OCZ Technology Provides Further Update on its Business

[btarunr]

OCZ Technology Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: OCZ), a leading provider of high-performance solid-state drives (SSDs) for computing devices and systems, today announced additional estimated financial information in an effort to further communicate with key constituents of the Company.

The following preliminary estimates are subject to further review by the Company and its auditors. The Company estimates that its quarterly revenue will range between $65 million to $85 million in each quarter for the second and third fiscal quarters of 2013. This range takes into effect the impacts of the reclassification of certain customer costs from operating expenses to revenue, the significant reduction of channel inventory, the timing of revenue recognition, and the levels of reserves for product returns.

As previously disclosed the Company had streamlined its business, reduced its workforce and discontinued approximately 150 product variations, including approximately 80% of its lower-end value products. The Company estimates that inventory charges primarily due to product discontinuance and market prices will be approximately $15 million in the second fiscal quarter and approximately $30 million in the third fiscal quarter. As of the end of December, certain balance sheet items were estimated to be at the following approximate levels: cash of $9 million, trade receivables of $35 million, with related day sales outstanding of 55, bank debt of $7 million, and trade payables of $30 million.

"We feel that it is appropriate to release information to our valued investors, customers and suppliers in order to not only build credibility but to be as transparent as possible during this period of limited public information. We continue to improve the operating aspects of the company and are making progress on releasing the restated financial statements. The revenue levels of our two unreported quarters were lower than previous revenue results due to significant discounting and the reduction of channel inventory in Q3. Both of these effects are now mostly behind us and moving forward there will be a new revenue baseline which will be lower than previous reported revenues due to the impact of the Company's refined focus towards the mainstream and higher-end consumer SSD products, as well as addressing enterprise and OEM solid state storage solutions. We believe that this strategy will allow us to build a profitable business within Fiscal 2014, which starts at the end of February, and should allow the Company to grow between 20-30% on a year over year basis," stated Ralph Schmitt, CEO of OCZ Technology.

[Jorge]

I doubt the SEC nor anyone in the financial community will have any confidence in OCZ financial statements for years to come.

[unholythree]

I just hope if they crash and burn they don't take Power PC and Cooling down with them.

[jmcslob]

Ending their lower end value products will likely lower their desirability to most people...
Methinks the end is near for OCZ...

I think the better strategy would be to cut the upper 15% high cost products along with the lower 40% to appeal more to the masses while streamlining their product line and cutting costs.