Item 1A. Risk Factors
ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
Investing in the Company’s common stock
involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the following risks together with the other information in this Annual
Report.
Risks Related to Data
Storage’s Business
The Company has not
generated a significant amount of net income and it may not be able to sustain profitability in the future.
As reflected in the consolidated
financial statements, the Company had a net income available to shareholders of $204,161 and $55,339 for the years ended December 31,
2021 and 2020, respectively. As of December 31, 2021, the Company had cash of $12,135,803 and working capital of $12,084,815.
If the Company is unable
to attract new customers to its infrastructure and disaster recovery/ cloud subscription services on a cost-effective basis, its revenue
and operating results would be adversely affected.
The
Company generates the majority of its revenue from the sale of subscriptions to its infrastructure and disaster recovery/cloud solutions.
In order to grow, the Company must continue to attract customers, many of whom may have not previously used infrastructure as a service
and cloud disaster recovery backup solutions. The Company uses and periodically adjusts a diverse mix of advertising and marketing programs
to promote its solutions. Significant increases in the pricing of one or more of the Company’s advertising channels would increase
its advertising costs or cause it to choose less expensive and perhaps fewer effective channels. As the Company adds to or changes the
mix of its advertising and marketing strategies, it may expand into channels with significantly higher costs than its current programs,
which could adversely affect its operating results. The Company may incur advertising and marketing expenses significantly in advance
of the time it anticipates recognizing any revenue generated by such expenses, and it may only at a later date, or never, experience
an increase in revenue or brand awareness as a result of such expenditures. Additionally, because the Company recognizes revenue from
customers over the terms of their subscriptions, a large portion of its revenue for each quarter reflects deferred revenue from subscriptions
entered into during previous quarters, and downturns or upturns in subscription sales or renewals may not be reflected in the Company’s
operating results until later periods. It has made in the past, and may make in the future, significant investments to test new advertising,
and there can be no assurance that any such investments will lead to the cost-effective acquisition of additional customers. If the Company
is unable to maintain effective advertising programs, its ability to attract new customers could be adversely affected, its advertising
and marketing expenses could increase substantially, and its operating results may suffer.
A portion
of the Company’s potential customers locate its website through search engines, such as Google, Bing, and Yahoo!. The Company’s
ability to maintain the number of visitors directed to its website is not entirely within its control. If search engine companies modify
their search algorithms in a manner that reduces the prominence of the Company’s listing, or if its competitors’ search engine
optimization efforts are more successful than the Company’s, fewer potential customers may click through to its website. In addition,
the cost of purchased listings has increased in the past and may increase in the future. A decrease in website traffic or an increase
in search costs could adversely affect the Company’s customer acquisition efforts and its operating results.
The Company expects
to continue to acquire or invest in other companies, which may divert its management’s attention, result in additional dilution
to its stockholders, and consume resources that are necessary to sustain its business.
Having
completed the merger with Flagship, the Company expects to continue to acquire complementary solutions, services, technologies, or businesses
in the future. The Company may also enter into relationships with other businesses to expand its portfolio of solutions or its ability
to provide its solutions in foreign jurisdictions, which could involve preferred or exclusive licenses, additional channels of distribution,
discount pricing, or investments in other companies. Negotiating these transactions can be time-consuming, difficult and expensive, and
its ability to complete these transactions may often be subject to conditions or approvals that are beyond its control. Consequently,
these transactions, even if a definitive purchase agreement is executed and announced, may not close.
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Acquisitions
may also disrupt the Company’s business, divert its resources, and require significant management attention that would otherwise
be available for the development of its business. Moreover, the anticipated benefits of any acquisition, investment, or business relationship
may not be realized on a timely basis or at all or the Company may be exposed to known or unknown liabilities, including litigation against
the companies that it may acquire. In connection with any such transaction, the Company may:
●
issue additional equity securities that would dilute its stockholders;
●
use cash that the Company may
need in the future to operate its business;
●
incur debt on terms unfavorable
to the Company, that it’s unable to repay, or that may place burdensome restrictions on its operations;
●
incur large charges or substantial
liabilities; or
●
become subject to adverse tax consequences or substantial depreciation, deferred compensation, or other acquisition-related accounting charges.
Any
of these risks could harm the Company’s business and operating results.
Integration of an acquired
company’s operations may present challenges.
The integration of an acquired
company requires, among other things, coordination of administrative, sales and marketing, accounting and finance functions, and expansion
of information and management systems. Integration may prove to be difficult due to the necessity of coordinating geographically separate
organizations and integrating personnel with disparate business backgrounds and accustomed to different corporate cultures. The Company
may not be able to retain key employees of an acquired company. Additionally, the process of integrating a new solution or service may
require a disproportionate amount of time and attention of the Company’s management and financial and other resources. Any difficulties
or problems encountered in the integration of a new solution or service could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business.
The Company intends to continue
to acquire businesses that it believes will help achieve its business objectives. As a result, the Company’s operating costs will
likely continue to grow. The integration of an acquired company may cost more than the Company anticipates, and it is possible that the
Company will incur significant additional unforeseen costs in connection with such integration, which may negatively impact its earnings.
In addition, the Company
may only be able to conduct limited due diligence on an acquired company’s operations. Following an acquisition, the Company may
be subject to liabilities arising from an acquired company’s past or present operations, including liabilities related to data security,
encryption and privacy of customer data, and these liabilities may be greater than the warranty and indemnity limitations that the Company
negotiates. Any liability that is greater than these warranty and indemnity limitations could have a negative impact on the Company’s
financial condition.
Even if successfully integrated,
there can be no assurance that the Company’s operating performance after an acquisition will be successful or will fulfill management’s
objectives.
Risks Related to the Merger with Flagship
On May 31, 2021, the Company
completed the Merger. The Company expects that Flagship’s business will be synergistic with its existing IBM business and anticipates
meaningful operation efficiency and that the Merger will provide a comprehensive one-stop provider to cross-sell solutions across each
organization’s respective enterprise, as well as middle-market customers. Key offerings for the combined companies are expected
to include a wide array of multi-cloud information technology solutions in highly secure, reliable enterprise level cloud services for
companies using IBM Power systems, Microsoft Windows and Linux, including: Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Disaster Recovery of digital
information (DRaaS), Cyber Security as a Service (CSaaS), and Data Analytics as a Service.
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Since having completed the
merger, however, the Company still faces risks and unknowns associated with the Merger. Ultimately, the Company may not realize the anticipated
benefits of the merger with Flagship and integrating and operating Data Storage’s and Flagship’s business may be more difficult,
time-consuming, or costly than expected. Additionally, integrating and operating the Flagship business could result in higher capital
expenditures than anticipated, which could result in the Company’s need to raise additional capital for its operations.
The Company may fail
to maintain an effective system of internal controls, which may result in material misstatements of its consolidated financial statements
or cause it to fail to meet its periodic reporting obligations.
The Company has identified
material weaknesses in its internal control over financial reporting for the year ended December 31, 2020.
In
connection with the audit of the Company’s consolidated financial statements as of and for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020,
the Company identified a material weakness in its internal control over financial reporting. A material weakness is a deficiency, or
a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material
misstatement of its annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.
The material weaknesses identified
during management’s assessment were a lack of sufficient internal accounting expertise to provide reasonable assurance that its
financial statements and notes thereto are prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. This material weakness
did not result in any errors to the consolidated financial statements as of and for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020.
To
address this material weakness, the Company hired Chris H. Panagiotakos to serve as the Company’s Chief Financial Officer. Chris
has over 23 years of public company accounting experience and brings a broad range of experience related to public company accounting
matters.
The Company also took actions
to improve its control environment related to certain aspects of its information technology systems. As of the year ended December 31,
2021, the Company concluded that its remediation efforts have been successful, and that the previously identified material weakness
in its internal control over financial reporting has been remediated. However, while the material weakness has been remediated, the Company
continues to seek improvements to enhance its control environment and to strengthen its internal controls to provide reasonable assurance
that its financial statements continue to be fairly stated in all material respects.
The Company can give no assurance
that additional material weaknesses will not be identified in the future. The Company’s failure to implement and maintain effective
internal control over financial reporting could result in errors in its consolidated financial statements that could result in a restatement
of its financial statements and could cause it to fail to meet its reporting obligations, any of which could diminish investor confidence
in the Company and cause a decline in the price of its common stock.
The Company is controlled
by three principal stockholders who serve as its executive officers and directors.
As of March 30, 2022, through
their aggregate voting power, Messrs. Piluso, Schwartz and Kempster control approximately 37.28% of the Company’s outstanding common
stock, giving them the ability to control a significant portion of the votes for the Company’s directors and all other matters requiring
the approval of its stockholders, including the election of all of its directors and the approval of the reverse stock split.
Risks Related to the
Company’s Industry
The market for cloud
solutions is highly competitive, and if the Company does not compete effectively, its operating results will be harmed.
The market for the Company’s
services is highly competitive, quickly evolving and subject to rapid changes in technology. The Company expects to continue to face
intense competition from its existing competitors as well as additional competition from new market entrants in the future as the market
for its services continues to grow.
The Company competes with
cloud backup and infrastructure providers and providers of traditional hardware-based systems and IBM Power Systems. Its current and potential
competitors vary by size, service offerings, and geographic region. These competitors may elect to partner with each other or with
focused companies to grow their businesses. They include:
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●
in-house IT departments
of its customers and potential customers;
●
traditional
global infrastructure providers, including, but not limited to, large multi-national providers, such
as IBM, Microsoft, Google, and Amazon Web Services (AWS);
●
cloud and software service providers and digital systems integrators;
●
regional managed services providers; and
●
colocation solutions providers, such as Equinix, Rackspace and TierPoint.
Many of these competitors
benefit from significant competitive advantages over the Company, given their desire to enter into this niche marketplace, such as greater
name recognition, longer operating histories, more varied services, and larger marketing budgets, as well as greater financial, technical,
and other resources. In addition, many of these competitors have established marketing relationships and major distribution agreements
with computer manufacturers, internet service providers, and resellers, giving them access to larger customer bases. Some of these competitors
may make acquisitions or enter into strategic relationships to offer a more comprehensive service than the Company does. As a result,
some of these competitors may be able to:
●
develop superior products or services,
gain greater market acceptance, and expand their service offerings more efficiently or more rapidly;
●
adapt to new or emerging technologies
and changes in customer requirements more quickly;
●
bundle their offerings, including hosting
services with other services they provide at reduced prices;
●
streamline their operational structure,
obtain better pricing, or secure more favorable contractual terms, allowing them to deliver services and products at a lower
cost;
●
take advantage of acquisition, joint
venture and other opportunities more readily;
●
adopt more aggressive pricing policies
and devote greater resources to the promotion, marketing and sales of their services, which could cause us to have to lower
prices for certain services to remain competitive in the market; and
●
devote greater resources to the research
and development of their products and services.
In addition, demand for the
Company’s cloud solutions is sensitive to price. Many factors, including the Company’s customer acquisition, advertising and
technology costs, and its current and future competitors’ pricing and marketing strategies, can significantly affect its pricing
strategies. Certain of the Company’s competitors offer, or may in the future offer, lower-priced or free solutions that compete
with its solutions.
Additionally, consolidation
activity through strategic mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures may result in new competitors that can offer a broader range of products
and services, may have a greater scale or a lower cost structure. To the extent such consolidation results in the ability of vertically
integrated companies to offer more integrated services to customers than the Company can, customers may prefer the single-source approach
and direct more business to such competitors, thereby impairing the Company’s competitive position. Furthermore, new entrants not
currently considered to be competitors may enter the market through acquisitions, partnerships or strategic relationships. As the Company
looks to market and sell its services to potential customers, the Company must convince its internal stakeholders that the Company’s
services are superior to their current solutions. If the Company is unable to anticipate or react to these competitive challenges, its
competitive position would weaken, which could adversely affect its business, financial condition and results of operations. These combinations
may make it more difficult for the Company to compete effectively and its inability to compete effectively would negatively impact its
operating results. In addition, there can be no assurance that the Company will not be forced to engage in price-cutting initiatives,
or to increase its advertising and other expenses to attract and retain customers in response to competitive pressures, either of which
could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s revenue and operating results.
If a cyberattack was
able to breach the Company’s security protocols and disrupt its data protection platform and solutions, and any such
disruption could increase its expenses, damage its reputation, harm its business and adversely affect its stock price.
The Company has implemented
various protocols and regularly monitors its systems via security software to reduce any security vulnerabilities. The Company also relies
on third-party providers for a number of critical aspects of its infrastructure cloud and disaster recovery business continuity services,
and consequently, it does not maintain direct control over the security or stability of those associated systems. Furthermore, the firmware,
software, and/or open-source software that its data protection solutions may utilize could be susceptible to hacking or misuse. In the
event of the discovery of a significant security vulnerability, the Company would incur additional substantial expenses and its business
would be harmed.
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The process of developing
new technologies is complex and uncertain, and if the Company fails to accurately predict customers’ changing needs and emerging
technological trends or if the Company fails to achieve the benefits expected from its investments, its business could be harmed. The
Company believes that it must continue to dedicate a significant amount of resources to its research and development efforts to maintain
its competitive position and it must commit significant resources to develop new solutions before knowing whether its investments will
result in solutions the market will accept. The Company’s new solutions or solution enhancements could fail to attain sufficient
market acceptance or harm its business for many reasons, including:
●
delays in releasing its
new solutions or enhancements to the market;
●
failure to accurately
predict market demand or customer demands;
●
inability
to protect against new types of attacks or techniques used by hackers;
●
difficulties
with software development, design, or marketing that could delay or prevent its development, introduction, or implementation of new
solutions and enhancements;
●
defects,
errors or failures in its design or performance;
●
negative
publicity about its performance or effectiveness;
●
introduction
or anticipated introduction of competing solutions by its competitors;
●
poor
business conditions for its customers, causing them to delay information technology purchases;
●
the
perceived value of its solutions or enhancements relative to their cost; and
●
easing
of regulatory requirements around security or storage.
In addition, new technologies
have the risk of defects that may not be discovered until after the product launches, resulting in adverse publicity, loss of revenue
or harm to the Company’s business and reputation.
Any significant disruption
in service, in the Company’s computer systems, or caused by its third-party storage and system providers could damage its reputation
and result in a loss of customers, which would harm its business, financial condition, and operating results.
The Company’s reputation,
and ability to attract, retain and serve its customers is dependent upon the reliable performance of its network infrastructure and payment
systems, and its customers’ ability to readily access their stored files. The Company has experienced interruptions in these systems
in the past, including server failures that temporarily slowed down its customers’ ability to access their stored files, or made
the Company’s infrastructure inaccessible, and it may experience interruptions or outages in the future.
In addition, while the Company
both operates and maintains elements of network infrastructure, some elements of this complex system are operated by third parties that
the Company does not control and that would require significant time to replace. The Company expects this dependence on third parties
to increase. In particular, the Company utilizes IBM and Intel to provide equipment and support. All of these third-party systems are
located in data center facilities operated by third parties. While these data centers are of the highest level, Tier 3, there can be no
assurance that they will not experience disruptions that will adversely impact the Company’s ability to service its customers. The
Company’s data center leases expire at various times between 2021 and 2023 with rights of extension. If the Company were unable
to renew these agreements on commercially reasonable terms, it may be required to transfer that portion of its computing and storage capacity
to new data center facilities, and it may incur significant costs and possible service interruption in connection with doing so.
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The Company also relies upon
third-party colocation providers to host its main servers. If these providers are unable to handle current or higher volumes of use, experience
any interruption in operations or cease operations for any reason or if the Company is unable to agree on satisfactory terms for continued
hosting relationships, the Company would be forced to enter into a relationship with other service providers or assume hosting responsibilities
itself. If the Company is forced to switch data center facilities, which in itself is a competitive industry, it may not be successful
in finding an alternative service provider on acceptable terms or in hosting the computer servers itself. The Company may also be limited
in its remedies against these providers in the event of a failure of service.
Interruptions, outages and/or
failures in the Company’s own systems, the third-party systems and facilities on which we rely, or the use of its data center facilities,
whether due to system failures, computer viruses, cybersecurity attacks, physical or electronic break-ins, damage or interruption from
human error, power losses, natural disasters or terrorist attacks, hardware failures, systems failures, telecommunications failures or
other factors, could affect the security or availability of infrastructure, prevent the Company from being able to continuously back up
its customers’ data or its customers from accessing their stored data, and may damage or delete its customers’ stored files.
If this were to occur, the Company’s reputation could be compromised, and it could be subject to liability to the customers that
were affected.
Any financial difficulties,
such as bankruptcy, faced by the Company’s third-party data center operators, its third-party colocation providers, or any of the
service providers with whom the Company or they contract, may have negative effects on its business, the nature and extent of which are
difficult to predict. Moreover, if its third-party data center providers or its third-party colocation providers are unable to keep up
with the Company’s growing needs for capacity, this could have an adverse effect on the Company’s business. Interruptions
in the Company’s services might reduce its revenue, cause it to issue credits or refunds to customers, subject it to potential liability,
or harm its renewal rates. In addition, prolonged delays or unforeseen difficulties in connection with adding storage capacity or upgrading
its network architecture when required may cause the Company’s service quality to suffer. Problems with the reliability or security
of the Company’s systems could harm its reputation, and the cost of remedying these problems could negatively affect the Company’s
business, financial condition, and operating results.
Security vulnerabilities,
data protection breaches and cyberattacks could disrupt the Company’s data protection platform and solutions, and any such disruption
could increase its expenses, damage its reputation, harm its business, and adversely affect its stock price.
The Company relies on third-party
providers for a number of critical aspects of its infrastructure cloud and disaster recovery business continuity services, and consequently,
it does not maintain direct control over the security or stability of the associated systems. Furthermore, the firmware, software and/or
open-source software that its data protection solutions may utilize could be susceptible to hacking or misuse. In the event of the discovery
of a significant security vulnerability, the Company would incur additional substantial expenses and its business would be harmed.
The Company’s customers
rely on its solutions for production, replication, and storage of digital copies of their files, including financial records, business
information, photos, and other personally meaningful content. The Company also stores credit card information and other personal information
about its customers. An actual or perceived breach of the Company’s network security and systems or other cybersecurity related
events that cause the loss or public disclosure of, or access by third parties to, its customers’ stored files could have serious
negative consequences for its business, including possible fines, penalties and damages, reduced demand for its solutions, an unwillingness
of customers to provide the Company with their credit card or payment information, an unwillingness of its customers to use its solutions,
harm to its reputation and brand, loss of its ability to accept and process customer credit card orders, and time-consuming and expensive
litigation. If this occurs, the Company’s business and operating results could be adversely affected. Third parties may be able
to circumvent the Company’s security by deploying viruses, worms, and other malicious software programs that are designed to attack
or attempt to infiltrate its systems and networks and it may not immediately discover these attacks or attempted infiltrations. Further,
outside parties may attempt to fraudulently induce the Company’s employees, consultants, or affiliates to disclose sensitive information
in order to gain access to its information or its customers’ information. The techniques used to obtain unauthorized access, disable
or degrade service, or sabotage systems change frequently, often are not recognized until launched against a target, and may originate
from less regulated or remote areas around the world. As a result, the Company may be unable to proactively address these techniques or
to implement adequate preventative or reactionary measures. In addition, employee or consultant error, malfeasance, or other errors in
the storage, use, or transmission of personal information could result in a breach of customer or employee privacy. The Company maintains
insurance coverage to mitigate the potential financial impact of these risks; however, its insurance may not cover all such events or
may be insufficient to compensate it for the potentially significant losses, including the potential damage to the future growth of its
business, that may result from the breach of customer or employee privacy. If the Company or its third-party providers are unable to successfully
prevent breaches of security relating to its solutions or customer private information, it could result in litigation and potential liability
for the Company, cause damage to its brand and reputation, or otherwise harm its business and its stock price.
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Many states have enacted
laws requiring companies to notify consumers of data security breaches involving their personal data. These mandatory disclosures regarding
a security breach often lead to widespread negative publicity, which may cause the Company’s customers to lose confidence in the
effectiveness of its data security measures. Any security breach, whether successful or not, would harm the Company’s reputation
and could cause the loss of customers. Similarly, if a publicized breach of data security at any other cloud backup service provider or
other major consumer website were to occur, there could be a general public loss of confidence in the use of the internet for cloud backup
services or commercial transactions generally. Any of these events could have material adverse effects on the Company’s business,
financial condition, and operating results.
The Company’s
results of operations could be adversely affected by health outbreaks such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
A significant outbreak, epidemic
or pandemic of contagious diseases in any geographic area in which the Company operates or plans to operate could result in a health crisis
adversely affecting the economies, financial markets and overall demand for its services in such areas. In addition, any preventative
or protective actions that governments implement or that the Company takes in response to a health crisis, such as travel restrictions,
quarantines, or site closures, may interfere with the ability of the Company’s employees, suppliers, and customers to perform their
responsibilities. Such results could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business development.
The continued global COVID-19
pandemic has created significant volatility, uncertainty, and economic disruption. The extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic continues
to impact the Company’s business, operations and financial results will depend on numerous evolving factors that it may not be able
to accurately predict, including the duration and scope of the pandemic; governmental, business and individuals’ actions, including
vaccination requirements, that have been and continue to be taken in response to the pandemic; the impact of the pandemic on economic
activity and actions taken in response; the effect on future suppliers demand for the Company’s processing technologies and its
future customers’ demand for its products; any closures of its and its suppliers’ or customers’ offices and facilities;
and the need for enhanced health and hygiene requirements or social distancing or other measures in attempts to counteract future outbreaks
in its offices and facilities. Potential business partners may also slow down decision-making, delay planned work or seek to terminate
existing agreements. Any of these events could adversely affect the Company’s business development and financial condition.
The Company’s
ability to provide services to its customers depends on its customers’ continued high-speed access to the internet and the continued
reliability of the internet infrastructure.
The Company’s business
depends on its customers’ continued high-speed access to the internet, as well as the continued maintenance and development of the
internet infrastructure. While the Company also provides broadband internet services, many of its clients depend on third-party internet
service providers to expand high-speed internet access, to maintain a reliable network with the necessary speed, data capacity, and security,
and to develop complementary solutions and services, including high-speed solutions, for providing reliable and timely internet access
and services. All of these factors are out of the Company’s control. To the extent that the internet continues to experience an
increased number of users, frequency of use, or bandwidth requirements, the internet may become congested and be unable to support the
demands placed on it, and its performance or reliability may decline. Any internet outages or delays could adversely affect the Company’s
ability to provide services to its customers.
Currently, internet access
is provided by telecommunications companies and internet access service providers that have significant and increasing market power in
the broadband and internet access marketplace. In the absence of government regulation, these providers could take measures that affect
their customers’ ability to use the Company’s products and services, such as attempting to charge their customers more for
using the Company’s products and services. To the extent that internet service providers implement usage-based pricing, including
meaningful bandwidth caps, or otherwise try to monetize access to their networks, the Company could incur greater operating expenses and
customer acquisition and retention could be negatively impacted. Furthermore, to the extent network operators were to create tiers of
internet access service and either charge the Company for or prohibit the Company’s services from being available to its customers
through these tiers, its business could be negatively impacted. Some of these providers also offer products and services that directly
compete with the Company’s own offerings, which could potentially give them a competitive advantage.
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If the Company is unable
to retain its existing customers, its business, financial condition, and operating results would be adversely affected.
If the Company’s efforts
to satisfy its existing customers are not successful, it may not be able to retain them, and as a result, its revenue and ability to grow
would be adversely affected. The Company may not be able to accurately predict future trends in customer renewals. Customers choose not
to renew their subscriptions for many reasons, including if customer service issues are not satisfactorily resolved, a desire to reduce
discretionary spending, or a perception that they do not use the service sufficiently, that the solution is a poor value, or that competitive
services provide a better value or experience. If the Company’s approximate 94% retention rate significantly decreases, it may need
to increase the rate at which it adds new customers in order to maintain and grow its revenue, which may require it to incur significantly
higher advertising and marketing expenses than it currently anticipates, or its revenue may decline. A significant decrease in the Company’s
retention rate would therefore have an adverse effect on its business, financial condition, and operating results. The Company’s
estimates of the number of employees it retains and advertising costs are based to a large extent upon its subscription contracts, which
may be terminated by customers typically upon 90 days notice prior to the ending term of their contract for services.
A decline in demand
for the Company’s cyber security, disaster recovery, and/or infrastructure solutions, in general, would cause its revenue to decline.
The Company derives, and
expects to continue to derive, a significant portion of its revenue from subscription services for business continuity, such as data protection
solutions including its disaster recovery backup, replication, archive, and infrastructure as a service offering. Some of the potential
factors that could affect interest in and demand for cloud solutions include:
●
awareness
of the Company’s brand and the cloud solutions category generally;
●
the
appeal and reliability of the Company’s solutions;
●
the
price, performance, features, and availability of competing solutions and services;
●
public
concern regarding privacy and data security;
●
the
Company’s ability to maintain high levels of customer satisfaction; and
●
the
rate of growth in cloud solutions generally.
In addition, substantially
all of the Company’s revenue is currently derived from customers in the U.S. Consequently, a decrease of interest in and demand
for the Company’s solutions in the U.S. could have a disproportionately greater impact on it than if its geographic mix of revenue
was less concentrated.
The Company primarily
depends upon third-party distribution companies to generate new customers. The Company’s relationships with
its partners and distributors may be terminated or may not continue to be beneficial in generating new customers, which could adversely
affect its ability to increase its customer base.
The Company maintains a network
of distributors, which refer customers to it through links on their websites or promotion to their customers. The number of customers
that the Company is able to add through these relationships is dependent on the marketing efforts of distributors, over which it has little
control. If the Company is unable to maintain its relationships, or renew contracts on favorable terms, with existing partners and distributors
or establish new contractual relationships with potential partners and distributors, it may experience delays and increased costs in adding
customers, which could have a material adverse effect on the Company. The Company’s distributors also provide services to other
third parties and therefore may not devote their full time and attention to promote the Company’s products and services.
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If the Company is unable
to expand its base of business customers, its future growth and operating results could be adversely affected.
The Company has committed
and continues to commit substantial resources to the expansion and increased marketing of its business solutions. If the Company is unable
to market and sell its solutions to businesses with competitive pricing and in a cost-effective manner its ability to grow its revenue
and achieve profitability may be harmed.
If the Company is unable
to sustain market recognition of and loyalty to its brand, or if its reputation were to be harmed, it could lose customers or fail to
increase the number of its customers, which could harm its business, financial condition, and operating results.
Given the Company’s
market focus, maintaining and enhancing its brand is critical to its success. The Company believes that the importance of brand recognition
and loyalty will increase in light of the increasing competition in its markets. The Company plans to continue investing substantial
resources to promote its brand, both domestically and internationally, but there is no guarantee that its brand development strategies
will enhance the recognition of its brand. Some of the Company’s existing and potential competitors have well-established brands
with greater recognition than we have. If the Company’s efforts to promote and maintain the Company’s brand are not successful,
the Company’s operating results and its ability to attract and retain customers may be adversely affected. In addition, even if
the Company’s brand recognition and loyalty increase, it may not result in increased use of its solutions or higher revenue.
The Company’s solutions,
as well as those of its competitors, are regularly reviewed in computer and business publications. Negative reviews, or reviews in which
the Company’s competitors’ solutions and services are rated more highly than its solutions, could negatively affect its brand
and reputation. From time to time, the Company’s customers express dissatisfaction with its solutions, including, among
other things, dissatisfaction with its customer support, its billing policies, and the way its solutions operate. If the Company does
not handle customer complaints effectively, its brand and reputation may suffer, it may lose its customers’ confidence, and they
may choose not to renew their subscriptions. In addition, many of the Company’s customers participate in online blogs about computers
and internet services, including the Company’s solutions, and its success depends in part on its ability to generate positive customer
feedback through such online channels where consumers seek and share information. If actions that the Company takes or changes that it
makes to its solutions upset these customers, their blogging could negatively affect its brand and reputation. Complaints or negative
publicity about the Company’s solutions or billing practices could adversely impact its ability to attract and retain customers
and its business, financial condition, and operating results.
The Company is subject
to governmental regulation and other legal obligations related to privacy, and any actual or perceived failure to comply with such obligations
would harm its business.
The Company receives, stores,
and processes personal information and other customer data and maintains specific protocols and procedures to help safeguard the privacy
of that personal information and customer data. Personal privacy has become a significant issue in the United States and in many other
countries where the Company may offer its offering of solutions. The regulatory framework for privacy issues worldwide is currently complex
and evolving, and it is likely to remain uncertain for the foreseeable future. There are numerous federal, state, local, and foreign laws
regarding privacy and the storing, sharing, use, processing, disclosure and protection of personal information and other customer data,
the scope of which are changing, subject to differing interpretations, and may be inconsistent among countries or conflict with other
rules. The Company generally seeks to comply with industry standards and is subject to the terms of its privacy policies and privacy-related
obligations to third parties. The Company strives to comply with all applicable laws, policies, legal obligations, and industry codes
of conduct relating to privacy and data protection to the extent possible. However, it is possible that these obligations may be interpreted
and applied in a manner that is inconsistent from one jurisdiction to another and may conflict with other rules or the Company’s
practices. Any failure or perceived failure by the Company to comply with its privacy policies, its privacy-related obligations to customers
or other third parties, its privacy-related legal obligations, or any compromise of security that results in the unauthorized release
or transfer of personally identifiable information or other customer data, may result in governmental enforcement actions, litigation,
or public statements against the Company by consumer advocacy groups or others and could cause its customers to lose trust in us, which
could have an adverse effect on the Company’s reputation and business.
18
The Company’s customers
may also accidentally disclose their passwords or store them on a mobile device that is lost or stolen, creating the perception that its
systems are not secure against third-party access. Additionally, if third parties that the Company works with, such as vendors or developers,
violate applicable laws or its policies, such violations may also put its customers’ information at risk and could in turn have
an adverse effect on its business. Any significant change to applicable laws, regulations, or industry practices regarding the use or
disclosure of the Company’s customers’ data, or regarding the manner in which the express or implied consent of customers
for the use and disclosure of such data is obtained, could require it to modify its solutions and features, possibly in a material manner,
and may limit its ability to develop new services and features that make use of the data that its customers voluntarily share with the
Company.
The Company’s
solutions are used by customers in the health care industry and it must comply with numerous federal and state laws related to patient
privacy in connection with providing its solutions to these customers.
The Company’s solutions
are used by customers in the health care industry and it must comply with numerous federal and state laws related to patient privacy in
connection with providing its solutions to these customers. In particular, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of
1996 (“HIPAA”), and the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (“HITECH”) include
privacy standards that protect individual privacy by limiting the uses and disclosures of individually identifiable health information
and implementing data security standards. Because the Company’s solutions may backup individually identifiable health information
for its customers, its customers are mandated by HIPAA to enter into written agreements with us known as business associate agreements
that require the Company to safeguard individually identifiable health information. Business associate agreements typically include:
●
a
description of the Company’s permitted uses of individually identifiable health information;
●
a
covenant not to disclose that information except as permitted under the agreement and to make the Company’s subcontractors,
if any, subject to the same restrictions;
●
assurances
that appropriate administrative, physical, and technical safeguards are in place to prevent misuse of that information;
●
an
obligation to report to the Company’s customers any use or disclosure of that information other than as provided for in the
agreement;
●
a
prohibition against the Company’s use or disclosure of that information if a similar use or disclosure by its customers would
violate the HIPAA standards;
●
the
ability of the Company’s customers to terminate their subscription to its solution if we breach a material term of the business
associate agreement and are unable to cure the breach;
●
the
requirement to return or destroy all individually identifiable health information at the end of the customer’s subscription;
and
●
access
by the Department of Health and Human Services to the Company’s internal practices, books, and records to validate that we are safeguarding
individually identifiable health information.
The Company may not be able
to adequately address the business risks created by HIPAA or HITECH implementation or comply with its obligations under its business associate
agreements. Furthermore, the Company is unable to predict what changes to HIPAA, HITECH or other laws or regulations might be made in
the future or how those changes could affect its business or the costs of compliance. Failure by the Company to comply with any of the
federal and state standards regarding patient privacy may subject the Company to penalties, including civil monetary penalties and, in
some circumstances, criminal penalties, which could have an adverse effect on its business, financial condition, and operating results.
19
Errors, failures, bugs
in or unavailability of the Company’s solutions released by it could result in negative publicity, damage to its brand, returns,
loss of or delay in market acceptance of its solutions, loss of competitive position, or claims by customers or others.
The Company offers solutions
that operate in a wide variety of environments, systems, applications, and configurations, that are often installed and used in large-scale
computing environments with different operating systems, system management software, and equipment and networking configurations. The
Company’s customers’ computing environments are often characterized by a wide variety of standard and non-standard configurations
that can make pre-release testing for programming or compatibility errors very difficult and time-consuming. In addition, despite testing
by the Company and others, errors, failures, or bugs may not be found in new solutions or releases until after distribution. In the past,
when the Company has discovered any software errors, failures or bugs in certain of its solution offerings after their introduction or
when new versions are released, it, in some cases, has experienced delayed or lost revenues as a result of these errors. In addition,
the Company relies on hardware purchased or leased and software licensed from third parties to offer its solutions, and any defects in,
or unavailability of, its third-party software or hardware could cause interruptions to the availability of its solutions.
Errors, failures, bugs in
or unavailability of the Company’s solutions released by it could result in negative publicity, damage to its brand, returns, loss
of or delay in market acceptance of its solutions, loss of competitive position, or claims by customers or others. Many of the Company’s
end-user customers use its solutions in applications that are critical to their businesses and may have a greater sensitivity to defects
in its solutions than to defects in other, less critical, software solutions. In addition, if an actual or perceived breach of information
integrity or availability occurs in one of its end-user customer’s systems, regardless of whether the breach is attributable to
its solutions, the market perception of the effectiveness of its solutions could be harmed. Alleviating any of these problems could require
significant expenditures of the Company’s capital and other resources and could cause interruptions, delays, or cessation of its
solution licensing, which could cause it to lose existing or potential customers and could adversely affect its operating results.
The Company faces many
risks associated with its growth and plans to expand, which could harm its business, financial condition, and operating results.
The Company continues to
experience sales growth in its business. This growth has placed, and may continue to place, significant demands on its management and
its operational and financial infrastructure. As the Company’s operations grow in size, scope, and complexity, it will need to improve
and upgrade its systems and infrastructure to attract, service, and retain an increasing number of customers. The expansion of its systems
and infrastructure will require the Company to commit substantial financial, operational, and technical resources in advance of an increase
in the volume of business, with no assurance that the volume of business will increase. Any such additional capital investments will increase
the Company’s cost base. Continued growth could also strain the Company’s ability to maintain reliable service levels for
its customers, develop and improve its operational, financial, and management controls, enhance its reporting systems and procedures,
and recruit, train, and retain highly skilled personnel. If the Company fails to achieve the necessary level of efficiency in its organization
as it grows, its business, financial condition, and operating results could be harmed.
The Company has office locations
in New York and Florida, and data centers in New York, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Florida, and Texas. If the Company is unable to
effectively manage a large and geographically dispersed group of employees and contractors or to anticipate its future growth and personnel
needs, its business may be adversely affected. As the Company expands its business, it adds complexity to its organization and must expand
and adapt its operational infrastructure and effectively coordinate throughout its organization. As a result, the Company has incurred
and expects to continue to incur additional expenses related to its continued growth.
The Company also anticipates
that its efforts to expand internationally will entail the marketing and advertising of its services and brand and the development of
localized websites. The Company does not have substantial experience in selling its solutions in international markets or in conforming
to the local cultures, standards, or policies necessary to successfully compete in those markets, and it must invest significant resources
in order to do so. The Company may not succeed in these efforts or achieve its customer acquisition or other goals. For some international
markets, customer preferences and buying behaviors may be different, and the Company may use business or pricing models that are different
from its traditional subscription model to provide cloud backup and related services to customers. The Company’s revenue from new
foreign markets may not exceed the costs of establishing, marketing, and maintaining its international solutions, and therefore may not
be profitable on a sustained basis, if at all.
20
The Company’s
intended international expansion will subject it to risks typically encountered when operating internationally .
The Company intends to expand
internationally which subjects it to new risks that it has not generally faced in the United States. These risks include:
●
localization
of the Company’s solutions, including translation into foreign languages and adaptation for local practices and regulatory
requirements;
●
lack
of experience in other geographic markets;
●
strong
local competitors;
●
cost
and burden of complying with, lack of familiarity with, and unexpected changes in foreign legal and regulatory requirements, including
consumer and data privacy laws;
●
difficulties in managing
and staffing international operations;
●
potentially
adverse tax consequences, including the complexities of transfer pricing, foreign value added or other tax systems, double taxation
and restrictions, and/or taxes on the repatriation of earnings;
●
dependence
on third parties, including channel partners with whom we do not have extensive experience;
●
compliance
with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, economic sanction laws and regulations, export controls, and other U.S. laws and regulations
regarding international business operations;
●
increased
financial accounting and reporting burdens and complexities;
●
political,
social, and economic instability abroad, terrorist attacks, and security concerns in general; and
●
reduced
or varied protection for intellectual property rights in some countries.
Operating in international
markets also requires significant management attention and financial resources. The investment and additional resources required to establish
operations and manage growth in other countries may not produce desired levels of revenue or profitability.
The Company’s software
contains encryption technologies, certain types of which are subject to U.S. and foreign export control regulations and, in some foreign
countries, restrictions on importation and/or use. Any failure on the Company’s part to comply with encryption or other applicable
export control requirements could result in financial penalties or other sanctions under the U.S. export regulations, including restrictions
on future export activities, which could harm its business and operating results. Regulatory restrictions could impair the Company’s
access to technologies that it seeks for improving its solutions and may also limit or reduce the demand for its solutions outside of
the U.S.
The loss of the Company’s
key personnel, or its failure to attract, integrate, and retain other highly qualified personnel, could harm its business and growth prospects.
The Company depends on the
continued service and performance of its key personnel. In addition, many of the Company’s key technologies and systems are custom-made
for its business by its personnel. The loss of key personnel, including key members of the Company’s management team, as well as
certain of its key marketing, sales, product development, or technology personnel, could disrupt its operations and have an adverse effect
on its ability to grow its business. In addition, several of the Company’s key personnel have only recently been employed by it,
and the Company is still in the process of integrating these personnel into its operations. The Company’s failure to successfully
integrate these key employees into its business could adversely affect its business.
To execute the Company’s
growth plan, it must attract and retain highly qualified personnel. Competition for these employees is intense, and the Company may not
be successful in attracting and retaining qualified personnel. The Company has from time to time in the past experienced, and it expects
to continue to experience, difficulty in hiring and retaining highly-skilled employees with appropriate qualifications. New hires require
significant training and, in most cases, take significant time before they achieve full productivity. The Company’s recent hires
and planned hires may not become as productive as it expects, and it may be unable to hire or retain sufficient numbers of qualified individuals.
Many of the companies with which it competes for experienced personnel have greater resources than it has. In addition, in making employment
decisions, particularly in the internet and high-technology industries, job candidates often consider the value of the equity that they
are to receive in connection with their employment. In addition, employees may be more likely to voluntarily exit the Company if the shares
underlying their vested and unvested options, as well as unvested restricted stock units, have significantly depreciated in value resulting
in the options they are holding is significantly above the market price of the Company’s common stock and the value of the restricted
stock units decreasing. If the Company fails to attract new personnel, or fail to retain and motivate its current personnel, its business
and growth prospects could be severely harmed.
21
Risks Related to Intellectual
Property
Assertions by a third
party that the Company’s solutions infringe its intellectual property, whether or not correct, could subject the Company
to costly and time-consuming litigation or expensive licenses.
There is frequent litigation
in the software and technology industries based on allegations of infringement or other violations of intellectual property rights. Any
such claims or litigation may be time-consuming and costly, divert management resources, require the Company to change its services, require
it to credit or refund subscription fees, or have other adverse effects on its business. Many companies are devoting significant resources
to obtaining patents that could affect many aspects of the Company’s business. Third parties may claim that the Company’s
technologies or solutions infringe or otherwise violate their patents or other intellectual property rights.
If the Company is forced
to defend itself against intellectual property infringement claims, whether they have merit or are determined in its favor, it may face
costly litigation, diversion of technical and management personnel, limitations on its ability to use its current websites and technologies,
and an inability to market or provide its solutions. As a result of any such claim, the Company may have to develop or acquire non-infringing
technologies, pay damages, enter into royalty or licensing agreements, cease providing certain services, adjust its marketing and advertising
activities, or take other actions to resolve the claims. These actions, if required, may be costly or unavailable on terms acceptable
to the Company, or at all.
Furthermore, the
Company has licensed proprietary technologies from third parties that it uses in its technologies and business, and it cannot be
certain that the owners’ rights in their technologies will not be challenged, invalidated, or circumvented. In addition to the
general risks described above associated with intellectual property and other proprietary rights, the Company is subject to the
additional risk that the seller of such technologies may not have appropriately created, maintained, or enforced their rights in
such technology.
The Company relies
on third-party software to develop and provide its solutions, including server software and licenses from third parties to use patented
intellectual property.
The Company relies on software
licensed from third parties to develop and offer its solutions. In addition, the Company may need to obtain future licenses from third
parties to use intellectual property associated with the development of its solutions, which might not be available to the Company on
acceptable terms, or at all. Any loss of the right to use any software required for the development and maintenance of the Company solutions
could result in delays in the provision of its solutions until equivalent technology is either developed by the Company, or, if available
from others, is identified, obtained, and integrated, which delay could harm its business. Any errors or defects in third-party software
could result in errors or a failure of its solutions, which could harm its business.
22
If the Company is unable
to protect its domain names, its reputation, brand, customer base, and revenue, as well as its business and operating results, could be
adversely affected.
The Company has registered
domain names for websites (“URLs”) that it uses in its business, such as www.datastoragecorp.com. If the Company is unable
to maintain its rights in these domain names, its competitors or other third parties could capitalize on the Company’s brand recognition
by using these domain names for their own benefit. In addition, although the Company owns the Company’s domain name under various
global top-level domains such as .com and .net, as well as under various country-specific domains, it might not be able to, or may choose
not to, acquire or maintain other country-specific versions of the Company’s domain name or other potentially similar URLs. Domain
names similar to the Company’s have already been registered in the U.S. and elsewhere, and its competitors or other third parties
could capitalize on its brand recognition by using domain names similar to the Company’s. The regulation of domain names in the
U.S. and elsewhere is generally conducted by internet regulatory bodies and is subject to change. If the Company loses the ability to
use a domain name in a particular country, it may be forced to either incur significant additional expenses to market its solutions within
that country, including the development of a new brand and the creation of new promotional materials, or elect not to sell its solutions
in that country. Either result could substantially harm its business and operating results. Regulatory bodies could establish additional
top-level domains, appoint additional domain name registrars, or modify the requirements for holding domain names. As a result, the Company
may not be able to acquire or maintain the domain names that utilize the Company’s name in all of the countries in which we currently
conduct or intend to conduct business. Further, the relationship between regulations governing domain names and laws protecting trademarks
and similar proprietary rights varies among jurisdictions and is unclear in some jurisdictions. The Company may be unable to prevent third
parties from acquiring and using domain names that infringe, are similar to, or otherwise decrease the value of, its brand or its trademarks.
Protecting and enforcing the Company’s rights in its domain names and determining the rights of others may require litigation, which
could result in substantial costs, divert management attention, and not be decided favorably to the Company.
Risks Relating to the
Company’s Common Stock and Securities
The Company’s
stock price has fluctuated in the past and may be volatile in the future, and as a result, investors in its common stock could incur substantial
losses.
The Company’s stock
price has fluctuated in the past, has recently been volatile, and may be volatile in the future. By way of example, on February 11, 2021,
the reported low sale price of the Company’s common stock was $16.80, and the reported high sales price was $38.80. For comparison
purposes, on February 3, 2021, the price of the Company’s common stock closed at $6.80 per share, on February 11, 2021, its stock
price closed at $30.40 per share, and on March 25, 2021, its stock price closed at $8.40 per share with no discernable announcements or
developments by the company or third parties. The Company may incur rapid and substantial decreases in its stock price in the foreseeable
future that are unrelated to its operating performance or prospects. In addition, the recent COVID-19 pandemic has caused broad stock
market and industry fluctuations. The stock market has experienced extreme volatility that has often been unrelated to the operating performance
of particular companies. As a result of this volatility, investors may experience losses on their investment in the Company’s common
stock. The market price for the Company’s common stock may be influenced by many factors, including the following:
●
investor reaction to the
Company’s business strategy;
●
the success of competitive
products or technologies;
●
regulatory
or legal developments in the United States and other countries, especially changes in laws or regulations applicable to the Company’s
products;
●
variations in the Company’s
financial results or those of companies that are perceived to be similar to us;
●
the Company’s ability
or inability to raise additional capital and the terms on which it raises it;
●
declines
in the market prices of stocks generally;
●
the
Company’s public disclosure of the terms of any financing which it consummates in the
future;
●
an
announcement that we have effected a reverse split of the Company’s common stock and treasury stock;
●
the
Company’s failure to become profitable;
●
the
Company’s failure to raise working capital;
●
any
acquisitions we may consummate, including, but not limited to, the Merger;
23
●
announcements
by the Company or its competitors of significant contracts, new services, acquisitions, commercial relationships, joint ventures
or capital commitments;
●
cancellation
of key contracts;
●
the Company’s failure
to meet financial forecasts we publicly disclose;
●
trading volume of the
Company’s common stock;
●
sales
of the Company’s common stock by it or its stockholders;
●
general economic, industry
and market conditions; and
●
other events or factors, including those resulting from such events,
or the prospect of such events, including war, terrorism and other international conflicts, public health issues including health epidemics
or pandemics, such as the recent outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, and natural disasters such as fire, hurricanes, earthquakes, tornados
or other adverse weather and climate conditions, whether occurring in the United States or elsewhere, could disrupt the Company’s
operations, disrupt the operations of its suppliers or result in political or economic instability.
These broad market and industry
factors may seriously harm the market price of the Company’s common stock, regardless of its operating performance. Since the stock
price of its common stock has fluctuated in the past, has been recently volatile and may be volatile in the future, investors in its common
stock could incur substantial losses. In the past, following periods of volatility in the market, securities class-action litigation has
often been instituted against companies. Such litigation, if instituted against the Company, could result in substantial costs and diversion
of management’s attention and resources, which could materially and adversely affect its business, financial condition, results
of operations and growth prospects. There can be no guarantee that the Company’s stock price will remain at current prices
or that future sales of its common stock will not be at prices lower than those sold to investors.
Additionally, recently, securities
of certain companies have experienced significant and extreme volatility in stock price due to short sellers of shares of common stock,
known as a “short squeeze.” These short squeezes have caused extreme volatility in those companies and in the market and have
led to the price per share of those companies to trade at a significantly inflated rate that is disconnected from the underlying value
of the company. Many investors who have purchased shares in those companies at an inflated rate face the risk of losing a significant
portion of their original investment as the price per share has declined steadily as interest in those stocks has abated. While the Company
has no reason to believe its shares would be the target of a short squeeze, there can be no assurance that it won’t be in the future,
and you may lose a significant portion or all of your investment if you purchase the Company’s shares at a rate that is significantly
disconnected from its underlying value.
Upon exercise of the
Company’s outstanding options or warrants, it will be obligated to issue a substantial number of additional shares of common stock
which will dilute its present shareholders .
The Company is obligated
to issue additional shares of its common stock in connection with any exercise or conversion, as applicable, of its outstanding options,
warrants, and shares of its convertible preferred stock. As of December 31, 2021, there were options and warrants outstanding into an
aggregate of 2,419,193 shares of common stock. The exercise of warrants or options will cause the Company to issue additional shares
of its common stock and will dilute the percentage ownership of its shareholders. In addition, the Company has in the past, and may in
the future, exchange outstanding securities for other securities on terms that are dilutive to the securities held by other shareholders
not participating in such exchange.
24
Offers or availability
for sale of a substantial number of shares of the Company’s common stock may cause the price of its common stock to decline .
Sales of large blocks of
the Company’s common stock could depress the price of its common stock. The existence of these shares and shares of common stock
that may be issuable upon conversion or exercise, as applicable, of outstanding shares of convertible preferred stock, warrants and options
create a circumstance commonly referred to as an “overhang” which can act as a depressant to the Company’s common stock
price. The existence of an overhang, whether or not sales have occurred or are occurring, also could make the Company’s ability
to raise additional financing through the sale of equity or equity-linked securities more difficult in the future at a time and price
that we deem reasonable or appropriate. If the Company’s existing shareholders and investors seek to convert or exercise such securities
or sell a substantial number of shares of its common stock, such selling efforts may cause significant declines in the market price of
its common stock. In addition, the shares of the Company’s common stock included in the Units and underlying warrants sold in the
offering will be freely tradable without restriction or further registration under the Securities Act. As a result, a substantial number
of shares of the Company’s common stock may be sold in the public market following this offering. If there are significantly more
shares of common stock offered for sale than buyers are willing to purchase, then the market price of the Company’s common stock
may decline to a market price at which buyers are willing to purchase the offered common stock and sellers remain willing to sell its
common stock.
The Company does not
expect to declare any common stock cash dividends in the foreseeable future.
The Company does not anticipate
declaring any cash dividends to holders of Data Storage common stock in the foreseeable future. Consequently, common stockholders may
need to rely on sales of their shares after price appreciation, which may never occur, as the only way to realize any future gains on
their investment.
Because the Company
may issue preferred stock without the approval of its shareholders and have other anti-takeover defenses, it may be more difficult for
a third party to acquire the Company and could depress its stock price.
In general, the Company’s
Board may issue, without a vote of its shareholders, one or more additional series of preferred stock that has more than one vote per
share. Without these restrictions, the Company’s Board could issue preferred stock to investors who support it and its management
and give effective control of its business to its management. Additionally, the issuance of preferred stock could block an acquisition resulting
in both a drop in the Company’s stock price and a decline in interest of its common stock. This could make it more difficult for
shareholders to sell their common stock. This could also cause the market price of the Company’s common stock shares to drop significantly,
even if its business is performing well.
Provisions of Nevada
law could delay or prevent an acquisition of Data Storage, even if the acquisition would be beneficial to its stockholders and could make
it more difficult for stockholders to change Data Storage’s management.
Data Storage Corporation
is subject to anti-takeover provisions under Nevada law, which could delay or prevent a change of control. Together, these provisions
may make more difficult the removal of management and may discourage transactions that otherwise could involve payment of a premium over
prevailing market prices for the Company’s securities. These provisions include: limitations on the ability to engage in any “combination”
with an “interested stockholder” (each, as defined in the NRS) for two years from the date the person first becomes an “interested
stockholder”; being subject to Sections 78.378 to 78.3793 of the NRS and allowing an “acquiring person” to obtain voting
rights in “control shares” without shareholder approval; the ability of the Board to issue shares of currently undesignated
and unissued preferred stock without prior stockholder approval; limitations on the ability of stockholders to call special meetings;
and the ability of the Board to amend its amended Bylaws without stockholder approval. For more information, please see the section entitled
“ Description of Our Securities That We Are Offering-Nevada Anti-Takeover Statutes .”
ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
Not Applicable.
25
Text extracted from the filing as submitted to EDGAR. Formatting, tables and exhibits are simplified for reading; the original document is authoritative for anything you rely on.