Definitive Proxy Statement

SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION

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Securities Exchange Act of 1934

 

 

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UCN, INC.

(Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

 

 

Commission File Number: 0-26917

 

 

Not Applicable

(Name of Persons Filing Proxy Statement If Other Than the Registrant)

 

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UCN, INC.

14870 Pony Express Road

Bluffdale, Utah 84065

ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS

June 13, 2006

NOTICE OF MEETING

The annual meeting of the shareholders of UCN, Inc., a Delaware corporation, will be held at 10:00 a.m., on June 13, 2006, at 14870 Pony Express Road, Bluffdale, Utah, for the following purposes:

 

    to elect five directors;

 

    to ratify the appointment by the Audit Committee of independent auditors to examine our accounts; and

 

    to conduct any other business, including shareholder proposals, as may properly come before the meeting or any adjournment or postponement of the meeting.

Shareholders at the close of business on May 9, 2006 are entitled to vote in person or by proxy at the annual meeting. The annual meeting will be open to the public.

/S/    Kimm Partridge, Corporate Secretary

May 12, 2006


UCN, INC.

14870 Pony Express Road

Bluffdale, Utah 84065

PROXY STATEMENT FOR 2005 ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS

This proxy statement is provided to shareholders of UCN, Inc. in connection with the annual meeting of shareholders and any adjournments or postponements of the annual meeting. The annual meeting will be held at 10:00 a.m., on June 13, 2006, at 14870 Pony Express Road, Bluffdale, Utah.

INFORMATION ABOUT THE MEETING AND VOTING

When were proxy materials mailed?

This proxy statement and proxy card were first mailed on or about May 12, 2006 to owners of voting shares of UCN in connection with the solicitation of proxies by our Board of Directors for the 2006 annual meeting of Shareholders in Bluffdale, Utah. Our annual report was sent with the proxy statement, but it is not part of the proxy statement. Proxies are solicited to give all shareholders of record at the close of business on May 9, 2006 an opportunity to vote on matters that come before the annual meeting. This procedure is necessary because shareholders live in all U.S. states and abroad and most will not be able to attend.

What am I voting on?

The Board is soliciting your vote for:

 

    election of five directors;

 

    ratification of the appointment by the Audit Committee of independent auditors; and

 

    action upon such other matters, including shareholder proposals, as may properly come before the meeting or any adjournment or postponement of the meeting.

Who is entitled to vote?

Shareholders of record at the close of business on May 9, 2006, the record date, are entitled to vote on matters that come before the meeting. Shares can be voted only if the shareholder is present in person or is represented by proxy.

How many votes do I have?

Each share of UCN common stock that you own as of the record date entitles you to one vote. On May 9, 2006 there were 23,119,669 outstanding shares of our common stock.

How do I vote?

All shareholders may vote by mail. To vote by mail, please sign, date, and mail your proxy card in the envelope provided.

If you own your shares through a bank or broker, you should follow the separate instructions they provide you. Although most banks and brokers now offer telephone and Internet voting, availability and specific processes will depend on their voting arrangements.

If you attend the annual meeting in person, you may request a ballot when you arrive and vote at the meeting.

 

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What if I return my proxy but do not mark it to show how I am voting?

If your proxy card is signed and returned without specifying your choices, the shares will be voted as recommended by the Board.

What if other items come up at the annual meeting and I am not there to vote?

When you return a signed and dated proxy card, you give the persons specified as proxies the discretionary authority to vote on your behalf on any other matter that is properly brought before the annual meeting.

Can I change my vote?

You can change your vote by revoking your proxy at any time before it is exercised in one of three ways:

 

    notify our Corporate Secretary in writing before the annual meeting that you are revoking your proxy;

 

    submit another proxy with a later date; or

 

    vote in person at the annual meeting.

What does it mean if I receive more than one proxy card?

Your shares are likely registered differently or are in more than one account. You should vote each of your accounts. If you mail your proxy cards, please sign, date, and return each proxy card to guarantee that all of your shares are voted. If you wish to combine your shareholder accounts in the future, you should contact our transfer agent, Atlas Stock Transfer Company, at 1-801-266-7151. Combining accounts reduces excess printing and mailing costs, resulting in savings for us that benefits you as a shareholder.

What constitutes a quorum?

The presence of the owners of a majority of the shares entitled to vote at the annual meeting constitutes a quorum. Presence may be in person or by proxy. You will be considered part of the quorum if you return a signed and dated proxy card or if you vote at the annual meeting.

Abstentions and shares voted by a broker or bank holding shares for a beneficial owner are counted as present and entitled to vote for determining a quorum.

What vote is required to approve each proposal?

Election of Directors: Each of the five director positions is voted on separately. The persons who receive the most votes for each of the five director positions will be elected. Any shares not voted (whether by abstention or otherwise) have no impact on the vote.

Ratification of Independent Auditors: This proposal requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast. Any shares not voted (whether by abstention or otherwise) have no impact on the vote.

What are the Board’s Recommendations?

The Board recommends a vote FOR Election of Directors and Ratification of Independent Auditors.

How were the nominees for director selected?

Each of the five nominees now serve as a director and was approved for inclusion on our slate of directors by the entire Board. All five of the nominees were elected by our shareholders as directors at our June 2005 annual meeting and are standing for re-election. Mr. Stern is Chairman of the Board, and Mr. Jarman is currently our chief executive officer.

 

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How does the Board determine which directors are independent?

The Board applies the definition of independence adopted by Nasdaq for determining independence of our directors.

Pursuant to these standards, the Board undertook its annual review of director independence in February 2006. During this review the Board broadly considered all relevant facts and circumstances, not merely from the standpoint of a director but also from that of persons or organizations with which a director has a relationship. As a result of this review, our Board affirmatively determined that all of the directors nominated for election at our 2006 annual meeting, other than our Chairman of the Board, Mr. Stern, and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Jarman, are independent and have no material relationship with us.

How can I recommend a candidate for election to the Board?

Shareholders who wish to recommend a candidate for election to our Board should write to: Corporate Secretary, UCN, Inc. 14870 Pony Express Road, Bluffdale, Utah 84065, stating in detail the qualifications of a candidate for consideration by the Board. In considering Board candidates, the Board seeks individuals of proven judgment and competence who are outstanding in their respective fields. The Board considers such factors as experience, education, employment history, special talents or personal attributes, anticipated participation in Board activities, and geographic and diversity factors. The process for identifying and evaluating nominees would include detailed consideration of the recommendations and opinions of members of our Board, our executive officers, and our shareholders. There would be no difference in the process of evaluation of candidates recommended by a shareholder and those recommended by other sources.

How can I communicate with our Board?

Shareholders interested in communicating directly with our Board may do so by writing to: Board of Directors, UCN, Inc. 14870 Pony Express Road, Bluffdale, Utah 84065. All such written correspondence is delivered to the director or directors to whom it is addressed or, if addressed generally to the Board, to all directors. Concerns relating to accounting, internal controls, or auditing matters are immediately forwarded to the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, and chairman of the Audit Committee.

How do I access proxy materials on the Internet?

Shareholders can access our Notice of Annual Meeting and Proxy Statement and our 2005 Annual Report on the Internet at our website at www.ucn.net.

How do I submit a shareholder proposal for next year’s annual meeting?

Shareholder proposals may be submitted for inclusion in our 2007 proxy statement after the 2006 annual meeting, but must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. MST on Friday, January 15, 2007. Proposals should be sent via registered, certified, or express mail to: Corporate Secretary, UCN, Inc. 14870 Pony Express Road, Bluffdale, Utah 84065.

As to any proposal that is not submitted for inclusion in our proxy statement for the 2007 annual meeting of shareholders, but is instead sought to be presented directly at the meeting, the Securities and Exchange Commission’s rules permit management to vote proxies in its discretion if: (1) we receive notice of the proposal before the close of business on January 15, 2007, and advise shareholders in the proxy statement about the nature and how management intends to vote on such matter; or (2) we do not receive notice of the proposal prior to the close of business on January 15, 2007.

Where can I find more information on UCN?

Our corporate website is http://www.ucn.net. We make available on this website, free of charge, access to our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A and amendments to those materials filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically submit such material

 

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to the Securities Exchange Commission. The Commission makes available on its website, free of charge, reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers, such as us, that file electronically with the Commission. The Commission’s website is http://www.sec.gov.

ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

(Proposal No. 1 on Proxy Card)

At the annual meeting, all UCN directors will be elected to serve until the annual meeting of shareholders in the year 2007. The Board nominates for election as directors:

 

Theodore Stern

   Steve Barnett    Paul F. Koeppe    Blake O. Fisher, Jr.    Paul Jarman

These nominees have been selected by the Board. If you do not wish your shares to be voted for particular nominees, please identify the exceptions in the manner stated on the proxy card. Directors will be elected by a plurality of the votes cast. Any shares not voted, whether by abstention or otherwise, have no impact on the vote.

Set forth below under the caption “DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS,” is information on the age, presently held positions with UCN, principal occupation now and for the past five years, other directorships in public companies, and tenure of service with UCN as a director, for each of the nominees.

Although it is anticipated that each nominee will be able to serve as a director, should any nominee become unavailable to serve, the proxies will be voted for such other person or persons as may be designated by our Board.

RATIFICATION OF THE APPOINTMENT BY THE AUDIT

COMMITTEE OF INDEPENDENT AUDITORS

(Proposal No. 2 on Proxy Card)

The Audit Committee has selected and appointed the firm of Deloitte & Touche LLP as the independent auditors to examine our financial statements for the year 2006. Deloitte & Touche LLP audited our financial statements for 2005 and 2004. Our Board recommends that our shareholders vote FOR ratification of the appointment. Ratification of the appointment of auditors requires a majority of the votes cast. Any shares not voted, whether by abstention or otherwise, have no impact on the vote. We do not expect representatives of Deloitte & Touche LLP will attend the annual meeting.

Accountant Fees And Services

The aggregate fees and expenses billed by our principal accounting firm, Deloitte & Touche LLP, for fees and expenses billed during fiscal years ended December 31, 2005 and 2004 were as follows (in thousands):

 

     2005    2004

Audit fees

   $ 81    $ 97

Audit related fees

     61      52
             

Total audit and related fees

     142      149

Other consulting fees

     31      23

Tax fees

     54      44
             

Total fees

   $ 227    $ 216
             

Audit related fees were for reviews of our filings on Form 10-Q for 2005 and 2004, meetings with the Audit Committee, and work required by our filing registration statements.

Each of the permitted non-audit services has been pre-approved by the Audit Committee or the Audit Committee’s Chairman pursuant to delegated authority by the Audit Committee, other than de minimus non-audit services for which the pre-approval requirements are waived in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

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The Audit Committee charter provides that the Audit Committee will pre-approve audit services and non-audit services to be provided by our independent auditors before the accountant is engaged to render these services. The Audit Committee may consult with management in the decision-making process, but may not delegate this authority to management. The Audit Committee may delegate its authority to pre-approve services to one or more committee members, provided that the designees present the pre-approvals to the full committee at the next committee meeting.

Changes in Accountants

On the recommendation of the Audit Committee, the Board of Directors of UCN, Inc. terminated the engagement of Crowe Chizek and Company LLC as UCN’s independent accountants on July 22, 2004.

In connection with its audit for the year ended December 31, 2003, and through July 22, 2004, there were no disagreements with Crowe Chizek and Company LLC on any matter of accounting principles or practices, financial statement disclosure, or auditing scope or procedures, which disagreements if not resolved to their satisfaction would have caused them to make reference in connection with their opinion to the subject matter of the disagreement. The audit reports of Crowe Chizek and Company LLC for the year ended December 31, 2003 did not contain an adverse opinion or disclaimer of opinion, nor were they qualified or modified as to uncertainty, audit scope, or accounting principles.

In connection with UCN’s audit for the year ended December 31, 2003, and through July 22, 2004, there were no reportable events (as defined in Regulation S-K Item 304(a)(1)(v)).

UCN engaged Deloitte & Touche LLP as its new independent accountants as of July 22, 2004. During the two prior fiscal years and through July 22, 2004, neither UCN nor anyone on behalf of UCN consulted with Deloitte & Touche regarding the application of accounting principles to a specified transaction, either completed or proposed, or the type of audit opinion that might be rendered on UCN’s financial statements, or any other matters or reportable events required to be disclosed under Items 304(a)(2)(i) and (ii) of Regulation S-K.

SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF MANAGEMENT AND PRINCIPAL SHAREHOLDERS

The following table sets forth, as of March 15, 2006, the number and percentage of the outstanding shares of common stock and warrants and options that, according to the information supplied to UCN, were beneficially owned by (i) each person who is currently a director, (ii) each executive officer, (iii) all current directors and executive officers as a group and (iv) each person who, to the knowledge of UCN, is the beneficial owner of more than five percent of the outstanding common stock. Except as otherwise indicated, the persons named in the table have sole voting and dispositive power with respect to all shares beneficially owned, subject to community property laws where applicable.

 

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Name and Address

  

Common

Shares

  

Percent

of Class (1)

Principal stockholders:

     

Roaring Fork Capital (1)

8400 East Prentice Avenue, Suite 745

Greenwood Village, CO 80111

   1,250,000    5.4

Diker Management, LLC (1)

745 5th Ave, Suite 1419

NY, NY 10151

   2,224,600    9.6

Select Contrarian Value Partners, LP

Kaizen Capital, LLC

4200 Montrose Boulevard, Suite 510

Houston, TX 77066

   1,275,800    5.5

Edward Dallin Bagley (1)

2350 Oakhill Drive

Salt Lake City, UT 84121

   1,192,373    5.2

Marathon Capital Management, LLC

4 North Park Drive, Suite 106

Hunt Valley, MD 21030

   1,184,800    5.1

Officers and Directors:

     

Theodore Stern (2)

2970 One PPG Place

Pittsburgh, PA 15222

   1,579,381    6.8

Steve Barnett (2)

666 Dundee Road, Suite 1704

Northbrook, IL 60062

   414,221    1.8

Paul F. Koeppe (2)

2825 Brewery Road

Cross Plains, WI 53528

   160,832    0.7

Blake O. Fisher, Jr.

2784 American Saddler Drive

Park City, UT 84060

   16,668    0.1

Paul Jarman (2)

14870 Pony Express Road

Bluffdale, UT 84065

   647,052    2.7

Brian Moroney (2)

14870 Pony Express Road

Bluffdale, UT 84065

   -0-    0.0

Kevin L. Childs (2)

14870 Pony Express Road

Bluffdale, UT 84065

   131,667    0.6

Scott Welch (2)

14870 Pony Express Road

Bluffdale, UT 84065

   50,000    0.2

All Executive officers and Directors as a Group (8 persons)

   2,999,821    12.9

Footnotes to table on following page.

 

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Footnotes to table on previous page.

 

(1) These figures represent the percentage of ownership of the named groups and individuals assuming each of them alone has exercised his or her options or conversion rights to purchase common shares, and percentage ownership of all officers and directors as a group, assuming all purchase and conversion rights held by such individuals are exercised.

 

(2) These figures include: for Mr. Stern options to purchase 56,668 shares of common stock at exercise prices ranging from $2.00 to $3.05 per share; for Mr. Barnett options to purchase 101,044 shares at exercise prices ranging from $2.00 to $3.05 per share; for Mr. Koeppe warrants to purchase 7,500 share of common stock at an exercise price of $2.00, and options to purchase 23,332 shares at an exercise prices ranging from $2.00 to $2.65 per share; for Mr. Jarman options to purchase 502,966 shares of common stock at exercise prices ranging from $2.00 to $5.39 per share; for Mr. Childs options to purchase 131,667 shares of common stock at exercise prices ranging from $2.00 to $2.95 per share; and for Mr. Welch options to purchase 50,000 shares of common stock at exercise prices ranging from $2.00 to $3.05 per share.

DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

Directors and Officers

The following table sets forth the names, ages, and positions with UCN for each of the directors and officers.

 

Name

   Age   

Position

   Since

Theodore Stern

   76    Chairman of the Board of Directors    1999

Steve Barnett

   63    Director    2000

Paul F. Koeppe

   56    Director    2004

Blake O. Fisher, Jr.

   62    Director    2004

Paul Jarman

   36    Director and Chief Executive Officer    1997

Brian Moroney

   49    Chief Financial Officer    2005

Kevin L. Childs

   36    Executive Vice President and President over Sales, Marketing and Support    2005

Scott Welch

   41    Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer    2004

All directors hold office until the next annual meeting of stockholders and until their successors are elected and qualify. Officers serve at the discretion of our Board. The following is information on the business experience of each director and officer.

Theodore Stern became a director of UCN in June 1999 and subsequently the Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer in September 2000. Mr. Stern served in those positions until January 1, 2005, when the two positions were separated. Mr. Stern has served as a director of Northern Power Systems of Waitsfield, Vermont, a manufacturer of renewable generation systems, from September 1998 until its acquisition by Distributed Energy Systems Corporation in December 2003. He then continued on as a director of Distributed Energy Systems.

Steve Barnett has been self-employed for the past five years as a consultant to manufacturing and distribution companies on improving operations and business restructuring. He has continued to purchase and manage privately-held manufacturing companies, as well as serving on the boards of non-owned private companies in connection with his consulting services. For over five years, Mr. Barnett has been a director of Chicago’s Jewish Federation and Jewish United Fund, and a Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors since 1997. He is also a Director of Bank Leumi USA and Medis Technologies Ltd.

Paul F. Koeppe is a director of Distributed Energy Systems Corp., a Nasdaq-listed company engaged in creating and delivering innovative products and solutions to the energy marketplace, and has served as a director

 

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since its acquisition of Northern Power Systems, Inc. in December 2003. Mr. Koeppe became a director of Northern Power Systems in 1998. Prior to his retirement in 2001, Mr. Koeppe served as Executive Vice President of American Superconductor, an electricity solutions company. Mr. Koeppe joined American Superconductor in 1997, in connection with the acquisition of Superconductivity, Inc., a manufacturer of superconducting magnetic energy storage systems which Mr. Koeppe founded and for which he served as President. From 1993 to 1995, Mr. Koeppe was acting CEO and Chairman of the executive committee of the Board of Directors of Best Power, Inc., a supplier of uninterruptible power supply packages.

Blake O. Fisher, Jr. has been providing management and financial consulting to the telecommunications and utility industries since May 2004, including financial consulting to the USDA on Rural Utilities Service’s broadband program. From May 2004 to December 2004 he served as Chief Financial Officer for Fiber Utilities of Iowa, an entity that provides operation and construction services to municipal utilities. From May 2002 to May 2004 he was retired from business activities. From February 1996 to May 2002, he held senior management positions with McLeodUSA, a telecommunications provider, initially as Chief Financial Officer, then as President of the company’s Western region and as Chief Development Officer. Mr. Fisher is also a Director of Headwaters Incorporated, a company listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

Paul Jarman has served as an officer of UCN during the past six years. He has served as President since December 2002 and as Chief Executive Officer since January 2005. Prior to December 2002 he served as an Executive Vice President.

Brian S Moroney has served as Chief Financial Officer of UCN since October 2005. For five years prior to October 2005, Mr. Moroney was self-employed as a business and financial consultant. In this role, he provided out-sourced financial, operational and other project services to various businesses during that period. Mr. Moroney served as general manager and chief financial officer for a privately owned, public water utility as well as Director of Operations for Diagnostic Product Corp. Mr. Moroney earned his MBA from Harvard Business School.

Kevin L. Childs joined UCN as a senior sales manager in November, 2002. Previously, Mr. Childs was a Senior Regional Vice President with Adecco Employment, a large human capital and staffing consulting firm.

Scott Welch was elected Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of UCN in September 2004, and began his association with UCN in September 2003 as Chief Information Officer. Prior to joining UCN, he served as Vice President of Information Technology at Access Long Distance, Vice President of Application Development at McLeodUSA, and Director of Information Technology at Mpower Communications. Mr. Welch received his B.S. degree in Computer Science from Utah Valley State College. Mr. Welch has over fifteen years of IT experience in the telecommunications industry and eight years of experience developing Enhanced 800 applications in the SS7 environment.

Board Meetings and Committees

The Board met ten times during the year ended December 31, 2005. All directors attended at least 75 percent of the meetings of the Board.

The Board has a Compensation Committee, the current members of which are Paul F. Koeppe, (Chairman), Steve Barnett, and Blake O. Fisher, Jr. The Compensation Committee considers salary and benefit matters for the executive officers and key personnel of the Company. The Compensation Committee met six times in 2005, and all director members of the committee attended at least 75 percent of the meetings.

The Board has an Audit Committee, the current members of which are Steve Barnett (Chairman), Paul F. Koeppe, and Blake O. Fisher, Jr. The Audit Committee is responsible for financial reporting matters, internal controls, and compliance with the Company’s financial polices, and meets with its auditors when appropriate. The Audit Committee met four times in 2005, and all director members of the committee attended the meetings. The Board has determined that Steve Barnett, Paul F. Koeppe, and Blake O. Fisher, Jr. are “audit committee financial experts” within the meaning of Item 401(h)(2) of Regulation S-K. Further, the Board has determined that each of the members of the Audit Committee is “independent” under the standard set forth in Rule 4350(d) of the Nasdaq Marketplace Rules

 

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Board Compensation

Each Director, except Paul Jarman who is a full-time employee of the Company, received a monthly director fee of $2,000 for 2005 and 2004 and $1,000 during 2003. During November 2005, the Compensation Committee approved a new compensation package for the Board of Directors. The package includes a retainer that allows each director to choose: 1) $24,000 per year in cash; 2) $12,000 and 10,000 options; or 3) 20,000 options and no cash. Each director also receives 20,000 options per year for their service in place of per meeting payments. In November 2005, each director was granted options to purchase common shares at $2.00 per share for their services that expire after five years. For their service, the chairman of the audit committee will receive an additional 7,500 options per year and the chairman of the other committees will receive an additional 5,000 options per year. Currently the Chairman of the Board has a contract with the company to provide general corporate advisory services for monthly payments of $5,000. When the contract expires, the chairman will receive 10,000 options per year.

Mr. Stern received options to purchase 20,000 shares of common stock; Mr. Barnett received options to purchase 27,500 shares of common stock; Mr. Koeppe received options to purchase 25,000 shares of common stock; and Mr. Fisher received 20,000 options to purchase common stock. In January 2004, each director received options to purchase 10,000 shares with an exercise price of $3.05 per share. In September 2004, new directors received options to purchase 30,000 shares with an exercise price of $2.25 per share that vest ratably over three years beginning September 2005.

The Board also compensates the Chairman of the Compensation Committee and the Chairman of the Audit Committee for their annual service by issuing to each of them options to purchase additional shares of common stock exercisable over a term of five years from the date of issue. In January 2005, Mr. Barnett and Mr. Koeppe received 5,000 options to purchase common shares at an exercise price of $2.65 per share for their service as chairman of their respective committees. In January 2004, Mr. Barnet received 5,000 options to purchase common shares at an exercise price of $3.05 for his service as the Chairman of the Audit Committee.

Section 16(a) Filing Compliance

Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 requires officers and directors of UCN and persons who own more than ten percent of a registered class of its equity securities to file reports of ownership and changes in their ownership on Forms 3, 4, and 5 with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and forward copies of such filings to UCN. Based on the copies of filings received by UCN, during the most recent fiscal year the directors, officers, and beneficial owners of more than ten percent of the equity securities of UCN registered pursuant to Section 12 of the Exchange Act have filed on a timely basis all required Forms 3, 4, and 5 and any amendments thereto.

Code of Ethics

UCN has adopted a Code of Ethics applicable to its chief executive officer and chief financial officer, a copy of which will be provided to any person, free of charge, upon request. A request for a copy of the Code of Ethics should be in writing and sent to Kimm Partridge, Corporate Secretary, 14870 Pony Express Road, Bluffdale, Utah 84065.

EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

Report of the Compensation Committee

The following Report of the Compensation Committee and the performance graph included elsewhere in this report do not constitute soliciting material and should not be deemed filed or incorporated by reference into any other Company filing under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, except to the extent the Company specifically incorporates this Report or the performance graph by reference therein.

 

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The Compensation Committee of the Board reviews the following information as part of their committee meetings:

Base salaries

As in the past, during fiscal year 2005 salaries for executive officers took into consideration a variety of factors, including:

 

    the nature and responsibility of the position;

 

    the experience of the individual executive;

 

    budgetary constraints; and

 

    (except in the case of their own compensation) the recommendations of the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer.

Kevin Childs is the only executive with an employment agreement that was in place at December 31, 2005. Salaries are determined annually based on a subjective analysis of the factors listed above rather than on any fixed formula or schedule.

Paul Jarman’s salary was increased to $170,000 in 2005 from $149,746 in 2004 primarily on the basis of the Committee’s own assessment of the scope of Mr. Jarman’s increased responsibilities as Chief Executive Officer and the quality of his leadership in promoting strategic growth.

Long-term compensation

During 2005 and 2003, executives were granted stock options for future service as listed in the Annual Compensation table below. No long term compensation was granted to executive officers in 2004. As noted below, various executives have been granted options that vest in future periods.

Members of the Compensation Committee

Paul F. Koeppe (Chair)

Steve Barnett

Blake O. Fisher, Jr.

Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation

None of the members of the Compensation Committee during 2005 or as of the date of this report is or has been an officer or employee of the Company.

Annual Compensation

The table on the following page sets forth certain information regarding the annual and long-term compensation for services in all capacities to UCN for the prior fiscal years ended December 31, 2005, 2004 and 2003, of those persons who were either (i) the chief executive officer during the last completed fiscal year or (ii) one of the other four most highly compensated executive officers as of the end of the last completed fiscal year whose annual salary and bonuses exceeded $100,000 (collectively, the “Named Executive Officers”).

 

         

Annual

Compensation

  

Long Term

Compensation

    

Name and Principal Position

   Year    Salary ($)   

Securities Underlying

Options/SARs (#)

   All Other
Compensation ($)

Paul Jarman

    Chief Executive Officer

   2005
2004
2003
   170,000
149,746
132,808
   225,000
-0-
174,500
   -0-
27,433
18,463

Brian Moroney

    Chief Financial Officer

   2005
2004
2003
   24,231
-0-
-0-
   150,000
-0-
-0-
   -0-
-0-
-0-

Kevin L. Childs

    Executive Vice President and President over Sales,

        Marketing and Support

   2005
2004
2003
   137,173
-0-
-0-
   75,000
-0-
-0-
   24,318
-0-
-0-

Scott Welch

    Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

   2005
2004
2003
   134,275
114,632
32,308
   50,000
25,000
25,000
   -0-
1,966
-0-

 

11


Stock Options

The following table sets forth certain information with respect to grants of stock options during 2005 to the Named Executive Officers.

 

Name and Principal Position

  

Number of

Securities

Underlying

Options Granted

  

% of Total

Options/SARs

Granted to

Employees in

Fiscal Year

  

Exercise or

Base Price

($/Sh)

  

Expiration

Date

  

Grant

Date

Present

Value ($)

Paul Jarman

    President

   75,000
150,000
   6.0
12.0
   $
$
2.00
2.50
   11-08-10
11-08-10
   $
$
57,653
95,713

Brian Moroney

    Chief Financial Officer

   150,000    12.0    $ 2.00    10-24-10    $ 109,363

Kevin L. Childs

    Executive Vice President and

        President over Sales, Marketing and Support

   75,000    6.0    $ 2.00    06-29-10    $ 63,994

Scott Welch

    Executive Vice President and

        Chief Operating Officer

   50,000    4.0    $ 2.00    06-29-10    $ 42,663

The Grant Date Present Value shown in the table above was calculated using the Black-Scholes pricing model. These grants were measured using an average expected volatility or 47.19%, average risk-free rate of return of 4.03, no dividend yield and an expected life of 5 years.

The following table sets forth certain information with respect to unexercised options held by the Named Executive Officers.

 

Name and Principal Position

  

Shares

Acquired
on
Exercise
(#)

  

Value

Realized
($)(1)

  

Number of
Securities

Underlying
Unexercised

Options at Fiscal
Year End (#)

Exercisable/
Unexercisable

  

Value of
Unexercised

In-the-Money
Options

At Fiscal
Year End ($)
(2)

Exercisable/
Unexercisable

Paul Jarman

    President

   -0-       502,966 /125,000    -0- / -0-

Brian Moroney

    Chief Financial Officer

   -0-       -0- /150,000    -0- / -0-

Kevin L. Childs

    Executive Vice President and

        President over Sales, Marketing and Support

   -0-       -0- /75,000    -0- / -0-

Scott Welch

    Executive Vice President and

        Chief Operating Officer

   -0-       -0- /50,000    -0- / -0-

(1) This value is determined on the basis of the difference between the fair market value of the securities underlying the options on the date the options were exercised, and the exercise price.

 

(2) This value is determined on the basis of the difference between the fair market value of the securities underlying the options at December 31, 2005, and the exercise price. The fair market value of UCN’s common stock at December 31, 2005 is determined by the last sale price on that date, which was $1.77 per share.

 

12


Description of Long Term Stock Incentive Plan

The purpose of the Long Term Stock Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) is to provide directors, officers, employees, and consultants with additional incentives by increasing their ownership interests in UCN. Directors, officers, and other employees of UCN and its subsidiaries are eligible to participate in the Plan. In addition, awards may be granted to consultants providing valuable services to UCN. As of December 31, 2005, UCN and its affiliates employed approximately 181 individuals who are eligible to participate in the Plan. The Board grants awards under the Plan. Awards may include incentive stock options, non-qualified stock options, stock appreciation rights, stock units, restricted stock, restricted stock units, performance shares, performance units, or cash awards.

The Board has discretion to determine the terms of an award under the Plan, including the type of award, number of shares or units covered by the award, option price, term, vesting schedule, and post-termination exercise period or payment. Notwithstanding this discretion: (i) the number of shares subject to an award granted to any individual in any calendar year may not exceed 100,000 shares; (ii) the option price per share of common stock may not be less than 100 percent of the fair market value of such share at the time of grant or less than 110 percent of the fair market value of such shares if the option is an incentive stock option granted to a stockholder owning more than ten percent of the combined voting power of all classes of the stock of UCN (a “10% stockholder”); and (iii) the term of any incentive stock option may not exceed 10 years, or five years if the option is granted to a 10% stockholder. As of December 31, 2005, awards under the Plan in the form of qualified incentive stock options outstanding and exercised totaled 1,004,384 shares.

A maximum of 1,200,000 shares of common stock may be subject to outstanding awards, determined immediately after the grant of any award under the Plan. Shares of common stock, which are attributable to awards that have expired, terminated, or been canceled or forfeited during any calendar year, are available for issuance or use in connection with future awards.

The Plan was effective March 11, 1999, and is not limited in duration. No incentive stock option may be granted more than 10 years after the effective date. The Plan may be amended by the Board without the consent of the stockholders, except that stockholder approval is required for any amendment that materially increases the aggregate number of shares of stock that may be issued under the plan or materially modifies the requirements as to eligibility for participation in the Plan.

Description of Employee Stock Purchase Plan

In 2004 UCN adopted the 2005 Employee Stock Purchase Plan. The purpose of the Purchase Plan is to promote UCN’s operating performance and growth potential by encouraging employees to acquire equity in UCN, thereby aligning their long-term interests with those of UCN. The Purchase Plan provides that up to 1,000,000 shares of common stock may be sold to participating employees. It expires at the beginning of 2014. The Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors administers the Purchase Plan.

The Purchase Plan permits eligible employees to purchase UCN common stock through payroll deductions during 35 consecutive participation periods beginning in 2005. Each participation period is three months in length. In general, eligible employees can elect for each participation period to purchase full shares through payroll deductions of up to 10 percent of base pay, but in no event may the participant’s rights to purchase shares of common stock accrue at a rate that exceeds $25,000 of fair market value of common stock in a calendar year. The purchase price a participant pays for the shares is equal to the greater of $2.00 or 85 percent of the closing market bid price of the common stock on the first business day or the last business day of each participation period, whichever is lower. This percentage may be changed prior to a participation period by at the sole discretion of, the committee administering the Purchase Plan to any whole percentage that is not less than 85 percent and not greater than 100 percent.

Eligibility to participate is extended to all regular employees of UCN and its participating subsidiaries. Officers and members of the Board of Directors who are eligible employees are also permitted to participate. An employee is ineligible to participate if immediately after a grant the employee would own stock possessing five percent or more of the total combined voting power or value of all classes of stock of UCN.

 

13


The Purchase Plan may be amended by the Board of Directors from time to time as it deems desirable without approval of the stockholders of the UCN, except to the extent stockholder approval is required by Rule 16b-3 of the Exchange Act, applicable Nasdaq or stock exchange rules, applicable provisions of the Internal Revenue Code, or other applicable laws or regulations. The Board of Directors may terminate the plan at any time in its sole discretion.

Performance Graph

The following chart sets forth the cumulative total stockholder return of UCN’s Common Stock as compared with the cumulative total return of the Russell 2000 Index of small-cap companies, and the Nasdaq Telecommunications Index during the period from December 31, 2000 to December 31, 2005. The comparison assumes an initial investment of $100 made December 31, 2000 in UCN’s Common Stock and in both of the indices presented and assumes reinvestment of dividends, if any. The stockholder return shown below is not indicative of future performance.

LOGO

 

     12/29/00    12/31/01    12/31/02    12/31/03    12/31/04    12/31/05

UCN, Inc.

   $ 100.00    $ 104.12    $ 206.19    $ 314.43    $ 312.37    $ 182.47

Russell 2000 Index

   $ 100.00    $ 101.03    $ 79.23    $ 115.18    $ 134.75    $ 139.23

Nasdaq Telecommunications Index

   $ 100.00    $ 51.06    $ 23.47    $ 39.61    $ 42.78    $ 39.69

 

14


CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS

The following discussion includes certain relationships and related transactions that occurred during UCN’s fiscal year ended December 31, 2005.

Prior to 2004 Theodore Stern, Chairman of the Board of Directors, and also Chief Executive Officer until January 2005, made loans to UCN for working capital purposes. All of the loans had an interest rate of 12 percent payable monthly and were unsecured. In December 2004 Mr. Stern converted notes in the principal amount of $112,500 to 56,250 shares of common stock in accordance with the terms of those notes. An additional $2.3 million of notes were repaid in cash to Mr. Stern in April 2004. At December 31, 2005 there was one note outstanding with principal balance of $75,000, which is due July 2007.

ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K

Shareholders may obtain a copy of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2005, free of charge, by sending a written request to: Corporate Secretary, UCN, Inc. 14870 Pony Express Road, Bluffdale, Utah 84065. By written request, Shareholders may obtain a copy of the exhibits to the 2005 Annual Report on Form 10-K upon payment of a reasonable fee.

OTHER MATTERS

As of the date of this Proxy Statement, the Board knows of no other matters that may come before the Annual Meeting. However, if any matters other than those referred to herein should be presented properly for consideration and action at the Annual Meeting, or any adjournment or postponement thereof, the proxies will be voted with respect thereto in accordance with the best judgment and in the discretion of the proxy holders.

The cost of soliciting proxies in the accompanying form is paid by us. In addition to solicitations by mail, a number of regular employees of UCN may solicit proxies in person or by telephone.

The above notice and proxy statement are sent by order of the Board of Directors.

Paul Jarman, President and Chief Executive Officer

May 12, 2005

 

15


UCN, INC.

14870 Pony Express Road

Bluffdale, Utah 84065

ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS JUNE 13, 2006

THIS PROXY IS SOLICITED ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The undersigned hereby appoints Theodore Stern and Paul Jarman, and each of them, as Proxies, each with the power to appoint his substitute, and hereby authorizes each of them to represent and to vote, as designated below, all the shares of common stock of UCN, Inc. (the “Company”) held of record by the undersigned on May 9, 2006, at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held on June 13, 2006, and at any adjournment or postponement thereof.

 

Proposal No. 1: The election of each of the following persons as directors of the Company.

 

(1) Theodore Stern

   (2) Steve Barnett    (3) Paul F. Koeppe    (4) Blake O. Fisher, Jr.    (5) Paul Jarman

 

  ¨ For all nominees
  ¨ Withhold all nominees
  ¨ Withhold authority to vote for any individual nominee. Write number(s) of nominee(s) ________

 

Proposal No. 2: To ratify the appointment of Deloitte & Touche LLP as the Company’s registered public accountants for 2006

 

¨    For

   ¨    Against    ¨    Abstain      

Note: The proxies are authorized to vote in accordance with their judgment on any matters other than those referred to herein that are properly presented for consideration and action at the Annual Meeting.

This proxy, when properly executed, will be voted in the manner directed herein by the undersigned shareholder. If no direction is given, this proxy will be voted for Proposal No.’s 1 and 2. The proxies are authorized to vote the shares represented by this proxy in accordance with their judgment on any matters other than those referred to above that are properly presented for consideration and action at the Annual Meeting.

All other proxies heretofore given by the undersigned to vote shares of stock of the Company, which the undersigned would be entitled to vote if personally present at the Annual Meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof, are hereby expressly revoked.

 

Dated:                     , 2006

       
         

Please sign it exactly as name appears hereon. When shares are held by joint tenants, both should sign. When signing as attorney, executor, administrator, trustee or guardian, please give full title as such. If a corporation or partnership, please sign in full corporate or partnership name by an authorized officer or person.

Please mark, sign, date and promptly return the proxy card using the enclosed envelope. If your address is incorrectly shown, please print changes.