Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(5)
Registration No. 333-165606

 

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

 

 

 

PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT
(To Prospectus dated March 22, 2010)

 

6,000,000 Shares of Common Stock

 

 

 

 

 

This is an offering of an aggregate of 6,000,000 shares of the common stock of ViaSat, Inc. We are offering 2,727,273 shares of our common stock in this offering, and the selling stockholders named in this prospectus supplement are offering 3,272,727 shares of our common stock. We will not receive any proceeds from sales of our common stock made by the selling stockholders.

 

Our common stock is listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “VSAT.” On March 25, 2010, the closing sale price of our common stock on the NASDAQ Global Select Market was $34.11 per share.

 

 

 

 

Investing in our common stock involves risks. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page S-11.

 

 

 

 

 

We and the selling stockholders have granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 446,689 shares from us and up to an additional 453,311 shares from the selling stockholders, in each case at the public offering price less the underwriting discounts and commissions.

 

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

The underwriters expect to deliver the shares against payment on or about March 31, 2010.

 

Joint Book-running Managers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Co-Managers

 

 

March 25, 2010

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT

 

 

PROSPECTUS

 

 

This prospectus supplement is a supplement to the accompanying prospectus that is also a part of this document. This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus are part of a registration statement that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) as a “well-known seasoned issuer” as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), using a “shelf” registration process. Under the shelf registration statement, we and selling security holders may offer and sell any combination of the securities described in the accompanying prospectus in one or more offerings. In this prospectus supplement, we provide you with specific information about the terms of this offering. Both this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus include important information about us, our common stock and other information you should know before investing in our common stock. This prospectus supplement may also add, update and change information contained in the accompanying prospectus. To the extent that any statement that we make in this prospectus supplement is inconsistent with the statements made in the accompanying prospectus, the statements made in the accompanying prospectus are deemed modified or superseded by the statements made in this prospectus supplement. You should read both this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus as well as the additional information described under the headings “Where You Can Find More Information” on page S-55 and “Information Incorporated by Reference” on page S-55 of this prospectus supplement before investing in our common stock.

 

This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus contain and incorporate by reference forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act). These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about our plans, objectives, expectations and intentions and other statements contained in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus that are not historical facts. When used in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, the words “anticipates,” “believes,” “could,” “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” “may,” “plans,” “seeks,” “should,” “will” and similar expressions are generally intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions about us, including, among other things:

 

 

 

We have described other risks concerning us under the caption entitled “Risk Factors.” We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. In light of these risks and uncertainties, the forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in, or incorporated by reference into, this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus may not occur and actual results could differ materially from those anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements. Accordingly, users of this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements.

 

PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT SUMMARY

	•	Leading Satellite and Wireless Technology Platform.  We believe our ability to design and deliver cost-effective satellite and wireless communications and networking solutions, covering both the supply of advanced communications systems, ground network equipment and end-user terminals, and the provision of managed network services, enables us to provide our government and commercial customers with a diverse portfolio of leading applications and solutions. Our product and systems offerings are often linked through common underlying technologies, customer applications and market relationships. We believe that many of the market segments in which we compete have significant barriers to entry relating to the complexity of technology, the amount of required developmental funding and the importance of existing customer relationships. We believe our history of developing complex secure satellite and wireless networking and communications technologies demonstrates that we possess the expertise and credibility required to serve the evolving technology needs of our government and commercial customers. In addition, our acquisition of WildBlue provides us with significant expertise in network management and operational and business systems support for large-scale consumer deployments.
	•	Blue-Chip Customer Base Supporting Substantial Backlog Growth.  We generated 62% of our revenues from our government systems segment and 38% of our revenues from commercial networks and satellite services segments in fiscal 2009. Our customers include the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), civil agencies, defense contractors, allied foreign governments, satellite network integrators, large communications service providers and enterprises requiring complex communications and networking solutions. The credit strength of our key customers, including the U.S. government and leading aerospace and defense prime contractors, supports our consistent financial performance. Despite the recent economic downturn, our funded backlog has demonstrated significant growth. From fiscal 2006 through fiscal 2009, the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of our total funded backlog was 8%, with our government systems, commercial networks and satellite services segments’ funded backlog CAGRs at 16%, 1% and 1%, respectively. The growth in our funded backlog demonstrates the continued demand for our advanced satellite and wireless communications and networking solutions.
	•	Strong Balance Sheet and Equity Capitalization.  We are well-capitalized with shareholders’ equity as of January 1, 2010 of $643.9 million, or 61% of our total capitalization. In July 2009, we increased our existing revolving line of credit from $85.0 million to $170.0 million and extended the maturity until July 2012, in October 2009 further increased the size of our existing revolving line of credit to $210.0 million, and in March 2010 further increased the size of our existing revolving line of credit to $275.0 million. We believe this increase in financial flexibility along with the significant cash flow generated from our operations provides us with the liquidity to finance our ongoing capital expenditures, as well as our investment in ViaSat-1, for at least the next twelve months.
	•	Experienced Management Team.  Our Chief Executive Officer, Mark D. Dankberg, and our Chief Technology Officers have been with the company since its inception in 1986. Mr. Dankberg is considered to be a leading expert in the field of wireless and satellite communications. In 2008, Mr. Dankberg received the prestigious AIAA Aerospace International Communication award, which recognized him for “shepherding ViaSat into a leading satellite communications company through outstanding leadership and technical expertise.”
	•	Innovation of Next-Generation Satellite Technology.  ViaSat-1, our high-capacity Ka-band spot-beam satellite planned for launch in early 2011, is currently under construction. At the time of launch, we believe ViaSat-1 will be the highest capacity, most cost-efficient satellite in the world. With the market demonstrating increasing demand for satellite broadband services, ViaSat-1 and our associated next-generation ground segment technology are designed to significantly expand the quality, capability and availability of high-speed broadband satellite services for consumers and enterprises. In addition, we expect that our recently acquired WildBlue business will facilitate our deployment of broadband services in the United

		States using ViaSat-1, as well as provide a platform for the provision of network management services to international providers of satellite broadband services.

	•	Innovative Product Development and Cost-Efficient Business Model.  Maintaining technological competencies and innovative new product development has been one of our hallmarks and continues to be critical to our success. Our research and development efforts are supported by an employee base of over 1,000 engineers and a culture that deeply values innovation. We balance an emphasis on new product development with efficient management of our capital. For example, the majority of our research and development efforts with respect to the development of new products or applications are funded by customers. In addition, we drive capital efficiencies by outsourcing a significant portion of our manufacturing to subcontractors with whom we collaborate to ensure quality control and superior finished products.

	•	Address Increasingly Larger Markets.  We have focused on addressing larger markets since our inception. As we have grown our revenues, we are able to target larger opportunities and markets more credibly and more successfully. We consider several factors in selecting new market opportunities, including whether (1) there are meaningful entry barriers for new competitors (for example, specialized technologies or relationships), (2) the new market is the right size and consistent with our growth objectives, and (3) the customers in the market value our technology competence and focus, which makes us an attractive partner.
	•	Evolve into Adjacent Technologies and Markets.  We anticipate continued organic growth into adjacent technologies and markets. We seek to increase our share in the market segments we address by selling existing or customized versions of technologies we developed for one customer base to a different market — for instance, to different segments of the government market or between government and commercial markets. In addition, we seek to expand the breadth of technologies and products we offer by selling new, but related, technologies and products to existing customers.
	•	Enhance International Growth.  International revenues represented approximately 16% of our fiscal year 2009 revenue. We believe growth in international markets represents an attractive opportunity, as we believe our comprehensive offering of satellite communications products, systems and services will be attractive to government and commercial customers on an international basis. In addition, we expect that our WildBlue business will provide a platform for the provision of network management and back-office services to international providers of satellite broadband services, capitalizing on both the strength of WildBlue’s reputation in the satellite industry globally and WildBlue’s operational expertise with respect to the commercial provision of satellite broadband services.
	•	Pursue Growth Through Strategic Alliances and Relationships.  We have regularly entered into teaming arrangements with other government contractors to more effectively capture complex government programs, and we expect to continue to actively seek strategic relationships and ventures with companies whose financial, marketing, operational or technological resources can accelerate the introduction of new technologies and the penetration of new markets. We have also engaged in strategic relationships with companies that have innovative technologies and products, highly skilled personnel, market presence, or customer relationships and distribution channels that complement our strategy. We may continue to evaluate acquisitions of, or investments in, complementary companies, businesses, products or technologies to supplement our internal growth.

 

The Offering

Issuer		ViaSat, Inc.
Common Stock Offered by Us		2,727,273 shares.
Common Stock Offered by the Selling Stockholders		3,272,727 shares.
Common Stock to Be Outstanding Immediately After This Offering		39,193,403 shares.
Underwriters’ Option to Purchase Additional Shares		The underwriters have a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 446,689 shares from us and up to an additional 453,311 shares from the selling stockholders, in each case at the public offering price less the underwriting discounts and commissions.
NASDAQ Global Select Market Symbol		VSAT.
Use of Proceeds		Our net proceeds from this offering will be approximately $86.2 million (approximately $100.5 million if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares is exercised in full), in each case after deducting underwriting discounts and estimated offering expenses.
		We plan to use the net proceeds we receive from this offering for general corporate purposes, which may include working capital, capital expenditures, financing costs related to the purchase, launch and operation of ViaSat-1 or any future satellite, or other potential acquisitions. See “Use of Proceeds” for additional information. Pending application of the net proceeds as described above, we may use all or a portion of the net proceeds to repay outstanding borrowings under our Credit Facility.
		We will not receive any proceeds from the sale of our common stock by the selling stockholders.
Conflicts of Interest		An affiliate of Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated is a lender under the Credit Facility and may receive a portion of the net proceeds from this offering. An affiliate of Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC became a lender under the Credit Facility on March 23, 2010. For more information, see “Conflicts of Interest.”
Risk Factors		An investment in our common stock involves risks. You should carefully consider the information set forth in the section of this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus entitled “Risk Factors,” as well as other information included in or incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus before deciding whether to invest in our common stock.

	•	5,120,577 shares issuable upon the exercise of stock options outstanding as of January 1, 2010, at a weighted average exercise price of $20.91 per share;
	•	496,476 shares reserved for future issuance under our stock option plans as of January 1, 2010;
	•	699,086 shares of common stock reserved for future issuance under our employee stock purchase plan as of January 1, 2010; and
	•	up to 446,689 shares issuable by ViaSat upon exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares.

 

Summary Historical and Pro Forma Financial Data

																										Pro Forma
																						Pro Forma				for Nine
																						for Fiscal				Months
		Fiscal Year Ended												Nine Months Ended								Year Ended				Ended
		March 30,				March 28,				April 3,				January 2,				January 1,				April 3,				January 1,
		2007				2008				2009				2009				2010				2009				2010
														(Unaudited)
		(In thousands, except per share data)
Consolidated statement of operations data:
Revenues		$	516,566			$	574,650			$	628,179			$	462,603			$	475,438			$	776,459			$	600,618
Operating expenses:
Cost of revenues			380,092				413,520				446,824				329,100				333,690				567,689				408,173
Selling, general and administrative			69,896				76,365				98,624				72,986				90,259				137,567				117,038
Independent research and development			21,631				32,273				29,622				23,481				21,559				29,789				21,578
Amortization of acquired intangible assets			9,502				9,562				8,822				7,017				4,768				21,774				13,893
Loss on extinguishment of debt			—				—				—				—				—				15,639				—
Income from operations			35,445				42,930				44,287				30,019				25,162				4,001				39,936
Other income (expense):
Interest income			2,189				5,712				1,463				1,390				580				1,024				594
Interest expense			(448	)			(557	)			(509	)			(316	)			(2,530	)			(27,400	)			(10,067	)
Other income (expense)			—				—				—				—				—				(2,141	)			(1,651	)
Income (loss) before income taxes			37,186				48,085				45,241				31,093				23,212				(24,516	)			28,812
Provision (benefit) for income taxes(1)			6,755				13,521				6,794				4,822				2,765				(19,787	)			4,473
Net income (loss)			30,431				34,564				38,447				26,271				20,447				(4,729	)			24,339
Less: Net income (loss) attributable to the noncontrolling interest, net of tax			265				1,051				116				56				(243	)			116				(243	)
Net income (loss) attributable to ViaSat, Inc.		$	30,166			$	33,513			$	38,331			$	26,215			$	20,690			$	(4,845	)		$	24,582

																										Pro Forma
																						Pro Forma				for Nine
																						for Fiscal				Months
		Fiscal Year Ended												Nine Months Ended								Year Ended				Ended
		March 30,				March 28,				April 3,				January 2,				January 1,				April 3,				January 1,
		2007				2008				2009				2009				2010				2009				2010
														(Unaudited)
		(In thousands, except per share data)
Diluted net income (loss) per share attributable to ViaSat, Inc. common stockholders(2)		$	.98			$	1.04			$	1.20			$	.82			$	.62			$	(.14	)		$	.65
Shares used in computing diluted net income (loss) per share(3)			30,893				32,224				31,884				31,826				33,591				35,058				37,877

		Fiscal Year Ended												Nine Months Ended
		March 30,				March 28,				April 3,				January 2,				January 1,
		2007				2008				2009				2009				2010
														(Unaudited)
		(In thousands)
Consolidated cash flows and other financial data:
Net cash provided by operating activities		$	66,741			$	48,303			$	61,942			$	31,452			$	57,863
Net cash used in investing activities			(23,022	)			(35,173	)			(126,147	)			(93,862	)			(468,270	)
Net cash provided by financing activities			22,519				8,331				3,201				1,644				413,555

		As of
		April 3,				January 1,
		2009				2010
						(Unaudited)
		(In thousands)
Consolidated balance sheet data:
Cash and cash equivalents		$	63,491			$	67,116
Restricted cash			—				2,148
Accounts receivable, net			164,106				185,601
Inventories			65,562				80,173
Property, equipment and satellites, net			170,225				612,331
Total assets			622,942				1,254,031
Line of credit			—				140,000
Long-term debt, net			—				271,677
Total liabilities			160,152				610,171
Total ViaSat, Inc. stockholders’ equity			458,748				640,061

		As of
		March 30,				March 28,				April 3,				January 1,
		2007				2008				2009				2010
		(Unaudited and in millions)
Backlog:(4)
Firm backlog
Government systems segment		$	220.0			$	206.8			$	225.6			$	207.5
Commercial networks segment			152.8				154.5				238.7				242.4
Satellite services segment			15.9				13.1				10.3				28.8
Total		$	388.7			$	374.4			$	474.6			$	478.7
Funded backlog
Government systems segment		$	193.2			$	186.1			$	209.1			$	190.4
Commercial networks segment			152.8				154.5				187.1				242.4
Satellite services segment			15.9				13.1				10.3				28.8
Total		$	361.9			$	353.7			$	406.5			$	461.6
Contract options		$	39.3			$	39.3			$	25.6			$	28.1

																										Pro Forma
																						Pro Forma				for Nine
														Nine Months								for Fiscal				Months
		Fiscal Year Ended												Ended								Year Ended				Ended
		March 30,				March 28,				April 3,				January 2,				January 1,				April 3,				January 1,
		2007				2008				2009				2009				2010				2009				2010
		(Unaudited and in thousands)
Other financial data:
Depreciation and amortization		$	26,855			$	28,041			$	28,610			$	21,887			$	22,252			$	88,217			$	70,531
Capital expenditures			15,452				22,765				117,194				90,712				85,429				139,346				119,691
EBITDA(5)			62,035				69,920				72,781				51,850				47,657				89,961				109,059
Adjusted EBITDA(5)			67,022				77,043				82,618				59,431				65,831				96,167				120,112

(1)		Our effective tax rate for each period reflects, among other factors, the status of the federal research and development tax credit. The expiration and subsequent reinstatement (including the terms of the reinstatement) of, and the amount of eligible research and development expenses permitted by, such tax credits in different periods impacts our effective tax rate for the periods presented.
(2)		To supplement our consolidated financial statements presented in accordance with GAAP, we use non-GAAP net income attributable to ViaSat, Inc., a measure we believe is appropriate to enhance an overall understanding of our past financial performance and prospects for the future. Non-GAAP net income attributable to ViaSat, Inc. excludes the effects of acquisition charges (amortization of acquired intangible assets and acquisition-related expenses) and non-cash stock-based compensation expenses, net of tax. We believe the non-GAAP results provide useful information to both management and investors by excluding specific expenses that we believe are not indicative of our core operating results. In addition, since we have historically reported non-GAAP results to the investment community, we believe the inclusion of non-GAAP numbers provides consistency in our financial reporting and facilitates comparisons to the company’s historical operating results. Further, these non-GAAP results are among the primary indicators that management uses as a basis for planning and forecasting in future periods. The presentation of this additional information is not meant to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with GAAP.

																						Pro				Pro
																						Forma				Forma
																						for Fiscal				for Nine
																						Year				Months
		Fiscal Year Ended												Nine Months Ended								Ended				Ended
		March 30,				March 28,				April 3,				January 2,				January 1,				April 3,				January 1,
		2007				2008				2009				2009				2010				2009				2010
		(Unaudited and in thousands, except per share data)
Non-GAAP net income attributable to ViaSat, Inc.:
GAAP net income (loss) attributable to ViaSat, Inc.		$	30,166			$	33,513			$	38,331			$	26,215			$	20,690			$	(4,845	)		$	24,582
Add/subtract:
Amortization of acquired intangible assets			9,502				9,562				8,822				7,017				4,768				21,774				13,893
Acquisition-related expenses			—				—				—				—				9,762				—				—
Stock-based compensation expense			4,987				7,123				9,837				7,581				8,412				6,206				11,053
Income tax effect			(5,564	)			(6,382	)			(7,047	)			(5,509	)			(6,170	)			(10,775	)			(9,567	)
Non-GAAP net income attributable to ViaSat, Inc.		$	39,091			$	43,816			$	49,943			$	35,304			$	37,462			$	12,360			$	39,961
Non-GAAP diluted net income per share attributable to ViaSat, Inc. common stockholders		$	1.27			$	1.36			$	1.57			$	1.11			$	1.12			$	.34			$	1.06
Shares used in computing diluted net income per share			30,893				32,224				31,884				31,826				33,591				36,170				37,877

(3)		As the pro forma financial information for the fiscal year ended April 3, 2009 results in a net loss, the weighted-average number of shares used for diluted earnings per share is the same, as diluted shares would be anti-dilutive.
(4)		Firm backlog comprises only those orders for which we have accepted purchase orders (both funded and unfunded), and does not include contract options. Funded backlog represents the sum of contract amounts for which funds have been specifically obligated by customers to contracts. Unfunded backlog represents future amounts that customers may obligate over the specified contract performance periods. Backlog is not necessarily indicative of future sales. A majority of our contracts, including with respect to funded backlog,

		can be terminated at the convenience of the customer. Orders are often made substantially in advance of delivery, and our contracts typically provide that orders may be terminated with limited or no penalties. In addition, purchase orders may present product specifications that would require us to complete additional product development. A failure to develop products meeting such specifications could lead to a termination of the related contract. Our customers allocate funds for expenditures on long-term contracts on a periodic basis. Our ability to realize revenues from contracts in backlog is dependent upon adequate funding for such contracts. Although we do not control the funding of our contracts, our experience indicates that actual contract fundings have ultimately been approximately equal to the aggregate amounts of the contracts.
(5)		EBITDA represents net income (loss) attributable to ViaSat, Inc. before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. Adjusted EBITDA represents EBITDA adjusted to exclude the effects of non-cash stock-based compensation expense and acquisition-related expenses. We believe that the presentation of EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA included in this prospectus supplement provides useful information to investors with which to analyze our operating trends and performance and ability to service and incur debt. Further, we believe EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA facilitate company-to-company operating performance comparisons by backing out potential differences caused by variations in capital structures (affecting net interest expense), taxation and the age and book depreciation of property, plant and equipment (affecting relative depreciation expense), which may vary for different companies for reasons unrelated to operating performance. In addition, we believe that EBITDA is frequently used by securities analysts, investors and other interested parties in their evaluation of companies, many of which present an EBITDA measure when reporting their results. EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA are not measurements of financial performance under GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to net income as a measure of performance or to net cash flows provided by (used in) operations as a measure of liquidity. In addition, other companies may define EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA differently and, as a result, our measures of EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA may not directly comparable to EBITDA or adjusted EBITDA of other companies. Furthermore, EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA each has limitations as an analytical tool, and you should not consider them in isolation, or as a substitute for analysis of our results as reported under GAAP. Some of these limitations are:

	•	EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA do not reflect our cash expenditures, or future requirements, for capital expenditures or contractual commitments,
	•	EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA do not reflect changes in, or cash requirements for, our working capital needs,
	•	EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA do not reflect the significant interest expense, or the cash requirements necessary to service interest or principal payments, on our debt,
	•	EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA do not reflect our provision for income taxes, which may vary significantly from period to period, and
	•	Although depreciation and amortization are non-cash charges, the assets being depreciated and amortized will often have to be replaced in the future, and EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA do not reflect any cash requirements for such replacements.

																						Pro				Pro
																						Forma				Forma
																						for Fiscal				for Nine
														Nine Months								Year				Months
		Fiscal Year Ended												Ended								Ended				Ended
		March 30,				March 28,				April 3,				January 2,				January 1,				April 3,				January 1,
		2007				2008				2009				2009				2010				2009				2010
		(Unaudited and in thousands)
Reconciliation:
Net income (loss) attributable to ViaSat, Inc.		$	30,166			$	33,513			$	38,331			$	26,215			$	20,690			$	(4,845	)		$	24,582
Add:
Provision (benefit) for income taxes			6,755				13,521				6,794				4,822				2,765				(19,787	)			4,473
Interest expense, net			(1,741	)			(5,155	)			(954	)			(1,074	)			1,950				26,376				9,473
Depreciation and amortization			26,855				28,041				28,610				21,887				22,252				88,217				70,531
EBITDA		$	62,035				69,920				72,781				51,850				47,657				89,961				109,059
Add:
Non-cash stock-based compensation expense			4,987				7,123				9,837				7,581				8,412				6,206				11,053
Acquisition-related expenses			—				—				—				—				9,762				—				—
Adjusted EBITDA		$	67,022				77,043				82,618				59,431				65,831				96,167				120,112

 

Investment in the shares of common stock offered pursuant to this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus involves risks. In addition to the information presented in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus and the risk factors in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and our other filings under the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, you should consider carefully the following risk factors before deciding to purchase our common stock.

 

Risks Related to this Offering

 

Future Sales of Our Common Stock Could Lower Our Stock Price and Dilute Existing Stockholders

 

We may, in the future, sell additional shares of common stock in subsequent public or private offerings. In March 2010, we filed a universal shelf registration statement with the SEC for the future sale of an unlimited amount of debt securities, common stock, preferred stock, depositary shares, warrants and rights. The securities may be offered from time to time, separately or together, directly by us, by selling security holders, or through underwriters, dealers or agents at amounts, prices, interest rates and other terms to be determined at the time of the offering.

 

We may also issue additional shares of common stock to finance future acquisitions through the use of equity. For example, during the third quarter of fiscal year 2010 we issued approximately 4.29 million shares of our common stock to the WildBlue Investors in connection with our acquisition of WildBlue, certain of which entered into lock-up agreements with us prohibiting any transfers for 60 days and restricting any transfers thereafter to daily and monthly sales limitations until November 6, 2010, subject to limited exceptions. Sales of such shares could cause our stock price to decrease. Additionally, a substantial number of shares of our common stock are available for future sale pursuant to stock options, warrants or issuance pursuant to our 1996 Equity Participation Plan of ViaSat, Inc. and the ViaSat, Inc. Employee Stock Purchase Plan. We cannot predict the size of future issuances of our common stock or the effect, if any, that future sales and issuances of shares of our common stock will have on the market price of our common stock. Sales of substantial amounts of our common stock (including shares issued upon the exercise of stock options and warrants or in connection with acquisition financing), or the perception that such sales could occur, may adversely affect prevailing market prices for our common stock. In addition, these sales may be dilutive to existing stockholders.

 

In connection with this offering, our executive officers and directors entered into lock-up agreements restricting the sale of their shares for no less than 60 days following the date of this prospectus supplement, subject to extension in certain circumstances. The selling stockholders entered into lock-up agreements restricting the sale of their shares for no less than 45 days following the date of this prospectus supplement, subject to extension in certain circumstances. However, Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated, Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated and Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, as representatives of the underwriters, may at any time release all or a portion of the common stock subject to the foregoing lock-up provisions. In addition, we may at any time waive some or all of the sale limitations restricting transfers of our common stock by the selling stockholders and other WildBlue Investors under the lock-up agreements that they entered into with us at the closing of the WildBlue acquisition. When determining whether or not to release shares subject to a lock-up agreement, we, in the case of the lock-up agreements relating to the WildBlue acquisition, and the representatives of the underwriters, in the case of the lock-up agreements relating to this offering, will consider, among other factors, the holder’s reasons for requesting the release, the number of shares for which the release is being requested and the possible impact of the release of the shares on the market price of our common stock. If the restrictions under such agreements are waived, the affected common stock may be available for sale into the market, which could adversely affect the market price of our common stock.

 

We Expect Our Stock Price to Be Volatile, and You May Lose All or Some of Your Investment

 

The market price of our common stock has been volatile in the past. For example, since April 2, 2001, the market price of our common stock has ranged from $3.91 to $36.49. Trading prices may continue to fluctuate in response to a number of events and factors, including the following:

 

 

 

Any of these events may cause the market price of our common stock to fall. In addition, the stock market in general and the market prices for technology companies in particular have experienced significant volatility that often has been unrelated to the operating performance of these companies. These broad market and industry fluctuations may adversely affect the market price of our common stock, regardless of our operating performance.

 

Our Management has Broad Discretion over the Use of Proceeds From This Offering, and We May Not Use the Proceeds Effectively

 

Our management will have broad discretion over the use of the net proceeds from this offering and could spend the proceeds in ways that do not improve our results of operations or enhance the value of our common stock. Our failure to use these funds effectively could have a material adverse effect on our business and cause the price of our common stock to decline.

 

Our Executive Officers and Directors Own a Large Percentage of Our Common Stock and Exert Significant Influence over Matters Requiring Stockholder Approval

 

As of March 16, 2010, our executive officers and directors and their affiliates beneficially owned an aggregate of approximately 14% of our common stock. Accordingly, these stockholders may be able to substantially influence all matters requiring approval by our stockholders, including the election of directors and the approval of mergers or other business combination transactions. Circumstances may arise in which the interests of these stockholders could conflict with the interests of our other stockholders. These stockholders could delay or prevent a change in control of ViaSat even if such a transaction would be beneficial to our other stockholders.

 

We Have Implemented Anti-Takeover Provisions that Could Prevent an Acquisition of Our Business at a Premium Price

 

Some of the provisions of our certificate of incorporation, our bylaws and Delaware law could discourage, delay or prevent an acquisition of our business, even if a change in control of ViaSat would be beneficial to the interests of our stockholders and was made at a premium price. These provisions:

 

 

In addition, Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law imposes restrictions on mergers and other business combinations between us and any holder of 15% or more of our common stock.

Risks Related to Our Business and Industry

 

Owning and Operating Satellites Involve Considerable Risks

 

In December 2009, we acquired WildBlue and, as a result of such acquisition, we now own and operate WildBlue’s Ka-band satellite (WildBlue-1) and hold an exclusive lifetime lease of Ka-band capacity on Telesat Canada’s Anik F2 satellite in the contiguous United States. In January 2008, we executed an agreement to purchase ViaSat-1, our new high-capacity broadband satellite. We currently plan to launch ViaSat-1 in early 2011 and introduce service on this satellite later in 2011. We may acquire or use one or more additional satellites in the future. We also plan to develop next generation broadband ground infrastructure and terminals for use with these satellites. If we are unable to continue to operate WildBlue-1, or have manufactured or successfully launch a satellite in a timely manner or at all, as a result of any of the following risks or otherwise, we may be unable to realize the anticipated benefits from our satellite and associated services business, and our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected:

 

 

 

Satellite Failures or Degradations in Satellite Performance Could Affect Our Business, Financial Condition and Results of Operations

 

We utilize capacity on our WildBlue-1 satellite and Telesat Canada’s Anik F2 satellite to support our WildBlue^® service. Satellites are subject to in-orbit risks including malfunctions, commonly referred to as anomalies, interference from electrostatic storms, and collisions with meteoroids, decommissioned spacecraft or other space debris. Anomalies occur as a result of various factors, such as satellite manufacturing errors, problems with the power systems or control systems of the satellites and general failures resulting from operating satellites in the harsh environment of space. If any of the foregoing were to occur on either WildBlue-1 or Anik F2, this could have a material adverse effect on our operations, our ability to generate revenues in our satellite services segment, and our relationships with current customers and distributors, as well as our ability to attract new customers for our satellite broadband services. Anomalies may also reduce the expected useful life of a satellite, thereby creating additional expenses due to the need to provide replacement or backup capacity and potentially reduce revenues if service is interrupted on the satellites we utilize. We may not be able to obtain backup transponder capacity or a replacement satellite on reasonable economic terms or at all. In addition, an increased frequency of anomalies could impact market acceptance of our services.

 

We May be Unable to Obtain or Maintain Required Authorizations or Contractual Arrangements

 

Governmental authorizations are required in connection with the products and services that we provide. In order to maintain these authorizations, compliance with specific conditions of those authorizations, certain laws and regulations, and the payment of annual regulatory fees may be required. Failure to comply with such requirements, or comply in a timely manner, could lead to the loss of such authorizations and could have a material adverse impact

on our business, financial condition or results of operations. We currently hold authorizations to, among other things, operate various satellite earth stations, including but not limited to user terminals, “gateway” facilities, and network hubs. While we anticipate that these licenses will be renewed in the ordinary course, or replaced by licenses covering more advanced facilities, we can provide no assurance that this will be the case. The inability to timely obtain required authorizations for future operations could delay or preclude our provision of new products and services. Further, changes to the regulations under which we operate could adversely affect our ability to obtain or maintain authorizations. Either circumstance could have a material adverse impact on our business.

 

Our operations also rely upon authorizations held by other entities with which we have contractual arrangements. The failure of those entities to maintain their respective authorizations, or the termination or expiration of our contractual arrangements with those entities, could have a material adverse impact on our business. For example, in order to provide our WildBlue service, we use Ka-band capacity on the Anik F2 satellite under an agreement with Telesat Canada, and we may do so until the end of the useful life of that satellite. Telesat Canada operates that satellite under authority granted to it by the government of Canada. We also currently use the WildBlue-1 satellite, which we own, and which is co-located with Anik F2 under authority granted to Telesat Canada by the government of Canada, and pursuant to an agreement we have with Telesat Canada that expires upon the end of the useful life of Anik F2. While the end of the useful life of Anik F2 is not expected to occur before 2019, there can be no assurance that will be the case. We also intend to use our ViaSat-1 satellite, which is expected to be launched in 2011, to provide WildBlue service. That satellite will operate under authority granted to ManSat Limited by the governments of the Isle of Man and the United Kingdom, and pursuant to contractual arrangements we have with ManSat Limited that extend past the expected useful life of ViaSat-1. The failure of Telesat Canada or ManSat Limited to maintain their respective authorizations, or the termination or expiration of our contractual arrangements with those entities (including as a result of the premature end of life of Anik F2), could require us to seek alternative satellite capacity for our customers, which may not be available, or which may require the costly and time-consuming process of repointing the antennas of our customers.

 

Our Operating Results Are Difficult to Predict and the Trading Price of Our Common Stock May Be Volatile

 

Our operating results have varied significantly from quarter to quarter in the past and may continue to do so in the future. The factors that cause our quarter-to-quarter operating results to be unpredictable include:

 

 

Any of the foregoing factors, or any other factors discussed elsewhere herein, could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition that could adversely affect our stock price. In addition, it is likely that in one or more future quarters our results may fall below the expectations of analysts and investors, which would likely cause the trading price of our common stock to decrease.

Our Reliance on U.S. Government Contracts Exposes Us to Significant Risks

 

Our government systems segment revenues were approximately 62% of our revenues in fiscal year 2009, 56% of our revenues in fiscal year 2008 and 54% of our revenues in fiscal year 2007, and were derived from U.S. government applications. Therefore, any significant disruption or deterioration of our relationship with the U.S. government would significantly reduce our revenue. U.S. government business exposes us to various risks, including:

 

 

We must comply with and are affected by laws and regulations relating to the award, administration and performance of U.S. government contracts. Government contract laws and regulations affect how we do business with our customers and, in some instances, impose added costs on our business, including the establishment of compliance procedures. A violation of specific laws and regulations could result in the imposition of fines and penalties, the termination of our contracts or debarment from bidding on contracts.

 

Our total funded backlog was $461.6 million at January 1, 2010. Substantially all of our U.S. government backlog scheduled for delivery can be terminated at the convenience of the U.S. government because our contracts with the U.S. government typically provide that orders may be terminated with limited or no penalties. If we are unable to address any of the risks described above, or if we were to lose all or a substantial portion of our sales to the U.S. government, it could materially harm our business and impair the value of our common stock.

 

The funding of U.S. government programs is subject to congressional appropriations. Congress generally appropriates funds on a fiscal year basis even though a program may extend over several fiscal years. Consequently, programs are often only partially funded initially and additional funds are committed only as Congress makes further appropriations. In the event that appropriations for one of our programs become unavailable, or are reduced or delayed, our contract or subcontract under such program may be terminated or adjusted by the government,

which could have a negative impact on our future sales under such contract or subcontract. From time to time, when a formal appropriation bill has not been signed into law before the end of the U.S. government’s fiscal year, Congress may pass a continuing resolution that authorizes agencies of the U.S. government to continue to operate, generally at the same funding levels from the prior year, but does not authorize new spending initiatives, during a certain period. During such period (or until the regular appropriation bills are passed), delays can occur in procurement of products and services due to lack of funding, and such delays can affect our results of operations during the period of delay.

 

Our Business Could Be Adversely Affected by a Negative Audit by the U.S. Government

 

As a government contractor, we are subject to routine audits and investigations by the U.S. government agencies such as the Defense Contracting Management Agency (DCMA) and the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA). These agencies review a contractor’s performance under its contracts, cost structure and compliance with applicable laws, regulations and standards. The DCAA also reviews the adequacy of and a contractor’s compliance with its internal control systems and policies, including the contractor’s purchasing, property, estimating, compensation and management information systems. Any costs found to be improperly allocated to a specific contract will not be reimbursed or must be refunded if already reimbursed. If an audit uncovers improper or illegal activities, we may be subject to civil and criminal penalties and administrative sanctions, which may include termination of contracts, forfeiture of profits, suspension of payments, fines and suspension, or prohibition from doing business with the U.S. government. In addition, we could suffer serious harm to our reputation if allegations of impropriety were made against us.

 

The Recent Global Business Environment Could Negatively Affect Our Business, Results of Operations and Financial Condition

 

Our business and operating results have been and will continue to be affected by worldwide economic conditions. The banking system and financial markets have been experiencing unprecedented levels of volatility and disruption. The possibility that certain financial institutions may go out of business has resulted in a tightening of the credit markets, lower levels of liquidity in many financial markets, and extreme volatility in fixed income, credit, currency and equity markets. This market turmoil and the recent disruptions in the credit markets have led to reduced levels of capital expenditures, an increase in commercial and consumer delinquencies, rising unemployment, declining consumer and business confidence, bankruptcies and a widespread reduction of business activity generally. These conditions, combined with continued concerns about the systemic impact of potential long- term and widespread economic recession, volatile energy costs, geopolitical issues, unstable housing and mortgage markets, labor and healthcare costs, and other macroeconomic factors affecting spending behavior have contributed to diminished expectations for the U.S. and global economy.

 

The current economic environment may materially adversely affect our business and financial performance in a number of ways. As a result of slowing global economic growth, our customers may experience deterioration of their businesses, cash flow shortages, difficulty obtaining financing or insolvency. Existing or potential customers may reduce or postpone spending in response to tighter credit, negative financial news or declines in income or asset values, which could have a material negative effect on the demand for our products and services. Potential effects of the credit crisis on our business include: the insolvency of key suppliers resulting in product delays, the inability of vendors to fulfill their obligations to us, the inability of customers to obtain credit to finance purchases of our products, customer insolvencies and failure of derivative counterparties and other financial institutions negatively impacting our treasury operations. If the global economic slowdown continues for a significant period or there is significant further deterioration in the U.S. or global economy, our results of operations, financial position and cash flows could be materially adversely affected.

 

General economic conditions have significantly affected the ability of many companies to raise additional funding in the capital markets. For example, U.S. credit markets have experienced significant dislocations and liquidity disruptions which have caused the spreads on prospective debt financings to widen considerably. These circumstances have materially impacted liquidity in the debt markets, making financing terms for borrowers less attractive and resulting in the general unavailability of many forms of debt financing. Continued uncertainty in the credit markets may negatively impact our ability to access additional debt financing or to refinance existing

indebtedness in the future on favorable terms or at all. These general economic conditions have also adversely affected the trading prices of equity securities of many U.S. companies, including ViaSat, and could significantly limit our ability to raise additional capital through the issuance of common stock, preferred stock or other equity securities. If we require additional capital to fund any activities we elect to pursue in addition to our current business expansion efforts and were unable to obtain such capital on terms that we found acceptable or at all, we would likely reduce our investments in such activities or re-direct capital otherwise available for our business expansion efforts. Any of these risks could impair our ability to fund our operations or limit our ability to expand our business, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

A Significant Portion of Our Revenues Is Derived from a Few of Our Contracts

 

A small number of our contracts account for a significant percentage of our revenues. Our largest revenue producing contracts are related to our tactical data links products, including our Multifunctional Information Distribution System (MIDS) terminals, which generated approximately 21% of our revenues in fiscal year 2009, 24% of our revenues in fiscal year 2008 and 23% of our revenues in fiscal year 2007. Our five largest contracts generated approximately 35% of our revenues in fiscal year 2009, 44% of our revenues in fiscal year 2008 and 46% of our revenues in fiscal year 2007. Further, we derived approximately 6% of our revenues in fiscal year 2009, 7% of our revenues in fiscal year 2008 and 15% of our revenues in fiscal year 2007 from sales of enterprise communications networks. The failure of these customers to place additional orders or to maintain these contracts with us for any reason, including any downturn in their business or financial condition or our inability to renew our contracts with these customers or obtain new contracts when they expire, could materially harm our business and impair the value of our common stock. WildBlue, which we acquired in December 2009, generated approximately 8% of our revenues in fiscal year 2009 in its capacity as our customer.

 

A number of our commercial customers have in the past, and may in the future, experience financial difficulties. Many of our commercial customers face risks that are similar to those we encounter, including risks associated with market growth, product defects, acceptance by the market of products and services, and the ability to obtain sufficient capital. Further, many of our customers that provide satellite-based services (including Telesat, Intelsat, Thaicom and Eutelsat) could be materially affected by a satellite failure as well as by partial satellite failure, satellite performance degradation, satellite manufacturing errors and other failures resulting from operating satellites in the harsh environment of space. We cannot assure you that our customers will be successful in managing these risks. If our customers do not successfully manage these types of risks, it could impair our ability to generate revenues and collect amounts due from these customers and materially harm our business. Major communications infrastructure programs, such as proposed satellite communications systems, are important sources of our current and planned future revenues. We also participate in a number of defense programs. Programs of these types often cannot proceed unless the customer can raise substantial funds from either governmental or private sources. As a result, our expected revenues can be adversely affected by political developments or by conditions in private and public capital markets. They can also be adversely affected if capital markets are not receptive to a customer’s proposed business plans.

 

Our Development Contracts May Be Difficult for Us to Comply with and May Expose Us to Third-Party Claims for Damages

 

We are often party to government and commercial contracts involving the development of new products. We derived approximately 20% of our revenues in both fiscal years 2009 and 2008, and 24% of our revenues in fiscal year 2007 from these development contracts. These contracts typically contain strict performance obligations and project milestones. We cannot assure you we will comply with these performance obligations or meet these project milestones in the future. If we are unable to comply with these performance obligations or meet these milestones, our customers may terminate these contracts and, under some circumstances, recover damages or other penalties from us. We are not currently, nor have we always been, in compliance with all outstanding performance obligations and project milestones in our contracts. We cannot assure you that the other parties to any such contract will not terminate the contract or seek damages from us. If other parties elect to terminate their contracts or seek damages from us, it could materially harm our business and impair the value of our common stock.

Our Success Depends on the Investment in and Development of New Satellite and Wireless Communications and Secure Networking Products and Our Ability to Gain Acceptance of these Products

 

The wireless and satellite communications and secure networking markets are subject to rapid technological change, frequent new and enhanced product introductions, product obsolescence and changes in user requirements. Our ability to compete successfully in these markets depends on our success in applying our expertise and technology to existing and emerging satellite and wireless communications and secure networking markets, as well as our ability to successfully develop, introduce and sell new products and enhancements on a timely and cost-effective basis that respond to ever-changing customer requirements, which depends on several factors, including:

 

 

We cannot assure you our product or technology development efforts for communications products will be successful or any new products and technologies we develop, will achieve sufficient market acceptance. We may experience difficulties that could delay or prevent us from successfully selecting, developing, manufacturing or marketing new products or enhancements and these efforts could divert our attention and resources from other projects, and we cannot be sure that such efforts and expenditures will ultimately lead to the timely development of new offerings and technologies. Due to the design complexity of our products, we may in the future experience delays in completing the development and introduction of new products. Any delays could result in increased costs of development or deflect resources from other projects. In addition, defects may be found in our products after we begin deliveries that could result in the delay or loss of market acceptance. If we are unable to design, manufacture, integrate and market profitable new products for existing or emerging communications markets, it could materially harm our business, financial condition and results of operations, and impair the value of our common stock.

 

In addition, we believe that significant investments in next generation broadband satellites and associated infrastructure will be required for satellite-based technologies to compete more effectively with terrestrial-based technologies in the consumer and enterprise markets. We are constantly evaluating the opportunities and investments related to the development of these next generation broadband systems. In the event we determine to make a significant investment in the development of such next generation systems, it may require us to undertake debt financing and/or the issuance of additional equity, which could expose us to increased risks and impair the value of our common stock. In addition, if we are unable to effectively or profitably design, manufacture, integrate and market such next generation technologies, it could materially harm our business, financial condition and results of operations, and impair the value of our common stock.

 

Because Our Products Are Complex and Are Deployed in Complex Environments, Our Products May Have Defects that We Discover Only After Full Deployment, which Could Seriously Harm Our Business

 

We produce highly complex products that incorporate leading-edge technology, including both hardware and software. Software typically contains defects or programming flaws that can unexpectedly interfere with expected operations. In addition, our products are complex and are designed to be deployed across complex networks.

Because of the nature of these products, there is no assurance that our pre-shipment testing programs will be adequate to detect all defects. As a result, our customers may discover errors or defects in our hardware or software or our products may not operate as expected after they have been fully deployed. If we are unable to cure a product defect, we could experience damage to our reputation, reduced customer satisfaction, loss of existing customers and failure to attract new customers, failure to achieve market acceptance, cancellation of orders, loss of revenue, reduction in backlog and market share, increased service and warranty costs, diversion of development resources, legal actions by our customers, product returns or recalls, issuance of credit to customers and increased insurance costs. Defects, integration issues or other performance problems in our products could also result in financial or other damages to our customers. Our customers could seek damages for related losses from us, which could seriously harm our business, financial condition and results of operations. A product liability claim brought against us, even if unsuccessful, would likely be time consuming and costly. The occurrence of any of these problems would seriously harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

We May Experience Losses from Our Fixed-Price Contracts

 

Approximately 86% of our revenues in both fiscal years 2009 and 2008, and 84% of our revenues in fiscal year 2007 were derived from government and commercial contracts with fixed prices. These contracts carry the risk of potential cost overruns because we assume all of the cost burden. We assume greater financial risk on fixed-price contracts than on other types of contracts because if we do not anticipate technical problems, estimate costs accurately or control costs during performance of a fixed-price contract, it may significantly reduce our net profit or cause a loss on the contract. In the past, we have experienced significant cost overruns and losses on fixed-price contracts. Because many of these contracts involve new technologies and applications and can last for years, unforeseen events, such as technological difficulties, fluctuations in the price of raw materials, problems with our suppliers and cost overruns, can result in the contractual price becoming less favorable or even unprofitable to us over time. Furthermore, if we do not meet contract deadlines or specifications, we may need to renegotiate contracts on less favorable terms, be forced to pay penalties or liquidated damages or suffer major losses if the customer exercises its right to terminate. We believe a high percentage of our contracts will be at fixed prices in the future. Although we attempt to accurately estimate costs for fixed-price contracts, we cannot assure you our estimates will be adequate or that substantial losses on fixed-price contracts will not occur in the future. If we are unable to address any of the risks described above, it could materially harm our business, financial condition and results of operations, and impair the value of our common stock.

 

Our Reliance on a Limited Number of Third Parties to Manufacture and Supply Our Products and the Components Contained therein Exposes Us to Various Risks

 

Our internal manufacturing capacity is limited and we do not intend to expand our capability in the foreseeable future. We rely on a limited number of contract manufacturers to produce our products and expect to rely increasingly on these manufacturers in the future. In addition, some components, subassemblies and services necessary for the manufacture of our products are obtained from a sole source supplier or a limited group of suppliers.

 

Our reliance on contract manufacturers and on sole source suppliers or a limited group of suppliers involves several risks. We may not be able to obtain an adequate supply of required components, and our control over the price, timely delivery, reliability and quality of finished products may be reduced. The process of manufacturing our products and some of our components and subassemblies is extremely complex. We have in the past experienced and may in the future experience delays in the delivery of and quality problems with products and components and subassemblies from vendors. Some of the suppliers we rely upon have relatively limited financial and other resources. Some of our vendors have manufacturing facilities in areas that may be prone to natural disasters and other natural occurrences that may affect their ability to perform and deliver under our contract. If we are not able to obtain timely deliveries of components and subassemblies of acceptable quality or if we are otherwise required to seek alternative sources of supply or to substitute alternative technology, or to manufacture our finished products or components and subassemblies internally, our ability to satisfactorily and timely complete our customer obligations could be negatively impacted which could result in reduced sales, termination of contracts and damage to our reputation and relationships with our customers. This failure could also result in a customer terminating our contract

for default. A default termination could expose us to liability and have a material adverse effect on our ability to compete for future contracts and orders. In addition, a delay in our ability to obtain components and equipment parts from our suppliers may affect our ability to meet our customers’ needs and may have an adverse effect upon our profitability.

 

The Markets We Serve Are Highly Competitive and Our Competitors May Have Greater Resources than We Have

 

The wireless and satellite communications and secure networking industries are highly competitive and competition is increasing. In addition, because the markets in which we operate are constantly evolving and characterized by rapid technological change, it is difficult for us to predict whether, when and who may introduce new competing technologies, products or services into our markets. Currently, we face substantial competition from domestic and international wireless, satellite and terrestrial-based communications service providers in the commercial and government industries, including BAE Systems, General Dynamics, Gilat, Harris, Hughes Communications, iDirect Technologies, L-3 Communications and Rockwell Collins. Many of our competitors and potential competitors have significant competitive advantages, including strong customer relationships, more experience with regulatory compliance, greater financial and management resources, control over central communications networks and access to technologies not available to us. In addition, some of our customers continuously evaluate whether to develop and manufacture their own products and could elect to compete with us at any time. Our ability to compete may be adversely affected by limits on our capital resources and our ability to invest in maintaining and expanding our market share.

 

Any Failure to Successfully Integrate the WildBlue Acquisition and any Future Strategic Acquisitions Could Adversely Affect Our Business

 

Our future performance will depend in part on whether we can successfully integrate our recently acquired WildBlue business with our satellite services segment in an effective and efficient manner. Integrating our satellite services segment with the WildBlue business will be a complex, time-consuming and expensive process and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. In addition, in order to position ourselves to take advantage of growth opportunities, we have made, and may continue to make, other strategic acquisitions that involve significant risks and uncertainties. The risks and uncertainties relating to the WildBlue acquisition and future acquisitions include:

 

 

 

Mergers and acquisitions are inherently risky and subject to many factors outside of our control, and we cannot be certain that our previous or future acquisitions will be successful and will not materially adversely affect our business, operating results or financial condition. We do not know whether we will be able to successfully integrate the businesses, products, technologies or personnel that we might acquire in the future or that any strategic investments we make will meet our financial or other investment objectives. Any failure to do so could seriously harm our business, financial condition and results of operations. Even if we are able to integrate the WildBlue business or any future acquisition successfully, this integration may not result in the realization of the full benefits of synergies, cost savings, revenue enhancements, growth, operational efficiencies and other benefits that we expect. We cannot assure you that we will successfully integrate the WildBlue business or any future acquisition with our business or achieve the desired benefits from the WildBlue acquisition or any future acquisition within a reasonable period of time or at all.

 

Furthermore, to complete future acquisitions we may issue equity securities, incur debt, assume contingent liabilities or have amortization expenses and write-downs of acquired assets, which could cause our earnings per share to decline.

 

The WildBlue Business Has a History of Losses and May Continue to Experience Losses in the Future

 

WildBlue experienced net losses of $28.2 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2009 and $80.6 million, $126.9 million and $115.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2008, 2007 and 2006, respectively. We cannot assure you that the WildBlue business will generate net income in the future on a consistent basis or at all. We cannot estimate with any certainty whether demand for our broadband satellite services will be sufficient for us to maintain or increase the number of WildBlue subscribers. If the WildBlue business fails to achieve profitability, that failure could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

Our Level of Indebtedness May Adversely Affect Our Ability to Operate Our Business, Remain in Compliance with Debt Covenants, React to Changes in Our Business or the Industry in which We Operate, or Prevent Us from Making Payments on Our Indebtedness

 

As of January 1, 2010, our total indebtedness was $428.0 million, which included $140.0 million in principal amount of outstanding borrowings under our Credit Facility, $13.0 million outstanding under standby letters of credit (of which $12.2 million were issued under our Credit Facility) and $275.0 million in principal amount outstanding of the Notes. On March 23, 2010, we increased the amount of our revolving line of credit under the Credit Facility from $210.0 million to $275.0 million. In connection with such increase, Credit Suisse AG, Cayman Islands Branch (an affiliate of Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC), and Compass Bank were added as new lenders under the Credit Facility.

 

This level of indebtedness could have important consequences for you. For example, it could:

 

 

 

Any of these risks could materially impact our ability to fund our operations or limit our ability to expand our business, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

We May Incur Additional Indebtedness, which Could Further Increase the Risks Associated with Our Leverage

 

We may incur additional indebtedness in the future, which may include financing relating to ViaSat-1, future satellites, other potential acquisitions, working capital, capital expenditures or general corporate purposes. The terms of the indenture governing the Notes permit us, subject to specified limitations, to incur additional indebtedness, including secured indebtedness. In March 2010, we filed a universal shelf registration statement with the SEC for the future sale of an unlimited amount of debt securities, common stock, preferred stock, depositary shares, warrants and rights. The securities may be offered from time to time, separately or together, directly by us, by selling security holders, or through underwriters, dealers and agents at amounts, prices, interest rates and other terms to be determined at the time of the offering. If new indebtedness is added to our current level of indebtedness, the related risks that we now face could intensify.

 

We May Not Be Able to Generate Sufficient Cash to Service All of Our Indebtedness and Fund Our Working Capital and Capital Expenditures, and May Be Forced to Take Other Actions to Satisfy Our Obligations under Our Indebtedness, which May Not Be Successful

 

Our ability to make scheduled payments on our indebtedness will depend upon our future operating performance and on our ability to generate cash flow in the future, which is subject to general economic, financial, business, competitive, legislative, regulatory and other factors that are beyond our control. We cannot assure you that our business will generate sufficient cash flow from operations, or that future borrowings, including borrowings under our Credit Facility, will be available to us in an amount sufficient to enable us to pay our indebtedness, including the Notes, or to fund our other liquidity needs. If our cash flows and capital resources are insufficient to fund our debt service obligations, we could face substantial liquidity problems and could be forced to reduce or delay investment and capital expenditures or to dispose of material assets or operations, seek additional equity capital or restructure or refinance our indebtedness. We may not be able to effect any such alternative measures, if necessary, on commercially reasonable terms or at all and, even if successful, such alternative actions may not allow us to meet our scheduled debt service obligations. Our Credit Facility and the indenture governing the Notes restrict our ability to dispose of assets and use the proceeds from the disposition. If we cannot make scheduled payments on our debt, we will be in default and, as a result, the lenders under our Credit Facility and the holders of the Notes could declare all outstanding principal and interest to be due and payable, the lenders under our Credit Facility could terminate their commitments to loan money and foreclose against the assets securing the borrowings under our Credit Facility, and we could be forced into bankruptcy or liquidation, which could result in you losing your investment in our common stock.

 

We May Be Unable to Refinance Our Indebtedness

 

We may need to refinance all or a portion of our indebtedness before maturity, including indebtedness under the indenture governing the Notes and any indebtedness under our Credit Facility. There can be no assurance that we will be able to obtain sufficient funds to enable us to repay or refinance our debt obligations on commercially reasonable terms, or at all.

Covenants in Our Debt Agreements Restrict Our Business and Could Limit Our Ability to Implement Our Business Plan

 

Our Credit Facility and the indenture governing the Notes contain covenants that may restrict our ability to implement our business plan, finance future operations, respond to changing business and economic conditions, secure additional financing, and engage in opportunistic transactions, such as strategic acquisitions. In addition, if we fail to satisfy the covenants contained in our Credit Facility, our ability to borrow under our Credit Facility may be restricted. Our Credit Facility and the indenture governing the Notes include covenants restricting, among other things, our ability to do the following:

 

 

The covenants in our Credit Facility are generally more restrictive than the indenture governing the Notes. In addition, our Credit Facility requires us to comply with certain financial covenants, including a maximum senior secured leverage ratio, a maximum leverage ratio and minimum interest coverage ratio. Our Credit Facility is secured by first-priority liens on substantially all the assets of the company, including the stock of our subsidiaries, and the assets of the subsidiary guarantors under the facility.

 

If we default under our Credit Facility or the indenture governing the Notes because of a covenant breach or otherwise, all outstanding amounts thereunder could become immediately due and payable. In the past we have violated our Credit Facility covenants and received waivers for these violations. We cannot assure you that we will be able to comply with our financial or other covenants under our Credit Facility or the indenture governing the Notes or that any covenant violations will be waived in the future. Any violation that is not waived could result in an event of default, permitting our lenders to declare outstanding indebtedness and interest thereon due and payable, and permitting the lenders under our Credit Facility to suspend commitments to make any advance or to require any outstanding letters of credit to be collateralized by an interest bearing cash account, any or all of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, if we fail to comply with our financial or other covenants under our Credit Facility or the indenture governing the Notes, we may need additional financing in order to service or extinguish our indebtedness. We may not be able to obtain financing or refinancing on terms acceptable to us, if at all. We cannot assure you that we would have sufficient funds to repay all the outstanding amounts under our Credit Facility or the indenture governing the Notes, and any acceleration of amounts due would have a material adverse effect on our liquidity and financial condition.

 

We Depend on a Limited Number of Key Employees who Would Be Difficult to Replace

 

We depend on a limited number of key technical, marketing and management personnel to manage and operate our business. In particular, we believe our success depends to a significant degree on our ability to attract and retain highly skilled personnel, including our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Mark D. Dankberg, and those highly skilled design, process and test engineers involved in the manufacture of existing products and the development of new products and processes. The competition for these types of personnel is intense, and the loss of key employees could materially harm our business and impair the value of our common stock. To the extent that the demand for qualified personnel exceeds supply, we could experience higher labor, recruiting or training costs in order to attract and retain such employees, or could experience difficulties in performing under our contracts if our needs for such employees were unmet.

Because We Conduct Business Internationally, We Face Additional Risks Related to Global Political and Economic Conditions, Changes in Regulation and Currency Fluctuations

 

Approximately 16% of our revenues in fiscal year 2009, 18% of our revenues in fiscal year 2008 and 16% of our revenues in fiscal year 2007 were derived from international sales. We anticipate international sales will account for an increasing percentage of our revenues over the next several years. Many of these international sales may be denominated in foreign currencies. Because we do not currently engage in, nor do we anticipate engaging in, material foreign currency hedging transactions related to international sales, a decrease in the value of foreign currencies relative to the U.S. dollar could result in losses from transactions denominated in foreign currencies. This decrease in value could also make our products less price-competitive.

 

There are additional risks in conducting business internationally, including:

 

 

In addition, some of our customer purchase agreements are governed by foreign laws, which may differ significantly from U.S. laws. We may be limited in our ability to enforce our rights under these agreements and to collect damages, if awarded. If we are unable to address any of the risks described above, it could materially harm our business and impair the value of our common stock.

 

We Expect to Incur Research and Development Costs, which Could Significantly Reduce Our Profitability

 

Our future growth depends on penetrating new markets, adapting existing communications and networking products to new applications and introducing new communications and networking products that achieve market acceptance. Accordingly, we are actively applying our communications and networking expertise to design and develop new hardware and software products and enhance existing products. We spent $29.6 million in fiscal year 2009, $32.3 million in fiscal year 2008 and $21.6 million in fiscal year 2007 on research and development activities. We expect to continue to spend discretionary funds on research and development in the near future. The amount of funds spent on research and development projects is dependent on the amount and mix of customer-funded development, the types and the affordability of the technology being developed. Because we account for research and development as an operating expense, these expenditures will adversely affect our earnings in the near future. Our research and development program may not produce successful results, which could materially harm our business and impair the value of our common stock.

Our Ability to Protect Our Proprietary Technology Is Limited

 

Our success depends significantly on our ability to protect our proprietary rights to the technologies we use in our products and services. We generally rely on a combination of copyrights, patents, trademarks and trade secret laws and contractual rights to protect our intellectual property rights. We also enter into confidentiality and assignment of intellectual property agreements with our employees, consultants and corporate partners, and control access to and distribution of our proprietary information. Despite our efforts to protect our proprietary rights, unauthorized parties may attempt to copy or otherwise obtain and use our products or technology. If we are unable to protect our proprietary rights adequately, our competitors could use the intellectual property we have developed to enhance their own products and services, which could materially harm our business and impair the value of our common stock. Monitoring and preventing unauthorized use of our technology is difficult. From time to time, we undertake actions to prevent unauthorized use of our technology, including sending cease and desist letters. In addition, we may be required to commence litigation to protect our intellectual property rights. If we are unsuccessful in such litigation, our rights to enforce such intellectual property may be impaired or we could lose some or all of our rights to such intellectual property. We do not know whether the steps we have taken will prevent unauthorized use of our technology, including in foreign countries where the laws may not protect our proprietary rights as extensively as in the United States. If we are unable to protect our proprietary rights, we may find ourselves at a competitive disadvantage to others who need not incur the substantial expense, time and effort required to create the innovative products. Also, we have delivered certain technical data and information to the U.S. government under procurement contracts, and it may have unlimited rights to use that technical data and information. There can be no assurance that the U.S. government will not authorize others to use that data and information to compete with us.

 

Our Involvement in Litigation Relating to Intellectual Property Claims May Have a Material Adverse Effect on Our Business

 

We may be party to intellectual property infringement claims. Regardless of the merit of these claims, intellectual property litigation can be time consuming and result in costly litigation and diversion of the attention of technical and management personnel. An adverse result in any litigation could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Litigation may be necessary to protect our intellectual property rights and trade secrets, to determine the validity and scope of the proprietary rights of others or to defend against claims of infringement or invalidity. For example, in May 2009 we and certain other equipment manufacturers were sued by Applied Signal Technology in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California for alleged infringement of certain patents. We have developed and maintain a portfolio of patents in the same field of technology as the plaintiff’s patents, and although we intend to vigorously defend against this suit, there can be no assurance that any resolution will not be adverse to us. We may be subject to infringement, invalidity, right to use or ownership claims by third parties or claims for indemnification resulting from infringement claims in the future. Asserted claims or initiated litigation can include claims against us or our manufacturers, suppliers or customers alleging infringement of their proprietary rights with respect to our existing or future products, or components of those products. If our products are found to infringe upon the rights of third parties, we may be forced to (1) seek licenses or royalty arrangements from such third parties, (2) stop selling, incorporating or using products that included the challenged intellectual property, or (3) incur substantial costs to redesign those products that use the technology. We cannot assure you we would be able to obtain any such licenses or royalty arrangements on reasonable terms or at all or to develop redesigned products or, if these redesigned products were developed, they would perform as required or be accepted in the applicable markets.

 

We Rely on the Availability of Third-Party Licenses

 

Many of our products are designed to include software or other intellectual property licensed from third parties. It may be necessary in the future to seek or renew licenses relating to various elements of the technology used to develop these products. We cannot assure you that our existing and future third-party licenses will be available to us on commercially reasonable terms, if at all. Our inability to maintain or obtain any third-party license required to sell or develop our products and product enhancements could require us to obtain substitute technology of lower quality or performance standards, or at greater cost.

Adverse Resolution of Litigation May Harm Our Operating Results or Financial Condition

 

We are a party to various lawsuits and claims in the normal course of our business. Litigation can be expensive, lengthy and disruptive to normal business operations. Moreover, the results of complex legal proceedings are difficult to predict. An unfavorable resolution of a particular lawsuit could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

Our International Sales and Operations Are Subject to Applicable Laws Relating to Trade, Export Controls and Foreign Corrupt Practices, the Violation of Which Could Adversely Affect Our Operations

 

We must comply with all applicable export control laws and regulations of the United States and other countries. United States laws and regulations applicable to us include the Arms Export Control Act, the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) and the trade sanctions laws and regulations administered by the United States Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). The export of certain satellite hardware, services and technical data relating to satellites is regulated by the United States Department of State under ITAR. Other items are controlled for export by the United States Department of Commerce under the EAR. We cannot provide services to certain countries subject to United States trade sanctions unless we first obtain the necessary authorizations from OFAC. In addition, we are subject to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which generally bars bribes or unreasonable gifts to foreign governments or officials. Violations of these laws or regulations could result in significant additional sanctions including fines, more onerous compliance requirements, more extensive debarments from export privileges or loss of authorizations needed to conduct aspects of our international business. A violation of ITAR or the other regulations enumerated above could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

Changes in the Regulatory Environment Could Have a Material Adverse Impact on Our Competitive Position, Growth and Financial Performance

 

The provision of communications services is highly regulated. Our business is subject to the regulatory authority of the jurisdictions in which we operate, including the United States and other jurisdictions around the world. Those authorities regulate, among other things, the launch and operation of satellites, the use of radio spectrum, the licensing of earth stations and other radio transmitters, the provision of communications services, and the design, manufacture and marketing of communications systems and networking infrastructure. We cannot predict when or whether applicable laws or regulations may come into effect or change, or what the cost and time necessary to comply with such new or updated laws or regulations may be. Failure to comply with applicable laws or regulations could result in the imposition of financial penalties against us, the adverse modification or cancellation of required authorizations, or other material adverse actions.

 

Laws and regulations affecting the communications industry are subject to change in response to industry developments, new technology, and political considerations. Legislators and regulatory authorities in various countries are considering, and may in the future adopt, new laws, policies and regulations, as well as changes to existing regulations, regarding a variety of matters that could, directly or indirectly, affect our operations or the operations of our distribution partners, and increase the cost of providing our products and services. These changes could materially harm our business by (1) affecting our ability to obtain or retain required governmental authorizations, (2) restricting our ability to provide certain products or services, (3) restricting development efforts by us and our customers, (4) making our current products and services less attractive or obsolete, (5) increasing our operational costs, or (6) making it easier or less expensive for our competitors to compete with us. Changes in, or our failure to comply with, applicable regulations could materially harm our business and impair the value of our common stock.

 

Company Overview

 

We are a leading provider of advanced satellite and wireless communications and secure networking systems, products and services. We have leveraged our success developing complex satellite communication systems and equipment for the U.S. government and select commercial customers to develop end-to-end satellite network solutions for a wide array of applications and customers. Our product and systems offerings are often linked through common underlying technologies, customer applications and market relationships. We believe that our portfolio of products, combined with our ability to effectively cross-deploy technologies between government and commercial segments and across different geographic markets, provides us with a strong foundation to sustain and enhance our leadership in advanced communications and networking technologies. Our customers, including the U.S. government, leading aerospace and defense prime contractors, network integrators and communications service providers, rely on our solutions to meet their complex communications and networking requirements. In addition, following our recent acquisition of WildBlue, we are a leading wholesale and retail provider of satellite broadband internet services in the United States. ViaSat was incorporated in California in 1986, and reincorporated as a Delaware corporation in 1996.

 

ViaSat operates in three segments: government systems, commercial networks and satellite services. Financial information regarding our reporting segments and the geographic areas in which we operate is included in the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto, which are included in our annual and quarterly reports incorporated by reference herein.

 

Recent Transactions

 

On December 15, 2009, we consummated our acquisition of WildBlue, a leading Ka-band satellite broadband internet service provider. In connection with the acquisition, we paid approximately $442.7 million in cash and issued approximately 4.29 million shares of ViaSat common stock to the WildBlue Investors. ViaSat retained approximately $64.7 million of WildBlue’s cash on hand. To finance in part the cash payment made to the WildBlue Investors, in October 2009 we issued $275.0 million in aggregate principal amount of the Notes and in December 2009 we borrowed $140.0 million under our Credit Facility.

 

Government Systems

 

Our government systems segment develops and produces network-centric IP-based secure government communications systems, products and solutions, which are designed to enable the collection and dissemination of secure real-time digital information between command centers, communications nodes and air defense systems. Customers of our government systems segment include tactical armed forces, public safety first-responders and remote government employees.

 

We believe our strong track record of developing complex, secure, high-capacity wireless and satellite networking communications technologies for both government and commercial customers, combined with our ability to integrate and leverage technologies developed across our various business segments, provides us with significant opportunities for continued growth in this segment. The U.S. military’s increasing emphasis on “network-centric” highly mobile warfare over geographically dispersed areas requires the development and deployment of secure, IP-based communications networks and products capable of supporting real-time dissemination of data using multiple transmission media. Satellite-based systems are increasingly seen as the most reliable method of connecting rapidly moving forces who may out-run the range of terrestrial radio links. In addition, we anticipate that government demand for bandwidth will continue to grow in order to support this increased use of IP-based network-centric applications at all organizational levels. We also expect that over the next five to ten years many of the previous generation of the DoD’s defense communications satellite networks will expire or become obsolete, and new programs are underway or in planning to define, develop, procure and deploy replacement systems. We believe these new programs present greater opportunities for bidding on new contracts than we have seen historically. Our existing and evolving portfolio of systems, products and solutions is well-positioned to take

advantage of these significant and pervasive trends, and accordingly we believe that these trends will continue to drive growth opportunities for our government systems segment over the next several years.

 

The primary products and services of our government systems segment include:

 

 

Commercial Networks

 

Our commercial networks segment develops and produces a variety of advanced end-to-end satellite communication systems and ground networking equipment and products that address five key market segments: consumer, enterprise, in-flight, maritime and ground mobile applications. These communication systems, networking equipment and products are generally developed through a combination of customer and discretionary internal research and development funding.

 

Our networking equipment and products include radio frequency gateways, network infrastructure and end-user equipment and terminals. With expertise in commercial satellite network engineering, gateway construction and remote terminal manufacturing for various types of interactive communication services, combined with our advanced satellite technology and systems integration experience, we have the ability to design, build, initially operate and then hand over on a turnkey basis fully operational, customized satellite communication systems capable of serving a variety of markets and applications. In addition, the strength of our core government systems business provides us with an effective platform to continue to design and develop new equipment and products, as we adapt and customize communication systems and products designed for the government systems segment to commercial use and vice versa.

 

We believe growth of the commercial satellite market will continue to be driven in coming years by a number of factors, including: (1) the continued growth in worldwide demand for communications services and, in particular, the rise in both consumer and enterprise demand for broadband internet access, (2) the improving cost-effectiveness of satellite communications for many uses, and (3) recent technological advancements that broaden applications for and increase the capacity and efficiency of satellite-based networks. As satellite communications equipment becomes less expensive and new capabilities emerge in satellite communications technology, we believe that the market for satellite communications will offer additional growth opportunities, as service providers seek to rapidly and cost-efficiently deploy broadband communications services across wide geographic areas, both in suburban and

rural areas in the developed world and in developing countries where the deployment of terrestrial high-capacity solutions such as fiber-optic cable is neither cost-effective nor practicable. Satellite communications also provide cost-effective augmentation capability for existing terrestrial networks or broadband service providers to address network congestion caused by the continued exponential increase in the volume of multimedia content accessed via the internet.

 

Our satellite communication systems, ground networking equipment and products cater to a wide range of domestic and international commercial customers and include:

 

 

Satellite Services

 

Our satellite services segment complements our commercial networks segment by providing managed network services for the satellite communication systems of our consumer, enterprise and mobile broadband customers. In addition, our recently acquired WildBlue business provides wholesale and retail satellite-based broadband internet services in the United States via our WildBlue-1 satellite and Telesat’s Anik F2 satellite.

 

Commencing in 2011, we expect this segment to also include broadband services using our new high-capacity Ka-band spot-beam satellite, ViaSat-1, which is planned for launch in early 2011. In recent years, satellite operators have invested in and launched next-generation spot-beam satellites specifically designed for low-cost broadband access. However, we do not believe that these satellites are equipped to deliver acceptable levels of service or data throughputs at sufficiently high speeds and volumes to address anticipated bandwidth demand. As a result, in

January 2008 we announced our plans to develop and launch ViaSat-1, which is intended to provide low-cost high-capacity broadband access in North America. At the time of launch, ViaSat-1 is expected to be the highest capacity, most cost-efficient satellite in the world. We currently estimate that the total data throughput of ViaSat-1 will be approximately 130 Gigabytes per second. With the market demonstrating increasing demand for satellite broadband services, ViaSat-1 is designed to significantly expand the quality, capability and availability of high-speed broadband satellite services for North American consumers and enterprises. In addition, we anticipate that our government systems and commercial networks segments will be able to leverage the launch of ViaSat-1 through the increased sale of next-generation satellite communication systems, ground networking equipment and products that operate on Ka-band frequencies.

 

The primary services offered by our satellite services segment comprise:

 

 

Our Strengths

 

We believe the following strengths position our business to capitalize on the attractive growth opportunities presented in each of our segments:

 

 

 

 

 

Our Strategy

 

Our objective is to leverage our advanced technology and capabilities to (1) increase our role as the U.S. government increases its emphasis on IP-based, highly secure, highly mobile, network-centric warfare, (2) develop high-performance, feature-rich, low-cost technology to grow the size of the consumer satellite broadband, commercial enterprise and networking markets, while also capturing a significant share of these growing markets, and (3) maintain a leadership position, while reducing costs and increasing profitability, in our satellite and wireless communications markets. The principal elements of our strategy include:

 

 

 

Our Customers

 

Initially, we focused primarily on developing satellite communication systems and equipment for the U.S. government, and our U.S. government contracts remain a core part of our business. However, we have also successfully diversified into other related wireless communications and secure networking markets serving a range of government and commercial customers, and over the past few years we have significantly expanded our customer base both domestically and internationally. In addition, in December 2009 we expanded the scope of our satellite services segment through the acquisition of WildBlue, a leading satellite broadband internet service provider.

 

Our customers include the DoD, U.S. National Security Agency, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, allied foreign governments, select other U.S. federal, state and local government agencies, defense contractors, satellite network integrators, large communications service providers and enterprises requiring complex communications and networking solutions. We enter into government contracts either directly with U.S. or foreign governments or indirectly through domestic or international prime contractors. For our commercial contracts, we also act as both a prime contractor and subcontractor for the sale of equipment and services. Customers of our WildBlue service include residential customers and small businesses in the United States, as well as wholesale distribution partners such as DirecTV, EchoStar and the National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative.

 

Our significant customers include the U.S. government, Boeing, Eutelsat, Harris, Northrop Grumman and Raytheon. Revenues from the U.S. government comprised approximately 36%, 30% and 31% of total revenues for fiscal years 2009, 2008 and 2007, respectively. In addition, two commercial customers each comprised approximately 10% and 8% of total revenues in fiscal year 2009, 7% and 9% of total revenues in fiscal year 2008, and 8% and 16% of total revenues in fiscal year 2007, respectively. The smaller of these two commercial customers, however, was WildBlue, which we acquired in December 2009.

Government Contracts

 

Substantial portions of our revenues are generated from contracts and subcontracts with the DoD and other federal government agencies. Many of our contracts are subject to a competitive bid process and are awarded on the basis of technical merit, personnel qualifications, experience and price. We also receive some contract awards involving special technical capabilities on a negotiated, noncompetitive basis due to our unique technical capabilities in special areas. The Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act of 1994 has encouraged the use of commercial type pricing, such as firm fixed-price contracts, on dual use products. Our future revenues and income could be materially affected by changes in procurement policies, a reduction in expenditures for the products and services we provide and other risks generally associated with federal government contracts.

 

We provide products under federal government contracts that usually require performance over a period of several months to five years. Long-term contracts may be conditioned upon continued availability of congressional appropriations. Variances between anticipated budget and congressional appropriations may result in a delay, reduction or termination of these contracts.

 

Our federal government contracts are performed under cost-reimbursement contracts, time-and-materials contracts and fixed-price contracts. Cost-reimbursement contracts provide for reimbursement of costs and payment of a fee. The fee may be either fixed by the contract or variable, based upon cost control, quality, delivery and the customer’s subjective evaluation of the work. Under time-and-materials contracts, we receive a fixed amount by labor category for services performed and are reimbursed for the cost of materials purchased to perform the contract. Under a fixed-price contract, we agree to perform specific work for a fixed price and, accordingly, realize the benefit or detriment to the extent that the actual cost of performing the work differs from the contract price. In fiscal year 2009, approximately 22% of our total government revenues were generated from cost-reimbursement contracts with the federal government or our prime contractors, 1% from time-and-materials contracts and approximately 78% from fixed-price contracts.

 

Our allowable federal government contract costs and fees are subject to audit by the DCMA and DCAA. Audits may result in non-reimbursement of some contract costs and fees and delays in payments for work performed. While the government reserves the right to conduct further audits, audits conducted for periods through fiscal year 2002 have resulted in no material cost recovery disallowances for us. See “Risk Factors — Our Business Could Be Adversely Affected by a Negative Audit by the U.S. Government.”

 

Our federal government contracts may be terminated, in whole or in part, at the convenience of the U.S. government. If a termination for convenience occurs, the U.S. government generally is obligated to pay the cost incurred by us under the contract plus a pro rata fee based upon the work completed. Contracts with prime contractors may have negotiated termination schedules that apply. When we participate as a subcontractor, we are at risk if the prime contractor does not perform its contract. Similarly, when we act as a prime contractor employing subcontractors, we are at risk if a subcontractor does not perform its subcontract.

 

Some of our federal government contracts contain options that are exercisable at the discretion of the customer. An option may extend the period of performance for one or more years for additional consideration on terms and conditions similar to those contained in the original contract. An option may also increase the level of effort and assign new tasks to us. In our experience, options are exercised more often than not.

 

Our eligibility to perform under our federal government contracts requires us to maintain adequate security measures. We have implemented security procedures that we believe adequately satisfy the requirements of our federal government contracts.

 

Research and Development

 

The industries in which we compete are subject to rapid technological developments, evolving standards, changes in customer requirements and continuing developments in the communications and networking environment. Our continuing ability to adapt to these changes, and to develop new and enhanced products, is a significant factor in maintaining or improving our competitive position and our prospects for growth. Therefore, we continue to make significant investments in product development.

We conduct the majority of our research and product development activities in-house and have a research and development and engineering staff, which includes over 1,000 engineers. Our product development activities focus on products that we consider viable revenue opportunities to support all of our business segments. A significant portion of our research and development efforts have generally been conducted in direct response to the specific requirements of a customer’s order and, accordingly, these amounts are included in the cost of sales when incurred and the related funding is included in revenues at that time.

 

The portion of our contract revenues which includes research and development funded by government and commercial customers was approximately $126.7 million, $112.2 million and $122.9 million during fiscal years 2009, 2008 and 2007, respectively. In addition, we incurred $29.6 million, $32.3 million and $21.6 million during fiscal years 2009, 2008 and 2007, respectively, on independent research and development, which comprises research and development not directly funded by a third party. Funded research and development contains a profit component and is therefore not directly comparable to independent research and development. As a government contractor, we also are able to recover a portion of our independent research and development expenses, consisting primarily of salaries and other personnel-related expenses, supplies and prototype materials related to research and development programs.

 

Intellectual Property

 

We seek to establish and maintain our proprietary rights in our technology and products through a combination of patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secret laws and contractual rights. We also seek to maintain our trade secrets and confidential information through nondisclosure policies, the use of appropriate confidentiality agreements and other security measures. We have registered a number of patents and trademarks in the U.S. and in other countries and have a substantial number of patent filings pending determination. There can be no assurance, however, that these rights can be successfully enforced against competitive products in any particular jurisdiction. Although we believe the protection afforded by our patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets and contracts has value, the rapidly changing technology in the networking, satellite and wireless communications industries and uncertainties in the legal process make our future success dependent primarily on the innovative skills, technological expertise and management abilities of our employees rather than on the protections afforded by patent, copyright, trademark and trade secret laws and contractual rights. Accordingly, while these legal protections are important, they must be supported by other factors such as the expanding knowledge, ability and experience of our personnel, and the continued development of new products and product enhancements.

 

Certain of our products include software or other intellectual property licensed from third parties. While it may be necessary in the future to seek or renew licenses relating to various aspects of our products, we believe, based upon past experience and standard industry practice, that such licenses generally could be obtained on commercially reasonable terms. Nonetheless, there can be no assurance that the necessary licenses would be available on acceptable terms, if at all. Our inability to obtain these licenses or other rights or to obtain such licenses or rights on favorable terms, or the need to engage in litigation regarding these matters, could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results and financial condition.

 

The industry in which we compete is characterized by rapidly changing technology, a large number of patents, and frequent claims and related litigation regarding patent and other intellectual property rights. We cannot assure you that our patents and other proprietary rights will not be challenged, invalidated or circumvented, that others will not assert intellectual property rights to technologies that are relevant to us, or that our rights will give us a competitive advantage. In addition, the laws of some foreign countries may not protect our proprietary rights to the same extent as the laws of the United States.

 

Sales and Marketing

 

We have a sales presence in various domestic and foreign locations, and we sell our products and services both directly and indirectly through channel partners, as described below:

 

 

 

Our marketing team works closely with our sales, research and product development organizations and our customers to increase the awareness of the ViaSat brand through a mix of positive program performance and our customers’ recommendation as well as public relations, advertising, trade show participation and conference speaking engagements by providing communications that keep the market current on our products and features. Our marketing team also identifies and sizes new target markets for our products, creates awareness of our company and products, and generates contacts and leads within these targeted markets.

 

Competition

 

The markets in which we compete are characterized by rapid change, converging technologies and a migration to solutions that offer superior advantages. These market factors represent both an opportunity and a competitive threat to us.

 

Within our government systems segment, we generally compete with manufacturers of defense electronics products, systems or subsystems, such as BAE Systems, General Dynamics, Harris, L-3 Communications, Rockwell Collins and similar companies. We may also occasionally compete directly with the largest defense prime contractors, including Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman or Raytheon Systems. These companies, while competitors, can also be our customers or partners on government projects. Accordingly, maintaining an open and cooperative relationship is important. Almost all of the companies we compete with in the government systems segment are substantially larger than we are and may have more extensive engineering, manufacturing and marketing capabilities than we do. As a result, these competitors may be able to adapt more quickly to changing technology or market conditions or may be able to devote greater resources to the development, promotion and sale of their products.

 

In our commercial networks and satellite services segments, we compete with Gilat, Hughes Communications and iDirect Technologies, each of which offers a broad range of satellite communications products and services, and with other terrestrial-based internet service providers in areas where such competing services are available. Our principal competitors in the supply of antenna systems are Andrew Corporation, General Dynamics (VertexRSI) and L-3 Titan.

The overall number of our competitors may increase, and the identity and composition of competitors may change. As we continue to expand our sales globally, we may see new competition in different geographic regions. Many of our competitors have significant competitive advantages, including strong customer relationships, more experience with regulatory compliance, greater financial and management resources and control over central communications networks.

 

To compete with these providers, we emphasize:

 

 

While we believe we compete successfully in each of these factors, we expect to face intense competition in each of our markets.

 

Manufacturing

 

Our manufacturing objective is to produce high-quality products that conform to specifications at the lowest possible manufacturing cost. We primarily utilize a range of contract manufacturers, based on the volume and complexity of the production, to reduce the costs of products and to support rapid increases in delivery rates when needed. As part of our manufacturing process, we conduct extensive testing and quality control procedures for all products before they are delivered to customers.

 

Contract manufacturers produce products for many different customers and are able to pass on the benefits of large scale manufacturing to their customers. These manufacturers are able to achieve high quality products with lower levels of costs by (1) exercising their high-volume purchasing power, (2) employing advanced and efficient production equipment and capital intensive systems whose costs are leveraged across their broad customer base, and (3) using a cost-effective skilled workforce. Our primary contract manufacturers include Benchmark, EADS, Harris, IEC Electronics, MTI, Secure Communications and Spectral Response.

 

Our experienced management team facilitates an efficient contract manufacturing process through the development of strong relationships with a number of different domestic and off-shore contract manufacturers. By negotiating beneficial contract provisions and purchasing some of the equipment needed to manufacture our products, we retain the ability to move the production of our products from one contract manufacturing source to another if required. Our operations management has experience in the successful transition from in-house production to contract manufacturing. The degree to which we employ contract manufacturing depends on the maturity of the product. We intend to limit our internal manufacturing capacity to new product development support and customized products that need to be manufactured in strict accordance with a customer’s specifications and delivery schedule. Therefore, our internal manufacturing capability for standard products has been, and is expected to continue to be, very limited and we intend to rely on contract manufacturers for large-scale manufacturing.

 

We also rely on outside vendors to manufacture specific components and subassemblies used in the production of our products. Some components, subassemblies and services necessary for the manufacture of our products are obtained from a sole source supplier or a limited group of suppliers.

Regulatory Environment

 

We are required to comply with the laws and regulations of, and often obtain approvals from, national and local authorities in connection with the services that we provide. In particular, we provide a number of services that rely on the use of radio frequencies, and the provision of such services is highly regulated. National authorities generally require that the satellites they authorize be operated in a manner consistent with the regulations and procedures of the ITU, which require the coordination of the operation of satellite systems in certain circumstances, and more generally are intended to avoid the occurrence of harmful interference among different users of the radio spectrum.

 

We also produce a variety of communications systems and networking equipment, the design, manufacture, and marketing of which are subject to the laws and regulations of the jurisdictions in which we sell such equipment. We are subject to export control laws and regulations, and trade and economic sanctions laws and regulations, with respect to the export of such systems and equipment. As a government contractor, we are subject to United States procurement laws and regulations. We also participate in joint ventures that may be subject to foreign regulation.

 

Radio Frequency Regulation

 

The commercial use of radio frequencies in the United States is subject to the jurisdiction of the FCC under the Communications Act of 1934, as amended (Communications Act). The FCC is responsible for licensing the operation of satellite earth stations and spacecraft, and for regulating the technical and other aspects of the operation of these facilities.

 

Earth Stations.  The Communications Act requires a license for the operation of satellite earth station facilities in the United States. We currently hold licenses authorizing us to operate various earth stations within the United States, including but not limited to user terminals, “gateway” facilities and network hubs. These licenses typically are granted for 10 to 15 year terms, and renewed in the ordinary course. Material changes in these operations would require prior approval by the FCC. The operation of our earth stations is subject to various license conditions, as well as the technical and operational requirements of the FCC’s rules and regulations.

 

Space Stations.  In the United States, the FCC authorizes the launch and operation of commercial spacecraft, and also authorizes non-U.S.-licensed spacecraft to be used to serve the United States. The FCC has authorized the use of the Anik F2, WildBlue-1 and ViaSat-1 spacecraft to serve the United States. The use of these spacecraft in our business is subject to various conditions in the underlying authorizations, as well as the technical and operational requirements of the FCC’s rules and regulations. For example, in granting such authorization with respect to ViaSat-1, which is not yet operational, the FCC imposed specific implementation milestones that we must satisfy in order to maintain that authorization. Specifically, the authorization requires that we: (1) enter into a binding non-contingent contract to construct the licensed satellite system by August 18, 2010, (2) complete critical design review by August 18, 2011, (3) begin construction by August 18, 2012, and (4) launch and operate by August 18, 2014. We believe that we have satisfied the first three of these milestones, and plan to satisfy the fourth of these milestones in 2011, well in advance of the deadline.

 

Universal Service.  Certain of our services may constitute the provision of telecommunications to, from or within the United States, and may require us to contribute a percentage of our revenues from such services to universal service support mechanisms that subsidize the provision of services to low-income consumers, high-cost areas, schools, libraries and rural health care providers. This percentage is set each calendar quarter by the FCC, and currently is 14.1%. Current FCC rules permit us to pass this universal service contribution through to our customers. The FCC also is considering whether and how to alter the regulatory framework governing federal universal service support mechanisms. Some proposals being considered would expand the contribution base for the universal service and similar programs to include revenues from the provision of broadband internet access services such as our WildBlue service. The adoption of such proposals would expand significantly the percentage of our revenues subject to such assessments, and could have a material adverse impact on our business.

 

CALEA.  We are obligated to comply with the requirements of the Federal Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA), which requires telecommunications providers and broadband internet access providers to ensure that law enforcement agencies are able to conduct lawfully-authorized surveillance of users of their services.

Net Neutrality.  In October 2009, the FCC proposed and sought public comment on rules intended to preserve the openness of the internet, a concept generally referred to as “net neutrality.” The proposed rules would, among other things, prohibit facilities-based broadband internet access service providers from preventing end-user customers from accessing lawful content or running applications of their choice over the internet, and from connecting and using devices that do not harm the network; they also would require facilities-based broadband internet access service providers to treat lawful content, applications, and services in a nondiscriminatory manner, and to make certain disclosures concerning their practices as they relate to the openness of their networks. However, the FCC’s proposal would permit us to employ reasonable techniques to manage traffic on our network. In addition, the FCC’s proposal would exempt from these rules (1) services provided to national or homeland security authorities, and (2) certain “managed” or specialized services provided to enterprise customers. Many of our services could fall within these categories of exempt services, and we do not believe that these rules as proposed would likely have a material impact on our operations. If the FCC were to adopt different rules, though, or construe narrowly or eliminate its proposed exemptions, the impact of any final rules on our operations could be different.

 

Foreign Licensing

 

The spacecraft we use or are planning to use are subject to the regulatory authority of, and conditions imposed by, foreign governments. Anik F2 and WildBlue-1 operate under authority granted by the government of Canada. ViaSat-1 operates under authority granted by the governments of the Isle of Man and the United Kingdom. The use of these spacecraft in our business is subject to various conditions in their underlying authorizations, as well as the technical and operational requirements of the rules and regulations of those jurisdictions.

 

Equipment Design, Manufacture, and Marketing

 

We must comply with the applicable laws and regulations and, where required, obtain the approval of the regulatory authority of each country in which we design, manufacture, or market our communications systems and networking equipment. Applicable laws and regulatory requirements vary from country to country, and jurisdiction to jurisdiction. The increasing demand for wireless communications has exerted pressure on regulatory bodies worldwide to adopt new standards for these products, generally following extensive investigation and deliberation over competing technologies. The delays inherent in this government approval process have in the past caused and may in the future cause the cancellation, postponement or rescheduling of the installation of communication systems by our customers, which in turn may have a material adverse impact on the sale of our products to the customers.

 

Equipment Testing and Verification.  In the United States, certain equipment that we manufacture must comply with applicable technical requirements intended to minimize radio interference to other communications services and ensure product safety. In the United States, the FCC is responsible for ensuring that communications devices comply with technical requirements for minimizing radio interference and human exposure to radio emissions. The FCC requires that equipment be tested either by the manufacturer or by a private testing organization to ensure compliance with the applicable technical requirements. For other classes of device, the FCC requires submission of an application, which must be approved by the FCC, or in some instances may be approved by a private testing organization.

 

Export Controls.  Due to the nature and sophistication of our communications products, we must comply with applicable U.S. government and other agency regulations regarding the handling and export of certain of our products. This often requires extra or special handling of these products and could increase our costs. Failure to comply with these regulations could result in substantial harm to the company, including fines, penalties and the forfeiture of future rights to sell or export these products.

 

Other Regulations

 

As a defense contractor, our contract costs are audited and reviewed by the DCAA. Audits and investigations are conducted from time to time to determine if the performance and administration of our U.S. government contracts are in compliance with applicable contractual requirements and procurement regulations and other applicable federal statutes and regulations. Under current U.S. government procurement regulations, a contractor, if

indicted or deemed in violation of procurement or other federal civil laws, could be subject to fines, penalties, repayments or other damages. U.S. government regulations also provide that certain findings against a contractor may lead to suspension or debarment from eligibility for awards of new U.S. government contracts.

 

We are also subject to a variety of local, state and federal government regulations relating to the storage, discharge, handling, emission, generation, manufacture and disposal of toxic or other hazardous substances used to manufacture our products. The failure to comply with current or future regulations could result in the imposition of substantial fines on us, suspension of production, alteration of our manufacturing processes or cessation of operations. To date, these regulations have not had a material effect on our business, as we have neither incurred significant costs to maintain compliance nor to remedy past noncompliance, and we do not expect such regulations to have a material effect on our business in the current fiscal year.

 

Employees

 

As of January 1, 2010, we employed approximately 2,000 individuals worldwide. We consider the relationships with our employees to be positive. Competition for technical personnel in our industry is intense. We believe our future success depends in part on our continued ability to hire, assimilate and retain qualified personnel. To date, we believe we have been successful in recruiting qualified employees, but there is no assurance we will continue to be successful in the future.

 

Properties

 

Our worldwide headquarters are located at our Carlsbad, California campus, consisting of approximately 425,000 square feet, under leases expiring between fiscal year 2017 and fiscal year 2019. In addition to our Carlsbad campus, we have facilities consisting of (1) approximately 20,000 square feet in San Diego, California under a lease expiring in 2015, (2) approximately 63,000 square feet in Denver, Colorado under a lease expiring in 2011, (3) approximately 146,000 square feet in Duluth, Georgia under a lease expiring in 2016, (4) approximately 48,000 square feet in Germantown, Maryland with a lease expiring in 2011, (5) approximately 44,000 square feet in Gilbert, Arizona under a lease expiring in 2014 and (6) approximately 34,000 square feet in Cleveland, Ohio under a lease expiring in 2016. We also maintain offices or a sales presence in Arlington (Virginia), Boston (Massachusetts), Denver (Colorado), Linthicum Heights (Maryland), Tampa (Florida), Australia, Canada, China, India, Italy, Spain and Switzerland, and operate seven gateway ground stations supporting our WildBlue service across the United States and Canada. Although we believe that our existing facilities are suitable and adequate for our present purposes, we anticipate operating additional regional sales offices in fiscal year 2010 and beyond. Each of our segments uses each of these facilities.

 

Legal Proceedings

 

From time to time, we are involved in a variety of claims, suits, investigations and proceedings arising in the ordinary course of business, including actions with respect to intellectual property claims, breach of contract claims, labor and employment claims, tax and other matters. Although claims, suits, investigations and proceedings are inherently uncertain and their results cannot be predicted with certainty, we believe that the resolution of our current pending matters will not have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or liquidity. Regardless of the outcome, litigation can have an adverse impact on us because of defense costs, diversion of management resources and other factors. In addition, it is possible that an unfavorable resolution of one or more such proceedings could in the future materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations or liquidity in a particular period.

 

The following table sets forth the name of each selling stockholder, the number of shares which may be offered by each selling stockholder pursuant to this prospectus supplement (assuming that the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised and is exercised in full), the number of shares of common stock owned beneficially by each selling stockholder as of March 16, 2010, and the number of shares to be owned by each selling stockholder after this offering (assuming that the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised and is exercised in full).

 

Beneficial ownership is determined in accordance with rules of the SEC and includes shares over which the indicated beneficial owner exercises voting and/or investment power. Shares of common stock subject to options currently exercisable or exercisable within 60 days are deemed outstanding for computing the percentage ownership of the person holding the options but are not deemed outstanding for computing the percentage ownership of any other person. Except as otherwise indicated, we believe the beneficial owners of the common stock listed below, based on information furnished by them, have sole voting and investment power with respect to the number of shares listed opposite their names.

 

The information below is based upon information provided by the selling stockholders.

 

 

 

 

We estimate that the net proceeds to us from this offering will be approximately $86.2 million or approximately $100.5 million if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares in full, in each case after deducting underwriting discounts and estimated offering expenses. We will not receive any proceeds from sales made by the selling stockholders. We expect to use the net proceeds from this offering for general corporate purposes, which may include working capital, capital expenditures, financing costs related to the purchase, launch and operation of ViaSat-1 or any future satellite, or other potential acquisitions.

 

Pending application of the net proceeds as described above, we may use all or a portion of the net proceeds to repay outstanding borrowings under our Credit Facility and will invest the remaining net proceeds in U.S. government obligations, bank deposits or in other short-term, investment-grade, interest-bearing securities.

 

Borrowings under the Credit Facility bear interest, at our option, at either (1) the highest of the Federal Funds rate plus 0.50%, the Eurodollar rate plus 1.00% or the administrative agent’s prime rate as announced from time to time, or (2) the Eurodollar rate plus, in the case of each of (1) and (2), an applicable margin that is based on the ratio of our debt to EBITDA. At January 1, 2010, the effective interest rate on our outstanding borrowings under the Credit Facility was 4.25%. The maturity date under our Credit Facility is July 1, 2012. The principal amount outstanding under our Credit Facility as of the date of this prospectus supplement was used to fund a portion of the purchase price of the WildBlue acquisition.

 

The following table sets forth our unaudited consolidated cash and cash equivalents and capitalization as of January 1, 2010:

 

 

You should read this table together with “Use of Proceeds” included elsewhere in this prospectus supplement and our consolidated financial statements and the related notes incorporated by reference herein.

 

 

The number of shares of our common stock to be outstanding immediately after this offering is based on 36,466,130 shares outstanding as of January 1, 2010 and excludes as of that date:

 

 

Under the terms and subject to the conditions contained in an underwriting agreement dated the date of this prospectus supplement, the underwriters named below, for whom Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated, Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated and Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC are acting as representatives (the Representatives), have severally agreed to purchase, and we and the selling stockholders have agreed to sell to them, severally, the number of shares indicated below: