Connect with us

Technology

TTEC Announces Second Quarter 2024 Financial Results

Published

on

Second Quarter 2024

Revenue was $534.1 Million, down 11.0 Percent
Operating Loss of $224.4 Million or negative 42.0 Percent of Revenue, due to $233.5 Million
Non-cash Goodwill Impairments and Related Tax Adjustments
(Operating Income of $29.5 Million or 5.5 Percent of Revenue Non-GAAP)
Net Loss of $296.8 Million or negative 55.6 Percent of Revenue
(Net Income of $6.6 Million or 1.2 Percent of Revenue Non-GAAP)
Adjusted EBITDA was $46.2 Million or 8.7 Percent of Revenue
Fully Diluted Net Loss Per Share of $6.23 (Net Income Per Share of $0.14 Non-GAAP)

Updated Outlook for Full Year 2024

DENVER, Aug. 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — TTEC Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:TTEC), a leading global CX (customer experience) technology and services innovator for AI-enabled CX with solutions from TTEC Engage and TTEC Digital, announced today financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2024.

“Our results this quarter are impacted by non-cash goodwill impairment charges and related tax adjustments. We continue to operate in a dynamic macroeconomic environment where clients are facing softer demand and budget constraints putting pressure on our top line in the Engage business, while our Digital business had a solid quarter,” commented Ken Tuchman, chairman and chief executive officer of TTEC.

Tuchman continued, “We have continued to implement material cost optimization and transformation initiatives to improve the profitability of our Engage segment. In addition, we are making meaningful progress on our diversification strategy expanding our geographic footprint, attracting new enterprise clients, launching new solutions and deepening our partnerships. With these initiatives, we are confident in our ability to return the company to sustainable long-term growth and increased profitability.”

SECOND QUARTER 2024 FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS                  

Revenue        

Second quarter 2024 GAAP revenue decreased 11.0 percent to $534.1 million compared to $600.4 million in the prior year.Foreign exchange had a $1.8 million negative impact on revenue in the second quarter of 2024.

Income (Loss) from Operations

Second quarter 2024 GAAP loss from operations was $224.4 million, or negative 42.0 percent of revenue, compared to income from operations of $31.3 million, or 5.2 percent of revenue in the prior year. The significant decrease in operating income was primarily the result of a non-cash pre-tax $196 million impairment charge related to the fair value of the TTEC Engage reporting unit, in addition to other factors.Non-GAAP income from operations, excluding restructuring and impairment charges, equity-based compensation expenses, amortization of purchased intangibles, and other items, was $29.5 million, or 5.5 percent of revenue, compared to $50.6 million, or 8.4 percent, for the prior year.Foreign exchange had a $0.8 million positive impact on Non-GAAP income from operations in the second quarter of 2024.

Adjusted EBITDA    

Second quarter 2024 Non-GAAP Adjusted EBITDA was $46.2 million, or 8.7 percent of revenue, compared to $67.2 million, or 11.2 percent of revenue, in the prior year.

Net Income (Loss) Per Share

Second quarter 2024 GAAP fully diluted net loss per share was $6.23 compared to net income per share of $0.08 in the prior year.Non-GAAP fully diluted net income per share was $0.14 compared to Non-GAAP net income per share of $0.55 in the prior year.

CASH FLOW AND BALANCE SHEET 

Cash flow from operations in the second quarter of 2024 was $49.3 million compared to $95.9 million for the second quarter of 2023.Capital expenditures in the second quarter of 2024 were $14.2 million compared to $19.3 million for the second quarter of 2023.As of June 30, 2024, TTEC had cash and cash equivalents of $79.8 million and debt of $933.2 million, resulting in a net debt position of $853.4 million. This compares to a net debt position of $804.2 million for the same period in 2023.As of June 30, 2024, TTEC’s remaining borrowing capacity under its revolving credit facility was approximately $100 million compared to $265 million for the same period in 2023.On April 30, 2024, TTEC paid a dividend of $0.06 per share, or $2.8 million, to shareholders of record as of April 3, 2024.

SEGMENT REPORTING & COMMENTARY

TTEC reports financial results for TTEC Digital and TTEC Engage business segments. Financial highlights for the two business segments are provided below.

TTEC Digital – Design, build and operate tech-enabled, insight-driven CX solutions

Second quarter 2024 GAAP revenue for TTEC Digital decreased 1.0 percent to $116.4 million from $117.6 million for the year ago period. Income from operations was $6.0 million or 5.2 percent of revenue compared to an operating income of $7.2 million, or 6.1 percent of revenue, in the prior year.Non-GAAP income from operations was $15.0 million, or 12.8 percent of revenue, compared to Non-GAAP income from operations of $14.7 million, or 12.5 percent of revenue, in the prior year.

TTEC Engage – Digitally-enabled customer care, acquisition, and fraud mitigation services

Second quarter 2024 GAAP revenue for TTEC Engage decreased 13.5 percent to $417.7 million from $482.8 million for the year ago period. Loss from operations was ($230.4) million, or negative 55.2 percent of revenue, compared to operating income of $24.1 million, or 5.0 percent of revenue in the prior year.Non-GAAP income from operations was $14.6 million, or 3.5 percent of revenue, compared to Non-GAAP income from operations of $35.9 million, or 7.4 percent of revenue, in the prior year.Foreign exchange had a $1.7 million negative impact on revenue and $0.8 million positive impact on income from operations.

BUSINESS OUTLOOK 

“While our second quarter Non-GAAP results were largely in line with our expectations, we see continued pressure in the back half of the year primarily in our Engage business where operational execution remains a top priority,” commented Kenny Wagers, chief financial officer of TTEC.

Wagers continued, “We are taking measurable actions in our Engage business to strengthen the foundation for increased profitability. This includes broad actions to align our Engage and corporate cost structure with forecasted revenue as well as initiatives to improve our operating efficiencies at the client program level. Our bottoms-up approach has been meticulous to deliver the intended benefits without impacting the quality of our service delivery and go-to-market platform as we position ourselves for 2025. In our Digital business, clients across numerous industries are increasingly using our CX technology professional and managed services, with particularly strong demand for our cloud-based offerings.”

Wagers concluded, “We continue to believe that the second quarter will be the peak of the headwinds in our Engage business. While we expect moderate sequential top- and bottom-line improvement in the third quarter, we are forecasting softer third quarter performance than originally anticipated before seeing stronger results in the fourth quarter.”  

TTEC Full Year 2024 Outlook

Full Year 2024
Guidance

Full Year 2024
Mid-Point

Revenue

$2,210M — $2,260M

$2,235M

Non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA

$201M — $217M

$209M

Non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA margins

9.1% — 9.6%

9.3 %

Non-GAAP operating income

$134M — $150M

$142M

Non-GAAP operating income margins

6.0% — 6.6%

6.3 %

Interest expense, net

($82M) — ($84M)

($83M)

Non-GAAP adjusted tax rate

32% — 34%

33 %

Diluted share count

47.5M — 47.7M

47.6M

Non-GAAP earnings per a share

$0.74 — $0.97

$0.86

Engage Full Year 2024 Outlook

Full Year 2024
Guidance

Full Year 2024
Mid-Point

Revenue

$1,730M — $1,760M

$1,745M

Non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA

$130M — $140M

$135M

Non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA margins

7.5% — 8.0%

7.8 %

Non-GAAP operating income

$74M — $84M

$79M

Non-GAAP operating income margins

4.3% — 4.8%

4.5 %

Digital Full Year 2024 Outlook

Full Year 2024
Guidance

Full Year 2024
Mid-Point

Revenue

$480M — $500M

$490M

Non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA

$70M — $76M

$73M

Non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA margins

14.7% — 15.3%

15.0 %

Non-GAAP operating income

$59M — $65M

$62M

Non-GAAP operating income margins

12.4% — 13.1%

12.7 %

The Company has not quantitatively reconciled its guidance for Non-GAAP operating income, Non-GAAP operating income margins, Non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA, Non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA margins, or Non-GAAP earnings per share to their respective most comparable GAAP measures because certain of the reconciling items that impact these metrics, including restructuring and impairment charges, equity-based compensation expense, changes in acquisition contingent consideration, depreciation and amortization expense, and provision for income taxes are dependent on the timing of future events outside of the Company’s control or cannot be reliably predicted. Accordingly, the Company is unable to provide reconciliations to GAAP operating income, operating income margins, EBITDA margins, and diluted earnings per share without unreasonable effort. Please note that the unavailable reconciling items could significantly impact the Company’s 2024 financial results as reported under GAAP.

NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES

This press release contains a discussion of certain Non-GAAP financial measures that the Company includes to allow investors and analysts to measure, analyze and compare its financial condition and results of operations in a meaningful and consistent manner. A reconciliation of these Non-GAAP financial measures can be found in the tables accompanying this press release.

GAAP metrics are presented in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.Non-GAAP – As reflected in the attached reconciliation table, the definition of Non-GAAP may exclude from operating income, EBITDA, net income and earnings per share restructuring and impairment charges, equity-based compensation expenses, amortization of purchased intangibles, among other items.

EARNINGS WEBCAST/CONFERENCE CALL

The Company will host a live webcast and conference call at 8:30 a.m. ET on Friday, August 9, 2024. You are invited to join a live webcast of the conference call by visiting the “Investors Relations” section of the TTEC website at www.ttec.com. If you are unable to participate during the live webcast, a replay will be available on the TTEC website.

ABOUT TTEC 

TTEC (pronounced T-TEC) Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:TTEC) is a leading global CX (customer experience) technology and services innovator for AI-enabled digital CX solutions. Serving iconic and disruptive brands, TTEC’s outcome-based solutions span the entire enterprise, touch every virtual interaction channel, and improve each step of the customer journey. Leveraging next-gen digital technology, the Company’s TTEC Digital business designs, builds, and operates omnichannel contact center technology, CRM, AI and analytics solutions. The Company’s TTEC Engage business delivers AI-enabled customer engagement, customer acquisition and growth, tech support, back office, and fraud prevention services. Founded in 1982, the Company’s singular obsession with CX excellence has earned it leading client, customer, and employee satisfaction scores across the globe. The Company’s approximately 54,000 employees operate on six continents and bring technology and humanity together to deliver happy customers and differentiated business results. To learn more visit us at https://www.ttec.com.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This Earnings Press Release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements relating to our operations, expected financial position, results of operation, effective tax rate, cash flow, leverage, liquidity, business strategy, competitive position, demand for our services in international operations, acquisition opportunities and impact of acquisitions, capital allocation and dividends, growth opportunities, spending, capital expenditures and investments, competition and market forecasts, industry trends, our human capital resources, and other business matters that are based on our current expectations, assumptions, and projections with respect to the future, and are not a guarantee of performance.

In this Release when we use words such as “may,” “believe,” “plan,” “will,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “project,” “would,” “could,” “target,” or similar expressions, or when we discuss our strategy, plans, goals, initiatives, or objectives, we are making forward-looking statements. Unless otherwise indicated or except where the context otherwise requires, the terms “TTEC,” “the Company,” “we,” “us” and “our” and other similar terms in this report refer to TTEC Holdings, Inc. and its subsidiaries. We caution you not to rely unduly on any forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements, and you should review and consider carefully the risks, uncertainties, and other factors that affect our business and may cause such differences as outlined in Item 1A. Risk Factors in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 and any subsequent filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) which are available on TTEC’s website www.ttec.com, and on the SEC’s public website at www.sec.gov.

Our forward-looking statements speak only as of the date that this release is issued. We undertake no obligation to update them, except as may be required by applicable law. Although we believe that our forward-looking statements are reasonable, they depend on many factors outside of our control and we can provide no assurance that they will prove to be correct.

Corporate Comms

Investor Relations

Marji Chimes

Paul Miller

marji.chimes@ttec.com 

paul.miller@ttec.com 

 

TTEC HOLDINGS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(In thousands, except per share data)

(unaudited)

Three months ended

Six months ended

June 30,

June 30,

2024

2023

2024

2023

Revenue

$ 534,085

$ 600,394

$ 1,110,723

$ 1,233,680

Operating Expenses:

Cost of services

417,890

464,686

871,708

947,364

Selling, general and administrative

73,726

75,338

148,301

149,348

Depreciation and amortization

25,071

24,946

50,216

50,773

Restructuring charges, net

5,095

1,474

5,344

3,527

Impairment losses

236,716

2,652

236,856

6,959

         Total operating expenses

758,498

569,096

1,312,425

1,157,971

(Loss) / Income From Operations

(224,413)

31,298

(201,702)

75,709

Other income (expense), net

(18,229)

(21,439)

(38,111)

(37,011)

(Loss) / Income Before Income Taxes

(242,642)

9,859

(239,813)

38,698

Provision for income taxes

(54,126)

(6,102)

(56,455)

(14,024)

Net (Loss) / Income

(296,768)

3,757

(296,268)

24,674

Net (loss) / income attributable to noncontrolling interest

(2,771)

(2,546)

(5,576)

(4,816)

Net (Loss) / Income Attributable to TTEC Stockholders

$(299,539)

$     1,211

$  (301,844)

$     19,858

Net (Loss) / Income Per Share

Basic

$      (6.24)

$       0.08

$        (6.24)

$         0.52

Diluted

$      (6.23)

$       0.08

$        (6.23)

$         0.52

Net (Loss) / Income Per Share Attributable to TTEC Stockholders

Basic

$      (6.30)

$       0.03

$        (6.35)

$         0.42

Diluted

$      (6.29)

$       0.03

$        (6.34)

$         0.42

 (Loss) / Income From Operations Margin

(42.0) %

5.2 %

(18.2) %

6.1 %

Net (Loss) /  Income Margin

(55.6) %

0.6 %

(26.7) %

2.0 %

Net (Loss) / Income Attributable to TTEC Stockholders Margin

(56.1) %

0.2 %

(27.2) %

1.6 %

Effective Tax Rate

(22.3) %

61.9 %

(23.5) %

36.2 %

Weighted Average Shares Outstanding

  Basic

47,564

47,264

47,498

47,249

  Diluted

47,623

47,453

47,585

47,417

 

TTEC HOLDINGS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

SEGMENT INFORMATION

(In thousands)

(unaudited)

Three months ended

Six months ended

June 30,

June 30,

2024

2023

2024

2023

Revenue:

TTEC Digital

$     116,368

$     117,585

$    228,399

$   234,512

TTEC Engage

417,717

482,809

882,324

999,168

Total

$     534,085

$     600,394

$ 1,110,723

$1,233,680

(Loss) / Income From Operations

TTEC Digital

$         6,008

$         7,154

$        9,296

$       7,939

TTEC Engage

(230,421)

24,144

(210,998)

67,770

Total

$    (224,413)

$       31,298

$   (201,702)

$     75,709

 

TTEC HOLDINGS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(In thousands)

(unaudited)

June 30,

December 31,

2024

2023

ASSETS

Current assets:

   Cash and cash equivalents

$          79,780

$       172,747

   Accounts receivable, net

381,685

394,868

   Prepaids and other current assets

117,081

95,064

   Income and other tax receivables

24,872

18,524

      Total current assets

603,418

681,203

Property and equipment, net

149,114

191,003

Assets Held for Sale

29,449

–

Operating lease assets

106,185

121,574

Goodwill

573,625

808,988

Other intangibles assets, net

181,338

198,433

Income and other tax receivables, long-term

37,194

44,673

Other assets

112,298

139,724

Total assets

$      1,792,621

$    2,185,598

LIABILITIES AND EQUITY

Current liabilities:

   Accounts payable

$           87,115

$         96,577

   Accrued employee compensation and benefits

132,824

146,184

   Deferred revenue

77,783

81,171

   Current operating lease liabilities

35,650

38,271

   Other current liabilities

54,284

40,824

      Total current liabilities

387,656

403,027

Long-term liabilities:

   Line of credit

930,000

995,000

   Non-current operating lease liabilities

83,855

96,809

   Other long-term liabilities

86,934

75,220

      Total long-term liabilities

1,100,789

1,167,029

Equity:

   Common stock

476

474

   Additional paid in capital

414,728

407,415

   Treasury stock

(586,812)

(589,807)

   Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)

(107,581)

(89,876)

   Retained earnings

565,738

870,429

   Noncontrolling interest

17,627

16,907

      Total equity

304,176

615,542

Total liabilities and equity

$      1,792,621

$    2,185,598

 

TTEC HOLDINGS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(In thousands)

(unaudited)

 Six Months Ended 

 Six Months Ended 

 June 30, 

 June 30, 

2024

2023

Cash flows from operating activities:

     Net (loss) income 

$                   (296,268)

$                       24,674

     Adjustment to reconcile net (loss) income to net cash provided by operating activities:

          Depreciation and amortization

50,216

50,773

          Amortization of contract acquisition costs

677

1,158

          Amortization of debt issuance costs

985

534

          Imputed interest expense and fair value adjustments to contingent consideration

(1,047)

6,762

          Provision for credit losses

2,644

1,704

          Loss on disposal of assets

1,252

856

          Impairment losses

236,856

6,959

          Loss on dissolution of subsidiary

–

301

          Deferred income taxes

37,148

(10,390)

          Excess tax benefit from equity-based awards

1,732

243

          Equity-based compensation expense

10,916

9,802

          Loss / (gain) on foreign currency derivatives

145

247

          Changes in assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions:

                Accounts receivable 

8,315

14,645

                Prepaids and other assets 

(10,804)

20,324

                Accounts payable and accrued expenses 

(996)

43,429

                Deferred revenue and other liabilities 

(8,126)

(27,072)

                    Net cash provided by operating activities

33,645

144,949

Cash flows from investing activities:

     Proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment

116

28

     Purchases of property, plant and equipment

(27,682)

(32,954)

          Net cash used in investing activities

(27,566)

(32,926)

Cash flows from financing activities:

     Net proceeds from / (repayments of) line of credit

(65,000)

(45,000)

     Payments on other debt

(1,379)

(1,217)

     Payments of contingent consideration and hold back payments to acquisitions

–

(37,676)

     Dividends paid to shareholders

(2,847)

(24,572)

     Payments to noncontrolling interest

(4,770)

(5,887)

     Tax payments related to the issuance of restricted stock units

(606)

(629)

     Payments of debt issuance costs

(1,100)

–

          Net cash used in financing activities

(75,702)

(114,981)

Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash

(4,612)

1,275

(Decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash

(74,235)

(1,683)

Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period

173,905

167,064

Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period

$                      99,670

$                     165,381

 

TTEC HOLDINGS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

RECONCILIATION OF NON-GAAP FINANCIAL INFORMATION

(In thousands, except per share data)

(unaudited)

Three months ended

Six months ended

June 30,

June 30,

2024

2023

2024

2023

Revenue

$  534,085

$  600,394

$ 1,110,723

$ 1,233,680

Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Income from Operations and EBITDA:

Net (Loss) / Income from Operations

$ (224,413)

$   31,298

$   (201,702)

$      75,709

Restructuring charges, net

5,095

1,474

5,344

3,527

Impairment losses

236,716

2,652

236,856

6,959

Cybersecurity incident related impact, net of insurance recovery

–

26

–

(3,210)

Grant income for pandemic relief

–

40

–

40

Property costs not related to operations

872

–

1,905

–

Change in acquisition related obligation

–

483

–

483

Liability related to notifications triggered by labor scheme   (1)

(2,275)

–

(2,750)

–

Equity-based compensation expenses

5,104

5,648

10,916

9,802

Amortization of purchased intangibles 

8,439

9,007

16,884

18,010

         Non-GAAP Income from Operations

$   29,538

$   50,628

$      67,453

$    111,320

         Non-GAAP Income from Operations Margin

5.5 %

8.4 %

6.1 %

9.0 %

Depreciation and amortization

16,210

15,939

32,279

32,763

Changes in acquisition contingent consideration

193

3,584

(1,047)

6,762

Change in escrow balance related to acquisition

–

–

–

625

Loss on dissolution of subsidiary

–

–

–

301

Foreign SS Tax Recovery

(853)

–

(853)

–

Foreign VAT receivable writeoff

–

–

770

–

Foreign exchange loss / (gain), net

(636)

578

556

1,212

Other Income (expense), net

1,788

(3,574)

1,994

(2,919)

         Adjusted EBITDA

$   46,240

$   67,155

$    101,152

$    150,064

         Adjusted EBITDA Margin

8.7 %

11.2 %

9.1 %

12.2 %

Reconciliation of Non-GAAP EPS:

Net Income

$ (296,768)

$     3,757

$   (296,268)

$      24,674

Add:  Asset impairment and restructuring charges

241,811

4,126

242,200

10,486

Add:  Equity-based compensation expenses

5,104

5,648

10,916

9,802

Add:  Amortization of purchased intangibles

8,439

9,007

16,884

18,010

Add:  Cybersecurity incident related impact, net of insurance recovery

–

26

–

(3,210)

Add:  Grant income for pandemic relief

–

40

–

40

Add:  Change in acquisition related obligation

–

483

–

483

Add:  Property costs not related to operations

872

–

1,905

–

Add:  Liability related to notifications triggered by labor scheme

(2,275)

–

(2,750)

–

Add:  Foreign SS Tax Recovery

(853)

–

(853)

–

Add:  Foreign VAT receivable writeoff

–

–

770

–

Add:  Changes in acquisition contingent consideration

193

3,584

(1,047)

6,762

Add:  Changes in escrow balance related to acquisition

–

–

–

625

Add:  Loss on dissolution of subsidiary

–

–

–

301

Add:  Foreign exchange loss / (gain), net

(636)

578

556

1,212

Less:  Changes in valuation allowance, return to provision adjustments and
other, and tax effects of items separately disclosed above

50,748

(1,349)

46,942

(6,384)

         Non-GAAP Net Income

$     6,635

$   25,900

$      19,255

$      62,801

             Diluted shares outstanding

47,623

47,453

47,585

47,417

         Non-GAAP EPS

$0.14

$0.55

$0.40

$1.32

Reconciliation of Free Cash Flow:

Cash Flow From Operating Activities:

   Net (loss) / income

$ (296,768)

$     3,757

$   (296,268)

$      24,674

   Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:

          Depreciation and amortization

25,071

24,946

50,216

50,773

          Other

320,971

67,188

279,697

69,502

   Net cash provided by operating activities

49,274

95,891

33,645

144,949

Less – Total Cash Capital Expenditures

14,209

19,285

27,682

32,954

        Free Cash Flow

$   35,065

$   76,606

$       5,963

$    111,995

(1) –  For further information, please see discussion in the Risk Factors section of the 2023 Form 10-K filed on February 29, 2024.

 

Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Income from Operations and Adjusted EBITDA by Segment :

TTEC Engage

TTEC Digital

TTEC Engage

TTEC Digital

Q2 24

Q2 23

Q2 24

Q2 23

YTD 24

YTD 23

YTD 24

YTD 23

(Loss) / Income from Operations

$ (230,421)

$   24,144

$     6,008

$     7,154

$   (210,999)

$      67,770

$     9,297

$     7,939

Restructuring charges, net

4,842

801

253

673

5,495

1,793

(151)

1,734

Impairment losses

234,205

2,652

2,511

–

234,345

4,105

2,511

2,854

Cybersecurity incident related impact, net of insurance recovery

26

–

(3,210)

–

–

Grant income for pandemic relief

40

–

40

–

–

Property costs not related to operations

872

–

–

1,905

–

–

–

Change in acquisition related obligation

–

483

–

–

483

Liability related to notifications triggered by labor scheme

(2,275)

–

–

(2,750)

–

–

–

Equity-based compensation expenses

3,264

3,596

1,840

2,052

7,047

6,272

3,869

3,530

Amortization of purchased intangibles 

4,101

4,652

4,338

4,355

8,208

9,302

8,676

8,708

         Non-GAAP Income from Operations

$   14,588

$   35,911

$   14,950

$   14,717

$      43,251

$      86,072

$   24,202

$   25,248

Depreciation and amortization

13,534

13,572

2,676

2,367

26,891

27,888

5,388

4,875

Changes in acquisition contingent consideration

193

3,584

–

(1,047)

6,762

–

–

Change in escrow balance related to acquisition

–

–

–

625

–

–

Loss on dissolution of subsidiary

–

–

–

301

–

–

Foreign VAT receivable writeoff

–

–

770

–

     Foreign SS Tax Recovery

(853)

(853)

Foreign exchange loss / (gain), net

(585)

411

(51)

167

793

1,112

(238)

100

Other Income (expense), net

1,733

(3,422)

55

(152)

1,777

(2,910)

218

(9)

         Adjusted EBITDA

$   28,610

$   50,056

$   17,630

$   17,099

$      71,582

$    119,850

$   29,570

$   30,214

 

 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ttec-announces-second-quarter-2024-financial-results-302218222.html

SOURCE TTEC Holdings, Inc.

Continue Reading

Technology

AI Is Writing Code Faster Than Security Can Review It, Finds New Linux Foundation Research Sponsored by ActiveState

Published

on

By

Study reveals 58% of teams ship code faster than security review can keep up, as AI coding tools add dependencies that teams vet only about half the time

VANCOUVER, BC, Nov. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — ActiveState, a sponsor and contributor to a new Linux Foundation research study supported by the Open Source Security Foundation (OpenSSF) and LF AI & Data Foundation, today announced findings from the State of AI Impact on Software Security and Cybersecurity 2026, revealing a growing gap between the pace of AI-driven software development and organizations’ ability to secure the code being produced. The study found that 58% of surveyed teams ship code faster than security reviews can keep up, while 60% say AI coding assistants have increased the number of external packages in their codebases. Yet teams review the indirect, or “transitive,” dependencies introduced by those packages only about half the time.

These challenges are becoming more urgent as AI accelerates both code generation and vulnerability discovery, leaving organizations less time to identify and remediate security flaws before attackers exploit them. The October 2026 PHP2Shell vulnerabilities underscored the urgency, with emergency patches issued and exploitation attempts reported within hours of disclosure. As vulnerabilities can be identified and exploited at increasing speed, organizations face mounting pressure to ensure security reviews, dependency vetting, and remediation keep pace.

The survey of 172 security practitioners across companies and open source projects also found that AI is part of the solution, albeit with some trade-offs. Respondents credited AI-assisted tools with detecting 30% of the vulnerabilities they found in the past year, and 69% said the tools had meaningfully improved their security posture. On average, AI tools made security work 17% faster, but false-positive vulnerability reports increased practitioners’ workloads by 30%, highlighting the need to balance AI-driven efficiency with effective security oversight.

“AI coding assistants don’t just write code. They choose your dependencies, and this research shows teams are checking only about half of what comes along for the ride,” said Abby Kearns, CEO of ActiveState. “That matches what we hear from customers every week. Slowing developers down won’t fix it. The answer is to decide what’s trusted before it reaches the codebase, so developers and their AI tools start from components security has already approved.”

Other key findings:

Skills are at risk. 82% of respondents agree that overreliance on AI tools weakens developers’ security skills.Concern outpaces readiness. For every AI-related threat measured, more practitioners are concerned than feel prepared. The widest gap, 41 points, is for AI-automated exploit generation and fuzzing.The supply chain tops the worry list. Supply chain attacks are the leading concern among security experts (93%), followed by prompt injection (90%) and the maintenance burden of high component-update volume (87%).Nobody owns it. Only 30% of teams have a dedicated role responsible for AI-related security threats, and only about one in three have a formal security policy that addresses AI.Ownership pays off. 75% of teams with a dedicated AI security role say they are well prepared for adversarial attacks on AI systems, compared with 50% of all respondents.Human review isn’t a given. Among teams with an AI security policy, only 57% require human review of AI-generated code.

Together, the findings point to a need to make security responsibilities explicit and strengthen governance as AI adoption grows. Dedicated roles, clear policies, and properly implemented tools correlate with greater preparedness; the survey does not establish that those practices cause the difference.

“As AI accelerates software development, organizations need to be just as deliberate about how they govern and secure the code being produced,” said Laura Guazzelli, Security Architect for AI/ML/LLM/Agentic Systems at OpenSSF. “That starts with understanding where AI is introducing risk into the software supply chain, establishing clear ownership for addressing it, and ensuring security practices can keep pace with how software is built.”

The report recommends that organizations assign a clear owner for AI-related security threats, formalize AI security policies that include human review of generated code, and strengthen controls on direct and transitive dependencies. Building on those findings, ActiveState recommends governing open source at the point of intake, alongside scanning and review, so security teams decide which components enter the software supply chain before developers or AI assistants pull them in.

Read State of AI Impact on Software Security and Cybersecurity 2026 for the findings and practical recommendations: https://www.linuxfoundation.org/research/ai-impact-on-cybersecurity-2026

About ActiveState

ActiveState secures the software supply chain at the source for the AI coding era. With the ActiveState Curated Catalog, a private, vetted repository of open source components, security teams decide what gets into enterprise software before developers or AI coding assistants pull it in. Security gets control, and engineering keeps its speed. The Curated Catalog works with the artifact repositories, scanners, and AI coding assistants that teams already use. Learn more at activestate.com.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ai-is-writing-code-faster-than-security-can-review-it-finds-new-linux-foundation-research-sponsored-by-activestate-302931650.html

SOURCE ActiveState

Continue Reading

Technology

OpenSSF Welcomes New Members and Expands AI Security Resources

Published

on

By

Broadened AI security guidance, relationships, and research to help close the gap between AI-driven development and software security

SALT LAKE CITY, Nov. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Open Source Security Foundation (OpenSSF), a cross-industry initiative of the Linux Foundation focused on sustainably securing open source software, today announced new membership growth, welcoming Beautiful Majestic Dolphin, DevGuard, and UElement Technologies to the foundation. The OpenSSF also notes new and expanded efforts to help organizations secure software in the age of AI, including membership with the Multi-Organization Secure AI Coordination (MOSAIC) for better AI security, a new guide to finding and fixing vulnerabilities using AI, and new research on AI’s impact on software security.

“Security must keep pace with this new software development lifecycle.”

AI is redefining the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC). It impacts both the rate at which code is produced and how quickly vulnerabilities are discovered and reported – for attackers and defenders alike. With bugs easier to find and reporting windows shrinking under regulations like the EU Cyber Resilience Act (CRA), organizations need clear, practical guidance on using AI to secure software. OpenSSF continues to serve as a trusted, neutral hub for AI security education, collaboration, and open source software security.

“Security must keep pace with this new software development lifecycle,” said Laura Guazzelli, Security Architect for AI/ML/LLM/Agentic Systems at OpenSSF. “This new SDLC has collapsed the window between bug discovery and automated attack, exposing defenses that are unprepared for AI-driven threats and offensive campaigns. This is why we are focused on equipping developers with practical resources, from guidance on finding and fixing vulnerabilities with AI to new data on how AI is shaping software development.”

New OpenSSF members include Beautiful Majestic Dolphin, DevGuard, and UElement Technologies who join the Foundation as General Members. These organizations join a community of working groups, technical groups, and experts that are shaping the future of OpenSSF and software security. Their membership reinforces the long term sustainability of open source and the projects that are critical to modern infrastructure.

Q4 Foundation Achievements
In the fourth quarter of 2026, OpenSSF achieved the following milestones:

OpenSSF joins MOSAIC – Membership with MOSAIC allows OpenSSF and MOSAIC members to pool knowledge and resources for consistent standards and guidance on AI security. A major goal of the group is a standardized map of the participating initiatives, which includes aligning with other initiatives such as NIST SP 800-53 Control SC-42, building on existing frameworks, a general consensus on MOSAIC definitions, and more.State of AI Impact on Software Security and Cybersecurity 2026 report – The study, supported by OpenSSF, ActiveState and LF AI & Data Foundation, found a growing gap between the pace of AI-driven software development and organizations’ ability to secure the code being produced: 58% of surveyed teams ship code faster than security reviews can keep up, while 60% say AI coding assistants have increased the number of external packages in their codebases. This data underscores the importance of trusted, reliable guidance as AI deployment continues to grow.Secure AI Associate (SAIA) certification – OpenSSF and Linux Foundation Education are launching the Secure AI Associate (SAIA) certification. This new credential will provide learners with skills to find and fix security risks across the full AI/ML lifecycle, from training data to production pipelines. The certification launches in December 2026 and interested parties can sign up for exam availability notifications here.New guide to finding and fixing vulnerabilities using AI – The OpenSSF Best Practices and AI/ML working groups released Finding and Fixing Software Vulnerabilities Using AI: A Guide for Developers, a free guide for developers and security researchers on using AI to find and fix vulnerabilities before attackers can exploit them. Built on principles that outlast any single tool, it covers the full process, from preparing and sandboxing AI to validating, fixing, and preventing issues, and stresses that AI-generated patches should never be trusted without automated tests and human review. An online course (LFD126) is planned for the coming months.Case study: GitHub expands malware advisories across eight ecosystems – A new case study shows how GitHub integrated OpenSSF’s Malicious Packages data into its Advisory Database, expanding Dependabot malware alerts beyond npm to eight package ecosystems, including PyPI, Maven, RubyGems, NuGet, Go, crates.io, and PHP Composer. The community-driven repository now holds more than 238,000 malicious package reports, showing how shared, open data can help defenders keep pace with fast-moving supply chain attacks.Zarf 1.0 marks a major milestone for the OpenSSF – the release helps teams package and deploy software in environments disconnected from the internet. Version 1.0 strengthens package signing and verification workflows, improves configuration management, and establishes a foundation for long-term compatibility and community-driven development.

Supporting Quotes

“Scanning tells you what went wrong. Knowing where your software came from tells you whether it should have been trusted at all. ActiveState builds open source from verified source so that secure is the default, and joining the OpenSSF is a natural next step in making that true for everyone who builds on open source.”
– Abby Kearns, CEO, ActiveState

“We think that you should be able to determine why things happen. Who, what, when, where, and how? Those questions can all easily be understood, but why is one of the hardest parts of cybersecurity. That’s why we made GoRapide open source, under an MIT license. We know why we build for our customers, but ultimately we can’t know every reason why someone might ask, ‘Why?’ For us, joining the Open Source Security Foundation made sense because open source is integral to our company mission.”
– Shane Morris, CEO, Beautiful Majestic Dolphin

“We built open-source DevGuard to make secure software development the default, not the exception. We already use OpenSSF projects and data to help our users secure their entire software development lifecycle, so joining the OpenSSF feels like a natural step. We’re proud to become part of the community shaping the future of open-source security and look forward to giving back.”
– Tim Bastin, CTO, DevGuard – L3montree GmbH

“Open source is the common ground the world’s digital economy is built on and India is now one of its largest builders. Keeping that ground secure isn’t one company’s or one country’s job; it belongs to all of us. UElement joins OpenSSF to help make it trustworthy today and quantum-safe tomorrow, so the systems people depend on, from banks to public infrastructure, can be built in the open and trusted everywhere.”
– Chaitanya Vijay Ghate, Co-founder & CEO, UElement Technologies

Events and Gatherings
OpenSSF members are gathering this week in Salt Lake City at Open Source SecurityCon North America and onsite at KubeCon + CloudNativeCon North America (November 9-12). Those interested in joining OpenSSF at events in 2027 should mark their calendars for Open Source SecurityCon Europe, which is planned for March 15, 2027.

Additional Resources

View the complete list of OpenSSF membersContribute efforts to one or more of the active OpenSSF working groups and projectsSign up for the OpenSSF newsletter to receive updates on upcoming events, resources, and community news.

About the OpenSSF
The Open Source Security Foundation (OpenSSF) is a cross-industry organization at the Linux Foundation that brings together the industry’s most important open source security initiatives and the individuals and companies that support them. The OpenSSF is committed to collaboration and working both upstream and with existing communities to advance open source security for all. For more information, please visit us at openssf.org.

About the Linux Foundation 
The Linux Foundation is the world’s leading home for collaboration on open source software, hardware, standards, and data. Linux Foundation projects, including Linux, Kubernetes, Model Context Protocol (MCP), OpenChain, OpenSearch, OpenSSF, OpenStack, PyTorch, Ray, RISC-V, SPDX and Zephyr, provide the foundation for global infrastructure. The Linux Foundation is focused on leveraging best practices and addressing the needs of contributors, users, and solution providers to create sustainable models for open collaboration. For more information, please visit us at linuxfoundation.org.

The Linux Foundation has registered trademarks and uses trademarks. For a list of trademarks of The Linux Foundation, please see its trademark usage page: www.linuxfoundation.org/trademark-usage. Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds.

Media Contact
Grace Lucier
The Linux Foundation
pr@linuxfoundation.org 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/openssf-welcomes-new-members-and-expands-ai-security-resources-302932951.html

SOURCE OpenSSF

Continue Reading

Technology

Fatbeam Fiber Welcomes Kerry Conn as Chief Operating Officer

Published

on

By

Seasoned broadband executive Kerry Conn joins Fatbeam to strengthen operations, scale business performance, and support the company’s next phase of growth.

COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho, Nov. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Fatbeam Fiber, a leading provider of fiber optic broadband in the western United States, is thrilled to announce the addition of Kerry Conn as Chief Operating Officer (COO). Bringing 25 years of leadership experience across broadband, operations, technology, and finance, Kerry will help guide Fatbeam’s operational strategy and support the company’s continued growth and commitment to delivering reliable connectivity to the communities it serves.

Kerry brings a strong track record of scaling broadband organizations, optimizing operational execution, and bridging the gap between technology and financial strategy to drive sustainable growth. Most recently, she served at Rise Internet, an internet service provider serving residential customers across 16 states, where she led Operations, IT, and Strategic Initiatives.

Prior to Rise Internet, Kerry served as both Chief Financial and Operating Officer at AtLink Services, an Oklahoma-based fixed wireless provider. During her 15-year tenure, she helped grow the company from approximately 400 subscribers to 20,000, contributing to its significant expansion and operational development.

“At Fatbeam, everything comes back to the customer experience, and Kerry shares that commitment. Kerry has a proven track record of building high-performing teams, and I’m confident she will help us keep raising the bar for service and reliability across every market we serve.” – Paul Merritt, CEO, Fatbeam Fiber

Passionate about solving complex challenges, building high-performing teams, and creating the processes and systems that enable people to excel, Kerry brings deep expertise in field operations, network reliability, technology infrastructure, and financial planning. Her broad experience provides a well-rounded perspective on the operational and strategic priorities critical to scaling and sustaining a successful broadband business.

“I’m excited to join Fatbeam Fiber and get to know the team. I look forward to working together to strengthen our operations, empower our people, and support the company’s continued growth and success.” — Kerry Conn, COO, Fatbeam Fiber

For more information, please visit www.fatbeam.com.

About Fatbeam Fiber

Fatbeam provides reliable fiber-based network solutions to enterprise, healthcare, government, education, and residential customers in the Western United States. They believe in giving residential customers peace of mind and enabling businesses to concentrate on operations by providing a superior product at the right price to meet needs now and in the future.

Media Contact:

Keeley Fenley
Marketing Manager
marketing@fatbeam.com
(509) 344-1008

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fatbeam-fiber-welcomes-kerry-conn-as-chief-operating-officer-302931406.html

SOURCE Fatbeam

Continue Reading

Trending