坚固的LTE设备制造商和关键业务解决方案提供商Sonim Technologies今天宣布，该公司已向美国证券交易委员会提交了一份注册声明，这将是朝着拟议的首次公开发行迈出的第一步
. 截至2018年12月31日的一年里，根据公司向美国证券交易委员会提交的关于1.357亿美元收入的s-1表格，索尼姆技术公司售出了约31.1万台设备，实现了127.7万美元的利润，与2017年相比，该公司的收入增长了130%，当时索尼公司亏损851.9万美元。
坚固的LTE设备制造商和关键业务解决方案提供商Sonim Technologies今天宣布，该公司已向美国证券交易委员会（SEC）提交了一份注册声明，这将是朝着拟议的首次公开发行（IPO）迈出的第一步
根据一份新闻稿，总部位于加利福尼亚州圣马特奥市的索尼姆科技公司已申请将公司股票纳斯达克股票市场交易，股票代码为“SONM”。拟发行的股票数量和价格范围尚未确定
尽管许多公共安全官员对FirstNet作为第一响应者的LTE网络的概念表示欢迎，但许多人对以消费者为中心的LTE设备表示担忧，指出这些设备不够坚固，不适合公共安全使用，并且缺少专用按键通话（PTT）按钮等功能
Sonim Technologies是首批推出具有这些和其他以公共安全为中心的关键特性的手机制造商之一，该公司坚固耐用的LTE手机被用于美国公共安全LTE的绝大多数测试、试点和早期建设者部署
截至2018年12月31日的一年里，根据公司向美国证券交易委员会提交的关于1.357亿美元收入的s-1表格，索尼姆技术公司售出了约31.1万台设备，实现了127.7万美元的利润，与2017年相比，该公司的收入增长了130%，当时索尼公司亏损851.9万美元。美国证交会的文件显示，索尼发布了XP8智能手机和XP5功能手机，这两款手机是与FirstNet系统承包商AT T达成商业协议的关键组成部分
“2017年，全国公共安全宽带网络（FirstNet）和其他以公共安全为重点的移动网络的建立，为我们成为公共部门工作人员的领先移动解决方案提供商创造了一个重大机遇，”Sonim其S-1文件中指出
除了设计用于满足公共安全要求的坚固的LTE手机外，Sonim Technologies还正开发解决方案，以解决目前第一响应者通信市场面临的一些最具挑战性的问题，尤其是地面LTE系统不可用时帮助他们进行通信
尽管LTE标准包括近距离服务（ProSe）功能，以网络不可用时支持设备之间的直接模式通信，但是大多数LTE设备的低功率和内部天线意味着有效范围承诺远小于具有外部天线的高功率LMR便携式设备
考虑到这一点，Sonim Technologies宣布了两种不同的解决直接模式问题的替代方案：使用LoRa技术的900 MHz模块和支持Sonim LMR的可拆卸式（SLED），这是一种附件，旨将Sonim LTE设备转换为需要时也可以作为LMR便携式设备进行通信的附件
此外，Sonim Technologies还与LTE路由器制造商Cradlepoint和卫星提供商Inmarsat合作，开发快速部署套件（RDK），旨让第一响应者没有传统LTE网络覆盖的地区携带可部署的LTE网络
尽管Sonim Technologies的许多创新设计都是为了满足公共安全需求，但该公司的s-1文件指出，这些相同的功能集其他关键通信领域也很受重视，包括公用事业、交通、建筑、制造业和公共部门企业
Sonim Technologies的S-1文件显示：“为员工配备更智能的移动电话，还可以提高与现场员工之间的沟通效率，并增强决策者组织内部部署资源时使用的信息。”。“PTT over cellular network市场一直稳步增长，并有望超过LMR市场。”
根据Sonim向FCC提交的文件，Sonim Technologies认为PoC（push-to-talk-over-cellular，PoC）市场是一个重要的机会，但根据Sonim向FCC提交的文件，该公司几乎没有受到来自传统LMR厂商的严重竞争
“我们相信，LTE市场上，传统的LMR提供商从未进入，主要是为了避免损害他们重要的LMR业务，”Sonim的文件指出。“例如，某些主要的LMR供应商从设备销售中获得的年收入超过30亿美元。此外，这些LMR提供商通常没有向美国和加拿大的主要无线运营商储备产品，并且无线运营商处实现库存产品状态与运营商认证要求的实质性costa和技术诀窍有关
“2018年，美国四大无线运营商和加拿大三大无线运营商都没有传统的LMR设备。无线运营商的产品库存也可能导致与LMR提供商现有经销商的竞争，某些此类供应商与北美的700多家经销商进行交易。”
Sonim Technologies S-1文件中的其他见解还包括，该公司董事会目前包括FirstNet Authority前董事长Sue Swenson和FirstNet Authority前董事会副主席Jeff Johnson。这是约翰逊索尼姆董事会的第二次任职，约翰逊去年4月辞职，外界质疑他与索尼姆的合作可能与他FirstNet管理局的角色存利益冲突
斯文森和约翰逊最近都上个月加入了索尼姆技术董事会，前国家电信和信息管理局（NTIA）的管理者约翰·克内尔也被任命为索尼姆公司的董事会成员
S-1文件的“风险因素”部分，Sonim Technologies表示，截至2018年底，公司累计亏损1.435亿美元。此外，索尼姆还指出，如果与中国就关税问题达成的协议可能会受到负面影响
根据Sonim的s-1文件，“我们中国深圳的工厂生产移动电话，这可能导致我们向美国的各种客户运送产品时产生大量额外成本。”。“无法确切预测美中贸易争端的结果，延长或提高从中国进口到美国的关税将对我们的业务、经营成果和财务状况产生不利影响。”
Rugged LTE device maker and mission-critical solutions provider Sonim Technologies today announced that the company has filed a registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that would be the first step toward a proposed initial public offering (IPO).
Based in San Mateo, Calif., Sonim Technologies has applied to have the company’s stock traded on the Nasdaq Stock Market under the symbol “SONM,” according to a press release. The number of shares to be offered and their price range have not been determined.
While many public-safety officials welcomed the notion of FirstNet as an LTE network for first responders, many expressed concern about consumer-focused LTE devices, noting that they were not rugged enough for public-safety use and lacked features such as a dedicated push-to-talk (PTT) button.
Sonim Technologies was among the first handset manufacturers to deliver products with these and other key public-safety-centric characteristics, and the company’s rugged LTE phones were used in the vast majority of tests, pilots and early-builder deployment of public-safety LTE in the U.S.
In the year ending on Dec. 31, 2018, Sonim Technologies sold about 311,000 devices and generated $1.277 million in profit, according to the company’s Form S-1 filing with the SEC on $135.7 million of revenue—a 130% increase in revenue in comparison to 2017, when the Sonim lost $8.519 million. This growth was fueled largely by Sonim’s release of the XP8 smartphone and XP5 feature phone, which were key components of a business agreement with AT T, the contractor for the FirstNet system, according to the SEC filing.
“The establishment of a nationwide public-safety broadband network, or FirstNet, in 2017 and other public-safety-focused mobile network has created a significant opportunity for us to be the leading mobile-solution provider for public-sector task workers,” Sonim states in its S-1 filing.
In addition to its rugged LTE handsets that are designed to meet public-safety requirements, Sonim Technologies also is developing solutions to tackle some of the most challenging issues facing the first-responder communications market today—notably, helping them communicate when a terrestrial LTE system is not available.
Although the LTE standard includes Proximity Services (ProSe) functionality to support direct-mode communications between devices when a network is not available, the low power and internal antennas of most LTE devices means the effective range promises to be much less than a high-power LMR portable with an external antenna.
With this in mind, Sonim Technologies has announced two different alternatives to address the direct-mode issue: a 900 MHz module that uses LoRa technology, and the Sonim LMR Enabled Detachable (SLED), an accessory that is designed to transform a Sonim LTE device into one that also can communicate as an LMR portable, when needed.
In addition, Sonim Technologies also worked with LTE router manufacturer Cradlepoint and satellite provider Inmarsat to develop Rapid Deployment Kits (RDK) that are designed to let first responders carry a deployable LTE network with them in areas where there is no traditional LTE network coverage.
While many of Sonim Technologies’ innovations have been designed to meet public-safety needs, the company’s S-1 filing notes that these same feature sets also are valued in other critical-communications sectors, including utilities, transportation, construction, manufacturing and public-sector enterprises.
“Equipping workers with smarter mobile phones also enables more efficient communication with—and between—field employees and enhances the information that decision-makers use to deploy resources within their organizations,” according to Sonim Technologies’ S-1 filing. “The PTT-over-cellular-network market has been steadily growing and is poised to overtake the LMR market.”
Where Sonim Technologies perceives the push-to-talk-over cellular (PoC) market as a significant opportunity, the company has received little serious competition from traditional LMR vendors, according to the Sonim filing with the FCC.
“We believe that, in the LTE market, traditional LMR providers have not historically entered, primarily to avoid harming their significant LMR business,” the Sonim filing states. “For example, certain major LMR providers have historically achieved over $3.0 billion in annual revenues from device sales. Further, these LMR providers typically do not have stocked products with major U.S. and Canadian wireless carriers and achieving stocked product status with the wireless carriers is associated with substantial costa and technical know-how regarding carrier certification requirements.
“In 2018, there were no traditional LMR devices stocked at any of the four largest U.S. and the three largest Canadian wireless carriers. Stocking products at the wireless carriers may also result in competition against existing dealers for LMR providers, with certain such providers transacting with over 700 dealers in North America.”
Other insights in the Sonim Technologies’ S-1 filing included the fact that the company’s board of directors now includes former FirstNet Authority board Chairwoman Sue Swenson and former FirstNet Authority board Vice Chairman Jeff Johnson. This is the second stint on the Sonim board for Johnson, who resigned last April amid questions that his work with Sonim could represent a conflict of interest with his role in the FirstNet Authority.
Both Swenson and Johnson recently joined the Sonim Technologies board last month, when John Kneuer—the former National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) administrator—also was appointed to the Sonim board of directors.
In the “risk factors” section of the S-1 filing, Sonim Technologies states that the company has an accumulated deficit of $143.5 million as of the end of 2018. In addition, the document notes that Sonim could be impacted negatively, if U.S. trade negotiations with China deteriorate or expensive tariffs on key components are established.
“We manufacture our mobile phones at our facility in Shenzhen, China, which could result in significant additional costs to us when shipping our products to various customers in the United States,” according to Sonim’s S-1 filing. “It is not possible to predict with any certainty the outcome of the trade dispute between the United States and China, and prolonged or increased tariffs on imports from China to the United States would adversely impact our business, results of operations and financial condition.” |
