KUSTOM ENTERTAINMENT, INC. 10-K

Item 1. Business. Overview We produce digital video imaging, storage products and disinfectant and related safety products for use in law enforcement, security and commercial applications. Our current products include, in-car digital video/audio recorders contained in a rear-view mirror for use in law enforcement and commercial fleets; a system that provides its law enforcement customers with audio/video surveillance from multiple vantage points and hands-free automatic activation of body-worn cameras and in-car video systems; a miniature digital video system designed to be worn on an individual’s body; and cloud storage solutions. Additionally, the Company has recently added two new lines of branded products: (1) the ThermoVu™ which is a line of self-contained temperature monitoring stations that provides alerts and controls facility access when an individual’s temperature exceeds a pre-set threshold and (2) our Shield™ disinfectants and cleansers which are for use against viruses and bacteria. The Company began offering its Shield™ disinfectants and cleansers to its law enforcement and commercial customers late in the second quarter of 2020. We have active research and development programs to adapt our technologies to other applications. We can integrate electronic, radio, computer, mechanical, and multi-media technologies to create unique solutions to address needs in a variety of other industries and markets, including mass transit, school bus, taxicab and the military. We sell our products to law enforcement agencies, private security customers and organizations and consumer and commercial fleet operators through direct sales domestically and third-party distributors internationally. Corporate History We were incorporated in Nevada on December 13, 2000 as Vegas Petra, Inc. From that date until November 30, 2004, when we entered into a Plan of Merger with Digital Ally, Inc., a Nevada corporation which was formerly known as Trophy Tech Corporation (the “Acquired Company”), we had not conducted any operations and were a closely-held company. In conjunction with the merger, we were renamed Digital Ally, Inc. 3 The Acquired Company, which was incorporated on May 16, 2003, engaged in the design, development, marketing and sale of bow hunting-related products. Its principal product was a digital video recording system for use in the bow hunting industry. We changed its business plan in 2004 to adapt its digital video recording system for use in the law enforcement and security markets. We began shipments of our in-car digital video rear view mirror in March 2006. On January 2, 2008, we commenced trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “DGLY.” We conduct our business from 15612 College Blvd, Lenexa, Kansas 66219. Our telephone number is (913) 814-7774. COVID – 19 Pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic represents a fluid situation that presents a wide range of potential impacts of varying durations for different global geographies, including locations where we have offices, employees, customers, vendors and other suppliers and business partners. Like most US-based businesses, the COVID-19 pandemic and efforts to mitigate the same began to have impacts on our business in March 2020. By that time, much of our first fiscal quarter was completed. During the remainder of the year ended December 31, 2020, we observed recent decreases in demand from certain customers, including primarily our law-enforcement and commercial customers. Given the fact that our products are sold through a variety of distribution channels, we expect our sales will experience more volatility as a result of the changing and less predictable operational needs of many customers as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are aware that many companies, including many of our suppliers and customers, are reporting or predicting negative impacts from COVID-19 on future operating results. Although we observed significant declines in demand for our products from certain customers during the year ended December 31, 2020, we believe that it remains too early for us to know the exact impact COVID-19 will have on the long-term demand for our products. We also cannot be certain how demand may shift over time as the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic may go through several phases of varying severity and duration. In light of broader macro-economic risks and already known impacts on certain industries that use our products and services, we have taken, and continue to take targeted steps to lower our operating expenses because of the COVID-19 pandemic. We continue to monitor the impacts of COVID-19 on our operations closely and this situation could change based on a significant number of factors that are not entirely within our control and are discussed in this and other sections of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. We do not expect there to be material changes to our assets on our balance sheet or our ability to timely account for those assets. Further, in connection with the preparation of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, we reviewed the potential impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on goodwill and intangible assets and have determined there to be no material impact at this time. We have also reviewed the potential impacts on future risks to the business as it relates to collections, returns and other business-related items. To date, travel restrictions and border closures have not materially impacted our ability to obtain inventory or manufacture or deliver products or services to customers. However, if such restrictions become more severe, they could negatively impact those activities in a way that would harm our business over the long term. Travel restrictions impacting people can restrain our ability to assist our customers and distributors as well as impact our ability to develop new distribution channels, but at present we do not expect these restrictions on personal travel to be material to our business operations or financial results. We have taken steps to restrain and monitor our operating expenses and therefore we do not expect any such impacts to materially change the relationship between costs and revenues. Like most companies, we have taken a range of actions with respect to how we operate to assure we comply with government restrictions and guidelines as well as best practices to protect the health and well-being of our employees and our ability to continue operating our business effectively. To date, we have been able to operate our business effectively using these measures and to maintain internal controls as documented and posted. We also have not experienced challenges in maintaining business continuity and do not expect to incur material expenditures to do so. However, the impacts of COVID-19 and efforts to mitigate the same have remained unpredictable and it remains possible that challenges may arise in the future. 4 The actions we have taken so far during the COVID-19 pandemic include, but are not limited to: ● requiring all employees who can work from home to work from home; ● increasing our IT networking capability to best assure employees can work effectively outside the office; and ● for employees who must perform essential functions in one of our offices: ● having employees maintain a distance of at least six feet from other employees whenever possible; ● having employees work in dedicated shifts to lower the risk all employees who perform similar tasks might become infected by COVID-19; ● having employees stay segregated from other employees in the office with whom they require no interaction; and ● requiring employees to wear masks while they are in the office whenever possible. We currently believe revenue for the year ending December 31, 2021 may decline year over year due to the conditions noted. In April 2020, we implemented a COVID-19 mitigation plan designed to further reduce our operating expenses during the pandemic. Actions taken to date include work hour and salary reductions for senior management. These cost reductions are in addition to the significant restructuring actions we initiated in the first quarter of 2020. Based on our current cash position, our projected cash flow from operations and our cost reduction and cost containment efforts to date, we believe that we will have sufficient capital and or have access to sufficient capital through public and private equity and debt offerings to sustain operations for a period of one year following the date of this filing. If business interruptions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic were to be prolonged or expanded in scope, our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows would be negatively impacted. We will continue to actively monitor this situation and will implement actions necessary to maintain business continuity. Our Products We supply technology-based products utilizing our portable digital video and audio recording capabilities for the law enforcement and security industries and for the commercial fleet and mass transit markets. We have the ability to integrate electronic, radio, computer, mechanical, and multi-media technologies to create positive solutions to our customers’ requests. Our products include: the DVM-800 and DVM-800 Lite, which are in-car digital video mirror systems for law enforcement; the FirstVU and the FirstVU HD, which are body-worn cameras; our patented and revolutionary VuLink product, which integrates our body-worn cameras with our in-car systems by providing hands-free automatic activation for both law enforcement and commercial markets; the DVM-250 and DVM-250 Plus, which are our commercial line of digital video mirrors that serve as “event recorders” for the commercial fleet and mass transit markets; and FleetVU and VuLink, which are our cloud-based evidence management systems. We introduced the EVO-HD product in the second quarter of 2019 and began full-scale deliveries in the third quarter 2019, which continued into 2020. The EVO-HD is designed and built on a new and highly advanced technology platform that will become the platform for a new family of in-car video solution products for the law enforcement and commercial markets. We believe that the launch of these new products will help to reinvigorate our in-car and body-worn systems revenues while diversifying and broadening the market for our product offerings. Additionally, we introduced two new lines of branded products: (1) the ThermoVu™ which is a line of self-contained temperature monitoring stations that provides alerts and controls facility access when an individual’s temperature exceeds a pre-set threshold and (2) our Shield™ disinfectants and cleansers which are for use against viruses and bacteria. We began offering our Shield™ disinfectants and cleansers to our law enforcement and commercial customers late in the second quarter of 2020. The following describes our product portfolio. 5 In-Car Digital Video Mirror System for law enforcement – EVO-HD, DVM-800 and DVM-800 Lite In-car video systems for patrol cars are now a necessity and have generally become standard. Current systems are primarily digital based systems with cameras mounted on the windshield and the recording device generally in the trunk, headliner, dashboard, console or under the seat of the vehicle. Most manufacturers have developed and transitioned completely to digital video, and some have offered full high definition (“HD”) level recordings, which is currently state-of-art for the industry. Our digital video rear-view mirror unit is a self-contained video recorder, microphone and digital storage system that is integrated into a rear-view mirror, with a monitor, global positioning system (“GPS”) and 900 megahertz (“MHz”) audio transceiver. Our system is more compact and unobtrusive than certain of our competitors because it requires no recording equipment to be located in other parts of the vehicle. Our in-car digital video rear-view mirror has the following features: ● wide angle zoom color camera; ● standards-based video and audio compression and recording; ● system is concealed in the rear-view mirror, replacing factory rear-view mirror; ● monitor in rear-view mirror is invisible when not activated; ● easily installed in any vehicle; ● ability to integrate with body-worn cameras including auto-activation of either system; ● archives audio/video data to the cloud, computers (wirelessly) and compact flash memory, or file servers; ● 900 MHz audio transceiver with automatic activation; ● marks exact location of incident with integrated GPS; ● playback using Windows Media Player; ● optional wireless download of stored video evidence; ● proprietary software protects the chain of custody; and ● records to rugged and durable solid-state memory. The Company launched its in-car digital video platform under the name EVO-HD during the second quarter of 2019. The EVO-HD is a next generation system that offers a multiple HD in-car camera solution system with built-in patented VuLink auto-activation technology. The EVO-HD is built on a new and highly advanced technology platform that enables many new and revolutionary features, including auto activation beyond the car and body camera. We believe that no other provider can offer built-in patented VuLink auto-activation technology. The EVO-HD provides law enforcement officers with an easier to use, faster and more advanced system for capturing video evidence and uploading than the Company’s competitors. Additional features include: ● a remote cloud trigger feature that allows dispatchers to remotely start recordings; ● simultaneous audio/video play back; ● cloud connectivity via cell modem, including the planned deployment of the new 5G network; ● near real-time mapping and system health monitoring; 6 ● body-camera connectivity with built-in auto activation technology; and ● 128 gigabyte internal storage and, up to 2 terabyte external solid-state drive storage. The EVO-HD is designed and built on a new and highly advanced technology platform that is expected to become the platform for a new family of in-car video solution products for law enforcement. The innovative EVO-HD technology replaces the current in-car mirror-based systems with a miniaturized system that can be custom-mounted in the vehicle while offering numerous hardware configurations to meet the varied needs and requirements of our law enforcement customers. The EVO-HD can support up to four HD cameras, with two cameras having pre-event and evidence capture assurance (“ECA”) capabilities to allow agencies to review entire shifts. An internal cell modem will allow for connectivity to the VuVault.net cloud, powered by Amazon Web Services (“AWS”) and real time metadata when in the field. In-Car Digital Video “Event Recorder” System – DVM-250 Plus for Commercial Fleets Digital Ally provides commercial fleets and commercial fleet managers with the digital video tools that they need to increase driver safety, track assets in real-time and minimize the company’s liability risk while enabling fleet managers to operate the fleet at an optimal level. We market a product designed to address these commercial fleet markets with our DVM-250 Plus event recorders that provide various types of commercial fleets with features and capabilities that are fully-customizable and consistent with their specific application and inherent risks. The DVM-250 Plus is a rear-view mirror based digital audio and video recording system with many, but not all, of the features of our DVM-800 law enforcement mirror systems, which we sell at a lower price point. The DVM-250 Plus is designed to capture events, such as wrecks and erratic driving or other abnormal occurrences, for evidentiary or training purposes. The commercial fleet markets may find our units attractive from both a feature and a cost perspective compared to other providers. We believe that, due to our marketing efforts, commercial fleets are adopting this technology, and in particular, the ambulance and taxi-cab markets. Digital Ally offers a suite of data management web-based tools to assist fleet managers in the organization, archival, and management of videos and telematics information. Within the suite, there are powerful mapping and reporting tools that are intended to optimize efficiency, serve as training tools for teams on safety, and, ultimately, generate a significant return on investment for the organization. The Company’s management expects EVO-HD to become the platform for a new family of in-car video solution products for the commercial markets. The innovative EVO-HD technology is expected to replace the current in-car mirror-based systems with a miniaturized system that can be custom-mounted in the vehicle, while offering numerous hardware configurations to meet the varied needs and requirements of the Company’s commercial customers. In its commercial market application, the EVO-HD can support up to four HD cameras, with two cameras having pre-event and ECA capabilities to allow customers to review entire shifts. An internal cell modem will allow for connectivity to the FleetVU Manager cloud-based system for commercial fleet tracking and monitoring, which is powered by AWS and real time metadata when in the field. Miniature Body-Worn Digital Video System – FirstVU HD for law enforcement and private security This system is also a derivative of our in-car video systems, but is much smaller and lighter and more rugged and water-resistant to handle a hostile outdoor environment. These systems can be used in many applications in addition to law enforcement and private security and are designed specifically to be clipped to an individual’s pocket or other outer clothing. The unit is self-contained and requires no external battery or storage devices. Current systems offered by competitors are digital based, but generally require a battery pack and/or storage device to be connected to the camera by wire or other means. We believe that our FirstVU HD product is more desirable for potential users than our competitors’ offerings because of its video quality, small size, shape and lightweight characteristics . Our FirstVU HD integrates with our in-car video systems through our patented VuLink system allowing for automatic activation of both systems. 7 Auto-activation and Interconnectivity between in-car video systems and FirstVU HD body worn camera products – VuLink for law enforcement applications Recognizing a critical limitation in law enforcement camera technology, we pioneered the development of our VuLink ecosystem that provides intuitive auto-activation functionality as well as coordination between multiple recording devices. The United States Patent and Trademark Office (the “USPTO”) has recognized these pioneering efforts by granting us multiple patents with claims covering numerous features, such as automatically activating an officer’s cameras when the light bar is activated or when a data-recording device such as a smart weapon is activated. Additionally, the awarded patent claims cover automatic coordination between multiple recording devices. Prior to this work, officers were forced to manually activate each device while responding to emergency scenarios, a requirement that both decreased the usefulness of the existing camera systems and diverted officers’ attention during critical moments. Our FirstVU HD integrates with our in-car video systems through our patented VuLink system allowing for automatic activation of both systems. VuVault.net and FleetVU Manager VuVault.net is a cost-effective, fully expandable, law enforcement cloud storage solution powered by AWS that provides redundant and security-enhanced storage of all uploaded videos that comply with the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Criminal Justice Information Services Division requirements. FleetVU Manager is our web-based software for commercial fleet tracking and monitoring that features and manages video captured by our video event data recorders of incidents requiring attention, such as accidents. This software solution features our cloud-based web portal that utilizes many of the features of our VuVault.net law-enforcement cloud-based storage solution. ThermoVu and Shield Disinfectants ThermoVu is a non-contact temperature-screening instrument that measures temperature through the wrist and controls entry to facilities when temperature measurements exceed pre-determined parameters. ThermoVu has optional features such as facial recognition to improve facility security by restricting access based on temperature and/or facial recognition reasons. ThermoVu provides an instant pass/fail audible tone with its temperature display and controls access to facilities based on such results. Shield Disinfectants and Cleansers consists of a disinfectant and cleanser line, which is for use against viruses and bacteria, that is less harsh than many of the traditional products now widely distributed. Shield Disinfectants and Cleansers is offered in a variety of sizes and quantities. The Company has also begun distributing other personal protective equipment and supplies such as masks and gloves to supplement its Shield brand of products to health care workers as well as other consumers. Other Products During the last year, we focused our research and development efforts to meet the varying needs of our customers, enhance our existing products and commence development of new products and product categories. Our research and development efforts are intended to maintain and enhance our competitiveness in the market niche we have carved out, as well as positioning us to compete in diverse markets outside of law enforcement. In December 2019, we announced a partnership with Pivot International for design and manufacture of a new and innovative Breathalyzer Device utilizing our recently issued patent. With this new technology, when an officer is conducting a field sobriety test and the breathalyzer is activated, the digital video recording device will automatically start a recording, later embedding the meta-data captured onto the recorded video. The U.S. Patent No. 10,390,732 (the “‘732 Patent’”) was granted by the U.S. Patent Office in August 2019 and is an expansion of our patented VuLink automatic activation technology. 8 Market and Industry Overview Historically, our primary market has been domestic and international law enforcement agencies. In 2012, we expanded our scope by pursuing the commercial fleet vehicle and mass transit markets. Recently, we have expanded into event security services whereby we provide the hardware and software to supplement private security for NASCAR races, football and other sporting events, concerts and events where people gather. In the future, given sufficient capital and market opportunity, we may further expand or focus on private security, homeland security, mass transit, healthcare, general retail, educational, general consumer and other commercial markets. In that regard, we have several installations involving private security on cruise ships and similar markets. Our view is there are many potential private uses of our product offerings. We have sales in the commercial fleet and the ambulance service provider market, confirming that our DVM-250 Plus product and FleetVU Manager can become a significant revenue producer for us. Law Enforcement We believe that law enforcement already recognizes a valuable use of our various digital audio/video products for the recording of roadside sobriety tests. Without some form of video or audio recording, court proceedings usually consist of the police officer’s word against that of the suspect. Records show that conviction rates increase substantially where there is video evidence to back up officer testimony. Video evidence also helps to protect police departments against frivolous lawsuits. An important source of police video evidence today is in-car video. Some police cars still do not have in-car video, and in those that do, the camera usually points forward rather than to the side of the road where the sobriety test takes place. The in-car video is typically of little use for domestic violence investigations, burglary or theft investigations, disorderly conduct calls or physical assaults. In virtually all of these cases, the FirstVU HD may provide recorded evidence of the suspect’s actions and reactions to police intervention. Additionally, motorcycle patrolmen rarely have video systems. Our FirstVU body camera is well suited as a mobile application of our digital video recording system that can be used by motorcycle police and water patrol. Crime scene investigations, including detailed photography, are typically a large part of the budgets of metropolitan police forces. The FirstVU may record a significant portion of such evidence at a much lower cost for gathering, analyzing and storing data and evidence. Commercial and Other Markets There are numerous potential applications for our digital audio/video camera products. We believe that other potential markets for our digital video systems, including the derivatives currently being developed, include private investigators, SWAT team members, over-the-road trucking fleets, airport security, municipal fire departments, and the U.S. military. Other potential commercial markets for our digital video systems include sporting venues and arenas. Schools We believe our products and offerings may be of benefit in kindergarten through twelve grade school systems. We are assessing our entry into this potential market through several pilot tests. Preliminary results of our exploration of this market have been mixed, but we believe it may represent a new addressable market for our mobile audio/video recording products in the future. Recent tragic events at schools have heightened the need for providing a “safer” environment in general for schools. Additionally, we believe this market would heavily utilize our new ThermoVu and Shield lines as the economy continues to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic. 9 Private Security Companies There are thousands of private security agencies in the United States employing a large number of guards. Police forces use video systems for proof of correct conduct by officers, but private security services usually have no such tool. We believe that the FirstVU HD is an excellent management tool for these companies to monitor conduct and timing of security rounds. In addition to the FirstVU HD, the digital video security camera can provide fill-in security when guards have large areas to cover or in areas that do not have to be monitored around the clock. Event Security Recently, we have expanded into event security services whereby we provide the hardware and software to supplement private security for NASCAR races, football and other sporting events, concerts and similar events where people gather. In this regard, we have obtained new customers including the Kansas City Chiefs, Met-Life Stadium, NASCAR and a number of other customers who have a need for event security for specific dates rather than 100% of the time. Additionally, we believe this market would heavily utilize our new ThermoVu and Shield lines as the economy continues to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic. We believe that this area will be a productive source of future revenues. Homeland Security Market In addition to the government, U.S. corporations are spending heavily for protection against potential terrorist attacks. Public and private-sector outlays for antiterrorism measures and for protection against other forms of violence are significant. These are potential markets for our products. Manufacturing We have entered into contracts with manufacturers for the assembly of the printed circuit boards used in our products. Dedicated circuit board manufacturers are well-suited to the assembly of circuit boards with the complexity found in our products. Dedicated board manufacturers can spread the extensive capital equipment costs of circuit board assembly among multiple projects and customers. Such manufacturers also have the volume to enable the frequent upgrade to state-of-the-art equipment. We have identified multiple suppliers who meet our quality, cost, and performance criteria. We also use more than one source for circuit board assembly to ensure a reliable supply over time. We use contract manufacturers to manufacture our component subassemblies and may eventually use them to perform final assembly and testing. Due to the complexity of our products, we believe that it is important to maintain a core of knowledgeable production personnel for consistent quality and to limit the dissemination of sensitive intellectual property, and we expect to continue this practice. In addition, such technicians are valuable in our service and repair business to support our growing installed customer base. We also contract with two manufacturers that have manufacturing facilities in the Philippines and South Korea to produce our DVM-250 Plus, DVM-800 and DVM-800 HD products. The contracts are general in nature addressing confidentiality and other matters, have no minimum purchase requirements and require the acceptance of specific purchase orders to support any product supply acquisitions. We are using additional contract manufacturers based in the United States for these product lines to further mitigate any supply disruption risk and ensure competitive pricing. We typically perform final assembly, testing and quality control functions for these products in our Lenexa, Kansas facility. Sales and Marketing We have an employee-based, direct sales force for domestic selling efforts that enables us to control and monitor its daily activities and independent distributors for international sales. Our sales force is organized in seven territories. The direct territory sales team is supported by a team of five inside sales representatives, a tele-sales specialist and a pre-sales solution design team. We also have a bid specialist to coordinate large bid opportunities. We believe our employee-based model encourages our sales personnel in lower performing territories to improve their efforts and, consequently, their sales results. Our executive team also supports sales agents with significant customer opportunities by providing pricing strategies and customer presentation assistance. Our technical support personnel may also provide sales agents with customer presentations and product specifications in order to facilitate sales activities. 10 We use our direct sales force and international distributors to market our products. Our key promotional activities include: ● attendance at industry trade shows and conventions; ● direct sales, with a force of industry-specific sales individuals who identify, call upon and build on-going relationships with key purchasers and targeted industries; ● support of our direct sales with passive sales systems, including inside sales and e-commerce; ● print advertising in journals with specialized industry focus; ● direct mail campaigns targeted to potential customers; ● web advertising, including supportive search engines and website and registration with appropriate sourcing entities; ● our NASCAR relationship is supportive of developing new business opportunities by and between the sponsors at NASCAR sponsored events in addition to the races; ● public relations, industry-specific venues, as well as general media, to create awareness of our brand and our products, including membership in appropriate trade organizations; and ● brand identification through trade names associated with us and our products. Competition The law enforcement and security surveillance markets are extremely competitive. Competitive factors in these industries include ease of use, quality, portability, versatility, reliability, accuracy and cost. There are direct competitors with technology and products in the law enforcement and surveillance markets for all of our products, including those that are in development. Many of these competitors have significant advantages over us, including greater financial, technical, marketing and manufacturing resources, more extensive distribution channels, larger customer bases and faster response times to adapt new or emerging technologies and changes in customer requirements. Our primary competitors in the in-car video systems market include L-3 Mobile-Vision, Inc., Coban Technologies, Inc., Enforcement Video, LLC d/b/a WatchGuard Video (“WatchGuard”), Kustom Signals, Panasonic System Communications Company, International Police Technologies, Inc. and a number of other competitors who sell, or may in the future sell, in-car video systems to law enforcement agencies. Our primary competitors in the body-worn camera market include Axon Enterprises, Inc. (“Axon”), Reveal Media, WatchGuard, and VieVU, Inc., which was acquired by Axon in 2018. We face similar and intense competitive factors for our event recorders in the mass transit markets as we do in the law enforcement and security surveillance markets. We will also compete with any company making surveillance devices for commercial use. There can be no assurance that we will be able to compete successfully in these markets. Further, there can be no assurance that new and existing companies will not enter the law enforcement and security surveillance markets in the future. The commercial fleet security and surveillance markets likewise are also very competitive. There are direct competitors for our DVM-250 Plus “event recorders,” which may have greater financial, technical marketing, and manufacturing resources than we do. Our primary competitors in the commercial fleet sector include Lytx, Inc. (previously DriveCam, Inc.) and SmartDrive Systems. Intellectual Property Our ability to compete effectively will depend on our success in protecting our proprietary technology, both in the United States and abroad. We have filed for patent protection in the United States and certain other countries to cover certain design aspects of our products. 11 Some of our patent applications are still under review by the USPTO and, therefore, we have not yet been issued all the patents that we applied for in the United States. We were issued several patents in recent years, including a patent on our VuLink product that provides automatic triggering of our body-worn camera and our in-car video systems. No assurance can be given which, or any, of the patents relating to our existing technology will be issued from the United States or any foreign patent offices. Additionally, no assurance can be given that we will receive any patents in the future based on our continued development of our technology, or that our patent protection within and/or outside of the United States will be sufficient to deter others, legally or otherwise, from developing or marketing competitive products utilizing our technologies. We have entered into supply and distribution agreements with several companies that produce certain of our products, including our DVM-250 and DVM-800 products. These supply and distribution agreements contain certain confidentiality provisions that protect our proprietary technology, as well as that of the third-party manufacturers. In addition to seeking patent protection, we rely on trade secrets, know-how and continuing technological advancement to seek to achieve and thereafter maintain a competitive advantage. Although we have entered into or intend to enter into confidentiality and invention agreements with our employees, consultants and advisors, no assurance can be given that such agreements will be honored or that we will be able to effectively protect our rights to our unpatented trade secrets and know-how. Moreover, no assurance can be given that others will not independently develop substantially equivalent proprietary information and techniques or otherwise gain access to our trade secrets and know-how. Human Capital As of December 31, 2020, Digital Ally had approximately full-time 86 employees spread throughout the country, representing the core values and objectives of the Company. Our employees are our most important assets and they set the foundation for our ability to achieve our strategic objectives. All of our employees contribute to Digital Ally’s success and, in particular, the employees in our manufacturing, sales, research and development, and quality assurance departments are instrumental in driving operational execution and strong financial performance, advancing innovation and maintaining a strong quality and compliance program. Our employees are not covered by any collective bargaining agreement and we have never experienced a work stoppage. We strive to create a culture and work environment that enables us to attract, train, promote, and retain a diverse group of talented employees who together can help us gain a competitive advantage. Our key programs and initiatives that are focused to attract, develop and retain our diverse workforce include: ● Compensation Programs and Employee Benefits: the main objective of Digital Ally’s compensation program is to provide a compensation package that will attract, retain, motivate and reward superior employees who must operate in a highly competitive and technologically challenging environment. We seek to do this by linking annual changes in compensation to overall Company performance, as well as each individual’s contribution to the results achieved. The emphasis on overall Company performance is intended to align the employee’s financial interests with the interests of shareholders. Digital Ally also seeks fairness in total compensation with reference to external comparisons, internal comparisons and the relationship between management and non-management remuneration. The structure of our compensation programs balances incentive earnings for both short-term and long-term performance. Specifically: ● We provide employee wages that are competitive and consistent with employee positions, skill levels, experience, knowledge and geographic location. ● We align our executives’ long-term equity compensation with our shareholders’ interests by linking realizable pay with stock performance. ● Annual increases and incentive compensation are based on merit, which is communicated to employees at the time of hiring and documented through our talent management process as part of our annual review procedures and upon internal transfer and/or promotion. ● All employees are eligible for health insurance, paid and unpaid leaves, short-term disability, worker’s compensation, long-term disability, a retirement plan and life and disability/accident coverage. We also offer a variety of voluntary benefits that allow employees to select the options that meet their needs. 12 ● Employee Health and Safety: the health and safety of our employees are top priorities, which was emphasized this year amidst the global COVID-10 pandemic. Digital Ally is committed to operating in a safe, secure and responsible manner for the benefit of its employees, customers and communities Digital Ally serves. Our safety focus is evident in our response to the COVID-19 pandemic: ● Expanding work from home flexibility; ● Initiating regular communication regarding impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, including health and safety protocols and procedures; ● Implementing temperature screening of employees at the majority of our manufacturing facilities; ● Increasing cleaning protocols across all locations; ● Providing additional personal protective equipment and cleaning supplies; ● Implementing protocols to address actual and suspected COVID-19 cases and potential exposure; and ● Requiring masks to be worn in all locations. Item 1A. Risk Factors. Not applicable. Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments. None.