> REG-Spiritel PLC Final Results

Released: 18/10/2007


RNS Number:9112F 
Spiritel PLC 
18 October 2007 
 
 
Embargoed until 07.00, 18 October 2007 
 
 
                                  SPIRITEL PLC 
 
 
                          ("Spiritel" or "The Group") 
 
 
              PRELIMINARY RESULTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 APRIL 2007 
 
 
Spiritel plc (AIM: STP), the telecommunications services business today 
announces preliminary results for the year ended 30 April 2007. 
 
 
Commenting on the results, Lord St. John of Bletso said: "The year to 30 April 
2007 has been one of rationalisation, acquisition and integration for Spiritel. 
Our adopted strategy to acquire complementary and earnings enhancing businesses 
to deliver scale and profitability has been applied consistently. As a result, 
we have seen particular progress via acquisition in the Business division of 
Spiritel supported by higher margins in our Technologies division." 
 
 
Summary: 
 
 
   -Three transformational acquisitions made during the year 
   -1,000 new business customers and expansion in the range of Group products 
    and services 
   -New management team 
   -Proven delivery of outlined strategy, with platform for the next phase of 
    growth 
   -Post year end - 
       -Return to cash generation and EBITDA profitability 
       -Major hosted VoIP trial with Regent Inns 
       -Senior debt facility arranged 
 
 
Chief Executive, Alastair Mills added: "This has been a transformational year 
for Spiritel. We have acquired and integrated three new businesses into the 
Group and grown our customer base and product portfolio to record levels. 
Spiritel now has over 1,000 SME and corporate clients and we have built upon our 
existing expertise in IP based communications to launch a new range of converged 
data and hosted VoIP services alongside traditional voice and data products. 
Most significantly, since the year end, the Group has moved into EBITDA 
profitability." 
 
 
For further information please visit www.spiritelplc.com or contact: 
 
Spiritel plc              Tavistock Communications  Landsbanki Securities 
Alastair Mills            Simon Hudson              Sindre Ottesen 
Chief Executive           Clemmie Carr              Sebastian Jones 
Tel: +44 20 7160 0100     Tel: +44 20 7920 3150     Tel: +44 20 7426 9000 
 
 
 
Chairman's statement 
 
Introduction 
 
I am pleased to report on what has been a significant turnaround year for 
Spiritel. The Group has grown into its new dual Technologies and Business 
structure and made substantial progress towards turning losses of previous years 
into EBITDA profitability and cash generation. We achieved positive EBITDA 
shortly after the year end and expect to report an operating profit for the year 
to 30 April 2008. 
 
The year to 30 April 2007 has been one of rationalisation followed by 
acquisition and integration for Spiritel. Our adopted strategy to acquire 
complementary and earnings enhancing businesses to deliver scale and 
profitability has been applied consistently. As a result, we have seen 
particular progress via acquisition in the Business division of Spiritel 
supported by higher margins in our Technologies division. 
 
Results 
 
Group turnover for the year was £13.6 million (2006: £15.6 million). Decreases 
in wholesale voice revenues due to challenging market conditions and a focus on 
more profitable revenue streams were offset by new turnover and profits from the 
newly established Business division. The part year contribution from Spiritel 
Business, which recorded a 50% gross margin, resulted in overall gross margin 
improvement from 12.2% to 14.9%. 
 
The restructuring of the Group into two complementary divisions resulted in 
significant charges to operating profits, as detailed in the financial 
statements. The reported operating loss of £2.396 million (2006: £0.737 million) 
includes goodwill amortisation and exceptional items of £1.168 million (2006: 
£nil). Adjusting for these costs produces an operating loss of £1.228 million 
(2006: £0.737 million). The loss before taxation was £3.010 million (2006: 
£0.751 million). The key metric used by the Board in assessing financial 
performance is adjusted operating profit (operating profit adjusted for 
non-trading items and depreciation). Adjusted operating profit for the current 
year was a £0.644 million loss (2006: £0.294 million loss). 
 
The reported figures for the year ended 30 April 2007 do not highlight the 
progress that we have made as almost all of the loss was incurred during the 
first half when the contribution from Spiritel Business was negligible. The 
second half saw significant progress towards profitability and we are confident 
that we will report an operating profit during the year to 30 April 2008. 
 
For a fuller explanation of results for the year ended 30 April 2007 please see 
the Financial review from CEO Alastair Mills. 
 
Restructure 
 
The Group is progressing its business model of acquiring communications service 
providers which leverage our existing business and allow us to move closer to 
the end customer. Spiritel's operating activities have been restructured into 
two clear business areas: Spiritel Technologies (replacing Spiritel Wholesale) 
and Spiritel Business (replacing Spiritel Retail). 
 
Spiritel Technologies is now focused on building upon its experience and 
expertise in IP technology, whilst continuing to provide voice termination 
services. It also manages and maintains the network infrastructure for its own 
and Spiritel Business's growing operations. Spiritel Business provides a 
broadening range of communications products and services to business users and 
now has over 1,000 corporate and SME clients. 
 
Acquisitions 
 
During the year, the Group progressed its acquisition strategy by acquiring 
three businesses, now fully integrated into Spiritel Business. All have added 
new customer relationships and complementary products and services. 
 
The first acquisition was CallPlan Limited in September 2006, which was followed 
with Networks Direct (UK) Limited in October 2006. Our most significant 
acquisition to date came in March 2007 with Ashland Group Limited. Ashland has 
changed the scale of the Group's infrastructure, with new technical support, 
nationwide engineering coverage, 24/7 customer care, retail billing, 
telemarketing and sales. Based in Wigan, Ashland has become the platform for the 
ongoing growth of the Business division through further acquisitions and will 
enable us to extract savings through synergies from future transactions. 
 
All three acquisitions completed during the year have been earnings enhancing 
from completion and now offer organic growth opportunities through the cross 
selling of products and services throughout the enlarged customer base. 
Importantly, our acquisitions for Spiritel Business have increased our earnings 
visibility, as we have gained strong customer relationships with contracted 
maintenance and support revenues. 
 
Strategy 
 
Spiritel's goal is to deliver consistent and growing profitability. There are 
three stages to our strategy to achieve this: the first is to acquire sub-scale 
resellers, which will grow both our customer and product base. The second stage 
is to fully integrate those businesses into the Group so as to deliver 
synergistic savings and broaden our product offering. The third stage is to 
focus on organic growth based on an expanded range of services and an enlarged 
customer base. By selling more products to each customer, we will increase 
average revenue per user, reduce churn and enhance margins. Via this strategy of 
acquisition, integration and growth we are evolving Spiritel into a complete 
provider of converged voice and data services. 
 
It is in this way that we intend to deliver value to shareholders, including the 
generation of appropriate returns for our new and old investors alike. 
 
Board 
 
There have been a number of changes to the Board and senior management team 
designed to support the Group's new business model and structure. Last year we 
appointed Steven Maine to the position of Deputy Chairman. Steven is a former 
CEO of Kingston Communications plc and has been on our Board since April 2006. 
Following the acquisition of Ashland in March 2007, Anthony Vose joined the 
Board and is now a Non-Executive Director. In May 2007, we appointed Ronnie 
Smith to the Board as Group Finance Director. Ronnie, who joined us in July 
2006, has been a key member of the new management team and has contributed 
significantly to the Group's development in recent months. 
 
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the founders of the Company, Mark 
Willard and John Vergopoulos, for their contribution since listing. John stepped 
down as a Director in October 2006 and Mark in March 2007 to pursue other 
business interests. 
 
Current trading and outlook 
 
During the year we gained a new range of products and services, relationships 
with over 1,000 business customers and have put in place a new Board and 
management team capable of continuing the excellent progress we have made. Since 
the year end we have returned to EBITDA profitability; a significant achievement 
for Spiritel and testament to the Group's successful implementation of our 
stated business plan and strategy for growth. 
 
Our recent progress in the development and delivery of emerging IP based 
services, as evidenced by the VoIP/Wi-Fi trial for Regent Inns, gives us 
particular cause for optimism. Whilst still offering the full range of 
traditional voice and data services to business customers, our ability to 
demonstrate the IP product roadmap to customers is a differentiator for Spiritel 
and one that we expect to generate significant revenues in the near future. 
 
Whilst giving attention to the organic growth opportunities available from 
having new products to sell to an enlarged customer base, we intend to continue 
our assertive acquisition policy and remain on the lookout for additional 
earnings enhancing transactions, with a number presently under review. 
 
 
I believe that the skills and experience of our invigorated team combined with 
the effectiveness of our business model and strategy for growth will enable us 
to make the most of the opportunities we see in the coming year. 
 
 
Lord St John of Bletso 
 
Chairman 
17 October 2007 
 
 
 
 
 
Chief Executive's review 
 
Overview 
 
This has been a transformational year for Spiritel. We have acquired and 
integrated three new businesses into the Group and grown our customer base and 
product portfolio to record levels. Spiritel now has over 1,000 SME and 
corporate clients and we have built upon our existing expertise in IP based 
communications to launch a new range of Wi-Fi and VoIP services alongside 
traditional voice and data products. We have successfully repositioned the Group 
to focus on business end-users and we now offer a broader variety of services to 
more customers. We have developed a robust business model that will deliver cash 
generation and earnings visibility. Ultimately we are building a business of 
scale which is successfully competing with much larger rivals in the delivery of 
communications products and services 
to UK businesses. 
 
We have now completed the restructure of the Group. Our Technologies division, 
apart from servicing its own blue chip customers, provides the competitive cost 
base and advanced engineering environment that has enabled the Business division 
to compete strongly on voice and data pricing and provide exceptional quality in 
the delivery of IP based services. We are confident that together the two 
divisions enhance the Spiritel product proposition. 
 
Spiritel Business 
 
During the year, Spiritel Business has established itself as one of the few 
companies that can provide a full service offering covering fixed line and 
mobile services, telephone system installation and maintenance, and the 
development and delivery of emerging IP based voice and data products. 
 
Spiritel Business was established by combining the three acquired businesses, 
Ashland Group, CallPlan and Networks Direct (UK), to create a division that is 
structured across three discrete but complementary product lines, namely, 
Networks (fixed line voice, broadband and line rental), IP Communications 
(telephone systems, Wi-Fi and VoIP) and Mobile. 
 
The acquisition and integration of three established businesses has brought 
scale to the Group, including nationwide engineering coverage and a back office 
infrastructure capable of delivering the level of customer service and support 
expected by our SME and corporate customers. Establishing this level of scale is 
a significant achievement as we look to grow our product range and customer 
base, organically and through acquisition. From its Wigan base, Spiritel 
Business has the infrastructure to integrate future acquisitions swiftly and so 
deliver synergies and cross selling opportunities. 
 
In addition to creating a platform on which we can build the Business division, 
the acquisition of Ashland also brought a leading position in the delivery of 
telephony and data services to the hospitality sector including, amongst others, 
Marriott, Whitbread, Spirit and Regent Inns. These blue chip customers take a 
growing range of services from Spiritel Business such as structured cabling and 
telephony systems and have provided recent contract successes to supply hosted 
VoIP and Wi-Fi solutions. We are confident that during the year ahead we can 
build upon our strength in the hospitality sector by broadening our product 
portfolio and cross selling new products into this well established customer 
base. 
 
The acquisitions have also brought key vendor relationships that provide 
confidence over quality of service and underpin our product development work. 
CallPlan achieved Telstra Platinum accreditation during the year (the first 
reseller in Europe to gain such status) and Ashland continues to enjoy an award 
winning relationship with Mitel - whose latest products are being used for our 
hosted VoIP trials currently in progress. Our objective is that customers 
recognise Spiritel Business as a fully accredited centre of excellence. We plan 
to develop more key partnerships and alliances as we continue to grow Spiritel 
Business. 
 
Spiritel Technologies 
 
Spiritel Technologies continues to play a key part in the Group's success by 
generating significant earnings from wholesale voice services and fulfilling a 
critical support role for Spiritel Business in terms of design and management of 
network infrastructure and product development. 
 
During the year we focused on higher margin routes from wholesale voice 
services, resulting in gross margins increasing from 7% in May 2006 to 15% by 
April 2007. Post year end, gross margins have increased further to 17%. Spiritel 
Technologies is increasingly focusing on IP technology where our experience and 
infrastructure are enabling us to support Spiritel Business in the design and 
supply of VoIP and related technology to end users. Our recent success with 
Regent Inns was achieved by close co-ordination between the Technologies and 
Business divisions. 
 
In addition to network management and product development, Spiritel Technologies 
is also supporting Spiritel Business through voice and data quality monitoring, 
IT services and Group voice and data procurement. This is a critical component 
of our "acquire, integrate and grow" strategy and has enabled us to rapidly 
integrate our acquisitions into the new Group structure and strengthen our cross 
selling proposition. 
 
Strategy and progress - acquire, integrate, grow 
 
The progress we have achieved this year stems from the implementation of our 
business model and the execution of our stated strategy for growth. Three 
successful acquisitions, restructuring our business into two divisions and the 
resulting return to EBITDA profitability post year end are evidence of the 
success of this strategy. 
 
In its simplest form our strategy is to acquire, integrate and grow. We have 
demonstrated that we can execute attractively priced acquisitions and are 
confident that we can continue to do so within an industry characterised by the 
consolidation of sub-scale telecoms resellers in a fragmented marketplace. 
 
We have developed an integration framework that enables us to plan for and 
deliver value from each transaction, in terms of synergies and cross selling. 
Our ability to promptly integrate acquisitions within Spiritel Business has and 
will allow us to maximise the benefits in terms of customer value, product 
propositions, earnings enhancement and strong cash flow. 
 
Our acquisition criteria include new customer bases into which we can deliver 
the full range of Group products, bolt-on acquisitions that can deliver savings 
through synergies and the addition of new products/services that we can cross 
sell into our existing customer base. We have recorded successes in all these 
areas during the year and it is the cross selling of existing and new products 
that will deliver the organic growth in the year ahead. 
 
Management 
 
During the year we welcomed Jonny Shanmuganathan as Managing Director of 
Spiritel Technologies. Jonny joined us from NASDAQ listed Arbinet, where he was 
Vice President for Sales in EMEA. Jonny has been instrumental in the 
transformation of Spiritel Technologies and its focus on the IP based services 
that are supporting the growth and development of Spiritel Business. 
 
We are also pleased to confirm the appointment of David Anahory as Managing 
Director of Spiritel Business. David, who was a commercial director with 
Carphone Warehouse, joins us on 1 November 2007. David brings considerable 
experience from his senior roles with One Tel and Carphone Warehouse and we look 
forward to his contribution as Spiritel Business continues to focus on both 
acquisitive and organic growth. 
 
Further to this Ronnie Smith joined the Board as Group Finance Director 
following our year end. 
 
With the acquisition of three businesses during the year our Group now comprises 
over 80 staff, up from 15 last year. This provides us with the scale and 
resource needed to support our customers and deliver our growth targets in the 
year ahead. 
 
Financial review 
 
Group turnover decreased to £13.649 million (2006: £15.564 million) due to a 
combination of continuing tough conditions in Spiritel Technologies' traditional 
wholesale voice markets and the implementation of a programme to eliminate 
unprofitable revenues. The latter delivered gross margins from continuing 
operations of 11.1% during the second half of the year, compared to 9.2% during 
the first half. 
 
The three businesses acquired during the year to form Spiritel Business, 
contributed £1.627 million to turnover - seven months from CallPlan, six months 
from Networks Direct and two months from Ashland Group. The gross margin of 50% 
from Spiritel Business increased Group gross margin to 14.9% (2006: 12.2%). 
 
The restructuring and refocusing of the Group resulted in substantial 
exceptional costs being incurred during the year. Most of these costs were 
non-cash items from writing down those investments in tangible and intangible 
fixed assets where the carrying value was not commensurate with revenues and 
profits. 
 
During the year the Group recorded an operating loss before goodwill 
amortisation and exceptional items of £1.228 million (2006: £0.737 million). In 
assessing the progress in the Group's financial results, the Directors review 
Adjusted Operating Profit (after adding back non-trading items and depreciation 
of £0.584 million). Non-trading items for the year include launch costs for 118 
918 and the FRS 20 charge for share options. The adjusted loss of £0.644 million 
(2006: £0.294 million) is in line with management expectations. Almost all of 
the adjusted operating loss was incurred during the first half of the year with 
close to break even performance during the second half. The profitability of 
Spiritel Business was the main contributor to the significant performance 
improvement in the second half of the year. 
 
Since year end the Group has recorded positive EBITDA. This will be reported in 
the results for the six months to 31 October 2007 which will be the first set of 
published results to include full contributions from both divisions. We are 
confident that as progress continues in the Business division and core revenues 
and earnings stabilise within Spiritel Technologies we will report an operating 
profit for the year ending 30 April 2008. 
 
In June 2007 we obtained shareholder approval to amend the terms of Penta 
Capital's debt and preference shares to give conversion rights over ordinary 
shares at a premium to the share price. This has substantially reduced our 
ongoing interest costs and provides potential to strengthen our balance sheet on 
exercise of the conversion rights. In July 2007 we secured a £1.375 million debt 
facility from Clydesdale Bank to restructure debt and provide access to funds to 
execute our strategy of acquisitive and organic growth. We also brought a major 
institutional investor on board. 
 
Summary and outlook 
 
This year has been the most significant in the Group's history. We announced a 
new strategy and made great progress in its execution by acquiring three 
earnings-enhancing businesses that significantly broaden our product portfolio 
and customer base. We are now trading at an EBITDA positive level and we aim to 
maintain this progress as we remain on the acquisition trail and have a number 
of attractively priced potential targets in our sights. 
 
The recent announcement of the hosted VoIP trials, won against two of the 
largest companies in our sector, marked a breakthrough for the Group. The win 
confirmed our position as a market leader in the provision of IP based services 
and we anticipate this area delivering significant growth in the year ahead. We 
hope to make further announcements with regard to the roll out of advanced 
hosted VoIP services to some of our blue chip customers in the hospitality 
sector. 
 
The outlook for the remainder of the current financial year is positive. We now 
have an EBITDA profitable Group with an impressive breadth of products and 
services that we are selling to a growing SME and corporate customer base. We 
have put in place the groundwork from which to maintain the growth we have 
started to see across the whole Group. We have a new and energised management 
team operating within two clearly defined divisions, both of which have solid 
prospects for expansion. Our progress in terms of customer numbers, product set, 
earnings and cash generation is clear. We look forward to furthering this 
momentum in this financial year and beyond. 
 
The progress could not have been delivered without the dedication and commitment 
of the expanded Spiritel team. I would like to take this opportunity to thank 
them for their hard work and achievements this year. I look forward to building 
upon what we have achieved so far and continuing our drive to return value to 
our shareholders through the consistent application of our proven strategy for 
growth in the coming year. 
 
 
Alastair Mills 
 
Chief Executive 
17 October 2007 
 
 
 
 
 
Consolidated profit and loss account 
For the year ended 30 April 2007 
 
                                           Before      
                                         goodwill     Goodwill 
                                     amortisation amortisation 
                                              and          and     
                                      exceptional  exceptional 
                                            items        items    Total Restated 
                                             2007         2007     2007     2006 
                                          Audited      Audited  Audited  Audited 
                                  Note      £'000        £'000    £'000    £'000 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Turnover - continuing                   
           operations                      12,022            -   12,022   15,564 
         - acquisitions                     1,627            -    1,627        - 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
                                     2     13,649            -   13,649   15,564 
Cost of sales                             (11,613)           -  (11,613) (13,671) 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Gross profit                                2,036            -    2,036    1,893 
 
Administrative expenses 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Other administrative expenses             (3,264)         (219)  (3,483)  (2,630) 
Exceptional administrative       
expenses                             3         -          (949)    (949)       - 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Total administrative expenses             (3,264)       (1,168)  (4,432)  (2,630) 
Operating (loss)/profit            
          - continuing operations         (1,464)       (1,168)  (2,632)    (737) 
          - acquisitions                     236             -      236        - 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
                                          (1,228)       (1,168)  (2,396)    (737) 
Share of operating loss of  
joint venture                                (25)            -      (25)     (16) 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
                                          (1,253)       (1,168)  (2,421)    (753) 
Net interest                                                       (589)       2 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Loss on ordinary activities  
before taxation                      2                           (3,010)    (751) 
Tax on loss on ordinary        
activities                                                           21       82 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Loss on ordinary activities  
after taxation                                                   (2,989)    (669) 
Minority interest                                                   134       26 
Loss for the financial year                                      (2,855)    (643) 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Loss per share in pence 
Basic and diluted                    5                            (1.31)   (0.45) 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
 
Consolidated statement of total recognised gains and losses 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
                                                             2007   Restated 
                                                                        2006 
                                                            £'000      £'000 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Loss for the financial year                                (2,855)      (643) 
Prior year adjustments                                        (15) ------------- 
Total gains and losses recognised since last financial   
statements                                                 (2,870) 
------------------------------------------------------------------- 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Consolidated balance sheet 
For the year ended 30 April 2007 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
                                                                    Restated 
                                                              2007      2006 
                                                           Audited   Audited 
                                                             £'000     £'000 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Fixed assets 
 
Intangible assets                                            4,859        33 
Tangible assets                                                408       864 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
                                                             5,267       897 
Current assets 
 
Stocks                                                         392         - 
Debtors                                                      3,007     1,016 
Cash at bank and in hand                                       322        98 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
                                                             3,721     1,114 
Creditors: amounts falling due within one year              (8,264)   (1,919) 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Net current liabilities                                     (4,543)     (805) 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Total assets less current liabilities                          724        92 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
 
Creditors: amounts falling due after more than one year      4,812     4,694 
 
Provisions for liabilities                                      17        18 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
                                                             4,829     4,712 
 
Capital and reserves 
Called up share capital                                      3,162     1,654 
Share premium account                                        4,550     2,850 
Reverse acquisition reserve                                 (5,763)   (5,763) 
Other reserves                                                  97        15 
Profit and loss account                                     (6,151)   (3,376) 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Shareholders' deficit                                       (4,105)   (4,620) 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
                                                               724        92 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
 
 
 
 
Consolidated cash flow statement 
For the year ended 30 April 2007 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
                                                               2007      2006 
                                                            Audited   Audited 
                                                       Note   £'000     £'000 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Net cash (outflow)/inflow from operating activities     6    (1,177)       31 
 
Returns on investments and servicing of finance 
Interest received                                                 5         5 
Interest paid                                                    (6)       (3) 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Net cash (outflow)/inflow from returns on 
investments and servicing of finance                             (1)        2 
Taxation 
Corporation tax paid                                             (9)     (151) 
 
Capital expenditure and financial investment 
Purchase of tangible fixed assets                              (101)     (655) 
Sales of tangible fixed assets                                    6         - 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Net cash outflow from capital expenditure and  
financial investment                                            (95)     (655) 
Acquisitions 
Consideration and expenses                                   (3,456)        - 
Net cash acquired with subsidiary undertaking                   646         - 
Purchase of minority shares in subsidiary 
undertaking                                                       -        (7) 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Net cash outflow from acquisitions                           (2,810)       (7) 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Cash outflow before financing                                (4,092)     (780) 
Financing 
Receipts from borrowing                                       3,100       450 
Issues of shares (net of expenses)                            1,223         - 
Hire purchase repayments                                         (7)        - 
Expenses in connection with conversion of loan notes              -        (2) 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Net cash inflow from financing                                4,316       448 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Increase / (decrease) in cash in the year               7       224      (332) 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
 
 
 
 
Reconciliation of movements in shareholders' deficit 
For the year ended 30 April 2007 
 
---------------------------------------------------------------------- 
                                                            Restated 
                                                    2007        2006 
                                                 Audited     Audited 
                                                   £'000       £'000 
---------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Retained loss for the financial year              (2,855)       (643) 
Credit for equity settled share based payments        62          15 
Equity component of compound financial   
instrument                                           100           - 
Issue of share capital (net of expenses)           3,208       1,998 
---------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Net increase in shareholders' deficit                515       1,370 
Opening shareholders' deficit                     (4,620)     (5,990) 
---------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Closing shareholders' deficit                     (4,105)     (4,620) 
---------------------------------------------------------------------- 
 
NOTES TO THE PRELIMINARY ANNOUNCEMENT 
 
 
For the year ended 30 April 2007 
 
 
1.       PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES 
 
BASIS OF PREPARATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION 
 
 
The financial information in this preliminary announcement has been prepared in 
accordance with the accounting policies set out in the financial statements of 
Spiritel plc for the period ended 30 April 2006. These accounting policies have 
remained unchanged for the financial year ended 30 April 2007, with the 
exception of the treatment of the Company's share options following the 
mandatory adoption of FRS 20 "Share based payments". The fair value of share 
options, determined at the date of grant, is recognised as an expense over the 
vesting period of the options. The 2007 results have been prepared on this basis 
and the 2006 results have been restated to reflect this change in policy. 
 
The financial information in this document does not constitute the Company's 
statutory accounts for the year ended 30 April 2007 or 2006, but is derived from 
those accounts. Statutory accounts for 2006 have been delivered to the Registrar 
of Companies and those for 2007 will be delivered following the company's Annual 
General Meeting. The auditors have reported on these accounts and their reports 
were unqualified and did not contain statements under sections 237(2) or (3) of 
the Companies Act 1985. 
 
 
2.       SEGMENTAL INFORMATION 
 
The turnover and loss on ordinary activities before taxation are attributable to 
the principal activity of the Group. 
 
TURNOVER BY DESTINATION 
                                                     2007      2006 
                                                     £000      £000 
--------------------------------------------------------------------- 
United Kingdom                                     13,424    15,449 
Europe                                                199       109 
United States                                          26         6 
                                                   --------  -------- 
Group turnover                                     13,649    15,564 
                                                   ========  ======== 
 
 
3.       EXCEPTIONAL ITEMS 
 
The following exceptional costs were charged in arriving at the operating loss 
of the Group: 
 
                                                     2007     2006 
                                                     £000     £000 
---------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Reorganisation and restructuring costs                151        - 
Impairment charges                                    712        - 
Bad debts written off                                  86        - 
                                                   -------- -------- 
Total exceptional costs                               949        - 
                                                   ======== ======== 
 
 
4.       DIVIDENDS 
 
The Directors do not recommend the payment of a dividend. (2006: £nil). 
 
 
5.       LOSS PER SHARE 
 
The loss per share is based on the loss of £2,855,000 (2006 restated: £643,000) 
and 217,231,927 (2006: 142,278,943) ordinary 1p shares, being the weighted 
average number of shares in issue during the year. The share options are not 
dilutive and therefore a diluted earnings per share calculation has not been 
presented. 
 
 
6.       NET CASH (OUTFLOW)/INFLOW FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES 
 
                                                      2007  Restated 
                                                                2006 
                                                      £000      £000 
---------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Operating loss                                      (2,396)     (737) 
Depreciation                                           322       428 
Loss on disposal of tangible fixed assets               12         2 
Impairment of tangible fixed assets                    422         - 
Amortisation of goodwill                               219         - 
Impairment of goodwill                                 227         - 
Decrease in stocks                                       2         - 
Decrease/(increase) in debtors                          14       (66) 
(Decrease)/increase in creditors                       (44)      389 
Equity settled share based payments                     45        15 
                                                    --------  -------- 
Net cash (outflow)/inflow from operating            (1,177)       31 
activities                                          ========  ======== 
 
 
7.       RECONCILIATION OF NET CASH FLOW TO MOVEMENT IN NET DEBT 
 
                                                      2007      2006 
                                                      £000      £000 
---------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Increase/(decrease) in cash in the year                224      (332) 
Cash inflow from financing                          (3,100)     (450) 
Cash outflow from hire purchase agreements               7         - 
                                                    --------  -------- 
Change in net debt resulting from cash flows        (2,869)     (782) 
Hire purchase agreements acquired with subsidiary   
undertakings                                          (184)        - 
Loan notes converted to ordinary shares                  -     2,000 
Other non-cash items                                  (488)        - 
                                                    --------  -------- 
Change in net debt in the year                      (3,541)    1,218 
Net debt at 1 May 2006                              (5,046)   (6,264) 
                                                    --------  -------- 
Net debt at 30 April 2007                           (8,587)   (5,046) 
                                                    ========  ======== 
 
8.       ACQUISITIONS 
 
During the year the Company acquired the whole of the issued ordinary share 
capital of CallPlan Limited, Networks Direct (UK) Limited and Ashland Group 
Limited, on 11 September 2006, 13 October 2006 and 2 March 2007 respectively. 
 
 
The net assets acquired, consideration paid and goodwill arising on acquisition 
are summarised below: 
 
                                                  Networks   
                                                    Direct   Ashland  
                                       CallPlan       (UK)     Group 
                                        Limited   Limited    Limited 
                                          £'000     £'000      £'000 
---------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Tangible fixed assets                         -         -        205 
Stocks                                        -         -        394 
Debtors                                      80        16      1,925 
Cash                                         87         -        559 
Trade and other creditors                   (34)        -     (1,220) 
Hire purchase agreements                      -         -       (184) 
Corporation tax                             (42)        -       (220) 
Deferred tax                                  -         -        (19) 
                                         --------  --------   -------- 
Net assets acquired                          91        16      1,440 
Acquisition costs                           (49)     (119)      (223) 
Goodwill                                    590     1,763      2,683 
                                         --------  --------   -------- 
Consideration                               632     1,660      3,900 
                                         ========  ========   ======== 
 
Satisfied by: 
Cash                                        405     1,010      1,650 
Deferred consideration to be settled    
in cash                                     227         -      1,000 
Issue of share capital                        -       650      1,250 
                                         --------  --------   -------- 
                                            632     1,660      3,900 
                                         ========  ========   ======== 
 
 
 
 
Copies of the Annual Report and Accounts will be posted to shareholders shortly. 
Copies are available from the Company's head office at 18 King William Street, 
London EC4N 7BP. It will also be possible to download the Annual Report from the 
Group's website: www.spiritelplc.com 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                      This information is provided by RNS 
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange 
 
END 
FR VDLFFDBBXFBK