FISV, §1A diff (2015 → 2016)

Item 1A. Risk Factors You should carefully consider each of the risks described below, together with all of the other information contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, before making an investment decision with respect to our securities. If any of the following risks develop into actual events, our business, financial condition or results of operations could be materially and adversely affected and you may lose all or part of your investment. We operate in a competitive business environment and may not be able to compete effectively. The markets for our services are highly competitive from new and existing competitors. Our competitors vary in size and in the scope and breadth of the services they offer. Many of our larger existing and potential clients have historically developed their key applications in-house. As a result, we often compete against our existing or potential clients’ in-house capabilities. We also expect that the markets in which we compete will continue to attract new well-funded competitors and new technologies, including large technology, media and other companies not historically in the financial services industry, start-ups and international providers of similar products and services to ours. We cannot provide any assurance that we will be able to compete successfully against current or future competitors or that competitive pressures faced by us in the markets in which we operate will not materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition. If we fail to adapt our products and services to changes in technology or in the marketplace, or if our ongoing efforts to upgrade our technology are not successful, we could lose clients or have trouble attracting new clients, and our ability to grow may be limited. The markets for our products and services are characterized by constant technological changes, frequent introductions of new products and services, and evolving industry standards. Our ability to enhance our current products and services and to develop and introduce innovative products and services that address the increasingly sophisticated needs of our clients and their customers will significantly affect our future success. We may not be successful in developing, marketing or selling new products and services that meet these changing demands. In addition, we may experience difficulties that could delay or prevent the successful development, introduction or marketing of these services, or our new services and enhancements may not adequately meet the demands of the marketplace or achieve market acceptance. If we are unsuccessful in offering products or services that gain market acceptance, it would likely have a material adverse effect on our ability to retain existing clients, to attract new ones and to grow profitably. The market for our electronic transaction services continues to evolve and may not continue to develop or grow rapidly enough to sustain profitability. If the number of electronic transactions does not continue to grow, or if consumers or businesses do not continue to adopt our services, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. We believe future growth in the electronic transactions market will be driven by a combination of factors including speed, cost, ease-of-use, security and quality of products and services offered to consumers and businesses. In addition, we may face challenges meeting local political, regulatory, business and economic conditions as we grow internationally, particularly in emerging market economies, and we may find it difficult to manage and oversee operations far from our headquarters. In order to consistently increase and maintain our profitability, consumers and businesses must continue to adopt our services. The success of our electronic commerce businesses also relies in part on financial institutions, billers and other third parties to market our services to their customers. If any of these third parties abandons, curtails or insufficiently increases its marketing efforts, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. If we are unable to renew client contracts at favorable terms, we could lose clients and our results of operations and financial condition may be adversely affected. Failure to achieve favorable renewals of client contracts could negatively impact our business. Our contracts with clients generally run for a period of three to five years. At the end of the contract term, clients have the opportunity to renegotiate their contracts with us or to consider whether to engage one or more of our competitors to provide products and services. If we are not successful in achieving high renewal rates and favorable contract terms, our results of operations and financial condition may be materially and adversely affected. Our business may be adversely impacted by U.S. and global market and economic conditions. For the foreseeable future, we expect to continue to derive most of our revenue from products and services we provide to the financial services industry. Given this concentration, we are exposed to the global economic conditions in the financial services industry. A prolonged poor economic environment could result in significant decreases in demand by current and potential clients for our products and services and in the number and dollar amount of transactions we process, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. Consolidations in the banking and financial services industry could adversely affect our revenue by eliminating existing or potential clients and making us more dependent on fewer clients. Failures, mergers and consolidations of financial institutions reduce the number of our clients and potential clients, which could adversely affect our revenue. Further, if our clients fail or merge with or are acquired by other entities that are not our clients, or that use fewer of our services, they may discontinue or reduce their use of our services. It is also possible that the larger financial institutions that result from mergers or consolidations could have greater leverage in negotiating terms with us or could decide to perform in-house some or all of the services which we currently provide or could provide. Any of these developments could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. Security breaches, computer malware or other “cyber attacks” could harm our business by disrupting our delivery of services and damaging our reputation. Our operations depend on receiving, storing, processing and transmitting sensitive information pertaining to our business, our associates, our clients and their customers. Any unauthorized intrusion, malicious software infiltration, network disruption, denial of service or similar act by a malevolent party could disrupt the integrity, continuity, security and trust of our systems or data, or the systems or data of our clients or vendors. These events could create costly litigation, significant financial liability, increased regulatory scrutiny, financial sanctions and a loss of confidence in our ability to serve clients and cause current or potential clients to choose another service provider, all of which could have a material adverse impact on our business. In addition, as these threats continue to evolve, we may be required to invest significant additional resources to modify and enhance our information security and controls or to investigate and remediate any security vulnerabilities. Although we believe that we maintain a robust program of information security and controls and none of the threats that we have encountered to date have materially impacted us, we may not be able to prevent a material event in the future, and the impact of a material event could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. Operational failures could harm our business and reputation. An operational failure in our transaction processing businesses, including our business continuity and disaster recovery capabilities, could harm our business or cause us to lose clients. An operational failure could be caused by the failure of third party networks and systems upon which we rely to deliver our services and over which we have limited or no control. Interruptions of service could damage our relationship with clients and could cause us to incur substantial expenses, including those related to the payment of service credits or other liabilities. A prolonged interruption of our services or network could cause us to experience data loss or a reduction in revenue. In addition, a significant interruption of service could have a negative impact on our reputation and could cause our current and potential clients to choose another service provider. Any of these developments could have a material adverse impact on our business, results of operations and financial condition. We may experience software defects, development delays or installation difficulties, which would harm our business and reputation and expose us to potential liability. Our services are based on sophisticated software and computing systems, and we may encounter delays when developing new applications and services. Further, the software underlying our services may contain undetected errors or defects when first introduced or when new versions are released. In addition, we may experience difficulties in installing or integrating our technology on systems used by our clients. Defects in our software, errors or delays in the processing of electronic transactions or other difficulties could result in interruption of business operations, delay in market acceptance, additional development and remediation costs, diversion of technical and other resources, loss of clients, negative publicity or exposure to liability claims. Although we attempt to limit our potential liability through disclaimers and limitation of liability provisions in our license and client agreements, we cannot be certain that these measures will successfully limit our liability. A heightened regulatory environment in the financial services industry, including the implementation of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and related regulations, may have an adverse impact on our clients and our business. Since the enactment of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (“Dodd-Frank Act”), there have been substantial regulations affecting the supervision and operation of the financial services industry within the United States, including the establishment of a new federal bureau called the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”). The CFPB has issued guidance that applies to “supervised service providers,” which the CFPB has defined to include service providers, like us, to CFPB supervised banks and nonbanks. It is difficult to predict with certainty the extent to which the Dodd-Frank Act, the CFPB or the resulting regulations will impact our business or the businesses of our current and potential clients over the long term. In addition, federal and state agencies are pursuing additional cybersecurity regulations and are expected to continue to seek to impact client contract terms with service providers like us. If government agencies, including the CFPB, adopt additional rules and exercise supervisory authority over service providers like us, we could be subject to a greater degree of direct federal and state oversight than in the past, which could slow our ability to adapt to a rapidly changing industry, require us to make compliance investments and/or limit our fees or other revenue sources. To the extent these regulations negatively impact the business, operations or financial condition of our clients, our business and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected because, among other matters, our clients could have less capacity to purchase products and services from us, could decide to avoid or abandon certain lines of business, or could seek to pass on increased costs to us by negotiating price reductions. We could be required to invest a significant amount of time and resources to comply with additional regulations or oversight or to modify the manner in which we contract with or provide products and services to our clients; and such regulations could directly or indirectly limit how much we can charge for our services. We may not be able to update our existing products and services, or develop new ones, to satisfy our clients’ needs. Any of these events, if realized, could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. If we fail to comply with applicable regulations our businesses could be harmed. We are generally not directly subject to federal or state regulations specifically applicable to financial institutions such as banks, thrifts and credit unions. However, as a provider of services to these financial institutions, we are subject to contractual requirements imposed by the financial institutions with respect to a number of state and federal regulations, including privacy laws, and our operations are examined on a regular basis by various state and federal regulatory authorities. Also, regulators are signaling interest in enforcing regulations directly against service providers to financial institutions, and any such direct enforcement could result in increased operating costs for us and additional restrictions on our business processes. If we fail to comply with any applicable regulations, we could be exposed to litigation or regulatory proceedings, our client relationships and reputation could be harmed, and we could be inhibited in our ability to obtain new clients, which could have a material adverse impact on our business, results of operations and financial condition. In addition, the future enactment of more restrictive laws or rules on the federal or state level, or, with respect to our international operations, in foreign jurisdictions on the national, provincial, state or other level, could have a material adverse impact on our business, results of operations and financial condition. Our failure to comply with a series of complex regulations in our payments businesses could subject us to liability. Certain of our subsidiaries are licensed as money transmitters in those states where such licensure is required. In connection with such licensure, we are required to demonstrate and maintain certain levels of net worth and liquidity and to file periodic reports. In addition, our direct-to-consumer payments businesses, including our walk-in bill payment, online bill payment and Popmoney person-to-person payment services, are subject to federal regulation in the United States, including anti-money laundering regulations and certain restrictions on transactions to or from certain individuals or entities. The complexity of these regulations will continue to increase our cost of doing business. In addition, any violations of law may result in civil or criminal penalties against us and our officers, or the prohibition against us providing money transmitter services in particular jurisdictions. If we fail to comply with the applicable requirements of the payment card networks, they could seek to fine us, suspend us or terminate our registrations which could adversely affect our business. We are subject to card association and network rules governing Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover or other similar organizations, including the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard enforced by the major card brands. The rules of the card networks are set by their boards which may be influenced by card issuers, some of which offer competing transaction processing services. If we fail to comply with these rules, we could be fined, our certifications could be suspended, or our certifications could be terminated. The suspension or termination of our certifications, or any changes to the card association and network rules, that we do not successfully address, could limit our ability to provide transaction processing services to clients and result in a reduction of revenue or increased costs of operation, which, in either case, could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations. We may be sued for infringing the intellectual property rights of others. Third parties may claim that we are infringing their intellectual property rights. We may expose ourselves to additional liability if we agree to indemnify our clients against third party infringement claims. If the owner of intellectual property establishes that we are, or a client which we are obligated to indemnify is, infringing its intellectual property rights, we may be forced to change our products or services, and such changes may be expensive or impractical, or we may need to seek royalty or license agreements from the owner of such rights. If we are unable to agree on acceptable terms, we may be required to discontinue the sale of key products or halt other aspects of our operations. We may also be liable for financial damages for a violation of intellectual property rights, and we may incur expenses in connection with indemnifying our clients against losses suffered by them. Any adverse result related to violation of third party intellectual property rights could materially and adversely harm our business, results of operations and financial condition. Even if intellectual property claims brought against us are without merit, they may result in costly and time consuming litigation and may require significant attention from our management and key personnel. Misappropriation of our intellectual property and proprietary rights could impair our competitive position. Our ability to compete depends upon proprietary systems and technology. We actively seek to protect our proprietary rights. Nevertheless, unauthorized parties may attempt to copy aspects of our services or to obtain and use information that we regard as proprietary. The steps we have taken may not prevent misappropriation of technology. Agreements entered into for that purpose may not be enforceable or provide us with an adequate remedy. Effective patent, trademark, service mark, copyright and trade secret protection may not be available in every country in which our applications and services are made available. Misappropriation of our intellectual property or potential litigation concerning such matters could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. Acquisitions subject us to risks, including increased debt, assumption of unforeseen liabilities and difficulties in integrating operations. A major contributor to our growth in revenue and earnings since our inception has been our ability to identify, acquire and integrate complementary businesses. We anticipate that we will continue to seek to acquire complementary businesses, products and services. We may not be able to identify suitable acquisition candidates or complete acquisitions in the future, which could adversely affect our future growth, or businesses that we acquire may not perform as well as expected or may be more difficult to integrate and manage than expected, which could adversely affect our business and results of operations. We may not be able to integrate all aspects of acquired businesses successfully or realize the potential benefits of bringing them together. In addition, the process of integrating these acquisitions may disrupt our business and divert our resources. These risks may arise for a number of reasons: we may not be able to find suitable businesses to acquire at affordable valuations or on other acceptable terms; we face competition for acquisitions from other potential acquirers; we may need to borrow money or sell equity or debt securities to the public to finance future acquisitions and the terms of these financings may be adverse to us; changes in accounting, tax, securities or other regulations could increase the difficulty or cost for us to complete acquisitions; we may incur unforeseen obligations or liabilities in connection with acquisitions; we may need to devote unanticipated financial and management resources to an acquired business; we may not realize expected operating efficiencies or product integration benefits from an acquisition; we could enter markets where we have minimal prior experience; and we may experience decreases in earnings as a result of non-cash impairment charges. We may be obligated to indemnify the purchasers of businesses pursuant to the terms of the relevant purchase and sale agreements. We have in the past and may in the future sell businesses. In connection with sales of businesses, we may make representations and warranties about the businesses and their financial affairs and agree to retain certain liabilities associated with our operation of the businesses prior to their sale. Our obligation to indemnify the purchasers and agreement to retain liabilities could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. The failure to attract and retain key personnel could have a material adverse effect on our business. We depend on the experience, skill and contributions of our senior management and other key employees. If we fail to attract, motivate and retain highly qualified management, technical, compliance and sales personnel, our future success could be harmed. Our senior management provides strategic direction for our company, and if we lose members of our leadership team, our management resources may have to be diverted from other priorities to address this loss. Our products and services require sophisticated knowledge of the financial services industry, applicable regulatory and industry requirements, computer systems, and software applications, and if we cannot hire or retain the necessary skilled personnel, we could suffer delays in new product development, experience difficulty complying with applicable requirements or otherwise fail to satisfy our clients’ demands. Our balance sheet includes significant amounts of goodwill and intangible assets. The impairment of a significant portion of these assets would negatively affect our results of operations. Our balance sheet includes goodwill and intangible assets that represent 74% of our total assets at December 31, 2016. These assets consist primarily of goodwill and identified intangible assets associated with our acquisitions. On at least an annual basis, we assess whether there have been impairments in the carrying value of goodwill. In addition, we review intangible assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying amount of the asset may not be recoverable. If the carrying value of the asset is determined to be impaired, then it is written down to fair value by a charge to operating earnings. An impairment of a significant portion of goodwill or intangible assets could have a material negative effect on our results of operations. Increased leverage may harm our financial condition and results of operations. As of December 31, 2016, we had approximately $4.6 billion of long-term debt, including current maturities. We and our subsidiaries may incur additional indebtedness in the future. Our indebtedness could: decrease our ability to obtain additional financing for working capital, capital expenditures, general corporate or other purposes; limit our flexibility to make acquisitions; increase our cash requirements to support the payment of interest; limit our flexibility in planning for, or reacting to, changes in our business and our industry; and increase our vulnerability to adverse changes in general economic and industry conditions. Our ability to make payments of principal and interest on our indebtedness depends upon our future performance, which will be subject to general economic conditions and financial, business and other factors affecting our consolidated operations, many of which are beyond our control. In addition, if our outstanding senior notes are downgraded to below investment grade, we may incur additional interest expense. If we are unable to generate sufficient cash flow from operations in the future to service our debt and meet our other cash requirements, we may be required, among other things: to seek additional financing in the debt or equity markets; to refinance or restructure all or a portion of our indebtedness; or to reduce or delay planned capital or operating expenditures. Such measures might not be sufficient to enable us to service our debt and meet our other cash requirements. In addition, any such financing, refinancing or sale of assets might not be available at all or on economically favorable terms. Item 1B.