form14a.htm
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE
14A INFORMATION
Proxy
Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
(Amendment No. )
Filed
by the Registrant x
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Filed
by a Party other than the Registrant o
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Check the
appropriate box:
x Preliminary Proxy
Statement
¨ Confidential, for Use
of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14A-6(e)(2))
¨ Definitive Proxy
Statement
¨ Definitive Additional
Materials
¨ Soliciting Materials
under Rule 14a-12
Aspyra,
Inc.
(Name
of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)
_________________________________________
(Name of
Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the
Registrant)
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of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):
x No fee
required.
¨ Fee computed on table
below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(4) and 0-11.
(1) Title
of each class of securities to which transaction
applies:___________
(2)
Aggregate number of securities to which transaction
applies:___________
(3) Per
unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed pursuant to
Exchange Act Rule 0-11
(Set
forth the amount on which the filing fee is calculated and state how it was
determined):____________
(4)
Proposed maximum aggregate value of transaction:____________
(5) Total
fee paid:____________
¨ Fee paid previously
with preliminary materials.
¨ Check box if any part
of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act Rule 0-11(a)(2)
and
identify the filing for which the offsetting fee was paid previously. Identify
the previous filing by
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statement number, or the Form or Schedule and the date of its
filing.
(1)
Amount Previously Paid:___________
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Filing Party:___________
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Filed:___________
Aspyra,
Inc.
4360 Park Terrace Drive, Suite
220
Westlake
Village, CA 91361
NOTICE
OF SPECIAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
NOTICE
IS HEREBY GIVEN that a Special Meeting of shareholders of Aspyra, Inc., a
California corporation (the “Company”, “Aspyra”, “we”, “us”, or “our”), to be
held at 10:00 a.m., Pacific Time, on Monday, March 8, 2010, at the Company’s
offices at 4360 Park Terrace Drive, Suite 220, Westlake
Village, CA 91361, for the following purposes:
1. To
consider and act upon a proposal to approve an amendment to our articles of
incorporation to effect a 101-to-1 reverse stock split; and
2. To
act on such other matters as may properly come before the meeting or any
adjournment or adjournment thereof.
The Board
of Directors has fixed the close of business on February 8, 2010, as the record
date for the meeting and only holders of shares of record at that time will be
entitled to notice of and to vote at the Special Meeting of Shareholders or any
adjournment or adjournments thereof.
Pursuant
to rules adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission, you may access a
copy of the Proxy Statement at www.aspyra.com.
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By
Order of the Board of Directors
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Ademola
Lawal
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Chief
Executive Officer
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February__ ,
2010
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IF
YOU CANNOT PERSONALLY ATTEND THE MEETING, IT IS REQUESTED
THAT
YOU
INDICATE YOUR VOTE ON THE ISSUES INCLUDED ON THE ENCLOSED
PROXY AND DATE, SIGN AND MAIL
IT IN THE ENCLOSED SELF-ADDRESSED
ENVELOPE
WHICH REQUIRES NO POSTAGE IF MAILED IN THE UNITED STATES.
ASPYRA,
INC.
4360
Park Terrace Drive, Suite 220
Westlake
Village, CA 91361
PROXY
STATEMENT
FOR
Special
Meeting of Shareholders
To
be held March 8, 2010
GENERAL
INFORMATION
The
enclosed proxy is solicited by the Board of Directors of Aspyra, Inc., a
California corporation (“Aspyra”, the “Company”, “we”, “us”, or “our”), in
connection with the Special Meeting of Shareholders to be held at 10:00 a.m.,
Pacific Time, on Monday, March 8, 2010, at the Company’s offices
at 4360 Park Terrace Drive, Suite 220, Westlake Village, CA
91361, and any adjournments thereof, for the purposes set forth in the
accompanying Notice of Meeting. Unless instructed to the contrary on the proxy,
it is the intention of the persons named in the proxy to vote the
proxies:
1. For
approval of an amendment to our articles of incorporation to effect a 101-to-1
reverse stock split; and
2. In
their discretion on such other matters as may properly come before the meeting
or any adjournment or adjournment thereof.
The
record date with respect to this solicitation is the close of business on
February 8, 2010 and only shareholders of record at that time will be entitled
to vote at the meeting. The principal executive office of the Company is 4360
Park Terrace Drive, Suite 220, Westlake Village, CA 91361, and its telephone
number is 818-880-6700. The shares of Common Stock represented by all validly
executed proxies received in time to be taken to the meeting and not previously
revoked will be voted at the meeting. This proxy may be revoked by the
shareholder at any time prior to its being voted by filing with the Secretary of
the Company either a notice of revocation or a duly executed proxy bearing a
later date. This proxy statement and the accompanying proxy were mailed to you
on or about February __, 2010.
OUTSTANDING
SHARES; QUORUM; REQUIRED VOTE
The close
of business on February 8, 2010 has been fixed as the record date for the
determination of shareholders entitled to notice of and to vote at the Special
Meeting and any postponements or adjournments thereof. As of the record date, we
estimate that there will be 17,201,327 shares of the Company’s common stock
outstanding and entitled to vote. Each common share is entitled to one vote. The
presence in person or by proxy at the Special Meeting of the holders of a
majority of such shares shall constitute a quorum. There is no cumulative
voting. The affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the total
outstanding common shares is necessary to approve the amendment to the articles
of incorporation to effect a 101-to-1 reverse stock split of the common stock of
the Company.
Votes
shall be counted by one or more persons who shall serve as the inspectors of
election. The inspectors of election will canvas the shareholders present in
person at the meeting, count their votes and count the votes represented by
proxies presented. Abstentions and broker nonvotes are counted for purposes of
determining the number of shares represented at the meeting, but are deemed not
to have voted on the proposal. Broker nonvotes occur when a nominee (which has
voted on one or more matters at the meeting) does not vote on one or more other
matters at the meeting because it has not received instructions to so vote from
the beneficial owner and does not have discretionary authority to so
vote.
Neither
the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has
approved or disapproved of the transaction, passed upon the merits or fairness
of the transaction, or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of the disclosure in
this Proxy Statement. Any representation to the contrary is a
criminal offense.
SUMMARY
TERM SHEET
The
following summary term sheet highlights selected information from this Proxy
Statement and may not contain all of the information that may be important to
you. Accordingly, we encourage you to read this entire Proxy Statement, its
appendices and the documents referred to or incorporated by reference in this
Proxy Statement. Each item in this summary term sheet includes a caption
reference directing you to a more complete description of that
item.
Action
To Be Considered by Stockholders
We are
seeking stockholder consent to the following action:
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The
approval of an amendment to our certificate of incorporation to effect a
101-for-1 reverse split of our common stock. See “Amendment to Articles of
Incorporation to Effect 101-to-1 Reverse Stock
Split.”
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Effect of the Reverse Split on
Stockholders (See “Special Factors – Effects and Tax Consequences of the
Reverse Split on our Other Stockholders”)
If the
reverse split is approved by stockholders, then as a result of the reverse
split:
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Each
share of common stock will automatically become and be converted into
1/101 (or approximately 0.0099) shares of common stock. This
means that each 101 shares of common stock that you own will automatically
become and be converted into one share of common
stock.
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We
will pay cash in lieu of fractional shares based on the last closing price
of the common stock on the date prior to the reverse split, which we
estimate will be approximately $0.06 per share (on a pre-reverse split
basis, or $6.06 on a post-reverse split basis), based on the closing price
of our common stock on January 15,
2010.
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If
you own less than 101 shares of common stock, you will receive cash in
lieu of fractional shares, and you will cease to be a stockholder. As a
result, you will cease to have any direct or indirect ownership interest
in the Company and will not be able to participate in any future earnings
or growth of the Company.
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If
you hold stock in more than one account and you do not consolidate your
accounts, each account will be treated separately. As a result,
if you own less than 101 shares in each of several accounts but the total
number of shares which you own is more than 101 shares, you will cease to
be a stockholder at the effective time of the reverse split and you will
receive cash in lieu of all of your fractional
shares.
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If
you hold your stock in street name (which is how your stock is held if you
keep your stock in your brokerage or nominee account) you will receive
cash and/or shares based on the number of shares held in the brokerage or
nominee account. The shares, if any, and cash in lieu of
fractional shares, will be determined separately for each account you hold
in street name.
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The
shares and cash in lieu of fractional shares will be separately determined
for each brokerage firm who holds our stock either on its own behalf or on
behalf of its customers. Each account in each brokerage firm
will be treated as a separate account for determining how many shares and
how much cash in lieu of fractional shares will be
paid.
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We
will have fewer than 300 stockholders. As a result we will
terminate our registration under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended (the “Exchange Act”). We estimate that as a result of the reverse
split, the number of shareholders of record of our common stock will be
reduced from 329 to 170.
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Action
Required by Stockholders
You are
not required to take any action before the reverse split becomes
effective. If the reverse split is approved by shareholders, then
once the reverse split becomes effective, you will receive a transmittal letter
for you to receive any shares and cash in lieu of fractional shares which are
due to you as a result of the one-for-101 reverse split. The form of
our letter to you is set forth in Appendix B to this Proxy
Statement.
Funds
for Payment of the Cash in Lieu of Fractional Shares and Preparing, Printing and
Mailing Proxy Statement
We will
pay for preparing, printing and mailing this Proxy Statement. Only
one Proxy Statement will be delivered to multiple stockholders sharing an
address, unless contrary instructions are received from one or more of such
stockholders. Upon receipt of a written request at the address noted above, we
will deliver a single copy of this Proxy Statement and future stockholder
communication documents to any stockholders sharing an address to which multiple
copies are now delivered. We estimate our legal, transfer agent,
printing, mailing and related costs associated with this Proxy Statement and
holding the Special Meeting will be approximately $25,000. In
addition, if the reverse split is approved by shareholders, we will be paying
our stockholders who have fractional shares for the value of the fractional
shares, based on the last closing price of our common stock as of the effective
date on the reverse split. We estimate that we will pay out stockholders
approximately $500 for their fractional shares. We will pay the costs
associated with this Proxy Statement as well as the cash in lieu of fractional
shares from cash available to us.
Accounting Consequences of the
Reverse Split (See “Amendment to Articles of Incorporation to Effect
101-to-1 Reverse Stock Split.”)
If the
reverse split is approved by shareholders, then as a result of the reverse
split:
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The
number of outstanding shares of common stock will be reduced from
17,201,327 shares, which are outstanding on the date of this information,
to approximately 170,227 shares. The exact number of shares
outstanding after the reverse split will be determined following the
effectiveness of the reverse split.
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The
purchase of the fractional shares will be treated as the purchase of
treasury stock and will be reflected in the stockholders’ equity section
of our balance sheet as a reduction of additional paid-in capital in the
amount of our payment in lieu of fractional shares, which is estimated at
approximately $500.
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Tax Treatment of the Reverse
Split (See “Special Factors – Effects and Tax Consequences of the Reverse
Split to our Other Stockholders” and “Amendment to Articles of Incorporation to
Effect 101-to-1 Reverse Stock Split.”)
The
combination and exchange of each 101 shares of the common stock into one share
of new common stock should be a tax-free transaction, and the holding period and
tax basis of the old common stock will be transferred to the new common stock
received in exchange therefore. Provided that the old common stock is
held as a capital asset, the cash paid to for fractional shares will be treated
as a payment in redemption of the fractional shares and the stockholder will
recognize a capital gain or loss, as the case may be, on the difference between
your basis in the fractional share and the payment in lieu of the fractional
share.
This
discussion, which relates to United States residents, should not be considered
as tax or investment advice, and the tax consequences of the reverse split may
not be the same for all stockholders. You should consult your own tax advisors
to know how federal, state, local and foreign tax laws affect you.
Fairness of the Reverse Split
(See “Special Factors – Reasons for the Reverse Split,” “Special
Factors – Fairness of the Reverse Split” and “Amendment to Articles of
Incorporation to Effect 101-to-1 Reverse Stock Split.”)
Our
board, in approving the reverse split, believes that the reverse split is fair
to us and to our stockholders, including our unaffiliated stockholders,
regardless of whether they receive cash in lieu of fractional shares or continue
as stockholders.
No Appraisal Rights (See
“Amendment to Articles of Incorporation to Effect 101-to-1 Reverse Stock
Split.”) You will not have any rights of appraisal with respect to the reverse
split, which means that you will not have any procedure to follow for you to
challenge the valuation placed by us on your common stock in paying cash in lieu
of fractional shares.
Effect of the Reverse Split on
Officers, Directors and
Affiliates (See “Special Factors – Effect of the Reverse Split on our
Affiliates” and “Amendment to Articles of Incorporation to Effect 101-to-1
Reverse Stock Split.”)
Rodney
Schutt, our chief executive officer and a director, until his resignation on
December 18, 2009, owns 161,538 shares of common stock, representing
approximately 0.9% of our outstanding common stock. Following the reverse split,
Mr. Schutt will own 1,599 shares of common stock, which will represent
approximately 0.9% of our outstanding common stock after the reverse
split.
The
estate of C. Ian Sym-Smith (a former director of the Company who died in
September 2009) owns 1,560,982 shares, representing approximately 9.1% of our
outstanding common stock. Following the reverse split, the estate of C. Ian
Sym-Smith will own 15,455 shares of common stock, which will represent
approximately 9.1% of our outstanding common stock after the reverse
split.
Bradford
G. Peters, a former director of the Company, owns 2,269,711 shares, representing
approximately 13.2% of our outstanding shares. Following the reverse split, Mr.
Peters will own 22,472 shares of common stock, which will represent
approximately 13.2% of our outstanding common stock after the reverse
split.
James
Shawn Chalmers owns 2,289,660 shares, representing approximately 13.3% of our
outstanding common stock. Following the reverse split, Mr. Chalmers will own
22,669 shares of common stock, which will represent approximately 13.3% of our
outstanding common stock after the reverse split. Mr. Chalmers states that he
does not own any Common Stock directly but he is (i) the sole director and
President and majority shareholder of J&S Ventures, Inc.; (ii) the sole
manager and holder of 75% of the membership interests of Orion Capital
Investments, LLC; and (iii) the sole trustee and sole beneficiary of the J.
Shawn Chalmers Revocable Trust dated August 13, 1996.
No other
officer or director owns any significant number of shares.
In
addition to the shares owned by officers and directors, four of our directors
hold options to purchase a total of 267,497 shares of common stock at exercise
price ranging from $0.22 per share to $2.48. As a result of the
reverse split, these options will entitle the holders to purchase approximately
2,649 shares of common stock at exercise prices ranging from $22.22 to $250.48
per share.
QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS CONCERNING THE STOCKHOLDER ACTION TO BE CONSIDERED
If
you hold your stock in your brokerage account, how will your shares be
treated?
If the
reverse split is approved by shareholders, then if you hold your stock in a
brokerage account or otherwise in a nominee account, the number of shares that
you will receive and the cash in lieu of fractional shares will be based on the
number of share in your account, as reported to us by your
broker. If you advised your broker that the broker is not
authorized to provide us with your name, then your broker will not provide us
with your name, but will provide us with the number of shares held in each of
your accounts.
How
will your stock be treated in you hold your common stock in more than one
account?
If the
reverse split is approved by shareholders, then if you hold stock in more than
one account or more than one name, each account will be treated
separately. For example, if shares are held in the names of Jon Doe,
Jonathan Doe and Jon P. Doe, each account will be treated
separately. If you have less than 101 shares in each of these
accounts, you will receive cash in lieu of fractional shares for all of your
accounts. Similarly, if you have accounts at different brokerage
firms, each account will be treated separately.
Can
you combine your accounts so that all of your shares are in one
account?
If the
reverse split is approved by shareholders, then you can combine your accounts
either by yourself or through your brokerage firm.
If you
hold shares in brokerage accounts, you should discuss with your broker the
method of combining your account. If you hold shares in your own
name, you should contact our transfer agent to obtain information as to
combining your accounts.
Can
you divide your accounts so that you will receive cash in respect of all of your
shares?
If the
reverse split is approved by shareholders, then we will pay cash in lieu of
fractional shares to each stockholder of record and each stockholder who holds
shares in a brokerage or nominee account on the effective date of the reverse
split. Whether you divide or combine your accounts, each account
which is treated as a separate account on the effective date of the reverse
split will be treated separately in determining what shares or cash in lieu of
fractional shares is due to you.
Who
is our transfer agent?
Our
transfer agent is American Stock Transfer and Trust Company, LLC, 6201 15 th
Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11219, phone: 718-921-8261.
Why
did the board of directors choose to adopt a reverse stock
split?
Our board
of directors approved the reverse split in order to enable us to reduce the
number of our stockholders and to terminate the registration of our common stock
under the Exchange Act. We have a large number of stockholders who
own small quantities of our common stock.
If the
reverse split is approved by shareholders, then as a result of the reverse
split, we will have fewer than 300 stockholders of record, and we will be able
to terminate the registration of our common stock under the Exchange
Act. Upon filing a certification and notice of termination of
registration under the Exchange Act, we will no longer be required to file the
annual, quarterly and current reports which we are presently required to file
and we will not be subject to provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002,
including those relating to the attestation by our independent auditor as to our
internal controls over financial reporting.
How
did we determine the amount that we will pay for fractional shares?
If the
reverse split is approved by shareholders, then the amount that we will pay for
fractional shares will be based on the last closing price of our common stock as
of the date of the reverse split. As of January 15, 2010, the last closing price
of our common stock was $0.06.
How
did the board of directors determine the ratio for the reverse
split?
The
one-for-101 ratio for the reverse split was based on our analysis of our
outstanding stock and was intended to result in our common stock being owned by
less than 300 stockholders in order that we can terminate our registration under
the Exchange Act.
We did
not receive any report, opinion (other than an opinion of counsel) or appraisal
from an outside party related to the reverse split.
Why
does the board of directors want to terminate the registration of our common
stock?
The
decision by our board of directors to approve the reverse split was made after
carefully considering our long-term goals and our current operating environment,
including our cash requirements. We estimate that we will realize significant
cost savings, of approximately $750,000 annually, resulting from the elimination
of reporting obligations under the Exchange Act. We believe that continued
reporting pursuant to the Exchange Act does not provide any material benefit to
us or our stockholders, while imposing significant costs of compliance. The
decision was made at this time due to the Company’s current financial condition
(as of September 30, 2009, the Company had cash of $564,862 and a working
capital deficit of $8,367,049 (see “Summary Financial Information”)), which has
made it imperative for the Company to seek ways to reduce expenses, and the
performance of the Company’s common stock (as of January 15, 2010, the last
closing price of the Company’s common stock was $0.06 (see “Market and Market
Price of Our Common Stock”)), which has made it increasingly unlikely that the
Company will obtain material benefits from being a publicly reporting company.
We believe that we and our stockholders are much better served by applying our
financial and management resources to our operations.
If the
reverse split is approved by shareholders, then following termination of the
registration of our common stock under the Exchange Act, we will no longer incur
external auditor fees, consulting and legal fees related to being a public
company, including expenses related to compliance, planning, documentation and
testing, in connection with the internal controls provisions of Section 404
of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. We may incur annual audit fees as a
private company although the costs of such services have yet to be
determined. Additionally, such termination will eliminate the
Company’s obligation to publicly disclose sensitive, competitive business
information. In addition to the related direct financial burden from being
a public company, the thin trading market in our common stock has not provided
the desired level of liquidity to our stockholders nor provided a meaningful
incentive for our key employees.
Did
the board of directors appoint any representative to act on behalf of
stockholders who are not affiliates of the Company?
The
action to be considered at the Special Meeting was approved by the unanimous
consent of the board of directors and will require the approval of the holders
of a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock. The board
did not appoint any person to act as representative for unaffiliated
stockholders.
Did
the board of directors consider other alternatives to the reverse
split?
Yes. The
board considered the following alternatives to the reverse
split:
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Maintaining
the status quo. However, due to the significant costs of being a public
reporting company, and other considerations described herein, our board
believed that maintaining the status quo would be detrimental to all
stockholders. We would continue to incur the expenses of being a public
company without realizing the benefits of public company
status.
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The
sale of the Company. The Company has considered and is currently
considering the sale of the Company. The Company is currently in ongoing
negotiations with several parties who are conducting due diligence with
respect to the sale of the Company. However, past negotiations terminated
without an agreement, and with respect to the current negotiations, the
Company has not entered into any binding agreement for the sale of the
Company and there is no assurance any binding agreement will be reached.
If a sale of the Company is not completed, the Company will continue to
incur the expenses of being a public company without realizing the
benefits of public company status. As a result, the Company intends to
proceed with the reverse split unless and until a sale of the Company is
completed.
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If
the reverse split is approved by shareholders, when will the reverse split
become effective?
The
reverse split will become upon the filing of a certificate of amendment to our
articles of incorporation which we intend to file as soon as practicable
following shareholder approval.
Where
can you get copies of this Proxy Statement and any other material that we have
filed with the SEC in connection with the reverse split?
We make
all of our filings with the SEC, including this Proxy Statement and the Schedule
13E-3 relating to the reverse split, on the SEC’s EDGAR system. This information
is available through the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
We also
maintain copies of our filings with the SEC on our corporate
website. You can obtain access to these filings at
www.aspyra.com.
SPECIAL
FACTORS
Background
The
Company first considered the possibility of seeking to deregister its common
stock under the Exchange Act in July 2008. On July 22, 2008, the Company’s board
of directors held a meeting at which James Zierick, then the Company’s chief
executive officer, Anahita Villafane, then the Company’s chief financial
officer, James Helms, then the Company’s chief operations officer, and Ademola
Lawal, then the Company’s vice president of strategy and business development,
discussed with the board the possibility of deregistering its common stock under
the Exchange Act. The board decided to table the revisit the issue again in 6 to
12 months. On January 22, 2009, the Company’s board of directors held a meeting,
at which Rodney Schutt, then the Company’s chief executive officer, Ms.
Villafane, Mr. Helms, Rob Pruter, then the Company’s senior vice president sales
and marketing, and Mr. Lawal discussed with the board the process of
deregistering the Company’s common stock under the Exchange Act, the potential
benefits and drawbacks. At this meeting, the board and management discussed an
analysis of a reverse stock split and its potential costs. On July 27, 2009, the
Company’s board of directors held a meeting in which Rodney Schutt, then the
Company’s chief executive officer, and the board discussed the benefits of
deregistering the Company’s common stock under the Exchange Act. On
October 1, 2009, the board acted by written consent to approve the reverse
split.
On or
about September 25, 2009, and September 30, 2009, Mr. Schutt and Ms. Villafane
had telephone discussions with the Company’s legal counsel, David Manno and Jeff
Cahlon of Sichenzia Ross Friedman Ference LLP, about the process by which the
Company could deregister its common stock under the Exchange Act, in particular,
obtaining board approval and shareholder approval for a reverse stock split and
making the requisite SEC filings. Mr. Schutt and Ms. Villafane indicated the
Company’s desire to proceed with the reverse split.
On
October 1, 2009, the Company’s board of directors acted by written consent to
approve the reverse split.
Since
September 2008, the Company has also been considering the possibility of a sale
of the Company due to several factors. We operate in a mature industry of
healthcare information technology and services which has been consolidating.
There are about 50 Radiology Information Systems/Picture Archiving and
Communication Systems (known as RIS/PACS) companies and we believe there are
some economies of scale which the Company can achieve by combining with another
company. Such potential economies of scale increased in importance due to the
fact that Aspyra has not been profitable in recent years. Further, as a small
company in a consolidating industry, the board believed there was a significant
possibility that Aspyra would be approached by a potential
buyer.
In
September 2008, an international RIS company which was looking to acquire a PACS
company in the U.S in order to enter the U.S market with an established company,
initiated contact with the Company regarding a potential sale of the Company.
Aspyra’s former SVP of Sales, Rob Pruter had worked for the president of this
potential buyer and the buyer was aware of his position with Aspyra and
contacted Mr. Pruter to learn more about Aspyra. In September 2008, Rob Pruter
and James Helms had preliminary discussions with this potential buyer and made a
presentation of Aspyra’s business and strategy. This potential buyer
closed the purchase of another PACS company in January 2009.
On April
6, 2009, Mr. Schutt and Mr. Lawal met with this potential buyer at a tradeshow
and discussed the potential buyer’s continued interest in Aspyra. Mr. Schutt and
Mr. Lawal also met with another potential buyer at this trade show and discussed
the potential strategic fit between the two companies.
In June
2009 the Company signed a letter agreement with Roth Capital Partners, LLC
(“Roth”), whereby Roth was retained by the Company to provide investment banking
services, including with respect to a possible sale of the Company.
On
October 30, 2009, Mr. Schutt, Mr. Lawal and Ms. Villafane had a conference call
with a potential buyer about preliminary due diligence items and a request for
additional information.
On
November 16, 2009, Mr. Schutt, Ms. Villafane, and Mr. Lawal had a conference
call with a private equity firm that expressed interest in possibly purchasing
the Company.
On
December 4, 2009, Mr. Lawal, Mr. Schutt, Ms. Villafane, and Mr. Zierick held a
conference call with the Company’s board of directors to review a letter of
intent with a potential buyer.
On
December 8, 2009, and December 9, 2009, Mr. Lawal and Ms. Villafane held a
series of meetings with a potential buyer to review the Company’s sales
pipeline, financial statements and schedules and detailed product roadmap and
customer analysis.
The
Company is currently in ongoing negotiations with several parties who are
conducting due diligence with respect to the sale of the Company. The Company
has not entered into any binding agreements with respect to the sale of the
Company.
Purposes,
Alternatives and Effects of the Reverse Split
The
purpose of the reverse split is to reduce the number of record holders of our
common stock so that we will have fewer than 300 stockholders of
record. If the reverse if split is approved by shareholders, then
following the reverse split, we will have fewer than 300 stockholders of record
and we will be able to terminate our registration under the Exchange
Act. As a result of the termination of our registration under the
Exchange Act:
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We
will not be required to file annual reports, quarterly and current reports
which are due after we file the notice of termination of
registration. We currently file annual reports on Form 10-K,
which include our audited year-end financial statements, quarterly reports
on Form 10-Q, which include unaudited quarterly and year-to-date financial
statements, and current reports on Form 8-K, which report significant
matters. If the reverse split becomes effective before March
31, 2010, we will not be required to file a Form 10-K for the year ended
December 31, 2009.
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We
will not be required to provide you with an information statement in
connection with a meeting of stockholders or with an information statement
in connection with action taken without a meeting. We would be
required to give you notice of the meeting or notice of action taken
without a meeting under the California General Corporation Law, but we
would not be required to provide you with the information that is required
to be included in a proxy statement or an information
statement.
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We
would not be subject to provisions of the Sarbanes Oxley Act, which, among
other provisions, would require us to obtain attestation by our
independent auditors as to our internal controls over financial
reporting.
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Our
officers, directors and 10% stockholders would not be required to file
beneficial ownership reports on Forms 3, 4 and
5.
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Holders
who beneficially own 5% or more of our common stock would not be required
to file statements of beneficial ownership on Schedules 13D or
13G.
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In
addition, many brokerage firms may have policies which discourage purchases and
sales of stock of companies that are not reporting companies; however, our
common stock is already affected by policies at many brokerage firms that
discourage transactions in low price stocks.
As an
alternative to the reverse split, the board considered:
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Maintaining
the status quo. However, due to the significant costs of being a public
reporting company, and other considerations described herein, our board
believed that maintaining the status quo would be detrimental to all
stockholders. We would continue to incur the expenses of being a public
company without realizing the benefits of public company
status.
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The
sale of the Company. The Company has considered and is currently
considering the sale of the Company. The Company is currently in ongoing
negotiations with several parties who are conducting due diligence with
respect to the sale of the Company. However, past negotiations terminated
without an agreement, and with respect to the current negotiations, the
Company has not entered into any binding agreement for the sale of the
Company and there is no assurance any binding agreement will be reached.
If a sale of the Company is not completed, the Company will continue to
incur the expenses of being a public company without realizing the
benefits of public company status. As a result, the Company intends to
proceed with the reverse split unless and until a sale of the Company is
completed.
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Prior to
November 16, 2009, our Common Stock traded on the NYSE Amex. On September 24,
2009, the Company received notice from NYSE Amex that the Company did not meet
one of NYSE Amex’s continued listing standards as set forth in Part 10 of the
NYSE Amex LLC Company Guide (the “Company Guide”). Specifically, the Company was
not in compliance with Section 1003(a)(iv) of the Company Guide in that it had
sustained losses which were so substantial in relation to its overall operations
or its existing financial resources, or its financial condition had become so
impaired that it appeared questionable, in the opinion of NYSE Amex, as to
whether the Company would be able to continue operations and/or meet its
obligations as they mature. The Company was afforded the opportunity to submit a
plan of compliance to NYSE Amex by October 26, 2009, addressing how it intends
to regain compliance with Section 1003(a)(iv) of the Company Guide by March 24,
2010. Because the Company intends to deregister under the Exchange Act, the
Company did not submit such a plan to NYSE Amex. On November 6, 2009, the
Company filed a Form 25 with the SEC for the voluntary delisting of its common
stock from NYSE Amex. The delisting was effective on November 16, 2009. As of
November 16, 2009, our Common Stock is quoted on the Pink Sheets under the
symbol APYI. This is likely to have an adverse impact on the trading and price
of our Common Stock.
The ratio
of one-for-101 was intended to enable us to be satisfied that, following the
reverse split, we would have less than 300 stockholders of records, even if
stockholders who hold shares in street name elected to hold their shares in
their own names.
Reasons for the Reverse
Split
Our board
of directors considered many factors in unanimously approving the reverse split
at this time, including the following:
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The
nature and limited extent of the trading in our common stock as well as
the market value that the public markets are currently applying to
us.
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The
direct and indirect costs associated with the preparation and filing of
our periodic reports with the SEC, which we estimate at approximately
$750,000 annually, consisting of the following:
· Legal
fees $139,000
·
Outside audit and Sarbanes-Oxley documentation consulting
fees $284,000
· Stock
exchange and annual meeting
expenses $38,000
· Edgar
filing
fees $14,000
·
Director fees (due to expected lower number of
directors) $55,000
·
Director and officer
insurance $55,000
·
Accounting and finance personnel
expenses $145,000
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The
fact that many other typical advantages of being a public company,
including enhanced access to capital and the ability to use equity
securities to acquire other businesses, are not currently sufficiently
available to us, because of both our recent history of losses and the low
price and limited trading volume in our stock, to justify such
costs.
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The
current level of analyst coverage and limited liquidity for our common
stock under current and reasonably foreseeable market
conditions.
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We
believe that continued reporting pursuant to the Exchange Act does not provide
any material benefit to us or our stockholders, while imposing significant costs
of compliance. We believe that we and our stockholders are much better served by
applying our financial and management resources to our operations. Following
termination of the registration of our common stock under the Exchange Act, we
will no longer incur external auditor fees, consulting and legal fees related to
being a public company, including expenses related to compliance, planning,
documentation and testing, in connection with the internal controls provisions
of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. We may incur annual
audit fees as a private company although the costs of such services have yet to
be determined. Additionally, such termination will eliminate the
Company’s obligation to publicly disclose sensitive, competitive business
information. In addition to the related direct financial burden from being
a public company, the thin trading market in our common stock has not provided
the desired level of liquidity to our stockholders nor provided a meaningful
incentive for our key employees.
In
addition to the significant time and cost savings resulting from termination of
our registration under the Exchange Act, the board believes that this action
will allow our management to focus its attention and resources on building
longer-term enterprise value.
While the
factors listed above have existed for several years, their importance has
increased, and the decision was made at this time, due to the following
factors:
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The
Company’s current financial condition (as of September 30, 2009, the
Company had cash of $564,862 and a working capital deficit of $8,367,049
(see “Summary Financial Information”)), which has made it imperative for
the Company to seek ways to reduce expenses. Based upon our current plans,
we believe that our existing cash reserves will not be sufficient to meet
our current obligations and other obligations as they become due and
payable. As of September 30, 2009, our average monthly cash usage is
$265,000. Accordingly, we need to obtain additional debt or equity
financing through a public or private placement of securities, or obtain a
credit facility with a lender. Our ability to meet such obligations will
depend on our ability to sell securities, borrow funds, reduce operating
costs, or some combination thereof. Due to our recent losses, together
with the worldwide economic downturn and the general lack of credit even
for companies with strong balance sheets and positive operating results,
our difficulties in obtaining financing are increasing. We may not be
successful in obtaining necessary financing on acceptable terms, if at
all.
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The
recent performance of the Company’s common stock (as of January 15, 2010,
the last closing price of the Company’s common stock was $0.06 (see
“Market and Market Price of Our Common Stock”)), which has made it
increasingly unlikely that the Company will obtain material benefits from
being a publicly reporting
company.
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As
noted above, on September 24, 2009, the Company received notice from NYSE
Amex that the Company did not meet one of NYSE Amex’s continued listing
standards. The Company believes that had it not voluntarily delisted its
common stock from NYSE Amex, its common stock likely would have been
delisted from NYSE Amex. Further, the Company does not believe it
qualifies for listing on any national securities exchange. The delisting
of the Company’s common stock from NYSE Amex would further make it
increasingly unlikely that the Company would obtain material benefits from
being a publicly reporting company.
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As
noted above, the Company has had increasing difficulty obtaining
financing, notwithstanding being a publicly reporting company. For
example, in 2008 the Company completed a sale of convertible notes for
gross proceeds of $2,775,000. In 2009, the Company completed a sale of
convertible notes for gross proceeds of $1,000,000, and received gross
proceeds from warrant exercises of $690,396. This increased difficulty in
obtaining financing has contributed to the Company’s deteriorating
financial position, and thus made it imperative for the Company to seek
ways to reduce expenses. In addition, this increased difficult in
obtaining financing indicates that the Company is not sufficiently
benefiting from being a publicly reporting company to justify such
expenses.
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The
detriments of the transaction for the Company and its stockholders, including
its unaffiliated stockholders are that, so long as the Company is not a publicly
reporting company, the Company’s common stock will trade, if at all, on the Pink
Sheets and stockholders who are cashed out will cease to have any direct or
indirect ownership interest in the Company and will not be able to participate
in any future earnings or growth of the Company. Companies that do
not file annual, quarterly and current reports under the Exchange Act are not
eligible for listing on a national securities exchange or quotation on the
Over-the-Counter Bulletin Board. This is likely to have a negative effect on the
trading and market for the Company’s common stock, and thus may make it more
difficult for the Company to obtain financing. In addition, because we will no
longer file annual, quarterly and current reports under the Exchange Act, there
will be little available public information available about the Company, which
is also likely to have a negative effective effect on the trading and market for
the Company’s common stock, and thus may make it more difficult for the Company
to obtain financing. As noted above, however, prior to the Company’s voluntary
delisting of its common stock from the NYSE Amex, the Company received notice
from NYSE Amex that it was not in compliance with the NYSE Amex’s listing
standards, and the Company believes that, had it not voluntarily delisted its
common stock from NYSE Amex, the Company’s common stock would likely have been
delisted by NYSE Amex. Further, the Company believes it cannot currently qualify
for listing on any national securities exchange, notwithstanding being a public
reporting company. In addition, as noted above, due to the Company’s operating
results and economic conditions, and the poor performance of the Company’s
common stock, the Company has had increasing difficulty obtaining needed
financing notwithstanding being a public reporting company. Further, with
respect to shareholders who are cashed out and thus unable to participate in any
future earnings or growth of the Company, the Company believes any detriment as
a result of being cashed out is likely to be minor due to such stockholders’ de
minimis interest in the Company (currently valued at no more than $6.06, based
on the closing price of the Company’s common stock as of January 15, 2010), and
the Company’s financial condition and performance (see “Summary Financial
Information”). As a result, the Company believes that any detriment
due to deregistering its common stock under the Exchange Act will be minor and
is outweighed by the benefits set forth above.
The
Company has in the past considered, is currently considering, and may consider
in the future consider, the sale of all or part of the Company’s business.
However, all of our past discussions terminated without any agreement and we
cannot give any assurance that we would be able to sell all or part of the
Company’s business.
The
reasons for the structure of the transaction are as follows:
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The
reverse split will reduce the number of shareholders of record below 300,
and thus allow the Company to terminate the registration of the Company’s
Common Stock under the Exchange Act. The structure of the transaction thus
allows the Company to achieve its objective of deregistering its common
stock under the Exchange Act.
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The
price to be paid for fractional shares will be based on the market price
of the common stock, which the board believes is a readily determinable
and fair price, as it is indicative of the value of the Company on a going
concern basis.
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The
one-for-101 ratio for the reverse split was based on an analysis of our
outstanding stock and was intended to result in our common stock being
owned by less than 300 stockholders in order that we can terminate our
registration under the Exchange
Act.
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Effects
of the Reverse Split on our Affiliates
Rodney
Schutt, our chief executive officer and a director, until his resignation on
December 18, 2009, owns 161,538 shares of common stock, representing
approximately 0.9% of our outstanding common stock. Following the reverse split,
Mr. Schutt will own 1,599 shares of common stock, which will represent
approximately 0.9% of our outstanding common stock after the reverse
split.
The
estate of C. Ian Sym-Smith (a former director of the Company who died in
September 2009) owns 1,560,982 shares, representing approximately 9.1% of our
outstanding common stock. Following the reverse split, the estate of C. Ian
Sym-Smith will own 15,455 shares of common stock, which will represent
approximately 9.1% of our outstanding common stock after the reverse
split.
Bradford
G. Peters, a former director of the Company, owns 2,269,711 shares, representing
approximately 13.2% of our outstanding shares. Following the reverse split, Mr.
Peters will own 22,472 shares of common stock, which will represent
approximately 13.2% of our outstanding common stock after the reverse
split.
James
Shawn Chalmers owns 2,289,660 shares, representing approximately 13.3% of our
outstanding common stock. Following the reverse split, Mr. Chalmers will own
22,669 shares of common stock, which will represent approximately 13.3% of our
outstanding common stock after the reverse split. . Mr. Chalmers states that he
does not own any Common Stock directly but he is (i) the sole director and
President and majority shareholder of J&S Ventures, Inc.; (ii) the sole
manager and holder of 75% of the membership interests of Orion Capital
Investments, LLC; and (iii) the sole trustee and sole beneficiary of the J.
Shawn Chalmers Revocable Trust dated August 13, 1996.
No other
officer or director owns any significant number of shares.
In
addition to the shares owned by officers and directors, four of our directors
hold options to purchase a total of 269,997 shares of common stock at exercise
price ranging from $0.22 per share to $2.48. As a result of the
reverse split, these options will entitle the holders to purchase approximately
2,674 shares of common stock at exercise prices ranging from $22.22 to $250.48
per share.
Under the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, our affiliates would recognize
capital gain or loss on the cash issued in lieu of fraction shares, based upon
the difference between the proceeds received over the basis of the
shares. Since no affiliate would receive more than the last closing
price of our common stock as of the effective date of the reverse split (as
adjusted for the reverse stock split) (as of January 15, 2010, the last closing
price of our common stock was $0.06, or $6.06 as adjusted for the reverse split)
in lieu of fractional shares, the tax consequences to our affiliates are not
material.
Effects
and Tax Consequences of the Reverse Split on our Other Stockholders
The
combination and exchange of each 101 shares of the common stock into one share
of new common stock should be a tax-free transaction for federal income tax
purposes to United States persons who hold the shares as capital assets, and the
holding period and tax basis of the old common stock will be transferred to the
new common stock received in exchange therefore, including the fractional
shares. The cash paid for fractional shares will be treated as a
payment in redemption of the fractional shares and the stockholder will
recognize a capital gain or loss, as the case may be, on the difference between
the stockholder’s basis in the fractional share and the payment in lieu of the
fractional share.
Each
United States stockholder who owns 101 shares or an integral multiple of 101
shares will receive one share for each 101 shares owned by the stockholder and
no cash in lieu of fractional shares. If the shares are held as
capital assets, the stockholder’s basis would be transferred to the new shares
and no tax would be payable as a result of the reverse split.
Each
stockholder who owns less than 101 shares or who owns more than 101 shares in
different accounts, with each account holding less than 101 shares at the
effective date of the reverse split will cease to be a stockholder and will
receive cash in lieu of fractional shares. The stockholder will
receive a payment of less than the last closing price of our common stock as of
the effective date of the reverse split (as of December 29, 2009 , the last
closing price of our common stock was $0.10 ) for each account, depending on the
number of shares of common stock held in the account. This payment,
assuming the stockholder is a United States person and holds the stock as a
capital asset, would be a long or short term capital gain, based on his or her
basis in the stock and holding period. If you receive cash in lieu of
all of your shares, you will not have the opportunity to participate in and
potentially benefit from any future business combination transaction in which we
may engage. However, we cannot give any assurance that any such transaction
would result in any payment to our stockholders.
Each
stockholder who owns 101 or more shares will continue to be a stockholder and
will receive both stock and cash in lieu of fractional shares, if
any. The stockholder’s basis in the shares will be spread over all of
the shares, including fractional shares, that are received in the reverse
split. The stockholder will receive the whole number of shares
issuable as a result of the reverse split and a cash payment of less than the
last closing price of our common stock as of the effective date of the reverse
split for each account for fractional shares (as adjusted for the reverse
split). This payment, assuming the stockholder is a United States
person and holds the stock as a capital asset, would be treated as long or short
term capital gain treatment, based on his or her basis in the fractional shares
stock and stockholder’s holding period.
If you
continue to remain a stockholder, you will still retain the rights of a minority
stockholder under the California General Corporation Law and the directors will
continue to have a fiduciary duty toward you as a
stockholder. However, you would not necessarily receive any financial
or other information on us, except to the limited extend required by the
California General Corporation Law. We believe that the elimination
of the expenses resulting from the reverse split and the consequent termination
of our registration under the Exchange Act will improve our financial condition
and results of operations, and thus improve our chances of completing a sale of
the Company. As a result, if you continue as a stockholder, you would
have the opportunity to participate in any acquisition
transaction. However, we cannot assure you that you would realize any
benefit from such a transaction.
The
discussion relating to taxes is limited to federal income tax consequences to
United States persons who hold the common stock as a capital asset and should
not be considered as tax or investment advice. The tax consequences
of the reverse split may not be the same for all stockholders. You should
consult your own tax advisors to know how federal, state, local and foreign tax
laws affect you.
Fairness of the Reverse Split
to Unaffiliated
Stockholders
The
Company believes that the reverse split is fair, both substantively and
procedurally, to the Company’s unaffiliated stockholders. The
amendment to our articles of incorporation was unanimously approved by all of
our directors, most of whom are independent, do not have a significant equity
interest in the Company and would not receive any significant benefit from the
reverse split. In determining that the reverse split is fair to
the unaffiliated stockholders, the directors considered the factors described
under “Special Factors – Reasons for the Reverse Split.”
In
approving the reverse split, our directors also considered the following other
factors in order that the reverse split is fair to the unaffiliated stockholders
:
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The
price paid for fractional shares will be based on the last closing price
of the common stock as of the effective date of the reverse split. The
Company believes the current market price of the common stock, rather than
the book value, is fair to stockholders, because the market value is
indicative of the current value of the Company on a going concern basis,
whereas book value is an accounting concept based on historical cost. As
of September 30, 2009, the book value per share of the Company’s
common stock was approximately $0.24, based on stockholders’ equity of
$4,199,246 and 17,201,327 shares of common stock outstanding as of
September 30, 2009. The Company did not consider any particular valuation
technique with respect to the purchase of the fractional shares. The
Company did not consider, and did not calculate, the going concern and
liquidation value of the Company because of the following
factors:
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The
Company believes that, in the event of a liquidation, shareholders would
receive no value for their shares because, in liquidation, the Company
would receive, little, if any value for its intangible assets. As of
September 30, 2009, the Company’s net tangible book value was ($5,048,869)
or ($0.29) per share.
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Due to the
Company’s financial condition and operating results, there is substantial
doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. As noted
above, based upon our current plans, we believe that our existing cash
reserves will not be sufficient to meet our current obligations and other
obligations as they become due and payable. Our ability to meet
such obligations will depend on our ability to sell securities, borrow
funds, reduce operating costs, or some combination thereof. Due to our
recent losses, together with the worldwide economic downturn and the
general lack of credit even for companies with strong balance sheets and
positive operating results, our difficulties in obtaining financing are
increasing. We may not be successful in obtaining necessary financing on
acceptable terms, if at all. If we are unable to obtain necessary
financing, it may be necessary to for us to cease operations and seek
protection under the Bankruptcy Act, in which event our shareholders would
receive no value for their shares. |
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The
reverse split provides stockholders, including unaffiliated stockholders,
who own less than 101 shares with liquidity in a stock which has a limited
trading market.
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Stockholders,
including unaffiliated stockholders, who hold 101 or more shares retain an
interest in us. If these stockholders, including unaffiliated
stockholders, desire to obtain cash for their shares, they have the
ability to divide their stockholdings among different accounts so that all
accounts can be cashed out.
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In
addition, we believe that the elimination of the expenses resulting from the
reverse split and the consequent termination of our registration under the
Exchange Act will improve our financial condition and results of operations, and
thus improve our chances of completing a sale of the Company. As a
result, stockholders, including unaffiliated stockholders, who continue to own
shares of the Company would have the opportunity to participate in any
acquisition transaction. However, we cannot assure you that
stockholders would realize any benefit from such a transaction.
The
amendment to our articles of incorporation requires approval of the holders of
the majority of our outstanding shares of common stock. We are not seeking
approval by a majority of unaffiliated stockholders.
Neither
our board nor our independent directors has retained an unaffiliated
representative to act solely on behalf of unaffiliated security holders for
purpose of negotiating the terms of the reverse split. We believe
that it was not necessary to retain an unaffiliated representative to negotiate
the terms of the reverse split because:
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The
price at which fractional interests will be bought will be based on the
market price of the common stock.
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There
is a limited trading market in our common
stock.
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A
majority of our directors are independent and will receive no benefit as a
result of the reverse split.
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The
amendment to our articles of incorporation which effects the reverse split
was unanimously approved by our
directors.
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Under
the California General Corporation Law, the holders of a majority of our
shares of common stock have the right to take action without the consent
of other stockholders.
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During
the past two years, we have not received any firm offers relating to the merger
or consolidation of us with or into another company, the sale or other transfer
of all or any substantial part of our assets or a purchase of our securities
that would enable the holder to exercise control of us.
We did
not receive any report, opinion or appraisal from a third party in connection
with the reverse split.
As an
alternative to the reverse split, the board considered:
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Maintaining
the status quo. However, due to the significant costs of being a public
reporting company, and other considerations described herein, our board
believed that maintaining the status quo would be detrimental to all
stockholders. We would continue to incur the expenses of being a public
company without realizing the benefits of public company
status.
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The
sale of the Company. The Company has considered and is currently
considering the sale of the Company. The Company is currently in ongoing
negotiations with several parties who are conducting due diligence with
respect to the sale of the Company. However, past negotiations terminated
without an agreement, and with respect to the current negotiations, the
Company has not entered into any binding agreement for the sale of the
Company and there is no assurance any binding agreement will be reached.
If a sale of the Company is not completed, the Company will continue to
incur the expenses of being a public company without realizing the
benefits of public company status. As a result, the Company intends to
proceed with the reverse split unless and until a sale of the Company is
completed.
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In view
of the foregoing, our board believes that the reverse split is substantively and
procedurally fair to all unaffiliated stockholders, including those who will be
cashed out and those who will continue to own shares of our common stock.
AMENDMENT TO ARTICLES OF
INCORPORATION TO EFFECT 101-TO-1 REVERSE STOCK SPLIT
Our board
of directors has approved an amendment to our articles of incorporation to
effect a 101-to-1 reverse stock split. If the reverse split is approved by
shareholders, the reverse split will become effective upon the filing of the
amendment to the articles of incorporation with the Secretary of State of the
State of California. If the reverse split is approved by stockholders, we will
file the amendment to our articles of incorporation to effect the reverse stock
split as soon as practicable following stockholder approval.
The
amendment to the articles of incorporation will effect a 101-to-1 reverse split
in our common stock, no par value (“Common Stock”). As a result of the reverse
split, each 101 shares of Common Stock (the “Old Shares”) will become and
be converted into one share of Common Stock (the “New Shares”). We will
pay cash for fractional shares. As a result, any shareholder who owns less than
101 shares will cease to be a shareholder, and thus will cease to have any
direct or indirect ownership interest in the Company and will not be able to
participate in any future earnings or growth of the Company.
Our
certificate of incorporation presently authorizes the issuance of 75,000,000
shares of common stock, no par value (“Common Stock”), and 500,000 shares of
preferred stock, no par value (“Preferred Stock”). As of January 15,
2010, 17,201,327 shares of Common Stock and no shares of Preferred
Stock are outstanding. The number of authorized shares of Common Stock and
Preferred Stock and the par value of our Common Stock and Preferred Stock
will not be affected by the amendment to our articles of
incorporation.
No
fractional shares of common stock will be issued in the reverse
split. We will pay cash in lieu of fractional shares based on the
last closing price of our common stock as of the effective date of the reverse
split.
We
presently have 75,000,000 authorized shares of Common Stock, of which
17,201,327 shares are outstanding, 8,653,078 shares are reserved for issuance
upon exercise of outstanding debentures, 6,797,233 shares are reserved for
issuance upon exercise of outstanding warrants, and 1,865,000 shares are
reserved for issuance under outstanding options.
The
reverse stock split will not change the number of authorized shares of the
Company’s common stock under the Company’s articles of incorporation. Because
the number of issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock will decrease, the
number of shares of Common Stock remaining available for issuance will increase.
The Company does not currently have any plans, proposal or arrangement to issue
any of its authorized but unissued shares of Common Stock.
By
increasing the number of authorized but unissued shares of Common Stock, the
reverse split could, under certain circumstances, have an anti-takeover effect,
although this is not the intent of the board of directors. For example, it may
be possible for the board of directors to delay or impede a takeover or transfer
of control of the Company by causing such additional authorized but unissued
shares to be issued to holders who might side with the board of directors in
opposing a takeover bid that the board of directors determines is not in the
best interests of the Company or its stockholders. The reverse split therefore
may have the effect of discouraging unsolicited takeover attempts. By
potentially discouraging initiation of any such unsolicited takeover attempts
the reverse split may limit the opportunity for the Company’s stockholders to
dispose of their shares at the higher price generally available in takeover
attempts or that may be available under a merger proposal. The
reverse split may have the effect of permitting the Company’s current
management, including the current board of directors, to retain its position,
and place it in a better position to resist changes that stockholders may wish
to make if they are dissatisfied with the conduct of the Company’s
business. However, the board of directors is not aware of any
unsolicited attempt to take control of the Company and the board of directors
has not approved the reverse split with the intent that it be utilized as a type
of anti-takeover device. The Company’s articles of incorporation and by-laws do
not have any anti-takeover provisions.
The
reverse split will become effective upon the filing with the California
Secretary of State of an amendment to our articles of incorporation which states
that, upon the filing of the articles of amendment, each share of common stock
then issued and outstanding would automatically become and be converted into
1/101 share of common stock, which is approximately 0.0099
shares. Each option or warrant to purchase one share of common stock
will become an option to purchase 1/101 shares of common stock at an exercise
price equal to 101 times the exercise price in effect immediately prior to the
reverse split. The number of shares of common stock underlying convertible
debentures will decrease by a factor of 101 and the conversion of the
convertible debentures will increase by a factor by 101.
As a
result of the reverse split:
·
|
We
will have approximately 170,227 shares of Common Stock
outstanding;
|
·
|
Approximately
18,465 shares of Common Stock will be issuable upon exercise of
outstanding options with exercise prices ranging from $22.22 to
$250.48.
|
·
|
Approximately
85,674 shares of Common Stock will be issuable upon conversion of
outstanding convertible debentures, including approximately 53,735 shares
issuable at a conversion price of $55.55 and approximately 31,939 shares
issuable at a conversion price of
$31.31.
|
·
|
Approximately
67,299 shares of Common Stock will be issuable upon exercise of
outstanding warrants, including approximately 23,144 warrants with an
exercise price of $55.55 and 44,155 warrants with an exercise price of
$31.31.
|
The
reverse split will decrease the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding and
presumably increase the per share market price for the Common Stock. However, we
cannot predict what effect, if any, the reverse split will have on the market
for or the price of our Common Stock. Because we will cease to be a
reporting company, brokers may be reluctant to process trades in our
stock. Stocks that are not listed on a stock exchange or market or
trade for less than $5.00 may be subject to restrictions pursuant to the
internal rules of many brokerage houses. These restrictions tend to
adversely impact a stock’s marketability and, consequently, the stock’s
price. Since our stock price is presently very low, it is possible
that some of these restrictions may already affect our stock.
Based on
the reduced number of record holders of our common stock our board of directors
has elected to terminate our registration under the Exchange Act following the
effectiveness of the reverse split. We estimate the anticipated cost savings
resulting from the elimination of reporting obligations will be approximately
$750,000 annually. We believe that continued reporting pursuant to the Exchange
Act does not provide any material benefit to us or our stockholders, while
imposing significant costs of compliance. We believe we and our stockholders are
better served to the extent that we can apply our financial and management
resources to our operations.
Principal Effects of the
Reverse Split
As
described above, the total number of shares of common stock that are outstanding
and are issuable upon conversion of convertible debentures and exercise of
options and warrants will be reduced by 100/101 (or approximately
99.01%).
We will
obtain a new CUSIP number and we expect to obtain a new stock symbol for the new
common stock effective at the time of the reverse split. Following the
effectiveness of the reverse split, we will provide each record holder of common
stock with information to enable such holder to obtain new stock
certificates.
The
certificate of amendment to our articles of incorporation, in the form of
Appendix A hereto, will be filed with the Secretary of State of California and
the reverse split will become effective as of the close of business on the date
of such filing.
Our stockholders will not
have any right of appraisal or any other right with respect to the reverse split
and the deregistration of our common stock under the Exchange Act other than the
right to receive cash for fractional shares as described in this Proxy
Statement.
Market
and Market Price for Our Common Stock
As noted
above, prior to November 16, 2009, our Common Stock traded on the NYSE Amex
under the symbol APY. On November 6, 2009, the Company filed a Form 25 with the
SEC for the voluntary delisting of its common stock from NYSE Amex. The
delisting was effective on November 16, 2009. Since November 16, 2009, our
Common Stock has been quoted on the Pink Sheets under the symbol
APYI. The following table sets forth for the periods indicated, the
range of the high and low sale prices for the common shares. The prices do not
include retail markups, markdowns, or commissions.
|
|
High
|
|
|
Low
|
|
Fiscal
2007 ending December 31
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fir First
Quarter
|
|
$
|
2.45
|
|
|
$
|
1.60
|
|
Sec Second
Quarter
|
|
|
2.45
|
|
|
|
1.64
|
|
Thi Third
Quarter
|
|
|
2.35
|
|
|
|
1.60
|
|
Fou
Fourth Quarter
|
|
|
2.61
|
|
|
|
1.50
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fiscal
2008 ending December 31
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Firs
First Quarter
|
|
|
1.79
|
|
|
|
0.34
|
|
Sec Second
Quarter
|
|
|
0.90
|
|
|
|
0.32
|
|
Thir
Third Quarter
|
|
|
0.82
|
|
|
|
0.18
|
|
Fou Fourth
Quarter
|
|
|
0.71
|
|
|
|
0.01
|
|
Ffff
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Firs
Fiscal 2009 ending December 31
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
F f First
Quarter
|
|
|
2.98
|
|
|
|
0.15
|
|
S
S Second Quarter
|
|
|
0.45
|
|
|
|
0.21
|
|
Thir
Third Quarter
|
|
|
0.30
|
|
|
|
0.16
|
|
Fou Fourth
Quarter
|
|
|
0.28
|
|
|
|
0.
01
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fiss
Fiscal 2010 ending December 31
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Firs First
Quarter (as of January 15, 2010)
|
|
|
0.125
|
|
|
|
0.053
|
|
On
January 15, 2010, the last reported sales price of our common stock was $0.06
per share.
We did
not declare or pay any cash dividends in 2009, 2008 or 2007, and we do not
anticipate paying cash dividends in the foreseeable future.
RELATED
PARTY TRANSACTIONS
2009 Private Placement
..
In
connection with a private placement pursuant to which, on February 12, 2009, the
Company issued and sold, to eight accredited investors, $1,000,000 in principal
amount of secured convertible notes, with a conversion price of $0.31 per share,
together with warrants to purchase an additional 5,774,194 shares of the
Company’s common stock at an exercise price of $0.31 per share, C.
Ian Sym-Smith, then a director of the Company, purchased a convertible note
in the principal amount of $75,000, and was issued warrants to purchase 433,065
shares of common stock at an exercise price of $0.31.
Consulting
Agreement with MV Advisors II, LLC
On June,
26, 2008, the Company renewed its consulting agreement with MV Advisors II, LLC
(“MV Advisors”), a consulting firm of which Mr. John Mutch, the Company’s
then-Chairman of the Board, is the sole member and Managing Partner. Under
the agreement, MV Advisors provides strategic consulting services to the Company
and receives an annual fee of $75,000, payable in non-refundable quarterly
advances, offset by the amount of any retainer or meeting fees that
Mr. Mutch is eligible to receive for his Board service. In addition,
MV Advisors will be paid a success fee, payable for up to 6 years, equal to 5%
of the value of certain customer contracts secured by the Company as a result of
the efforts of MV Advisors. MV Advisors was also granted rights to purchase at
least $250,000 of certain future offerings of Company equity securities. The
consulting agreement has an initial term of one year commencing with
Mr. Mutch’s becoming a director of the Company and will automatically renew
for successive one year terms unless either party notifies the other of its
intent not to renew the agreement. In his capacity as a consultant to the
Company through MV Advisors, Mr. Mutch was also awarded a non-qualified
stock option under the Company’s 2005 Stock Incentive Plan exercisable for
240,000 shares of the Company’s Common Stock, vesting in equal monthly
installments over three years, subject to full acceleration upon a change in
control of the Company and also upon certain terminations of Mr. Mutch’s
services. Mr. Mutch resigned from the Company’s Board of Directors on April 28,
2009.
Placement
Agent Services by Great American Investors, Inc.
One of
our current directors, Jeffrey Tumbleson, is the brother of the managing
director of Great American Investors, Inc. (“GAI”). We engaged GAI as
placement agent for the private placement that closed on February 12, 2009,
pursuant to which, the Company issued and sold, to eight accredited investors,
$1,000,000 in principal amount of secured convertible notes, with a conversion
price of $0.31 per share, together with warrants to purchase an additional
5,774,194 shares of the Company’s common stock at an exercise price of $0.31 per
share. In consideration for their services in that transaction, we
paid GAI $40,000, together with a warrant to purchase 129,032 shares of our
common stock at an exercise price of $0.31. GAI also acted as placement agent
for three private placements of the Company’s securities in November 2005,
May 2006, and March 2008 and in connection with those three prior
transactions we paid GAI fees in the amount of $150,000 in 2005, $315,000 in
2006, and a note in the amount of $210,000 in 2008.
Exchange of Certificate and
Elimination of Fractional Share Interests
On the
effective date of the reverse split, each Old Share will automatically be
combined and changed into 1/101 New Share. No additional action on our part or
on the part of any stockholder will be required in order to effect the reverse
split. Stockholders will be requested to exchange their certificates
representing Old Shares held prior to the reverse split for new certificates
representing New Shares issued as a result of the reverse split. Stockholders
will be furnished the necessary materials and instructions to enable them to
effect such exchange promptly after the effective date. Certificates
representing Old Shares subsequently presented for transfer will not be
transferred on our books and records, but we will effect the conversion of the
Old Shares into New Shares. Stockholders should not submit any certificates
until requested to do so.
As
discussed above, no fractional New Shares stock will be issued to any
stockholder. Accordingly, if you would otherwise be entitled to receive
fractional New Shares, you will be paid for your fractional shares based on the
last closing price of our common stock as of the effective date of the reverse
split. In order to receive any fractional shares to which you may be
entitled, you must present your stock certificate for exchange. If
you fail to deliver your stock certificate, the cash payable in respect of your
fractional shares will be held until you deliver your stock
certificate. However, if you have not delivered your stock
certificate prior to the date on which we pay unclaimed cash to a public
official pursuant to relevant abandoned property laws, in which event you will
have to comply with the provisions of the abandoned property laws in order to
receive your cash. We will not pay any interest on amounts due in
lieu of fractional shares.
In the
event any certificate representing Old Shares is not presented for exchange upon
our request, any dividends or other distributions that may be declared after the
effective date of the reverse split with respect to the New Shares represented
by such certificate will be withheld by us until the certificate for the Old
Shares has been properly presented for exchange, at which time all such withheld
dividends which have not yet been paid to a public official pursuant to relevant
abandoned property laws will be paid to the holder thereof or his designee,
without interest.
Possible Transactions
Following Termination of Registration under the Exchange Act
We have
in the past and are currently engaged in discussions with other companies with
respect to the sale of all or part of our business. These discussions have not
resulted in any agreement. We continue to solicit inquiries from companies in
our industry that are evaluating the possibility of acquiring all or part of our
business. We will negotiate in good faith with respect to proposals that
the board of directors believes are in our best interest. There is no
assurance any agreement for the sale of all or part of our business will be
reached.
Federal Income Tax
Consequences of the Reverse Stock Split
The
combination and change of each 101 Old Shares into one New Share should be a
tax-free transaction, and the holding period and tax basis of the Old Shares
will be transferred to the New Shares received in exchange
therefore. Provided that the Old Shares are held as a capital asset,
the cash paid for fractional shares will be treated as a payment in redemption
of the fractional shares and the stockholder will recognize a capital gain or
loss, as the base may be, on the difference between the stockholder’s basis in
the fractional share and the payment in lieu of the fractional
share.
This
discussion should not be considered as tax or investment advice, and the tax
consequences of the reverse split may not be the same for all stockholders.
Stockholders should consult their own tax advisors to know their individual
federal, state, local and foreign tax consequences.
No Appraisal
Rights
An
appraisal right is a right granted by the laws of the state of a corporation’s
incorporation which provide dissenting stockholders who follow a procedure set
forth in the statute to seek to obtain value for their shares. A
reverse split is not a transaction which gives stockholders any rights of
appraisal. As a result, you will not have any rights of appraisal
with respect to the reverse split, or any other right with respect to the
reverse split and the deregistration of our common stock under the Exchange Act
other than the right to receive cash for fractional shares as described in this
Proxy Statement.
Accounting Consequences of
the Reverse Stock Split
As
a result of the reverse split:
·
|
The
number of outstanding shares of common stock will be reduced from
17,201,327 shares, which are outstanding on the date of this information,
to approximately 170,227 shares. The exact number of shares
outstanding after the reverse split will be determined following the
effectiveness of the reverse split.
|
·
|
The
purchase of the fractional shares will be treated as the purchase of
treasury stock and will be reflected in the stockholders’ equity section
of our balance sheet as a reduction of additional paid-in capital in the
amount of our payment in lieu of fractional shares, which is estimated at
approximately $500.
|
The par
value of the Common Stock will remain unchanged at no par value after the
reverse stock split. Also, the capital account of the Company will remain
unchanged, and the Company does not anticipate that any other accounting
consequences will arise as a result of the reverse stock split.
SUMMARY
FINANCIAL INFORMATION
The
following tables set forth certain selected consolidated financial information
derived from our unaudited financial statements for the nine months ended
September 30, 2009 and 2008, which are included in our Form 10-Q quarterly
report for the nine months ended September 30, 2009, and our financial
statements for the years ended December 31, 2008 and 2007, which are included in
our Form 10-K annual report for the year ended December 31, 2008. Our
Form 10-Q quarterly report for the nine months ended September 30, 2009 and our
Form 10-K annual report for the year ended December 31, 2008, accompany
this Proxy Statement and the financial statements, including the notes thereto,
are incorporated by reference into this Proxy Statement.
The
summary financial information does not include the ratio of earnings to fixed
charges since we did not have earnings in any period.
Pro forma
financial information is not presented since the reverse split will not have any
effect on our financial condition or the results of our operations.
Our book
value per share, as of September 30, 2009, is approximately $0.34, based on
stockholders’ equity of $4,293,245 and 12,598,688 shares of common stock
outstanding as of September 30, 2009.
Statement
of Operations Information
|
|
Three Months
Ended
September 30, 2009
|
|
|
Three Months
Ended
September 30, 2008
|
|
|
Nine Months
Ended
September 30, 2009
|
|
|
Nine Months
Ended
September 30, 2008
|
|
Revenues:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
System
sales
|
|
|
14.2
|
%
|
|
|
21.6
|
%
|
|
|
16.0
|
%
|
|
|
23.3
|
%
|
Service
revenues
|
|
|
85.8
|
|
|
|
78.4
|
|
|
|
84.0
|
|
|
|
76.7
|
|
Total
revenues
|
|
|
100.0
|
|
|
|
100.0
|
|
|
|
100.0
|
|
|
|
100.0
|
|
Cost
of products and services sold:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
System
sales
|
|
|
29.2
|
|
|
|
21.4
|
|
|
|
27.6
|
|
|
|
25.2
|
|
Service
revenues
|
|
|
33.2
|
|
|
|
27.3
|
|
|
|
29.3
|
|
|
|
27.8
|
|
Total
cost of products and services
|
|
|
62.4
|
|
|
|
48.7
|
|
|
|
56.9
|
|
|
|
53.0
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gross
profit
|
|
|
37.6
|
|
|
|
51.3
|
|
|
|
43.1
|
|
|
|
47.0
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating
expenses:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Selling,
general and administrative
|
|
|
78.0
|
|
|
|
64.2
|
|
|
|
76.4
|
|
|
|
68.4
|
|
Research
and development
|
|
|
15.8
|
|
|
|
18.1
|
|
|
|
22.6
|
|
|
|
20.6
|
|
Total
operating expenses
|
|
|
93.8
|
|
|
|
82.3
|
|
|
|
99.0
|
|
|
|
89.0
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating
loss
|
|
|
(56.2
|
)
|
|
|
(31.0
|
)
|
|
|
(55.9
|
)
|
|
|
(42.0
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Loss
before provision for income taxes
|
|
|
(82.7
|
)
|
|
|
(33.1
|
)
|
|
|
(77.6
|
)
|
|
|
(46.8
|
)
|
Provision
for income taxes
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
loss
|
|
|
(82.7
|
)
|
|
|
(33.1
|
)
|
|
|
(77.6
|
)
|
|
|
(46.8
|
)
|
Deemed
Dividend
|
|
|
(12.5
|
)
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
(3.8
|
)
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
loss applicable to common shareholders
|
|
|
(95.2
|
)
|
|
|
(33.1
|
)
|
|
|
(81.4
|
)
|
|
|
(46.8
|
)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fiscal Year Ended
December 31, 2008
|
|
|
Fiscal Year Ended
December 31, 2007
|
|
Revenues:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
System
sales
|
|
|
20.6
|
%
|
|
|
31.5
|
|
Service
revenues
|
|
|
79.4
|
|
|
|
68.5
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
revenues
|
|
|
100.0
|
|
|
|
100.0
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cost
of products and services sold:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
System
sales
|
|
|
25.3
|
|
|
|
24.9
|
|
Service
revenues
|
|
|
28.8
|
|
|
|
27.7
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
cost of products and services
|
|
|
54.1
|
|
|
|
52.6
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gross
profit
|
|
|
45.9
|
|
|
|
47.4
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating
expenses:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Selling,
general and administrative
|
|
|
72.9
|
|
|
|
65.4
|
|
Impairment
of goodwill
|
|
|
6.8
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
Research
and development
|
|
|
21.4
|
|
|
|
22.9
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
operating
expenses
|
|
|
101.1
|
|
|
|
88.3
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating
loss
|
|
|
(55.2
|
)
|
|
|
(40.9
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Loss
before provision for income taxes
|
|
|
(60.8
|
)
|
|
|
(41.0
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Provision
for income
taxes
|
|
|
0.1
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
loss
|
|
|
(60.9
|
)
|
|
|
(41.0
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Deemed
dividend
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
(7.7
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
loss applicable to common shareholders
|
|
|
(60.9
|
)
|
|
|
(48.7
|
|
Balance
Sheet Information
|
|
September
30,
|
|
|
December
31,
|
|
|
|
2009
|
|
|
2008
|
|
|
2007
|
|
Working
capital (deficiency)
|
|
$
|
(8,367,049
|
)
|
|
$
|
(3,874,415
|
)
|
|
$
|
(4,007,912
|
))
|
Total
assets
|
|
|
14,632,753
|
|
|
|
15,164,558
|
|
|
|
16,770,507
|
|
Total
current liabilities
|
|
|
10,348,136
|
|
|
|
5,714,370
|
|
|
|
5,908,457
|
|
Long-term
liabilities
|
|
|
85,371
|
|
|
|
2,658,048
|
|
|
|
348,285
|
|
Stockholders’
equity
|
|
|
4,199,246
|
|
|
|
6,792,140
|
|
|
|
10,513,765
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
RECOMMENDS A VOTE “FOR” APPROVAL OF THE AMENDMENT TO THE COMPANY’S ARTICLES OF
INCORPORATION TO EFFECT A 101-TO-1 REVERSE STOCK SPLIT.
BENEFICIAL
OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES AND SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF MANAGEMENT
The following table provides information
about shares of common stock beneficially owned as of January 15, 2010
by:
|
▪
|
each
of our directors, executive officers and our executive officers and
directors as a group; and
|
|
▪
|
each
person owning of record or known by us, based on information provided to
us by the persons named below, to own beneficially at least 5% of our
common stock;
|
Name
and Position (15)
|
|
Shares
of Common Stock Beneficially Owned
|
|
Percentage
|
Rodney
Schutt
Former
Chief Executive Officer and Director
|
|
161,538
(1)
|
|
*
|
Lawrence
S. Schmid
Director
|
|
39,166
(2)
|
|
*
|
Robert
S. Fogerson, Jr.
Director
|
|
35,666
(3)
|
|
*
|
Norman
R. Cohen
Director
|
|
14,166
(4)
|
|
*
|
James
Zierick
Chairman
|
|
231,666
(5)
|
|
1.33%
|
Jeffrey
Tumbleson
Director
|
|
16,665
(6)
|
|
*
|
All
officers and directors as a group (six individuals)
|
|
498,867
|
|
2.86%
|
Estate
of C. Ian Sym-Smith (7)
|
|
2,433,966 (8)
|
|
13.47%
|
Bradford
G. Peters (9)
|
|
2,647,513
(10)
|
|
15.06%
|
Bicknell
Family Holding Co. LLC (11)
|
|
1,909,135
(12)
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|
9.99%
|
Potomac
Capital Management (13)
|
|
946,000
|
|
5.50%
|
James
Shawn Chalmers (14)
|
|
2,289,660
|
|
13.31%
|
*
less than 1%.
(1)
Does not include 700,000 shares issuable under currently non-exercisable options
held by Mr. Schutt.
(2)
Includes 14,166 shares of common stock issuable under currently exercisable
stock options and options that may be exercisable within 60 days of January 15,
2010 held by Mr. Schmid, but excludes 25,834 shares of common stock issuable
under currently non-exercisable stock options held by Mr. Schmid.
Mr. Schmid’s address is c/o Strategic Directions International, Inc.,
6242 Westchester Parkway, Suite 100, Los Angeles, CA 90045.
(3)
Includes 14,166 shares of Common Stock issuable under currently exercisable
stock options and options that may be exercisable within 60 days of January 15,
2010 held by Mr. Fogerson but excludes 25,834 shares of common stock issuable
under currently non-exercisable stock options held by Mr. Fogerson.
Mr. Fogerson’s address is 2111 Austrian Pine Lane, Minnetonka, MN
55305.
(4)
Includes 14,166 shares of common stock issuable under currently exercisable
stock options and options that may be exercisable within 60 days of January 15,
2010 held by Mr. Cohen but excludes 25,834 shares of common stock issuable under
currently non-exercisable stock options held by Mr. Cohen.
(5)
Includes 231,166 shares of common stock issuable under currently exercisable
stock options and options that may be exercisable within 60 days of January 15,
2010 held by Mr. Zierick but excludes 23,334 shares of Common Stock issuable
under currently non-exercisable stock options held by Mr. Zierick. (7) C. Ian
Sym-Smith was a director of the Company from November 2005 until his death on
September 18, 2009. Edd H. Hyde is the executor of the estate of Mr. Sym-Smith
and has voting and dispositive powers over the shares of the Company owned by
the estate.
(6)
Includes 16,665 shares of common stock issuable under currently exercisable
stock options and options that may be exercisable within 60 days of January 15,
2010 held by Mr. Tumbleson but excludes 53,335 shares of common stock issuable
under currently non-exercisable stock options held by Mr.
Tumbleson. Mr. Tumbleson’s address is 2107 Ipswitch Ct, Thompson’s
Station, TN 37179.
(7) C.
Ian Sym-Smith was a director of the Company from November 2005 until his death
on September 18, 2009. Edd H. Hyde is the executor of the estate of Mr.
Sym-Smith and has voting and dispositive powers over the shares of the Company
owned by the estate.
(8)
Includes 14,166 shares of Common Stock issuable under stock options that may be
exercisable within 60 days of January 15, 2010, but excludes 25,834 shares
of Common Stock issuable under currently non-exercisable stock options held by
the estate of Mr. Sym-Smith. Also includes 423,753 shares of Common Stock
issuable upon conversion of convertible debentures held by the estate of Mr.
Sym-Smith and 433,065 shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of warrants
held by the estate of Mr. Sym-Smith.
(9)
Bradford G. Peters was a director of the Company from November 2005 to January
2008.
(10)
Includes 14,166 shares of Common Stock issuable under stock options that may be
exercisable within 60 days of January 15, 2010, but excludes 25,834 shares of
Common Stock issuable under currently non-exercisable stock options held by Mr.
Peters. Also includes 363,636 shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of
convertible debentures held by Mr. Peters. Mr. Peters’s address is 21 Grove
Lane, Greenwich, CT 06831.
(11)
Martin C. Bicknell is the manager of Bicknell Family Holding Co., LLC and in
accordance with Rule 13d-3 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended, may be deemed a control person, with voting and investment power
(directly or with others), of the securities of the Company owned by Bicknell
Family Holding Co., LLC. Mr. Bicknell disclaims beneficial ownership of
these securities. Bicknell Family Holding Co., LLC’s address is 7400 College
Blvd., Suite 205, Overland Park, Kansas 66210.
(12) The
holder owns convertible notes convertible into an aggregate of 3,563,050 shares
of Common Stock and warrants to purchase an aggregate of 4,582,404 shares of
Common Stock. The notes and warrants owned by the holder provide that they
cannot be converted or exercised, as applicable, to the extent such conversion
or exercise, as applicable, would result in the holder and its affiliates
beneficially owning more than 9.99% of our outstanding common stock on the date
of such conversion or exercise, as applicable. The number and percentage of
common stock deemed beneficially owned is limited accordingly.
(13)
Potomac Capital Management LLC’s address is 825 Third Avenue, 33rd Floor, New
York, NY 10022. Based on information contained in Schedule 13G/A filed with the
SEC on May 6, 2009 by Potomac Capital Management LLC, Potomac Capital Management
Inc. and Paul J. Solit as joint filers. Paul J. Solit is the Managing Member of
Potomac Capital Management LLC and President of Potomac Capital Management Inc.
All of the joint filers state that they have shared voting and shared
dispositive power over 946,000 shares. The joint filers state that they own an
aggregate of 946,000 shares of Common Stock.
(14) Mr.
James Shawn Chalmers’ address is 705 South 10th Street, Blue Springs, Missouri
64015. Mr. Chalmers states that he does not own any Common Stock directly but he
is (i) the sole director and President and majority shareholder of J&S
Ventures, Inc.; (ii) the sole manager and holder of 75% of the membership
interests of Orion Capital Investments, LLC; and (iii) the sole trustee and sole
beneficiary of the J. Shawn Chalmers Revocable Trust dated August 13,
1996.
(15) The
address and phone number of each person, and of all other officers and directors
of the Company set forth under “Management” below, unless otherwise indicated,
is c/o Aspyra, Inc., 4360 Park Terrace Drive, Suite 220, Westlake Village, phone
number 818-880-6700.
Except as
otherwise indicated each person has the sole power to vote and dispose of all
shares of common stock listed opposite his name. Each person is deemed to own
beneficially shares of common stock which are issuable upon exercise of warrants
or upon conversion of convertible securities if they are exercisable or
convertible within 60 days of January 15, 2010. None of the persons named in the
table own any options or convertible securities.
MANAGEMENT
Set forth
below is information regarding our directors and executive
officers.
Rodney
W.
Schutt
|
|
44
|
|
Former
Chief Executive Officer and Director
|
Anahita
Villafane
|
|
39
|
|
Former
Chief Financial Officer and Secretary
|
Ademola
Lawal
|
|
33
|
|
Chief
Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer
|
Marina
Varela
|
|
37
|
|
Chief
Accounting Officer and Secretary
|
James
Zierick
|
|
52
|
|
Chairman
|
Lawrence
S. Schmid
|
|
67
|
|
Director
|
Robert
S. Fogerson, Jr.
|
|
56
|
|
Director
|
Norman
R. Cohen
|
|
72
|
|
Director
|
Jeffrey
Tumbleson
|
|
41
|
|
Director
|
Rodney W.
Schutt served as Chief Executive Officer and as a director of
Aspyra from November 2008 until his resignation on December 18,
2009. Prior to becoming the Chief Executive Officer at Aspyra, Mr.
Schutt served, between July 2007 and July 2008, as the Chief Operating Officer
for Luminetx, a provider of bioscience technologies based in Memphis,
TN. Prior to his position with Luminetx, between August 2004 and May
2007, Mr. Schutt served as Vice President of Business Development and Global
Commercial Operations for Smith and Nephew Orthopaedics, a public medical device
company, and prior to this held various positions at GE Healthcare. Mr. Schutt
holds a B.A. degree in Business Administration from Marion College.
Anahita
Villafane
served as the Chief Financial Officer of Aspyra from June 2005 and
secretary from November 2005 until her resignation on December 28, 2009.
Ms. Villafane also served as Aspyra’s controller and Chief Accounting
Officer from April 2000 to June 2005. Prior to April 2000,
Ms. Villafane was an audit manager with BDO Seidman, LLP since 1996.
Ms. Villafane received a B.S. in Accounting from California State
University at Northridge, and is a Certified Public Accountant.
Ademola
Lawal has served as the Chief Operating Officer of Aspyra since April
2009 and as Chief Executive Officer since December 18, 2009. Mr.
Lawal also served as Aspyra’s Vice President of Strategy and Business
Development from June 2008 to April 2009. Prior to Aspyra, he spent
six years at GE Healthcare where he was a Director of Service. Mr.
Lawal earned his Six Sigma Black Belt certification at GE Healthcare. Prior to
GE, he was at KPMG Consulting where he conducted various reorganization,
valuation and benchmarking projects. Mr. Lawal holds an MBA from Harvard
Business School and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Virginia with
concentration in Accounting and Management Information Systems. He is a
Certified Public Accountant.
Marina Lawal has served as the
Chief Accounting Officer and Secretary of Aspyra since January 15, 2010. Ms.
Varela has served as the Controller of Aspyra since May 2008 and was contracted
as a SOX Consultant since November 2007; Ms. Varela was an audit manager/senior
with BDO Seidman, LLP since 2000. BDO provides assurance, tax, financial
advisory and consulting services to publicly traded and privately held
companies. Ms. Varela received a B.S. in Accounting from California State
University at Northridge. Ms. Varela is a decorated veteran of the United States
Marine Corps with an Honorable Discharge from Active duty in
1995.
James
Zierick has served as director of Aspyra since
September 2007. Since January 2009, Mr. Zierick has been
President and Chief Executive Officer of Nirvanix, a company in the storage
delivery business. Mr. Zierick was Aspyra’s interim Chief Executive Officer from
February 2008 to November 2008. In 2007, Mr. Zierick served
as Chief Executive Officer of Logicalapps, a provider of embedded controls
software for enterprise applications. From 2004 to 2006,
Mr. Zierick was Executive Vice President of Worldwide Field Operations for
Peregrine Systems, where he led 350 person sales, alliance, customer support and
professional services organization. From 1989 to 2003,
Mr. Zierick was a partner with McKinsey & Company, where he helped
lead the company’s Southern California technology and operational effectiveness
practices. Mr. Zierick earned a M.B.A. from Dartmouth College, Amos Tuck
School of Business, a B.S. in Engineering from Dartmouth College, Thayer School
of Engineering, and a B.A. in Engineering Sciences from Dartmouth
College.
Lawrence S.
Schmid has served as a director of Aspyra since
November 1991. Since November 1990, Mr. Schmid has served as the
President and Chief Executive Officer of Strategic Directions
International, Inc., a management consulting firm specializing in
technology companies. Mr. Schmid received a BSME from General Motors
Institute and a M.B.A. from the Graduate School of Management at the University
of California Los Angeles.
Robert S.
Fogerson, Jr. has served as a director of Aspyra since
May 1992. Since January 1998, Mr. Fogerson has served as the
general manager of ViroMED Labcorp, a laboratory providing clinical testing
services. Mr. Fogerson had previously served in various capacities at
PharmChem Laboratories since 1975. Mr. Fogerson received a B.A. from
Stanford University.
Norman R.
Cohen has served as a director of Aspyra since October 2003.
Mr. Cohen is a retired attorney. Prior to his retirement in June 2003,
Mr. Cohen had been in private practice for more than 40 years, primarily in
the areas of corporate and securities law. Mr. Cohen received a B.S. in
Economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and an LL.B
from the Law School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Jeffrey
Tumbleson has served as a director of Aspyra since
January 2008. Since December 2004, Mr. Tumbleson has
served as Vice President of Information Technology of Outpatient Imaging
Affiliates, LLC, a company which partners with local healthcare providers to
develop, own and operate outpatient diagnostic imaging and positron emission
tomography centers. From November 2002 to December 2004,
Mr. Tumbleson was owner and President of JT Consulting, a consulting
company providing information technology related services for the healthcare
industry. From January 2001 to November 2002, Mr. Tumbleson was
Chief Information Officer and Vice President of Spheris Inc., a provider of
clinical documentation technology and services to health systems, hospitals and
group practices throughout the United States. Mr. Tumbleson received a B.A.
and a B.S. from the University of Kansas.
FINANCIAL
STATEMENTS
As noted
above, our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008, and
our quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the three months ended September 30, 2009,
are incorporated by reference into this Proxy Statement. Copies of these
reports, without exhibits, are being mailed with this Proxy Statement.
Stockholders are referred to these reports for financial and other information
about us.
OTHER
MATTERS
The Board
of Directors does not know of any matters other than those mentioned above to be
presented to the meeting. If any other matters do come before the meeting, the
persons named in the proxy will exercise their discretion in the voting
thereof.
ADDITIONAL AVAILABLE
INFORMATION
We
are subject to the information and reporting requirements of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 and in accordance with such act we file periodic reports,
documents and other information with the Securities and Exchange Commission
relating to our business, financial statements and other matters. Such reports
and other information may be inspected and are available for copying at the
public reference facilities of the Securities and Exchange Commission at 100 F
Street, N.E., Washington D.C. 20549. or may be accessed at www.sec.gov
..
|
By
Order of the Board of Directors
|
|
Ademola
Lawal
|
|
Chief
Executive Officer
|
February , 2010
|
|
Appendix
A
CERTIFICATE
OF AMENDMENT
OF
ARTICLES
OF INCORPORATION
OF
ASPYRA,
INC.
Ademola Lawal and Marina Varela hereby certify
that:
FIRST:
They are the Chief Executive Officer and Secretary, respectively, of Aspyra,
Inc., a California corporation (the “Corporation”).
SECOND:
The Articles of Incorporation shall be amended as follows:
Upon
the filing of this certificate of amendment, the corporation shall effect a
one-for-101 reverse split whereby each share of common stock, no par value per
share shall, without any action on the part of the holder, become and be
converted into 1/101 shares of common stock, no par value per share. In
connection with the reverse split, no fractional shares shall be issued. In lieu
of fractional shares, each holder who would otherwise be entitled to receive
fractional shares of new common stock, will, upon surrender of the certificates
representing shares of old common stock, receive cash in lieu of such fractional
shares.
THIRD:
The foregoing amendment of the Articles of Incorporation has been duly approved
by the Board of Directors.
FOURTH: The
foregoing amendment of the Articles of Incorporation has been duly approved by
the required vote of the shareholders in accordance with Section 902 of the
California General Corporation Law. The total number of outstanding
shares of Common Stock of the Corporation, as of the record date for such
shareholder vote, is 17,201,327. The number of shares voting in favor
of the amendment equaled or exceeded the vote required. The
percentage vote required was more than 50% of the total number of outstanding
shares of Common Stock.
The
undersigned further declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State
of California that the matters set forth in this certificate are true and
correct of their own knowledge.
Dated: ,
2010
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
By:
|
/s/
Ademola Lawal
|
|
|
|
Ademola
Lawal
|
|
|
|
Chief
Executive Officer
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
By:
|
/s/
Marina Varela
Marina
Varela
Secretary
|
|
Appendix
B
Form
of Transmittal Letter
ASPYRA,
INC.
Dear
Aspyra, Inc. Stockholder:
A reverse
stock split of the common stock of Aspyra, Inc. (“Aspyra”) occurred effective as
of the close of business on ___________. Pursuant to this reverse
stock split, each one hundred one (101) shares of common stock of Aspyra issued
and outstanding as of the date following the reverse stock split was converted
into one (1) share of Aspyra common stock. As a result of the reverse
stock split, holders of certificates representing pre-split shares of Aspyra
common stock have the right to receive, upon surrender of their certificates
representing such pre-split shares of Aspyra common stock, new certificates
representing post-split shares of Aspyra common stock at the ratio of one (1)
share of post-split Aspyra common stock for every one hundred one (101) shares
of pre-split Aspyra common stock. Thus, you will receive 1/101
post-split shares for each share of pre-split Aspyra common stock.
Fractional
shares of post-split Aspyra common stock will not be issued as a result of the
reverse stock split; instead, holders of pre-split shares of Aspyra common stock
who otherwise would have been entitled to receive a fractional share as a result
of the reverse stock split will receive an amount in cash equal to $_____ per
post-split share for such fractional interests upon the surrender to American
Stock Transfer and Trust Company, the Exchange Agent, of certificates
representing such shares.
All Aspyra Stockholders must
complete, date, sign and return the enclosed Letter of Transmittal to American
Stock Transfer and Trust Company, along with all of your certificates
representing pre-split shares of Aspyra common stock. We suggest that you mail
the shares in a traceable manner (e.g. registered mail, overnight courier,
etc.) Any person holding more than one certificate representing
pre-split shares of Aspyra common stock must surrender all such certificates
registered in such person’s name in order to receive payment for fractional
interests and/or a new certificate representing the number of shares of
post-split Aspyra common stock to which such person is entitled.
Only upon
receipt of your properly completed Letter of Transmittal and your certificate(s)
representing pre-split shares of Aspyra common stock will American Stock
Transfer and Trust Company forward you your new certificates and/or
payment. Additionally, holders of pre-split
certificates who are entitled to receive post-split shares of Aspyra common
stock will not become a shareholder of record until the pre-split certificates
are sent to American Stock Transfer and Trust Company with a properly completed
Letter of Transmittal. Please read and follow all
instructions on the Letter of Transmittal, and direct any questions you might
have to American Stock Transfer and Trust Company at (718)
921-8261.
|
By
order of the Board of Directors
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ademola
Lawal
|
|
|
|
Chief
Executive Officer
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Appendix
C Form of Letter Transmittal
LETTER
OF TRANSMITTAL
To
Accompany Certificates Formerly Representing
Shares of
Common Stock of
Aspyra,
Inc.
(Reverse
Split Ratio 1:101)
DESCRIPTION
OF SURRENDERED CERTIFICATES
Names(s)
and Address(es) of Registered Owner(s)
(Please
fill in, if blank, exactly as name(s) appear(s) on
certificate(s))
|
Certificate(s)
Surrendered
(Attach
additional list if necessary)
|
|
Certificate
Number(s)
______________
______________
______________
______________
Total
number
of
shares:
|
Total
Number of Shares
Represented
By
Certificate(s)
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
|
[ ] If
any certificate(s) representing shares of stock that you own have been lost or
destroyed, check this box and see Instruction 9. Please fill out the
remainder of this Letter of Transmittal and indicate here the number of shares
of stock represented by the lost or destroyed certificates. _________
(Number of Shares)
SPECIAL
PAYMENT/ISSUANCE INSTRUCTIONS
(See
Instructions 1, 4, and 5)
To
be completed ONLY if the check and/or new shares for surrendered
Certificates is to be issued in the name of someone other than the
undersigned.
Issue
certificate to:
Name:
(Please
Print)
Address:
(Include
Zip Code)
(Tax
Identification or Social Security No.)
|
|
SPECIAL
DELIVERY INSTRUCTIONS
(See
Instructions 1, 4 and 5)
To
be completed ONLY if the check and/or new shares for surrendered
Certificates is to be sent to someone other than the undersigned or to the
undersigned at an address other than that shown above.
Deliver
certificate to:
Name:
(Please
Print)
Address:
(Include
Zip Code)
|
IMPORTANT
— STOCKHOLDERS SIGN HERE
(U.S.
Holders Also Please Complete Substitute Form W-9 Below)
(Non-U.S.
Holders Please Obtain and Complete Form W-8BEN or Other Form W-8)
(Must be signed by former registered holder(s) exactly as name(s)
appear(s) on stock certificate(s) or on a security position listing or by
person(s) authorized to become registered holder(s) as evidenced by certificates
and documents transmitted herewith. If signature is by trustees, executors,
administrators, guardians, attorneys-in-fact, officers of corporations or others
acting in a fiduciary or representative capacity, please set forth full title
and see Instruction 4.)
Name(s): __________________________________________
Area Code and Telephone
Number: ______________________
Dated: _______________ , 2010
GUARANTEE
OF SIGNATURE(S)
(See
Instructions 1 and 4)
Complete
ONLY if required by Instruction 1.
FOR
USE BY FINANCIAL INSTITUTION ONLY.
PLACE
MEDALLION GUARANTEE IN SPACE BELOW.
Firm: ___________________________________________________________
By: ____________________________________________________________
Title: ___________________________________________________________
Address:
_____________________________________________________________
TO
BE COMPLETED BY ALL SURRENDERING U.S. HOLDERS
(See
Instruction 6)
PAYER: CONTINENTAL
STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST COMPANY
|
SUBSTITUTE
Form
W-9
Department
of the Treasury
Internal
Revenue Service
Request
for Taxpayer
Identification
Number (TIN)
And
Certification
|
Name:
|
|
|
|
|
|
Address:
|
|
|
|
|
|
Check
appropriate box:
Individual/Sole
Proprietor
Corporation
Partnership
Other
(specify) Exempt
from
|
|
Part I
. Please provide your taxpayer identification number in the
space at right. If awaiting TIN, write "Applied For" in space
at right and complete the Certificate of Awaiting Taxpayer Identification
Number below.
|
SSN:
OR
EIN:
|
|
Part II . For
Payees exempt from backup withholding, see the enclosed “Guidelines for
Certification of Taxpayer Identification Number on Substitute Form W-9”
and complete as instructed therein.
|
|
Part
III. Certification
Under
penalties of perjury, I certify that:
(1)The
number shown on this form is my correct Taxpayer Identification Number
(or, as indicated, I am waiting for a number to be issued to
me):
(2)I
am not subject to backup withholding because: (a) I am exempt from backup
withholding, or (b) I have not been notified by the IRS that I am subject
to backup withholding as a result of a failure to report all interests or
dividends, or (c) the IRS has notified me that I am no longer subject to
backup withholding; and
(3)I
am a U.S. person (including a U.S. resident alien).
Certification
Instructions— You must cross out item (2) above if you have been
notified by the IRS that you are subject to backup withholding because you
have failed to report all interest or dividends on your tax return.
However, if after being notified by the IRS that you were subject to
backup withholding you received another notification from the IRS that you
are no longer subject to backup withholding, do not cross out item
(2).
Signature: Date: ,
200
|
You
must complete the following certificate if you wrote “applied for” in part I of
this substitute form W-9
CERTIFICATE
OF AWAITING TAXPAYER IDENTIFICATION NUMBER
I
certify under penalties of perjury that a taxpayer identification number
has not been issued to me, and either (a) I have mailed or delivered an
application to receive a taxpayer identification number to the appropriate
Internal Revenue Service Center or Social Security Administration Office
or (b) I intend to mail or deliver an application in the near future. I
understand that, notwithstanding the information I provided in Part III of
the Substitute Form W-9 (and the fact that I have completed this
Certificate of Awaiting Taxpayer Identification Number), all reportable
payments made to me hereafter will be subject to backup withholding tax
until I provide a properly certified taxpayer identification number within
60 days of the date of this Substitute Form W-9.
Signature: Date:
|
ASPYRA,
INC
PROXY
THIS
PROXY IS SOLICITED ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The
undersigned, a shareholder of Aspyra, Inc., a California corporation,
hereby appoints ADEMOLA LAWAL and MARINA VARELA, or either of them, the proxies
of the undersigned, each with the power to appoint his substitute, and hereby
authorizes them to represent and to vote for the undersigned all the
Aspyra, Inc. Common Shares held of record on February 8, 2010 by the
undersigned at the Special Meeting of Shareholders to be held on March 8,
2010 or any adjournment or postponement thereof as follows on the reverse side
of this proxy card:
THIS
PROXY WILL BE VOTED AS DIRECTED OR IF NO CONTRARY DIRECTION IS INDICATED WILL BE
VOTED FOR EACH OF THE PROPOSALS ON THE REVERSE SIDE HEREOF AND FOR SUCH OTHER
MATTERS AS MAY PROPERLY COME BEFORE THE MEETING AS SAID PROXIES DEEM
ADVISABLE.
(Continued
and to be signed on the reverse side)
SPECIAL
MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS OF
ASPYRA,
INC.
March 8,
2010
Please
date, sign and mail
your
proxy card in the
envelope
provided as soon
as
possible.
Please detach along perforated line and mail in the
envelope provided.
PLEASE
SIGN, DATE AND RETURN PROMPTLY IN THE ENCLOSED ENVELOPE. PLEASE MARK YOUR VOTE
IN BLUE OR BLACK INK AS SHOWN HERE x
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FOR
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AGAINST
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ABSTAIN
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1.
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To
approve an amendment to the Company’s Amended and Restated Articles of
Incorporation to effect a 101-for-1 reverse split of the Company’s common
stock.
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o
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o
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o
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2.
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In
their discretion, the proxyholders are authorized to transact such other
business as may properly come before the Special Meeting or any
continuation, postponements or adjournments
thereof.
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o
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o
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o
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The
Board of Directors recommends a vote “FOR” the amendment of the
Articles of Incorporation to effect a 101-for-1 reverse split of the
Company’s common stock. All proposals to be acted upon are proposals of
the Board of Directors. If any other business is
properly presented at the Meeting, including, among other things,
consideration of a motion to adjourn the meeting to another time or place
in order to solicit additional proxies in favor of the recommendations of
the Board of Directors, this proxy shall be voted by the proxyholders in
accordance with the recommendations of a majority of the Board of
Directors. At the date the Proxy Statement went to press, we did
not anticipate any other matters would be raised at the
Meeting.
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PLEASE
MARK, SIGN, DATE AND RETURN THE PROXY CARD PROMPTLY USING THE ENCLOSED
ENVELOPE.
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WILL
ATTEND
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To
change the address on your account, please check the box at right and
indicate your new address in the address space above. Please note that
changes to the registered name(s) on the account may not be submitted
via this method.
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If
you plan to attend the Special Meeting, please mark the WILL ATTEND
box
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o
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o
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Signature
of Shareholder
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Date:
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Signature
of Shareholder
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Date:
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Note:
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Please
sign exactly as your name or names appear on this proxy. When shares are
held jointly, each holder should sign. When signing as executor,
administrator, attorney, trustee or guardian, please give full title as
such. If the signer is a corporation, please sign full corporate name by
duly authorized officer, giving full title as such. If signer is a
partnership, please sign in partnership name by authorized
person.
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