Use these links to rapidly review the document
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Item 15. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedule

Table of Contents

 

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

Commission File Number 001-33287

Information Services Group, Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Two Stamford Plaza
281 Tresser Boulevard
Stamford, CT 06901
(Address of principal executive offices and zip code)

Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (203) 517-3100

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

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

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

          Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes o    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 o

          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 o

          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. ý

          Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of "large accelerated filer", "accelerated filer" and "smaller reporting company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

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

          The aggregate market value of the voting common stock, par value $0.001 per share, held by non-affiliates of the registrant computed by reference to the closing sales price for the registrant's common stock on June 30, 2014, as reported on the NASDAQ Stock Market was approximately $156,161,460.

          In determining the market value of the voting stock held by any non-affiliates, shares of common stock of the registrant beneficially owned by directors, officers and other holders of non-publicly traded shares of common stock of the registrant have been excluded. This determination of affiliate status is not necessarily a conclusive determination for other purposes.

          As of February 27, 2015, the registrant had outstanding 37,038,495 shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share.

Documents Incorporated by Reference

   

---

TABLE OF CONTENTS

2

---

Table of Contents

SAFE HARBOR STATEMENT

        Information Services Group ("ISG") believes that some of the information in this Annual Report on Form 10-K constitutes forward-looking statements. You can identify these statements by forward-looking words such as "may," "expect," "anticipate," "contemplate," "believe," "estimate," "intends" and "continue" or similar words, but this is not an exclusive way of identifying such statements. You should read statements that contain these words carefully because they:

•

discuss future expectations;



•

contain projections of future results of operations or financial condition; or



•

state other "forward-looking" information.

        These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements relating to:

•

ability to retain existing clients and contracts;



•

ability to win new clients and engagements;



•

ability to implement cost reductions and productivity improvements;



•

beliefs about future trends in the sourcing industry;



•

expected spending on sourcing services by clients;



•

growth of our markets;



•

foreign currency exchange rates;



•

effective tax rate; and



•

competition in the sourcing industry.

        ISG believes it is important to communicate its expectations to its stockholders. However, there may be events in the future that ISG is not able to predict accurately or over which it has no control. The risk factors and cautionary language discussed in this Annual Report provide examples of risks, uncertainties and events that may cause actual results to differ materially from the expectations in such forward-looking statements, including among other things:

•

the amount of cash on hand;



•

business strategy;



•

cost reductions and productivity improvements may not be fully realized or realized within the expected time frame;



•

continued compliance with government regulations;



•

legislation or regulatory environments, requirements or changes adversely affecting the business in which ISG is engaged;



•

fluctuations in client demand;



•

ability to grow the business and effectively manage growth and international operations while maintaining effective internal controls;

3

---

Table of Contents

•

ability to hire and retain enough qualified employees to support operations;



•

increases in wages in locations in which ISG has operations;



•

ability to retain senior management;



•

fluctuations in exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and foreign currencies;



•

ability to attract and retain clients and the ability to develop and maintain client relationships based on attractive terms;



•

legislation in the United States or elsewhere that adversely affects the performance of sourcing services offshore;



•

increased competition;



•

telecommunications or technology disruptions or breaches, or natural or other disasters;



•

ability to protect ISG intellectual property and the intellectual property of others;



•

the international nature of ISG's business;



•

political or economic instability in countries where ISG has operations;



•

worldwide political, economic and business conditions; and



•

ability to source, successfully consummate or integrate strategic acquisitions.

        All forward-looking statements included herein attributable to us or any person acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained or referred to in this section. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this Annual Report. Except to the extent required by applicable laws and regulations, we undertake no obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this Annual Report or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

        You should also review the risks and uncertainties we describe in the reports we will file from time to time with the SEC after the date of this Annual Report.

4

---

Table of Contents

PART I

Item 1.    Business

        As used herein, unless the context otherwise requires, ISG, the registrant, is referred to in this Form 10-K annual report ("Form 10-K") as the "Company," "we," "us" and "our."

Our Company

        Information Services Group, Inc. ('ISG") (NASDAQ: III) is a leading technology insights, market intelligence and advisory services company serving more than 500 clients around the world to help them achieve operational excellence. ISG supports private and public sector organizations to transform and optimize their operational environments through research, benchmarking, consulting and managed services with a focus on information technology, business process transformation, program management services and enterprise resource planning. Clients look to ISG for unique insights and innovative solutions for leveraging technology, our deep data source, and more than five decades of experience of global leadership in information and advisory services. Based in Stamford, Connecticut, the Company has more than 900 employees and operates in 21 countries.

        Our Company was founded in 2006 with the strategic vision to become a high-growth, leading provider of information-based advisory services. In 2007, ISG consummated its initial public offering and completed the acquisition of TPI Advisory Services Americas, Inc. ("TPI").

        On January 4, 2011, we acquired Compass, a premier independent global provider of business and information technology benchmarking, performance improvement, data and analytics services. Headquartered in the United Kingdom, Compass was founded in 1980 and had approximately 180 employees in 16 countries serving nearly 250 clients.

        On February 10, 2011, we acquired Austin, Texas-based STA Consulting, a premier independent information technology advisor serving the public sector. STA Consulting advises clients on information technology strategic planning and the acquisition and implementation of new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and other enterprise administration and management systems. STA Consulting was founded in 1997 and had approximately 40 professionals serving state and local government entities in the United States.

        On January 10, 2012, we announced the merger of our individual corporate brands into one globally integrated go-to-market business under the ISG brand. TPI, the world's leading independent sourcing data and advisory firm; Compass, a premier independent provider of business and IT benchmarking; and STA Consulting, a premier independent technology advisory firm serving the North America public sector, have combined under the ISG brand. This merger offers clients one source of support to drive operational excellence in their organizations. The legacy brands of TPI and Compass remain as product and service descriptors, such as "TPI Sourcing" and "Compass Benchmarks".

        On March 17, 2014, we acquired 51% of Convergent Technologies Partners S.p.A. (CTP"), a leading management consulting firm providing specialized IT and operational strategies and solutions to Italy's public sector. At the same time CTP acquired 100% interest of Compass Management Consulting Italy ("Compass Italy"), a subsidiary of Compass Holdings BV. CTP was founded in 1999 and had approximately 15 employees in Italy.

5

---

Table of Contents

        On April 15, 2014, we executed an Asset Purchase Agreement with CCI, an Australia-based research firm that measures and analyzes customer satisfaction in business-to-business relationships. CCI was founded in 2001 and had approximately 14 employees in Australia.

        We continue to believe that our vision will be realized through the acquisition, integration, and successful operation of market-leading brands within the data, analytics and advisory industry. Including our most recent acquisitions, we operate in 21 countries and employ more than 900 professionals globally, delivering advisory, benchmarking and analytical insight to large, multinational corporations and governments in the Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific.

        Our private and public sector clients continue to face significant technological, business and economic challenges that will continue to fuel demand for the professional services we provide. In the private sector, for example, we believe that companies will continue to face significant challenges associated with globalization and technological innovation, including the need to decrease operating costs, increase efficiencies and deal with increasing numbers of emerging and transformational technologies such as cloud computing. Similarly, public sector organizations at the national, regional and local levels increasingly must deal with the complex and converging issues of outdated technology systems, significantly impaired revenue sources and an aging workforce.

        Overall, we believe that the global marketplace dynamics at work in both the private and public sectors mitigate in favor of the professional services, analytics and advice ISG can provide. In this dynamic environment, the strength of our client relationships greatly depends on the quality of our advice and insight, the independence of our thought leadership and the effectiveness of our people in assisting our clients to implement strategies that successfully address their most pressing operational challenges.

        We are organized as a corporation under the laws of the State of Delaware. The current mailing address of the Company's principal executive office is: Information Services Group, Inc., Two Stamford Plaza, 281Tresser Boulevard, Stamford, CT 06901. Our telephone number is (203) 517-3100.

Our Services

        During periods of expansion or contraction, for enterprises large or small, public or private, in the Americas, Europe or Asia Pacific, our services have helped organizations address their most complex operational issues. The functional domain experience of our experts and deep empirical data resources help clients better understand their strategic options. We provide three key lines of service:

•

Research.  We utilize our extensive experience and proprietary data assets to provide subscription and custom research services to both buyers and sellers of services in the outsourcing and managed services industries. Our combined data sources, compiled from over 30 years of servicing global corporations, provide a rich source of benchmark data into the comparative cost and quality of operational alternatives. For enterprise clients, we use these data sources to provide them with in-depth analysis into the implications of different service strategies, allowing them to compare and contrast and make informed decisions regarding strategic change. For service providers, our views into the buying behaviors, needs and objectives of global corporations examining transformation of their operations provide unique insights that help them tailor and market their offerings to these enterprises.

6

---

Table of Contents

•

Consulting.  We assist clients with envisioning, designing and implementing change in their operational environments. We evaluate existing practices and operating costs of public and private enterprises, identifying potential improvement opportunities to enhance service delivery, optimize operations or reduce costs. Solutions are customized by a client situation and may include internal transformation, the adoption of external strategies, or some combination of both. In all cases, we assist with the selection, implementation and ongoing support for these strategic initiatives.



•

Managed Services.  Our managed service offerings provide operational governance services to our clients to ensure seamless end-to-end service. This offering assists clients with monitoring and managing their supplier relationships, providing them with real-time accurate market intelligence and insights into all aspects of provider performance and cost, allowing them to focus on the more strategic aspects of supplier management.

Our Competitive Advantages

        We believe that the following strengths differentiate us from our competition:

•

Independence and Objectivity.  We are not a service provider. We are an independent, fact-based data, analytics and advisory firm with no material conflicting financial or other interests. This enables us to maintain a trusted advisor relationship with our clients through our unbiased focus and ability to align our interests with those of our clients.



•

Domain Expertise.  Averaging over 20 years of experience, our strategic consulting teams bring a wealth of industry and domain-specific knowledge and expertise to address our clients' most complex transformational needs.



•

Strong Brand Recognition.  ISG continues to gain marketplace traction as a leading brand in our industry after merging its TPI, Compass and STA Consulting brands into one go-to-market brand: ISG. ISG offers an integrated product and service offering for our clients as one, unified company. We have retained our legacy brands, in certain cases, as names of legal entities and to describe product and services offering that have legally registered trademarks in certain jurisdictions, such as "TPI Sourcing" and "Compass benchmarks".



•

Proprietary Data Assets and Market Intelligence.  We have assembled a comprehensive and unique set of data, analytics and market intelligence built over more than thirty years of data collection and analysis, providing insight into the comparative cost and quality of a variety of operational alternatives.



•

Global Reach.  We possess practical experience in global business operations, and we understand the significance of interconnected economies and companies. Our resources in the Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific, China and India make us a truly global advisory firm able to consistently serve the strategic and implementation needs of our clients.

        We believe that the strengths disclosed above are central to our ability to deal successfully with the challenges that we face.

7

---

Table of Contents

Our Strategy

        We intend to use our competitive strengths to develop new services and products, sustain our growth and strengthen our existing market position by pursuing the following strategies:

•

Preserve and Expand Our Market Share Positions.  We expect the trend toward globalization and greater operating efficiency and technological innovation to play an increasing role in the growth of demand for our services. We plan to leverage our combined operating platform to serve the growing number of private and public enterprises utilizing outside advisors when undertaking transformational projects. In addition, we will seek to continue to expand our products and services and the geographic markets we serve opportunistically as global competition spurs demand for cost savings and value creation.



•

Strengthen Our Industry Expertise.  We have strengthened our market facing organization to drive increased revenue around five key areas—BFSI (Banking, Financial Services and Insurance); Manufacturing/Auto; Energy, Life Sciences and Healthcare; Technology, Retail and Enterprise Businesses; and Public Sector/Government.



•

Expand Geographically.  Historically, we generated the majority of our revenues in North America. Over the past several years, we have made significant investments in Europe and Asia Pacific to capitalize on emerging demand for advisory, benchmarking and analytical insight in these geographic regions. We intend to continue to expand in Europe and Asia Pacific. The acquisition of Compass, CTP and CCI expanded our geographic reach, particularly in Europe and Australia, and increased the amount of our revenues we generated internationally versus in North America.



•

Aggressively Expand Our Market Focus.  We are seeking to drive our service portfolio and relationships with clients further into white spaces—Business Advisory Services, Cloud Solutions, Project Management Services, Strategy, Assess, Transition and Organization & Operations are all areas where we are investing additional focus to drive increased revenues and expanded relationships with clients.



•

Further Develop Digital and Cloud Competency.  There is a nexus of distinct yet complimentary technology trends that are creating a perfect storm of disruption for some companies. Among the most significant technology trends are the speed with which products get to market, large-scale digitization, the efficiency of the cloud and the immediacy with which new disruptors can become omnipresent. ISG plans to expand resources and intellectual property ("IP") around digitization and the cloud. Digitization is the 'softwarization' of business. Processes that were once executed over analog channels (such as phone and 'real life') increasingly happen over software. Also, digitization has elevated the profile of software. Software no longer merely supports business processes, but is central to the enterprise strategy.



•

Expand "Recurring Revenue Streams."  This includes Managed Services, Research and the U.S. Public Sector. All three are characterized by subscriptions (i.e. renewal-centric as opposed to project centric revenue streams) or multi-year contracts. As companies begin to recognize the importance of managing the post-sourcing-transaction period, managed services has emerged as a revenue driver for us where our offerings are delivered through multi-year managed services contracts. We believe that our experience with outsourcing transactions and software implementation initiatives make us uniquely equipped to provide research insights and direct

8

---

Table of Contents

support to help our clients manage their transformational projects or act as a third-party administrator. We will continue to pursue opportunities to leverage our experience to make research and managed services an even greater revenue generator for us. The U.S. public sector—particularly state governments, local municipalities, and higher education—presents a significant opportunity to ISG. Systems are old, maintenance is expensive, and the workforce charged with maintenance is ageing. There is a need to refurbish systems to reduce the cost of operations (particularly because governments' tax revenues are under pressure). We are positioned as a third party, objective advisory group with no affiliation to the software providers.

•

Consider Acquisition and Other Growth Opportunities.  The business services, information and advisory market is highly fragmented. We believe we are well-positioned to leverage our leading market positions and strong brand recognition to expand through acquisitions. Acquiring firms with complementary services and products will allow us to further develop and broaden our service offerings and domain expertise. We will consider and may pursue opportunities to enter into joint ventures and to buy or combine with other businesses.



•

Retool Our Resource and Delivery Model.  The goal is to evolve our workforce to achieve a more efficient distribution of resources globally and a more flexible staffing model. This will provide ISG clients with better value for money while also improving ISG margins.

Our Proprietary Data Assets and Market Intelligence

        One of our core assets is the information, data, analytics, methodologies and other intellectual capital the Company possesses. This intellectual property underpins the independent nature of our operational assessments, strategy development, deal-structuring, negotiation and other consulting services we provide to our clients.

        With each engagement we conduct, we enhance both the quantity and quality of the intellectual property we employ on behalf of our clients, thus providing a continuous, evolving and unique source of information, data and analytics.

        This intellectual property is proprietary and we rely on multiple legal and contractual provisions and devices to protect our intellectual property rights. We recognize the value of our intellectual property and vigorously defend it. As a result, the Company maintains strict policies and procedures regarding ownership, use and protection with all parties, including our employees.

Clients

        We operate in 21 countries and across numerous industries. Our private sector clients operate in the financial services, telecommunications, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, transportation and travel and energy and utilities industries. Our private sector clients are primarily large businesses ranked in the Forbes Global 2000 companies annually. Our public sector clients are primarily state and local governments (cities and counties) and authorities (airport and transit) in the United States and national and provincial government units in the United Kingdom, Italy, Canada and Australia.

9

---

Table of Contents

Competition

        Competition in the sourcing, data, information and advisory market is primarily driven by independence and objectivity, expertise, possession of relevant benchmarking data, breadth of service capabilities, reputation and price. We compete with other sourcing advisors, research firms, strategy consultants and sourcing service providers. A significant number of independent sourcing and advisory firms offer similar services. In our view, however, these firms generally lack the benchmarking data, scale and diversity of expertise that we possess. In addition, most research firms do not possess the data repository of recent, comparable transactions and benchmarking data. Management consultants bring strategic service capabilities to the sourcing and advisory market. However, they generally lack the depth of experience that sourcing, data and advisory firms such as ISG possess. In addition, management consultants do not possess the sourcing and technology implementation expertise nor the benchmarking data capabilities that are critical to implementing and managing successful transformational projects for businesses and governments. Other service providers often lack the depth of experience, competitive benchmarking data and independence critical to playing the role of "trusted advisor" to clients.

Employees

        As of December 31, 2014, we employed 902 people worldwide.

        Our employee base includes executive management, service leads, partners, directors, advisors, analysts, technical specialists and functional support staff.

        We recruit advisors from service providers, consulting firms and clients with direct operational experience. These advisors leverage extensive practical expertise derived from experiences in corporate leadership, consulting, research, financial analysis, contract negotiations and operational service delivery.

        All employees are required to execute confidentiality, conflict of interest and intellectual property agreements as a condition of employment. There are no collective bargaining agreements covering any of our employees.

        Our voluntary advisor turnover rate ranged between 10% and 16% over the last three years.

Available Information

        Our Internet address is www.isg-one.com. The content on our website is available for information purposes only. It should not be relied upon for investment purposes, nor is it incorporated by reference into this Form 10-K. We make available through our Internet website under the heading "Investor Relations," our annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and current reports on Form 8-K after we electronically file any such materials with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Copies of our key corporate governance documents, including our Code of Ethics and Business Conduct for Directors, Officers and Employees and charters for our Audit Committee, our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and our Compensation Committee are also on our website. Stockholders may request free copies of these documents including our Annual Report to Stockholders by writing to Information Services Group, Inc., Two Stamford Plaza, 281 Tresser Boulevard, Stamford CT 06901, Attention: David E. Berger, or by calling (203) 517-3100.

        Our annual and quarterly reports and other information statements are available to the public through the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. In addition, the Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders, Proxy Statement and 2014 Annual Report to Stockholders are available free of charge at www.isg-one.com.

10

---

Table of Contents

Item 1A.    Risk Factors

         The loss of key executives could adversely affect our business.

        The success of our business is dependent upon the continued service of a relatively small group of key executives, including Mr. Connors, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer; Mr. Berger, Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Mr. Cravens, Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources and Communications Officer, among others.

        Although we currently intend to retain our existing management, we cannot assure you that such individuals will remain with us for the immediate or foreseeable future. The unexpected loss of the services of one or more of these executives could adversely affect our business.

         We have outstanding a substantial amount of debt, which may limit our ability to fund general corporate requirements and obtain additional financing, limit our flexibility in responding to business opportunities and competitive developments and increase our vulnerability to adverse economic and industry conditions and changes in our debt rating.

        On May 3, 2013, the Company entered into a five year senior secured credit facility (the "2013 Credit Agreement") comprised of a $45.0 million term loan facility and a $25.0 million revolving credit facility. On May 3, 2013, we borrowed $55.0 million under the 2013 Credit Agreement to refinance our existing debt under our prior credit agreement and to pay transaction costs. As a result of the substantial fixed costs associated with the debt obligations, we expect that:

•

a decrease in revenues will result in a disproportionately greater percentage decrease in earnings;



•

we may not have sufficient liquidity to fund all of these fixed costs if our revenues decline or costs increase;



•

we may have to use our working capital to fund these fixed costs instead of funding general corporate requirements, including capital expenditures;



•

we may not have sufficient liquidity to respond to business opportunities, competitive developments and adverse economic conditions; and



•

our results of operations will be adversely affected if interest rates increase because, based on our current outstanding term loan borrowings in the amount of $49.9 million, a 1% increase in interest rates would result in a pre-tax impact on earnings of approximately $0.5 million per year.

        These debt obligations may also impair our ability to obtain additional financing, if needed, and our flexibility in the conduct of our business. Our indebtedness under the senior secured revolving credit facility is secured by substantially all of our assets, leaving us with limited collateral for additional financing. Moreover, the terms of our indebtedness under the senior secured revolving credit facility restrict our ability to take certain actions, including the incurrence of additional indebtedness, mergers and acquisitions, investments and asset sales. Our ability to pay the fixed costs associated with our debt obligations will depend on our operating performance and cash flow, which in turn depend on general economic conditions and the advisory services market. A failure to pay interest or indebtedness when due could result in a variety of adverse consequences, including the acceleration of our indebtedness. In such a situation, it is unlikely that we would be able to fulfill our obligations under or repay the

11

---

Table of Contents

accelerated indebtedness or otherwise cover our fixed costs. As of December 31, 2014, the total principal outstanding under the term loan facility and revolving credit facility was $39.9 million and $10.0 million, respectively.

         Failure to maintain effective internal controls over financial reporting could adversely affect our business and the market price of our Common Stock.

        Pursuant to rules adopted by the SEC implementing Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, we are required to assess the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting and provide a management report on our internal controls over financial reporting in all annual reports. This report contains, among other matters, a statement as to whether or not our internal controls over financial reporting are effective and the disclosure of any material weaknesses in our internal controls over financial reporting identified by management.

        The Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) provides a framework for companies to assess and improve their internal control systems. Auditing Standard No. 5 provides the professional standards and related performance guidance for auditors to attest to, and report on, management's assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting under Section 404. Management's assessment of internal controls over financial reporting requires management to make subjective judgments and, some of the judgments will be in areas that may be open to interpretation. Therefore, our management's report on our internal controls over financial reporting may be difficult to prepare, and our auditors may not agree with our management's assessment.

        While we currently believe our internal controls over financial reporting are effective, we are required to comply with Section 404 on an annual basis. If, in the future, we identify one or more material weaknesses in our internal controls over financial reporting during this continuous evaluation process, our management will be unable to assert such internal controls are effective. Therefore, if we are unable to assert that our internal controls over financial reporting are effective in the future, or if our auditors are unable to express an opinion on the effectiveness of our internal controls, our investors could lose confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports, which could have an adverse effect on our business and the market price of our Common Stock.

         The market price of our common stock may fluctuate widely.

        The market price of our common stock could fluctuate substantially due to:

•

future announcements concerning us or our competitors;



•

quarterly fluctuations in operating results;



•

announcements of acquisitions or technological innovations;



•

changes in earnings estimates or recommendations by analysts; or



•

current market volatility.

        In addition, the stock prices of many business and technology services companies fluctuate widely for reasons which may be unrelated to operating results. Fluctuation in the market price of our common stock may impact our ability to finance our operations and retain personnel.

12

---

Table of Contents

         Our operating results have been, and may in the future be, adversely impacted by the worldwide economic crisis and credit tightening.

        Our results of operations are affected by the level of business activity of our clients, which in turn is affected by the level of economic activity in the industries and markets that they serve. A decline in the level of business activity of our clients could have a material adverse effect on our revenue and profit margin. In particular, our exposure to certain industries currently experiencing financial difficulties, including the transportation and financial services industries, could have an adverse effect on our results of operations. Future economic conditions could cause some clients to reduce or defer their expenditures for consulting services. We have implemented and will continue to implement cost-savings initiatives to manage our expenses as a percentage of revenue. However, current and future cost-management initiatives may not be sufficient to maintain our margins if the economic environment should weaken for a prolonged period.

         The rate of growth in the broadly defined business information services & advisory sector and/or the use of technology in business may fall significantly below the levels that we currently anticipate.

        Our business is dependent upon continued growth in sourcing activity, the use of technology in business by our clients and prospective clients and the continued trend towards sourcing of complex information technology and business process tasks by large and small organizations. If sourcing diminishes as a management and operational tool, the growth in the use of technology slows down or the cost of sourcing alternatives rises, our business could suffer. Companies that have already invested substantial resources in developing in-house information technology and business process functions may be particularly reluctant or slow to move to a sourcing solution that may make some of their existing personnel and infrastructure obsolete.

         Our engagements may be terminated, delayed or reduced in scope by clients at any time.

        Our clients may decide at any time to abandon, postpone and/or to reduce our involvement in an engagement. Our engagements can therefore terminate, or the scope of our responsibilities may diminish, with limited advance notice. If an engagement is terminated, delayed or reduced unexpectedly, the professionals working on the engagement could be underutilized until we assign them to other projects. Accordingly, the termination or significant reduction in the scope of a single large engagement, or multiple smaller engagements, could harm our business results.

         Our operating results may fluctuate significantly from period to period as a result of factors outside of our control.

        We expect our revenues and operating results to vary significantly from accounting period to accounting period due to factors including:

•

fluctuations in revenues earned on contracts;



•

commencement, completion or termination of contracts during any particular period;



•

additions and departures of key advisors;



•

transitioning of advisors from completed projects to new engagements;



•

seasonal trends;

13

---

Table of Contents

•

introduction of new services by us or our competitors;



•

changes in fees, pricing policies or compensation arrangements by us or our competitors;



•

strategic decisions by us, our clients or our competitors, such as acquisitions, divestitures, spin-offs, joint ventures, strategic investments or changes in business strategy;



•

global economic and political conditions and related risks, including acts of terrorism; and



•

conditions in the travel industry that could prevent our advisors from traveling to client sites.

         We depend on project-based advisory engagements, and our failure to secure new engagements could lead to a decrease in our revenues.

        Advisory engagements typically are project-based. Our ability to attract advisory engagements is subject to numerous factors, including the following:

•

delivering consistent, high-quality advisory services to our clients;



•

tailoring our advisory services to the changing needs of our clients;



•

matching the skills and competencies of our advisory staff to the skills required for the fulfillment of existing or potential advisory engagements; and



•

maintaining a global business operation.

        Any material decline in our ability to secure new advisory arrangements could have an adverse impact on our revenues and financial condition.

         We could lose money on our fixed-fee contracts.

        As part of our strategy, we enter into fixed fee contracts, in addition to contracts based on payment for time and materials. Because of the complexity of many of our client engagements, accurately estimating the cost, scope and duration of a particular engagement can be a difficult task. If we fail to make accurate estimates, we could be forced to devote additional resources to these engagements for which we will not receive additional compensation. To the extent that an expenditure of additional resources is required on an engagement, this could reduce the profitability of, or result in a loss on, the engagement.

         We may not be able to maintain our existing services and products.

        We operate in a rapidly evolving market, and our success depends upon our ability to deliver high quality advice and analysis to our clients. Any failure to continue to provide credible and reliable information and advice that is useful to our clients could have a significant adverse effect on future business and operating results. Further, if our advice proves to be materially incorrect and the quality of service is diminished, our reputation may suffer and demand for our services and products may decline. In addition, we must continue to improve our methods for delivering our products and services in a cost-effective manner.

14

---

Table of Contents

         We may not have the ability to develop and offer the new services and products that we need to remain competitive.

        Our future success will depend in part on our ability to offer new services and products. To maintain our competitive position, we must continue to enhance and improve our services and products, develop or acquire new services and products in a timely manner, and appropriately position and price new services and products relative to the marketplace and our costs of producing them. These new services and products must successfully gain market acceptance by addressing specific industry and business sectors and by anticipating and identifying changes in client requirements. The process of researching, developing, launching and gaining client acceptance of a new service or product, or assimilating and marketing an acquired service or product is risky and costly. We may not be able to introduce new, or assimilate acquired, services and products successfully. Any failure to achieve successful client acceptance of new services and products could have an adverse effect on our business results.

         We have risks associated with potential acquisitions or investments.

        Since our inception, we have expanded through acquisitions. In the future, we plan to pursue additional acquisitions and investments as opportunities arise. We may not be able to successfully integrate businesses which we may acquire in the future without substantial expense, delays or other operational or financial problems. We may not be able to identify, acquire or profitably manage additional businesses. If we pursue acquisition or investment opportunities, these potential risks could disrupt our ongoing business, result in the loss of key customers or personnel, increase expenses and otherwise have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

         Difficulties in integrating businesses we acquire in the future may demand time and attention from our senior management.

        Integrating businesses we acquire in the future may involve unanticipated delays, costs and/or other operational and financial problems. In integrating acquired businesses, we may not achieve expected economies of scale or profitability, or realize sufficient revenue to justify our investment. If we encounter unexpected problems as we try to integrate an acquired firm into our business, our management may be required to expend time and attention to address the problems, which would divert their time and attention from other aspects of our business.

         We may fail to anticipate and respond to market trends.

        Our success depends in part upon our ability to anticipate rapidly changing technologies and market trends and to adapt our advice, services and products to meet the changing sourcing advisory needs of our clients. Our clients regularly undergo frequent and often dramatic changes. That environment of rapid and continuous change presents significant challenges to our ability to provide our clients with current and timely analysis, strategies and advice on issues of importance to them. Meeting these challenges requires the commitment of substantial resources. Any failure to continue to respond to developments, technologies, and trends in a manner that meets market needs could have an adverse effect on our business results.

15

---

Table of Contents

         We may be unable to protect important intellectual property rights.

        We rely on copyright and trademark laws, as well as nondisclosure and confidentiality arrangements, to protect our proprietary rights in our methods of performing our services and our tools for analyzing financial and other information. There can be no assurance that the steps we have taken to protect our intellectual property rights will be adequate to deter misappropriation of our rights or that we will be able to detect unauthorized use and take timely and effective steps to enforce our rights. If substantial and material unauthorized uses of our proprietary methodologies and analytical tools were to occur, we may be required to engage in costly and time-consuming litigation to enforce our rights. There can be no assurance that we would prevail in such litigation. If others were able to use our intellectual property or were to independently develop our methodologies or analytical tools, our ability to compete effectively and to charge appropriate fees for our services may be adversely affected.

         We face competition and our failure to compete successfully could materially adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

        The business information services and advisory sector is competitive, highly fragmented and subject to rapid change. We face competition from many other providers ranging from large organizations to small firms and independent contractors that provide specialized services. Our competitors include any firm that provides sourcing or benchmarking advisory services, IT strategy or business process consulting, which may include a variety of consulting firms, service providers, niche advisors and, potentially, advisors currently or formerly employed by us. Some of our competitors have significantly more financial and marketing resources, larger professional staffs, closer client relationships, broader geographic presence or more widespread recognition than us.

        In addition, limited barriers to entry exist in the markets in which we do business. As a result, additional new competitors may emerge and existing competitors may start to provide additional or complementary services. Additionally, technological advances may provide increased competition from a variety of sources. There can be no assurance that we will be able to successfully compete against current and future competitors and our failure to do so could result in loss of market share, diminished value in our products and services, reduced pricing and increased marketing expenditures. Furthermore, we may not be successful if we cannot compete effectively on quality of advice and analysis, timely delivery of information, client service or the ability to offer services and products to meet changing market needs for information, analysis or price.

         We rely heavily on key members of our management team.

        We are dependent on our management team. We issue restricted stock units ("RSUs") and stock appreciation rights ("SARs") from time to time to key employees. Vesting rights in the RSUs and SARs are subject to compliance with restrictive covenant agreements. Vested and unvested RSUs and SARs will be forfeited upon any violation of the restrictive covenant agreements. Despite the restrictive covenant agreements, we may not be able to retain these managers and may not be able to enforce the restrictive covenants. If we were to lose a number of key members of our management team and were unable to replace these people quickly, we could have difficulty maintaining our growth and certain key relationships with large clients.

16

---

Table of Contents

         We depend upon our ability to attract, retain and train skilled advisors and other professionals.

        Our business involves the delivery of advisory and consulting services. Therefore, our continued success depends in large part upon our ability to attract, develop, motivate, retain and train skilled advisors and other professionals who have advanced information technology and business processing domain expertise, financial analysis skills, project management experience and other similar abilities. We do not have non-competition agreements with many non-executive advisors. Consequently, these advisors could resign and join one of our competitors or provide sourcing advisory services to our clients through their own ventures.

        We must also recruit staff globally to support our services and products. We face competition for the limited pool of these qualified professionals from, among others, technology companies, market research firms, consulting firms, financial services companies and electronic and print media companies, some of which have a greater ability to attract and compensate these professionals. Some of the personnel that we attempt to hire may be subject to non-compete agreements that could impede our short-term recruitment efforts. Any failure to retain key personnel or hire and train additional qualified personnel as required supporting the evolving needs of clients or growth in our business could adversely affect the quality of our products and services, and our future business and operating results.

         We may have agreements with certain clients that limit the ability of particular advisors to work on some engagements for a period of time.

        We provide services primarily in connection with significant or complex sourcing transactions and other matters that provide potential competitive advantage and/or involve sensitive client information. Our engagement by a client occasionally precludes us from staffing certain advisors on new engagements because the advisors have received confidential information from a client who is a competitor of the new client. Furthermore, it is possible that our engagement by a client could preclude us from accepting engagements with such client's competitors because of confidentiality concerns.

         In many industries in which we provide advisory services, there has been a trend toward business consolidations and strategic alliances that could limit the pool of potential clients.

        Consolidations and alliances reduce the number of potential clients for our services and products and may increase the chances that we will be unable to continue some of our ongoing engagements or secure new engagements. When companies consolidate, overlapping services previously purchased separately are usually purchased only once by the combined entity, leading to loss of revenue. Other services that were previously purchased by one of the merged or consolidated entities may be deemed unnecessary or cancelled. If our clients consolidate with or are acquired by other entities that are not our clients, or that use fewer of our services, they may discontinue or reduce their use of our services. There can be no assurance as to the degree to which we may be able to address the revenue impact of such consolidation. Any of these developments could harm our operating results and financial condition.

         We derive a significant portion of our revenues from our largest clients and could be materially and adversely affected if we lose one or more of our large clients.

        Our 25 largest clients accounted for approximately 46% of revenue in 2014 and 51% in 2013. If one or more of our large clients terminate or significantly reduce their engagements or fail to remain a

17

---

Table of Contents

viable business, then our revenues could be materially and adversely affected. In addition, sizable receivable balances could be jeopardized if large clients fail to remain viable.

         Our international operations expose us to a variety of risks that could negatively impact our future revenue and growth.

        Approximately 49% and 46% of our revenues for 2014 and 2013 were derived from sales outside of the Americas, respectively. Our operating results are subject to the risks inherent in international business activities, including:

•

tariffs and trade barriers;



•

regulations related to customs and import/export matters;



•

restrictions on entry visas required for our advisors to travel and provide services;



•

tax issues, such as tax law changes and variations in tax laws as compared to the United States;



•

cultural and language differences;



•

an inadequate banking system;



•

foreign exchange controls;



•

restrictions on the repatriation of profits or payment of dividends;



•

crime, strikes, riots, civil disturbances, terrorist attacks and wars;



•

nationalization or expropriation of property;



•

law enforcement authorities and courts that are inexperienced in commercial matters; and



•

deterioration of political relations with the United States.

        Air travel, telecommunications and entry through international borders are all vital components of our business. If a terrorist attack were to occur, our business could be disproportionately impacted because of the disruption a terrorist attack causes on these vital components.

        We intend to continue to expand our global footprint in order to meet our clients' needs. This may involve expanding into countries beyond those in which we currently operate. We may involve expanding into less developed countries, which may have less political, social or economic stability and less developed infrastructure and legal systems. As we expand our business into new countries, regulatory, personnel, technological and other difficulties may increase our expenses or delay our ability to start up operations or become profitable in such countries. This may affect our relationships with our clients and could have an adverse effect on our business.

         We operate in a number of international areas which exposes us to significant foreign currency exchange rate risk.

        We have significant international revenue, which is predominantly collected in local currency. We currently hold or issue forward exchange contracts for hedging purposes. We do enter into forward contracts for hedging of specific transactions. All are settled prior to quarter end. It is expected that our international revenues will continue to grow as European and Asian markets adopt sourcing

18

---

Table of Contents

solutions. The translation of our revenues into U.S. dollars, as well as our costs of operating internationally, may adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

         We may be subject to claims for substantial damages by our clients arising out of disruptions to their businesses or inadequate service and our insurance coverage may be inadequate.

        Most of our service contracts with clients contain service level and performance requirements, including requirements relating to the quality of our services. Failure to consistently meet service requirements of a client or errors made by our employees in the course of delivering services to our clients could disrupt the client's business and result in a reduction in revenues or a claim for damages against us. Additionally, we could incur liability if a process we manage for a client were to result in internal control failures or impair our client's ability to comply with our own internal control requirements.

        Under our service agreements with our clients, our liability for breach of our obligations is generally limited to actual damages suffered by the client and is typically capped at the greater of an agreed amount or the fees paid or payable to us under the relevant agreement. These limitations and caps on liability may be unenforceable or otherwise may not protect us from liability for damages. In addition, certain liabilities, such as claims of third parties for which we may be required to indemnify our clients or liability for breaches of confidentiality, are generally not limited under those agreements. Although we have general commercial liability insurance coverage, the coverage may not continue to be available on acceptable terms or in sufficient amounts to cover one or more large claims. The successful assertion of one or more large claims against us that exceed available insurance coverage or changes in our insurance policies (including premium increases or the imposition of large deductible or co-insurance requirements) could have a material adverse effect on our business.

         We could be liable to our clients for damages and subject to liability and our reputation could be damaged if our client data is compromised.

        We may be liable to our clients for damages caused by disclosure of confidential information. We are often required to collect and store sensitive or confidential client data in order to perform the services we provide under our contracts. Many of our contracts do not limit our potential liability for breaches of confidentiality. If any person, including any of our current or former employees, penetrates our network security or misappropriates sensitive data or if we do not adapt to changes in data protection legislation, we could be subject to significant liabilities to our clients or to our clients' customers for breaching contractual confidentiality provisions or privacy laws. Unauthorized disclosure of sensitive or confidential client data, whether through breach of our processes, systems or otherwise, could also damage our reputation and cause us to lose existing and potential clients. We may also be subject to civil actions and criminal prosecution by government or government agencies for breaches relating to such data. Our insurance coverage for breaches or mismanagement of such data may not continue to be available on reasonable terms or in sufficient amounts to cover one or more large claims against us.

         Client restrictions on the use of client data could adversely affect our activities.

        The majority of the data we use to populate our databases comes from our client engagements. The insight sought by clients from us relates to the contractual data and terms, including pricing and costs, to which we have access in the course of assisting our clients in the negotiation of our sourcing

19

---

Table of Contents

agreements. Data is obtained through the course of our engagements with clients who agree to contractual provisions permitting us to consolidate and utilize on an aggregate basis such information. If we were unable to utilize key data from previous client engagements, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.

         We may not be able to maintain the equity in our brand name.

        During 2012, we merged our individual corporate brands into one globally integrated go-to-market business under the ISG brand. There may be other entities providing similar services that use this name for their business.

        We believe that the ISG brand remains critical to our efforts to attract and retain clients and staff and that the importance of brand recognition will increase as competition increases. We may expand our marketing activities to promote and strengthen our brand and may need to increase our marketing budget, hire additional marketing and public relations personnel, expend additional sums to protect the brand and otherwise increase expenditures to create and maintain client brand loyalty. If we fail to effectively promote and maintain the brand or incur excessive expenses in doing so, our future business and operating results could be adversely impacted.

         Our actual operating results may differ significantly from our guidance.

        From time to time, we release guidance regarding our future performance that represents our management's estimates as of the date of release. This guidance, which consists of forward-looking statements, is prepared by our management and is qualified by, and subject to, the assumptions and the other information contained or referred to in the release. Our guidance is not prepared with a view toward compliance with published guidelines of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), and neither our independent registered public accounting firm nor any other independent expert or outside party compiles or examines the guidance and, accordingly, no such person expresses any opinion or any other form of assurance with respect thereto. Guidance is based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while presented with numerical specificity, is inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond our control and are based upon specific assumptions with respect to future business decisions, some of which will change. The principal reason that we release this data is to provide a basis for our management to discuss our business outlook with analysts and investors. We do not accept any responsibility for any projections or reports published by any such persons. Guidance is necessarily speculative in nature, and it can be expected that some or all of the assumptions of the guidance furnished by us will not materialize or will vary significantly from actual results. Accordingly, our guidance is only an estimate of what management believes is realizable as of the date of release. Actual results will vary from the guidance and the variations may be material. Investors should also recognize that the reliability of any forecasted financial data diminishes the farther in the future that the data is forecast. In light of the foregoing, investors are urged to put the guidance in context and not to place undue reliance on it. Any failure to successfully implement our operating strategy or the occurrence of any of the events or circumstances set forth in this Annual Report on Form 10-K could result in the actual operating results being different than the guidance, and such differences may be adverse and material.

20

---

Table of Contents

Item 1B.    Unresolved Staff Comments

        None.

Item 2.    Properties

        We maintain our executive offices in Stamford, Connecticut. The lease on our executive offices covers 9,716 square feet and expires on July 31, 2018. The majority of our business activities are performed on client sites. We do not own offices or properties. We have leased offices in the United States, Australia, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Hong Kong, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

Item 3.    Legal Proceedings

        From time to time, in the normal course of business, we are a party to various legal proceedings. We are not aware of any asserted or unasserted legal proceedings or claims that we believe would have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

Item 4.    Mine Safety Disclosures

        Not applicable.

21

---

Table of Contents

PART II

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

        The following table sets forth the high and low closing sales price of our common stock, as reported on The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC under the symbol "III" for the periods shown:

 

        On February 27, 2015, the last reported sale price for our common stock on The Nasdaq Stock Market was $3.91 per share.

        As of December 31, 2014, there were 383 holders of record of ISG common stock. The actual number of stockholders is significantly greater than this number of record holders and includes stockholders who are beneficial owners but whose shares are held in street name by brokers and other nominees. This number of holders of record also does not include stockholders whose shares may be held in trust by other entities.

Dividend Policy

        On December 2, 2014 the Board of Directors authorized a special dividend of $0.14 per share on the Company's issued and outstanding shares of common stock. This cash dividend was paid on January 28, 2015 to shareholders of record as of January 15, 2015. Prior to this special dividend we had not paid any dividends on our common stock. Our Credit Agreement restricts our ability to pay dividends. An amendment to the Credit Agreement was received in order to pay the special dividend. The payment of dividends in the future will be within the discretion of our then Board of Directors and will be contingent upon our revenues and earnings, if any, capital requirements and general financial condition.

Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

        The Company's Board Of Directors has approved common share repurchase authorizations under which repurchases may be made from time to time in open market transactions at prevailing market prices, in privately negotiated transactions, pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 repurchase plan or by other means in accordance with federal securities laws. The timing and the amount of any repurchases will be determined by the Company's management based on its evaluation of market conditions, capital

22

---

Table of Contents

allocation alternatives, and other factors. There is no guarantee as to the number of shares that will be repurchased, and the repurchase program may be extended, suspended or discontinued at any time without notice at the Company's discretion. On May 6, 2014, the Company's Board of Directors approved a new share repurchase authorization of up to $20 million. The new share repurchase program took effect upon completion of the Company's current program. The repurchase program is expected to be executed over time.

        The following table details the repurchases that were made during the three months ended December 31, 2014.

Securities Authorized for Issuance under Equity Compensation Plan

        The following table lists information regarding outstanding options and shares reserved for future issuance under our Amended and Restated 2007 Equity and Incentive Award Plan and our Amended and Restated Employee Stock Purchase Plan as of December 31, 2014. We have not issued any shares of our common stock to employees as compensation under a plan that has not been approved by our stockholders.

23

---

Table of Contents

STOCK PERFORMANCE GRAPH

        The following graph compares the 5 year cumulative total stockholder return on our Common Stock from December 31, 2009 through December 31, 2014, with the cumulative total return for the same period of (i) the NASDAQ Composite Index, (ii) the Russell 2000 Index and (iii) the Peer Group described below. The comparison assumes for the same period the investment of $100 on December 31, 2009 in our Common Stock and in each of the indices and, in each case, assumes reinvestment of all dividends.

COMPARISON OF 5 YEAR CUMULATIVE TOTAL RETURN*
Among Information Services Group Inc, the NASDAQ Composite Index,
the Russell 2000 Index, and a Peer Group

---

*

$100 invested on 12/31/07 in stock or index, including reinvestment of dividends.

24

---

Table of Contents

Item 6.    Selected Financial Data

        The following historical information was derived from our audited consolidated financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011 and 2010. The information is only a summary and should be read in conjunction with the historical consolidated financial statements and related notes. The historical results included below are not indicative of our future performance.

25

---

Table of Contents

Item 7.    Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

        You should read the following discussion together with Item 6 "Selected Financial Data" and our audited consolidated financial statements and the related notes included in Item 8 "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data". In addition to historical consolidated financial information, this discussion contains forward-looking statements that reflect our plans, estimates and beliefs. These forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties. Statements, other than those based on historical facts, which address activities, events or developments that we expect or anticipate may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are and will be, as the case may be, subject to many risks, uncertainties and factors relating to our operations and business environment that may cause actual results to be materially different from any future results, express or implied, by such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements must be understood in the context of numerous risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, those described previously in section 1A "Risk Factors."

BUSINESS OVERVIEW

        Information Services Group, Inc. (ISG) (NASDAQ: III) is a leading technology insights, market intelligence and advisory services company serving more than 500 clients around the world to help them achieve operational excellence. We support private and public sector organizations to transform and optimize their operational environments through research, benchmarking, consulting and managed services with a focus on information technology, business process transformation, program management services and enterprise resource planning. Clients look to us for unique insights and innovative solutions for leveraging technology, our deep data source, and more than five decades of experience of global leadership in information and advisory services. Based in Stamford, Connecticut, we have more than 900 employees and operate in 21 countries.

        Our strategy is to strengthen our existing market position and develop new services and products to support future growth plans. As a result, we are focused on growing our existing service model, expanding geographically, developing new industry sectors, productizing market data assets, expanding our managed services offering and growing via acquisitions. Although we do not expect any adverse conditions that will impact our ability to execute against our strategy over the next twelve months, the more significant factors that could limit our ability to grow in these areas include global macro-economic conditions and the impact on the overall sourcing market, competition, our ability to retain advisors and reductions in discretionary spending with our top strategic accounts or other significant client events. Other areas that could impact the business would also include natural disasters, legislative and regulatory changes and capital market disruptions.

        We derive our revenues from fees and reimbursable expenses for professional services. A majority of our revenues are generated under hourly or daily rates billed on a time and expense basis. Clients are typically invoiced on a monthly basis, with revenue recognized as the services are provided. There are also client engagements in which we are paid a fixed amount for our services, often referred to as fixed fee billings. This may be one single amount covering the whole engagement or several amounts for various phases or functions. From time to time, we earn incremental revenues, in addition to hourly or fixed fee billings, which are contingent on the attainment of certain contractual milestones or objectives. Such revenues may cause unusual variations in quarterly revenues and operating results.

26

---

Table of Contents

        Our results are impacted principally by our full-time consultants' utilization rate, the number of business days in each quarter and the number of our revenue-generating professionals who are available to work. Our utilization rate can be negatively affected by increased hiring because there is generally a transition period for new professionals that result in a temporary drop in our utilization rate. Our utilization rate can also be affected by seasonal variations in the demand for our services from our clients. The number of business work days is also affected by the number of vacation days taken by our consultants and holidays in each quarter. We typically have fewer business work days available in the fourth quarter of the year, which can impact revenues during that period. Time-and-expense engagements do not provide us with a high degree of predictability as to performance in future periods. Unexpected changes in the demand for our services can result in significant variations in utilization and revenues and present a challenge to optimal hiring and staffing. The volume of work performed for any particular client can vary widely from period to period.

NON-GAAP FINANCIAL PRESENTATION

        This management's discussion and analysis presents supplemental measures of our performance that are derived from our consolidated financial information but are not presented in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("GAAP"). We refer to these financial measures, which are considered "non-GAAP financial measures" under SEC rules, as adjusted EBITDA, adjusted net income, and adjusted earnings per diluted share, each as defined below. See "Non-GAAP Financial Measures" below for information about our use of these non-GAAP financial measures, including our reasons for including these measures and reconciliations of each non-GAAP financial measure to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

        We produced our fourth consecutive year of earnings growth, invested in and expanded our product and service offerings in preparation for the digital revolution facing our clients and announced our first-ever dividend to reward our shareholders.

        One of our key strengths is our diversification—geographically, by product and service line, and in the breadth of our blue-chip client roster. That diversification, combined with our resilience and unrelenting focus on innovation to drive future growth, enabled ISG to strengthen its leadership position last year.

        Looking to the future, our expansion into engineering services, service integration and management for CIOs, and digital consulting, combined with our intense drive to grow our recurring revenue streams, all position ISG for continued success.

        We see great opportunities ahead—a future in which every enterprise becomes digitally transformed, and our services are in even greater demand.

Capital Allocation

        In 2014, we used our capital to invest in the growth of the firm, strengthen our balance sheet, and reward our shareholders.

        During the year, we acquired CCI Consulting, a client satisfaction research and measurement business based in Australia, to expand our global benchmarking and analytics capabilities. We also

27

---

Table of Contents

acquired a majority stake in Convergent Technologies Partners (CTP), the leading public-sector IT advisory business in Italy, building on our existing public-sector footprint in the U.S., U.K., and Australia.

        We also used our capital to repurchase more than $5 million of ISG stock, and pay down more than $3 million of debt, lowering our gross-debt-to-adjusted-EBITDA leverage ratio to 2.3 times.

        And we rewarded our shareholders by declaring our first-ever dividend, paying out $0.14 per share, or more than $5 million, in January 2015.

The Digital Future

        The global marketplace is in a state of perpetual change. New opportunities to help clients achieve operational excellence—such as the one now opening up to us in the energy sector based on falling oil prices—continuously present themselves and we are quick to seize upon them.

        Bigger still is the opportunity created by the digitization of many aspects of work, life and business. Digital disruptors such as automation, robotics, social media, analytics, big data, mobility, cloud, and The Internet of Everything are real, they are getting more powerful, and coming at us faster than ever before. These disruptors are changing whole business models and, for some companies, their very reason for being. We have tremendous opportunities to help clients navigate this change and transform their businesses to compete in an increasingly digital future.

        To seize this opportunity, we are moving away from selling discrete services around our "product and services wheel" that meet a specific client need at a specific time. Instead, we are selling enterprise solutions, drawing on the full breadth and depth of our research, analytics, advice and services to help clients digitally transform every facet of their operations.

        Our enterprise solutions are being built, in part, on the underlying principles of our successful Service Integration and Management (SIAM) practice, expanding the scope of this proven concept across the enterprise to help clients manage their entire Digital Transformation journey.

        Part of that journey is helping CIOs move beyond managing IT service provision to the more far-reaching role of managing the "business of technology" in the digital organizations of the future. In 2014, we formed a Technology Business Management (TBM) practice and entered into a strategic partnership with a leading SaaS platform provider, to help clients leverage the principles of TBM to gain real-time insights into the operational performance of their technology, and to increase the value of their digital investments.

        With increasing digitization, every product, service, process and system is getting smarter and more connected in a networked world—a phenomenon known as the Internet of Things (IoT). This is one of the reasons we decided to form an Engineering Services practice late last year. Our research shows that global spending on engineering services, including product development and testing, is expected to reach $1.4 trillion by 2020. An estimated 30 percent of that annual spend can be outsourced—a larger market than that of either information technology outsourcing or business process outsourcing. Yet this market remains under-advised, with no clear-cut leader in this space—a position we believe ISG can command.

        More recently, we announced the launch of a dedicated Cloud Solutions practice, to meet the growing demand among clients for advice on how to devise and execute cloud transformation strategies.

28

---

Table of Contents

We expect some $50 billion of infrastructure-related annual outsourcing contract value to be renegotiated in the next 24 months, with a sizeable portion of that spending moving to the cloud.

Enabling the Digital Enterprise

        Today's organizations are rapidly evolving into the digital enterprises of tomorrow, and we have a strong role to play in helping them get there.

        In a world of accelerating change, our principal value to clients is our ability to see around corners, to leverage our market intelligence and industry experience to help them see and prepare for what's next. We also are here to help them operationalize those changes and reap the efficiency and growth benefits of Digital Transformation.

        Going forward, as we develop and deliver more enterprise solutions around Digital Transformation, we expect three-quarters of our revenue growth in the next three years to come from existing clients.

        A sizeable portion of that growth will come from recurring revenues generated by new and expanded capabilities in Managed Services to support our clients' Digital Transformation; our Research and Analytics to provide more valuable information and insights that will help spark change; and in our Public Sector business, which we expect will continue its double-digit growth trajectory as more governments and educational institutions embrace digitization for more efficient delivery of services.

        Beyond these organic business-building initiatives, we remain open to acquiring complementary businesses that enhance both the service we deliver to our clients and the financial performance we deliver for our shareholders.

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES

        We use non-GAAP financial measures to supplement the financial information presented on a GAAP basis. We provide adjusted EBITDA (defined as net income plus income taxes, net interest income/(expense), depreciation, foreign currency transaction gains/losses, amortization of intangible assets resulting from acquisitions and non-cash stock compensation and impairment charges for goodwill and intangible assets, less gain on extinguishment of debt and bargain purchase gain), adjusted net income (defined as net income plus amortization of intangible assets, foreign currency transaction gains/losses , non-cash stock compensation and non-cash impairment charges for goodwill and intangible assets, less gain on extinguishment of debt and bargain purchase gain, all adjustments on a tax-adjusted basis) and adjusted net income as earnings per diluted share excluding the net of tax effect of the items set forth in the table below, which are non-GAAP measures that the Company believes provide useful information to both management and investors by excluding certain expenses and financial implications of foreign currency translations, which management believes are not indicative of ISG's core operations. These non-GAAP measures are used by the Company to evaluate the Company's business strategies and management's performance. These non-GAAP financial measures exclude non-cash and certain other special charges that many investors believe may obscure the user's overall understanding of the Company's current financial performance and the Company's prospects for the future. We believe that these non-GAAP measures provide useful information to investors because

29

---

Table of Contents

they improve the comparability of the financial results between periods and provide for greater transparency of key measures used to evaluate the Company's performance.

 

 

30

---

Table of Contents

YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2014 COMPARED TO YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2013

Revenues

        Revenues are generally derived from fixed fees contracts as wells as engagements priced on a time and materials basis are recorded based on actual time worked as the services are performed. Revenues related to materials (mainly out-of-pocket expenses such as airfare, lodging and meals) required during an engagement generally do not include a profit mark-up and can be charged and reimbursed separately or as part of the overall fee arrangement. Invoices are issued to clients monthly, semimonthly or in accordance with the specific contractual terms of each project.

        We operate in one segment, fact-based sourcing advisory services. We operate principally in the Americas, Europe, and Asia Pacific. Our foreign operations are subject to local government regulations and to the uncertainties of the economic and political conditions of those areas.

        Geographical information for the segment is as follows:

        The net decrease in revenues of $1.4 million in 2014 was attributable principally to an 8% decrease in Americas revenues to $105.9 million and an 8% decrease in Asia Pacific revenues to $19.6 million. The decrease in revenues is primarily due to lower levels of sourcing activity in the Americas and Asia Pacific regions, primarily attributable to decreases in Consulting Services. These decreases were offset by a 12% increase in revenues in the Europe region primarily due to higher levels of sourcing activity, primarily attributable to increases in Consulting Services. Global billable staff at December 31, 2014 totaled 687, as compared to 653 at December 31, 2013.

Operating Expenses

        The following table presents a breakdown of our operating expenses by functional category:

        Total operating expenses decreased $2.3 million or 1% in 2014 with decreases in selling, general and administrative ("SG&A") expenses (4%) and depreciation and amortization (1%). The decreases

31

---

Table of Contents

were due primarily to lower compensation and benefits and stock compensation expense. We increased the contingent consideration liability for STA Consulting by $0.5 million based on the latest estimates of future profit levels compared to an increase of $1.3 million in the same prior 2013 period. We recorded $3.1 million of stock compensation expense, included in selling, general and administrative expense, compared to $3.4 million in 2013. These cost decreases were partially offset by higher contract labor, occupancy, travel and marketing expenses. Additionally, we incurred $0.4 million of deal-related costs in 2014.

        Compensation costs consist of a mix of fixed and variable salaries, annual bonuses, benefits and pension plan contributions. Statutory and 401k plans are offered to employees as appropriate. Direct costs also include employee taxes, health insurance, workers compensation and disability insurance.

        A portion of compensation expenses for certain billable employees are allocated between direct costs and selling, general and administrative costs based on relative time spent between billable and non-billable activities.

        Selling costs consist principally of compensation expense related to business development, proposal preparation and delivery, and negotiation of new client contracts. Costs also include travel expenses relating to the pursuit of sales opportunities, expenses for hosting periodic client conferences, public relations activities, participation in industry conferences, industry relations, website maintenance and business intelligence activities. Additionally, we maintain a dedicated global marketing function responsible for developing and managing sales campaigns, brand promotion, the TPI Index and assembling proposals.

        We maintain a comprehensive program for training and professional development. Related expenses include product training, updates on new service offerings or methodologies and development of client project management skills. Also included in training and professional development are expenses associated with the development, enhancement and maintenance of our proprietary methodologies and tools and the systems that support them.

        Selling, general and administrative expenses consist principally of executive management compensation, allocations of billable employee compensation related to general management activities, IT infrastructure, and costs for the finance, accounting, information technology and human resource functions. General and administrative costs also reflect continued investment associated with implementing and operating client and employee management systems. Because our billable personnel operate primarily on client premises, all occupancy expenses are recorded as general and administrative.

        The decrease of $0.1 million in depreciation and amortization expense was primarily due to a decrease in amortization as a result of intangible assets that were fully amortized in 2013 partially offset as a result of the acquisitions of CTP and CCI. Depreciation expense is generally computed by applying the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of assets. We also capitalize some costs associated with the purchase and development of internal-use software, system conversions and website development costs. These costs are amortized over the estimated useful life of the software or system.

        We amortize our intangible assets (e.g. client relationships and databases) over their estimated useful lives. Goodwill, trademark and trade names related to acquisitions are not amortized but are subject to annual impairment testing.

32

---

Table of Contents

Other (Expense), Net

        The following table presents a breakdown of other (expense), net:

        The decrease of $0.4 million was primarily the result of lower interest expense due to a decrease in variable interest rates on lower debt levels and lower debt issuance amortization costs.

Income Tax Expense

        Our effective tax rate varies from period to period based on the mix of earnings among the various state and foreign tax jurisdictions in which business is conducted and the level of non-deductible expenses incurred in any given period. We recorded an income tax provision for 2014 of $4.2 million as compared to a $4.3 million for 2013. Our effective tax rate for the year ended December 31, 2014 was 39.8% compared to 47.2% for the year ended December 31, 2013. Our effective tax rate decreased from the year ended December 31, 2013 primarily due to reduction in non-deductible expenses, changes in valuation allowances placed against deferred tax assets, decreased tax liabilities for unremitted foreign earnings, and partial reversal of reserves related to previously unrecognized tax benefits.

Noncontrolling Interest

        On March 17, 2014, Compass Holding BV, a wholly-owned subsidiary of ISG entered into an Agreement with CTP whereby Compass Holding BV acquired 51% of CTP's share capital for $1.0 million, which included $0.7 million of cash acquired, providing the Company with control over CTP. CTP became a subsidiary of the Company on the date of acquisition. At the same time CTP acquired 100% interest of Compass Management Consulting Italy ("Compass Italy"), a subsidiary of Compass Holding BV for $0.3 million. The selling of Compass Italy and acquisition of CTP are treated as linked transactions for accounting purposes. The Company is consolidating the financial results of CTP in its consolidated financial statements and accordingly, reported revenues, costs and expenses, assets and liabilities, and cash flows include 100% of CTP, with the 49% noncontrolling interest share reported as net income attributable to noncontrolling interest in the consolidated statements of operations, and redeemable noncontrolling interest on the consolidated balance sheets.

Bargain purchase gain

        Bargain purchase gain was approximately $0.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2014. This gain relates to the newly acquired shares of CTP. This gain resulted as the fair value of the net assets acquired exceeded the consideration transferred. The excess resulted from the fact that the seller was motivated to sell.

33

---

Table of Contents

YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2013 COMPARED TO THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2012

Revenues

        Geographical information for the segment is as follows:

        The net increase in revenues of $18.2 million or 10% in 2013 was attributable principally to a 20% increase in Europe revenues to $75.1 million and a 9% increase in Americas revenues to $114.6 million. The increase in revenues was primarily due to higher levels of sourcing activity in the Americas and Europe regions, attributable to increases in Consulting, Research and Managed Services. These increases were offset by a 16% reduction in Asia Pacific primarily due to lower volumes in sourcing related engagements which was only partially offset by growth in Managed Services. The translation of foreign currency into US dollars also had a slight negative impact on performance compared to prior year. Billable staff at December 31, 2013 totaled 653, as compared to 619 at December 31, 2012.

Operating Expenses

        The following table presents a breakdown of our operating expenses by functional category:

        Total operating expenses increased $13.1 million or 7% in 2013 with increases in direct expenses (8%) and increases in SG&A expenses (8%) offset by a decrease in depreciation and amortization (16%). The increases are due primarily to increases in headcount, compensation, contract labor expenses, STA Consulting earn-out and stock compensation. These cost increases were partially offset by lower professional fees, marketing and bad debt expenses. The impact of foreign currency translation into US dollars also drove costs lower compared to the same prior 2012 period. We recorded $3.4 million of stock compensation expense, included in selling, general and administrative expense, compared to $2.8 million in the prior year due to the vesting of 879,000 market-based restricted share units with an associated charge of $1.7 million in the third quarter 2013 driven by the strong growth in our stock price. During the year ended December 31, 2013, we increased the

34

---

Table of Contents

contingent consideration liability for the STA Consulting earn-out by $1.3 million based on the latest estimates of future profit levels compared to a reduction of $1.9 million recorded in the same prior 2012 period.

        The decrease of $1.4 million in depreciation and amortization expense was primarily due to a decrease in amortization as a result of intangible assets that were fully amortized in 2012. Depreciation expense is generally computed by applying the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of assets. We also capitalize some costs associated with the purchase and development of internal-use software, system conversions and website development costs. These costs are amortized over the estimated useful life of the software or system.

Gain (Loss) on Extinguishment of Debt

        On April 26, 2013, the Company settled a portion of the subordinated convertible notes issued in connection with the acquisition of Compass. The payee agreed to accept from the Company an amount equal to $650,000 as satisfaction in full of all indebtedness of $1.1 million owing by the Company to such payee. As a result of this transaction, the Company recognized a gain of $0.5 million in the second quarter of 2013 representing the difference between the fair value of the consideration issued in the settlement transaction and the carrying value of the amounts due to the payee.

        On May 3, 2013, the Company entered into a five year senior secured credit facility (the "2013 Credit Agreement") comprised of a $45.0 million term loan facility and a $25.0 million revolving credit facility. In connection with entering into the 2013 Credit Agreement, the Company repaid in full all obligations and liabilities owing under, and terminated its prior credit agreement. As a result of this transaction, the Company realized a loss of $0.4 million in the second quarter of 2013 relating to the write down of unamortized debt financing costs relating to its prior credit agreement.

Other Income (Expense), Net

        The following table presents a breakdown of other (expense), net:

        The decrease of $0.6 million was primarily the result of lower interest expense due to a decrease in debt and debt issuance amortization costs.

Income Tax Expense

        Our effective tax rate varies from period to period based on the mix of earnings among the various state and foreign tax jurisdictions in which business is conducted and the level of non-deductible expenses incurred in any given period. We recorded an income tax provision for 2013 of $4.3 million as compared to a $2.6 million for 2012. Our effective tax rate for the year ended December 31, 2013 was

35

---

Table of Contents

47.2% compared to 81.4% for the year ended December 31, 2012. Our effective tax rate is higher than the statutory rate primarily due to non-deductible expenses and the net increase in the valuation allowance of $1.0 million primarily related to the Company's foreign tax credits and foreign corporation losses.

LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES

Liquidity

        Our primary sources of liquidity are cash flows from operations and existing cash and cash equivalents. Operating assets and liabilities consist primarily of receivables from billed and unbilled services, accounts payable, accrued expenses, and accrued payroll and related benefits. The volume of billings and timing of collections and payments affect these account balances.

        The following table summarizes our cash flows for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012:

        As of December 31, 2014, our liquidity and capital resources included cash and cash equivalents of $27.7 million compared to $35.1 million as of December 31, 2013 a net decrease of $7.4 million, which was primarily attributable to the following:

•

Our operating activities provided net cash of $7.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2014. Net cash provided from operations is primarily attributable to our net income, adjusted for non-cash charges totaling approximately $15.2 million offset by $8.2 million of changes in working capital primarily attributable to a $5.9 million change in accounts payable, prepaid expenses and accrued expenses and a $2.3 million change in accounts receivables;



•

payments of principal amounts due on the debt under our Credit Agreement of $3.4 million;



•

payment of STA Consulting contingent consideration of $1.6 million;



•

acquisitions, net of cash acquired of $0.9 million;



•

capital expenditures for property, plant and equipment of $2.2 million; and



•

equity repurchases of $5.3 million.

36

---

Table of Contents

Capital Resources

        The Company's current outstanding debt, may limit our ability to fund general corporate requirements and obtain additional financing, impact our flexibility in responding to business opportunities and competitive developments and increase our vulnerability to adverse economic and industry conditions.

        On November 16, 2007, our wholly-owned subsidiary International Consulting Acquisition Corp. ("ICAC") entered into a senior secured credit facility comprised of a $95.0 million term loan facility and a $10.0 million revolving credit facility ("the 2007 Credit Agreement"). On November 16, 2007, ICAC borrowed $95.0 million under the term loan facility to finance a portion of the purchase price for our acquisition of TPI and to pay transaction costs. In connection with entering into a new credit facility on May 3, 2013, the Company repaid in full all obligations and liabilities owing under, and terminated, the 2007 Credit Agreement. No early termination penalties were incurred by the Company in connection with the termination of the 2007 Credit Agreement. As a result of this transaction, the Company recognized a loss of $0.4 million in the second quarter of 2013 relating to the write down of unamortized debt financing costs relating to the 2007 Credit Agreement. This amount was recorded in Gain on Extinguishment of Debt in the accompanying consolidated statement of comprehensive income (loss).

        On May 3, 2013 (the "Closing"), the Company entered into a five year senior secured credit facility (the "2013 Credit Agreement") comprised of a $45.0 million term loan facility and a $25.0 million revolving credit facility. On May 3, 2013, the Company borrowed $55.0 million under the 2013 Credit Agreement to refinance our existing debt under the 2007 Credit Agreement and to pay transaction costs. The material terms of the senior secured credit facility under the 2013 Credit Agreement are as follows:

•

Each of the term loan facility and revolving credit facility has a maturity date of five years from the Closing.



•

The credit facility is secured by all of the equity interests owned by the Company, and its direct and indirect domestic subsidiaries and, subject to agreed exceptions, the Company's direct and indirect "first-tier" foreign subsidiaries and a perfected first priority security interest in all of the Company's direct and indirect domestic subsidiaries' tangible and intangible assets.



•

The Company's direct and indirect existing and future wholly-owned domestic subsidiaries serve as guarantors to the Company's obligations under the senior secured facility.



•

At the Company's option, the credit facility bears interest at a rate per annum equal to either (i) the "Base Rate" (which is the highest of (a) the rate publicly announced from time to time by the administrative agent as its "prime rate", (b) the Federal Funds Rate plus 0.5% per annum and (c) the Eurodollar Rate, plus 1.0%), plus the applicable margin (as defined below) or (ii) Eurodollar Rate (adjusted for maximum reserves) as determined by the Administrative Agent, plus the applicable margin. The applicable margin is adjusted quarterly based upon the Company's quarterly leverage ratio. Prior to the end of the first full quarter following the closing of the credit facility, the applicable margin was required to be a percentage per annum equal to 2.5% for the term loans and the revolving loans maintained as Base Rate loans or 3.5% for the term loans and revolving loans maintained as Eurodollar loans.

37

---

Table of Contents

•

The Term Loan is repayable in eight consecutive quarterly installments of $843,750 each, commencing September 30, 2013, followed by eleven consecutive quarterly installments in the amount of $1,125,000 each, commencing September 30, 2015, and a final payment of the outstanding principal amount of the Term Loan on the maturity date.



•

Mandatory repayments of term loans shall be required from (subject to agreed exceptions) (i) 100% of the proceeds from asset sales by the Company and its subsidiaries, (ii) 100% of the net proceeds from issuances of debt and equity by the Company and its subsidiaries, and (iii) 100% of the net proceeds from insurance recovery and condemnation events of the Company and its subsidiaries.



•

The senior secured credit facility contains a number of covenants that, among other things, place restrictions on matters customarily restricted in senior secured credit facilities, including restrictions on indebtedness (including guarantee obligations), liens, fundamental changes, sales or disposition of property or assets, investments (including loans, advances, guarantees and acquisitions), transaction with affiliates, dividends and other payments in respect of capital stock, optional payments and modifications of other material debt instruments, negative pledges and agreements restricting subsidiary distributions and changes in line of business. In addition, the Company is required to comply with a total leverage ratio and fixed charge coverage ratio. As of December 31, 2014, our maximum total leverage ratio was 3.50 to 1.00 and we were in compliance with all covenants contained in the 2013 Credit Agreement.



•

The senior secured credit facility contains customary events of default, including cross-default to other material agreements, judgment default and change of control.

        We are required under the 2013 Credit Agreement to establish a fixed or maximum interest rate covering a notional amount of not less than 50% of the aggregate outstanding indebtedness for borrowed money (other than the total revolving outstanding) for a period of three years from the closing date of our 2013 Credit Agreement. Subsequent to May 3, 2013, we entered into an agreement to cap the interest rate at 5% on the LIBOR component of our borrowings under the term loan facility until May 3, 2016. This interest rate cap is not designated for hedging or speculative purposes. The expense related to this interest rate cap was not material.

        On March 18, 2014, the Company's lenders agreed to amend the 2013 Credit Agreement to allow the Company to complete the acquisition of CCI. In addition, the Company's lenders agreed to allow the Company to exclude the acquisition from its $5 million fiscal year permitted acquisition basket and from the calculation of its Consolidated Fixed Charge Coverage ratio. Lastly, the Company's lenders agreed to increase its permitted acquisition baskets during any fiscal year from $5 million to $10 million and during the term of our Credit Agreement from $15 million to $40 million. On April 15, 2014, the acquisition of CCI was completed.

        On December 2, 2014, the Company's lenders agreed to amend the 2013 Credit Agreement to allow the Company to pay a special dividend authorized by the Board of Directors.

        As of December 31, 2014, the total principal outstanding under the term loan facility and revolving credit facility was $39.9 million and $10.0 million, respectively. Additional mandatory principal repayments totaling $3.9 million and $4.5 million will be due in 2015 and 2016, respectively.

        On January 4, 2011, as part of the consideration for the acquisition of Compass, we issued an aggregate of $6.3 million in convertible notes to Compass (the "Notes"). The Notes mature on

38

---

Table of Contents

January 4, 2018 and interest is payable on the outstanding principal amount, computed daily, at the rate of 3.875% per annum on January 31 of each calendar year and on the seventh anniversary of the date of the Notes. The Notes were subject to transfer restrictions until January 31, 2013. If the price of our common stock on the Nasdaq Global Market exceeds $4 per share for 60 consecutive trading days (the "Trigger Event"), the holder of the Notes may convert all (but not less than all) of the outstanding principal amount of the Notes into shares of our common stock at the rate of 1 share for every $4 in principal amount outstanding. After the Trigger Event, we may prepay all or any portion of the outstanding principal amount of the Notes by giving the holder 30 days written notice.

        On April 26, 2013, the Company settled a portion of the Notes. The payee agreed to accept from the Company an amount equal to $650,000 as satisfaction in full of all indebtedness of $1.1 million owing by the Company to such payee. As a result of this transaction, the Company recognized a gain of $0.5 million in the second quarter of 2013 representing the difference between the fair value of the consideration issued in the settlement transaction and the carrying value of the amounts due to the payee. This amount was recorded in Gain on Extinguishment of Debt in the accompanying consolidated statement of comprehensive income (loss).

        On November 14, 2013, our lenders agreed to amend the 2013 Credit Agreement to allow the Company to prepay the entire outstanding principal amount of the CPIV S.A. Convertible Note ("CPIV Note") plus accrued interest and exclude the CPIV Note prepayment from the calculation of our consolidated fixed charge coverage ratio. On November 25, 2013, the Company prepaid the CPIV Note and the payee agreed to accept from the Company an amount equal to the principal of $1.7 million plus accrued interest as satisfaction in full of all indebtedness owing by the Company to such payee.

        We anticipate that our current cash and the ongoing cash flows from our operations will be adequate to meet our working capital and capital expenditure needs for at least the next twelve months. The anticipated cash needs of our business could change significantly if we pursue and complete additional business acquisitions, if our business plans change, if economic conditions change from those currently prevailing or from those now anticipated, or if other unexpected circumstances arise that may have a material effect on the cash flow or profitability of our business. If we require additional capital resources to grow our business, either internally or through acquisition, we may seek to sell additional equity securities or to secure debt financing. The sale of additional equity securities or certain forms of debt financing could result in additional dilution to our stockholders. We may not be able to obtain financing arrangements in amounts or on terms acceptable to us in the future.

Contractual Obligations

        The following table summarizes our contractual obligations as of December 31, 2014, and the timing and effect that such obligations are expected to have on our liquidity and capital requirements in future periods.

39

---

Table of Contents

Payments Due by Period

        We have liabilities related to uncertain tax positions totaling approximately $2.2 million as of December 31, 2014. These liabilities, which are reflected on our balance sheet, are not reflected in the table above since it is unclear when these liabilities will be paid.

        We believe that cash flows generated from operations, existing cash and cash equivalents and borrowing capacity under our senior secured credit facility are sufficient to finance the requirements of our business during future periods.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

        We do not have any off-balance sheet financing arrangements or liabilities, guarantee contracts, retained or contingent interests in transferred assets or any obligation arising out of a material variable interest in an unconsolidated entity.

Employee Retirement Plans

        We maintain a qualified defined contribution profit-sharing plan (the "Plan") for U.S.-based employees. The annual contribution for 2014 is 3% of total cash compensation or $7,800, whichever is less. Employees are generally eligible to participate in the Plan after six months of service, and are 100% vested upon entering the Plan. For the fiscal years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, we contributed $1.6 million, $1.6 million and $1.6 million, respectively, to the Plan. These amounts were invested by the participants in a variety of investment options under an arrangement with a third party asset manager. All current and future financial risks associated with the gains and losses on investments are borne by Plan participants.

Seasonality and Quarterly Results

        The negotiation of sourcing transactions and, as a result, our revenue and earnings are subject to seasonal fluctuations. As a result of macro-economic factors and client budget and spending patterns, our revenues have historically been weighted toward the second half of each year. Our earnings track this revenue seasonality and are also impacted by the timing of the adoption of annual price increases and certain costs and, as a result, have historically been higher in the second half of each year. Due to the seasonality of our business, results for any quarter are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be achieved for a full fiscal year.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

        The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles requires the appropriate application of certain accounting policies, many of which require management to make estimates and assumptions about future events and their impact on

40

---

Table of Contents

amounts reported in our consolidated financial statements and related notes. Since future events and their impact cannot be determined with certainty, the actual results may differ from estimates. Such differences may be material to the consolidated financial statements.

        We believe the application of accounting policies, and the estimates inherently required therein, are reasonable. These accounting policies and estimates are periodically reevaluated, and adjustments are made when facts and circumstances dictate a change. Historically, we have found the application of accounting policies to be appropriate, and actual results have not differed materially from those determined using necessary estimates.

        Our accounting policies are more fully described in Note 2 "Summary of Significant Accounting Policies" in the "Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements." We have identified the following critical accounting policies:

Revenue Recognition

        We recognize our revenues for the sale of services and products when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, services have been rendered or delivery has occurred, the fee is fixed or determinable and the collectability of the related revenue is reasonably assured.

        We principally derive revenues from fees for services generated on a project-by-project basis. Prior to the commencement of a project, we reach agreement with the client on rates for services based upon the scope of the project, staffing requirements and the level of client involvement. It is our policy to obtain written agreements from new clients prior to performing services. In these agreements, the clients acknowledge that they will pay based upon the amount of time spent on the project or an agreed upon fee structure. Revenues for services rendered are recognized on a time and materials basis or on a fixed-fee or capped-fee basis in accordance with accounting and disclosure requirements for revenue recognition.

        Fees for services that have been performed, but for which we have not invoiced the customers are recorded as unbilled receivables in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.

        Revenues from subscription contracts are recognized ratably over the life of the contract, which is generally one year. These fees are typically billed in advance and included in deferred revenue until recognized.

        Revenues for time and materials contracts are recognized based on the number of hours worked by our advisors at an agreed upon rate per hour and are recognized in the period in which services are performed. Revenues for time and materials contracts are billed monthly, semimonthly or in accordance with the specific contractual terms of each project.

        Revenues related to fixed-fee or capped-fee contracts are recognized into revenue as value is delivered to the customer. The pattern of revenue recognition for these contracts varies depending on the terms of the individual contracts, and may be recognized proportionally over the term of the contract or deferred until the end of the contract term and recognized when our obligations have been fulfilled with the customer. In instances where substantive acceptance provisions are specified in customer contracts, revenues are deferred until all acceptance criteria have been met. The pattern of revenue recognition for contracts where revenues are recognized proportionally over the term of the contact is based on the proportional performance method of accounting using the ratio of labor hours incurred to estimated total labor hours, which we consider to be the best available indicator of the

41

---

Table of Contents

pattern and timing in which contract obligations are fulfilled. This percentage is multiplied by the contracted dollar amount of the project to determine the amount of revenue to recognize in an accounting period. The contracted amount used in this calculation typically excludes the amount the client pays for reimbursable expenses. There are situations where the number of hours to complete projects may exceed our original estimate as a result of an increase in project scope or unforeseen events. On a regular basis, we review the hours incurred and estimated total labor hours to complete. The results of any revisions in these estimates are reflected in the period in which they become known. We believe we have demonstrated a history of successfully estimating the total labor hours to complete a project.

        The agreements entered into in connection with a project, whether on a time and materials basis or fixed-fee or capped-fee basis, typically allow our clients to terminate early due to breach or for convenience with 30 days' notice. In the event of termination, the client is contractually required to pay for all time, materials and expenses incurred by us through the effective date of the termination. In addition, from time to time, we enter into agreements with clients that limit our right to enter into business relationships with specific competitors of that client for a specific time period.

Accounts and Unbilled Receivables and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

        Our trade receivables primarily consist of amounts due for services already performed via fixed fee or time and materials arrangements. We maintain an allowance for doubtful accounts for estimated losses resulting from the inability of clients to pay fees or for disputes that affect its ability to fully collect billed accounts receivable. The allowance for these risks is prepared by reviewing the status of all accounts and recording reserves on a specific identification method based on previous experiences and historical bad debts. However, our actual experience may vary significantly from these estimates. If the financial condition of our clients were to deteriorate, resulting in their inability or unwillingness to pay their invoices, we may need to record additional allowances or write-offs in future periods. To the extent the provision relates to a client's inability or unwillingness to make required payments, the provision is recorded as bad debt expense, which is classified within selling, general and administrative expense in the accompanying consolidated statement of comprehensive income.

        The provision for unbilled services is recorded as a reduction to revenues to the extent the provision relates to fee adjustments and other discretionary pricing adjustments.

Income Taxes

        We use the asset and liability method to account for income taxes, including recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for the anticipated future tax consequences attributable to differences between financial statement amounts and their respective tax basis. We review our deferred tax assets for recovery. A valuation allowance is established when we believe that it is more likely than not that some portion of its deferred tax assets will not be realized. Changes in the valuation allowance from period to period are included in our tax provision in the period of change.

        For uncertain tax positions, we use a prescribed model for assessing the financial recognition and measurement of all tax positions taken or expected to be taken in its tax returns. This guidance provides clarification on derecognition, classification, interest and penalties, accounting in interim periods, disclosures and transition. Our provision for income taxes also includes the impact of provisions established for uncertain income tax positions, as well as the related interest.

42

---

Table of Contents

Goodwill

        Our goodwill represents the excess of the cost of businesses acquired over the fair value of the net assets acquired at the date of acquisition. Goodwill is not amortized but rather tested for impairment at least annually by applying a fair-value based test in accordance with accounting and disclosure requirements for goodwill and other indefinite-lived intangible assets. This test is performed by us during our fourth fiscal quarter or more frequently if we believe impairment indicators are present.

        We performed step one of a two-step impairment test on goodwill. Step one compares the fair value of the reporting unit to its carrying amount, including goodwill. If the carrying value of the reporting unit exceeds the fair value of the reporting unit, then we must perform the second step of the impairment test whereby the carrying value of the reporting unit's goodwill is compared to its implied fair value. If the carrying value of the goodwill exceeds the implied fair value, an impairment loss equal to the difference is recorded.

        In performing the first step of the impairment test on goodwill, we determined the fair value of the reporting unit using both a market and income approach. The income approach utilizes a discounted cash flow model and is based on projections of future operations of the reporting unit as of the valuation date. The market approach is based on our stock price and provides a direct indication of fair value. Under the market approach, we determined the fair value of the reporting unit utilizing a relevant average of our common stock price for the October 31 measurement period, as quoted on the Nasdaq Global Market plus a 35% control premium based upon recent transactions of comparable companies. The discounted cash flow model assumed revenue growth rates of approximately 3% per year. We employed a discount rate of 13.5% to discount future excess cash flows. As a result of the step one test performed, the fair value of our reporting unit substantially exceeded the carrying value. Therefore, step two was not performed or required.

Long-Lived Assets

        Long-lived assets, excluding goodwill and indefinite-lived intangibles, to be held and used by the Company are reviewed to determine whether any significant change in the long-lived asset's physical condition, a change in industry conditions or a reduction in cash flows associated with the use of the long-lived asset. If these or other factors indicate the carrying amount of the asset may not be recoverable, the Company determines whether impairment has occurred through the use of an undiscounted cash flow analysis of the asset at the lowest level for which identifiable cash flows exist. If impairment has occurred, the Company recognizes a loss for the difference between the carrying amount and the fair value of the asset. The fair value of the asset is measured using market prices or, in the absence of market prices, an estimate of discounted cash flows. Cash flows are generally discounted at an interest rate commensurate with our weighted average cost of capital for a similar asset. Assets are classified as held for sale when the Company has a plan for disposal of certain assets and those assets meet the held for sale criteria of accounting and disclosure requirement for the impairment or disposal of long-lived assets.

Stock-Based Compensation

        We grant restricted stock with a fair value that is determined based on the closing price of our common stock on the date of grant. Restricted stock generally vests over a four-year period. Stock-based compensation expense is recognized ratably over the applicable service period.

43

---

Table of Contents

        We follow the provisions of accounting and disclosures requirement for share-based payments, requiring the measurement and recognition of all share-based compensation under the fair value method.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

        See Note 2 to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this report.

Item 7A.    Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

        We are exposed to financial market risks primarily related to changes in interest rates and manage these risks by employing a variety of debt instruments. A 100 basis point change in interest rates would result in an annual change in the results of operations of $0.5 million pre-tax. We entered into an agreement to cap the interest rate at 5% on the LIBOR component of our borrowings under the term loan facility until May 3, 2016. This interest rate cap is not designated for hedging or speculative purposes. The expense related to this interest rate cap was not material.

        We operate in a number of international areas which exposes us to foreign currency exchange rate risk. We have significant international revenue, which is predominantly collected in local currency. As of December 31, 2014, we have no outstanding forward exchange contracts or other derivative instruments for hedging or speculative purposes. It is expected that our international revenues will continue to grow as European, Asian and other markets adopt sourcing solutions and as a result of our acquisition of Compass. We recorded a foreign exchange transaction loss of $0.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2014. The translation of our revenues into U.S. dollars, as well as our costs of operating internationally, may adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

        We have not invested in foreign operations in highly inflationary economies; however, we may do so in future periods.

        Concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents and accounts receivable. All cash and cash equivalents are on deposit in fully liquid form in high quality financial institutions. We extend credit to our clients based on an evaluation of each client's financial condition.

        Our 25 largest clients accounted for approximately 46% of revenue in 2014 and 51% in 2013. If one or more of our large clients terminate or significantly reduce their engagements or fail to remain a viable business, then our revenues could be materially and adversely affected. In addition, our large clients generally maintain sizable receivable balances at any given time and our ability to collect such receivables could be jeopardized if such client fails to remain a viable business.

Item 8.    Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.

        Reference is made to our financial statements beginning on page F-2 of this report.

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

None

44

---

Table of Contents

Item 9A.    Controls and Procedures

Disclosure Controls and Procedures

        Our disclosure controls and procedures are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in the reports that we file or submit under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 as amended (the "Exchange Act") is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the rules and forms of the Securities and Exchange Commission, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. Our management, with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as of December 31, 2014, as required by the Rule 13a-15(b) under the Exchange Act. Based on that evaluation, the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of December 31, 2014.

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 Rule 13a-15(f) under the Exchange Act. Our internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of our financial statements for external reporting purposes in accordance with US generally accepted accounting principles. Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

        Under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, we conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2014, as required by Rule 13a-15(c) under the Exchange Act. In making this assessment, we used the criteria set forth in the framework in Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission 2013. Based on its evaluation under the framework in Internal Control—Integrated Framework, management concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2014.

        The effectiveness of the Company's internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2014, has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their report which appears herein.

Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

        There have not been any changes in our internal control over financial reporting (as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act) during the quarter ended December 31, 2014 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

Item 9B.    Other Information

        None.

45

---

Table of Contents

PART III

Item 10.    Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance

(a)

Identification of Director's and Executive Officers.

        The information required hereunder is incorporated by reference from the sections of our Proxy Statement filed in connection with our 2015 Annual Meeting of Stockholders under the caption "Management."

(b)

Compliance with Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act.

        The information required hereunder is incorporated by reference from the sections of our Proxy Statement filed in connection with our 2015 Annual Meeting of Stockholders under the caption "Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance."

(c)

Code of Ethics.

        The information required hereunder is incorporated by reference from the sections of our Proxy Statement filed in connection with our 2015 Annual Meeting of Stockholders under the caption "Corporate Governance."

(d)

Nominating Committee, Audit Committee, Audit Committee Financial Expert.

        The information required hereunder is incorporated by reference from the sections of our Proxy Statement filed in connection with our 2015 Annual Meeting of Stockholders under the caption "Corporate Governance."

Item 11.    Executive Compensation

        The information required hereunder is incorporated by reference from the sections of our Proxy Statement filed in connection with our 2015 Annual Meeting of Stockholders under the caption "Executive Compensation."

Item 12.    Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters

        The information required hereunder is incorporated by reference from the sections of our Proxy Statement filed in connection with our 2015 Annual Meeting of Stockholders under the caption "Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners."

Item 13.    Certain Relationships and Related Transactions and Director Independence

        The information required hereunder is incorporated by reference from the sections in our Proxy Statement filed in connection with our 2015 Annual Meeting of the Stockholders under the caption "Corporate Governance."

Item 14.    Principal Accounting Fees and Services

        The information required hereunder is incorporated by reference from the sections in our Proxy Statement filed in connection with our 2015 Annual Meeting of the Stockholders under the caption "Proposal No. 2 Ratification of Engagement of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm."

46

---

Table of Contents

PART IV

Item 15.    Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedule

(a)(1)    Documents filed as a part of this report:

(a)(2)    Financial Statement Schedule

        Schedule II—Valuation and Qualifying Accounts

(a)(3)    Exhibits:

        We hereby file as part of this Annual Report on Form 10–K the Exhibits listed in the attached Exhibit Index.

47

---

Table of Contents

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

To the Board of Directors and Stockholders of
Information Services Group, Inc:

        In our opinion, the accompanying consolidated financial statements listed in the index appearing under Item 15 (a)(1) present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Information Services Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries at December 31, 2014 and 2013, and the results of their operations and their cash flows each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2014 in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. In addition, in our opinion, the financial statement schedule listed in the index appearing under Item 15 (a)(2) presents fairly, in all material respects, the information set forth therein when read in conjunction with the related consolidated financial statements. Also in our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2014, based on criteria established in Internal Control—Integrated Framework 2013 issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). The Company's management is responsible for these financial statements and financial statement schedule, for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in Management's Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting appearing under Item 9A. Our responsibility is to express opinions on these financial statements, on the financial statement schedule, and on the Company's internal control over financial reporting based on our audits (which was an integrated audit in 2014). We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement and whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audits of the financial statements included examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, and evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, and testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk. Our audits also included performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinions.

        A company's internal control over financial reporting is a process 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. A company's internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (iii) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company's assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

F-1

---

Table of Contents

        Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

/s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
New York, New York
March 13, 2015

F-2

---

Table of Contents

INFORMATION SERVICES GROUP, INC.

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(in thousands, except par value)

   

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

F-3

---

Table of Contents

INFORMATION SERVICES GROUP, INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

(in thousands, except per share data)

   

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

F-4

---

Table of Contents

INFORMATION SERVICES GROUP, INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY

(in thousands)

   

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

F-5

---

Table of Contents

INFORMATION SERVICES GROUP, INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS

(in thousands)

   

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

F-6

---

Table of Contents

INFORMATION SERVICES GROUP, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(tabular amounts in thousands, except per share data)

NOTE 1—DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION AND BUSINESS OPERATIONS

        Information Services Group, Inc. (the "Company", or "ISG") was founded in 2006 with the strategic vision to become a high-growth, leading provider of information-based advisory services. In 2007, we consummated our initial public offering and completed the acquisition of TPI Advisory Services Americas, Inc. ("TPI").

NOTE 2—SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of Presentation and Principles of Consolidation

        The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. These consolidated financial statements and footnotes are presented in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("GAAP"). All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. Unless the context requires otherwise, references to the Company include ISG and its consolidated subsidiaries.

Use of Estimates

        The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and revenues and expenses during the periods reported. Actual results may differ from those estimates. The complexity of the estimation process and issues related to the assumptions, risks and uncertainties inherent in the application of the proportional performance method of accounting affect the amounts of revenues, expenses, unbilled receivables and deferred revenue. Numerous internal and external factors can affect estimates. Estimates are also used for but not limited to: allowance for doubtful accounts, useful lives of furniture, fixtures and equipment and definite-lived intangible assets, depreciation expense, fair value assumptions in analyzing goodwill and intangible asset impairments, income taxes and deferred tax asset valuation, and the valuation of stock based compensation.

Business Combinations

        We have acquired businesses critical to the Company's long-term growth strategy. Results of operations for acquisitions are included in the accompanying consolidated statement of comprehensive income from the date of acquisition. Acquisitions are accounted for using the purchase method of accounting and the purchase price is allocated to the net assets acquired based upon their estimated fair values at the date of acquisition. The excess of the purchase price over the net assets was recorded as goodwill. Final valuations of assets and liabilities are obtained and recorded within one year from the date of the acquisition. We recorded a bargain purchase gain of approximately $0.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2014. This gain relates to the newly acquired shares of CTP. This gain resulted as the fair value of the net assets acquired exceeded the consideration transferred.

F-7

---

Table of Contents

INFORMATION SERVICES GROUP, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(tabular amounts in thousands, except per share data)

NOTE 2—SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Continued)

Cash and Cash Equivalents

        The Company considers all highly liquid instruments with an original maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents, including certain money market accounts. The Company principally maintains its cash in money market and bank deposit accounts in the United States of America which typically exceed applicable insurance limits. The Company believes it is not exposed to any significant credit risk on cash and cash equivalents.

Restricted Cash

        Restricted cash consists of cash and cash equivalents which the Company has pledged to fulfill certain obligations and are not available for general corporate purposes.

Accounts and Unbilled Receivables and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

        Our trade receivables primarily consist of amounts due for services already performed via fixed fee or time and materials arrangements. The Company maintains an allowance for doubtful accounts for estimated losses resulting from the inability of clients to pay fees or for disputes that affect its ability to fully collect billed accounts receivable. The allowance for these risks is prepared by reviewing the status of all accounts and recording reserves on a specific identification method based on previous experiences and historical bad debts. However, our actual experience may vary significantly from these estimates. If the financial condition of our clients were to deteriorate, resulting in their inability or unwillingness to pay their invoices, we may need to record additional allowances or write-offs in future periods. To the extent the provision relates to a client's inability or unwillingness to make required payments, the provision is recorded as bad debt expense, which is classified within selling, general and administrative expense in the accompanying consolidated statement of comprehensive income.

        The provision for unbilled services is recorded as a reduction to revenues to the extent the provision relates to fee adjustments and other discretionary pricing adjustments.

Prepaid Expenses and Other Assets

        Prepaid expenses and other assets consist primarily of prepaid expenses for insurance, conferences and deposits for facilities, programs and promotion items.

Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment, net

        Furniture, fixtures and equipment is recorded at cost. Depreciation is computed by applying the straight-line method over the estimated useful life of the assets, which ranges from three to five years. Leasehold improvements are depreciated over the lesser of the useful life of the underlying asset or the lease term, which generally range from three to five years. Expenditures for renewals and betterments are capitalized. Repairs and maintenance are charged to expense as incurred. The cost and

F-8

---

Table of Contents

INFORMATION SERVICES GROUP, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(tabular amounts in thousands, except per share data)

NOTE 2—SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Continued)

accumulated depreciation of assets sold or otherwise disposed of are removed from the accounts and any associated gain or loss thereon is reflected in the accompanying consolidated statement of comprehensive income.

Internal-Use Software and Website Development Costs

        The Company capitalizes internal-use software and website development costs and records these amounts within furniture, fixtures and equipment. Accounting standards require that certain costs related to the development or purchase of internal-use software and systems as well as the costs incurred in the application development stage related to its website be capitalized and amortized over the estimated useful life of the software or system. They also require that costs related to the preliminary project stage, data conversion and post implementation/operation stage of an internal-use software development project be expensed as incurred.

        During the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, the Company capitalized $0.6 million, $0.7 million and $0.6 million, respectively, of costs associated with the system conversion and website development.

Goodwill

        Our goodwill represents the excess of the cost of businesses acquired over the fair value of the net assets acquired at the date of acquisition. Goodwill is not amortized but rather tested for impairment at least annually by applying a fair-value based test in accordance with accounting and disclosure requirements for goodwill and other indefinite-lived intangible assets. This test is performed by us during our fourth fiscal quarter or more frequently if we believe impairment indicators are present.

        We performed step one of a two-step impairment test on goodwill. Step one compares the fair value of the reporting unit to its carrying amount, including goodwill. If the carrying value of the reporting unit exceeds the fair value of the reporting unit, then we must perform the second step of the impairment test whereby the carrying value of the reporting unit's goodwill is compared to its implied fair value. If the carrying value of the goodwill exceeds the implied fair value, an impairment loss equal to the difference is recorded.

        In performing the first step of the impairment test on goodwill, we determined the fair value of the reporting unit using both a market and income approach. The income approach utilizes a discounted cash flow model and is based on projections of future operations of the reporting unit as of the valuation date. The market approach is based on our stock price and provides a direct indication of fair value. Under the market approach, we determined the fair value of the reporting unit utilizing a relevant average of our common stock price for the October 31 measurement period, as quoted on the Nasdaq Global Market plus a 35% control premium based upon recent transactions of comparable companies. The discounted cash flow model assumed revenue growth rates of approximately 3% per

F-9

---

Table of Contents

INFORMATION SERVICES GROUP, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(tabular amounts in thousands, except per share data)

NOTE 2—SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Continued)

year. We employed a discount rate of 13.5% to discount future excess cash flows. As a result of the step one test performed, the fair value of our reporting unit substantially exceeded the carrying value. Therefore, step two was not performed or required.

Long-Lived Assets

        Long-lived assets, excluding goodwill and indefinite-lived intangibles, to be held and used by the Company are reviewed to determine whether any significant change in the long-lived asset's physical condition, a change in industry conditions or a reduction in cash flows associated with the use of the long-lived asset. If these or other factors indicate the carrying amount of the asset may not be recoverable, the Company determines whether impairment has occurred through the use of an undiscounted cash flow analysis of the asset at the lowest level for which identifiable cash flows exist. If impairment has occurred, the Company recognizes a loss for the difference between the carrying amount and the fair value of the asset. The fair value of the asset is measured using market prices or, in the absence of market prices, an estimate of discounted cash flows. Cash flows are generally discounted at an interest rate commensurate with our weighted average cost of capital for a similar asset. Assets are classified as held for sale when the Company has a plan for disposal of certain assets and those assets meet the held for sale criteria of accounting and disclosure requirement for the impairment or disposal of long-lived assets.

Debt Issuance Costs

        Costs directly incurred in obtaining long-term financing, typically bank and attorney fees, are deferred and are amortized over the life of the related loan using the effective interest method. Deferred issuance costs are classified as other assets in the accompanying consolidated balance sheet. Amortization of debt issuance costs is included in interest expense and totaled $0.2 million, $0.2 million and $0.4 million for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively.

Revenue Recognition

        We recognize our revenues for the sale of services and products when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, services have been rendered or delivery has occurred, the fee is fixed or determinable and the collectability of the related revenue is reasonably assured.

        We principally derive revenues from fees for services generated on a project-by-project basis. Prior to the commencement of a project, we reach agreement with the client on rates for services based upon the scope of the project, staffing requirements and the level of client involvement. It is our policy to obtain written agreements from new clients prior to performing services. In these agreements, the clients acknowledge that they will pay based upon the amount of time spent on the project or an agreed upon fee structure. Revenues for services rendered are recognized on a time and materials basis

F-10

---

Table of Contents

INFORMATION SERVICES GROUP, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(tabular amounts in thousands, except per share data)

NOTE 2—SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Continued)

or on a fixed-fee or capped-fee basis in accordance with accounting and disclosure requirements for revenue recognition.

        Fees for services that have been performed, but for which we have not invoiced the customers are recorded as unbilled receivables in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.

        Revenues from subscription contracts are recognized ratably over the life of the contract, which is generally one year. These fees are typically billed in advance and included in deferred revenue until recognized.

        Revenues for time and materials contracts are recognized based on the number of hours worked by our advisors at an agreed upon rate per hour and are recognized in the period in which services are performed. Revenues for time and materials contracts are billed monthly, semimonthly or in accordance with the specific contractual terms of each project.

        Revenues related to fixed-fee or capped-fee contracts are recognized into revenue as value is delivered to the customer. The pattern of revenue recognition for these contracts varies depending on the terms of the individual contracts, and may be recognized proportionally over the term of the contract or deferred until the end of the contract term and recognized when our obligations have been fulfilled with the customer. In instances where substantive acceptance provisions are specified in customer contracts, revenues are deferred until all acceptance criteria have been met. The pattern of revenue recognition for contracts where revenues are recognized proportionally over the term of the contact is based on the proportional performance method of accounting using the ratio of labor hours incurred to estimated total labor hours, which we consider to be the best available indicator of the pattern and timing in which contract obligations are fulfilled. This percentage is multiplied by the contracted dollar amount of the project to determine the amount of revenue to recognize in an accounting period. The contracted amount used in this calculation typically excludes the amount the client pays for reimbursable expenses. There are situations where the number of hours to complete projects may exceed our original estimate as a result of an increase in project scope or unforeseen events. On a regular basis, we review the hours incurred and estimated total labor hours to complete. The results of any revisions in these estimates are reflected in the period in which they become known. We believe we have demonstrated a history of successfully estimating the total labor hours to complete a project.

        The agreements entered into in connection with a project, whether on a time and materials basis or fixed-fee or capped-fee basis, typically allow our clients to terminate early due to breach or for convenience with 30 days' notice. In the event of termination, the client is contractually required to pay for all time, materials and expenses incurred by us through the effective date of the termination. In addition, from time to time, we enter into agreements with clients that limit our right to enter into business relationships with specific competitors of that client for a specific time period. These provisions typically prohibit us from performing a defined range of services that it might otherwise be

F-11

---

Table of Contents

INFORMATION SERVICES GROUP, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(tabular amounts in thousands, except per share data)

NOTE 2—SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Continued)

willing to perform for potential clients. These provisions are generally limited to six to twelve months and usually apply only to specific employees or the specific project team.

Reimbursable Expenditures

        Amounts billed to customers for reimbursable expenditures are included in revenues and the associated costs incurred by the Company are included in direct costs and expenses for advisors in the accompanying consolidated statement of comprehensive income. Non-reimbursable amounts are expensed as incurred. Reimbursable expenditures totaled $9.9 million, $10.4 million and $9.7 million for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively.

Direct Costs and Expenses for Advisors

        Direct costs and expenses for advisors include payroll expenses and advisory fees directly associated with the generation of revenues and other program expenses. Direct costs and expenses for advisors are expensed as incurred.

        Direct costs and expenses for advisors also include expense accruals for discretionary bonus payments. Bonus accrual levels are adjusted throughout the year based on actual and projected individual and Company performance.

Stock-Based Compensation

        We grant restricted stock with a fair value that is determined based on the closing price of our common stock on the date of grant. Restricted stock generally vests over a four-year period for employees and a three-year period for directors. Stock-based compensation expense is recognized ratably over the applicable service period.

        We follow the provisions of accounting and disclosures requirement for share-based payments, requiring the measurement and recognition of all share-based compensation under the fair value method.

Concentration of Credit Risk

        Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to significant concentrations of credit risk consist principally of cash and accounts receivable. The Company places its cash investments with high quality financial institutions. The Company extends credit to its customers based upon an evaluation of the customer's financial condition and credit history and generally does not require collateral.

F-12

---

Table of Contents

INFORMATION SERVICES GROUP, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(tabular amounts in thousands, except per share data)

NOTE 2—SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Continued)

Treasury Stock

        The Company makes treasury stock purchases in the open market pursuant to the share repurchase program, which was approved by the Board of Directors on November 14, 2007.

        Treasury stock is recorded on the consolidated balance sheet at cost as a reduction of stockholders' equity. Shares are released from Treasury at original cost on a first-in, first-out basis, with any gain on the sale reflected as an adjustment to additional paid-in capital. Losses are reflected as an adjustment to additional paid-in capital to the extent of gains previously recognized, otherwise as an adjustment to retained earnings.

Foreign Currency Translation

        The assets and liabilities of the Company's foreign subsidiaries are translated into U.S. dollars at exchange rates in effect at the end of the reporting period. Revenue and expense items are translated at average exchange rates for the reporting period. Resulting translation adjustments are included in the accompanying statement of comprehensive income and accompanying statement of stockholders' equity as a component of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss.

        The functional currency of the Company and its subsidiaries is the respective local currency. The Company has contracts denominated in foreign currencies and therefore, a portion of the Company's revenues are subject to foreign currency risks. Transactional currency gains and losses that arise from transactions denominated in currencies other than the functional currencies of our operations are recorded in Foreign Currency Transaction Loss in the accompanying consolidated statement of comprehensive income.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

        The carrying value of the Company's cash and cash equivalents, receivables, accounts payable, other current liabilities, and accrued interest approximate fair value.

        Fair value measurements were applied with respect to our nonfinancial assets and liabilities measured on a nonrecurring basis, which would consist of measurements primarily to goodwill, intangible assets and other long-lived assets, and assets acquired and liabilities assumed in a business combination.

        Fair value is the price that would be received upon a sale of an asset or paid upon a transfer of a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date (exit price). Market participants can use market data or assumptions in pricing the asset or liability, including assumptions about risk and the risks inherent in the inputs to the valuation technique. These inputs can be readily observable, market-corroborated, or generally unobservable. The use of unobservable inputs

F-13

---

Table of Contents

INFORMATION SERVICES GROUP, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(tabular amounts in thousands, except per share data)

NOTE 2—SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Continued)

is intended to allow for fair value determinations in situations where there is little, if any, market activity for the asset or liability at the measurement date. Under the fair-value hierarchy:

•

Level 1 measurements include unadjusted quoted market prices for identical assets or liabilities in an active market;



•

Level 2 measurements include quoted market prices for identical assets or liabilities in an active market that have been adjusted for items such as effects of restrictions for transferability and those that are not quoted but are observable through corroboration with observable market data, including quoted market prices for similar assets; and



•

Level 3 measurements include those that are unobservable and of a highly subjective measure.

        During 2014, there were no transfers of our financial assets between Level 1 and Level 2 measures. Our financial assets and liabilities are classified in their entirety based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement.

        The Company held investments in cash equivalent money market funds of approximately $20,000 at December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively. The Company considers the fair value of cash equivalent money market funds to be classified within Level 1 of the fair value hierarchy.

        The following table presents the carrying amounts and estimated fair values of our other financial instruments at December 31, 2014 and 2013:

        The fair values of these instruments are classified within Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy. The fair values of these instruments have been estimated using a discounted cash flow analysis based on the Company's incremental borrowing rate for similar borrowing arrangements. The incremental borrowing rate used to discount future cash flows ranged from 2.67% to 2.76%. The Company also considered recent transactions of peer group companies for similar instruments with comparable terms and maturities as well as an analysis of current market conditions.

F-14

---

Table of Contents

INFORMATION SERVICES GROUP, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(tabular amounts in thousands, except per share data)

NOTE 2—SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Continued)

        The Company paid $1.6 million related to the STA contingent consideration during the second quarter of 2014. The Company also increased the STA contingent consideration liability by $0.5 million for year ended December 31, 2014, based on the latest estimates of future profit level due to completion of new projects. On April 15, 2014, the Company recorded a liability of $2.0 million representing the fair value of the contingent consideration related to the acquisition of CCI Consulting Pty Ltd ("CCI"). The Company also increased the CCI contingent consideration liability by $0.1 million for year ended December 31, 2014. The fair value measurement of this contingent consideration is classified within Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy and reflects the Company's own assumptions in measuring fair values using the income approach. In developing these estimates, the Company considered certain performance projections, historical results, and industry trends. This amount was estimated through a valuation model that incorporated probability-weighted assumptions related to the achievement of these milestones and thus the likelihood of the Company making payments. These cash outflow projections have been discounted using a rate ranging from 2.3% to 13.5%, which is the after-tax cost of debt financing for market participants.

        The following table represents the change in the contingent consideration liability during the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013:

Dividend

        On December 2, 2014 the Board of Directors authorized a special dividend of $0.14 per share on the Company's issued and outstanding shares of common stock. This cash dividend was paid on January 28, 2015 to shareholders of record as of January 15, 2015. Prior to this special dividend we had not paid any dividends on our common stock.

Income Taxes

        We use the asset and liability method to account for income taxes, including recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for the anticipated future tax consequences attributable to differences between financial statement amounts and their respective tax basis. We review our deferred tax assets

F-15

---

Table of Contents

INFORMATION SERVICES GROUP, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(tabular amounts in thousands, except per share data)

NOTE 2—SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Continued)

for recovery. A valuation allowance is established when we believe that it is more likely than not that some portion of its deferred tax assets will not be realized. Changes in the valuation allowance from period to period are included in our tax provision in the period of change.

        For uncertain tax positions, we use a prescribed model for assessing the financial recognition and measurement of all tax positions taken or expected to be taken in its tax returns. The guidance provides clarification on derecognition, classification, interest and penalties, accounting in interim periods, disclosures and transition. Our provision for income taxes also includes the impact of provisions established for uncertain income tax positions, as well as the related interest.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

        In March 2013, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued new accounting guidance clarifying the accounting for the release of cumulative translation adjustment into net income when a parent either sells a part or all of its investment in a foreign entity or no longer holds a controlling financial interest in a subsidiary or group of assets that is a nonprofit activity or a business within a foreign entity. The new standard is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning on or after December 15, 2013. The adoption of this standard did not have a material impact on the Company's financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

        In July 2013, the FASB issued new accounting guidance requires an entity to present an unrecognized tax benefit, or a portion of an unrecognized tax benefit, as a reduction to a deferred tax asset for a net operating loss carryforward, a similar tax loss, or a tax credit carryforward, except to the extent a net operating loss carryforward, a similar tax loss, or a tax credit carryforward is not available at the reporting date under the tax law of the applicable jurisdiction to settle any additional income taxes that would result from the disallowance of a tax position or the tax law of the applicable jurisdiction does not require the entity to use, and the entity does not intend to use, the deferred tax asset for such purpose, the unrecognized tax benefit should be presented in the financial statements as a liability and should not be combined with deferred tax assets. No new recurring disclosures are required. The amendments are effective for annual and interim reporting periods beginning on or after December 15, 2013, and are to be applied prospectively to all unrecognized tax benefits that exist at the effective date. Retrospective application is permitted. The adoption of this standard did not have a material impact on the Company's financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

        In April 2014, the FASB issued new accounting guidance regarding reporting discontinued operations and disclosures of disposals of components of an entity, which raises the threshold for determining which disposals are required to be presented as discontinued operations and modifies related disclosure requirements. The standard is applied prospectively and is effective in 2015 with early adoption permitted. The Company does not believe the adoption of this guidance will impact its consolidated financial statements or disclosures.

F-16

---

Table of Contents

INFORMATION SERVICES GROUP, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(tabular amounts in thousands, except per share data)

NOTE 2—SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Continued)

        In May 2014, the FASB issued new accounting guidance outlines a single comprehensive model for entities to use in accounting for revenue. Under the guidance, revenue is recognized when a company transfers promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the company expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The standard is effective for public entities with annual and interim reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016. Entities have the option of using either a full retrospective or a modified retrospective approach to adopt the guidance. We are currently assessing the effects this guidance may have on our consolidated financial statements, as well as the method of transition that we will use in adopting the new standard.

        In August 2014, the FASB issued guidance on management's responsibility to assess an entity's ability to continue as a going concern and provide related footnote disclosures in certain circumstances. The guidance is effective for the Company's interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016. The Company does not believe the adoption of this guidance will impact its consolidated financial statements or disclosures.

NOTE 3—ACQUISITIONS

CTP Acquisition

        On March 17, 2014, Compass Holding BV, a wholly-owned subsidiary of ISG entered into an Agreement with Convergent Technologies Partners S.p.A. ("CTP") whereby Compass Holding BV acquired 51% of CTP's share capital for $1.0 million, which included $0.7 million of cash acquired, providing the Company with control over CTP. CTP became a subsidiary of the Company on the date of acquisition. At the same time CTP acquired 100% interest of Compass Management Consulting Italy "Compass Italy", a subsidiary of Compass Holding BV for $0.3 million. The selling of Compass Italy and acquisition of CTP are treated as linked transactions and accordingly recorded on a net basis. The Company is consolidating the financial results of CTP in its consolidated financial statements and accordingly, reported revenues, costs and expenses, assets and liabilities, and cash flows include 100% of CTP, with the 49% noncontrolling interest share reported as net income attributable to noncontrolling interest in the consolidated statements of operations, and redeemable noncontrolling interest on the consolidated balance sheets.

        CTP is a leading management consulting firm providing specialized IT and operational strategies and solutions to Italy's public sector. The agreement with CTP extends our global penetration into the public sector, building on our successful public sector businesses in North America, Australia and the UK. It also provides new growth opportunities for the Company to serve both public and private sector organizations in Italy with our combined resources.

        The parties also executed a put and call option agreement for the transfer to ISG of all of the outstanding CTP's share capital that it does not own, exercisable upon certain conditions. The remaining 49% ownership in CTP is held by a third party. The third party representing the redeemable non-controlling interest in the subsidiary holds put rights for the remaining interest in CTP and the

F-17

---

Table of Contents

INFORMATION SERVICES GROUP, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(tabular amounts in thousands, except per share data)

NOTE 3—ACQUISITIONS (Continued)

Company holds call rights with respect to such remaining interest. The put right provides the third party an option to sell its ownership interest to the Company after December 31, 2016 at a price based on four times the average of Earning Before Interests, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization ("EBITDA") and for the year 2015 and year 2016, as resulting from CTP's approved financial statements for the year 2015 and year 2016 at the time of the exercise. Because the redeemable non-controlling interest in CTP has a redemption feature, as a result of the put option, the Company has classified the redeemable non-controlling interest in CTP in the mezzanine section of the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet. The redeemable non-controlling interest will be accreted to the redemption value by recording a corresponding adjustment to accumulated deficit at the end of each reporting period.

        The following table summarizes the consideration transferred to acquire CTP and the amounts of identified assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the acquisition date, as well as the fair value of the redeemable noncontrolling interest in CTP at the acquisition date:

        Fair value of consideration transferred:

        Recognized amounts of identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed as of March 17, 2014:

        This bargain purchase gain resulted as the fair value of the net assets acquired exceeded the consideration transferred. The excess resulted from the fact that the seller was motivated to sell.

        Costs associated with this acquisition are included in the selling, general and administrative expenses in the condensed consolidated statement of comprehensive income and totaled $0.2 million during the year ended December 31, 2014. This business combination was accounted for under the

F-18

---

Table of Contents

INFORMATION SERVICES GROUP, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(tabular amounts in thousands, except per share data)

NOTE 3—ACQUISITIONS (Continued)

acquisition method of accounting, and as such, the aggregate purchase price was allocated to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on estimated fair values as of the closing dates. Based on the valuation and other factors as described above, the purchase price assigned to intangible assets and the amortization period were as follows:

CCI Acquisition

        On April 15, 2014, Technology Partners International, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of ISG, executed an Asset Purchase Agreement (the "CCI Agreement") with CCI, and consummated the acquisition of all of the assets and assumption of certain liabilities of CCI. CCI is a Melbourne, Australia-based research firm that measures and analyzes customer satisfaction in business-to-business relationships. The agreement with CCI extends our global penetration into recurring revenue businesses in Asia Pacific. CCI's products are a natural complement to our "Assess" capabilities that analyze service performance and cost metrics.

        Under the terms of the CCI Agreement, ISG acquired the assets for cash consideration of AU$1.9 million, of which AU$1.0 million was paid at closing and AU$0.9 million will be paid in April 2015. In addition, the sellers under the CCI Agreement (the "CCI Sellers") are eligible to receive a minimum of AU$0 and a maximum up to AU$3.0 million of earn-out payments for fiscal years 2014-2016 if certain earnings targets are met. Finally, the CCI Sellers were granted 50,000 ISG Restricted Shares that will vest if certain target revenues of ISG and its affiliates are met.

F-19

---

Table of Contents

INFORMATION SERVICES GROUP, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(tabular amounts in thousands, except per share data)

NOTE 3—ACQUISITIONS (Continued)

        The following table summarizes the consideration transferred to acquire CCI and the amounts of identified assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the acquisition date:

        The final allocable purchase price consists of the following:

        Recognized amounts of identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed as of April 15, 2014:

        Costs associated with this acquisition are included in the selling, general and administrative expenses in the condensed consolidated statement of comprehensive income and totaled $0.2 million during the year ended December 31, 2014. This business combination was accounted for under the acquisition method of accounting, and as such, the aggregate purchase price was allocated on a basis to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on estimated fair values as of the closing dates. Based

F-20

---

Table of Contents

INFORMATION SERVICES GROUP, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(tabular amounts in thousands, except per share data)

NOTE 3—ACQUISITIONS (Continued)

on the valuation and other factors as described above, the purchase price assigned to intangible assets and the amortization period were as follows:

        The Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements include the results of the CTP and CCI acquisition subsequent to the closing. Had the acquisition occurred as of January 1, 2013, the impact on the Company's results of operations would not have been material.

NOTE 4—NET INCOME PER COMMON SHARE

        Basic earnings per share is computed by dividing net income available to common stockholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the period. The 250,000 contingently issuable shares related to the acquisition of STA Consulting as well as 50,000 contingently issuable/restricted shares related to the acquisition of CCI were excluded from basic and diluted earnings per share since the contingencies have not been met as of the reporting period. Diluted earnings per share reflects the potential dilution that could occur if securities or other contracts to issue common stock were exercised or converted into common stock or resulted in the issuance of common stock that would share in the net income of the Company. For the year ended December 31, 2014, the effect of 0.1 million stock appreciation rights ("SARs") have not been considered in the diluted earnings per share, since the market price of the stock was less than the exercise price during the period in the computation. For the year ended December 31, 2013, the effect of 0.1 million SARs have not been considered in the diluted earnings per share, since the market price of the stock was less than the exercise price during the period in the computation. In addition, 0.8 million restricted shares have not been considered in the diluted earnings per share calculation for the year ended December 31, 2013, as the effect would be anti-dilutive. For the year ended December 31, 2012, the effect of 0.3 million SARs have not been considered in the diluted earnings per share, since the market price of the stock was less than the exercise price during the period in the computation. In addition, 1.2 million restricted shares have not been considered in the diluted earnings per share calculation for the year ended December 31, 2012, as the effect would be anti-dilutive.

F-21

---

Table of Contents

INFORMATION SERVICES GROUP, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(tabular amounts in thousands, except per share data)

NOTE 4—NET INCOME PER COMMON SHARE (Continued)

        The following tables set forth the computation of basic and diluted earnings per share:

NOTE 5—ACCOUNTS AND UNBILLED RECEIVABLES

        Accounts and unbilled receivables, net of valuation allowance, consisted of the following:

F-22

---

Table of Contents

INFORMATION SERVICES GROUP, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(tabular amounts in thousands, except per share data)

NOTE 6—FURNITURE, FIXTURES AND EQUIPMENT

        Furniture, fixtures and equipment consisted of the following:

        Depreciation expense was $1.8 million, $1.6 million and $1.7 million for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively.

NOTE 7—INTANGIBLE ASSETS

        The carrying amount of intangible assets, net of accumulated amortization and impairment charges, as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 consisted of the following:

F-23

---

Table of Contents

INFORMATION SERVICES GROUP, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(tabular amounts in thousands, except per share data)

NOTE 7—INTANGIBLE ASSETS (Continued)

        Amortization expense was $5.6 million, $5.8 million and $7.2 million for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively. The estimated future amortization expense subsequent to December 31, 2014, is as follows:

        These estimates do not incorporate the impact that currency fluctuations may cause when translating the financial results of the Company's international operations that have amortizable intangible assets into U.S. dollars.

F-24

---

Table of Contents

INFORMATION SERVICES GROUP, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(tabular amounts in thousands, except per share data)

NOTE 8—GOODWILL

        The changes in the carrying amount of goodwill for the year ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 is as follows:

NOTE 9—REDEEMABLE NONCONTROLLING INTEREST

        The following provides a summary of activity in the noncontrolling interest account for the year ended December 31, 2014:

F-25

---

Table of Contents

INFORMATION SERVICES GROUP, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(tabular amounts in thousands, except per share data)

NOTE 10—ACCRUED LIABILITIES

        The components of accrued liabilities at December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

NOTE 11—SHARE REPURCHASE PROGRAM

        Under a stock repurchase plan approved by the Board of Directors on October 16, 2007, the Company repurchased 15.9 million shares of common stock since that date. This program includes the repurchase of common shares, units and/or warrants. On November 14, 2007, the Board of Directors authorized an additional repurchase program of up to $15.0 million. On May 6, 2014, the Company's Board of Directors approved a new share repurchase authorization of up to $20 million. The new share repurchase program took effect upon completion of the Company's current program. As of December 31, 2014, there was $18.0 million available under this repurchase program. Share repurchases totaled $5.3 million, $4.1 million and $1.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively.

NOTE 12—FINANCING ARRANGEMENTS AND LONG-TERM DEBT

        Long-term debt consists of the following:

F-26

---

Table of Contents

INFORMATION SERVICES GROUP, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(tabular amounts in thousands, except per share data)

NOTE 12—FINANCING ARRANGEMENTS AND LONG-TERM DEBT (Continued)

        Aggregate annual maturities of debt obligations by calendar year, are as follows:

        On November 16, 2007, our wholly-owned subsidiary International Consulting Acquisition Corp. ("ICAC") entered into a senior secured credit facility comprised of a $95.0 million term loan facility and a $10.0 million revolving credit facility (the "2007 Credit Agreement"). On November 16, 2007, ICAC borrowed $95.0 million under the term loan facility to finance a portion of the purchase price for our acquisition of TPI and to pay transaction costs. In connection with entering into a new credit facility on May 3, 2013, the Company repaid in full all obligations and liabilities owing under, and terminated, the 2007 Credit Agreement. No early termination penalties were incurred by the Company in connection with the termination of the 2007 Credit Agreement. As a result of this transaction, the Company recognized a loss of $0.4 million in the second quarter of 2013 relating to the write down of unamortized debt financing costs relating to the 2007 Credit Agreement. This amount was recorded in Gain on Extinguishment of Debt in the accompanying consolidated statement of comprehensive income (loss).

        On May 3, 2013 (the "Closing"), the Company entered into a five year senior secured credit facility (the "2013 Credit Agreement") comprised of a $45.0 million term loan facility and a $25.0 million revolving credit facility. On May 3, 2013, the Company borrowed $55.0 million under the 2013 Credit Agreement to refinance our existing debt under the 2007 Credit Agreement and to pay transaction costs. The material terms of the senior secured credit facility under the 2013 Credit Agreement are as follows:

•

Each of the term loan facility and revolving credit facility has a maturity date of five years from the Closing.



•

The credit facility is secured by all of the equity interests owned by the Company, and its direct and indirect domestic subsidiaries and, subject to agreed exceptions, the Company's direct and indirect "first-tier" foreign subsidiaries and a perfected first priority security interest in all of the Company's direct and indirect domestic subsidiaries' tangible and intangible assets.



•

The Company's direct and indirect existing and future wholly-owned domestic subsidiaries serve as guarantors to the Company's obligations under the senior secured facility.

F-27

---

Table of Contents

INFORMATION SERVICES GROUP, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(tabular amounts in thousands, except per share data)

NOTE 12—FINANCING ARRANGEMENTS AND LONG-TERM DEBT (Continued)

•

At the Company's option, the credit facility bears interest at a rate per annum equal to either (i) the "Base Rate" (which is the highest of (a) the rate publicly announced from time to time by the administrative agent as its "prime rate", (b) the Federal Funds Rate plus 0.5% per annum and (c) the Eurodollar Rate, plus 1.0%), plus the applicable margin (as defined below) or (ii) Eurodollar Rate (adjusted for maximum reserves) as determined by the Administrative Agent, plus the applicable margin. The applicable margin is adjusted quarterly based upon the Company's quarterly leverage ratio. Prior to the end of the first full quarter following the closing of the credit facility, the applicable margin was required to be a percentage per annum equal to 2.5% for the term loans and the revolving loans maintained as Base Rate loans or 3.5% for the term loans and revolving loans maintained as Eurodollar loans.



•

The Term Loan is repayable in eight consecutive quarterly installments of $843,750 each, commencing September 30, 2013, followed by eleven consecutive quarterly installments in the amount of $1,125,000 each, commencing September 30, 2015, and a final payment of the outstanding principal amount of the Term Loan on the maturity date.



•

Mandatory repayments of term loans shall be required from (subject to agreed exceptions) (i) 100% of the proceeds from asset sales by the Company and its subsidiaries, (ii) 100% of the net proceeds from issuances of debt and equity by the Company and its subsidiaries, and (iii) 100% of the net proceeds from insurance recovery and condemnation events of the Company and its subsidiaries.



•

The senior secured credit facility contains a number of covenants that, among other things, place restrictions on matters customarily restricted in senior secured credit facilities, including restrictions on indebtedness (including guarantee obligations), liens, fundamental changes, sales or disposition of property or assets, investments (including loans, advances, guarantees and acquisitions), transaction with affiliates, dividends and other payments in respect of capital stock, optional payments and modifications of other material debt instruments, negative pledges and agreements restricting subsidiary distributions and changes in line of business. In addition, the Company is required to comply with a total leverage ratio and fixed charge coverage ratio. As of December 31, 2014, our maximum total leverage ratio was 3.50 to 1.00 and we were in compliance with all covenants contained in the 2013 Credit Agreement.



•

The senior secured credit facility contains customary events of default, including cross-default to other material agreements, judgment default and change of control.

        We are required under the 2013 Credit Agreement to establish a fixed or maximum interest rate covering a notional amount of not less than 50% of the aggregate outstanding indebtedness for borrowed money (other than the total revolving outstanding) for a period of three years from the closing date of our 2013 Credit Agreement. Subsequent to May 3, 2013, we entered into an agreement to cap the interest rate at 5% on the LIBOR component of our borrowings under the term loan facility

F-28

---

Table of Contents

INFORMATION SERVICES GROUP, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(tabular amounts in thousands, except per share data)

NOTE 12—FINANCING ARRANGEMENTS AND LONG-TERM DEBT (Continued)

until May 3, 2016. This interest rate cap is not designated for hedging or speculative purposes. The expense related to this interest rate cap was nominal.

        As of December 31, 2014, the total principal outstanding under the term loan facility and revolving credit facility was $39.9 million and $10.0 million, respectively. Additional mandatory principal repayments totaling $3.9 million and $4.5 million will be due in 2015 and 2016, respectively.

Compass Convertible Notes

        On January 4, 2011, as part of the consideration for the acquisition of Compass, we issued an aggregate of $6.3 million in convertible notes to Compass (the "Notes"). The Notes mature on January 4, 2018 and interest is payable on the outstanding principal amount, computed daily, at the rate of 3.875% per annum on January 31 of each calendar year and on the seventh anniversary of the date of the Notes. The Notes were subject to transfer restrictions until January 31, 2013. If the price of our common stock on the Nasdaq Global Market exceeds $4 per share for 60 consecutive trading days (the "Trigger Event"), the holder of the Notes may convert all (but not less than all) of the outstanding principal amount of the Notes into shares of our common stock at the rate of 1 share for every $4 in principal amount outstanding. After the Trigger Event, we may prepay all or any portion of the outstanding principal amount of the Notes by giving the holder 30 days written notice.

        On April 26, 2013, the Company settled a portion of the Notes. The payee agreed to accept from the Company an amount equal to $650,000 as satisfaction in full of all indebtedness of $1.1 million owing by the Company to such payee. As a result of this transaction, the Company recognized a gain of $0.5 million in the second quarter of 2013 representing the difference between the fair value of the consideration issued in the settlement transaction and the carrying value of the amounts due to the payee. This amount was recorded in Gain on Extinguishment of Debt in the accompanying consolidated statement of comprehensive income (loss).

        On November 14, 2013, our lenders agreed to amend the 2013 Credit Agreement to allow the Company to prepay the entire outstanding principal amount of the CPIV S.A. Convertible Note ("CPIV Note") plus accrued interest and exclude the CPIV Note prepayment from the calculation of our consolidated fixed charge coverage ratio. On November 25, 2013, the Company prepaid the CPIV Note and the payee agreed to accept from the Company an amount equal to the principal of $1.7 million plus accrued interest as satisfaction in full of all indebtedness owing by the Company to such payee. Therefore, there was no gain or loss recorded as a result of this transaction.

NOTE 13—COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

        The Company is involved in certain legal proceedings arising in the ordinary course of business. Management, after review and consultation with legal counsel, believes the ultimate success of parties

F-29

---

Table of Contents

INFORMATION SERVICES GROUP, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(tabular amounts in thousands, except per share data)

NOTE 13—COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES (Continued)

of the legal proceedings is remote and the ultimate aggregate liability, if any, resulting from such proceedings will not be material to the financial position of the Company.

Employee Retirement Plans

        The Company's TPI subsidiary maintains a qualified profit-sharing plan (the "Plan"). The annual contribution for 2014 is 3% of total cash compensation or $7,800, whichever is less. Employees are generally eligible to participate in the Plan after six months of service and are 100% vested upon entering the Plan. For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, $1.6 million, $1.6 million and $1.6 million were contributed to the Plan by the Company, respectively.

Leases

        The Company leases its office space under long-term operating lease agreements which expire at various dates through August 2021. Under the operating leases, the Company pays certain operating expenses relating to the leased property and monthly base rent.

        Aggregate future minimum payments under noncancelable leases with initial or remaining terms of one year or more consist of the following at December 31, 2014:

        The Company's rental expense for operating leases was $3.6 million, $3.2 million and $3.0 million, in 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively.

STA Consulting Contingent Consideration

        The Company expects to pay $1.7 in the first quarter of 2015 related to 2014 performance and the remaining contingent liability in the first quarter of 2016. The Company also increased the contingent consideration liability by $0.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2014, based on the latest estimates of future profit level due to completion of new projects.

F-30

---

Table of Contents

INFORMATION SERVICES GROUP, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(tabular amounts in thousands, except per share data)

NOTE 13—COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES (Continued)

CCI Contingent Consideration

        As of December 31, 2014, we have recorded a liability of $1.9 million representing the estimated fair value of contingent consideration related to the acquisition of CCI Consulting, of which $0.7 million is classified as current and included in accrued expenses on the consolidated balance sheet.

NOTE 14—RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

        From time to time, the Company may have receivables and payables with employees and shareholders. All related party transactions have been conducted in the normal course of business as if the parties were unrelated. As of December 31, 2014 and 2013, the Company had outstanding receivables from related parties, including shareholders, totaling $0.1 million and $0.2 million, respectively, and no outstanding payables. These transactions related to personal withholding taxes paid on behalf of expatriate employees.

NOTE 15—INCOME TAXES

        The components of income before income taxes for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 consists of the following:

F-31

---

Table of Contents

INFORMATION SERVICES GROUP, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(tabular amounts in thousands, except per share data)

NOTE 15—INCOME TAXES (Continued)

        The components of the 2014, 2013 and 2012 income tax provision are as follows:

        The differences between the effective tax rates reflected in the total provision for income taxes and the U.S. federal statutory rate of 35% for the year ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 were as follows:

F-32

---

Table of Contents

INFORMATION SERVICES GROUP, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(tabular amounts in thousands, except per share data)

NOTE 15—INCOME TAXES (Continued)

        The tax effects of temporary differences that give rise to significant portions of the deferred tax assets and liabilities were as follows:

        A valuation allowance was established at December 31, 2014 and 2013 due to estimates of future utilization of net operating loss carryovers in the U.S. and certain foreign jurisdictions, derived primarily from acquisitions and recorded through purchase accounting. The valuation allowance at December 31, 2014 also primarily includes a full valuation for the Company's foreign tax credit carryovers and foreign taxes on its controlled foreign corporation.

F-33

---

Table of Contents

INFORMATION SERVICES GROUP, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(tabular amounts in thousands, except per share data)

NOTE 15—INCOME TAXES (Continued)

Uncertain tax positions

        Benefits from tax positions should be recognized in the financial statements only when it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained upon examination by the appropriate taxing authority that would have full knowledge of all relevant information. A tax position that meets the more-likely-than-not recognition threshold is measured at the largest amount of benefit that is greater than fifty percent likely of being realized upon ultimate settlement. Tax positions that previously failed to meet the more-likely-than-not recognition threshold should be recognized in the first subsequent financial reporting period in which that threshold is met. Previously recognized tax positions that no longer meet the more-likely-than-not recognition threshold should be derecognized in the first subsequent financial reporting period in which that threshold is no longer met. It is the Company's policy to accrue for interest and penalties related to its uncertain tax positions within income tax expense.

        A tabular reconciliation of the total amounts of unrecognized tax benefits at the beginning and end of the period is as follows:

        We do not expect our unrecognized tax benefits to significantly change in the next twelve months.

        The Company has recognized through income tax expense approximately $0.5 million of interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions. The amount of unrecognized tax benefit, if recognized, that would impact the effective tax rate is $2.2 million. The Company has entered into indemnification arrangements totaling $0.8 million to reduce the net economic impact of its uncertain tax positions. With few exceptions, the Company is no longer subject to U.S. federal, state, local, or non-U.S. income tax examinations by tax authorities for years before 2008.

F-34

---

Table of Contents

INFORMATION SERVICES GROUP, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(tabular amounts in thousands, except per share data)

NOTE 16—STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION PLANS

        The Amended and Restated 2007 Equity and Incentive Award Plan ("Incentive Plan") and Amended and Restated 2007 Employee Stock Purchase Plan ("ESPP") were approved by the Company's stockholders. Subject to the term of the Incentive Plan, the Incentive Plan authorizes the grant of awards, which awards may be made in the form of (i) nonqualified stock options; (ii) stock options intended to qualify as incentive stock options under Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code (stock options described in clause (i) and (ii), "options"); (iii) stock appreciation rights ("SARs"); (iv) restricted stock and/or restricted stock units; (v) other stock based awards; (vi) performance-based awards, which are equity awards or incentive awards intended to qualify for full tax deductibility by the Company under Code Section 162(m); and (vii) incentive awards, a cash-denominated award earnable by achievement of performance goals. The issuance of shares or the payment of cash upon the exercise of an award or in consideration of the cancellation or termination of an award shall reduce the total number of shares available under the equity incentive plan, as applicable. The provisions of each award will vary based on the type of award granted and will be specified by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors. Those awards which are based on a specific contractual term will be granted with a term not to exceed ten years. The SARs granted under the Incentive Plan are granted with an exercise price equal to the fair market value of the Common Shares at the time the SARs are granted.

        As of December 31, 2014, there were 4,613,444 and 1,186,421 shares available for grant under the amended and restated Incentive Plan and ESPP, respectively.

        The Company recognized $3.1 million, $3.4 million and $2.8 million in employee stock-based compensation expense during the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively. This expense was recorded in selling, general and administrative in the consolidated statement of comprehensive income.

Stock Appreciation Rights

        The Compensation Committee may grant (i) a stock appreciation right independent of an option or (ii) a stock appreciation right in connection with an option, or a portion thereof. A stock appreciation right granted pursuant to clause (ii) of the preceding sentence (A) may be granted at the time the related option is granted or at any time prior to the exercise or cancellation of the related option, (B) shall cover the same number of shares covered by an option (or such lesser number of shares as the Compensation Committee may determine) and (C) shall be subject to the same terms and conditions as such option except for such additional limitations as are contemplated above (or such additional limitations as may be included in an award agreement).

        SARs granted pursuant to the Incentive Plan are granted with an exercise price equal to the fair market value of the Common Shares at the time the SARs are granted. Pursuant to the applicable award agreements, the SARs vest and become exercisable with respect to 25% of the shares subject to the SARs on the first four anniversaries of the grant date, so long as the employee remains employed with the Company on each such date. If the employee's employment with the Company is terminated

F-35

---

Table of Contents

INFORMATION SERVICES GROUP, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(tabular amounts in thousands, except per share data)

NOTE 16—STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION PLANS (Continued)

as a result of the employee's death or disability, all unvested SARs will be fully vested. If the employee retires, the SARs will continue to vest on the same schedule as if the employee had remained employed with the Company. Any vested SARs will expire upon the earliest to occur of the following: (i) the tenth anniversary of the grant date; (ii) one year following the date of the employee's termination of services as a result of death or permanent disability; (iii) 90 days following the fourth anniversary of the grant date, following the participant's retirement; (iv) 30 days following the date of the participant's termination of employment for any reason (other than as a result of death, disability or retirement); and (v) immediately upon a termination for cause. SARs will be settled in the form of shares of the Company's common stock upon exercise.

        A summary of the status of the Company's SARs issued under its Incentive Plan is presented below:

        The Company did not grant any SAR during the years end December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively. The total fair value of the SARs vested during the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 was $0, $6,000 and $0.1 million, respectively. As of December 31, 2014, all of the compensation costs related to the Company's vested SARs have been recognized.

F-36

---

Table of Contents

INFORMATION SERVICES GROUP, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(tabular amounts in thousands, except per share data)

NOTE 16—STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION PLANS (Continued)

        The Company uses the Black-Scholes option pricing model to determine the fair value of each SAR award on the date of grant. The estimated fair value of the SARs is amortized to expense on a straight-line basis over the vesting period.

        The volatility calculation was based on our most recent trading day average. The risk-free interest rate is determined based upon the interest rate on a U.S. Treasury Bill with a term equal to the expected life of the SARs at the time the SARs was granted. An expected life of five years was taken into account for purposes of assigning a fair value to the SARs. The expected life represents the period of time the awards granted are expected to be outstanding. The Company has not issued any stock options from the inception through December 31, 2014.

Restricted Share Awards/Units

        The Incentive Plan provides for the granting of restricted share awards ("RSA") or restricted share units ("RSU"), the vesting of which is subject to conditions and limitations established at the time of the grant. Upon the grant of an RSA, the participant has the rights of a shareholder, including but not limited to the right to vote such shares and the right to receive any dividends paid on such shares. Recipients of RSU awards will not have the rights of a shareholder of the Company until such date as the Common Shares are issued or transferred to the recipient. If the employee retires (at the normal retirement age stated in the applicable retirement plan or applicable law, if there is a mandatory retirement age), the restricted shares continue to vest on the same schedule as if the employee remained employed with the Company. Upon a change in control, or upon a termination of employment due to employee's death or permanent disability, the restricted shares become 100% vested. Dividends accrue and will be paid if and when the restricted shares vest.

        The Company also granted RSUs to specific employees which have the following characteristics:

•

Performance-Based RSU Vesting (EBITDA):  Provided the employee continues to be employed through April 1, 2016, the RSUs will vest on such date if specific 2015 financial performance is met, otherwise the RSUs will be forfeited.



•

Time-Based RSU Vesting:  So long as the employee continues to be employed through the fourth anniversary of the grant date, the RSUs will become 100% vested on such date.



•

Performance-Based RSU Vesting (Stock Price):  On July 1 and August 1, 2013, the Company granted 804,000 and 75,000 RSUs with grant date prices of $1.90 and $2.72, respectively. These RSUs contained a market condition that should the closing price of ISG shares meet or exceed $3.50 for three consecutive trading days, 100% of the RSUs would vest immediately at that time. The Company assessed the fair value of the awards on the grant date utilizing a lattice model.

F-37

---

Table of Contents

INFORMATION SERVICES GROUP, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(tabular amounts in thousands, except per share data)

NOTE 16—STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION PLANS (Continued)

The weighted-average grant date fair value per market-based share for these awards granted was computed using the Monte Carlo pricing model using the following assumptions:

        The expected term of the awards was based on the requisite service period. The risk-free interest rate was based on the U.S Treasury Bill in effect at the time of grant for four years. The expected volatility was based on our historical volatility.

        All RSUs under the July 1 and August 1, 2013 grants have vested since the market condition was achieved during the quarter ended September 30, 2013. As a result, the Company recorded $1.7 million of stock compensation expense in selling, general and administrative in the accompanying consolidated statement of comprehensive income (loss).

        If an employee's employment is terminated (i) at any time during the vesting period due to the employee's death, disability or retirement prior to the applicable vesting date or (ii) without cause by the Company after 50% of the relevant period has elapsed, then the RSUs will vest prorata based on the period of time worked relative to such period. However, no shares will be distributed until the applicable pro rata vesting date (and, in the case of the Performance-Based RSUs, only if and to the extent that the performance target is achieved). In all other terminations occurring prior to the applicable vesting date, the RSUs will expire. Pursuant to the terms of the Incentive Plan, in the event of a change in control, the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors may accelerate vesting of the outstanding awards then held by participants. All RSUs will be payable in shares of the Company's common stock immediately upon vesting. No dividend equivalents will be paid with respect to any RSUs.

        The fair value of RSAs and RSUs is determined based on the closing price of the Company's shares on the grant date. The total fair value is amortized to expense on a straight-line basis over the vesting period. There has been no activities for RSAs since December 31, 2011.

F-38

---

Table of Contents

INFORMATION SERVICES GROUP, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(tabular amounts in thousands, except per share data)

NOTE 16—STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION PLANS (Continued)

        A summary of the status of the Company's RSUs issued under its Incentive Plan as of December 31, 2014 and changes during the year then ended, is presented below:

        The total fair value of RSUs vested during the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 was $1.4 million, $3.8 million and $2.6 million, respectively. As of December 31, 2014, there was $6.1 million of unrecognized compensation cost related to RSUs, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 2.8 years.

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

        The Company uses the Black-Scholes option pricing model to estimate the fair value of shares expected to be issued under the Company's employee stock purchase plan. The ESPP provides that a total of 1.2 million shares of Common Stock are reserved for issuance under the plan. The ESPP, which is intended to qualify as an "employee stock purchase plan" under Section 423 of the Internal Revenue Code, is implemented utilizing three-month offerings with purchases occurring at three-month intervals. The ESPP administration is overseen by the Company's Compensation Committee. Employees are eligible to participate if they are employed by the Company for at least 20 hours per week and more than five months in a calendar year. The ESPP permits eligible employees to purchase Common Stock through payroll deductions, ranging from one to ten percent of their eligible earnings subject to IRS regulated cap of $25,000. The price of Common Stock purchased under the ESPP is 90% of the fair market value of the Common Stock on the applicable purchase date. Employees may end their participation in an offering at any time during the offering period, and participation ends automatically

F-39

---

Table of Contents

INFORMATION SERVICES GROUP, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(tabular amounts in thousands, except per share data)

NOTE 16—STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION PLANS (Continued)

upon termination of employment. The Compensation Committee may at any time amend or terminate the ESPP, except that no such amendment or termination may adversely affect shares previously granted under the ESPP. The Company may issue new shares for the ESPP using treasury shares or newly issued shares.

        For the year ended December 31, 2014, the Company issued 150,095 shares for the ESPP. There were 1,186,421 shares available for purchase at December 31, 2014 under the ESPP.

NOTE 17—SEGMENT AND GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

        The Company operates in one segment, fact-based sourcing advisory services. The Company operates principally in the Americas, Europe, and Asia Pacific. The Company's foreign operations are subject to local government regulations and to the economic and political uncertainties of those areas.

        Geographical information for the segment is as follows:

F-40

---

Table of Contents

INFORMATION SERVICES GROUP, INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(tabular amounts in thousands, except per share data)

NOTE 17—SEGMENT AND GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION (Continued)

        The segregation of revenues by geographic region is based upon the location of the legal entity performing the services. The Company does not measure or monitor gross profit or operating income by geography or any other measure or metric, other than consolidated, for the purposes of making operating decisions or allocating resources.

NOTE 18—UNAUDITED QUARTERLY INFORMATION

 

F-41

---

Table of Contents

EXHIBIT INDEX

---

Table of Contents

---

Table of Contents

---

Table of Contents

---

Table of Contents

SIGNATURES

        Pursuant to the requirements of the Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the city of Stamford, in the State of Connecticut on March 13, 2015.

        Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

---

Table of Contents

INFORMATION SERVICES GROUP, INC.

SCHEDULE II—VALUATION AND QUALIFYING ACCOUNTS
(in thousands)

---