Interim
CEO Named at Wireless Systems Solutions Company
Elk
Grove
Village, IL (Oct. 15, 2007) -- ISCO International,
Inc.(AMEX: ISO), a leading provider of radio-frequency
management and interference-control systems for the wireless telecommunications
industry, announced today a proposed merger with Clarity Communication Systems,
Inc. (“Clarity”), a private company based in Aurora, IL that sells value-added
applications for mobile networks and devices. ISCO also announced
upcoming changes in the role of Chief Executive Officer, including naming
the
interim CEO.
Clarity
is a leading provider of value-added applications for mobile networks and
devices, including “Intouch” push-to-talk (“PTT”), “WhereaboutsTM”
location
based
services (“LBS”), and its “Where2Talk™” solution, a combined PTT and LBS
solution provided to major OEMs and wireless operators globally. More
information can be found on Clarity’s website:
www.claritycsi.com.
“We
have
spoken about our strategic intent to try to accelerate the development of
our
complete digital adaptive interference management (“AIM”) platform and begin to
address the OEM channels in both infrastructure and handsets,” said Ralph Pini,
Chairman of the Board of Directors of ISCO. “Clarity has been
developing mobile device software applications for years and can bring
significant experience to bear in helping us to achieve that
objective. Additionally, we believe there will be significant
synergies in terms of sales channels and capabilities for our existing portfolio
of solutions.”
Proposed
Acquisition of Clarity
The
two
companies have signed a letter of intent to pursue a transaction wherein
ISCO
would acquire Clarity in a merger. This merger would involve up to an
aggregate of 40 million shares of ISCO stock in exchange for all of Clarity’s
stock and satisfaction of employee rights and interests. 15 million
of the ISCO shares would be performance-based shares, the vesting of which
would
be subject to the market capitalization of the combined entity in the
future.
Jim
Fuentes, a member of ISCO’s Board of Directors since 2003, is President, CEO and
Founder of Clarity. He would be expected to enter into an employment
agreement with the combined entity upon conclusion of the proposed
merger. ISCO’s Board of Directors has established a special committee
comprised of disinterested directors to review and negotiate the terms of
the
merger. In addition, ISCO has engaged an independent investment
advisor to render a fairness opinion regarding the financial terms of the
merger.
The
merger is subject to negotiation and approval by the respective boards of
ISCO
and Clarity, the execution of a definitive merger agreement, which would
contain
customary closing conditions, and be further subject to obtaining audited
financial statements of Clarity acceptable to ISCO, the result of the fairness
opinion, and requisite shareholder and regulatory, including AMEX,
approvals. In connection with the approval of ISCO’s shareholders,
ISCO intends to hold a meeting to ask its shareholders to approve (1) an
amendment to the Company's certificate of incorporation to increase the number
of shares available for issuance (2) the merger and the issuance of the shares
in connection with the merger, and (3) the issuance of new shares upon
conversion of notes in connection with ISCO’s recent debt
restructuring. There is no assurance that the merger will be
consummated.
Upcoming
Change in ISCO Chief Executive Officer
John
Thode, ISCO’s current CEO, has accepted a position with a Fortune 500 Company in
its Consumer Products Business. He will remain CEO until the end of
October, at which time Mr. Pini will become interim CEO.
“John
has
significant roots in consumer products and it is an area he has expressed
interest in returning to at some point. He described this as an
opportunity he felt he could not pass up. We thank him for his
service over the past three years for his many contributions to ISCO’s
strategy. The commercial launch of the digital AIM platform and the
proposed merger with Clarity are steps toward successfully realizing those
goals. Indeed, John has expressed his intent to remain a director of
ISCO after his departure, subject to receiving the appropriate authorization
from his new firm,” said Pini.
“We
have begun a process to identify and secure a new CEO to lead the combined
company. We expect our search process to produce an appropriate
candidate who would lead the combined entity on a permanent
basis. Finally, Dr. Amr Abdelmonem, longtime CTO of ISCO, will take
on the added responsibilities of Chief Operating Officer to maintain proper
focus on the business and our customers during this transition period,”
concluded Pini.
John
Thode added, “ISCO is firmly committed to a path that I believe will bring
substantial financial success and I hope to continue to provide guidance
as a
member of the Board of Directors. I feel genuine roots here at ISCO
and want to see the company reach its full potential.”
Safe
Harbor Statement
Because
the Company wants to provide investors with meaningful and useful information,
this news release contains, and incorporates by reference, certain
"forward-looking statements" that reflect the Company's current expectations
regarding the future results of operations, performance and achievements
of the
Company. The Company has tried, wherever possible, to identify these
forward-looking statements by using words such as "anticipates," "believes,"
"estimates," “looks,” "expects," "plans," "intends" and similar
expressions. These statements reflect the Company's current beliefs
and are based on information currently available to it. Accordingly, these
statements are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and contingencies,
which
could cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements to
differ
materially from those expressed in, or implied by, such statements. These
factors include, among others, the following: market acceptance of the Company’s
technology; the spending patterns of wireless network operators in connection
with the build out of 2.5G and 3G wireless systems; the Company’s ability to
obtain financing in the future if necessary; the Company's history of net
losses
and the lack of assurance that the Company's earnings will be sufficient
to
cover fixed charges in the future; uncertainty about the Company’s ability to
compete effectively against better capitalized competitors and to withstand
downturns in its business or the economy generally; continued downward pressure
on the prices charged for the Company’s products due to the competition of rival
manufacturers of front-end systems for the wireless telecommunications market;
the timing and receipt of customer orders; the Company's ability to attract
and
retain key personnel; the Company’s ability to protect its intellectual
property; the risks of foreign operations; the risks of legal proceedings;
the
ability of the Company to complete the proposed merger and successfully
integrate the combined entity. A more complete description of these risks,
uncertainties and assumptions is included in the Company's filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, including those described under the heading
"Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed by the Company
with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should not place
undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. The Company
undertakes no obligation to release publicly the results of any revisions
to any
such forward-looking statements that may be made to reflect events or
circumstances after the date above or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated
events.
Additional
Information and Where to Find It
In
connection with the proposed merger and the debt restructuring, the Company
intends to file with the SEC a proxy statement and other relevant materials.
The
final proxy statement will be mailed to Company stockholders. INVESTORS AND
SECURITY HOLDERS OF THE COMPANY ARE URGED TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT AND
THE
OTHER RELEVANT MATERIALS WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE COMPANY, PROPOSED MERGER AND THE
RESTRUCTURING. The proxy statement and other relevant materials (when they
become available), and any other documents filed by the Company with the
SEC,
may be obtained free of charge at the SEC's web site at www.sec.gov. In
addition, investors and security holders may obtain free copies of the documents
(when they are available) filed with the SEC by the Company by directing
a
request to ISCO International, Inc., 1001 Cambridge Drive, Elk Grove Village,
IL
60007, Attn: Frank Cesario, Corporate Secretary.
Participants
in the Proposed Merger and the Debt Restructuring
The
Company and its executive officers and directors may be deemed to be
participants in the solicitation of proxies from the Company stockholders
in
favor of the proposed merger and the debt restructuring. Information regarding
the Company's directors and executive officers and their ownership of Company
common stock is set forth in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for
the
year ended December 31, 2006, which was filed with the SEC on March 30, 2007
and
its proxy statement for the 2006 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which was
filed
with the SEC on April 27, 2007. Investors and security holders may obtain
more
detailed information regarding the direct and indirect interests of ISCO
and its
executive officers and directors in the proposed merger and the debt
restructuring by reading the proxy statement regarding the proposed merger
and
the debt restructuring when it becomes available.
Web
site: http://www.iscointl.com