ANNAPOLIS, MD -- 11/09/09 --
TeleCommunication Systems, Inc. (TCS)
(NASDAQ: TSYS) today announced its intention to commence an offering,
subject to market conditions and other factors, of $90 million aggregate
principal amount of convertible senior notes. TCS also expects to grant the
initial purchasers a 30-day over-allotment option to purchase up to an
additional $13.5 million aggregate principal amount of notes. The notes
will be due in 2014 and are to be offered and sold to qualified
institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of
1933, as amended. The notes will be convertible into shares of TCS's Class
A common stock based on a conversion rate to be determined. The interest
rate, conversion price and other terms of the notes will be determined at
the time of pricing of the offering. The notes will be TCS's senior
unsecured obligations and will rank equally with all of its present and
future senior unsecured debt and senior to any future subordinated debt.
The notes will be structurally subordinate to all present and future debt
and other obligations of TCS's subsidiaries. In addition, the notes will be
effectively subordinate to all of TCS's present and future secured debt to
the extent of the collateral securing that debt.
TCS intends to use a portion of the net proceeds of the offering to pay
TCS's cost of the convertible note hedge transactions described below,
taking into account the proceeds to TCS of the warrant transactions
described below, and to use the balance of the net proceeds of the offering
for general corporate purposes, including working capital. In addition,
TCS's use of the remaining net proceeds may include the investment in or
acquisition of businesses, products and technologies that are complementary
to its own.
In connection with the offering, TCS intends to enter into convertible note
hedge and warrant transactions with one or more counterparties, which are
expected to generally reduce the potential dilution upon future conversion
of the notes. The warrant transactions could have a dilutive effect on
TCS's earnings per share to the extent that the price of its Class A common
stock exceeds the strike price of the warrants. If the initial purchasers
exercise their over-allotment option, TCS may sell additional warrants and
use a portion of the net proceeds from the sale of the additional notes and
the sale of the additional warrants to increase the size of the convertible
note hedge transactions. TCS has been advised that, in connection with
establishing their initial hedge of the convertible note hedge and warrant
transactions previously referenced, the counterparties expect to enter into
various derivative transactions with respect to TCS's Class A common stock.
The various derivative transactions could increase (or reduce the size of
any decrease in) the price of TCS's Class A common stock concurrently with
or following the pricing of the notes or the exercise of the over-allotment
option by the initial purchasers to purchase additional notes.
This announcement is neither an offer to sell nor a solicitation of an
offer to buy any of these securities and shall not constitute an offer,
solicitation or sale in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation
or sale is unlawful.
The notes, the shares of Class A common stock underlying such notes, the
convertible note hedge transactions, the warrants and the shares of Class A
common stock underlying such warrants have not been and will not be
registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or any state
securities laws and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent
registration or an applicable exemption from registration requirements.
About TeleCommunication Systems
TeleCommunication Systems, Inc. (TCS) (NASDAQ: TSYS) engineers and delivers
wireless communications technology, including E9-1-1 services and
commercial applications like navigation that use the precise location of a
wireless device, and secure satellite-based communications systems and
services.
This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of
Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of
the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These statements are
based upon TCS' current expectations and assumptions that are subject to a
number of risks and uncertainties that would cause actual results to differ
materially from those anticipated. The words, "believe," "expect,"
"intend," "anticipate," and variations of such words, and similar
expressions identify forward-looking statements, but their absence does not
mean that the statement is not forward-looking. Statements in this
announcement that are forward-looking include, but are not limited to
statements that (i) TCS's intention to offer $90 million aggregate
principal amount of the notes, subject to market and other conditions;
(ii) TCS's expectations regarding granting the initial purchasers a 30-day
over-allotment option to purchase up to an additional $13.5 million
aggregate principal amount of notes; (iii) TCS's intention regarding the
use of the net proceeds of the offering; (iv) TCS's intention to enter into
one or more convertible note hedge and warrant transactions and the
intention of the counterparties and/or their respective affiliates to such
convertible note hedge and warrant transactions to enter into various
derivative transactions; and (v) TCS's expectations regarding the effect on
the price of its Class A common stock from the convertible note hedge and
warrant transactions and various derivative transactions.
Additional risks and uncertainties are described in the Company's filings
with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). These include without
limitation risks and uncertainties relating to the Company's financial
results and the ability of the Company to (i) sustain profitability, (ii)
continue to rely on its customers and other third parties to provide
additional products and services that create a demand for TCS products and
services, (iii) conduct its business in foreign countries, (iv) develop
software and provide services without any errors or defects, (vii) protect
its intellectual property rights, (viii) evaluate and execute acquisitions
and investments, (ix) not incur substantial costs from product liability
claims relating to its software, and (x) implement its sales and marketing
strategy. Existing and prospective investors are cautioned not to place
undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of
the date hereof. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise
the information in this press release, whether as a result of new
information, future events or circumstances, or otherwise.
Company Contacts:
Tom Brandt
Senior Vice President and CFO
TeleCommunication Systems, Inc.
Tel 410-280-1001
tbrandt@telecomsys.com
Scott Liolios
Investor Relations
Liolios Group, Inc.
Tel 949-574-3860
info@liolios.com