Apple did not invent the Computer, Laptop, iPod (MP3 player), Smart Phone, iPad or Smart Watch. They perfected them. Apple changed the music industry with iTunes. Now they are in the early stages of perfecting the Mobile Wallet. Apple targets the younger generation and older generation tag along in due course. The younger generation prefers the convenience of carrying the contents of their wallet in a smart phone. Like it or not the MOBILE WALLET is the future. Apple preparation was mind-boggling. Deals had to be agreed with banks, credit card companies etc. One can only imagine the costs. Tim Cooke is the Apple Pay driving force. Google introduce a wallet before Apple with little success.
Apple Pay is a game changer for NFC reader manufactures and suppliers. The OTI CEO said they were not dependent on the Apple decision to successfully sell their readers. After the 3rd quarter earnings miss due to poor NFC reader sales the CEO said it was as a result of customers waiting to see what Apple would announce. Yes the CEO should be red faced with embarrassment!!!! After the Apple announcement OTI received large numbers of reader enquiries, which is understandable.
Up to the Apple announcement retailers could wait to replace their hardware (readers) due to obsolesce. New readers would have NFC built in like you get the latest technology when you buy a new phone. With the Apple announcement retailers are forced to update readers that do not support NFC if they want to capture the young and likely well to do Apple shopper.
Apple is rolling out Apple Pay in their home market of North America to see how it goes and fix the glitches. When the businesses and banks in North America are satisfied they will likely launch in Europe having negotiated deals with European banks and major retailers in advance. Young European consumers read tech news from the US so they will know about Apple Pay. As a result the launch will be less costly and faster, so goes the Apple machine.
OTI built and own the NFC railway. Apple Pay is likely the first modern locomotive to use the OTI railway (It’s a guess, I’m no engineer). Google Wallet tried to use the railroad but their locomotive was cumbersome with little consumer uptake. Before Apple Pay NFC sales transactions in stores/restaurants were likely very little in number. Makes you wonder what benefit mobile carrier users got from the OTI patent NFC aerial in their phones before Apple Pay. All that changed when Apple brought their magic touch to the OTI NFC railroad.
The previous OTI board was ousted in 2012 for good reason. If you judge the new boards success on the share price alone nothing changed. The stock is still around $1.45. On the last earnings call OTI were not willing to offer a forecast for 2015. The analysts who believed the OTI 2014 forecast (that did not work out) is downgrading the stock due to lack of 2015 visibility. He does not appear to realize Apple Pay is the key that opens the NFC reader volume market in 2015 for all suppliers.
SA articles in 2012 were forecasting a bright future for the company. The favorable OTI summary judgment ruling in their patent infringement lawsuit against T-Mobile took a lot longer than anticipated back then. There is still a long way to go but, so far so good. OTI are in the process of hopefully appointing a tech savvy sales focused CEO. OTI has a pipeline of newly designed NFC products primed and ready for market. Although it is hard to believe the “wand product” will ever sell in commercial numbers. OTI expect to ship volume NFC product in the 3rd quarter. That sounds reasonable and workable.
Make no mistake Apple choose the payment method that best suited Apple. NFC technology is the lucky benefactor. Without Apple Pay OTI never stood a chance to be profitable from NFC reader sales despite the current CEOs expectations. The Apple Pay NFC decision is a game changer. OTI has the opportunity to be a growth company for many years as new countries introduce Apple Pay.
Long time OTI investors may feel they missed the opportunity to sell stock several months ago. The September 2014 stock $4 high after the Apple Pay announcement to the current 2012 $1.45 price range is a little mind-boggling. The temptation to sell when/if you ever break even is understandable. However, this is not the same scenario as 2012. In 2012 OTI did not have the opportunity to make a killing in North America alone selling NFC readers. In Europe they are still picking fruit from low hanging trees in Poland. The rest of Europe is like Siberia as far as OTI sales are concerned. They combine Israel and Asia together into one sales region!! These growth opportunities are without taking any IP revenue into account!!!
The activist OTI board appointed with much expectation in 2012 has disappointed. Hopefully the current board and management can collectively manage to snatch success from the jaws of defeat now that NFC reader sales opportunities are offered to them on an Apple plate.
Lets forget about their IP for the moment and look at the OTI business.
Unfortunately the company that developed the NFC communication highway is a little behind the curve in the sales of their NFC readers.
A new board ousted the previous regime with great expectations. The new board appointed an insider as CEO. It is motivating for staff if an insider makes a go of such a wonderful opportunity, a win win situation. Unfortunately the new CEO was lacking in marketing and international sales experience. The official line is he is leaving for personal reasons, which is fair enough. Many wished he had the foresight to change OTI’s rather drab website. Compare it www.otiglobal.com to their competitors slick www.usatech.com website.
OTI 2014 revenues by geographical region:
North America $8.3M 37%
Europe $7.5M 32%
Africa $3.9M 17%
Asia and Israel $2.8M 12%
South America $0.52M
OTI do not give individual country sale figures for Europe. A high percentage of OTI European revenue is generated in Poland. They appear to have little or no presence in the top five European countries, Germany, UK, France, Italy and France. So when they list sales for Europe it is mostly Poland. Sales in Poland alone are probably 50% of sales in the North America. That is not an impressive performance for Europe or North America. However is does indicate the future sales potential for OTI in those locations.
The company readers are priced competitively and well designed. Their investments in R&D just delivered a new telemeter product that could increase ASPs 50%+ for customers. Properly run this is a growth company for many years to come.
Hopefully the board will choose their next CEO more carefully and we will all benefit from his/her experience and abilities.