Pages

.

Analyst Update; NXT-ID Inc. Wocket Launches into Waiting Market

BOSTON, June 26, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- SoundView Technology Group releases the recent research update on NXT-ID Inc. (OTCQB: NXTD) (OTCBB: NXTD) and its smart wallet, Wocket™.

Recent developments following the June 11th update include the Company has filed for a NASDAQ application and appointed a new independent Board member to satisfy that requirement for listing. 

Wocket Launches into Waiting Market
Kris Tuttle & Stephen Waite – June 11, 2014

Summary: The Wocket™ was officially launched on May 28th at the Plaza Hotel in NYC. All the feedback we received from attending suggests that consumers who get a chance to see and understand it, immediately want one. It's a viable way to deliver something consumers can use as a digital wallet that is secure, private, and able to handle all their payment, identification, and loyalty needs. The Wocket is really a wallet replacement, and the functional demonstration worked very well. We'll be monitoring the progress and consumer reaction very closely over the next few months with an eye to validating our IV model, which currently suggests a stock value of $11.70/share. We have also extended our forecast to arrive at a projected IV in 2015 of $20.55.

Additional Details: As a prelude to what will be a more active marketing phase, the event included attendance by the media, investors, analysts, and Miss Universe 2012, which added a special level of energy and media attention.

In addition to elaborating on the key features, there was a live demonstration of using the Wocket to do a typical transaction by swiping the card, just as one does with a standard plastic debit or credit card.

Online preorders are available with first units shipping to consumers in September at a price of $149.99, plus some optional services for customers that require additional protection.

Wocket is NXT-ID's replacement for a conventional wallet. The heart of it is the device itself which securely stores cards digitally – that covers virtually all of the important cards consumers carry in a wallet today, including credit, debit, ATM, loyalty, gift, ID, membership, insurance, medical information, and coupons. Wocket locks a user's private information in an electronic "vault" where only an authenticated owner can authorize access to the data. The case provides some space for cash and a driver's license.

As concerns continue to mount in the U.S. and around the world about identity theft and data hacking, the timing of the launch of the Wocket helps NXT-ID channel media attention into their marketing strategy. The Wocket addresses the important issues not adequately addressed currently by smart phones and other mobile devices.

The biggest advantages are in authentication and security. The Wocket uses biometric technology to provide identity protection and security. All information used with the Wocket is encrypted by the owner's personal biometric stamp. NXT-ID is a pioneer in biometric technology, and the Wocket incorporates some of the most advanced biometric technology on the market (see our report, "Mobile Security Beyond the Password", for an in depth discussion of the technology). The device protects whatever information is stored in it so that it cannot be released to any other individual or device without the user's permission.

All payment cards and other dynamic stripe cards are swiped directly into the Wocket during the initial set-up process. Barcodes and text, such as voter's registration, loyalty and/or membership cards, may all be scanned or entered into the Wocket. All information is encrypted by the owner's personal biometric stamp and can be accessed via a low power touch screen or optionally, a voice command.

Information is placed on a tamper-proof encrypted chip inside the Wocket rather than on anywhere in the cloud. Any attempt to access the encrypted chip will result in destroying any information stored on it.

If a Wocket or Wocket card is stolen, the company can guarantee that the Wocket is worthless to anyone besides its owner. The security technology incorporated by the Wocket zeroes out any relevant information on the card dynamically after each use. Hence, the card used with the Wocket becomes a blank piece of plastic to a thief. For added peace of mind, NXT-ID will be offering customers an insurance plan for stolen, misplaced, or lost Wockets.

The Wocket can securely store up to 10,000 items including – debit/credit/loyalty/gift cards, health information, coupons, and miscellaneous records.

Battery life is expected to be one year or more, depending on frequency of use. A light will appear on the device weeks before the battery is due for replacement, so users can replace the conventional lithium ion battery that is widely available at a variety of retail stores around the world.

NXT-ID has an FAQ section on the Wocket website that addresses key questions and issues associated with the device (see: http://wocketwallet.com).

NXT-ID has started taking pre-orders for the Wocket on their website, with plans to ship the first devices in September. Unlike many digital devices on the market today, the Wocket is being manufactured in America. NXT-ID is planning a significant promotional campaign this summer to increase customer awareness and drive more pre-sales.

Sales Projections and Intrinsic Valuation: Over the past year we've seen plenty of data showing that there is strong desire for a device like the Wocket. Consumers are still waiting for an actual product to buy and use. Initial sales volumes will depend on initial orders, and initially, on the ability of NXT-ID to ramp production and manage some longer lead time components.

After a review of our current projections and intrinsic valuation (IV) model, we don't see anything that needs to be changed. However, extending the projections and model out an additional year allows us to publish a 2015 IV estimate of $20.55.

Our current estimate for sales in 2014 is 40K units, which grow fast in later years to reach nearly 1M units in 2018 and 1.5M units in 2019. These unit projections are still very low considering the small penetration rate needed to generate those numbers. If the Wocket is successful, unit growth can be much faster. Many investors were surprised by how quickly new categories like the iPad reached large numbers of units after consumer adoption. We won't have any real visibility on these longer term projections until 2015, but have a credible working forecast to start with.

Although digital currencies are not the initial focus for the Wocket, we were impressed with the figures showing consumer adoption of bitcoin wallets grew from under 500K to over 5M in one year!

Conclusion: The official launch of the Wocket has certainly increased our confidence in the IV model shown below. As consumers begin to use the device in the real world, we'll know much more.

There's huge demand to use digital payments and have a secure digital wallet that is easy to use and genuinely safe. Consumers are nearly clamoring for it. Although other companies have done Kickstarter campaigns and showed slick videos, the NXT-ID Wocket will be helping to define this market in the next few months.

The stock has been holding steady after a major post-IPO run, but our IV clearly shows there is far more to go if the Wocket is delivered on time and consumers have a good experience with it.

About SoundView Research

SoundView conducts independent research in emerging technologies. Our approach is to combine major thematic forces where technology is involved and use analysis to identify the most promising companies and investment opportunities.

Our business model is combination of advisory fees, subscriptions and shared revenue agreements. We measure our success by the quality of our analysis, accuracy of the conclusions and the size and influence of our audience. We apply our own proven approach to valuation that we call intrinsic value (IV) for informing investment decisions and optimizing portfolio management.

Full report with images and graphs:

http://s3.amazonaws.com/Published_Research/NXT-ID_NXTD_Update_Note_Final_June_2014.pdf

Important Disclosures

The analysts who prepared this report certify that the content expresses accurately their personal views and opinions about the subject companies and securities. The analysts have not been and will not be receiving direct or indirect compensation for expressing the specific views or conclusions in this report.

Except where otherwise noted, clients or affiliates of SoundView Research may own positions in the securities mentioned and/or provide, have provided or may provide advisory services to some of the companies mentioned.

SoundView Research does not provide investment advice in the form of "buy," "sell," or "hold" ratings. This report is intended strictly for informational purposes. We make no claims as to the completeness or accuracy of this report although we have done our best. We do not undertake to advise you of any changes in our opinion or information contained herein.

SoundView is NOT a registered securities broker/dealer, investment bank nor investment advisory.

SoundView Technology Group does receive advisory fees, has vested interests and/or may have embedded biases in our work. However our aim is on what we call "fact-based research" and providing a balanced and informed analysis that provides illumination and insight for investors.

SoundView Research is solely responsible for all content– whether it is created for a third party, part of an advisory engagement or simply an expression of our ongoing research and analysis. We exercise final editorial control over all content produced and any mistakes, omissions or errors are our own.

Our research is distributed to institutions, investors, company managers and individuals via proprietary platforms1 and via the internet and social networks. We embrace the online community and social and professional networks to engage with colleagues, clients and investors.

SoundView maintains additional online brands for specialty research products including IPO Candy, Dealipedia and Research 2.0. We also collaborate and share with research partners like GigaOM.

Contact Information

Main Address: SoundView Technology Group, 1313 Washington St., 326, Boston MA 02118
Phone: +1-617-828-6462
Website: http://www.soundview.com

SOURCE NXT-ID, Inc.

RELATED LINKS
http://wocketwallet.com
http://www.soundview.com

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Aware, Inc. Declares Special Cash Dividend of $1.75 Per Share, or Approximately $40 Million in Total

BEDFORD, Mass., June 26, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Aware, Inc. (NASDAQ: AWRE), a leading supplier of biometrics software and services, today announced that its Board of Directors has declared a special cash dividend of $1.75 per share, or approximately $40 million in total.  The special cash dividend will be paid on July 24, 2014 to shareholders of record as of July 10, 2014. 

The Board of Directors has determined that the company's current cash balances exceed our capital requirements and has decided to return cash to shareholders.

The federal income tax treatment of the special cash dividend will depend on the amount of the company's current and accumulated earnings and profits as of December 31, 2014, as determined by the Internal Revenue Code.  We currently estimate that for federal income tax purposes approximately 10% of the special cash dividend will be treated as a dividend and that approximately 90% will be treated as a return of capital and/or capital gain.  We will notify shareholders in early 2015 as to the actual amounts of each. 

With respect to a share of company stock, (i) the amount treated as a dividend for federal income tax purposes may be treated as qualified dividend income if the shareholder satisfies certain requirements, and (ii) the amount of the special cash dividend that is not treated as a dividend for federal income tax purposes will be treated first as a return of capital to the extent of a shareholder's adjusted tax basis in such share, and then as capital gain.  We encourage shareholders to consult their tax advisors to understand how this special cash dividend may affect their tax obligations.

We also encourage shareholders to contact their brokers in order to understand the Nasdaq Rules and Regulations regarding the effect of selling shares of our common stock following the record date on their eligibility to receive the dividend.

About Aware
Aware is a leading provider of biometrics software products and development services to governments, system integrators, and solution providers globally. Our products include SDKs, software components, workstation applications, and a modular, centralized, service-oriented platform. They fulfill a broad range of functions critical to biometric authentication and search, including face, fingerprint, and iris autocapture, image quality assurance, data compliance, capture hardware peripheral abstraction, centralized data processing and workflow, subsystem connectivity, and biometric matching algorithms. The products are used to enable identity-centric security solutions with biometrics for applications including border management, credentialing and access control, intelligence and defense, and law enforcement. Aware is a publicly held company (Nasdaq: AWRE) based in Bedford, Massachusetts.

See Aware's website for more information about our biometrics software products.

Safe Harbor Warning
Portions of this release contain forward-looking statements regarding future events and are subject to risks and uncertainties, such as the expected tax treatment of the special cash dividend, estimates or projections of future revenue and earnings, and the growth of the biometrics markets. Aware wishes to caution you that there are factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results indicated by such statements.

Risk factors related to our business and any of our forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: i) our operating results may fluctuate significantly and are difficult to predict; ii) we derive a significant portion of our revenue from government customers, and our business may be adversely affected by changes in the contracting or fiscal policies of those governmental entities; iii) we derive a significant portion of our revenue from third party channel partners; iv) we face intense competition from other biometrics solution providers; v) our business is subject to rapid technological change; vi) our software products may have errors, defects or bugs which could harm our business; vii) our business may be adversely affected by our use of open source software; viii) our intellectual property is subject to limited protection; ix) we may be sued by third parties for alleged infringement of their proprietary rights; x) we must attract and retain key personnel; xi) we rely on single sources of supply for certain components used in our hardware products; xii) our business may be affected by government regulations and adverse economic conditions; xiii) we may make acquisitions that could adversely affect our results; and xiv) the tax treatment of the special cash dividend will depend on our current and accumulated earnings and profits as of December 31, 2014, which we will not know until early 2015.

We refer you to the documents Aware files from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission, specifically the section titled Risk Factors in our annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2013 and other reports and filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Aware is a trademark or registered trademark of Aware, Inc.
Any other trademarks appearing herein are the property of their respective owners.

SOURCE Aware, Inc.

RELATED LINKS
http://www.aware.com

reade more... Résuméabuiyad