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| NVDA > SEC Filings for NVDA > Form 10-K on 13-Mar-2009 | All Recent SEC Filings |
13-Mar-2009
Annual Report
The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results
of operations should be read in conjunction with "Item 1A. Risk Factors", "Item
6. Selected Financial Data", our Consolidated Financial Statements and related
Notes thereto, as well as other cautionary statements and risks described
elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, before deciding to purchase, hold
or sell shares of our common stock.
Overview
Our Company
NVIDIA Corporation is the worldwide leader in visual computing technologies and the inventor of the graphic processing unit, or the GPU, a high-performance processor which generates realistic, interactive graphics on workstations, personal computers, game consoles, and mobile devices. Our products are designed to generate realistic, interactive graphics on consumer and professional computing devices. We serve the entertainment and consumer market with our GeForce graphics products, the professional design and visualization market with our Quadro graphics products, the high-performance computing market with our Tesla computing solutions products, and the handheld computing market with our Tegra computer-on-a-chip products. We have four major product-line operating segments: the GPU business, the professional solutions business, or PSB, the media and communications processor, or MCP, business, and the consumer products business, or CPB.
Our GPU business is comprised primarily of our GeForce products that support desktop and notebook personal computers, or PCs, plus memory products. Our PSB is comprised of our NVIDIA Quadro professional workstation products and other professional graphics products, including our NVIDIA Tesla high-performance computing products. Our MCP business is comprised of NVIDIA nForce core logic and motherboard GPU, or mGPU products. Our CPB is comprised of our Tegra and GoForce mobile brands and products that support netbooks, personal navigation devices, or PNDs, handheld personal media players, or PMPs, personal digital assistants, or PDAs, cellular phones and other handheld devices. CPB also includes license, royalty, other revenue and associated costs related to video game consoles and other digital consumer electronics devices. Original equipment manufacturers, original design manufacturers, add-in-card manufacturers, system builders and consumer electronics companies worldwide utilize our processors as a core component of their entertainment, business and professional solutions.
We were incorporated in California in April 1993 and reincorporated in Delaware in April 1998. Our headquarter facilities are in Santa Clara, California. Our Internet address is www.nvidia.com. The contents of our website are not a part of this Form 10-K.
Recent Developments, Future Objectives and Challenges
Our GPU business is comprised primarily of our GeForce products that support desktop and notebook PCs, plus memory products. During fiscal year 2009, we launched several new GPUs in the GeForce family, including the GeForce 9600 GT, the GeForce 9800 GX2, and the GeForce 9800 GTX. We also launched the GeForce GTX 280 and 260 GPU products, which represent the second generation of our unified architecture and, based on a variety of benchmarks and resolutions, deliver approximately 50 percent more gaming performance than our GeForce 8800 Ultra GPU. We also launched the GeForce GTX 295 and GeForce GTX 285 which were designed based on Compute Unified Device Architecture, or CUDA, technology. The GeForce GTX 295 is among the world's fastest dual GPU solutions featuring the power of two GeForce GTX 200 GPUs on a single card. The GeForce GTX 285 is among the world's most powerful single GPU solution and works efficiently in complex DirectX 10 environments with extreme HD resolutions. We also shipped notebook products from the GeForce 100M Series, which includes the GeForce G105M and the GeForce G110M to meet the performance demands of today's visual computing applications. The GeForce G105M is over 55 percent faster than our previous product in its segment, while the GeForce G110M is 35 percent faster than our previous mainstream GPU.
In fiscal year 2009, we completed our acquisition of Ageia Technologies, Inc., or Ageia, an industry leader in gaming physics technology. We believe that the combination of the GPU and physics engine brands results in an enhanced visual experience for the gaming world. Subsequent to our acquisition of Ageia, we launched the GeForce 9800 GTX+, GeForce 9800 GT, and GeForce 9500 GT GPUs, which provide support for our PhysX physics engine and CUDA parallel processing across a wide range of price segments.
Our PSB is comprised of our Quadro professional workstation products and other professional graphics products, including our NVIDIA Tesla high-performance computing products. During fiscal year 2009, we launched several new Quadro solutions, including the Quadro FX 3600M Professional, and the Quadro Plex D Series, a dedicated desk side Visual Computing System, or VCS, system that also can be configured (using two Quadro Plex D systems) for a 3U configuration. We also launched five new Quadro FX notebook GPUs that spanned from ultra-high performance to ultra mobility, as well as the Quadro CX accelerator for Adobe's Creative Suite 4, or Adobe CS4, content creation software.
During fiscal year 2009, we also launched the Tesla C1060 computing processor and the Tesla S1070 computing system. Tesla is a new family of GPU computing products that delivers processing capabilities for high-performance computing applications, and marks our entry into the high-performance computing industry. The Tesla family also consists of the C870 GPU computing processor, the D870 Deskside Supercomputer and the S870 1U Computing Server. We believe we are in an era of GPU computing, where our Compute Unified Device Architecture, or CUDA, parallel processing architecture can accelerate compute-intensive applications by significant multiples over that of a CPU alone. NVIDIA CUDA is a general purpose parallel computing architecture that leverages the parallel compute engine in our graphics processing units to solve many complex computational problems in a fraction of the time required on a CPU. In order to program using the CUDA architecture, developers can, today, use C, one of the most widely used high-level programming languages, which can then be run at great performance on a CUDA enabled processor. We expect other languages to be supported in the future, including FORTRAN and C++. With CUDA, we are able to speed up general purpose compute-intensive applications like we do for 3D graphics processing. Developers are able to speed-up algorithms in areas ranging from nano molecular dynamics to image processing, medical image reconstruction and derivatives modeling for financial risk analysis. Many PC OEMs now offer high performance computing solutions with Tesla for use by customers around the world. Researchers use CUDA to accelerate their time-to-discovery, and popular off-the-shelf software packages are now CUDA accelerated.
We have achieved a leading position in the professional graphics category by providing innovative GPU technology, software, and tools that integrate the capabilities of our GPU with a broad array of visualization products.
Our MCP business is comprised of NVIDIA nForce core logic and NVIDIA GeForce mGPU products. Our NVIDIA nForce and GeForce mGPU families of products address the core logic market. During fiscal year 2008, we announced a new technology named Hybrid SLI, which combines a powerful yet energy-efficient engine with our multi-GPU SLI technology. During fiscal year 2009, we shipped Hybrid SLI DirectX 10, or DX10, mGPUs - the GeForce 8000 GPU series. We also extended the reach of SLI technology into the performance category with the launch of our overclockable NVIDIA nForce 790i Ultra SLI MCP for Intel processors. We also launched SLI for Intel Broomfield CPU platforms.
In fiscal year 2009, we also launched the GeForce 9400M mGPU along with Apple, Inc., or Apple, for their new lineup of Mac notebooks. The GeForce 9400M integrates three complex chips - the northbridge, the input-output network processor, and the GeForce GPU into a single chip and, as a result, significantly improves performance over Intel integrated graphics. Apple's MacBook and MacBook Air notebook computers come standard with the GeForce 9400M. Apple's MacBook Pro notebook computer comes standard with the hybrid combination of two GeForce GPUs - a GeForce 9400M for maximum battery life and a GeForce 9600M GT for high performance mode. We also launched the GeForce 9400 and 9300 mGPUs for Intel desktop PCs. These new mGPUs set a new price/performance standard for integrated graphics by combining the power of three different chips into one highly compact and efficient GPU.
Additionally, in fiscal year 2009, we announced the NVIDIA Ion Platform, which combines the GeForce 9400 GPU with the Intel Atom CPU. The combination enables netbooks, small form factor and all-in-one PCs to play rich media and popular games in high definition.
Our CPB is comprised of our Tegra and GoForce mobile brands and products that support netbooks, PMPs, PDAs, cellular phones and other handheld devices. This business also includes license, royalty, other revenue and associated costs related to video game consoles and other digital consumer electronics devices.
During fiscal year 2009, we launched the NVIDIA Tegra APX 2500 computer-on-a-chip. In February 2009, we announced the NVIDIA Tegra APX 2600 computer-on-a-chip and that we have worked closely with Google Inc., or Google, and the Open Handset Alliance to utilize Android, an open mobile phone software stack, with the NVIDIA Tegra series. During fiscal year 2009, we also launched the NVIDIA Tegra 600 and 650 products, which are small, advanced, highly-integrated visual computer-on-a-chip products. These products feature enhanced multimedia functionality and deliver many times the power efficiency of competing products.
We also introduced GeForce 3D Vision, a high-definition 3D stereo solution for the home. 3D Vision is a combination of high-tech wireless glasses, a high-power infrared emitter and advanced software that transforms hundreds of PC games into full stereoscopic 3D.
On September 18, 2008, we announced a workforce reduction to allow for continued investment in strategic growth areas, which was completed in the third quarter of fiscal year 2009. As a result, we eliminated approximately 360 positions worldwide, or about 6.5% of our global workforce. During fiscal year 2009, expenses associated with the workforce reduction, which were comprised primarily of severance and benefits payments to these employees, totaled $8.0 million. We anticipate that the expected decrease in operating expenses from this action will be offset by continued investment in strategic growth areas.
Our products are complex and may contain defects or experience failures due to any number of issues in design, fabrication, packaging, materials and/or use within a system. If any of our products or technologies contains a defect, compatibility issue or other error, we may have to invest additional research and development efforts to find and correct the issue. Such efforts could divert our management's and engineers' attention from the development of new products and technologies and could increase our operating costs and reduce our gross margin. In addition, an error or defect in new products or releases or related software drivers after commencement of commercial shipments could result in failure to achieve market acceptance or loss of design wins. Also, we may be required to reimburse customers, including for customers' costs to repair or replace the products in the field. A product recall or a significant number of product returns could be expensive, damage our reputation and could result in the shifting of business to our competitors. Costs associated with correcting defects, errors, bugs or other issues could be significant and could materially harm our financial results.
In July 2008, we recorded a $196.0 million charge against cost of revenue to cover anticipated customer warranty, repair, return, replacement and other associated costs arising from a weak die/packaging material set in certain versions of our previous generation MCP and GPU products used in notebook systems. All of our newly manufactured products and all of our products that are currently shipping in volume have a different material set that we believe is more robust.
The previous generation MCP and GPU products that are impacted were included in a number of notebook products that were shipped and sold in significant quantities. Certain notebook configurations of these MCP and GPU products are failing in the field at higher than normal rates. While we have not been able to determine a root cause for these failures, testing suggests a weak material set of die/package combination, system thermal management designs, and customer use patterns are contributing factors. We have worked with our customers to develop and have made available for download a software driver to cause the system fan to begin operation at the powering up of the system and reduce the thermal stress on these chips. We have also recommended to our customers that they consider changing the thermal management of the MCP and GPU products in their notebook system designs. We intend to fully support our customers in their repair and replacement of these impacted MCP and GPU products that fail, and their other efforts to mitigate the consequences of these failures.
We continue to engage in discussions with our supply chain regarding reimbursement to us for some or all of the costs we have incurred and may incur in the future relating to the weak material set. We also continue to seek to access our insurance coverage, which provided us with $8.0 million in related reimbursement during fiscal year 2009. However, there can be no assurance that we will recover any additional reimbursement. We continue to not see any abnormal failure rates in any systems using NVIDIA products other than certain notebook configurations. However, we are continuing to test and otherwise investigate other products. There can be no assurance that we will not discover defects in other MCP or GPU products.
In September, October and November 2008, several putative class action lawsuits were filed against us, asserting various claims related to the impacted MCP and GPU products. Please refer to Note 12 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Part IV, Item 15 of this Form 10-K for further information regarding this litigation.
At the Annual Meeting of Stockholders held on June 19, 2008, our stockholders approved an increase in our authorized number of shares of common stock to 2,000,000,000. The par value of our common stock remained unchanged at $0.001 per share.
Dependence on PC market
We derive and expect to continue to derive the majority of our revenue from the sale or license of products for use in the desktop PC and notebook PC markets, including professional workstations. A reduction in sales of PCs, or a reduction in the growth rate of PC sales, may reduce demand for our products. Changes in demand for our products could be large and sudden. During fiscal year 2009, sales of our desktop GPU products decreased approximately 29% compared to fiscal year 2008. These decreases were primarily due to the Standalone Desktop and Standalone Notebook GPU market segment decline as reported in the PC Graphics December 2008 Report from Mercury Research. Since PC manufacturers often build inventories during periods of anticipated growth, they may be left with excess inventories if growth slows or if they incorrectly forecast product transitions. In these cases, PC manufacturers may abruptly suspend substantially all purchases of additional inventory from suppliers like us until their excess inventory has been absorbed, which would have a negative impact on our financial results.
Seasonality
Our industry is largely focused on the consumer products market. Historically, we have seen stronger revenue in the second half of our fiscal year than in the first half of our fiscal year, primarily due to back-to-school and holiday demand. This seasonal trend did not occur in fiscal year 2009. Revenue in the second half of fiscal year 2009 declined by 33% when compared to revenue from the first half of fiscal year 2009. The current recessionary economic environment has created substantial uncertainty in our business. There can be no assurance that the historical seasonal trend will resume in the future.
Subsequent Event
On February 11, 2009, we announced that our Board of Directors approved a cash tender offer for certain employee stock options. The tender offer commenced on February 11, 2009 and expired at 12:00 midnight (Pacific Time) on March 11, 2009. The tender offer applied to outstanding stock options held by employees with an exercise price equal to or greater than $17.50 per share. None of the non-employee members of our Board of Directors or our officers who file reports under Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, including our former Chief Financial Officer, Marvin D. Burkett, were eligible to participate in the Offer. All eligible options with exercise prices less than $28.00 per share, but not less than $17.50 per share were eligible to receive a cash payment of $3.00 per option in exchange for the cancellation of the eligible option. All eligible options with exercise prices greater than $28.00 per share were eligible to receive a cash payment of $2.00 per option in exchange for the cancellation of the eligible option.
We use equity to promote employee retention and provide an incentive vehicle valued by employees that is also aligned to stockholder interest. However, our stock price has declined significantly over the past year, and all of our eligible options are "out-of-the-money" (i.e., have exercise prices above our stock price). Therefore, we provided an incentive to employees with an opportunity to obtain cash payment for their eligible options. Also, the tender offer is expected to increase the number of shares available for issuance under our 2007 Equity Incentive Plan to the extent eligible options were tendered in this tender offer. The tender offer is also expected to reduce the potential dilution to our stockholders that is represented by outstanding stock options, which become additional outstanding shares of our common stock upon exercise.
As of January 25, 2009, there were approximately 33.1 million options eligible to participate in the tender offer. If all these options were tendered and accepted in the offer, the aggregate cash purchase price for these options would be approximately $92.0 million. As a result of the tender offer, we may incur a non-recurring charge of up to approximately $150.0 million if all of the unvested eligible options are tendered. This charge would be reflected in our financial results for the first fiscal quarter of fiscal year 2010 and represents stock-based compensation expense, consisting of the remaining unamortized stock-based compensation expense associated with the unvested portion of the eligible options tendered in the offer, stock-based compensation expense resulting from amounts paid in excess of the fair value of the underlying options, if any, plus associated payroll taxes and professional fees.
We are currently tallying information on the number of options tendered under the offer to determine the actual aggregate cash to be paid in exchange for the cancellation of the eligible options and the non-recurring charge to be incurred pertaining to the unvested eligible options that have been tendered.
Management's discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations are based upon our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. The preparation of these financial statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenue, cost of revenue, expenses and related disclosure of contingencies. On an on-going basis, we evaluate our estimates, including those related to revenue recognition, cash equivalents and marketable securities, accounts receivable, inventories, income taxes, goodwill, stock-based compensation, warranty liabilities, litigation, investigation and settlement costs and other contingencies. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities.
We believe the following critical accounting policies affect our significant judgments and estimates used in the preparation of our consolidated financial statements. Our management has discussed the development and selection of these critical accounting policies and estimates with the Audit Committee of our Board of Directors, or Board. The Audit Committee has reviewed our disclosures relating to our critical accounting policies and estimates in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
We recognize revenue from product sales when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, the product has been delivered, the price is fixed and determinable, and collection is reasonably assured. For most sales, we use a binding purchase order and in certain cases we use a contractual agreement as evidence of an arrangement. We consider delivery to occur upon shipment provided title and risk of loss have passed to the customer based on the shipping terms. At the point of sale, we assess whether the arrangement fee is fixed and determinable and whether collection is reasonably assured. If we determine that collection of a fee is not reasonably assured, we defer the fee and recognize revenue at the time collection becomes reasonably assured, which is generally upon receipt of payment.
Our policy on sales to certain distributors, with rights of return, is to defer recognition of revenue and related cost of revenue until the distributors resell the product.
We record estimated reductions to revenue for customer programs at the time revenue is recognized. Our customer programs primarily involve rebates, which are designed to serve as sales incentives to purchasers of our products. We account for rebates in accordance with Emerging Issues Task Force Issue 01-9, or EITF 01-09, Accounting for Consideration Given by a Vendor to a Customer (Including a Reseller of the Vendor's Products) and, as such, we accrue for 100% of the potential rebates and do not apply a breakage factor. Rebates typically expire six months from the date of the original sale, unless we reasonably believe that the customer intends to claim the rebate. Unclaimed rebates are reversed to revenue upon expiration of the rebate.
Our customer programs also include marketing development funds, or MDFs. We account for MDFs as either a reduction of revenue or an operating expense in accordance with EITF 01-09. MDFs represent monies paid to retailers, system builders, original equipment manufacturers, distributors and add-in card partners that are earmarked for market segment development and expansion and typically are designed to support our partners' activities while also promoting our products. Depending on market conditions, we may take actions to increase amounts offered under customer programs, possibly resulting in an incremental reduction of revenue at the time such programs are offered.
We also record a reduction to revenue by establishing a sales return allowance for estimated product returns at the time revenue is recognized, based primarily on historical return rates. However, if product returns for a particular fiscal period exceed historical return rates we may determine that additional sales return allowances are required to properly reflect our estimated exposure for product returns.
For license arrangements that require significant customization of our intellectual property components, we generally recognize this license revenue using the percentage-of-completion method of accounting over the period that services are performed. For all license and service arrangements accounted for under the percentage-of-completion method, we determine progress to completion based on actual direct labor hours incurred to date as a percentage of the estimated total direct labor hours required to complete the project. We periodically evaluate the actual status of each project to ensure that the estimates to complete each contract remain accurate. A provision for estimated losses on contracts is made in the period in which the loss becomes probable and can be reasonably estimated. Costs incurred in advance of revenue recognized are recorded as deferred costs on uncompleted contracts. If the amount billed exceeds the amount of revenue recognized, the excess amount is recorded as deferred revenue. Revenue recognized in any period is dependent on our progress toward completion of projects in progress. Significant management judgment and discretion are used to estimate total direct labor hours. Any changes in or deviations from these estimates could have a material effect on the amount of revenue we recognize in any period.
We maintain an allowance for doubtful accounts receivable for estimated losses resulting from the inability of our customers to make required payments. . . .
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