ICLD InterCloud Systems Inc (CE)

Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the following risk factors and all other information contained in this report before purchasing our securities. If any of the following risks occur, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects could be materially and adversely affected. In that case, the market price of our common stock could decline, and you could lose some or all of your investment.

Risks Related to Our Financial Results and Financing Plans

We have a history of losses and may continue to incur losses in the future.

We have a history of losses and may continue to incur losses in the future, which could negatively impact the trading value of our common stock. We incurred losses from operations of $16.4 million and $12.5 million in the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. In addition, we incurred a net loss attributable to common stockholders of $44.3 million and $26.5 million in the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. We may continue to incur operating and net losses in future periods. These losses may increase and we may never achieve profitability for a variety of reasons, including increased competition, decreased growth in the unified communications industry and other factors described elsewhere in this “Risk Factors” section. If we cannot achieve sustained profitability, our stockholders may lose all or a portion of their investment in our company. 

If we are unable to sustain or increase our revenue levels, we may never achieve or sustain profitability.

Our total revenues from continuing operations decreased to $34.5 million in the year ended December 31, 2017 from $59.1 million in the year ended December 31, 2016, respectively. The ADEX Entities, which we sold during February 2018, accounted for $20.5 million and $21.5 million of revenue in the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. In order to become profitable and maintain our profitability, we must, among other things, continue to increase our revenues. We may be unable to sustain our revenue levels, particularly if we are unable to develop and market our applications and infrastructure, increase our sales to existing customers or develop new customers. However, even if our revenues grow, they may not be sufficient to exceed increases in our operating expenses or to enable us to achieve or sustain profitability. 

Our inability to obtain additional capital may prevent us from completing our acquisition strategy and successfully operating our business; however, additional financings may subject our existing stockholders to substantial dilution.

Until we can generate a sufficient amount of revenue, if ever, we expect to finance our anticipated future strategic acquisitions through public or private equity offerings or debt financings. Additional funds may not be available when we need them on terms that are acceptable to us, or at all. If adequate funds are not available, we may be required to delay, reduce the scope of, or eliminate one or more strategic acquisitions or business plans. In addition, we could be forced to discontinue product development and reduce or forego attractive business opportunities. To the extent that we raise additional funds by issuing equity securities, our stockholders may experience significant dilution. In addition, debt financing, if available, may involve restrictive covenants. We may seek to access the public or private capital markets whenever conditions are favorable, even if we do not have an immediate need for additional capital at that time. Our access to the financial markets and the pricing and terms we receive in the financial markets could be adversely impacted by various factors, including changes in financial markets and interest rates.

Our forecasts regarding the sufficiency of our financial resources to support our current and planned operations are forward-looking statements and involve significant risks and uncertainties, and actual results could vary as a result of a number of factors, including the factors discussed elsewhere in this “Risk Factors” section. We have based this estimate on assumptions that may prove to be wrong, and we could utilize our available capital resources sooner than we currently expect. Our future funding requirements will depend on many factors, including, but not limited to, the costs and timing of our future acquisitions.

Our substantial indebtedness could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations and our ability to meet our payment obligations.

As of December 31, 2017, we had total indebtedness of approximately $12.4 million, consisting of $12.2 million of convertible debentures and notes payable, $0.1 million of related-party indebtedness, and $0.1 million of bank debt. Our substantial indebtedness could have important consequences to our stockholders. For example, it could: 

A high level of indebtedness would increase the risk that we may default on our debt obligations. Our ability to meet our debt obligations and to reduce our level of indebtedness will depend on our future performance. General economic conditions and financial, business and other factors affect our operations and our future performance. Many of these factors are beyond our control. We may not be able to generate sufficient cash flows to pay the interest on our debt and future working capital, borrowings or equity financing may not be available to pay or refinance such debt. Factors that will affect our ability to raise cash through an offering of our capital stock or a refinancing of our debt include our ability to access the public equity and debt markets, financial market conditions, the value of our assets and our performance at the time we need capital.

Our limited operating history as an integrated company may make it difficult for investors to evaluate our business, financial condition, results of operations and divestitures, and prospects, and also impairs our ability to accurately forecast our future performance.

Our limited operating history as an integrated company, combined with our short history operating as providers of staffing and cloud-based services, may not provide an adequate basis for investors to evaluate our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects, and makes accurate financial forecasting difficult for us. It may be difficult for us to evaluate trends that may affect our business and whether our expansion may be profitable. Thus, any predictions about our future revenue and expenses may not be as accurate as they would be if we had a longer operating history or operated in a more predictable market.

Risks Related to Our Business

If we do not continue to innovate and provide services that are useful to our business customers, we may not remain competitive, and our revenues and operating results could suffer.

The market for our cloud services, professional consulting and staffing services is characterized by changing technology, changes in customer needs and frequent new service and product introductions, and we may be required to select one emerging technology over another. Our future success will depend, in part, on our ability to use leading technologies effectively, to continue to develop our technical expertise, to enhance our existing services and to develop new services that meet changing customer needs on a timely and cost-effective basis. We may not be able to adapt quickly enough to changing technology, customer requirements and industry standards. In addition, the development and offering of new services in response to new technologies or consumer demands may require us to increase our capital expenditures significantly. Moreover, new technologies may be protected by patents or other intellectual property laws and therefore may be available only to our competitors and not to us. Any of these factors could adversely affect our revenues and profitability. We cannot assure you that we will be able to successfully identify, develop, and market new products or product enhancements that meet or exceed evolving industry requirements or achieve market acceptance. If we do not successfully identify, develop, and market new products or product enhancements, it could have a material and adverse effect on our results of operations. 

Our engagements typically require longer implementations and other professional services engagements.

Our implementations generally involve an extensive period of delivery of professional services, including the configuration of the solutions, together with customer training and consultation. In addition, existing customers for other professional services projects often retain us for those projects beyond an initial implementation. A successful implementation or other professional services project requires a close working relationship between us, the customer and often third-party consultants and systems integrators who assist in the process. These factors may increase the costs associated with completion of any given sale, increase the risks of collection of amounts due during implementations or other professional services projects, and increase risks of delay of such projects. Delays in the completion of an implementation or any other professional services project may require that the revenues associated with such implementation or project be recognized over a longer period than originally anticipated, or may result in disputes with customers, third-party consultants or systems integrators regarding performance as originally anticipated. Such delays in the implementation may cause material fluctuations in our operating results. In addition, customers may defer implementation projects or portions of such projects and such deferrals could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

Our future success is substantially dependent on third-party relationships.

An element of our strategy is to establish and maintain alliances with other companies, such as system integrators, resellers, consultants, and suppliers of products and services for maintenance, repair and operations. These relationships enhance our status in the marketplace, which generates new business opportunities and marketing channels and, in certain cases, additional revenue and profitability. To effectively generate revenue out of these relationships, each party must coordinate and support the sales and marketing efforts of the other, often including making a sizable investment in such sales and marketing activity. Our inability to establish and maintain effective alliances with other companies could impact our success in the marketplace, which could materially and adversely impact our results of operations. In addition, as we cannot control the actions of these third-party alliances, if these companies suffer business downturns or fail to meet their objectives, we may experience a resulting diminished revenue and decline in results of operations.

If we do not accurately estimate the overall costs when we bid on a contract that is awarded to us, we may achieve a lower than anticipated profit or incur a loss on the contract.

A significant portion of our revenues from our engineering and professional services offerings are derived from fixed unit price contracts that require us to perform the contract for a fixed unit price irrespective of our actual costs. We bid for these contracts based on our estimates of overall costs, but cost overruns may cause us to incur losses. The costs incurred and any net profit realized on such contracts can vary, sometimes substantially, from the original projections due to a variety of factors, including, but not limited to:

These factors may cause actual reduced profitability or losses on projects, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

Our contracts may require us to perform extra or change order work, which can result in disputes and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

Our contracts generally require us to perform extra or change order work as directed by the customer, even if the customer has not agreed in advance on the scope or price of the extra work to be performed. This process may result in disputes over whether the work performed is beyond the scope of the work included in the original project plans and specifications or, if the customer agrees that the work performed qualifies as extra work, the price that the customer is willing to pay for the extra work. Even when the customer agrees to pay for the extra work, we may be required to fund the cost of such work for a lengthy period of time until the change order is approved by the customer and we are paid by the customer.

To the extent that actual recoveries with respect to change orders or amounts subject to contract disputes or claims are less than the estimates used in our financial statements, the amount of any shortfall will reduce our future revenues and profits, and this could adversely affect our reported working capital and results of operations. In addition, any delay caused by the extra work may adversely impact the timely scheduling of other project work and our ability to meet specified contract milestone dates.

We derive a significant portion of our revenue from a few customers and the loss of one of these customers, or a reduction in their demand for our services, could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

Our customer base is highly concentrated. Due to the size and nature of our contracts, one or a few customers have represented a substantial portion of our consolidated revenues and gross profits in any one year or over a period of several consecutive years. Uline, Ericsson, Inc., and AT&T Inc. accounted for approximately 17%, 11%, and 11%, respectively, of our revenues from continuing operations in the year ended December 31, 2017. No customer accounted for 10% or more of our total revenues for the year ended December 31, 2016. Our top four customers, Uline, Ericsson, Inc., AT&T Inc., and Frontier Communications, accounted for approximately 48% of our total revenues from continuing operations in the year ended December 31, 2017. As a result of the sale of ADEX, Ericsson, Inc., AT&T Inc., and Frontier Communications will not be customers of our company going forward. Our top four customers, Crown Castle, Uline, Ericsson, Inc., and Verizon, accounted for approximately 35% of our total revenues from continuing operations in the year ended December 31, 2016. Revenues under our contracts with significant customers may continue to vary from period to period depending on the timing or volume of work that those customers order or perform with their in-house service organizations. A limited number of customers may continue to comprise a substantial portion of our revenue for the foreseeable future. Because we do not maintain any reserves for payment defaults, a default or delay in payment on a significant scale could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. We could lose business from a significant customer for a variety of reasons, including:

Since many of our customer contracts allow our customers to terminate the contract without cause, our customers may terminate their contracts with us at will, which could impair our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

Our failure to adequately expand our direct sales force will impede our growth.

We will need to continue to expand and optimize our sales infrastructure in order to grow our customer base and our business. We plan to continue to expand our direct sales force, both domestically and internationally. Identifying and recruiting qualified personnel and training them requires significant time, expense and attention. Our business may be adversely affected if our efforts to expand and train our direct sales force do not generate a corresponding increase in revenue. If we are unable to hire, develop and retain talented sales personnel or if new direct sales personnel are unable to achieve desired productivity levels in a reasonable period of time, we may not be able to realize the intended benefits of this investment or increase our revenue.

Our business is labor intensive and if we are unable to attract and retain key personnel and skilled labor, or if we encounter labor difficulties, our ability to bid for and successfully complete contracts may be negatively impacted.

Our ability to attract and retain reliable, qualified personnel is a significant factor that enables us to successfully bid for and profitably complete our work. The increase in demand for consulting technology integration and managed services has increased our need for employees with specialized skills or significant experience in these areas. Our ability to attract and retain reliable and skilled personnel depends on a number of factors, such as general rates of employment, competitive demands for employees possessing the skills we need and the level of compensation required to hire and retain qualified employees. We may also spend considerable resources training employees who may then be hired by our competitors, forcing us to spend additional funds to attract personnel to fill those positions. Competition for employees is intense, and we could experience difficulty hiring and retaining the personnel necessary to support our business. Our labor expenses may also increase as a result of a shortage in the supply of skilled personnel. If we do not succeed in retaining our current employees and attracting, developing and retaining new highly-skilled employees, our reputation may be harmed and our future earnings may be negatively impacted.

If we are unable to attract and retain qualified executive officers and managers, we will be unable to operate efficiently, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

We depend on the continued efforts and abilities of our executive officers, as well as the senior management of our subsidiaries, to establish and maintain our customer relationships and identify strategic opportunities. The loss of any one of them could negatively affect our ability to execute our business strategy and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. Competition for managerial talent with significant industry experience is high and we may lose access to executive officers for a variety of reasons, including more attractive compensation packages offered by our competitors. Although we have entered into employment agreements with certain of our executive officers and certain other key employees, we cannot guarantee that any of them or other key management personnel will remain employed by us for any length of time.

Because we maintain a workforce based upon current and anticipated workloads, we may incur significant costs in adjusting our workforce demands, including addressing understaffing of contracts, if we do not receive future contract awards or if these awards are delayed.

Our estimates of future performance depend, in part, upon whether and when we will receive certain new contract awards. Our estimates may be unreliable and can change from time to time. In the case of larger projects, where timing is often uncertain, it is particularly difficult to project whether and when we will receive a contract award. The uncertainty of contract award timing can present difficulties in matching workforce size with contractual needs. If an expected contract award is delayed or not received, we could incur significant costs resulting from retaining more staff than is necessary. Similarly, if we underestimate the workforce necessary for a contract, we may not perform at the level expected by the customer and harm our reputation with the customer. Each of these may negatively impact our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

Timing of the award and performance of new contracts could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

It is generally very difficult to predict whether and when new contracts will be offered for tender because these contracts frequently involve a lengthy and complex design and bidding process that is affected by a number of factors, such as market conditions, financing arrangements and governmental approvals. Because of these factors, our results of operations and cash flows may fluctuate from quarter to quarter and year to year, and the fluctuation may be substantial. Such delays, if they occur, could adversely affect our operating results for current and future periods until the affected contracts are completed.

We derive a significant portion of our revenue from master service agreements that may be cancelled by customers on short notice, or which we may be unable to renew on favorable terms or at all.

During the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, we derived approximately 35% and 30%, respectively, of our revenues from master service agreements and long-term contracts, none of which require our customers to purchase a minimum amount of services. The majority of these contracts may be cancelled by our customers upon minimal notice (typically 60 days), regardless of whether or not we are in default. In addition, many of these contracts permit cancellation of particular purchase orders or statements of work without any notice.

These agreements typically do not require our customers to assign a specific amount of work to us until a purchase order or statement of work is signed. Consequently, projected expenditures by customers are not assured until a definitive purchase order or statement of work is placed with us and the work is completed. Furthermore, our customers generally require competitive bidding of these contracts. As a result, we could be underbid by our competitors or be required to lower the prices charged under a contract being rebid. The loss of work obtained through master service agreements and long-term contracts or the reduced profitability of such work could adversely affect our business or results of operations.

Unanticipated delays due to adverse weather conditions, global climate change and difficult work sites and environments may slow completion of our contracts, impair our customer relationships and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

Because some of our work is performed outdoors, our business is impacted by extended periods of inclement weather and is subject to unpredictable weather conditions, which could become more frequent or severe if general climatic changes occur. Generally, inclement weather is more likely to occur during the winter season, which falls during our first and fourth fiscal quarters. Additionally, adverse weather conditions can result in project delays or cancellations, potentially causing us to incur additional unanticipated costs, reductions in revenues or the payment of liquidated damages. In addition, some of our contracts require that we assume the risk that actual site conditions vary from those expected. Significant periods of bad weather typically reduce profitability of affected contracts, both in the current period and during the future life of affected contracts, which can negatively affect our results of operations in current and future periods until the affected contracts are completed.

Some of our projects involve challenging engineering, procurement and construction phases that may occur over extended time periods, sometimes up to several years. We may encounter difficulties in engineering, delays in designs or materials provided by the customer or a third party, equipment and material delivery delays, schedule changes, delays from customer failure to timely obtain rights-of-way, weather-related delays, delays by subcontractors in completing their portion of the project and other factors, some of which are beyond our control, but which may impact our ability to complete a project within the original delivery schedule. In some cases, delays and additional costs may be substantial, and we may be required to cancel a project and/or compensate the customer for the delay. We may not be able to recover any of these costs. Any such delays, cancellations, defects, errors or other failures to meet customer expectations could result in damage claims substantially in excess of revenue associated with a project. These factors could also negatively impact our reputation or relationships with our customers, which could adversely affect our ability to secure new contracts.

Environmental and other regulatory matters could adversely affect our ability to conduct our business and could require expenditures that could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

Our operations are subject to laws and regulations relating to workplace safety and worker health that, among other things, regulate employee exposure to hazardous substances. While immigration laws require us to take certain steps intended to confirm the legal status of our immigrant labor force, we may nonetheless unknowingly employ illegal immigrants. Violations of laws and regulations could subject us to substantial fines and penalties, cleanup costs, third-party property damage or personal injury claims. In addition, these laws and regulations have become, and enforcement practices and compliance standards are becoming, increasingly stringent. Moreover, we cannot predict the nature, scope or effect of legislation or regulatory requirements that could be imposed, or how existing or future laws or regulations will be administered or interpreted, with respect to products or activities to which they have not been previously applied. Compliance with more stringent laws or regulations, as well as more vigorous enforcement policies of the regulatory agencies, could require us to make substantial expenditures for, among other things, pollution control systems and other equipment that we do not currently possess, or the acquisition or modification of permits applicable to our activities.

If we fail to maintain qualifications required by certain governmental entities, we could be prohibited from bidding on certain contracts.

If we do not maintain qualifications required by certain governmental entities, such as low voltage electrical licenses, we could be prohibited from bidding on certain governmental contracts. A cancellation of an unfinished contract or our exclusion from the bidding process could cause our work crews to be idled for a significant period of time until other comparable work becomes available, which could adversely affect our business and results of operations. The cancellation of significant contracts or our disqualification from bidding for new contracts could reduce our revenues and profits and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

Fines, judgments and other consequences resulting from our failure to comply with regulations or adverse outcomes in litigation proceedings could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

From time to time, we may be involved in lawsuits and regulatory actions, including class action lawsuits that are brought or threatened against us in the ordinary course of business. These actions may seek, among other things, compensation for alleged personal injury, workers’ compensation, violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act and state wage and hour laws, employment discrimination, breach of contract, property damage, punitive damages, civil penalties, consequential damages or other losses, or injunctive or declaratory relief. Any defects or errors, or failures to meet our customers’ expectations could result in large damage claims against us. Claimants may seek large damage awards and, due to the inherent uncertainties of litigation, we cannot accurately predict the ultimate outcome of any such proceedings. Any failure to properly estimate or manage cost, or delay in the completion of projects, could subject us to penalties.

The ultimate resolution of these matters through settlement, mediation or court judgment could have a material impact on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Regardless of the outcome of any litigation, these proceedings could result in substantial cost and may require us to devote substantial resources to defend ourselves. When appropriate, we establish reserves for litigation and claims that we believe to be adequate in light of current information, legal advice and professional indemnity insurance coverage, and we adjust such reserves from time to time according to developments. If our reserves are inadequate or insurance coverage proves to be inadequate or unavailable, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may suffer.

We employ and assign personnel in the workplaces of other businesses, which subjects us to a variety of possible claims that could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

We employ and assign personnel in the workplaces of other businesses. The risks of these activities include possible claims relating to:

Claims relating to any of the above could subject us to monetary fines or reputational damage, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

If we are required to reclassify independent contractors as employees, we may incur additional costs and taxes which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

We use independent contractors in our operations for whom we do not pay or withhold any federal, state or provincial employment tax. There are a number of different tests used in determining whether an individual is an employee or an independent contractor and such tests generally take into account multiple factors. There can be no assurance that legislative, judicial or regulatory (including tax) authorities will not introduce proposals or assert interpretations of existing rules and regulations that would change, or at least challenge, the classification of our independent contractors. Although we believe we have properly classified our independent contractors, the U.S. Internal Revenue Service or other U.S. federal or state authorities or similar authorities of a foreign government may determine that we have misclassified our independent contractors for employment tax or other purposes and, as a result, seek additional taxes from us or attempt to impose fines and penalties. If we are required to pay employer taxes or pay backup withholding with respect to prior periods with respect to or on behalf of our independent contractors, our operating costs will increase, which could adversely impact our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. 

Our dependence on subcontractors and suppliers could increase our costs and impair our ability to complete contracts on a timely basis or at all.

We rely on third-party subcontractors to perform some of the work on our contracts. We also rely on third-party suppliers to provide materials needed to perform our obligations under those contracts. We generally do not bid on contracts unless we have the necessary subcontractors and suppliers committed for the anticipated scope of the contract and at prices that we have included in our bid. Therefore, to the extent that we cannot engage subcontractors or suppliers, our ability to bid for contracts may be impaired. In addition, if a subcontractor or third-party supplier is unable to deliver its goods or services according to the negotiated terms for any reason, we may suffer delays and be required to purchase the services from another source at a higher price. We sometimes pay our subcontractors and suppliers before our customers pay us for the related services. If customers fail to pay us and we choose, or are required, to pay our subcontractors for work performed or pay our suppliers for goods received, we could suffer an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

Breaches of data security could adversely impact our business.

Our business involves the storage and transmission of proprietary information and sensitive or confidential data, including personal information of coworkers, customers and others. In addition, we operate data centers for our customers which host their technology infrastructure and may store and transmit both business-critical data and confidential information. In connection with our services business, our coworkers also have access to our customers’ confidential data and other information. We have privacy and data security policies in place that are designed to prevent security breaches; however, as newer technologies evolve, we could be exposed to increased risk of breaches in security. Breaches in security could expose us, our customers or other individuals to a risk of public disclosure, loss or misuse of this information, resulting in legal claims or proceedings, liability or regulatory penalties under laws protecting the privacy of personal information, as well as the loss of existing or potential customers and damage to our brand and reputation. In addition, the cost and operational consequences of implementing further data protection measures could be significant. Such breaches, costs and consequences could adversely affect our business, results of operations or cash flows.

Our insurance coverage may be inadequate to cover all significant risk exposures.

We will be exposed to liabilities that are unique to the services we provide. While we intend to maintain insurance for certain risks, the amount of our insurance coverage may not be adequate to cover all claims or liabilities, and we may be forced to bear substantial costs resulting from risks and uncertainties of our business. It is also not possible to obtain insurance to protect against all operational risks and liabilities. The failure to obtain adequate insurance coverage on terms favorable to us, or at all, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

Our operations are subject to hazards that may cause personal injury or property damage, thereby subjecting us to liabilities and possible losses, which may not be covered by insurance.

Our workers are subject to hazards associated with providing construction and related services on construction sites. For example, some of the work we perform is underground. If the field location maps supplied to us are not accurate, or if objects are present in the soil that are not indicated on the field location maps, our underground work could strike objects in the soil containing pollutants that could result in a rupture and discharge of pollutants. In such a case, we may be liable for fines and damages. These operating hazards can cause personal injury and loss of life, damage to or destruction of property, plant and equipment and environmental damage. Even though we believe that the insurance coverage we maintain is in amounts and against the risks that we believe are consistent with industry practice, this insurance may not be adequate to cover all losses or liabilities that we may incur in our operations. To the extent that we experience a material increase in the frequency or severity of accidents or workers’ compensation claims, or unfavorable developments on existing claims, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects could be adversely affected.

The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, as amended, or OSHA, establishes certain employer responsibilities, including the maintenance of a workplace free of recognized hazards likely to cause death or serious injury, compliance with standards promulgated by the Occupational Health and Safety and Health Administration and various recordkeeping, disclosure and procedural requirements. While we have invested, and will continue to invest, substantial resources in occupational health and safety programs, serious accidents or violations of OSHA rules may subject us to substantial penalties, civil litigation or criminal prosecution, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

Defects in our specialty contracting services may give rise to claims against us, increase our expenses, or harm our reputation.

Our specialty contracting services are complex and our final work product may contain defects. We have not historically accrued reserves for potential claims as they have been immaterial. The costs associated with such claims, including any legal proceedings, could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

Risks Related to Our Industry

Our industry is highly competitive, with a variety of larger companies with greater resources competing with us, and our failure to compete effectively could reduce the number of new contracts awarded to us or adversely affect our market share and harm our financial performance.

The contracts on which we bid are generally awarded through a competitive bid process, with awards generally being made to the lowest bidder, but sometimes based on other factors, such as shorter contract schedules or prior experience with the customer. Within our markets, we compete with many national, regional, local and international service providers, including Amazon.com, Inc., CenturyLink Technology Solutions (formerly Savvis), Dimension Data, Dycom Industries, Inc., Hewlett Packard Company, Rackspace Hosting, Inc., SoftLayer Technologies, Inc., Tech Mahindra Limited, TeleTech Holdings, Inc. and Volt Information Sciences, Inc. Price is often the principal factor in determining which service provider is selected by our customers, especially on smaller, less complex projects. As a result, any organization with adequate financial resources and access to technical expertise may become a competitor. Smaller competitors are sometimes able to win bids for these projects based on price alone because of their lower costs and financial return requirements. Additionally, our competitors may develop the expertise, experience and resources to provide services that are equal or superior in both price and quality to our services, and we may not be able to maintain or enhance our competitive position. We also face competition from the in-house service organizations of our customers whose personnel perform some of the services that we provide.

Some of our competitors have already achieved greater market penetration than we have in the markets in which we compete, and some have greater financial and other resources than we do. A number of national companies in our industry are larger than we are and, if they so desire, could establish a presence in our markets and compete with us for contracts. As a result of this competition, we may need to accept lower contract margins in order to compete against competitors that have the ability to accept awards at lower prices or have a pre-existing relationship with a customer. If we are unable to compete successfully in our markets, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects could be adversely affected.

Many of the industries we serve are subject to consolidation and rapid technological and regulatory change, and our inability or failure to adjust to our customers’ changing needs could reduce demand for our services.

We derive, and anticipate that we will continue to derive, a substantial portion of our revenue from customers in the telecommunications and utilities industries. The telecommunications and utilities industries are subject to rapid changes in technology and governmental regulation. Changes in technology may reduce the demand for the services we provide. For example, new or developing technologies could displace the wireline systems used for the transmission of voice, video and data, and improvements in existing technology may allow telecommunications providers to significantly improve their networks without physically upgrading them. Alternatively, our customers could perform more tasks themselves, which would cause our business to suffer. Additionally, the telecommunications and utilities industries have been characterized by a high level of consolidation that may result in the loss of one or more of our customers. Our failure to rapidly adopt and master new technologies as they are developed in any of the industries we serve or the consolidation of one or more of our significant customers could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

Further, many of our telecommunications customers are regulated by the Federal Communications Commission, or the FCC, and other international regulators. The FCC and other regulators may interpret the application of their regulations in a manner that is different than the way such regulations are currently interpreted and may impose additional regulations, either of which could reduce demand for our services and adversely affect our business and results of operations.

Economic downturns could cause capital expenditures in the industries we serve to decrease, which may adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

The demand for our services has been, and will likely continue to be, cyclical in nature and vulnerable to general downturns in the United States economy. Our customers are affected by economic changes that decrease the need for or the profitability of their services. This can result in a decrease in the demand for our services and potentially result in the delay or cancellation of projects by our customers. Slow-downs in real estate, fluctuations in commodity prices and decreased demand by end-customers for services could affect our customers and their capital expenditure plans. As a result, some of our customers may opt to defer or cancel pending projects. A downturn in overall economic conditions also affects the priorities placed on various projects funded by governmental entities and federal, state and local spending levels.

In general, economic uncertainty makes it difficult to estimate our customers’ requirements for our services. Our plan for growth depends on expanding our company both in the United States and internationally. If economic factors in any of the regions in which we plan to expand are not favorable to the growth and development of the telecommunications industries in those countries, we may not be able to carry out our growth strategy, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

Other Risks Relating to Our Company and Results of Operations

We have doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern.

                We believe there is substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. As a result, it may be more difficult for us to attract investors. If we are not able to continue our business as a going concern, we have to liquidate our assets and may receive less than the value at which those assets are carried on our financial statements, and it is likely that investors will lose all or part of their investment.

Our operating results may fluctuate due to factors that are difficult to forecast and not within our control.

Our past operating results may not be accurate indicators of future performance, and you should not rely on such results to predict our future performance. Our operating results have fluctuated significantly in the past, and could fluctuate in the future. Factors that may contribute to fluctuations include:

Actual results could differ from the estimates and assumptions that we use to prepare our financial statements.

To prepare financial statements in conformity with GAAP, management is required to make estimates and assumptions as of the date of the financial statements that affect the reported values of assets and liabilities, revenues and expenses, and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities. Areas requiring significant estimates by our management include:

At the time the estimates and assumptions are made, we believe they are accurate based on the information available. However, our actual results could differ from, and could require adjustments to, those estimates.

We exercise judgment in determining our provision for taxes in the United States and Puerto Rico that are subject to tax authority audit review that could result in additional tax liability and potential penalties that would negatively affect our net income.

The amounts we record in intercompany transactions for services, licenses, funding and other items affects our tax liabilities. Our tax filings are subject to review or audit by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service and state, local and foreign taxing authorities. We exercise judgment in determining our worldwide provision for income and other taxes and, in the ordinary course of our business, there may be transactions and calculations where the ultimate tax determination is uncertain. Examinations of our tax returns could result in significant proposed adjustments and assessment of additional taxes that could adversely affect our tax provision and net income in the period or periods for which that determination is made.

The Internal Revenue Service has completed its examination of our 2013 U.S. corporation income tax return. We have agreed to certain adjustments proposed by the IRS and are appealing others. Separately, the IRS has questioned our classification of certain individuals as independent contractors rather than employees. We estimate our potential liability to be $165 but the liability, if any, upon final disposition of these matters is uncertain.

We have identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting, and our management has concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures are not effective. We cannot assure you that additional material weaknesses or significant deficiencies will not occur in the future. If our internal control over financial reporting or our disclosure controls and procedures are not effective, we may not be able to accurately report our financial results or prevent fraud, which may cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information and may lead to a decline in our stock price.

We have historically had a small internal accounting and finance staff with limited experience in public reporting. This lack of adequate accounting resources has resulted in the identification of material weaknesses in our internal controls over financial reporting. A “material weakness” is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of our financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. In connection with the audit of our financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2017, our management team identified material weaknesses relating to (i) our inability to complete our implementation of comprehensive entity level controls, (ii) our lack of a sufficient complement of personnel with an appropriate level of knowledge and experience in the application of U.S. GAAP commensurate with our financial reporting requirements, and (iii) our lack of the quantity of resources necessary to implement an appropriate level of review controls to properly evaluate the completeness and accuracy of the transactions we enter into. During 2016, we took steps to help remediate these material weaknesses, including hiring additional accounting staff who have a background and knowledge in the application of U.S. GAAP and performing a comprehensive review of our internal control over financial reporting. During 2017, many of these new personnel departed our company, including our Chief Financial Officer, as we divested our company of many of our subsidiaries. As a result, we do not have an adequate accounting staff. If we do not successfully remediate the material weaknesses described above, or if other material weaknesses or other deficiencies arise in the future, we may be unable to accurately report our financial results on a timely basis, which could cause our reported financial results to be materially misstated and require restatement which could result in the loss of investor confidence, delisting and/or cause the market price of our common stock to decline.

Lawsuits filed against us, if decided in the plaintiffs’ favor, may result in the payment of cash damages that could adversely affect our financial position and liquidity.

In July 2013, a complaint was filed against our company in the Circuit Court of the 15 ^th Judicial Circuit in and for Palm Beach County, Florida titled The Farkas Group, Inc., The Atlas Group of Companies, LLC and Michael D. Farkas v. InterCloud Systems, Inc. (Case No. 502013CA01133XXXMB) for breach of contract and unjust enrichment. In the complaint, the plaintiffs allege that we have breached contractual agreements between our company and plaintiffs pertaining to certain indebtedness amounting to approximately $116,000 allegedly owed by us to the plaintiffs and our agreement to convert such indebtedness into shares of our common stock. The plaintiff alleges that they are entitled to receive in the aggregate 5,426 shares of our company’s common stock or aggregate damages reflecting the trading value at the high price for the common stock. We have asserted as a defense that such indebtedness, together with any right to convert such indebtedness into shares of common stock, was cancelled pursuant to the terms of a Stock Purchase Agreement dated as of July 2, 2009 between our company and the plaintiffs. The Farkas Group was a control person of our company during the period that it was a public “shell” company and facilitated the transfer of control of our company to our former chief executive officer, Gideon Taylor. This matter is presently set on the court’s non-jury trial docket. We intend to continue to vigorously defend this lawsuit.

As disclosed below in Item 3, Litigation, on May 15, 2017, a complaint was filed against us in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York titled Grant Thornton LLP v. InterCloud Systems, Inc., Case No. 652619/2017, for breach of contract, quantum meruit and unjust enrichment. In the complaint, the plaintiff alleges that we breached an agreement with the plaintiff by failing to pay the fees of the plaintiff of approximately $769 and to reimburse the plaintiff for its related expenses for a proposed audit of our financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2015. We intend to vigorously defend this action, and have commenced a separate action against Grant Thornton LLP in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York titled InterCloud Systems, Inc. v. Grant Thornton LLP, Case No. 65424/2017 for breach of contract and fraudulent inducement relating to the engagement letter between us and Grant Thornton LLP and to recover the fees the Company paid to Grant Thornton LLP, as well as other damages.

We deny the allegations in each complaint and are proceeding to vigorously defend the suits. However, as the outcome of litigation is inherently uncertain, it is possible that the plaintiffs in one or more actions will prevail no matter how vigorously we defend ourselves, which could result in significant compensatory damages on the part of our company. Any such adverse decision in such actions could have a material adverse effect on our financial position and liquidity and on our business and results of operations. In addition, regardless of outcome, litigation can have an adverse impact on us because of defense costs, diversion of management resources and other factors.

We are an emerging growth company within the meaning of the Jumpstart Our Businesses Startups Act of 2012 and, as a result, have elected to comply with the reduced disclosure and other reporting requirements available to us as an EGC.

Because we qualify as an emerging growth company, or EGC, under the Jumpstart Our Businesses Startups Act of 2012, or JOBS Act, we have elected to comply with the reduced disclosure and other reporting requirements available to us as an EGC in connection with this report, and for a period of up to five years following our November 2013 offering of shares of common stock if we remain an EGC. For example, with respect to this report, we have provided only two fiscal years of audited financial information and selected financial data and have provided scaled-down disclosure on executive compensation, such as not including a “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” in this report. In addition, for as long as we remain an EGC, we are not subject to certain governance requirements, such as holding a “say-on-pay” and “say-on-golden-parachute” advisory votes, and we are not required to obtain an annual attestation report on our internal control over financial reporting from a registered public accounting firm pursuant to Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. We may take advantage of these reporting exemptions until we are no longer an EGC. We can be an EGC for a period of up to five years after our November 2013 equity offering, although we will cease to be an EGC earlier than that if our total annual gross revenues equal or exceed $1 billion in a fiscal year, if we issue more than $1 billion in non-convertible debt over a three-year period or if we become a “large accelerated filer” under Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Accordingly, in this report you are not receiving the same level of disclosure as you would receive in an annual report on Form 10-K of a non-EGC issuer and, following this report, our stockholders will not receive the same level of disclosure that is afforded to stockholders of a non-EGC issuer. It is also possible that investors will find our shares of common stock to be less attractive because we have elected to comply with the reduced disclosure and other reporting requirements available to us as an EGC, which could adversely affect the trading market for our shares of common stock and the prices at which our stockholders may be able to sell shares of our common stock. 

Risks Related to our Common Stock

Our common stock price has fluctuated widely in recent years, and the trading price of our common stock is likely to continue to be volatile, which could result in substantial losses to investors and litigation.

In addition to changes to market prices based on our results of operations and the factors discussed elsewhere in this “Risk Factors” section, the market price of and trading volume for our common stock may change for a variety of other reasons, not necessarily related to our actual operating performance. The capital markets have experienced extreme volatility that has often been unrelated to the operating performance of particular companies. These broad market fluctuations may adversely affect the trading price of our common stock. In addition, the average daily trading volume of the securities of small companies can be very low, which may contribute to future volatility. Factors that could cause the market price of our common stock to fluctuate significantly include: 

Any of these factors, as well as broader market and industry factors, may result in large and sudden changes in the trading volume of our common stock and could seriously harm the market price of our common stock, regardless of our operating performance. This may prevent stockholders from being able to sell their shares at or above the price they paid for shares of our common stock, if at all. In addition, following periods of volatility in the market price of a company’s securities, stockholders often institute securities class action litigation against that company. Our involvement in any class action suit or other legal proceeding, including the existing lawsuits filed against us and described elsewhere in this report, could divert our senior management’s attention and could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

The sale or availability for sale of substantial amounts of our common stock could adversely affect the market price of our common stock.

Sales of substantial amounts of shares of our common stock, or the perception that these sales could occur, could adversely affect the market price of our common stock and could impair our future ability to raise capital through common stock offerings. As of December 31, 2017, we had 9,338,286 shares of common stock issued and 9,337,948 shares outstanding, of which 41,239 shares were restricted securities pursuant to Rule 144 promulgated by the SEC. The sale of these shares into the open market may adversely affect the market price of our common stock.

In addition, at December 31, 2017, we also had outstanding $11.4 million aggregate principal amount of convertible notes that were convertible into 13,742,977 shares of common stock on that date. However, we cannot currently determine the total number of shares of our common stock that may be issued upon the conversion or repayment of our convertible notes because the total number of shares and the conversion prices or the prices at which we can issue our common stock to pay down the principal of and interest on our convertible notes depend on a number of factors, including the prices and nature of any equity securities we may issue in the future and the market prices of our common stock in the periods leading up to any particular amortization payment date on which we elect to make amortization payments on our convertible notes in shares of our common stock. See Note 11, Term Loans, and Note 19, Related Parties, to the notes to our consolidated financial statements in this report. For conversions completed between January 1 and March 31, 2018, see Note 22, Subsequent Events, to the notes to our consolidated financial statements in this report. As of December 31, 2017, there were also outstanding warrants to purchase an aggregate of 33,339 shares of our common stock at a weighted-average exercise price of $61.34 per share, all of which warrants were exercisable as of such date, and outstanding options to purchase an aggregate of 417 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $1,488.00 per share, of which 417 options were exercisable as of such date. The conversion of a significant principal amount of our outstanding convertible debt securities into shares of our common stock, our repayment of a significant amount of principal, interest or other amounts payable under such debt securities in shares of our common stock or the exercise of outstanding warrants at prices below the market price of our common stock could adversely affect the market price of our common stock. The market price of our common stock also may be adversely affected by our issuance of shares of our capital stock or convertible securities in connection with future acquisitions, or in connection with other financing efforts. 

We may have insufficient authorized capital stock to issue common stock to all of the holders of our outstanding warrants and other convertible securities and may be required to reverse split our outstanding shares of common stock or to request our stockholders to authorize additional shares of common stock in connection with the exercise or conversion of such outstanding securities or subsequent equity finance transactions.

We are authorized to issue 1,000,000,000 shares of common stock, of which 9,337,948 shares were outstanding on December 31, 2017 and, primarily as a result of the conversion of convertible debt securities since December 31, 2017, 16,211,816 shares were issued and outstanding on March 31, 2018. At March 31, 2018, we had reserved 5,496,448 shares of common stock for issuance upon conversion of certain of our outstanding convertible debt securities and warrants. In addition, at such date, we had outstanding $10,146,840 aggregate principal amount of additional convertible debt securities for which we are not required to reserve a specific number of shares of common stock for conversions but that is convertible into an undeterminable number of shares of common stock based upon a discount to the then-current market price of our common stock. If all of these securities were converted or exercised, the total number of shares of our common stock that we would be required to issue would greatly exceed the number of our remaining authorized but unissued shares of common stock. 

As a result of such potential shortfall in the number of our authorized shares of common stock, it is likely that we will have insufficient shares of common stock available to issue in connection with the conversion or exercise of our outstanding options, warrants and convertible debt securities or any future equity finance transaction we may seek to undertake. Accordingly, we may be required to take steps at an annual or special meeting of stockholders to seek approval of an increase in the number of our authorized shares of common stock. However, we cannot assure you that our stockholders would authorize an increase in the number of shares of our common stock. Alternatively, we may be required to reverse split our outstanding shares of common stock to create additional authorized but unissued shares. Our failure to have a sufficient number of authorized shares of common stock for issuance upon future exercise or conversion of our outstanding options, warrants and convertible debt securities could create an event of default under such securities, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

Our certificate of incorporation and our bylaws, and certain provisions of Delaware corporate law, as well as certain of our contracts, contain provisions that could delay or prevent a change in control even if the change in control would be beneficial to our stockholders.

Delaware law, as well as our certificate of incorporation and bylaws, contains anti-takeover provisions that could delay or prevent a change in control of our company, even if the change in control would be beneficial to our stockholders. These provisions could lower the price that future investors might be willing to pay for shares of our common stock. These anti-takeover provisions:

Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, the terms of our stock incentive plans, the terms of our change in control agreements with our senior executives and other contractual provisions may also discourage, delay or prevent a change in control of our company. Section 203 generally prohibits a Delaware corporation from engaging in a business combination with an interested stockholder for three years after the date the stockholder became an interested stockholder. Our stock incentive plans include change-in-control provisions that allow us to grant options or stock purchase rights that may become vested immediately upon a change in control. The terms of changes of control agreements with our senior executives and contractual restrictions with third parties may discourage a change in control of our company. Our board of directors also has the power to adopt a stockholder rights plan that could delay or prevent a change in control of our company even if the change in control is generally beneficial to our stockholders. These plans, sometimes called “poison pills,” are oftentimes criticized by institutional investors or their advisors and could affect our rating by such investors or advisors. If our board of directors adopts such a plan, it might have the effect of reducing the price that new investors are willing to pay for shares of our common stock.

Together, these charter, statutory and contractual provisions could make the removal of our management and directors more difficult and may discourage transactions that otherwise could involve payment of a premium over prevailing market prices for our common stock. Furthermore, the existence of the foregoing provisions, as well as the significant common stock, Series J preferred stock, and Series M preferred stock beneficially owned by our executive officers, key non-executive officer employees, and members of our board of directors, could limit the price that investors might be willing to pay in the future for shares of our common stock. They could also deter potential acquirers of our company, thereby reducing the likelihood that you could receive a premium for your common stock in an acquisition.

We have never paid cash dividends on our common stock and do not anticipate paying any cash dividends on our common stock.

We have never paid cash dividends and do not anticipate paying any cash dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future. We currently intend to retain any earnings to finance our operations and growth. As a result, any short-term return on your investment will depend on the market price of our common stock, and only appreciation of the price of our common stock, which may never occur, will provide a return to stockholders. The decision whether to pay dividends will be made by our board of directors in light of conditions then existing, including, but not limited to, factors such as our financial condition, results of operations, capital requirements, business conditions, and covenants under any applicable contractual arrangements. Investors seeking cash dividends should not invest in our common stock.

If equity research analysts do not publish research or reports about our business, or if they issue unfavorable commentary or downgrade our common stock, the market price of our common stock will likely decline.

The trading market for our common stock will rely in part on the research and reports that equity research analysts, over whom we have no control, publish about us and our business. We may never obtain research coverage by securities and industry analysts. If no securities or industry analysts commence coverage of our company, the market price for our common stock could decline. In the event we obtain securities or industry analyst coverage, the market price of our common stock could decline if one or more equity analysts downgrade our common stock or if those analysts issue unfavorable commentary, even if it is inaccurate, or cease publishing reports about us or our business.