Registration Statement on Form S-3
Table of Contents

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 13, 2004

Registration No. 333-            


SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 


 

FORM S-3

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Under

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 


 

Saba Software, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 


 

Delaware   94-3267638

(State or other jurisdiction of

incorporation or organization)

 

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification Number)

 

2400 Bridge Parkway

Redwood Shores, California 94065-1166

(650) 581-2500

(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)

 


 

Bobby Yazdani

CEO and Chairman

Saba Software, Inc.

2400 Bridge Parkway

Redwood Shores, California 94065-1166

(650) 581-2500

(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

 


 

Copies to:

 

Peter E. Williams III, Esq.

Saba Software, Inc.

2400 Bridge Parkway

Redwood Shores, California 94065-1166

(650) 581-2500

 

James R. Tanenbaum, Esq.

Paul L. Lion III, Esq.

Morrison & Foerster LLP

1290 Avenue of the Americas

New York, New York 10104-0050

(212) 468-8000

 


 

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: From time to time after the effective date of this Registration Statement, as determined by the selling security holders.

If the only securities being registered on this Form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box. ¨

If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, other than securities offered only in connection with dividend or interest reinvestment plans, check the following box. x

If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ¨

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ¨

If delivery of the prospectus is expected to be made pursuant to Rule 434, please check the following box. ¨

 


 

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE


Title of Each Class of Securities to be Registered   

Amount

to be
Registered

  

Proposed
Maximum

Offering Price

Per Share(1)

  

Proposed
Maximum

Aggregate

Offering Price(1)

  

Amount of

Registration Fee

Common Stock, $0.001 par value per share

   2,674,500    $ 3.71    $ 9,922,395    $ 1,258

(1)

Estimated in accordance with Rule 457(c) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, solely for the purpose of computing the amount of the registration fee, based on the average of the high and low sales prices of the Registrant’s Common Stock on the Nasdaq National Market on August 9, 2004.

 

The Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment that specifically states that this Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act, as amended, or until this Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.

 



Table of Contents

The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. The securityholders identified in this prospectus may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.

 

Subject to completion, dated August 13, 2004

 

PROSPECTUS

 

2,674,500 Shares

 

Saba Software, Inc.

 

Common Stock

 


 

This prospectus relates to shares of our common stock that will be sold by the selling security holders named in this prospectus. The selling security holders acquired these shares from us in a private placement completed on August 10, 2004. We will not receive any of the proceeds from the sale of those shares.

 

Our common stock is traded on the Nasdaq National Market under the symbol “SABA.” On August 12, 2004, the last reported sales price for our common stock on the Nasdaq National Market was $3.69 per share.

 


 

See “ Risk Factors” beginning on page 2 of this Prospectus for factors you should consider before buying shares of our common stock.

 


 

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities, or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

The date of this Prospectus is August     , 2004.

 


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OUR BUSINESS

 

The Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) allows us to “incorporate by reference” certain information that we file with it, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those documents. The information incorporated by reference is considered to be part of this prospectus, and information that we file later with the SEC will update automatically, supplement and/or supersede this information. Any statement contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in this prospectus shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this prospectus to the extent that a statement contained in this prospectus or in any other document which also is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference in this prospectus modifies or supersedes such statement. Any such statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this prospectus. You should read the following summary together with the more detailed information regarding our company, our common stock and our financial statements and notes to those statements appearing elsewhere in this prospectus or incorporated herein by reference. References in this prospectus to “our company,” “we,” “our,” and “us” refer to Saba Software, Inc.

 

We are a leading provider of human capital development and management solutions, which are designed to increase organizational performance through the implementation of a management system for aligning, developing and managing people. Our solutions can help large enterprises to efficiently manage regulatory compliance, increase sales and channel readiness, accelerate time-to-competency of people across the extended enterprise, increase speed of customer acquisition, shorten time-to-market of new products and increase visibility into organizational performance.

 

We were incorporated in Delaware in April 1997. Our headquarters are located at 2400 Bridge Parkway, Redwood Shores, California 94065, and our telephone number is (650) 696-3840.

 

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RISK FACTORS

 

Except for the historical information contained in this prospectus or incorporated by reference, this prospectus (and the information incorporated by reference in this prospectus) contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results could differ materially from those discussed here or incorporated by reference. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, those discussed in the following section, as well as those discussed elsewhere in this prospectus and in any other documents incorporated by reference.

 

Investment in our shares involves a degree of risk. You should consider the following discussion of risks as well as other information in this prospectus and the incorporated documents before purchasing any shares. Each of these risk factors could adversely affect our business, operating results, prospects and financial condition, as well as adversely affect the value of an investment in our common stock.

 

This prospectus contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements in this prospectus that are not historical facts are hereby identified as “forward-looking statements” for the purpose of the safe harbor provided by Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933. Words such as “estimate,” “project,” “plan,” “intend,” “expect,” “believe” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are necessarily only estimates of future results and there can be no assurance that actual results will not differ materially from expectations, and, therefore, investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such statements. Set forth below is a discussion of certain factors, which could cause our actual results to differ materially from the results projected or suggested in such forward-looking statements. Investors should understand that it is not possible to predict or identify all such factors and that this list should not be considered a complete statement of all potential risks and uncertainties. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements as a result of future events or developments.

 

We have a limited operating history and are subject to the risks encountered by early-stage companies.

 

We were founded in April 1997 and shipped our first products in April 1998. Because we have a limited operating history, you should consider and evaluate our operating prospects in light of the risks and uncertainties frequently encountered by early-stage companies in rapidly evolving markets. For us, these risks include:

 

 

risks that our revenue forecasts may be incorrect because of our limited sales to date and our long sales process;

 

 

risks associated with our dependence on Saba Enterprise Learning, and related services, for a substantial majority of our revenues for the foreseeable future;

 

 

risks that our new products, such as Saba Enterprise Performance, will fail to achieve market acceptance;

 

 

risks that fluctuations in our quarterly operating results will be significant relative to our revenues; and

 

 

risks that the current economic conditions will continue to negatively impact the demand for our products and services.

 

These risks and other risks are described in more detail below. Our future growth will depend substantially on our ability to address these and the other risks described in this section. If we do not successfully address these risks, our business would be significantly harmed.

 

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We have a history of losses, expect future losses and cannot assure you that we will achieve profitability.

 

We have incurred significant losses and negative cash flows from operations since our inception. We have not achieved profitability and cannot be certain that we will realize sufficient revenues to achieve or sustain profitability. We expect to derive substantially all of our revenues for the foreseeable future from the licensing of Saba Enterprise Learning and providing related services. Over the longer term, we expect to derive revenues from new products such as Saba Enterprise Performance and related services. In the future, we expect to continue to incur non-cash expenses relating to the amortization of purchased intangible assets that will contribute to our net losses, along with any potential goodwill impairment. As of February 29, 2004, we had $127,000 of purchased intangible assets to be amortized and our remaining goodwill balance was $5.3 million. As a result of all of the foregoing, we expect to incur losses for the foreseeable future and will need to generate significantly higher revenues in order to achieve profitability. If we achieve profitability, we may not be able to sustain it.

 

Fluctuations of our results could cause our stock price to experience significant fluctuations or declines.

 

Our operating results have varied significantly in the past and will likely fluctuate significantly in the future. We believe that quarter-to-quarter comparisons of our revenues and operating results are not necessarily meaningful and should not be relied on as indicators of future performance. Our operating expenses are based on our expectations of future revenues and are relatively fixed in the short-term. During fiscal 2004 and fiscal 2003 we took actions to reduce our operating expenses and, while we may from time to time reduce operating expenses in response to variability in our revenues, including variabilities caused by downturns in the United States and/or international economies, over the long term we generally expect to increase our operating expenses to expand our sales and marketing operations, fund greater levels of research and development, develop new alliances, increase our services and support capabilities and improve our operational and financial systems. If our revenues do not increase along with these expenses, our business would be seriously harmed and net losses in a given quarter would be even larger than expected. It is possible that in some future quarter our operating results may be below the expectations of public market analysts or investors, which could cause the market price of our common stock to fall.

 

Our quarterly revenues are especially subject to fluctuations because they depend on the sale of a small number of relatively large orders, principally orders for Saba Enterprise Learning and related services. As a result, our quarterly operating results may fluctuate if we are unable to complete a sufficient number of large orders in any particular quarter. Furthermore, our quarterly revenues may be affected significantly by changes in revenue recognition policies and procedures based on changes to, or new, applicable accounting standards and how these standards are interpreted.

 

Our lengthy sales cycle could cause delays in revenue growth.

 

The period between our initial contact with a potential customer and the purchase of our products and services is often long. A customer’s decision to purchase our products and services requires the commitment to increase performance through human capital development and management, involves a significant allocation of resources, and is influenced by a customer’s budgetary cycles. To successfully sell our products and services, we generally must educate our potential customers regarding the use and benefits of our products and services, which can require significant time and resources. Many of our potential customers are large enterprises that generally take longer to make significant business decisions. Our typical sales cycle has been approximately 6 to 12 months. The delay or failure to complete sales in a particular quarter could reduce our revenues in that quarter. If our sales cycle unexpectedly lengthens in general or for one or more large orders, it would adversely affect the timing of our revenues. If we were to experience a delay on a large order, it could harm our ability to meet our forecasts for a given quarter.

 

A decline in the price of, or demand for, our main product, Saba Enterprise Learning or our related services offerings would seriously harm our revenues and operating margins.

 

To date, Saba Enterprise Learning and related services have accounted for a substantial majority of our revenues. We anticipate that revenues from Saba Enterprise Learning and related services will continue to constitute a substantial majority of our revenues for the foreseeable future. Consequently, a decline in the price of, or demand for, Saba Enterprise Learning or failure to achieve broad market acceptance would seriously harm our business.

 

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We are exposed to recent unfavorable economic conditions.

 

We have seen a rapid and increasingly severe downturn in the United States economy since the first quarter of fiscal 2001 (ended August 31, 2000), which has been further stalled by terrorist attacks in September 2001 and the war in Iraq in early 2003. There can be no certainty as to the severity or duration of this downturn. Although we cannot predict the extent and timing, if any, of the impact of economic downturns in the United States on economies in other countries or geographic regions, we have also seen an economic slowdown in certain international markets in which we conduct business. If the economic conditions in the United States continue or worsen or if a global economic slowdown intensifies, the demand for our products and services may be reduced. Not only may these economic slowdowns reduce our customers’ and prospects’ budgets for our products and services, but also they may adversely affect our customers’ ability to pay for our products and services. Accordingly, these economic slowdowns may have a material adverse impact on our business, operating results and financial condition.

 

Our performance depends on a new market: human capital development and management.

 

The market for software solutions that automate human capital development and management is relatively new and rapidly evolving. Substantially all of our revenues are attributable to the suite of products and services in this market. If this market fails to develop or develops more slowly than we expect, or if we fail to identify the challenges and risks in this new market or successfully address these risks, our business would be harmed.

 

If we lose key personnel or are unable to attract and retain additional qualified personnel, we may not be able to successfully manage our business and achieve our objectives.

 

We believe our future success will depend upon our ability to retain our key management personnel. These employees are not subject to employment contracts. We may not be successful in attracting, assimilating and retaining our key employees in the future. Our future success and our ability to expand our operations will also depend in large part on our ability to attract and retain additional qualified technical, sales and marketing personnel. Competition for these types of employees is intense due to the limited number of qualified professionals and the high demand for them, particularly in the San Francisco Bay Area, where our headquarters is located. We have in the past experienced difficulty in recruiting qualified personnel. Failure to attract, assimilate and retain personnel, particularly technical, sales and marketing personnel, would have a material adverse effect on our business and potential growth. Additionally, volatility or a lack of positive performance in our stock price may adversely affect our ability to retain key employees, all of whom have been granted stock options.

 

Difficulties we may encounter managing our growth could adversely affect our results of operations.

 

We intend to grow our business significantly. To support our growth plans, we may need to expand our existing management, operational, financial and human resources, customer service and management information systems and controls. We may be unable to expand these systems and to manage our planned growth successfully, and this inability would adversely affect our business.

 

Intense competition in our target market could impair our ability to grow and to achieve profitability.

 

The market for our products and services is intensely competitive, dynamic and subject to rapid technological change. The intensity of the competition and the pace of change are expected to increase in the future. Increased competition is likely to result in price reductions, reduced gross margins and loss of market share, any one of which could seriously harm our business. Competitors vary in size and in the scope and breadth of the products and services offered. We encounter competition with respect to different aspects of our solution from a variety of sources including:

 

 

companies that market and license training, learning, performance, content, resource, talent and staffing management systems;

 

 

enterprise software vendors that offer human resources information systems and employee relationship management systems with training and performance modules;

 

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potential customers’ internal development efforts;

 

 

companies that operate Internet-based marketplaces for the sale of on-line learning;

 

 

companies that operate Internet-based marketplaces for the sale of goods and services and could potentially decide to evolve their marketplaces to include content offerings; and

 

 

Internet portals that offer learning content, performance support tools or recruiting services.

 

We expect competition from a variety of established and emerging companies.

 

Many of our competitors have longer operating histories, substantially greater financial, technical, marketing or other resources, or greater name recognition than we do. Our competitors may be able to respond more quickly than we can to new or emerging technologies and changes in customer requirements. Competition could seriously impede our ability to sell additional products and services on terms favorable to us. Our current and potential competitors may develop and market new technologies that render our existing or future products and services obsolete, unmarketable or less competitive. Our current and potential competitors may make strategic acquisitions or establish cooperative relationships among themselves or with other partners, thereby increasing the availability of their services to address the needs of our current and prospective customers. We may not be able to compete successfully against our current and future competitors, and competitive pressures that we encounter may seriously harm our business.

 

If we are unable to manage the complexity of conducting business globally, our international revenues may suffer.

 

International revenues accounted for 41% of our revenues for the three months ended February 29, 2004 and 44% for the three months ended February 28, 2003. International revenues accounted for 39% of our revenues for the nine months ended February 29, 2004 and 27% of our revenues for the nine months ended February 28, 2003. We intend to expand our international presence in the future. Conducting business outside of the United States is subject to certain risks, including:

 

 

changes in regulatory requirements and tariffs;

 

 

language barriers;

 

 

difficulties in staffing and managing foreign operations;

 

 

longer payment cycles and greater difficulty in collecting accounts receivable;

 

 

reduced protection of intellectual property rights;

 

 

potentially harmful tax consequences;

 

 

fluctuating exchange rates;

 

 

price controls and other restrictions on foreign currency;

 

 

difficulties in obtaining import and export licenses;

 

 

political and social unrest or disturbances;

 

 

the burden of complying with a variety of foreign laws; and

 

 

political or economic constraints on international trade.

 

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We might not successfully market, sell or distribute our products and services in foreign markets, and we cannot be certain that one or more of the factors indicated above will not materially adversely affect our future international operations, and consequently, our business and future growth.

 

Our business is subject to a variety of U.S. and foreign laws that could reduce demand for our products and services or increase the cost of doing business, thereby adversely affecting our financial results.

 

The applicability of existing laws governing issues such as property ownership, copyrights, and other intellectual property issues, encryption, taxation, libel, export or import matters and personal privacy to the Internet is uncertain. For example, the interpretation and application of data protection laws in Europe and elsewhere are still uncertain and in flux. It is possible that these laws may be interpreted and applied in a manner that is inconsistent with our data practices. If so, in addition to the possibility of fines, this could result in an order requiring that we change our data practices, which in turn could have a material effect on our business. Existing or new legislation could expose us to substantial liability, restrict our ability to deliver our software or services, limit our ability to grow and cause us to incur significant expenses in order to comply with such laws and regulations.

 

Our market is subject to rapid technological change and, to compete, we must continually enhance our products and services.

 

We must continue to enhance and improve the performance, functionality and reliability of our products and services. The software and electronic commerce industries are characterized by rapid technological change, changes in user requirements and preferences, frequent new product and services introductions embodying new technologies and the emergence of new industry standards and practices that could render our products and services obsolete. In the past, we have discovered that some of our customers desire additional performance and functionality not currently offered by our products. Our success will depend, in part, on our ability to both internally develop and license leading technologies to enhance our existing products and services, develop new products and services that address the increasingly sophisticated and varied needs of our customers, and respond to technological advances and emerging industry standards and practices on a cost-effective and timely basis. In addition, the development of our technology and other proprietary technology involves significant technical and business risks. We may fail to use new technologies effectively or to adapt our proprietary technology and systems to customer requirements or emerging industry standards. If we are unable to adapt to changing market conditions, customer requirements or emerging industry standards, we may not be able to increase our revenues and expand our business.

 

Delays in releasing new products or enhanced versions of our existing products could adversely affect our competitive position.

 

As part of our strategy, we expect to regularly release new products and new versions of our existing products. Even if our new products or new versions of our existing products contain the features and functionality our customers want, in the event we are unable to timely introduce these new products or product releases, our competitive position may be harmed. We cannot assure you that we will be able to successfully complete the development of currently planned or future products or product releases in a timely and efficient manner. Due to the complexity of our products, internal quality assurance testing and customer testing of pre-commercial releases may reveal product performance issues or desirable feature enhancements that could lead us to postpone the release of these products. In addition, the reallocation of resources associated with any postponement would likely cause delays in the development and release of other future products or enhancements to our currently available products. Any delay in releasing future products or enhancements of our products could harm our business.

 

If we release products containing defects, we may need to halt further shipments and our business and reputation would be harmed.

 

Products as complex as ours often contain unknown and undetected errors or performance problems. Many serious defects are frequently found during the period immediately following introduction and initial shipment of new products or enhancements to existing products. Although we attempt to resolve all errors that we believe would

 

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be considered serious by our customers before shipment to them, our products are not error-free. These errors or performance problems could result in lost revenues or delays in customer acceptance and would be detrimental to our business and reputation. As is typical in the software industry, with each release we have discovered errors in our products after introduction. We will not be able to detect and correct all errors before releasing our products commercially and these undetected errors could be significant. We cannot assure you that undetected errors or performance problems in our existing or future products will not be discovered in the future or that known errors considered minor by us will not be considered serious by our customers, resulting in a decrease in our revenues.

 

Claims by third parties that we infringe their intellectual property rights may result in costly litigation.

 

In recent years, there has been significant litigation in the United States involving patents and other intellectual property rights, particularly in the software and Internet-related industries. We could become subject to intellectual property infringement claims as the number of our competitors grows and our products and services overlap with competitive offerings. Any of these claims, even if not meritorious, could be expensive to defend and could divert management’s attention from operating our company. If we become liable to third parties for infringing their intellectual property rights, we could be required to pay a substantial award of damages and to develop noninfringing technology, obtain a license or cease selling the products that contain the infringing intellectual property. We may be unable to develop noninfringing technology or obtain a license on commercially reasonable terms, if at all.

 

We may not be able to adequately protect our proprietary technology, and our competitors may be able to offer similar products and services that would harm our competitive position.

 

Our success depends upon our proprietary technology. We rely primarily on copyright, trademark and trade secret laws, confidentiality procedures and contractual provisions to establish and protect our proprietary rights. As part of our confidentiality procedures, we enter into non-disclosure agreements with our employees. Despite these precautions, third parties could copy or otherwise obtain and use our technology without authorization, or develop similar technology independently. In addition, we have three patents issued in the United States and four patent applications pending in the United States. We cannot assure you that any patents will be issued for any of the pending patent applications. Even for the issued patents, or any patent issued to us in the future, there can be no assurance that such patent will protect our intellectual property, or will not be challenged by third parties. Furthermore, effective protection of intellectual property rights is unavailable or limited in certain foreign countries. We cannot assure you that the protection of our proprietary rights will be adequate or that our competitors will not independently develop similar technology, duplicate our products and services or design around any patents or other intellectual property rights we hold.

 

We do not have a comprehensive disaster recovery plan or back-up system, and a disaster could severely damage our operations.

 

We currently do not have a comprehensive disaster recovery plan in effect and do not have fully redundant systems for our services at an alternate site. A disaster could severely harm our business because our services could be interrupted for an indeterminate length of time. Our operations depend upon our ability to maintain and protect the computer systems needed for the day-to-day operation of Saba Learning ASP Edition and our hosting services. A number of these computer systems are located on or near known earthquake fault zones. Although these systems are designed to be fault tolerant, they are vulnerable to damage from fire, floods, earthquakes, power loss, telecommunications failures and other events. Additionally, we do not carry sufficient business insurance to compensate us for all potential losses that could occur.

 

We outsource the management and maintenance of our hosted and ASP solutions to third parties and will depend upon them to provide adequate management and maintenance services.

 

We rely on third parties to provide key components of our networks and systems. For instance, we rely on third-party Internet service providers to host our products for customers who desire to have these solutions hosted. We also rely on third-party communications service providers for the high-speed connections that link our and our Internet service providers’ Web servers and office systems to the Internet. Any Internet or communications systems failure or interruption could result in disruption of our service or loss or compromise of customer orders and data. These failures, especially if they are prolonged or repeated, would make our services less attractive to customers and tarnish our reputation.

 

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We depend upon continuing our relationship with third-party integrators who support our solutions.

 

Our success depends upon the acceptance and successful integration by customers of our products. We often rely on third-party systems integrators to assist with implementation of our products. We will need to continue to rely on these systems integrators even as we increase the size of our professional services group. If large systems integrators fail to continue to support our solution or commit resources to us, if any of our customers are not able to successfully integrate our solution or if we are unable to adequately train our existing systems integration partners, our business, operating results and financial condition could suffer. In addition, we have only limited control over the level and quality of service provided by our current and future third-party integrators.

 

We may not be able to secure necessary funding in the future; additional funding may result in dilution to our stockholders.

 

We require substantial working capital to fund our business. We have had significant operating losses and negative cash flow from operations since inception and expect this to continue for the foreseeable future. We expect to use our available cash resources and credit facilities primarily to fund sales and marketing activities, research and development, and continued operations, and possibly make future acquisitions. We believe that our existing capital resources will be sufficient to meet our capital requirements for the next twelve months. However, if our capital requirements increase materially from those currently planned or if revenues fail to materialize, we may require additional financing sooner than anticipated. If additional funds are raised through the issuance of equity securities, the percentage ownership of our stockholders will be reduced, stockholders may experience dilution, or such equity securities may have rights, preferences or privileges senior to those of the holders of our common stock. Additional financing may not be available when needed on terms favorable to us or at all. If adequate funds are not available or are not available on acceptable terms, we may be unable to develop or enhance our products and services, take advantage of future opportunities or respond to competitive pressures.

 

Our past and future acquisitions may result in disruptions to our business if we fail to adequately integrate acquired businesses.

 

In March 2001, we acquired Human Performance Technologies, Inc. and, in June 2001, we acquired Ultris Inc. As part of our overall business strategy, we expect to continue to acquire complementary businesses or technologies that will provide additional products or services offerings, additional industry expertise or an expanded geographic presence. These acquisitions could result in the use of significant amounts of cash, potentially dilutive issuances of equity securities, or the incurrence of debt. In addition, any acquisition may increase the risk of future write-offs for acquired in-process research and development, write-offs for the impairment of goodwill or long-lived assets, or amortization of expenses related to intangible assets, any of which could materially adversely affect our business and our operating results. For example, as of February 29, 2004, our remaining goodwill balance was $5.3 million. Although these two acquisitions are fully integrated, future acquisitions involve numerous risks, including:

 

 

difficulties in the assimilation of the operations, technologies, products and personnel of the acquired company;

 

 

the diversion of management’s attention from other business concerns;

 

 

risks of entering markets in which we have no or limited prior experience; and

 

 

the potential loss of key employees of the acquired company.

 

Our stock price may fluctuate substantially.

 

The market price for our common stock may be affected by a number of factors, including those described above and the following:

 

 

the announcement of new products and services or product and service enhancements by us or our competitors;

 

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quarterly variations in our results of operations or those of our competitors;

 

 

changes in earnings estimates or recommendations by securities analysts that may follow our stock;

 

 

developments in our industry; and

 

 

general market conditions and other factors, including factors unrelated to our operating performance or the operating performance of our competitors.

 

In addition, the stock market in general, and the Nasdaq National Market and technology companies in particular, have experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that have often been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of particular companies. Broad market and industry trends may also materially and adversely affect the market price of our common stock, regardless of our actual operating performance. In the past, following periods of volatility in the market price of a company’s securities, securities class-action litigation has often been initiated against that company. Class-action litigation could result in substantial costs and a diversion of management’s attention and resources.

 

Sales of shares eligible for future sale could cause our stock price to decline.

 

If our stockholders sell substantial amounts of our common stock (including shares issued upon the exercise of outstanding options) in the public market, the market price of our common stock could fall. Such sales also might make it more difficult for us to sell equity or equity-related securities in the future at a time and price that we deem appropriate.

 

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The anti-takeover provisions in our charter documents could adversely affect the rights of the holders of our common stock.

 

Our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Amended and Restated Bylaws contain provisions that could make it harder for a third-party to acquire us without the consent of our board of directors. For example, if a potential acquiror were to make a hostile bid for us, the acquiror would not be able to call a special meeting of stockholders to remove our board of directors or act by written consent without a meeting. In addition, our board of directors has staggered terms that make it difficult to remove all directors at once. The acquiror would also be required to provide advance notice of its proposal to remove directors at an annual meeting. The acquiror will not be able to cumulate votes at a meeting, which will require the acquiror to hold more shares to gain representation on the board of directors than if cumulative voting were permitted.

 

Our board of directors also has the ability to issue preferred stock that would significantly dilute the ownership of a hostile acquiror. In addition, Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law limits business combination transactions with 15% stockholders that have not been approved by the board of directors. These provisions and other similar provisions make it more difficult for a third party to acquire us without negotiation. These provisions may apply even if the offer may be considered beneficial by some stockholders.

 

Our board of directors could choose not to negotiate with an acquiror that it did not feel was in our strategic interests. If the acquiror was discouraged from offering to acquire us or prevented from successfully completing a hostile acquisition by our anti-takeover measures, you could lose the opportunity to sell your shares at a favorable price.

 

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WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

 

This prospectus is part of a registration statement we filed with the SEC. You should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus or incorporated by reference. We have not authorized anyone else to provide you with different information. We are not making an offer of these securities in any state where the offer is not permitted. You should not assume that the information in this prospectus is accurate as of any date other than the date on the front page of this prospectus, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus or any sale of common stock.

 

We file annual, quarterly and special reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. You may read, without charge, and copy the documents we file at the SEC’s public reference room in Washington, D.C. You can request copies of these documents by writing to the SEC and paying a fee for the copying cost. Please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for further information on the public reference rooms. Our SEC filings are also available to the public at no cost from the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.

 

We incorporate by reference the filed documents listed below, except as superseded, supplemented or modified by this prospectus, and any future filings we will make with the SEC under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”):

 

 

 our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2003;

 

 

 our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended August 31, 2003;

 

 

 our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended November 30, 2003;

 

 

 our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended February 29, 2004;

 

 

 our Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on March 15, 2004 and August 11, 2004;

 

 

 our definitive Proxy Statement for our Annual Meeting of Stockholders held on November 6, 2003; and

 

 

 the description of our common stock contained in our Form 8-A filed with the Commission on April 5, 2000.

 

The reports and other documents that we file after the date of this prospectus will update, supplement and supersede the information in this prospectus. You may request and obtain a copy of these filings, at no cost, by writing or telephoning us at the following address or phone number:

 

Saba Software, Inc.

2400 Bridge Parkway

Redwood Shores, California 94065-1166

Tel: (650) 696-3840

Attn: Yvonne Selner

 

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DISCLOSURE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

 

This prospectus, including the documents that we incorporate by reference, contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. Any statements about our expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance are not historical facts and may be forward-looking. These statements are often, but not always, made through the use of words or phrases such as “anticipate,” “estimate,” “plans,” “projects,” “continuing,” “ongoing,” “expects,” “management believes,” “we believe,” “we intend” and similar words or phrases. Accordingly, these statements involve estimates, assumptions and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in them. Any forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by reference to the factors discussed throughout this prospectus.

 

Because the risk factors beginning on page 2 of this prospectus could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements made by us or on our behalf, you should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. Further, any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made, and we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which the statement is made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict which factors will arise. In addition, we cannot assess the impact of each factor on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements.

 

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SELLING SECURITY HOLDERS

 

We are registering for resale shares of our common stock held by the security holders identified below. The security holders acquired the resale shares from us in a private placement. We are registering the shares to permit the security holders and any pledgees, donees, transferees and other successors-in-interest that receive the shares from such holders after the date of this prospectus to resell the shares when and as they deem appropriate. The following table sets forth:

 

 

the name of the security holders,

 

 

the number and percent of shares of our common stock that the security holders beneficially owned prior to the offering for resale of the shares under this prospectus,

 

 

the number of shares of our common stock that may be offered for resale for the account of the security holders under this prospectus, and

 

 

the number and percent of shares of our common stock to be beneficially owned by the security holders after the offering of the resale shares (assuming all of the offered resale shares are sold by the security holders).

 

The number of shares in the column “Number of Shares Being Offered” represents all of the shares that the security holders may offer under this prospectus. We do not know how long the security holders will hold the shares before selling them or how many shares they will sell and we currently have no agreements, arrangements or understandings with the security holders regarding the sale of any of the resale shares. The shares offered by this prospectus may be offered from time to time by the security holders listed below.

 

This table is prepared solely based on information supplied to us by the listed security holders, any Schedules 13D or 13G and Forms 3 and 4, and other public documents filed with the SEC, and assumes the sale of all of the resale shares. The applicable percentages of beneficial ownership are based on an aggregate of 16,114,263 shares of our common stock issued and outstanding on August 10, 2004, adjusted as may be required by rules promulgated by the SEC.

 

    

Shares Beneficially Owned

Prior to Offering


   

Number of

Shares

Being

Offered


  

Shares Beneficially Owned

After Offering


Security Holders


   Number

   Percent

       Number

   Percent

Pequot Private Equity Fund III, L.P.

   2,344,063    14.55 %   2,344,063    —      —  

Pequot Offshore Private Equity Partners III, L.P.

   330,437    2.05 %   330,437    —      —  

 

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PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

 

The selling security holders may sell the shares being offered from time to time in one or more transactions:

 

 

on the Nasdaq National Market or any other stock exchange, market or trading facility;

 

 

in the over-the-counter market;

 

 

in negotiated transactions;

 

 

in ordinary brokerage transactions and transactions in which the broker-dealer solicits purchases;

 

 

block trades in which the broker-dealer will attempt to sell the shares as agent but may position and resell a portion of the block as principal to facilitate the transaction;

 

 

purchases by a broker-dealer as principal and resale by the broker-dealer for its account;

 

 

broker-dealers may agree with the selling security holders to sell a specified number of such shares at a stipulated price per share;

 

 

short sales;

 

 

through one or more underwriters on a firm commitment or best efforts basis;

 

 

through the writing of options on shares, whether the options are listed on an options exchange or otherwise;

 

 

a combination of such methods of sale; or

 

 

any other method permitted pursuant to applicable law.

 

The selling security holders may sell the shares at market prices prevailing at the time of sale, at prices related to those market prices or at negotiated prices. The selling security holders also may sell the shares pursuant to Rule 144 adopted under the Securities Act, as permitted by that rule, rather than under this prospectus. The selling security holders may effect transactions by selling shares directly to purchasers or to or through broker-dealers. The broker-dealers may act as agents or principals. Broker-dealers may receive commissions or discounts from the selling security holders (or, if any broker-dealer acts as agent for the purchaser of shares, from the purchaser) in an amounts to be negotiated. The selling security holders do not expect these commissions and discounts to exceed what is customary in the types of transactions involved. The selling security holders and broker-dealers that participate with the selling security holders in the distribution of shares may be deemed to be “underwriters” within the meaning of Section 2(11) of the Securities Act. In such an event, the selling security holders will be subject to the prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act and any commissions received by them and any profit on the resale of shares may be deemed to be underwriting compensation.

 

The selling security holders have advised us that it has not entered into any agreements, understandings or arrangements with any underwriters or broker-dealers regarding the sale of its securities. There is no underwriter or coordinating broker acting in connection with the proposed sale of shares by the selling security holders.

 

The shares will be sold through registered or licensed brokers or dealers if required under applicable state securities laws. In addition, in certain states the shares may not be sold unless they have been registered or qualified for sale in the applicable state or an exemption from the registration or qualification requirement is available and is complied with.

 

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Under applicable rules and regulations under the Exchange Act, any person engaged in the distribution of the shares may not simultaneously engage in market making activities with respect to our common stock for a period of two business days prior to the commencement of such distribution. In addition, each selling security holder will be subject to applicable provisions of the Exchange Act and the associated rules and regulations under the Exchange Act, including Regulation M, which provisions may limit the timing of purchases and sales of shares of our common stock by the selling security holders. We will make copies of this prospectus available to the selling security holders and have informed them of the need to deliver copies of this prospectus to purchasers at or prior to the time of any sale of the shares.

 

We will bear all costs, expenses and fees in connection with the registration of the shares. The selling security holders will bear all commissions and discounts, if any, attributable to the sales of the shares. The Company has agreed to indemnify the selling security holders against certain losses, claims, damages and liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act.

 

Upon notification to us by the selling security holders that any material arrangement has been entered into with broker-dealers for the sale or purchase of shares, we will file a supplement to this prospectus, if required, disclosing:

 

 

the name of the participating broker-dealers;

 

 

the number of shares involved;

 

 

the price at which such shares were sold;

 

 

the commissions paid or discounts or concessions allowed to such broker-dealers, where applicable;

 

 

that such broker-dealers did not conduct any investigation to verify the information set out or incorporated by reference in this prospectus; and

 

 

other facts material to the transaction.

 

In addition, upon being notified by the selling security holders that a pledge, donee, transferee or successor-in-interest intends to sell more than 500 shares, we will file a supplement to this prospectus.

 

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USE OF PROCEEDS

 

We will not receive any of the proceeds from the sale of the resale shares by the security holders. All proceeds from the sale of the resale shares will be solely for the accounts of the security holders.

 

LEGAL MATTERS

 

The validity of the issuance of the shares of common stock offered hereby will be passed upon for us by Morrison & Foerster LLP, New York, New York.

 

EXPERTS

 

The consolidated financial statements of Saba Software, Inc. appearing in Saba Software, Inc.’s Annual Report (Form 10-K) for the year ended May 31, 2003, have been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, as set forth in their report thereon included therein and incorporated herein by reference. Such consolidated financial statements are incorporated herein by reference in reliance upon such report given on the authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing.

 

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You should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with information different from that contained in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement. This prospectus is not an offer of these securities in any jurisdiction where an offer and sale is not permitted. The information contained in this prospectus is accurate only as of the date of this prospectus, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus or any sale of our common stock.

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

     Page

Our Business

   1

Risk Factors

   2

Where You Can Find More Information

   11

Disclosure Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

   12

Security Holders

   13

Plan of Distribution

   14

Use of Proceeds

   16

Legal Matters

   16

Experts

   16

 


 

2,674,500 Shares

 

Common Stock

 

Saba Software, Inc.

 


 

Prospectus

 


 

August     , 2004


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PART II

 

INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS

 

Item 14. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution.

 

The following table sets forth an estimate of the fees and expenses relating to the issuance and distribution of the securities being registered hereby, other than underwriting discounts and commissions, all of which shall be borne by Saba Software, Inc. (the “Registrant” or the “Company”). All of such fees and expenses, except for the SEC Registration Fee, are estimated:

 

SEC registration fee

   $ 1,258

Legal fees and expenses

   $ 5,000

Accounting fees and expenses

   $ 15,000

Miscellaneous fees and expenses

   $ 2,000

Total

   $ 23,258

 

Item 15. Indemnification of Officers and Directors

 

Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law provides generally that a corporation shall have the power, and in some cases is required, to indemnify an agent, including an officer or director, who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of the corporation) by reason of the fact that he or she is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, against certain expenses, judgments, fines, settlements and other amounts under certain circumstances.

 

The Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation provides that the liability of its directors for monetary damages shall be eliminated to the fullest extent permissible under Delaware law. Pursuant to Delaware law, this includes elimination of liability for monetary damages for breach of the directors’ fiduciary duty of care to the Company and its stockholders. These provisions do not eliminate the directors’ duty of care and, in appropriate circumstances, equitable remedies such as injunctive or other forms of non-monetary relief will remain available under Delaware law. In addition, each director will continue to be subject to liability for breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to the Registrant, for acts or omissions not in good faith or involving intentional misconduct, for knowing violations of law, for any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit, and for payment of dividends or approval of stock repurchases or redemptions that are unlawful under Delaware law. The provision also does not affect a director’s responsibilities under any other laws, such as the federal securities laws or state or federal environmental laws.

 

The Company’s By-laws, as amended and restated, provide for indemnification of officers and directors to the fullest extent not prohibited by the Delaware General Corporation Law. The provisions of Article VIII of the Company’s By-laws constitute a contract of indemnification between the Company and its officers and directors. Article VIII of the Company’s By-laws permits the Company to purchase and maintain officers’ and directors’ liability insurance in order to insure against the liabilities for which such officers and directors are indemnified pursuant to Article VIII. The Company provides officers’ and directors’ liability insurance for its officers and directors.

 

The Company has entered into indemnification agreements with certain of its directors and executive officers providing contractual indemnification by the Company to the fullest extent permissible under Delaware law.

 

The Company and the security holders have agreed to indemnify each other and each other’s controlling persons, as applicable, against certain liabilities under the Securities Act in connection with this registration statement.

 

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Item 16. Exhibits

 

a)     Exhibits.

 

Exhibit

Number


 

Description of Document  


4.1

 

Purchase Agreement dated as of August 9, 2004, by and between the Registrant and the selling security holders pursuant to this registration statement.*

4.2

 

Registration Rights Agreement dated as of August 9, 2004, by and between the Registrant and the selling security holders pursuant to this registration statement.*

5.1

 

Opinion of Morrison & Foerster LLP as to the legality of the securities being registered.

23.1

 

Consent of Morrison & Foerster LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1).

23.2

 

Consent of independent registered public accounting firm.

24

 

Power of Attorney. Reference is made to page II-4.


*

Incorporated by reference to Saba Software, Inc. Current Report on Form 8-K filed August 11, 2004.

 

Item 17. Undertakings.

 

The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

 

 

(1)

To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:

 

 

(i)

To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended;

 

 

(ii)

To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than 20 percent change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement; and

 

 

(iii)

To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement;

 

provided, however, that subparagraphs (i) and (ii) above do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by these subparagraphs is contained in periodic reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in this registration statement.

 

 

(2)

That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

 

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(3)

To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

 

The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, each filing of the Registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that is incorporated by reference in this registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

 

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, may be permitted to directors, officers, and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer, or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit, or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer, or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question of whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

 

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SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Redwood Shores, State of California, on the 13th day of August 2004

 

Saba Software, Inc.

By:

 

/s/ Bobby Yazdani


   

Bobby Yazdani

   

CEO and Chairman

 

POWER OF ATTORNEY

 

KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Bobby Yazdani, and Peter E. Williams III, and each of them, as his true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for the undersigned and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any or all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to the Registration Statement and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and all documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in connection therewith, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or any of them or their or his substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated have signed this Registration Statement below.

 

/s/ Bobby Yazdani


Bobby Yazdani

 

Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board (Principal Executive Officer)

 

August 13, 2004

/s/ Peter E. Williams III


Peter E. Williams III

 

Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer)

 

August 13, 2004

/s/ Douglas Allred


Douglas Allred

 

Director

 

August 13, 2004

/s/ Clifton T. Weatherford


Clifton T. Weatherford

 

Director

 

August 13, 2004

/s/ Joe Kiani


Joe Kiani

 

Director

 

August 13, 2004

/s/ Michael Moritz


Michael Moritz

 

Director

 

August 13, 2004

/s/ Lawrence D. Lenihan, Jr.


Lawrence D. Lenihan, Jr.

 

Director

 

August 13, 2004

 

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INDEX TO EXHIBITS

 

Exhibit
Number


 

Description of Document  


4.1

 

Purchase Agreement dated as of August 9, 2004, by and between the Registrant and the selling security holders pursuant to this registration statement.*

4.2

 

Registration Rights Agreement dated as of August 9, 2004, by and between the Registrant and the selling security holders pursuant to this registration statement.*

5.1

 

Opinion of Morrison & Foerster LLP as to the legality of the securities being registered.

23.1

 

Consent of Morrison & Foerster LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1).

23.2

 

Consent of independent registered public accounting firm.

24

 

Power of Attorney. Reference is made to page II-4.


*

Incorporated by reference to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed on August 11, 2004.