twelve months. We will likely evaluate operating and capital leases opportunities to finance equipment purchases in the 
future and anticipate utilizing proceeds from the recently issued promissory notes to support working capital needs. We may also 
seek additional equity financing, or issue additional shares previously registered in our available shelf registration and there are 
no assurances that these will be on terms acceptable to the Company. 

Contractual Obligations 

The following summarizes our contractual obligations at September 30, 2018 and the effect those obligations are expected to 
have on our liquidity and cash flow in future periods (in thousands): 

44 

 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

Contractual Obligations: 

Product purchase commitments 
Operating lease obligations 
Capital lease obligations (a) 
Notes payable (a) 

Total 

Less than 
1 Year 

Years 
2-3 

Years 
4-5 

Over 
5 years 

$ 

745     $ 

745     $ 

—     $ 

3,614    
458    
2,464    

1,248    
265    
855    

2,164    
191    
1,609    

—     $ 
202    
2    
—    

—  
—  
—  
—  

(a)  Includes fixed and determinable interest payments 

ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK 

Derivative Financial Instruments 

Pursuant to Item 305 of Regulation S-K, the Company, as a smaller reporting company, is not required to provide the information 
required by this item. 

Interest Rate Risk 

Our  cash  equivalents,  which  consist  of  overnight  money  market  funds,  are  subject  to  interest  rate  fluctuations,  however,  we 
believe this risk is minimal due to the short-term nature of these investments. 

At September 30, 2018, $621 thousand of the Company’s $2.8 million in outstanding debt is variable rate. We do not expect that 
an increase in the level of interest rates would have a material impact on our Consolidated Financial Statements. We monitor our 
positions with, and the credit quality of, the financial institutions that are party to any of our financial transactions. 

Foreign Currency Exchange Rate Risk 

The functional currency of our foreign subsidiaries in the Netherlands is the Euro and in Japan is the Japanese Yen. They are 
subject to foreign currency exchange rate risk. Any increase or decrease in the exchange rate of the U.S. Dollar compared to the 
Euro or Japanese Yen will impact our future operating results and financial position. 

45 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

ITEM 8. CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA 

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM 

To the Shareholders, Audit Committee and Board of Directors 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. and Subsidiaries 

Opinion on the Consolidated Financial Statements 

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Sonic Foundry, Inc. and Subsidiaries (the "Company") as of 
September 30, 2018 and 2017, the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive loss, stockholders' equity, and 
cash flows for each of the two years in the period ended September 30, 2018, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the 
"consolidated financial statements"). In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, 
the financial position of the Company at September 30, 2018 and 2017, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for 
each of the two years in the period ended September 30, 2018, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the 
United States of America. 

Basis for Opinion 

These consolidated financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an 
opinion on the Company's consolidated financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with 
the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) ("PCAOB") and are required to be independent with respect to 
the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and 
Exchange Commission and the PCAOB. 

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the 
audit  to  obtain  reasonable  assurance  about  whether  the  consolidated  financial  statements  are  free  of  material  misstatement, 
whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal 
control over financial reporting. As part of our audits we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial 
reporting 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. 

Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, 
whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a 
test  basis,  evidence  regarding  the  amounts  and  disclosures  in  the  consolidated  financial  statements.  Our  audits  also  included 
evaluating  the  accounting  principles  used  and  significant  estimates  made  by  management,  as  well  as  evaluating  the  overall 
presentation of the consolidated financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion. 

We have served as the Company's auditor since 2014. 

/s/ BAKER TILLY VIRCHOW KRAUSE, LLP 

Madison, Wisconsin 
March 15, 2019 

46 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Consolidated Balance Sheets 
(in thousands, except for share and per share data) 

September 30, 

2018 

2017 

Assets 
Current assets: 

Cash and cash equivalents 
Accounts receivable, net of allowances of $524 and $375 
Financing receivables, current, net of allowances of $526 and $200 
Inventories 
Investment in sales-type lease, current 
Prepaid expenses and other current assets 

Total current assets 

Property and equipment: 

Leasehold improvements 
Computer equipment 
Furniture and fixtures 

Total property and equipment 
Less accumulated depreciation and amortization 

Property and equipment, net 

Other assets: 

Goodwill 
Customer relationships, net of amortization of $1,256 and $990 
Product rights, net of amortization of $534 and $411 
Financing receivables, long-term 
Investment in sales-type lease, long-term 
Other long-term assets 

Total assets 
Liabilities and stockholders’ equity (deficit) 
Current liabilities: 

Revolving lines of credit 
Accounts payable 
Accrued liabilities 
Unearned revenue 
Current portion of capital lease and financing arrangements 
Current portion of notes payable and warrant debt, net of discounts 

Total current liabilities 

Long-term portion of unearned revenue 
Long-term portion of capital lease and financing arrangements 
Long-term portion of notes payable and warrant debt, net of discounts 
Derivative liability, at fair value 
Other liabilities 
Deferred tax liability 

Total liabilities 
Commitments and contingencies 
Stockholders’ equity (deficit): 

Preferred stock, $.01 par value, authorized 500,000 shares; none issued 
9% Preferred stock, Series A, voting, cumulative, convertible, $.01 par value (liquidation 
preference of $1,000 per share), authorized 4,500 shares; 2,678 and 1,510 shares issued 
and outstanding, respectively, at amounts paid in 

5% Preferred stock, Series B, voting, cumulative, convertible, $.01 par value (liquidation 
preference at par), authorized 1,000,000 shares, none issued 

47 

$ 

$ 

$ 

1,189    $ 
7,418   
100   
1,027   
150   
941   
10,825   

1,105   
5,718   
1,099   
7,922   
6,009   
1,913   

—   
—   
—   
181   
249   
415   
13,583    $ 

885    $ 

1,610   
1,609   
11,645   
248   
593   
16,590   
1,691   
187   
1,357   
14   
202   
—   
20,041   

—   

1,651 

— 

1,211  
7,903  
925  
986  
148  
1,085  
12,258  

1,041  
6,101  
789  
7,931  
6,181  
1,750  

10,455  
1,505  
261  
1,310  
407  
410  
28,356  

2,065  
1,314  
1,387  
11,332  
256  
737  
17,091  
2,970  
244  
123  
12  
372  
4,426  
25,238  

—  

1,280 

— 

 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Consolidated Balance Sheets 
(in thousands, except for share and per share data) 

Common stock, $.01 par value, authorized 10,000,000 shares; 5,113,400 and 4,470,791 
shares issued and 5,100,684 and 4,458,075 shares outstanding 
Additional paid-in capital 
Accumulated deficit 
Accumulated other comprehensive loss 
Receivable for common stock issued 
Treasury stock, at cost, 12,716 shares 

Total stockholders’ equity (deficit) 

Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity (deficit) 

$ 

51 
200,130   
(207,419 )  
(676 )  
(26 )  
(169 )  
(6,458 )  
13,583    $ 

45 
197,836  
(195,253 ) 
(595 ) 
(26 ) 
(169 ) 
3,118  
28,356  

See accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements. 

48 

 
 
 
 
 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Consolidated Statements of Operations 
(in thousands, except for share and per share data) 

Years Ended September 30, 

2018 

2017 

$ 

12,311     $ 
22,233    
34,544    

5,231    
4,425    
9,656    
24,888    

15,622    
6,354    
7,142    
11,809    
40,927    
(16,039 )  

(601 )  
142    
(459 )  

(16,498 )  
4,332    
(12,166 )   $ 
(257 )   
(12,423 )   $ 

14,883  
21,117  
36,000  

6,097  
3,770  
9,867  
26,133  

16,912  
5,941  
7,238  
600  
30,691  
(4,558 ) 

(495 ) 

(65 ) 

(560 ) 

(5,118 ) 
79  
(5,039 ) 
(169 ) 
(5,208 ) 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

(2.67 )   $ 

(2.67 )   $ 

4,655,520    
4,655,520    

(1.17 ) 

(1.17 ) 
4,436,333  
4,436,333  

Revenue: 
Product and other 
Services 

Total revenue 
Cost of revenue: 
Product and other 
Services 

Total cost of revenue 
Gross margin 
Operating expenses: 
Selling and marketing 
General and administrative 

Product development 
Impairment of goodwill and intangible assets 

Total operating expenses 

Loss from operations 
Non-operating income (expenses): 
Interest expense, net 

Other income (expense), net 

Total non-operating expenses 

Loss before income taxes 
Income tax benefit 

Net loss 
Dividends on preferred stock 
Net loss attributable to common stockholders 
Loss per common share: 
Basic net loss per common share 

Diluted net loss per common share 
Weighted average common shares – Basic 

                    – Diluted 

See accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements. 

49 

 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss 
(in thousands) 

Net loss 

Foreign currency translation adjustment 

Comprehensive loss 

See accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements. 

Years Ended September 30, 

2018 

2017 

$ 

$ 

(12,166 )   $ 
(81 )  
(12,247 )   $ 

(5,039 ) 
(412 ) 
(5,451 ) 

50 

 
 
 
 
 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity (Deficit) 
(in thousands) 

Preferred 
stock 

Common 
stock 

Additional 
paid-in 
capital 

Accumulate
d 
deficit 

Accumulated 
other 
comprehensive 
loss 

Receivable 
for 
common 
stock issued 

Treasury 
stock 

  Total 

Balance, 
September 30, 2016 
Stock compensation 
Issuance of preferred 
stock 
Issuance of common 
stock 
Preferred stock 
dividends 
Foreign currency 
translation adjustment 
Net loss 

Balance, 
September 30, 2017 
Stock compensation 
Issuance of preferred 
stock 
Conversion of 
preferred stock 
Issuance of common 
stock 
Beneficial conversion 
feature on convertible 
debt 
Preferred stock 
dividends 
Foreign currency 
translation adjustment 
Net loss 

Balance, 
September 30, 2018  $ 

  $ 

— 
—    

1,250 

— 

30 

— 
—    

  $ 

1,280 
—    

1,531 

(1,390 )  

— 

— 

230 

— 
—    

44 
—    

  $  197,064 
754    

  $ 

— 

1 

— 

— 
—    

— 

48 

(30 )  

— 
—    

45 
—    

  $  197,836 
476    

  $ 

— 

4 

2 

— 

— 

— 
—    

— 

1,386 

592 

70 

(230 )  

— 
—    

(190,214 )   $ 

—    

— 

— 

— 

— 

(5,039 )  

(195,253 )   $ 

—    

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

(12,166 )  

(183 )   $ 
—    

(26 )   $ 
—    

(169 )   $  6,516 
754  

—    

— 

— 

— 

(412 )  
—    

(595 )   $ 
—    

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

(81 )  
—    

— 

— 

— 

— 
—    

— 

— 

— 

1,250 

49 

— 

— 
—    

(412 ) 

(5,039 ) 

(26 )   $ 
—    

(169 )   $  3,118 
476  

—    

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 
—    

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 

1,531 

— 

594 

70 

— 

— 
—    

(81 ) 

(12,166 ) 

1,651 

  $ 

51 

  $  200,130 

  $ 

(207,419 )   $ 

(676 )   $ 

(26 )   $ 

(169 )   $  (6,458 ) 

See accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements. 

51 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows 
(in thousands) 

Operating activities 
Net loss 

Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities: 

Amortization of other intangibles 

Depreciation and amortization of property and equipment 

Impairment of goodwill and intangible assets 

Loss on sale of fixed assets 

Provision for doubtful accounts - including financing receivables 

Deferred taxes 

Stock-based compensation expense related to stock options and warrants 

Conversion of accrued interest to preferred stock 

Beneficial conversion feature recognized on debt converted to preferred stock 

Remeasurement gain on subordinated debt 

Remeasurement gain on derivative liability 

Changes in operating assets and liabilities: 

Accounts receivable 

Financing receivables 

Inventories 

Prepaid expenses and other current assets 

Accounts payable and accrued liabilities 

Other long-term liabilities 

Unearned revenue 

Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities 
Investing activities 

Purchases of property and equipment 

Net cash used in investing activities 
Financing activities 

Proceeds from notes payable 

Proceeds from lines of credit 

Payments on notes payable 

Payments on lines of credit 

Payments of debt issuance costs 

Payments to settle put on term debt 

Proceeds from issuance of preferred stock and common stock 

Payments on capital lease and financing arrangements 

Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities 
Changes in cash and cash equivalents due to changes in foreign currency 

Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents 
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year 

Cash and cash equivalents at end of year 

Supplemental cash flow information: 

Interest paid 

Income taxes paid, foreign 

Non-cash financing and investing activities: 

52 

Years Ended 
September 30, 

2018 

2017 

$ 

(12,166 )   $ 

(5,039 ) 

621    
1,118    
11,809    
—    
475    
(4,450 )  
476    
31    
70    
—    
(28 )  

348    
1,630    
(41 )  
290    
268    
(169 )  
(920 )  
(638 )  

(840 )  
(840 )  

3,000    
22,236    
(815 )  
(23,422 )  
(97 )  
(200 )  
1,094    
(298 )  
1,498    
(42 )  
(22 )  
1,211    
1,189     $ 

409     $ 
370    

$ 

$ 

555  
1,422  
600  
8  
349  
(103 ) 
622  
—  
—  
(6 ) 

(55 ) 

1,613  
(558 ) 
904  
89  
(109 ) 
129  
250  
671  

(839 ) 

(839 ) 

—  
23,257  
(1,727 ) 

(22,928 ) 

(26 ) 
—  
1,298  
(348 ) 

(474 ) 
59  

(583 ) 
1,794  
1,211  

505  
111  

 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows 
(in thousands) 

Property and equipment financed by capital lease or accounts payable 

Debt discount 

Stock issued for board of director's fees 

Deemed dividend for beneficial conversion feature of preferred stock 

Preferred stock dividend paid in additional shares 

Subordinated note payable converted to preferred stock 

See accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements. 

460    
127    
—    
28    
230    
1,000    

341  
—  
133  
139  
30  
—  

53 

 
 
 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

1. Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies 

Business 

Sonic Foundry, Inc. (the Company) is in the business of providing enterprise solutions and services for the web communications 
market. 

Principles of Consolidation 

The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, 
Sonic Foundry Media Systems, Inc., Sonic Foundry International B.V. (formerly Media Mission B.V.) and Mediasite K.K. All 
significant intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated. 

Use of Estimates 

In preparing financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America 
(US GAAP), management is required to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, 
the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of 
revenue and expense during the period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. 

Revenue Recognition 

General 

Revenue is recognized when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, delivery occurs or services are rendered, the sales 
price is fixed or determinable and collectability is reasonably assured. Revenue is deferred when undelivered products or services 
are essential to the functionality of delivered products, customer acceptance is uncertain, significant obligations remain, or the 
fair value of undelivered elements is unknown. Typically, the Company does not offer customers the right to return product, other 
than for exchange or repair pursuant to a warranty or stock rotation. The Company’s policy is to reduce revenue if it incurs an 
obligation for price rebates or other such programs during the period the obligation is reasonably estimated to occur. The following 
policies apply to the Company’s major categories of revenue transactions. 

Products 

Products are considered delivered, and revenue is recognized, when title and risk of loss have been transferred to the customer or 
upon customer acceptance if non-delivered products or services are essential to the functionality of delivered products. Under the 
terms and conditions of the sale, this occurs at the time of shipment to the customer. Product revenue currently represents sales 
of our Mediasite recorder and Mediasite related products such as our server software and other software licenses. If a license is 
time-based, the revenue is recognized over the term of the license agreement. 

Services 

The Company sells support and content hosting contracts to our customers, typically one year in length, and records the related 
revenue ratably over the contractual period. Our support contracts cover phone and electronic technical support availability over 
and  above  the  level  provided  by  our  distributors,  software  upgrades  on  a  when  and  if  available  basis,  advance  hardware 
replacement and an extension of the standard hardware warranty from 90 days to one year. The manufacturers the Company 
contracts  with  to  build  the  units  provide  a  limited  one-year  warranty  on  the  hardware. The  Company  also  sells  installation, 
training, event webcasting, and customer content hosting services. Revenue for those services is recognized when performed in 
the case of installation, training and event webcasting services. Occasionally, the Company will sell customization services to 
enhance  the  server  software.  Revenue  from  those  services  is  recognized  when  performed,  if  perfunctory,  or  under  contract 
accounting. Service amounts invoiced to customers in excess of revenue recognized are recorded as deferred revenue until the 
revenue recognition criteria are met. 

54 

 
 
 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

Revenue Arrangements that Include Multiple Elements 

Sales of software, with or without installation, training, and post customer support fall within the scope of the software revenue 
recognition rules. Under the software revenue recognition rules, the fee from a multiple-deliverable arrangement is allocated to 
each of the undelivered elements based upon vendor-specific objective evidence (VSOE), which is limited to the price charged 
when the same deliverable is sold separately, with the residual value from the arrangement allocated to the delivered element. 
The portion of the fee that is allocated to each deliverable is then recognized as revenue when the criteria for revenue recognition 
are met with respect to that deliverable. If VSOE does not exist for all of the undelivered elements, then all revenue from the 
arrangement is typically deferred until all elements have been delivered to the customer. 

In the case of the Company’s hardware products with embedded software, the Company has determined that the hardware and 
software components function together to deliver the product’s essential functionality, and therefore, the revenue from the sale of 
these  products  is  accounted  for  under  the  revenue  recognition  rules  for  tangible  products  whereby  the  fee  from  a  multiple-
deliverable arrangement is allocated to each of the deliverables based upon their relative selling prices as determined by a selling-
price hierarchy. A deliverable in an arrangement qualifies as a separate unit of accounting if the delivered item has value to the 
customer on a stand-alone basis. A delivered item that does not qualify as a separate unit of accounting is combined with the other 
undelivered items in the arrangement and revenue is recognized for those combined deliverables as a single unit of accounting. 
The selling price used for each deliverable is based upon VSOE if available, from third-party evidence (TPE) if VSOE is not 
available, and best estimate of selling price (ESP) if neither VSOE nor TPE are available. TPE is the price of the Company’s or 
any competitor’s largely interchangeable products or services in stand-alone sales to similarly situated customers. ESP is the price 
at which the Company would sell the deliverable if it were sold regularly on a stand-alone basis, considering market conditions 
and entity-specific factors. All revenue arrangements, excluding the sale of all software-only products and associated services, 
have been accounted for under this guidance. 

The selling prices used in the relative selling price allocation method are as follows: (1)the Company’s products and services are 
based upon VSOE and (2) hardware products with embedded software, for which VSOE does not exist, are based upon ESP. The 
Company does not believe TPE exists for any of these products and services because they are differentiated from competing 
products and services in terms of functionality and performance and there are no competing products or services that are largely 
interchangeable. Management establishes ESP for hardware products with embedded software using a cost plus margin approach 
with consideration for market conditions, such as the impact of competition and geographic considerations, and entity-specific 
factors,  such  as  the  cost  of  the  product  and  the  Company’s  profit  objectives.  Management  believes  that  ESP  is  reflective  of 
reasonable pricing of that deliverable as if priced on a stand-alone basis. When a sales transaction includes deliverables that are 
divided between Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) Topic 605 and ASC Subtopic 985-605, the Company allocates the 
selling  price  using  the  relative  selling  price  method  whereas  value  is  allocated  using  an  ESP  for  software  developed  using  a 
percent of list price approach. The other deliverables are valued using ESP or VSOE as previously discussed. 

While the pricing model, currently in use, captures all critical variables, unforeseen changes due to external market forces may 
result in a revision of the inputs. These modifications may result in the consideration allocation differing from the one presently 
in use. Absent a significant change in the pricing inputs or the way in which the industry structures its transactions, future changes 
in the pricing model are not expected to materially affect our allocation of arrangement consideration. 

Management  has  established VSOE  for  hosting  services.  Billings  for  hosting  are  spread  ratably  over  the  term  of  the  hosting 
agreement, with the typical hosting agreement having a term of 1 year, with renewal on an annual basis. The Company sells most 
hosting contracts without the inclusion of products. When the hosting arrangement is sold in conjunction with product, the product 
revenue is recognized immediately while the remaining hosting revenue is spread ratably over the term of the hosting agreement. 
The  selling  price  is  allocated  between  these  elements  using  the  relative  selling  price  method.  The  Company  uses  ESP  for 
development of the selling price for hardware products with embedded software. 

The Company also offers hosting services bundled with events services. The Company uses VSOE to establish relative selling 
prices for its events services. The Company recognizes events revenue when the event takes place and recognizes the hosting 

55 

 
 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

revenue over the term of the hosting agreement. The total amount of the arrangement is allocated to each element based on the 
relative selling price method. 

Reserves 

The  Company  reserves  for  stock  rotations,  price  adjustments,  rebates,  and  sales  incentives  to  reduce  revenue  and  accounts 
receivable for these and other credits granted to customers. Such reserves are recorded at the time of sale and are calculated based 
on historical information (such as rates of product stock rotations) and the specific terms of sales programs, taking into account 
any other known information about likely customer behavior. If actual customer behavior differs from our expectations, it may 
compromise our ability to recognize revenue to these distributors at the time of shipment. Also, if the Company determines that 
it can no longer accurately estimate amounts for stock rotations and sales incentives, the Company would not be able to recognize 
revenue until resellers sell the inventory to the final end user. 

Shipping and Handling 

The Company’s shipping and handling costs billed to customers are included in other revenue. Costs related to shipping and 
handling are included in cost of revenue and are recorded at the time of shipment to the customer. 

Concentration of Credit Risk and Other Risks and Uncertainties 

As of September 30, 2018, of the $1.2 million in cash and cash equivalents, $118 thousand is deposited with 2 major U.S. financial 
institutions. At times, deposits in these institutions exceed the amount of insurance provided on such deposits. The Company has 
not experienced any losses on such amounts and believes that it is not exposed to any significant credit risk on these balances. 
The remaining $1.1 million of cash and cash equivalents is held by our foreign subsidiaries in financial institutions in Japan and 
the Netherlands and held in their local currency. The cash held in foreign financial institutions is not guaranteed. 

We  assess  the  realization  of  our  receivables  by  performing  ongoing  credit  evaluations  of  our  customers’  financial  condition. 
Through these evaluations, we may become aware of a situation where a customer may not be able to meet its financial obligations 
due to deterioration of its financial viability, credit ratings or bankruptcy. Our reserve requirements are based on the best facts 
available to us and are reevaluated and adjusted as additional information is received. Our reserves are also based on amounts 
determined by using percentages applied to certain aged receivable categories. These percentages are determined by a variety of 
factors including, but not limited to, current economic trends, historical payment and bad debt write-off experience. Allowance 
for  doubtful  accounts  for  accounts  receivable  and  financing  receivables  was  $1.0  million  at  September 30,  2018  and  $575 
thousand at September 30, 2017. 

We had billings for Mediasite product and support services as a percentage of total billings to one distributor of approximately 
6% in 2018 and 11% in 2017 and to a second distributor of approximately 11% in 2018 and 15% in 2017. At September 30, 2018 
and 2017, these two distributors represented 28% and 23% of total accounts receivable, respectively. 

Currently all of our product inventory purchases are from one third-party contract manufacturer. Although we believe there are 
multiple sources of supply from other contract manufacturers as well as multiple suppliers of component parts required by the 
contract  manufacturers,  a  disruption  of  supply  of  component  parts  or  completed  products,  even  if  short  term,  would  have  a 
material negative impact on our revenues. At September 30, 2018 and 2017, this supplier represented 29% and 27%, respectively, 
of total accounts payable. We also license technology from third parties that is embedded in our software. We believe there are 
alternative sources of similar licensed technology from other third parties that we could also embed in our software, although it 
could create potential programming related issues that might require engineering resources. 

56 

 
 
 
 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

Cash and Cash Equivalents 

The Company considers all highly liquid investments purchased with an original maturity of three months or less to be cash 
equivalents. As of September 30, 2018, of the $1.2 million aggregate cash and cash equivalents held by the Company, the amount 
of cash and cash equivalents held by our foreign subsidiaries was $1.1 million. If the funds held by our foreign subsidiaries were 
needed for our operations in the United States, the repatriation of some of these funds to the United States could require payment 
of additional U.S. taxes. 

Trade Accounts Receivable 

The  majority  of  the  Company’s  accounts  receivable  are  due  from  entities  in,  or  distributors  or  value  added  resellers  to,  the 
education, corporate and government sectors. Credit is extended based on evaluation of a customer’s financial condition and, 
generally, collateral is not required. Accounts receivable are typically due within 30 days and are stated at amounts due from 
customers  net  of  an  allowance  for  doubtful  accounts. Accounts  outstanding  longer  than  the  contractual  payment  terms  are 
considered to be past due. The Company determines its allowance by considering a number of factors, including the length of 
time  trade  accounts  receivable  are  past  due,  the  Company’s  previous  loss  history,  the  customer’s  current  ability  to  pay  its 
obligation  to  the  Company,  and  the  condition  of  the  general  economy  and  the  industry  as  a  whole. The  Company  writes-off 
accounts receivable when they become uncollectible, and payments subsequently received on such receivables are credited to the 
allowance for doubtful accounts. Interest is not accrued on past due receivables. 

Financing Receivables 
Financing receivables consist of customer receivables resulting from the sale of the Company's products and services, primarily 
software and long-term customer support contracts, and are presented net of allowance for losses. The Company has a single 
portfolio consisting of fixed-term receivables, which is further segregated into two classes based on products, customer type, and 
credit risk evaluation. 

The Company generally determines its allowance for losses on financing receivables at the customer class level by considering a 
number  of  factors,  including  the  length  of  time  financing  receivable  are  past  due,  historical  and  anticipated  experience,  the 
customer’s  current  ability  to  pay  its  obligation,  and  the  condition  of  the  general  economy  and  the  industry  as  a  whole. The 
Company  writes-off  financing  receivables  when  they  become  uncollectible,  and  payments  subsequently  received  on  such 
receivables are credited to the allowance for financing receivable losses. Interest is not accrued on past due receivables.  There 
was an allowance of $526 thousand and $200 thousand at September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively. 

The Company's financing receivables are aggregated into the following categories: 

Long-term customer support contracts: These contracts are typically entered into in conjunction with sale-type lease 
arrangements, over the life of which the Company agrees to provide support services similar to those offered within 
Mediasite Customer Care plans.  Contract terms range from 3-5 years, and payments are generally due from the customer 
annually on the contract anniversary.  There was $281 thousand and $384 thousand of receivables outstanding for long-
term customer support contracts as of September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively.  All amounts due were current as of 
the balance sheet date and there are no credit losses expected to be incurred related to long-term support contracts. 

Product  receivables: Amounts  due  primarily  represent  sales  of  perpetual  software  licenses  to  a  single  international 
distributor on invoices outstanding for product delivered from March 2016 through June 2017. There was $2.1 million 
receivable as of September 30, 2017, $1.5  million  of  which  was  deferred for  revenue recognition purposes due to a 
history of delayed payment. As of September 30, 2018, the deferred balance related to this receivable was zero as it was 
fully allowed for as a loss. The Company delivered $901 thousand of product to this customer and received payment of 
$726 thousand in fiscal 2017.  As a result of the circumstances described, the entire allowance for losses on financing 
receivables of $526 thousand is considered attributable to this class of customer as of September 30, 2018. 

57 

 
 
 
 
 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

Financing receivables consisted of the following (in thousands) as of: 

Customer support contracts, current and long-term, gross 
Product receivables, gross 
Allowance for losses on financing receivables 

September 30, 
2018 

September 30, 
2017 

$ 

$ 

281     $ 
526    
(526 )  
281     $ 

384  
2,051  
(200 ) 
2,235  

Investment in Sales-Type Lease 

The Company has entered into sales-type lease arrangements with certain customers, consisting of recorders leased with terms 
ranging from 3-5 years.  All amounts due are current as of the balance sheet date. 

Investment in sales-type leases consisted of the following (in thousands) as of: 

Investment in sales-type lease 

Inventory Valuation 

September 30, 
2018 

September 30, 
2017 

$ 
$ 

399     $ 
399     $ 

555  
555  

Inventory consists of raw materials and supplies used in the assembly of Mediasite recorders and finished units. Inventory of 
completed units and spare parts are carried at the lower of cost or net realizable value, with cost determined on a first-in, first-out 
basis. 

Inventory consists of the following (in thousands): 

Raw materials and supplies 
Finished goods 

Capitalized Software Development Costs 

September 30, 

2018 

358     $ 
669    
1,027     $ 

$ 

$ 

2017 

156  
830  
986  

Software development costs incurred in conjunction with product development are charged to research and development expense 
until technological feasibility is established. Thereafter, until the product is released for sale, software development costs are 
capitalized and reported at the net realizable value of the related product. Typically the period between achieving technological 
feasibility  of  the  Company’s  products  and  the  general  availability  of  the  products  has  been  short.  Consequently,  software 
development costs qualifying for capitalization are typically immaterial and are generally expensed to research and development 
costs. There  was  no  amortization  expense  in  either  of  the  years  ending  September 30,  2018  or  2017,  respectively. The  gross 
amount of capitalized external and internal development costs was $533 thousand at September 30, 2018 and 2017. There were 
no software development efforts that qualified for capitalization for the years ended September 30, 2018 or 2017, respectively. 

58 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

Property and Equipment 

Property and equipment are recorded at cost and are depreciated using the straight-line method for financial reporting purposes. 
The estimated useful lives used to calculate depreciation are as follows: 

Leasehold improvements 
Computer equipment 
Furniture and fixtures 

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets 

Years 

3 to 10 years 
3 to 5 years 
5 to 7 years 

Goodwill has an indefinite useful life and is recorded at cost and not amortized but, instead, tested at least annually for impairment. 
We assess the impairment of goodwill on an annual basis or whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the fair 
value of these assets is less than the carrying value. If a qualitative assessment is used and the Company determines that the fair 
value  of  goodwill  is  more  likely  than  not  (i.e.,  a  likelihood  of  more  than  50%)  less  than  its  carrying  amount,  a  quantitative 
impairment test will be performed. If goodwill is quantitatively assessed for impairment, the Company compares the estimated 
fair value of the reporting unit to which goodwill is allocated to its carrying value. The amount of impairment, if any, is equal to 
the amount   by which the carrying value of the reporting unit exceeds its fair value. 

For purposes of the fiscal 2018 and 2017 tests, goodwill balances are evaluated within three separate reporting units. In fiscal 
2018, we performed a quantitative analysis and determined that the fair value of all three of the Company's reporting units is less 
than its carrying value. The Company recognized an impairment charge of  $10.4 million, or the remaining balance of goodwill, 
as of September 30, 2018. In fiscal 2017, we performed a quantitative analysis and determined that the fair value of one of the 
Company's reporting units is less than its carrying value, and that the fair value of the remaining reporting units is greater than 
their respective carrying values. The Company recognized an impairment charge of $600 thousand as of September 30, 2017. 

Long-lived  assets  and  intangible  assets  other  than  goodwill  are  evaluated  for  impairment  whenever  events  or  changes  in 
circumstances indicate that the carrying value of an asset may not be recoverable based on expected undiscounted cash flows 
attributable to that asset. For the year ended September 30, 2018, it was determined that changes in circumstances were present, 
primarily the decline in the Company's market capitalization during the fiscal year. For the year ended September 30, 2018, the 
Company determined that intangible assets, consisting of customer relationships and product rights, were impaired and recognized 
an impairment charge of $1.4 million. For the year ended September 30, 2017, it was determined that changes in circumstances 
were present, primarily the decline in the Company's market capitalization during the fiscal year and past performance. However, 
after performing analysis of undiscounted cash flows attributable to our long-lived assets along with other relevant factors, such 
as the continued use of the assets, it was determined that there was no impairment of long-lived and intangible assets other than 
goodwill. Key assumptions utilized in the analysis of undiscounted cash flows for each asset or asset group being tested included 
1) whether cash flows were attributable solely to the asset or group, or to an entire reporting unit; and 2) the useful lives of the 
asset or asset group.  Forecasts used in the analysis were also consistent with those used in determining fair value of reporting 
units during goodwill impairment testing. 

Comprehensive Loss 

Comprehensive loss includes disclosure of financial information that historically has not been recognized in the calculation of 
net income. Our comprehensive loss encompasses net loss and foreign currency translation adjustments. Assets and liabilities of 
international operations that have a functional currency that is not in U.S. dollars are translated into U.S. dollars at year-end 
exchange rates, and revenue and expense items are translated using weighted average exchange rates. Any adjustments arising on 
translation are included in shareholders’ equity as an element of accumulated other comprehensive loss. 

59 

 
 
 
 
 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

Advertising Expense 

Advertising costs included in selling and marketing, are expensed when the advertising first takes place. Advertising expense was 
$451 thousand and $479 thousand for years ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively. 

Research and Development Costs 

Research  and  development  costs  are  expensed  in  the  period  incurred,  unless  they  meet  the  criteria  for  capitalized  software 
development costs. 

Income Taxes 

Deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on differences between the financial statement and tax bases of assets and 
liabilities using enacted tax rates in effect in the years in which the differences are expected to reverse. We do not provide for 
U.S. income taxes on the undistributed earnings of our foreign subsidiaries, which we consider to be permanently invested outside 
of the U.S. 

We make judgments regarding the realizability of our deferred tax assets. The balance sheet carrying value of our net deferred 
tax assets is based on whether we believe that it is more likely than not that we will generate sufficient future taxable income to 
realize these deferred tax assets after consideration of all available evidence. We regularly review our deferred tax assets  for 
recoverability considering historical profitability, projected future taxable income, the expected timing of the reversals of existing 
temporary differences and tax planning strategies. In assessing the need for a valuation allowance, we consider both positive and 
negative evidence related to the likelihood of realization of the deferred tax assets. The weight given to the positive and negative 
evidence is commensurate with the extent to which the evidence may be objectively verified. As such, it is generally difficult for 
positive evidence regarding projected future taxable income exclusive of reversing taxable temporary differences to outweigh 
objective negative evidence of recent financial reporting losses. Generally, cumulative loss in recent years is a significant piece 
of negative evidence that is difficult to overcome in determining that a valuation allowance is not needed. 

As of September 30, 2018 and 2017, valuation allowances have been established for all U.S. and for certain foreign deferred tax 
assets which we believe do not meet the “more likely than not” criteria for recognition. 

The Company also accounts for the uncertainty in income taxes related to the recognition and measurement of a tax position and 
measurement  of  a  tax  position  taken  or  expected  to  be  taken  in  an  income  tax  return. The  Company  follows  the  applicable 
accounting guidance on derecognition, classification, interest and penalties, accounting in interim periods and disclosure related 
to the uncertainty in income tax positions. 

Fair Value of Financial Instruments 

Nonfinancial Assets Measured at Fair Value on a Nonrecurring Basis 

The Company’s goodwill, intangible assets and other long-lived assets are nonfinancial assets that were acquired either as part of 
a  business  combination,  individually  or  with  a  group  of  other  assets.  These  nonfinancial  assets  were  initially  measured  and 
recognized at amounts equal to the fair value determined as of the date of acquisition. Fair value measurements of reporting units 
are  estimated  using  an  income  approach  involving  discounted  or  undiscounted  cash  flow  models  and  the  public  company 
guideline  method  that  contain  certain  Level  3  inputs  requiring  management  judgment,  including  projections  of  economic 
conditions and customer demand, revenue and margins, changes in competition, operating costs, working capital requirements, 
and new product introductions. Fair value measurements of the reporting units associated with the Company’s goodwill balances 
are estimated at least annually at the beginning of the fourth quarter of each fiscal year for purposes of impairment testing. Fair 
value measurements associated with the Company’s intangible assets and other long-lived assets are estimated when events or 
changes in circumstances such as market value, asset utilization, physical change, legal factors, or other matters indicate that the 
carrying value may not be recoverable. 

60 

 
 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

In determining the fair value of financial assets and liabilities, the Company currently utilizes market data or other assumptions 
that it believes market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability in the principal or most advantageous market, and 
adjusts  for  non-performance  and/or  other  risk  associated  with  the  Company  as  well  as  counterparties,  as  appropriate. When 
considering market participant assumptions in fair value measurements, the following fair value hierarchy distinguishes between 
observable and unobservable inputs, which are categorized in one of the following levels: 

Level 1 Inputs: Unadjusted quoted prices which are available in active markets for identical assets or liabilities accessible 
to the Company at the measurement date. 

Level 2 Inputs: Inputs other than quoted prices included in Level 1 inputs that are observable for the asset or liability, 
either directly or indirectly, for substantially the full term of the asset or liability. 

Level 3 Inputs: Unobservable inputs for the asset or liability used to measure fair value to the extent that observable 
inputs are not available, thereby allowing for situations in which there is little, if any, market activity for the asset or 
liability at measurement date. 

The hierarchy gives the highest priority to Level 1, as this level provides the most reliable measure of fair value, while giving the 
lowest priority to Level 3. 

Financial Liabilities Measured at Fair Value on a Recurring Basis 

The initial fair values of PFG debt and warrant debt (see Note 3) were based on the present value of expected future cash flows 
and assumptions about current interest rates and the creditworthiness of the Company (Level 3). The fair value of the bifurcated 
conversion feature represented by the warrant derivative liability, which is measured at fair value on a recurring basis is based on 
a Black Scholes option pricing model with assumptions for stock price, exercise price, volatility, expected term, risk free interest 
rate and dividend yield similar to those described for share-based compensation which were generally observable (Level 2). 

Financial liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis are summarized below (in thousands): 

September 30, 2018 

Derivative liability 

September 30, 2017 

Derivative liability 

Level 1 

Level 2 

Level 3 

Total 
Fair Value 

—     $ 

14     $ 

—     $ 

14  

Level 1 

Level 2 

Level 3 

Total 
Fair Value 

—     $ 

12     $ 

—     $ 

12  

$ 

$ 

Included below is a summary of the changes in our Level 3 fair value measurements (in thousands): 

PFG IV 
Debt, Net 
of Discount 

Warrant 
Debt, PFG IV   

PFG V Debt, 
Net of 
Discount 

Balance as of September 30, 2017 
Activity during the period: 

Disbursement of Tranche 1, net of discount 
Payments to PFG 
Change in fair value 

Balance as of September 30, 2018 

$ 

$ 

491     $ 

123     $ 

(538 )  
47    
—     $ 

(200 )  
77    
—     $ 

Warrant 
Debt, PFG V 
—  

—     $ 

1,873    
—    
32    
1,905     $ 

97  
—  
6  
103  

Financial Instruments Not Measured at Fair Value 

The Company’s other financial instruments consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, investment in 
sales-type lease, financing receivables, accounts payable and debt instruments, excluding the PFG debt. The book values of cash 

61 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
   
   
 
   
 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, investment in sales-type lease, debt (excluding the PFG debt) and accounts payable 
are  considered  to  be  representative  of  their  respective  fair  values.  The  carrying  value  of  capital  lease  obligations  and  debt 
(excluding  the  PFG  debt),  including  the  current  portion,  approximates  fair  market  value  as  the  variable  and  fixed  rate 
approximates the current market rate of interest available to the Company. 

Legal Contingencies 

In June 2014, the Company entered into a settlement agreement with Astute Technology, LLC (“Astute”). The key terms of the 
agreement were: 1) a grant of a non-revocable license of Astute patents to the Company; 2) a grant of a fully paid, non-refundable 
license  of  certain  Sonic  Foundry  patents  to Astute;  3)  both Astute  and  our  customer  agreed  to  identify  three  meetings  they 
currently capture that the other party will not seek or respond to any request for proposal; and 4) a payment of $1.35 million to 
Astute. Pursuant to the settlement agreement, the payments were made in three equal amounts with the first paid in June 2014, 
the second paid in October 2014 and the final installment paid in March 2015. The Company contributed $1.1 million of the 
$1.35 million payable to Astute with our customer paying the residual amount. Of the $1.1 million, $428 thousand related to prior 
use and was recorded as a charge to income during fiscal 2014. The remaining $672 thousand was recorded as a product right 
asset, which is being amortized, on a straight-line basis, over the remaining life of the patents, through 2020. Future amounts due 
to Astute were accrued for as of the time of settlement. In Q4-2018, product rights were determined to be fully impaired and fully 
written off. See Note 8, Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets, for additional information on the impairment. 

No legal contingencies were recorded for either of the years ended September 30, 2018 or 2017, respectively. 

Stock-Based Compensation 

The Company uses a lattice valuation model to account for all employee stock options granted. The lattice valuation model is a 
more flexible analysis to value options because of its ability to incorporate inputs that change over time, such as actual exercise 
behavior of option holders. The Company uses historical data to estimate the option exercise and employee departure behavior 
in the lattice valuation model. Expected volatility is based on historical volatility of the Company’s stock. The Company considers 
all employees to have similar exercise behavior and therefore has not identified separate homogeneous groups for valuation. The 
expected term of options granted is derived from the output of the option pricing model and represents the period of time that 
options granted are expected to be outstanding. The risk-free rate for periods the options are expected to be outstanding is based 
on the U.S. Treasury yields in effect at the time of grant. Forfeitures are based on actual behavior patterns. The expected exercise 
factor and forfeiture rates are calculated using historical exercise and forfeiture activity for the previous three years. 

The fair value of each option grant is estimated using the assumptions in the following table: 

Expected life 
Risk-free interest rate 
Expected volatility 

Expected forfeiture rate 
Expected exercise factor 

Expected dividend yield 

Years Ending September 30, 

2017 
2018 
4.7 - 4.9 years 
4.3 - 4.4 years 
1.08%-1.51% 
1.79%-2.75% 
60.62%-63.49%    56.98%-62.21% 
12.53%-14.58%    10.17%-11.72% 

1.00-1.17 

—% 

1.29-1.35 
—% 

Common Stock Warrants 
On April 16, 2018, the Company issued 232,558 shares of common stock to an affiliated party. The shares were issued at a price 
of $2.15 per  share,  representing  the  closing  price  on April  13,  2018.  On April  16,  2018,  the  closing  price  of  the  Company’s 
common stock was $2.18 per share. The affiliated party also received warrants to purchase 232,558 shares of common stock at 
an exercise price of $2.50 per share, respectively, which expire on April 16, 2025. 

62 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

Preferred stock and dividends 
In May 2017, the Company created a new series of preferred stock entitled "9% Cumulative Voting Convertible Preferred Stock, 
Series A" (the "Preferred Stock, Series A"). One thousand shares were authorized with a stated value and liquidation preference 
of $1,000 per share. In August 2017, 1,500 additional shares were authorized for an aggregated total of 2,500 shares.  In May 
2018, 2,000 additional shares were authorized for an aggregated total of 4,500 shares. Holders of the Preferred Stock, Series A 
will receive monthly dividends at an annual rate of 9%, payable in additional shares of Preferred Stock, Series A. Dividends 
declared on the preferred stock are earned monthly as additional shares and accounted for as a reduction to paid-in capital since 
the Company is currently in an accumulated deficit position. Each share of Preferred Stock, Series A is convertible into that 
number of shares of common stock determined by dividing $4.23 into the liquidation amount. A total of 2,678 and 1,510 shares 
of Preferred Stock, Series A were issued and outstanding as of September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively. 

The  Company  considered  relevant  guidance  when  accounting  for  the  issuance  of  preferred  stock,  and  determined  that  the 
preferred shares meet the criteria for equity classification. Dividends accrued on preferred shares will be shown as a reduction to 
net income (or an increase in net loss) for purposes of calculating earnings per share. 

On May 17, 2018, $1.0 million of subordinated convertible debt was fully converted into 1,902 shares of Preferred Stock, Series 
A, following approval by the stockholders of the Company of the conversion sufficient to comply with rules and regulations of 
NASDAQ. See Note 4 related to accounting for the conversion. 

On June 8, 2018, 905 shares of Preferred Stock, Series A were automatically converted by the Company into 213,437 shares of 
common stock. The amount of shares converted represents all preferred shares issued on May 30, 2017 and June 8, 2017, including 
related dividends. 

On August 23, 2018, 717 shares of Preferred Stock, Series A were automatically converted by the Company into 169,485 shares 
of common stock. The amount of shares converted represents all preferred shares issued on August 23, 2017. 

Per Share Computation 

Basic earnings (loss) per share has been computed using the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding 
during the period, less shares that may be repurchased, and excludes any dilutive effects of options and warrants. In periods where 
the Company reports net income, diluted net income per share is computed using common equivalent shares related to outstanding 
options and warrants to purchase common stock. The numerator for the calculation of basic and diluted earnings per share is net 
income (loss). The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted weighted average shares used in the earnings 
per share calculations: 

Denominator for basic earnings (loss) per share 

-weighted average common shares 

Effect of dilutive options and warrants (treasury method) 

Denominator for diluted earnings (loss) per share 
-adjusted weighted average common shares 

Options and warrants outstanding during each year, but not included in the 
computation of diluted earnings (loss) per share because they are antidilutive 

Liquidity 

Years Ending 
September 30, 

2018 

2017 

4,655,520    
—    

4,436,333  
—  

4,655,520    

4,436,333  

2,399,901 

1,940,245 

At September 30, 2018 approximately $1.1 million of cash and cash equivalents was held by the Company’s foreign subsidiaries. 

63 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
   
 
 
 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

On February 28, 2019, Sonic Foundry, Inc. entered into a Note Purchase Agreement with a director of the Company for $5.0 
million in cash. 

See Note 14 - Subsequent Events for additional information on this transaction. 

The Company believes its cash position plus available resources is adequate to accomplish its business plan through at least the 
next twelve months. We will likely evaluate operating and capital leases opportunities to finance equipment purchases in the 
future and anticipate utilizing proceeds from the recent note purchase agreement to support working capital needs. We may also 
seek additional equity financing, or issue additional shares previously registered in our available shelf registration and there are 
no assurances that these will be on terms acceptable to the Company. 

Recent Accounting Pronouncements 

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (the "FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2014-09, 
“Revenue  from  Contracts  with  Customers  (Topic  606)”.  The  guidance  substantially  converges  final  standards  on  revenue 
recognition between the FASB and the International Accounting Standards Board providing a framework on addressing revenue 
recognition issues and, upon its effective date, replaces almost all existing revenue recognition guidance, including industry-
specific guidance, in current U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. The FASB subsequently issued a one-year deferral 
of  the  effective  date  for  the  new  revenue  reporting  standard  for  entities  reporting  under  U.S.  GAAP.  In  accordance  with  the 
deferral, the guidance is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017. Subsequently, the FASB issued 
ASU 2016-08, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Principal versus Agent Considerations" ("ASU 2016-08"); 
ASU  2016-10,  "Revenue  from  Contracts  with  Customers  (Topic  606):  Identifying  Performance  Obligations  and  Licensing" 
("ASU 2016-10"); and ASU 2016-12, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Narrow-Scope Improvements and 
Practical Expedients" ("ASU 2016-12"). The Company must adopt ASU 2016-08, ASU 2016-10 and ASU 2016-12 with ASU 
2014-09. 

In  July  2015,  the  FASB  issued ASU  2015-11,  "Inventory  (Topic  330)"  ("ASU  2015-11"). The  amendments  in ASU  2015-11 
require an entity to measure inventory at the lower of cost and net realizable value. The amendments in ASU 2015-11 are effective 
for  fiscal  years  beginning  after  December  15,  2016  and  interim  periods  within  those  years.  Early  adoption  is  permitted. The 
amendments  should  be  applied  prospectively  with  earlier  application  permitted  as  of  the  beginning  of  an  interim  or  annual 
reporting  period.  The  Company  adopted  this  standard  as  of  October  1,  2017,  and  it  did  not  have  a  material  impact  on  the 
Company's financial position or results of operations. 

In November 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-17, "Income Taxes (Topic 740)", ("ASU 2015-17"). ASU 2015-17 simplifies the 
presentation of deferred income taxes. The amendments in ASU 2015-17 are effective for financial statements issued for annual 
periods beginning after December 15, 2016, including interims periods within those annual periods. The amendments may be 
applied either prospectively to all deferred tax liabilities and assets or retrospectively to all periods presented. The Company 
adopted this standard as of October 1, 2017, and it did not have a material impact on the Company's financial position or results 
of operations. 

In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-01, "Financial Instruments - Overall (Subtopic 825-10)", ("ASU 2016-01"). ASU 
2016-01  addresses  certain  aspects  of  recognition,  measurement,  presentation,  and  disclosure  of  financial  instruments.  The 
amendments in ASU 2016-01 are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within 
those fiscal years. The amendments should be applied by means of a cumulative-effect adjustment to the balance sheet as of the 
beginning of the fiscal year of adoption. The amendments related to equity securities without readily determinable fair values 
should be applied prospectively to equity investments that exist at the date of the adoption. The Company is currently evaluating 
this guidance and its impact to the financial statements. 

In  February  2016,  the  FASB  issued ASU  2016-02,  "Leases  (Topic  842)",  ("ASU  2016-02"). ASU  2016-02  aims  to  increase 
transparency and comparability among organizations by recognizing lease assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet and 

64 

 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

disclosing key information about leasing arrangements. The amendments in ASU 2016-02 are effective for fiscal years beginning 
after  December  15,  2018,  including  interim  periods  within  those  fiscal  years,  for  public  entities.  Early  application  of  the 
amendment is permitted. The Company is currently reviewing this guidance and its impact to the financial statements. 

In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-06, "Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815)", ("ASU 2016-06"). ASU 2016-06 clarify 
the  requirements  for  assessing  whether  contingent  call  (put)  options  that  can  accelerate  the  payment  of  principal  on  debt 
instruments are clearly and closely related to their debt hosts. The amendments in ASU 2016-06 are effective for fiscal years 
beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Entities should apply the amendments on a 
modified retrospective basis to existing debt instruments as of the beginning of the fiscal year for which the amendments are 
effective. The Company adopted this standard as of October 1, 2017, and it did not have a material impact on the Company's 
financial position or results of operations. 

In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-09, "Compensation-Stock Compensation (Topic 718)", ("ASU 2016-09"). ASU 2016-
09 simplifies the accounting for share-based payment transactions. The amendments in ASU 2016-09 are effective for annual 
periods beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within those annual periods. The Company adopted this standard 
as of October 1, 2017, and it did not have a material impact on the Company's financial position or results of operations. 

In May 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-11, "Revenue Recognition (Topic 605) and Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815)", 
("ASU 2016-11"). ASU 2016-11 rescinds SEC paragraphs pursuant to the SEC Staff Announcement, "Rescission of Certain SEC 
Staff  Observer  Comments  upon Adoption  of Topic  606",  and  the  SEC  Staff Announcement,  "Determining Whether  the  Host 
Contract in a Hybrid Financial Instrument Issued in the Form of a Share is More Akin to Debt or Equity", announced at the March 
3, 2016 Emerging Issues Task Force (EITF) meeting. The effective dates in ASU 2016-11 coincide with the effective dates of 
Topic 606 (ASU 2014-09) and ASU 2014-16. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adopting ASU 2014-09 and 
related amendments, such as ASU 2016-11, to determine the impact, if any, it may have on our financial statements. The Company 
previously reviewed ASU 2014-16 and determined that is it not applicable. 

In August  2016,  the  FASB  issued ASU  2016-15,  "Statement  of  Cash  Flows  (Topic  230)",  ("ASU  2016-15"). ASU  2016-15 
addresses  classification  of  certain  cash  receipts  and  cash  payments  within  the  statement  of  cash  flows. The  amendments  are 
effective  for  fiscal  years  beginning  after  December  15,  2017,  and  interim  periods  with  those  fiscal  years.  The  Company  is 
currently evaluating this guidance and its impact to the financial statements. 

In  October  2016,  the  FASB  issued ASU  2016-16,  "Income  Taxes  (Topic  740):  Intra-Entity  Transfers  of Assets  Other  Than 
Inventory", ("ASU 2016-16"). ASU 2016-16 improves the accounting for the income tax consequences of intra-entity transfers 
of assets other than inventory. The amendments in this update are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, 
including interim reporting periods within those annual reporting periods. The Company is currently evaluating this guidance and 
its impact to the financial statements. 

In  May  2017,  the  FASB  issued  ASU  2017-09,  "Compensation-Stock  Compensation  (Topic  718)",  ("ASU  2017-09").  The 
amendments in ASU 2017-09 provide guidance about which changes to the terms or conditions of a share-based payment award 
require  an  entity  to  apply  modification  accounting  in  Topic  718.  The  amendments  in ASU  2017-09  are  effective  for  annual 
reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim reporting periods within those annual reporting periods. 
The Company is in the process of assessing the impact, if any, of this ASU on its consolidated financial statements. 

In July 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-11, "Earnings Per Share (Topic 260); Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity (Topic 
480); Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815)", ("ASU 2017-11"). This update was issued to address complexities in accounting for 
certain equity-linked financial instruments containing down round features. The amendment changes the classification analysis 
of these financial instruments (or embedded features) so that equity classification is no longer precluded. The amendments in 
ASU 2017-11 are effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim reporting periods 
within those annual reporting periods. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is in the process of assessing the impact, if any, 
of this ASU on its consolidated financial statements. 

65 

 
 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

In July 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-10, "Codification Improvements to Topic 842, Leases", ("ASU 2018-10"). The standard 
clarifies certain topics related to previously issued Topic 842. The amendments in ASU 2018-10 are not yet effective, but early 
adopton is permitted. For entities that have not yet adopted Topic 842, the effective date and transition requirements will be the 
same as the effective date and transition requirements in Topic 842. The Company is currently evaluating this guidance and its 
impact to the financial statements. 

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-11, "Leases (Topic 842): Targeted Improvements", ("ASU 2018-11"). The ASU is 
intended to reduce costs and ease implementation of the leases standard for financial statement preparers. ASU 2018-11 provides 
a new transition method and a practical expedient for separating components of a contract. For entities that have not adopted 
Topic 842 before the issuance of this ASU, the effective date and transition requirements for the amendments in this update related 
to  separating  components  of  a  contract  are  the  same  as  the  effective  date  and  transition  requirements  in ASU  2016-02. The 
Company is currently evaluating this guidance and its impact to the financial statements. 

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-13, "Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Disclosure Framework-Changes to the 
Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurements", ("ASU 2018-13"). ASU 2018-13 modifies the disclosure requirements 
on fair value measurements in Topic 820. The amendments in ASU 2018-13 are effective for all entities for fiscal years, and 
interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2019. The Company does not believe the ASU will have 
a significant impact on its consolidated financial statements. 

In November 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-18, "Collaborative Arrangements (Topic 808): Clarifying the Interaction between 
Topic  808  and  Topic  606",  ("ASU  2018-18").  ASU  2018-18  provides  guidance  on  whether  certain  transactions  between 
collaborative arrangement participants should be accounted for with revenue under Topic 606. For public business entities, the 
amendments in this Update are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, and interim periods within those 
fiscal  years.  Early  adoption  is  permitted.  The  Company  is  currently  reviewing  this  guidance  and  its  impact  to  the  financial 
statements. 

Accounting standards that have been issued but are not yet effective by the FASB or other standards-setting bodies that do not 
require adoption until a future date, which are not discussed above, are not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s 
financial statements upon adoption. 

New Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Effective 

In May 2014, the FASB issued a new standard related to revenue recognition. Under the new standard, revenue is recognized 
when a customer obtains control of promised goods or services and is recognized in an amount that reflects the consideration 
which the entity expects to receive in exchange for those goods or services. In addition, the standard requires disclosure of the 
nature, amount, timing, and uncertainty of revenue and cash flow arising from contracts with customers. The guidance permits 
two  methods  of  adoption:  retrospectively  to  each  prior  reporting  period  presented  (the  full  retrospective  method),  or 
retrospectively  with  the  cumulative  effect  of  initially  applying  the  guidance  recognized  at  the  date  of  initial  application  (the 
modified retrospective method). 

The Company will adopt the new standard, effective October 1, 2018, using the modified retrospective method applied to those 
contracts  which  were  not  substantially  completed  as  of  October  1,  2018. The  most  significant  impact  of  the  standard  on  the 
Company's financial statements relates to multi-year software licenses for certain customers which will accelerate the recognition 
of revenue. We expect to recognize an adjustment to retained earnings reflecting the cumulative impact for the accounting changes 
related to multi-year software licenses and contract acquisition costs upon adoption of these new standards. 

There are also certain considerations related to internal control over financial reporting that are associated with implementing 
Topic 606. We are evaluating our internal control framework over revenue recognition to identify any changes that may need to 
be made in response to the new guidance. We will have completed the design and implementation of the appropriate controls to 
obtain and disclose the information required under Topic 606 in our first quarter of 2019. In addition, disclosure requirements 

66 

 
 
 
 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

under the new guidance in Topic 606 have been significantly expanded in comparison to the disclosure requirements under the 
current guidance. 

2. Commitments 

Capital Lease and Financing Agreements 

The Company leases certain equipment under capital lease and financing agreements expiring through January 2022. Capital 
leases  that  are  currently  outstanding  on  equipment  included  in  fixed  assets  have  a  cost  of  $1.3  million  and  accumulated 
depreciation of $892 thousand at September 30, 2018. Minimum lease payments, including principal and interest, are summarized 
in the table below. 

Fiscal Year (in thousands) 

Capital 

2022 
Total payments 
Less interest 

Total 

Operating Leases 

2019 $ 
2020 
2021 

$ 

265  
143  
48  
2  
458  
(25 ) 
433  

The  Company  leases  certain  facilities  and  equipment  under  operating  lease  agreements  expiring  at  various  times  through 
December 31, 2022. Total rent expense on all operating leases was approximately $1.2 million and $1.3 million for the years 
ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively. 

In November 2011, the Company occupied office space related to a lease agreement entered into on June 28, 2011. The inital 
lease term was from November 2011 through December 2018 and in Q3 2018, the lease was extended for three years through 
December 31, 2021.  There are two additional three year extensions included in the initial lease agreement. The lease includes a 
tenant improvement allowance of $613 thousand that was recorded as a leasehold improvement liability and is being amortized 
as a credit to rent expense on a straight-line basis over the lease term. At September 30, 2018, the unamortized balance was $7 
thousand. 

In October 2016, the Company also occupied office space related to a lease agreement entered into on August 1, 2016. The lease 
term  is  from  October  2016  through  December  2020. The  lease  includes  five  months  of  free  rent  of  $130  thousand  that  was 
recorded as a deferred rent liability and is being amortized as a credit to rent expense on a straight-line basis over the lease term. 
At September 30, 2018 and 2017, the unamortized balance was $75 thousand and $110 thousand, respectively. 

The following is a schedule by year of future minimum lease payments under operating leases: 

Fiscal Year (in thousands) 
2019 
2020 
2021 
2022 
Total 

Other Commitments 

67 

Operating 

1,248  
1,252  
912  
202  
3,614  

$ 

$ 

 
 
 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

The  Company  enters  into  unconditional  purchase  commitments  on  a  regular  basis  for  the  supply  of  Mediasite  product. At 
September 30, 2018, the Company has an obligation to purchase $745 thousand of Mediasite product, which is not recorded on 
the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheet. 

The Company enters into license agreements that generally provide indemnification against intellectual property claims for its 
customers as well as indemnification agreements with certain service providers, landlords and other parties in the normal course 
of business. The Company has not incurred any material costs as a result of such indemnifications, or accrued any liabilities 
related to such obligations in the consolidated financial statements, except as noted above related to Astute (Note 1). 

3. Credit Arrangements 

Silicon Valley Bank 

The Company and its wholly owned subsidiary, Sonic Foundry Media Systems, Inc. (the “Companies”) entered into the Second 
Amended and Restated Loan and Security Agreement with Silicon Valley Bank, dated June 27, 2011, as amended by the First, 
Second, Third,  Fourth,  Fifth,  Sixth,  Seventh,  Eighth,  Ninth,  and Tenth Amendments,  dated  May 31,  2013,  January 10,  2014, 
March 31, 2014, January 27, 2015, May 13, 2015, October 5, 2015,February 8, 2016, December 9, 2016, March 22, 2017, and 
May 10, 2017 (the Second Amended and Restated Loan Agreement, as amended by the First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, 
Seventh, Eighth, Ninth, and Tenth Amendments, collectively, the “Second Amended and Restated Loan Agreement”). The Second 
Amended and Restated Loan Agreement provides for a revolving line of credit in the maximum principal amount of $4,000,000. 
Interest accrues on the revolving line of credit at the variable per annum rate equal to the Prime Rate (as defined) plus two percent 
(2.00%), which currently equates to 7.25%. The Second Amended and Restated Loan Agreement provides for an advance rate on 
domestic receivables of 80%, and an advance rate on foreign receivables of 75% of the lesser of (x) Foreign Eligible Accounts 
(as defined) or (y) $1,000,000. The maturity date of the revolving credit facility is January 31, 2019. Under the Second Amended 
and Restated Loan Agreement, a term loan was entered into on January 27, 2015 in the original principal amount of $2,500,000 
which accrued interest at the variable per annum rate equal to the Prime Rate (as defined) plus two and three-quarters percent, 
and was to be repaid in 36 equal monthly principal payments, beginning in February 2015. The Second Amended and Restated 
Loan Agreement  also  requires  Sonic  Foundry  to  comply  with  certain  financial  covenants,  including  (i)  a  liquidity  financial 
covenant, which requires minimum Liquidity (as defined), tested with respect to the Company only, on a monthly basis, of at 
least 1.60:1.00 for each month-end that is not the last day of a fiscal quarter, and 1.75:1.00 for each month-end that is the last day 
of a fiscal quarter, and (ii) a covenant that requires the Company to achieve, commencing with the period ending September 30, 
2017, and continuing each quarterly period thereafter, measured as of the last day of each fiscal quarter, on a trailing six (6) month 
basis ending as of the date of measurement, (a) EBITDA (negative EBITDA) plus (b) the net change in Deferred Revenue (as 
defined)  during  such  measurement  period,    of  at  least  Zero  Dollar  ($0.00).  Collections  from  accounts  receivable  are  directly 
applied to the outstanding obligations under the revolving line of credit. 

On  December  22,  2017,  the  Company  entered  into  an  Eleventh Amendment  to  the  Second Amended  and  Restated  Loan  and 
Security Agreement  (the  “Eleventh Amendment”)  with  Silicon Valley  Bank.  Under  the  Eleventh Amendment:  the  Minimum 
EBITDA covenant was modified to require Minimum EBITDA (as defined) plus the net change in Deferred Revenue, (i) for the 
period ending December 31, 2017, measured on a trailing three (3) month basis, to be no less than negative ($1,900,000); (ii) for 
the quarterly period ending March 31, 2018, measured on a trailing three (3) month basis, to be no less than Zero Dollars, and 
(iii) for the quarterly period ending June 30, 2018, and each quarterly period thereafter, in each case measured on a trailing six 
month basis, to be no less than Zero Dollars. 

On May 11, 2018, the Company entered into a Twelfth Amendment to the Second Amended and Restated Loan and Security 
Agreement (the “Twelfth Amendment”) with Silicon Valley Bank, which waived the minimum EBITDA covenant as defined 
under  the  Eleventh Amendment.  Under  the  Twelfth Amendment:  the  Minimum  EBITDA  covenant  was  modified  to  require 

68 

 
 
 
 
 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

Minimum EBITDA (as defined) plus the net change in Deferred Revenue, (i) for the quarterly period ending June 30, 2018, 
measured on a trailing six (6) month basis, to be no less than negative ($1,100,000); (ii) for the quarterly period ending September 
30,  2018,  measured  on  a  trailing  six  (6)  month  basis,  to  be  no  less  than  $500,000,  and  (iii)  for  the  quarterly  period  ending 
December 31, 2018, measured on a trailing six (6) month basis, to be no less than negative ($250,000), and (iv) for the quarterly 
period ending March 31, 2019, measured on a trailing three (3) month basis, to be no less than negative ($250,000).  The Twelfth 
Amendment also requires Sonic Foundry to comply with certain financial covenants, including (i) funding of tranche 1 of the 
PFG V note in the amount of $2,000,000 prior to June 30, 2018, and (ii) funding of tranche 2 of the PFG V note in the amount of 
$500,000 prior to December 31, 2018. 

At September 30, 2018, there was no balance outstanding on the term loan with Silicon Valley Bank. There was a balance of $621 
thousand outstanding on the revolving line of credit with an effective interest rate of seven-and-one-quarter percent (7.25%). At 
September 30, 2017, a balance of $278 thousand was outstanding on the term loans with Silicon Valley Bank and a balance of 
$1.6 million was outstanding on the revolving line of credit. At September 30, 2018, there was a remaining amount of $3.4 million 
available under the line of credit facility for advances. 

The Second Amended and Restated Agreement, as amended, contains events of default that include, among others, non-payment 
of principal or interest, inaccuracy of any representation or warranty, violation of covenants, bankruptcy and insolvency events, 
material judgments, cross defaults to certain other indebtedness, and material adverse changes. The occurrence of an event of 
default could result in the acceleration of the Companies’ obligations under the Second Amended Agreement, as amended. At 
September 30, 2018, the Company was in compliance with all financial covenants. 

Pursuant  to  the  Second  Amended  Agreement,  as  amended,  the  Companies  pledged  as  collateral  to  Silicon  Valley  Bank 
substantially  all  non-intellectual  property  business  assets. The  Companies  also  entered  into  an  Intellectual  Property  Security 
Agreement with respect to intellectual property assets. 

Historically, the Company has relied on the ability to draw proceeds as needed from its revolving line of credit with Silicon Valley 
Bank to fund operations. At September 30, 2018, we had a balance of $621 thousand outstanding on this line of credit, which 
matured on January 31, 2019 and was paid in full. The Company did not renew the line of credit. 

On February 28, 2019, Sonic Foundry, Inc. entered into a Note Purchase Agreement with a director of the Company for $5.0 
million in cash. 

See Note 14 - Subsequent Events for additional information on this transaction. 

The Company used the proceeds from the notes issued under the Note Purchase Agreement to replace the revolving line of credit 
with Silicon Valley Bank, which matured on January 31, 2019. 

Partners for Growth IV, L.P. 

On May 13, 2015, Sonic Foundry, Inc., entered into a Loan and Security Agreement (the “2015 Loan and Security Agreement”) 
with Partners for Growth IV, L.P. (“PFG”), (the “Loan and Security Agreement”). 

The 2015 Loan and Security Agreement provided for a Term Loan in the amount of $2,000,000, which was disbursed in two (2) 
Tranches as follows: Tranche 1 was drawn in the amount of $1,500,000 shortly after execution thereof; and Tranche 2 in the 
amount of $500,000, was drawn on December 15, 2015. 

Each tranche of the Term Loan bore interest at 10.75% per annum. Tranche 1 of the Term Loan was payable interest only until 
November 30, 2015. Beginning on December 1, 2015, principal was due in 30 equal monthly principal installments, plus accrued 
interest, continuing until May 1, 2018, when the principal balance was paid in full. Tranche 2 of the Term Loan was payable in 
29 equal monthly principal installments, plus accrued interest, beginning January 1, 2015 and continued until May 1, 2018. 

69 

 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

Coincident with execution of the 2015 Loan and Security Agreement, the Company entered into a Warrant Agreement (“Warrant”) 
with PFG IV. Pursuant to the terms of the Warrant, the Company issued to PFG IV a warrant to purchase up to 50,000 shares of 
common stock of the Company at an exercise price of $9.66 per share, subject to certain adjustments, of which 37,500 were 
exercisable with the disbursement of Tranche 1 and 12,500 became exercisable with the disbursement under Tranche 2. Pursuant 
to the Warrant, PFG IV is also entitled, under certain conditions, to require the Company to exchange the Warrant for the sum of 
$200,000. Each warrant issued has an exercise term of 5 years from the date of issuance. On August 12, 2015, the Company and 
PFG  IV  entered  into  a  waiver  agreement  to  waive  a  then  existing  covenant  default  and  to  change  the  exercise  price  of  the 
aforementioned warrants from $9.66 per share to $6.80 per share. 

The warrants could have been settled for cash in the event of acquisition of the company, any liquidation of the company, or 
expiration of the warrant. The Company determined the cash payment date to be the expiration date (May 14, 2020). Due to the 
fixed payment amount on the expiration date, the warrant structure is in substance a debt arrangement (the “Warrant Debt”) 
with a zero interest rate, a fixed maturity date and a feature that makes the debt convertible to common stock. The Warrant Debt 
had a fair value of $80 thousand at the time of issuance. The derivative had a fair value of $136 thousand. The conversion 
feature is an embedded derivative; thus, for accounting purposes, the conversion feature is bifurcated and accounted for 
separately from the PFG IV Debt and Warrant Debt as a derivative liability measured at fair value at each reporting period. The 
warrants were settled for cash in the amount of $200 thousand in May 2018 upon entering into a new loan agreement with PFG 
V. 

On December 28, 2017, the Company and PFG IV entered into a Modification No. 4 to the 2015 Loan and Security Agreement 
(“Modification No. 4”). Modification No. 4: the Minimum EBITDA covenant was modified to require Minimum EBITDA (as 
defined) plus the net change in Deferred Revenue (i) for the period ending December 31, 2017, measured on a trailing three (3) 
month basis, to be no less than negative ($1,900,000); (ii) for the quarterly period ending March 31, 2018, measured on a trailing 
three (3) month basis, to be no less than Zero Dollars, and (iii) for the quarterly period ending June 30, 2018, and each quarterly 
period thereafter, in each case measured on a trailing six month basis, to be no less than Zero Dollars. 

At September 30, 2018, the estimated fair value of the derivative liability associated with the warrants issued in connection with 
the 2015 Loan and Security Agreement, was zero as a result of the $200 thousand cash settlement in May 2018, compared to $12 
thousand at September 30, 2017. The change in the fair value of the derivative liability during fiscal 2018 was recorded as a gain 
of $12 thousand included in other income (expense). 

The  proceeds  from  the  2015  Loan  and  Security Agreement  were  allocated  between  the  PFG  IV  Debt  and  the Warrant  Debt 
(inclusive of its conversion feature) based on their relative fair value on the date of issuance which resulted in initial carrying 
values of $1.8 million and $216 thousand, respectively. The conversion feature of $216 thousand is treated together as a debt 
discount on the PFG IV Debt and was accreted to interest expense under the effective interest method over the three-year term of 
the PFG IV Debt and the five-year term of the Warrant Debt. For fiscal 2018, the Company recorded accretion of discount expense 
associated with the warrants issued with the PFG IV loan of $77 thousand as well as $47 thousand related to amortization of the 
debt discount. For fiscal 2017, the Company recorded accretion of discount expense associated with the warrants issued with the 
PFG IV loan of $21 thousand as well as $73 thousand related to amortization of the debt discount. At September 30, 2018, the 
fair values of the PFG IV Debt and Warrant Debt (inclusive of its conversion feature) were each zero, as the PFG IV Debt was 
paid in full as of May 1, 2018 and the Warrant Debt was settled on May 14, 2018. 

At September 30, 2018, there was no balance outstanding on the term debt with PFG IV. At September 30, 2017, a balance of 
$491 thousand with outstanding on the term debt with PFG IV, net of discount. 

On May 11, 2018, Sonic Foundry, Inc., entered into a Loan and Security Agreement (the “2018 Loan and Security Agreement”) 
with Partners for Growth V, L.P. (“PFG V”), (the “Loan and Security Agreement”). 

70 

 
 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

The 2018 Loan and Security Agreement provides for a Term Loan in the amount of $2,500,000, which was disbursed in two 
(2) Tranches as follows: Tranche 1 was disbursed on May 14, 2018 in the amount of $2,000,000; and Tranche 2 in the amount 
of $500,000, was disbursed on November 8, 2018. 

Each tranche of the Term Loan bears interest at 10.75% per annum. Tranche 1 of the Term Loan is payable interest only until 
November 30,  2018. Thereafter,  principal  is  due  in 30 equal  monthly  principal  installments,  plus  accrued  interest,  beginning 
December 1, 2018 and continuing until May 1, 2021, when the principal balance is to be paid in full. Tranche 2 of the Term Loan 
is payable using the same repayment schedule as Tranche 1. Upon maturity, Sonic Foundry is required to pay PFG V a cash fee 
of $150,000. 

The principal of the Term Loan may be prepaid at any time, provided that Sonic Foundry pays to PFG V a prepayment fee equal 
to 1% of the principal amount prepaid, if the prepayment occurs in the first year from disbursement of Tranche 1. 

The Term Loan is collateralized by substantially all the Company’s assets, including intellectual property, subject to a first lien 
held by Silicon Valley Bank. The Term Loan requires compliance with the same financial covenants as set forth in the loan from 
Silicon Valley Bank. 

Coincident with execution of the 2018 Loan and Security Agreement, the Company entered into a Warrant Agreement (“Warrant”) 
with PFG V. Pursuant to the terms of the Warrant, the Company issued to PFG V a warrant to purchase up to 66,000 shares of 
common stock of the Company at an exercise price of $2.57 per share, subject to certain adjustments. Pursuant to the Warrant, 
PFG V is also entitled, under certain conditions, to require the Company to exchange the Warrant for the sum of $250,000. 

At September 30, 2018, the estimated fair value of the derivative liability associated with the warrants issued in connection with 
the Loan and Security Agreement, was $14 thousand. The change in the fair value of the derivative liability during fiscal 2018 
was recorded as a gain of $14 thousand, included in the other income (expense). 

The proceeds from the Loan and Security Agreement were allocated between the PFG V Debt and the Warrant Debt (inclusive of 
its  conversion  feature)  based  on  their  relative  fair  value  on  the  date  of  issuance  which  resulted  in  carrying  values  of $1.9 
million and $127 thousand, respectively. The warrant debt of $127 thousand is treated together as a debt discount on the PFG V 
Debt and will be accreted to interest expense under the effective interest method over the three-year term of the PFG V Debt and 
the five-year term of the Warrant Debt. During fiscal 2018, the Company recorded accretion of discount expense associated with 
the warrants issued with the PFG V loan of $6 thousand, as well as $17 thousand related to amortization of the debt discount. 
At September 30, 2018, the fair values of the PFG V Debt and the Warrant Debt (inclusive of its conversion feature) were $1.9 
million and $117 thousand, respectively. In addition, the Company agreed to pay PFG V a cash fee of up to $150,000 payable 
upon maturity (the “back-end fee”), which will be earned ratably over the three year term of the PFG V loan. During fiscal 2018, 
the Company recorded interest expense of $19 thousand associated with recognition of the back-end fee. 

The fair values of term debt and warrant debt are based on the present value of expected future cash flows and assumptions about 
current  interest  rates  and  the  creditworthiness  of  the  Company  (Level  3). At September 30,  2018,  the  derivative  liability was 
remeasured at fair value. The fair value of the bifurcated conversion feature represented by the warrant derivative liability is 
based on a Black Scholes option pricing model with assumptions for stock price, exercise price, volatility, expected term, risk 
free interest rate and dividend yield similar to those described previously for share-based compensation which were generally 
observable (Level 2). 

At September 30, 2018, a gross balance of $1.9 million was outstanding on the term debt with PFG V, net of discount, with an 
effective interest rate of ten-and-three-quarters percent (10.75%). At September 30, 2017, there was no balance outstanding with 
PFG V. 

See Note 14 - Subsequent Events for additional information related to PFG. 

71 

 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

Other Indebtedness 

At  September 30,  2018,  a  balance  of  $264  thousand  was  outstanding  on  the  line  of  credit  with  Mitsui  Sumitomo  Bank. At 
September 30, 2017, a balance of $417 thousand was outstanding on the line of credit. The notes and credit facility are both 
related to Mediasite K.K., and both accrue an annual interest rate of approximately one-and-one half percent (1.575%). 

On  January  19,  2018,  the  Company  and  a  director  entered  into  a  Subscription Agreement  (the  “Subscription Agreement”)’ 
Pursuant  to  the  Subscription  Agreement,  (i)  on  January  19,  2018,  the  director  purchased  a 10.75% Convertible  Secured 
Subordinated  Promissory  Note  for $500,000 in  cash;  and  (ii)  on  February  15,  2018,  the  director  purchased  an 
additional 10.75% Convertible Secured Subordinated Promissory Note for $500,000 in cash (each, a “Note”, and collectively, the 
“Notes”). 

On May 17, 2018, following approval by the stockholders of the Company of the conversion of the Notes sufficient to comply 
with rules and regulations of NASDAQ and the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Notes were automatically converted 
into 1,902 shares of Series A Preferred stock. The number of shares was determined by dividing the total principal and accrued 
interest due on each Note by $542.13 (the “Conversion Rate”). 

At September 30, 2018, there was no balance outstanding on the Notes. 

In the year ended September 30, 2018, no foreign currency gain or loss was realized related to re-measurement of the subordinated 
notes payable related to the Company’s foreign subsidiaries. In the year ended September 30, 2017, a foreign currency gain of $6 
thousand was recorded related to the remeasurement. 

The annual principal payments on the note payable to PFG V are as follows: 

Fiscal Year (in thousands) 
2019 
2020 
2021 

Total 

4. Accrued Liabilities 

Accrued liabilities consists of the following (in thousands): 

Accrued compensation 
Accrued expenses 
Accrued interest & taxes 
Other accrued liabilities 

Total 

$ 

$ 

September 30, 

2018 

2017 

$ 

$ 

972     $ 
359    
223    
55    
1,609     $ 

667  
800  
533  
2,000  

871  
211  
288  
17  
1,387  

The Company accrues expenses as they are incurred. Accrued compensation includes wages, vacation, commissions and bonuses. 
Accrued  expenses  is  mainly  related  to  stock  compensation,  professional  fees  and  amounts  owed  to  suppliers.  Other  accrued 
liabilities is made up of employee-related expenses. 

5. Stock Options and Employee Stock Purchase Plan 

72 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

On March 5, 2009, Stockholders approved adoption of the 2009 Stock Incentive Plan (the “2009 Plan”). The 2009 Plan, beginning 
October 1, 2009, replaced two former employee stock option plans that terminated coincident with the effectiveness of the 2009 
Plan. On March 7, 2012, Stockholders approved an amendment to increase the number of shares of common stock subject to this 
plan by 600,000 and to increase the number of shares for the directors’ stock option plan by 50,000 shares. On March 6, 2014, 
Stockholders approved an amendment to increase the number of shares of common stock subject to the 2009 Plan by 800,000.  
On  March 7, 2017, Stockholders approved an amendment to increase the number of shares of common stock subject to the 2009 
Plan by 900,000 to an aggregated total of 2,700,000 shares of common stock.  Stockholders also approved an increase in the 
number of shares for the directors' stock option plan of 50,000. The Company maintains a directors’ stock option plan under 
which options may be issued to purchase up to an aggregate of 150,000 shares of common stock. Each non-employee director, 
who is re-elected or who continues as a member of the board of directors on each annual meeting date and on each subsequent 
meeting of Stockholders, will be granted options to purchase 2,000 shares of common stock under the directors’ plan, or at other 
times or amounts at the discretion of the Board of Directors. 

Each option entitles the holder to purchase one share of common stock at the specified option price. The exercise price of each 
option granted under the plans was set at the fair market value of the Company’s common stock at the respective grant date. 
Options vest at various intervals and expire at the earlier of termination of employment, discontinuance of service on the board 
of directors, ten years from the grant date or at such times as are set by the Company at the date of grant. 

The  Company  has  applied  a  graded  (tranche-by-tranche)  attribution  method  and  expenses  share-based  compensation  on  an 
accelerated basis over the vesting period of the share award, net of estimated forfeitures. 

The number of shares available for grant under these stockholder approved plans at September 30, is as follows: 

Shares available for grant at September 30, 2016 
Stockholder approval to increase shares 
Options granted 

Options forfeited 

Shares available for grant at September 30, 2017 
Options granted 
Options forfeited 

Shares available for grant at September 30, 2018 

Qualified 
Employee 
Stock Option 
Plans 

366,889    
900,000    
(312,020 )  
53,521    
1,008,390    
(398,749 )  
86,118    
695,759    

Director 
Stock Option 
Plans 

6,500  
50,000  
(8,500 ) 
—  
48,000  
(14,500 ) 
10,000  
43,500  

The following table summarizes information with respect to outstanding stock options under all plans: 

73 

 
 
 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

Outstanding at beginning of year 
Granted 
Exercised 
Forfeited 

Outstanding at end of year 

Exercisable at end of year 
Weighted average fair value of options granted during 
the year 

$ 

Years Ended September 30, 

2018 

2017 

Weighted 
Average 
Exercise 
Price 

8.33    
2.49    
4.75    
9.82    
7.04    

Options 

1,805,443     $ 
413,249    
(14,332 )  
(174,619 )  
2,029,741     $ 
1,349,021      

Weighted 
Average 
Exercise 
Price 

9.51  
4.73  
—  
14.62  
8.33  

Options 

1,602,822     $ 
320,520    
—    
(117,899 )  
1,805,443     $ 
1,260,609      

0.95 

 $ 

1.82 

The options outstanding at September 30, 2018 have been segregated into three ranges for additional disclosure as follows: 

Exercise Prices 

$2.18 to $4.88 
5.00 to 9.81 
10.00 to 15.21 

Options Outstanding 

Options Exercisable 

Options 
Outstanding  
at  
September 30,  
2018 

Weighted 
Average 
Remaining 
Contractual 
Life 

Weighted 
Average 
Exercise 
Price 

Options 
Exercisable at  
September 30,  
2018 

Weighted 
Average 
Exercise 
Price 

680,427    
1,104,389    
244,925    
2,029,741      

8.87   $ 
4.84  
4.26  

3.39    
8.20    
11.93    

97,343     $ 

1,024,813    
226,865    
1,349,021      

4.72  
8.26  
12.06  

As of September 30, 2018, there was $475 thousand of total unrecognized compensation cost related to non-vested stock-based 
compensation,  with  total  forfeiture  adjusted  unrecognized  compensation  costs  of  $359  thousand.  The  cost  is  expected  to  be 
recognized over a weighted-average life of 1.9 years. 

A summary of the status of the Company’s non-vested shares under all plans at September 30, 2018 and for the year then ended 
is presented below: 

Non-vested shares at October 1, 2017 
Granted 
Vested 
Forfeited 
Non-vested shares at September 30, 2018 

Shares 

Weighted Average 
Grant Date 
Fair Value 

544,834     $ 
413,249    
(258,938 )  
(18,425 )  
680,720     $ 

2.42  
0.95  
2.47  
1.73  
1.46  

Stock-based  compensation  recorded  in  the  year  ended  September 30,  2018  was  $477  thousand.  Stock-based  compensation 
recorded in the year ended September 30, 2017 was $611 thousand. There was no cash received from exercises under all stock 
options plans and warrants for the years ended September 30, 2018 or 2017. There were no tax benefits realized for tax deductions 
from option exercises for the years ended September 30, 2018 and 2017. The Company currently expects to satisfy stock-based 
awards with registered shares available to be issued. 

74 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

The Company also has an Employee Stock Purchase Plan (Purchase Plan) under which an aggregate of 200,000 common shares 
may be issued. The Stockholders approved an amendment to increase the number of shares of common stock subject to the plan 
from  150,000  to  200,000  at  the  Company’s  annual  meeting  in  March  2017. All  employees  who  have  completed  90  days  of 
employment with the Company on the first day of each offering period and customarily work twenty hours per week or more are 
eligible to participate in the Purchase Plan. An employee who, after the grant of an option to purchase, would hold common stock 
and/or hold outstanding options to purchase stock possessing 5% or more of the total combined voting power or value of the 
Company will not be eligible to participate. Eligible employees may make contributions through payroll deductions of up to 10% 
of their compensation. No participant in the Purchase Plan is permitted to purchase common stock under the Purchase Plan if 
such option would permit his or her rights to purchase stock under the Purchase Plan to accrue at a rate that exceeds $25,000 of 
the fair market value of such shares, or that exceeds 1,000 shares, for each calendar year. The Company makes a bi-annual offering 
to eligible employees of options to purchase shares of common stock under the Purchase Plan on the first trading day of January 
and July. Each offering period is for a period of 6 months from the date of the offering, and each eligible employee as of the date 
of offering is entitled to purchase shares of common stock at a purchase price equal to the lower of 85% of the fair market value 
of common stock on the first or last trading day of the offering period. A total of 47,867 shares are available to be issued under 
the plan. There were 12,794 and 13,046 shares purchased by employees during fiscal 2018 and 2017, respectively. The Company 
recorded stock compensation expense under this plan of $8 thousand and $12 thousand during fiscal 2018 and 2017, respectively. 
Cash  received  from  issuance  of  stock  under  this  plan  was  $27  thousand  and  $48  thousand  during  fiscal  2018  and  2017, 
respectively. 

At September 30, 2018, we had 370 thousand outstanding warrants and 2.0 million of outstanding stock options granted under 
our stock option plans, 1.7 million of which are immediately exercisable. 

6. Income Taxes 

Benefit for income taxes consists of the following (in thousands): 

Current income tax expense (benefit) 
Current income tax expense foreign 

Deferred income tax benefit 
Benefit for income taxes 

Years Ended September 30, 

2018 

2017 

$ 
$ 

$ 

—     $ 
101     $ 

(4,433 )  
(4,332 )   $ 

—  
17  
(96 ) 
(79 ) 

U.S. and foreign components of loss before income taxes were as follows (in thousands): 

U.S. 
Foreign 

Loss before income taxes 

Years Ended September 30, 

2018 

2017 

$ 

$ 

(16,934 )   $ 
436    
(16,498 )   $ 

(5,225 ) 
107  
(5,118 ) 

The reconciliation of income tax expense (benefit) computed at the appropriate country specific rate to income tax benefit is as 
follows (in thousands): 

75 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

Income tax benefit at statutory rate 
State income tax benefit 
Foreign tax activity 

R&D tax credit expiration 
Permanent differences, net 

Adjustment of temporary differences to income tax returns 
Change in valuation allowance 

Tax rate change 
Other 

Income tax benefit 

Years Ended September 30, 

2018 

2017 

$ 

$ 

(4,111 )   $ 
(823 )  
101    
—    
771    
—    
1,285    
(1,545 )  
(10 )  

(4,332 )   $ 

(1,800 ) 
(192 ) 
41  
—  
469  
—  
1,403  
—  
—  
(79 ) 

The significant components of the deferred tax accounts recognized for financial reporting purposes are as follows (in thousands): 

$ 

Deferred tax assets: 
Net operating loss and other carryforwards 
Common stock options 

Unearned revenue 
Other 

Total deferred tax assets 
Deferred tax liabilities: 

Other 

Total deferred tax liabilities 

Net deferred tax asset 

Valuation allowance 
Equity gains on investment in Mediasite KK 

Customer relationships 
Goodwill amortization 

Net deferred tax asset (liability) for goodwill and intangible assets amortization 

$ 

September 30, 

2018 

2017 

24,262     $ 
919    
510    
369    
26,060    

(103 )  

(103 )  

25,957    
(25,881 )  
—    
—    
—    
76     $ 

35,529  
1,246  
520  
650  
37,945  

(146 ) 

(146 ) 

37,799  
(37,702 ) 
(916 ) 

(570 ) 
(2,940 ) 

(4,329 ) 

The Company has a $76 thousand and $97 thousand deferred tax asset at September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively, recorded 
within the prepaid expenses and other current assets and other long-term assets lines on the consolidated balance sheet and is 
primarily related to net operating losses of MSKK. 

At September 30, 2018, the Company had net operating loss carryforwards of approximately $102 million for U.S. Federal and 
$43 million for state tax purposes. For Federal tax purposes, the carryforwards expire in varying amounts between 2019 and 2038. 
For state tax purposes, the carryforwards expire in varying amounts between 2018 and 2038. Utilization of the Company’s net 
operating loss may be subject to substantial annual limitation due to the ownership change limitations provided by the Internal 
Revenue Code and similar state provisions. Such an annual limitation could result in the expiration of the net operating loss 
carryforwards  before  utilization.  In  addition,  the  Company  has  research  and  development  tax  credit  carryforwards  of 
approximately $418 thousand, which expire in varying amounts between 2019 and 2020. 

76 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
   
 
 
   
 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

The Company maintains an additional paid-in-capital (APIC) pool which represents the excess tax benefits related to share-based 
compensation  that  are  available  to  absorb  future  tax  deficiencies.  If  the  amount  of  future  tax  deficiencies  is  greater  than  the 
available APIC pool, the Company records the excess as income tax expense in its consolidated statements of income. For fiscal 
2018  and  fiscal  2017,  the  Company  had  a  sufficient APIC  pool  to  cover  any  tax  deficiencies  recorded  and  as  a  result,  these 
deficiencies did not affect its results of operations. At September 30, 2018, the Company has $1.1 million of net operating loss 
carry forwards for which a benefit would be recorded in APIC when realized. 

Earnings  of  the  Company’s  foreign  subsidiaries  are  generally  subject  to  U.S.  taxation  upon  repatriation  to  the  U.S.  and  the 
Company’s  tax  provision  reflects  the  related  incremental  U.S.  tax  except  for  certain  foreign  subsidiaries  whose  unremitted 
earnings are considered to be indefinitely reinvested.  No deferred tax liability has been recognized with regard to the remittance 
of  such  earnings  after  MSKK  and  Sonic  Foundry  International  BV  acquisitions  were  completed.  At  September 30,  2018, 
unremitted earnings of $1.0 million for foreign subsidiaries were deemed to be indefinitely reinvested. 

Beginning with an acquisition in fiscal year 2002, the Company has amortized Goodwill for tax purposes over a 15 year life. Tax 
amortization is not applicable to the goodwill from the foreign acquisitions that took place during fiscal 2014 since the foreign 
goodwill is non-deductible for US federal tax purposes. 

The difference between the book and tax balance of certain of the company’s goodwill creates a deferred tax liability and an 
annual tax expense. Because of the long term nature of the goodwill timing difference, tax planning strategies cannot be utilized 
with respect to the deferred tax liability. The Company’s tax rate differs from the expected tax rate each reporting period as a 
result of the aforementioned items. The balance of the Deferred Tax Liability was $0 thousand at September 30, 2018 and $4.4 
million at September 30, 2017, respectively. The remaining balance of the deferred tax liability related to goodwill was fully 
written off as of September 30, 2018 as a result of the impairment. The Company recorded a deferred tax liability related to the 
Customer Relationship intangibles value acquired as part of the purchase of Sonic Foundry International BV and Mediasite KK. 

In accordance with accounting guidance for uncertainty in income taxes, the Company has concluded that a reserve for income 
tax contingencies is not necessary. The Company’s practice is to recognize interest and/or penalties related to income tax matters 
in  income  tax  expense. The  Company  had  no  accruals  for  interest  and  penalties  on  the  Company’s  Condensed  Consolidated 
Balance Sheets at September 30, 2018 or September 30, 2017 and has not recognized any interest or penalties in the Condensed 
Consolidated Statements of Operations for either of the years ended September 30, 2018 or 2017. 

The Company is subject to taxation in the U.S., Netherlands, Japan and various state jurisdictions. All of the Company’s tax years 
are subject to examination by the U.S., Dutch, Japanese and state tax authorities due to the carryforward of unutilized net operating 
losses. 

On December 22, 2017, the U.S. government enacted comprehensive tax legislation commonly referred to as the Tax Cuts and 
Jobs Act (the "Tax Act"). The Tax Act, which is generally effective for tax years beginning on January 1, 2018, makes broad and 
complex  changes  to  the  U.S.  tax  code,  including,  but not limited  to,  (1)  reducing  the  U.S.  federal  corporate  tax  rate 
from 35 percent to 21 percent; (2) eliminating the corporate alternative minimum tax (AMT); (3) bonus depreciation that will 
allow for full expensing of qualified property; (4) creating a new limitation on deductible interest expense; (5) the repeal of the 
domestic production activity deduction; (6) the creation of the base erosion anti-abuse tax (BEAT), a new minimum tax; (7) a 
general elimination of U.S. federal income taxes on dividends from foreign subsidiaries and imposing a one-time repatriation tax 
on deemed repatriated earnings and profits of U.S.-owned foreign subsidiaries (the Transition Tax); (8) a new provision designed 
to tax global intangible low-taxed income (GILTI), which allows for the possibility of using foreign tax credits (FTCs) and a 
deduction of up to 50 percent to offset the income tax liability (subject to some limitations); and (9) changing rules related to uses 
and limitation of net operating loss carryforwards created in tax years beginning after December 31, 2017. 

Shortly after enactment, the Securities and Exchange Commission issued Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 118 ("SAB 118") which 
provided US GAAP guidance on the accounting for the Act's impact at December 31, 2017. A reporting entity may recognize 

77 

 
 
 
 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

provisional  amounts,  where  the  necessary  information  is not available,  prepared  or  analyzed  (including  computations)  in 
reasonable detail or where additional guidance is needed from the taxing authority to determine the appropriate application of the 
Act. A reporting entity's provisional impact analysis may be adjusted within the 12-month measurement period provided for under 
SAB 118. 

The reduction in the corporate tax rate to 21 percent due to the Tax Act is effective January 1, 2018. Consequently, the Company 
has recorded a decrease related to the net deferred tax assets of approximately $1.5 million with a corresponding net adjustment 
to the valuation allowance of approximately $1.5 million for the year ended September 30, 2018. 

7. Savings Plan 

The Company’s defined contribution 401(k) savings plan covers substantially all employees meeting certain minimum eligibility 
requirements. Participating employees can elect to defer a portion of their compensation and contribute it to the plan on a pretax 
basis.  The  Company  may  also  match  certain  amounts  and/or  provide  additional  discretionary  contributions,  as  defined.  The 
Company made matching contributions of $365 thousand and $321 thousand during the years ended September 30, 2018 and 
2017, respectively. The Company made no additional discretionary contributions during 2018 and 2017. 

8. Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets 

Goodwill and intangible assets that have indefinite useful lives are recorded at cost and are not amortized but, instead, tested at 
least  annually  for  impairment. The  Company  assesses  the  impairment  of  goodwill  on  an  annual  basis  or  whenever  events  or 
changes in circumstances indicate that the fair value of these assets is less than the carrying value. 

The Company performs annual goodwill impairment test as of July 1, and tested goodwill recognized in connection with the 
acquisitions of Mediasite, Sonic Foundry International and Mediasite KK. For purposes of the test, goodwill on the Company’s 
books is evaluated within three separate reporting units. 

The fair values of the reporting units were initially measured as of July 1, 2018, in accordance with annual testing procedures. 
Goodwill related to all three reporting units, Sonic Foundry (Mediasite), Sonic Foundry International and Mediasite KK, was 
found to be impaired. The Company recognized an impairment loss of $10.4 million, or the remaining balance of goodwill, as of 
July 1, 2018. This non-cash loss was primarily due to the fall in the Company's stock price and the decrease of the Company's 
market capitalization as well as past performance, which was deemed to have negatively impacted all three of the Company's 
reporting units. As a consequence, management forecasts were revised and additional risk factors were applied.  The fair value 
of the three reporting units was estimated using a combination of market comparables (level 1 inputs) and expected present value 
of future cash flows (level 3 inputs). 

In  fiscal  2017,  the  fair  values  of  the  reporting  units  were  measured  as  of  July  1,  2017,  in  accordance  with  annual  testing 
procedures, and were reevaluated at the end of Q4 2017 as a result of the decline in the Company's stock price during the quarter. 
Goodwill related to the Sonic Foundry (Mediasite) and Sonic Foundry International reporting units was found not to be impaired, 
however, the Company recognized an impairment loss of $600 thousand for goodwill related to the Mediasite KK reporting unit 
as of September 30, 2017. This non-cash loss was primarily due to delays in expected growth related to partner relationships in 
Japan,  resulting  in  revenues  and  operating  cash  flows  being  lower  than  expected  for  the  reporting  unit  in  fiscal  2017. As  a 
consequence, management forecasts were revised and additional risk factors were applied.  The fair value of the Mediasite KK 
reporting unit was estimated using a combination of market comparables (level 1 inputs) and expected present value of future 
cash flows (level 3 inputs).  The Sonic Foundry (Mediasite) reporting unit, to which $7.6 million of goodwill is allocated, had a 
negative carrying amount on September 30, 2017.  This reporting unit is considered to be an operating segment on its own and is 
not part of any other reportable segment. 

See Fair Value of Financial Instruments section in Note 1 for additional discussion regarding fair value measurement of reporting 
units. 

78 

 
 
 
 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

The changes in the carrying amount of goodwill for the years ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively, are as follows: 

Balance as of September 30, 2016 
Accumulated impairment losses 
Foreign currency translation adjustment 
Balance as of September 30, 2017 
Accumulated impairment losses 
Foreign currency translation adjustment 
Balance as of September 30, 2018 

$ 

$ 

11,310  
(600 ) 
(255 ) 
10,455  
(10,423 ) 
(32 ) 
—  

Long-lived  assets  and  intangible  assets  other  than  goodwill  are  evaluated  for  impairment  whenever  events  or  changes  in 
circumstances indicate that the carrying value of an asset may not be recoverable based on expected undiscounted cash flows 
attributable to that asset. For the year ended September 30, 2018, it was determined that changes in circumstances were present, 
primarily the decline in the Company's market capitalization during the fiscal year and past performance. For the year ended 
September 30, 2018, the Company determined that intangible assets, consisting of customer relationships and product rights, 
were impaired and recognized an impairment charge of $1.4 million. For the year ended September 30, 2017, it was determined 
that changes in circumstances were present, primarily the decline in the Company's market capitalization during the fiscal year. 
However, after performing analysis of undiscounted cash flows attributable to the Company's long-lived assets along with other 
relevant  factors,  such  as  the  continued  use  of  the  assets,  it  was  determined  that  there  was  no  impairment  of  long-lived  and 
intangible assets other than goodwill. Key assumptions utilized in the analysis of undiscounted cash flows for each asset or asset 
group being tested included 1) whether cash flows were attributable solely to the asset or group, or to an entire reporting unit; 
and  2)  the  useful  lives  of  the  asset  or  asset  group.    Forecasts  used  in  the  analysis  were  also  consistent  with  those  used  in 
determining fair value of reporting units during goodwill impairment testing. 

The following tables present details of the Company’s total intangible assets that are being amortized at September 30, 2018 and 
2017: 

(in thousands) 

Amortizable: 

Customer relationships 
Software development costs 
Product rights 

Total 

(in thousands) 

Amortizable: 

Customer relationships 
Software development costs 

Product rights 

Total 

Life 
(years) 

Gross, Net of 
Impairment 

Accumulated 
Amortization 
at  
 September 30,  
2018 

Balance at 
September 30, 
2018 

10   $ 
3  
6  

 $ 

1,256     $ 
533    
534    
2,323     $ 

1,256     $ 
533    
534    
2,323     $ 

—  
—  
—  
—  

Life 
(years) 

Gross 

Accumulated 
Amortization 
at  
September 30,  
2017 

Balance at 
September 30,  
2017 

10   $ 
3  

6  

 $ 

2,495     $ 
533    
672    
3,700     $ 

990     $ 
533    
411    
1,934     $ 

1,505  
—  
261  
1,766  

79 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
   
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
   
   
 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

9. Related-Party Transactions 

The  Company  incurred  fees  of  $212  thousand  and  $143  thousand  during  the  years  ended  September 30,  2018  and  2017, 
respectively, to a law firm whose partner is a director and stockholder of the Company. The Company had accrued liabilities for 
unbilled services to the same law firm of $60 thousand and $55 thousand at September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively. 

As of September 30, 2018 and 2017, the Company had a loan outstanding to an executive totaling $26 thousand. The loan is 
collateralized by Company stock. 

On  January  19,  2018,  the  Company  and  a  director  entered  into  a  Subscription Agreement  (the  “Subscription Agreement”). 
Pursuant  to  the  Subscription  Agreement,  (i)  on  January  19,  2018,  the  director  purchased  a 10.75% Convertible  Secured 
Subordinated  Promissory  Note  for $500,000 in  cash;  and  (ii)  on  February  15,  2018,  the  director  purchased  an 
additional 10.75% Convertible Secured Promissory Note for $500,000 in cash (each, a “Note”, and collectively, the “Notes”). 

On May 17, 2018, following approval by the stockholders of the Company of the conversion of the Notes sufficient to comply 
with rules and regulations of NASDAQ, the Notes were automatically converted into 1,902 shares of Series A Preferred stock. 
The 
number  of  shares  was  determined  by  dividing  the  total  principal  and  accrued  interest  due  on  each  Note  by $542.13 (the 
“Conversion Rate”). 

On April 16, 2018, the Company issued 232,558 shares of common stock to an affiliated party. The shares were issued at a price 
of $2.15 per  share,  representing  the  closing  price  on April  13,  2018.  On April  16,  2018,  the  closing  price  of  the  Company’s 
common stock was $2.18 per share. The affiliated party also received warrants to purchase 232,558 shares of common stock at 
an exercise price of $2.50 per share, respectively, which expire on April 16, 2025. 

See Note 14 - Subsequent Events for additional information on subsequent transactions with a director of the Company. 

Both the director of the Company and the affiliated party beneficially own more than 5% of the Company's common stock. 

10. Segment Information 

We  have  determined  that  in  accordance  with  the  Financial  Accounting  Standards  Board  (“FASB”)  Accounting  Standards 
Codification (“ASC”) 280-10, Segment Reporting, we operate in three operating segments, however these segments meet the 
criteria for aggregation for reporting purposes as one reporting segment as of September 30, 2018. 

80 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

The following summarizes revenue by geographic region (in thousands): 

United States 
Europe and Middle East 
Asia 
Other 

Total 

11. Customer Concentration 

Years Ended 
September 30, 

2018 

2017 

21,152     $ 
4,482    
7,418    
1,492    
34,544     $ 

21,476  
4,720  
8,267  
1,537  
36,000  

$ 

$ 

In the fiscal year ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, two distributors represented 17% and 26% of total revenue, respectively. 
At September 30, 2018 and 2017, these two distributors represented 28% and 23% of total accounts receivable, respectively. 

12. Legal Proceedings 

From  time  to  time,  the  Company  is  subject  to  legal  proceedings  or  claims  arising  from  its  normal  course  of  operations. The 
Company  accrues  for  costs  related  to  loss  contingencies  when  such  costs  are  probable  and  reasonably  estimable.  As  of 
September 30, 2018, the Company is not aware of any material pending legal proceedings or threatened litigation that would have 
a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition or results of operations. 

13. Quarterly Financial Data (unaudited) 

The following table sets forth selected quarterly financial information for the years ended September 30, 2018 and 2017. The 
operating results are not necessarily indicative of results for any future period. 

Quarterly Financial Data 

Q4-’18 

  Q3-’18 

Q2-’18 

  Q1-’18 

  Q4-’17 

Q3-’17 

  Q2-’17 

Q1-’17 

$ 

8,490     $ 
6,095    
(12,900 )  

8,699     $ 
6,395    
(914 )  

8,460     $ 
5,929    
(1,259 )  

(10,018 )  

(1,020 )  

(1,449 )  

8,895     $ 
6,470    
(966 )  
320    

8,300     $ 
6,113    
(1,411 )  

9,833     $ 
7,247    
(371 )  

8,560     $ 
6,064    
(1,274 )  

(1,585 )  

(489 )  

(1,456 )  

9,307  
6,709  
(1,502 ) 

(1,509 ) 

$ 

(2.01 )   $ 

(0.23 )   $ 

(0.34 )   $ 

0.06 

  $ 

(0.37 )   $ 

(0.13 )   $ 

(0.33 )   $ 

(0.34 ) 

(in thousands except per share 
data) 
Revenue 
Gross margin 
Loss from operations 

Net income (loss) 
Basic and diluted net 
income (loss) per share 

14. Subsequent Events 

In connection with the Loan and Security Agreement with Partners for Growth V, L.P. entered into on May 11, 2018, Tranche 2 
of the Term Loan, in the amount of $500,000, was disbursed on November 8, 2018. 

On November 15, 2018, 718 shares of Preferred Stock, Series A were automatically converted by the Company into 169,741 
shares of common stock. The amount of shares converted represents all preferred shares issued on November 9, 2017. 

Initial Notes of the February 28, 2019 Note Purchase Agreement 

On January 4, 2019, Sonic Foundry, Inc. and a director entered into a Promissory Note (the "Promissory Note") pursuant to which 
the director purchased a 9.25% Unsecured Promissory Note for $1,000,000 in cash. 

Interest accrued and outstanding principal on the Promissory Note is due and payable on January 4, 2020. 

81 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

The Promissory Note may be prepaid at any time without penalty. 

The Promissory Note was later included in the Note Purchase Agreement, dated February 28, 2019, as detailed below. 

On January 31, 2019, Sonic Foundry, Inc. and a director entered into a Promissory Note (the "January 31, 2019 Promissory Note") 
pursuant to which the director purchased a 9.25% Unsecured Promissory Note for $1,000,000 in cash. 

Interest accrued and outstanding principal on the January 31, 2019 Promissory Note is due and payable on January 31, 2020. 

The January 31, 2019 Promissory Note may be prepaid any time without penalty. The note may be paid by the Company by 
issuing common stock to the director, with each share valued at $1.30 per share. 

The January 31, 2019 Promissory Note was later included in the Note Purchase Agreement, dated February 28, 2019, as detailed 
below. 

On February 14, 2019, Sonic Foundry, Inc. and a director entered into a Promissory Note (the "February 14, 2019 Promissory 
Note") pursuant to which the director purchased a 9.25% Unsecured Promissory Note for $1,000,000 in cash. 

Interest accrued and outstanding principal on the February 14, 2019 Promissory Note is due and payable on February 14, 2020. 

The February 14, 2019 Promissory Note may be prepaid any time without penalty. The note may be paid by the Company by 
issuing common stock to the director, with each share valued at $1.30 per share. 

The February 14, 2019 Promissory Note was later included in the Note Purchase Agreement, dated February 28, 2019, as detailed 
below. 

February 28, 2019 Note Purchase Agreement 

On February 28, 2019, Sonic Foundry, Inc. entered into a Note Purchase Agreement (the "Note Purchase Agreement") with Mr. 
Mark Burish ("Mr. Burish"). 

The Note Purchase Agreement provides for subordinated secured promissory notes (the "Subordinated Promissory Notes") in an 
aggregate original principal amount of up to $5,000,000. Mr. Burish will acquire from the Company (a) on the initial closing date, 
the notes in an aggregate principal amount of $3,000,000 (the "Initial Notes") and (b) two additional tranches, each in the amount 
of $1,000,000 and payable at any time prior to the first anniversary of the Agreement (the "Additional Notes" and together with 
the Initial Notes, collectively, the "Purchase Price"). The Initial Notes were previously disbursed in January and February of 2019, 
as detailed above (the Promissory Note, the January 31st, 2019 Promissory Note, and the February 14, 2019 Promissory Note, 
collectively referred to as the "Initial Notes"). 

The Subordinated Promissory Notes accrue interest at the variable per annum rate equal to the Prime Rate (as defined) plus four 
percent (4.00%). The outstanding principal balance of the Subordinated Promissory Notes, plus all unpaid accrued interest, plus 
all  outstanding  and  unpaid  obligations,  shall  be  due  and  payable  on  February  28,  2024  (the  "Maturity  Date").  Principal 
installments of $100,000 are payable on the last day of each month end beginning with the month ending August 31, 2020, and 
continuing through the Maturity Date. 

The principal of the Subordinated Promissory Notes may be prepaid at any time in whole or in part, by payment of an amount 
equal to the unpaid principal balance to be pre-paid, plus all unpaid interest accrued thereon through the prepayment date, plus 
all outstanding and unpaid fees and expenses payable through the prepayment date. 

At each anniversary of the Closing, an administration fee will be payable to Mr. Burish equal to 0.5% of the purchase price less 
principal payments made. 

The Subordinated Promissory Notes are collateralized by substantially all the Company's assets, including intellectual property, 
subject to the rights of Partners for Growth V, L.P., which shall be senior to the Subordinated Promissory Notes. 

The Note Purchase Agreement requires compliance with the following financial covenants: (i) Minimum Coverage Ratio, which 
requires, as of the last day of each month on or after the closing date, the Minimum Coverage Ratio (as defined) to be equal to or 
greater than (x) 0.7:1.00 for the December through May calendar months, (y) 0.9:1.00 for the June through November calendar 

82 

 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

months; (ii) Minimum Qualifying Revenue (as defined), as of the last day of any calendar month, on or after December 1, 2018, 
on a trailing twelve-month basis, to be less than $13,000,000. 

The Note Purchase Agreement dated February 28, 2019 is subordinated to the existing PFG loan. 

The Company used the proceeds from the notes issued under the Note Purchase Agreement to replace the revolving line of credit 
with Silicon Valley Bank, which matured on January 31, 2019. 

February 28, 2019 Warrant 

Coincident with execution of the Note Purchase Agreement, the Company entered into a Warrant Agreement ("Warrant") with 
Mr. Burish. Pursuant to the terms of the Warrant, the Company issued to Mr. Burish a warrant to purchase up to 728,155 shares 
of common stock of the Company at an exercise price of $1.18 per share, subject to certain adjustments. 

Partners for Growth V, L.P. 

On March 11, 2019, Sonic Foundry, Inc. entered into a Consent, Waiver & Modification to the Loan and Security Agreement 
dated May 11, 2018 (the "Modification") with Partners for Growth V, L.P. ("PFG"). Under the Modification: PFG waived the 
Company's default on the Minimum EBITDA financial covenant for the quarterly reporting period ending December 31, 2018; 
modified the existing financial covenants to be as follows: (i) Minimum Coverage Ratio (as defined), which requires, as of the 
last day of each month on or after the closing date, to be equal to or greater than (x) 0.7: 1.00 for the December through May 
calendar months, (y) 0.9:1.00 for the June through November calendar months; (ii) Minimum Qualifying Revenue (as defined), 
which requires, as of the last day of each calendar month, on or after December 1, 2018, on a trailing twelve-month basis, to be 
less  than  $13,000,000;  and  modified  the  negative  covenants  to  be  as  follows:  the  Company  (x)  shall  not  cause  or  permit  (a) 
Japanese subsidiary indebtedness under its revolving line of credit facility to exceed at any time $1,000,000 outstanding, or (b) 
aggregate subsidiary indebtedness to exceed $1,200,000 at any time. 

Under  the  Modification,  the  Company  is  required  to  draw  the  next  tranche  of  $1,000,000  in  proceeds  on  the  Note  Purchase 
Agreement (detailed above) on or before March 31, 2019 as well as the final tranche of $1,000,000 in proceeds on or before April 
30, 2019. 

The Modification acknowledges that Silicon Valley Bank, the named "Senior Lender" in the May 11, 2018 Loan Agreement has 
been repaid and the related senior loan documents terminated. 

The existing terms of the PFG loan in terms of amortization, interest rate, payment schedule and maturity date are unchanged. 

ITEM 9.  CHANGES  IN AND  DISAGREEMENTS  WITH ACCOUNTANTS  ON ACCOUNTING AND  FINANCIAL 
DISCLOSURE 

Not applicable. 

ITEM 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES 

Disclosure Controls and Procedures 

Based on evaluations at September 30, 2018, our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, with the participation 
of our management team, have evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15 
(e) and 15d-15 (e) under the Securities Exchange Act). Disclosure controls and procedures ensure that information required to be 
disclosed  by  us  in  reports  that  we  file  or  submit  under  the  Securities  Exchange Act  is  recorded,  processed,  summarized  and 
reported within the time periods specified in the rules and forms of the SEC, and that material information relating to the Company 
is accumulated and communicated to management, including our principal executive officer and our principal financial officer, 
as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosures. Based on this evaluation, our principal executive officer 

83 

 
 
 
 
 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

and principal financial officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were not effective as of September 30, 2018. 
See Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting below related to the material weakness identified. 

Limitations on the effectiveness of Controls and Permitted Omission from Management’s Assessment 

Our internal control over financial reporting is designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial 
reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting 
principles. All internal control systems, no matter how well designed, have inherent limitations, including the possibility of human 
error and the circumvention or overriding of controls. Accordingly, even effective internal controls can only provide reasonable 
assurance with respect to financial statement preparation. 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. 

Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting 

Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as such term 
is defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f). 

Under  the  supervision  and  with  the  participation  of  our  management,  including  our  principal  executive  officer  and  principal 
financial officer, we conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting based on the 
framework in the 2013 Internal Control- Integrated Framework, issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the 
Treadway Commission (the “2013 COSO Framework”) on May 14, 2013. The 2013 COSO Framework outlines the 17 underlying 
principles  and  the  following  fundamental  components  of  a  company’s  internal  control:  (i) control  environment,  (ii) risk 
assessment, (iii) control activities, (iv) information and communication, and (v) monitoring. The 2013 Framework was adopted 
in the fiscal year ended September 30, 2015. 

Based on this evaluation, our principal executive officer and principal financial officer concluded that our internal controls over 
financial reporting were not effective as of September 30, 2018 due to an identified material weakness in internal control. The 
material weakness relates to controls over identifying and performing an impairment analysis and the preparation of consolidated 
financial information specific to the subsequent measurement of goodwill and long-lived and intangible assets as well as the 
related impacts on the tax provision, which will be remediated in fiscal 2019. 

In light of the material weakness described above, additional procedures were performed by our management to ensure that the 
condensed consolidated financial statements included in this report were prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted 
accounting principles. 

Based on evaluations at September 30, 2018, our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, with the participation 
of our management team, have evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15 
(e) and 15d-15 (e) under the Securities Exchange Act). Disclosure controls and procedures ensure that information required to be 
disclosed  by  us  in  reports  that  we  file  or  submit  under  the  Securities  Exchange Act  is  recorded,  processed,  summarized  and 
reported within the time periods specified in the rules and forms of the SEC, and that material information relating to the Company 
is accumulated and communicated to management, including our principal executive officer and our principal financial officer, 
as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosures. Based on this evaluation, our principal executive officer 
and principal financial officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were not effective as of September 30, 2018 
as a result of a material weakness identified, which is described in the paragraphs above. 

This Annual  Report  on  Form  10-K  does  not  include  an attestation report of  our  registered  public  accounting  firm  regarding 
internal  control  over  financial  reporting.   Management’s  report  was  not  subject  to  attestation  by  the  Company’s  independent 
registered public accounting firm, as allowed by the SEC. 

84 

 
 
 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting 

We have not made any change to our internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely 
to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting. 

Remediation 

We  have  made  changes  to  our  methods  and  processes  used  in  evaluating  the  Company's  goodwill  and  other  long-lived  and 
intangible  assets  for  potential  impairment. The  primary  change  in  the  current  year  will  be  timely  preparation  of  the  analysis 
required by ASC topic 360 to analyze the Company's long-lived assets for impairment. Further, the Company has added personnel 
with skills and experience in this area that will assist with the computation in future periods and will allow the Company to more 
timely identify issues and resolve them prior to the calculation date. Further, technical training related to highly complex issues, 
such as this, is now a requirement of personnel performing the evaluation.  The Company's goodwill and the majority of the 
company’s long-lived assets were fully impaired in fiscal 2018 and therefore, no longer require analysis. The only long-lived 
assets remaining are property, plant and equipment items which are less subjective and complex than goodwill and intangibles. 
Therefore, the ASC 350 test will no longer be performed and only the ASC 360 test will apply to the company in regard to the 
property, plant and equipment long-lived assets. Additional technical training related to the tax provision (ASC 740 - Income 
Taxes) is also now a requirement for personnel to ensure adequate review of the work performed by outside consultants. There 
can be no assurances that we will fully remediate the weakness in controls over financial reporting. 

ITEM 9B. OTHER INFORMATION 

None. 

85 

 
 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

PART III 

ITEM 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS, AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE 

The information required by Item 10 of Form 10-K with respect to directors and executive officers is incorporated herein by 
reference to the information contained in the section entitled “Proposal One: Election of Directors” and “Executive Officers of 
Sonic”, respectively, in the Company’s definitive Proxy Statement to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission in 
connection with the solicitation of proxies for the Company’s 2018 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which will be filed no later 
than January 28, 2019 (the “Proxy Statement”). 

Item 405 of Regulation S-K calls for disclosure of any known late filings or failure by an insider to file a report required by 
Section 16(a) of the Securities Act. This information is contained in the Section entitled “Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership 
Reporting Compliance” in the Proxy Statement and is incorporated herein by reference. 

Item 401  of  Regulation  S-K  calls  for  disclosure  of  whether  or  not  the  Company  has  a  financial  expert  serving  on  the  audit 
committee  of  its  Board  of  Directors,  and  if  so  who  that  individual  is.  This  information  is  contained  in  the  Section  entitled 
“Meetings and Committees of Directors” in the Proxy Statement and is incorporated herein by reference. 

Item 407 of Regulation S-K calls for disclosure of whether or not the Company has an audit committee and a financial expert 
serving on the audit committee of the Board of Directors, and if so, who that individual is. Item 407 also requires disclosure 
regarding the Company’s nominating committee and the director nomination process. This information is contained in the section 
entitled “Meetings and Committees of Directors” in the Proxy Statement and is incorporated herein by reference. 

Sonic  Foundry  has  adopted  a  code  of  ethics  that  applies  to  all  officers  and  employees,  including  Sonic  Foundry’s  principal 
executive officer, its principal financial officer, and persons performing similar functions. This code of ethics is available, without 
charge, to any investor who requests it. Requests should be addressed in writing to Mr. Kenneth A. Minor, Corporate Secretary, 
222 West Washington Avenue, Madison, Wisconsin 53703. 

ITEM 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION 

The information required by Item 11 of Form 10-K is incorporated herein by reference to the information contained in the sections 
entitled  “Directors  Compensation”,  “Executive  Compensation  and  Related  Information”  and  “Compensation  Committee 
Interlocks and Insider Participation” in the Proxy Statement. 

ITEM 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED 
STOCKHOLDER MATTERS 

The information required by Item 12 of Form 10-K is incorporated herein by reference to the information contained in the sections 
entitled “Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management” in the Proxy Statement. Information related to 
equity compensation plans is set forth in Item 5 herein. 

ITEM 13.  CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE 

The information required by Item 13 of Form 10-K is incorporated herein by reference to the information contained in the section 
entitled “Certain Transactions” and “Meetings and Committees of Directors” in the Proxy Statement. 

86 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Sonic Foundry, Inc. 
Annual Report on Form 10-K 
For the Year Ended September 30, 2018 

ITEM 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES 

The information required by Item 14 of Form 10-K is incorporated herein by reference to the information contained in the section 
entitled  “Ratification  of Appointment  of  Independent Auditors  –  Fiscal  2017  and  2018 Audit  Fee  Summary”  in  the  Proxy 
Statement. 

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©2019 Sonic Foundry, Inc. All rights reserved. Sonic Foundry and the Sonic Foundry logo are 

registered trademarks of Sonic Foundry, Inc. Mediasite and the Mediasite logo are registered 

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