FORM 10-K

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS

This report and other documents we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission contain forward looking statements that are based on current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about us, our future performance, our business, our beliefs and our management’s assumptions. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks, uncertainties, and assumptions that are difficult to predict. You should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties facing our business which are set forth below. The risks described below are not the only ones facing us. Our business is also subject to risks that affect many other companies, such as employment relations, general economic conditions, geopolitical events and international operations. Further, additional risks not currently known to us or that we currently believe are immaterial also may impair our business, operations, liquidity and stock price materially and adversely.

Changes and uncertainties in the economic climate could negatively affect the rate of information technology spending by our customers, which would likely have an impact on our business.

An important element of our business strategy is to increasingly focus on SMB, MME and Public Sector sales. As a result of the recent financial crisis in the credit markets, softness in the housing market, difficulties in the financial services sector, general economic contraction and continuing economic uncertainties, the direction and relative strength of the U.S. economy has become increasingly uncertain. These developments could also increase the risk of uncollectible accounts receivable from our customers. During the last economic downturn in the U.S. and elsewhere, SMB, MME and Public Sector entities generally reduced, often substantially, their rate of information technology spending. Continued and future changes and uncertainties in the economic climate in the U.S. and elsewhere could have a similar negative impact on the rate of information technology spending of our current and potential customers, which would likely have a negative impact on our business and results of operations, and could significantly hinder our growth.

Our earnings and growth rate could be adversely affected by continued changes in economic and geopolitical conditions .

We are subject to risks arising from adverse changes in domestic and global economic conditions. For example, as a result of the recent financial crisis in the credit markets, softness in the housing market, difficulties in the financial services sector, general economic contraction and continuing economic uncertainties, the direction and relative strength of the U.S. economy has become increasingly uncertain. If economic growth in the United States and other countries’ economies continues to slow or declines, consumer and business spending rates could be significantly reduced. This could result in reductions in sales of our products, longer sales cycles, slower adoption of new technologies and increased price competition, which could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition. Weak general economic conditions, along with uncertainties in political conditions could adversely impact our revenue, expenses and growth rate. In addition, our revenue, gross margins and earnings could deteriorate in the future as a result of unfavorable economic or geopolitical conditions.

Our revenue is dependent on sales of products from a small number of key manufacturers, and a decline in sales of products from these manufacturers could materially harm our business.

Our revenue is dependent on sales of products from a small number of key manufacturers, including Apple, HP, IBM, Lenovo, Microsoft and Sony. For example, products manufactured by Apple accounted for approximately 20%, 25% and 22% of our total net sales for 2008, 2007 and 2006, and products manufactured by HP accounted for approximately 19%, 18% and 20% of our total net sales for 2008, 2007 and 2006. A decline in sales of any of our key manufacturers’ products, whether due to decreases in supply of or demand for their products, termination of any of our agreements with them, or otherwise, could have a material adverse impact on our sales and operating results.

Certain of our vendors provide us with incentives and other assistance that reduce our operating costs, and any decline in these incentives and other assistance could materially harm our operating results.

Certain of our vendors, including Adobe, Apple, Cisco, HP, IBM, Ingram Micro, Lenovo, Microsoft, Sony, Sun Microsystems and Tech Data, provide us with trade credit or substantial incentives in the form of discounts, credits and cooperative advertising. We have agreements with many of our vendors under which they provide us, or they have otherwise consistently provided us, with market development funds to finance portions of our catalog

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publication and distribution costs based upon the amount of coverage we give to their respective products in our catalogs or other advertising mediums. Any termination or interruption of our relationships with one or more of these vendors, particularly Apple or HP, or modification of the terms or discontinuance of our agreements and market development fund programs and arrangements with these vendors, could adversely affect our operating income and cash flow.

We do not have long-term supply agreements or guaranteed price or delivery arrangements with our vendors.

In most cases we have no guaranteed price or delivery arrangements with our vendors. As a result, we have experienced and may in the future experience inventory shortages on certain products. Furthermore, our industry occasionally experiences significant product supply shortages and customer order backlogs due to the inability of certain manufacturers to supply certain products as needed. We cannot assure you that suppliers will maintain an adequate supply of products to fulfill our orders on a timely basis, or at all, or that we will be able to obtain particular products on favorable terms or at all. Additionally, we cannot assure you that product lines currently offered by suppliers will continue to be available to us. A decline in the supply or continued availability of the products of our vendors, or a significant increase in the price of those products, could reduce our sales and negatively affect our operating results.

Substantially all of our agreements with vendors are terminable within 30 days.

Substantially all of our agreements with vendors are terminable upon 30 days’ notice or less. For example, while we are an authorized dealer for the full retail line of HP and Apple products, HP and Apple can terminate our dealer agreements upon 30 days’ notice. Vendors that currently sell their products through us could decide to sell, or increase their sales of, their products directly or through other resellers or channels. Any termination, interruption or adverse modification of our relationship with a key vendor or a significant number of other vendors would likely adversely affect our operating income, cash flow and future prospects.

Our success is dependent in part upon the ability of our vendors to develop and market products that meet changes in marketplace demand, as well as our ability to sell popular products from new vendors.

The products we sell are generally subject to rapid technological change and related changes in marketplace demand. Our success is dependent in part upon the ability of our vendors to develop and market products that meet these changes in marketplace demand. Our success is also dependent on our ability to develop relationships with and sell products from new vendors that address these changes in marketplace demand. To the extent products that address changes in marketplace demand are not available to us, or are not available to us in sufficient quantities or on acceptable terms, we could encounter increased price and other competition, which would likely adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We may not be able to maintain existing or build new vendor relationships, which may affect our ability to offer a broad selection of products at competitive prices and negatively impact our results of operations.

We purchase products for resale both directly from manufacturers and indirectly through distributors and other sources, all of whom we consider our vendors. We also maintain certain qualifications and preferred provider status with several of our vendors, which provides us with preferred pricing, vendor training and support, preferred access to products, and other significant benefits. While these vendor relationships are an important element of our business, we do not have long-term agreements with any of these vendors. Any agreements with vendors governing our purchase of products are generally terminable by either party upon 30 days’ notice or less. In general, we agree to offer products through our catalogs and on our websites and the vendors agree to provide us with information about their products and honor our customer service policies. If we do not maintain our existing relationships or build new relationships with vendors on acceptable terms, including favorable product pricing and vendor consideration, we may not be able to offer a broad selection of products or continue to offer products at competitive prices. In addition, some vendors may decide not to offer particular products for sale on the Internet, and others may avoid offering their new products to retailers offering a mix of close-out and refurbished products in addition to new products. From time to time, vendors may terminate our right to sell some or all of their products, modify or terminate our preferred provider or qualification status, change the applicable terms and conditions of sale or reduce or discontinue the incentives or vendor consideration that they offer us. Any such termination or the implementation

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of such changes, or our failure to build new vendor relationships, could have a negative impact on our operating results. Additionally, some products are subject to manufacturer or distributor allocation, which limits the number of units of those products that are available to us and may adversely affect our operating results.

Our narrow gross margins magnify the impact of variations in our operating costs and of adverse or unforeseen events on our operating results.

We are subject to intense price competition with respect to the products we sell. As a result, our gross margins have historically been narrow, and we expect them to continue to be narrow. Our narrow gross margins magnify the impact of variations in our operating costs and of adverse or unforeseen events on our operating results. Future increases in costs such as the cost of merchandise, wage levels, shipping rates, freight costs and fuel costs may negatively impact our margins and profitability. We are not always able to raise the sales price of our merchandise to offset cost increases. If we are unable to maintain our gross margins in the future, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, because price is an important competitive factor in our industry, we cannot assure you that we will not be subject to increased price competition in the future. If we become subject to increased price competition in the future, we cannot assure you that we will not lose market share, that we will not be forced to reduce our prices and further reduce our gross margins, or that we will be able to compete effectively.

We experience variability in our net sales and net income on a quarterly basis as a result of many factors.

We experience variability in our net sales and net income on a quarterly basis as a result of many factors. These factors include the frequency of our catalog mailings, introduction or discontinuation of new catalogs, variability in vendor programs, the introduction of new products or services by us and our competitors, changes in prices from our suppliers, promotions, the loss or consolidation of significant suppliers or customers, general competitive conditions such as pricing, our ability to control costs, the timing of our capital expenditures, the condition of our industry in general, seasonal shifts in demand for computer and electronics products, industry announcements and market acceptance of new products or upgrades, deferral of customer orders in anticipation of new product applications, product enhancements or operating systems, the relative mix of products sold during the period, any inability on our part to obtain adequate quantities of products carried in our catalogs, delays in the release by suppliers of new products and inventory adjustments, our expenditures on new business ventures and acquisitions, performance of acquired businesses, adverse weather conditions that affect response, distribution or shipping to our customers, and general economic conditions and geopolitical events. Our planned operating expenditures each quarter are based on sales forecasts for the quarter. If our sales do not meet expectations in any given quarter, our operating results for the quarter may be materially adversely affected. Our narrow gross margins may magnify the impact of these factors on our operating results. We believe that period-to-period comparisons of our operating results are not necessarily a good indication of our future performance. In addition, our results in any quarterly period are not necessarily indicative of results to be expected for a full fiscal year. In future quarters, our operating results may be below the expectations of public market analysts or investors and as a result the market price of our common stock could be materially adversely affected.

The transition of our business strategy to increasingly focus on SMB, MME and Public Sector sales presents numerous risks and challenges, and may not improve our profitability or result in expanded market share.

An important element of our business strategy is to increasingly focus on SMB, MME and Public Sector sales. In shifting our focus, we face numerous risks and challenges, including competition from a wider range of sources and an increased need to develop strategic relationships. We cannot assure you that our increased focus on SMB, MME and Public Sector sales will result in expanded market share or increased profitability. Furthermore, revenue from our public sector business is derived from sales to federal, state and local governmental departments and agencies, as well as to educational institutions, through various contracts and open market sales. Government contracting is a highly regulated area, and noncompliance with government procurement regulations or contract provisions could result in civil, criminal, and administrative liability, including substantial monetary fines or damages, termination of government contracts, and suspension, debarment or ineligibility from doing business with the government. The effect of any of these possible actions by any governmental department or agency with which we contract could adversely affect our business and results of operations. Moreover, contracting with governmental departments and agencies involves additional risks, such as limited recourse against the government agency in the event of a business dispute, the potential lack of a limitation of our liability for damages from our provision of services to the department or agency, and the potential for changes in statutory or regulatory provisions that negatively affect the profitability of such contracts.

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Our investments in our outbound phone-based sales force model may not improve our profitability or result in expanded market share.

We have made and are currently making efforts to increase our market share by investing in training and retention of our outbound phone-based sales force. We have also incurred, and expect to continue to incur, significant expenses resulting from infrastructure investments related to our outbound phone-based sales force. We cannot assure you that any of our investments in our outbound phone-based sales force will result in expanded market share or increased profitability in the near or long term.

Our financial performance could be adversely affected if we are not able to retain and increase the experience of our sales force or if we are not able to maintain or increase their productivity.

Our sales and operating results may be adversely affected if we are unable to increase the average tenure of our account executives or if the sales volumes and profitability achieved by our account executives do not increase with their increased experience.

Existing or future government and tax regulations could expose us to liabilities or costly changes in our business operations, and could reduce demand for our products and services.

Based upon current interpretations of existing law, certain of our subsidiaries currently collect and remit sales or use tax only on sales of products or services to residents of the states in which the respective subsidiaries have a physical presence or have voluntarily registered for sales tax collection. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that states, absent Congressional legislation, may not impose tax collection obligations on an out-of-state direct marketer whose only contacts with the taxing state are distribution of catalogs and other advertisement materials through the mail, and whose subsequent delivery of purchased goods is by mail or interstate common carriers. However, we cannot predict the level of contact with any state which would give rise to future or past tax collection obligations. Additionally, it is possible that federal legislation could be enacted that would permit states to impose sales or use tax collection obligations on out-of-state direct marketers. Furthermore, court cases have upheld tax collection obligations on companies, including mail order companies, whose contacts with the taxing state were quite limited (e.g., visiting the state several times a year to aid customers or to inspect stores stocking their goods or to provide training or other support to customers in the state). States have also successfully imposed sales and use tax collection responsibility upon in-state manufacturers that agree to act as a drop shipper for the out-of-state marketer, giving rise to the risk that such taxes may be imposed indirectly on the out-of-state seller. We believe our operations in states in which we have no physical presence are different from the operations of the companies in those cases and are thus not subject to the tax collection obligations imposed by those decisions. Various state laws, regulations and taxing authorities have sought to impose on direct marketers with no physical presence in the taxing state the burden of collecting state sales and use taxes on the sale of products shipped or services sold to those states’ residents, and it is possible that such a requirement could be imposed in the future. For example, New York recently adopted an affiliate marketing statute and related regulations that impose sales and use tax collection obligations on out-of-state sellers that use certain web-based affiliate marketing relationships with web-based affiliates deemed to be located in New York. Other states such as California, Connecticut, Hawaii and Minnesota have proposed similar legislation. There can be no assurance that existing or future laws that impose taxes or other regulations on direct marketing or Internet commerce would not substantially impair our growth or otherwise have a material adverse effect on our business, results or operations and financial condition.

In addition, we and our subsidiaries may be subject to state or local taxes on income or (in states such as Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Texas or Washington) on gross receipts earned in a state even though we and our subsidiaries may have no physical presence in the state. State and local governments may seek to impose such taxes in cases where they believe the taxpayer may have a significant economic presence by reason of significant sales to customers located in the states. The responsibility to pay income and gross receipts taxes has also been the subject of court actions and various legislative efforts. There can be no assurance that these taxes will not be imposed upon us and our subsidiaries.

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Furthermore, we are subject to general business laws and regulations, as well as laws and regulations specifically governing companies that do business over the Internet. These laws and regulations may cover taxation of e-commerce, user privacy, marketing and promotional practices (including electronic communications with our customers and potential customers), database protection, pricing, content, copyrights, distribution, electronic contracts and other communications, consumer protection, product safety, the provision of online payment services, copyrights, patents and other intellectual property rights, data security, unauthorized access (including the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act), and the characteristics and quality of products and services. While we have sought to implement processes, programs and systems in an effort to achieve compliance with existing laws and regulations applicable to our business, many of these laws and regulations are unclear and have yet to be interpreted by courts, or may be subject to conflicting interpretations by courts. Further, no assurances can be given that new laws or regulations will not be enacted or adopted, or that our processes, programs and systems will be sufficient to comply with present or future laws or regulations, which might adversely affect our operations.

Such existing and future laws and regulations may also impede the growth of the Internet or other online services, including our business. Additionally, it is not always clear how existing laws and regulations governing issues such as property ownership, sales and other taxes, libel, trespass, data mining and collection, data security and personal privacy, among other laws, apply to the Internet and e-commerce. Unfavorable resolution of these issues may expose us to liability and costly changes in our business operations, and could reduce customer demand for our products.

The growth and demand for online commerce has and may continue to result in more stringent consumer protection laws that impose additional compliance burdens on online companies. These consumer protection laws could result in substantial compliance costs and could decrease our profitability. For example, data security laws are becoming more widespread and burdensome in the United States, and increasingly require notification of affected individuals and, in some instances, regulators. Moreover, third parties are engaging in increased cyber-attacks against companies doing business on the Internet, and individuals are increasingly subjected to identity and credit card theft on the Internet. There is a risk that we may fail to prevent such activities and that our customers or others may assert claims against us. In addition, the FTC and state consumer protection authorities have brought a number of enforcement actions against U.S. companies for alleged deficiencies in those companies’ data security practices, and they may continue to bring such actions. Enforcement actions, which may or may not be based upon actual cyber attacks or other breaches in such companies’ data security, present an ongoing risk to us, could result in a loss of users and could damage our reputation. Further, additional regulation of the Internet may lead to a decrease in Internet usage, which could adversely affect our business.

Growing public concern about privacy and the collection, distribution and use of information about individuals may subject us to increased regulatory scrutiny or litigation. In the past, the FTC has investigated companies that have used personally identifiable information without permission or in violation of a stated privacy policy. If we are accused of violating the stated terms of our privacy policy, we may face a loss of users and damage to our reputation and be forced to expend significant amounts of financial and managerial resources to defend against these accusations and we may face potential liability as well as extended regulatory oversight in the form of a long-term consent order.

Additionally, although historically only a small percentage of our total sales in any given quarter or year are made to customers outside of the continental United States, there is a possibility that a foreign jurisdiction may take the position that our business is subject to its laws and regulations, which could impose restrictions or burdens on us and expose us to tax and other potential liabilities and could also require costly changes to our business operations with respect to those jurisdictions.

Part of our business strategy includes the acquisition of other companies, and we may have difficulties integrating acquired companies into our operations in a cost-effective manner, if at all .

One element of our business strategy involves expansion through the acquisition of businesses, assets, personnel or technologies that allow us to complement our existing operations, expand our market coverage, or add new business capabilities. We continually evaluate and explore strategic opportunities as they arise, including business combination transactions, strategic partnerships, and the purchase or sale of assets. Our acquisition strategy depends on the availability of suitable acquisition candidates at reasonable prices and our ability to resolve challenges associated with integrating acquired businesses into our existing business. No assurance can be

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given that the benefits or synergies we may expect from the acquisition of companies or businesses will be realized to the extent or in the time frame we anticipate. We may lose key employees, customers, distributors, vendors and other business partners of the companies we acquire following and continuing after announcement of acquisition plans. In addition, acquisitions may involve a number of risks and difficulties, including expansion into new geographic markets and business areas, the diversion of management’s attention to the operations and personnel of the acquired company, the integration of the acquired company’s personnel, operations and management information (ERP) systems, changing relationships with customers, suppliers and strategic partners, and potential short-term adverse effects on our operating results. These challenges can be magnified as the size of the acquisition increases. Any delays or unexpected costs incurred in connection with the integration of acquired companies or otherwise related to the acquisitions could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Acquisitions may require large one-time charges and can result in increased debt or other contingent liabilities, adverse tax consequences, deferred compensation charges, the recording and later amortization of amounts related to deferred compensation and certain purchased intangible assets, and the refinement or revision of fair value acquisition estimates following the completion of acquisitions, any of which items could negatively impact our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, we may record goodwill in connection with an acquisition and incur goodwill impairment charges in the future. Any of these charges could cause the price of our common stock to decline.

An acquisition could absorb substantial cash resources, require us to incur or assume debt obligations, or involve our issuance of additional equity securities. If we issue equity securities in connection with an acquisition, we may dilute our common stock with securities that have an equal or a senior interest in our company. If we incur additional debt to pay for an acquisition, it may significantly reduce amounts that would otherwise be available under our credit facility, increase our interest expense, leverage and debt service requirements and could negatively impact our ability to comply with applicable financial covenants in our credit facility or limit our ability to obtain credit from our vendors. Acquired entities also may be highly leveraged or dilutive to our earnings per share, or may have unknown liabilities. In addition, the combined entity may have lower revenues or higher expenses and therefore may not achieve the anticipated results. Any of these factors relating to acquisitions could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We cannot assure you that we will be able to consummate any pending or future acquisitions or that we will realize any anticipated benefits from these acquisitions. We may not be able to find suitable acquisition opportunities that are available at attractive valuations, if at all. Even if we do find suitable acquisition opportunities, we may not be able to consummate the acquisitions on commercially acceptable terms, and any decline in the price of our common stock may make it significantly more difficult and expensive to initiate or consummate additional acquisitions. We cannot assure you that we will be able to implement or sustain our acquisition strategy or that our strategy will ultimately prove profitable.

If goodwill or intangible assets become impaired, we may be required to record a significant charge to earnings.

The purchase price allocation for our historical acquisitions resulted in a material amount allocated to goodwill and intangible assets. In accordance with GAAP, we review our intangible assets for impairment when events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying value may not be recoverable. We review the fair values of our goodwill and intangible assets with indefinite useful lives and test them for impairment annually or whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate an impairment may have occurred. Factors that may be considered a change in circumstances indicating that the carrying value of our goodwill or intangible assets may not be recoverable include a decline in stock price and market capitalization, reduced future cash flow estimates, and slower growth rates in our industry. We may be required to record a significant non-cash charge to earnings in our consolidated financial statements during the period in which any impairment of our goodwill or intangible assets is determined, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.

Significant negative industry or economic trends, including decreases in our market capitalization, slower growth rates or lack of growth in our business, have resulted in write-downs and impairment charges in fiscal 2008, and, if such events continue, may indicate that additional impairment charges in future periods are required. If we are required to record additional impairment charges, this could have a material adverse affect on our consolidated

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financial statements. In addition, the testing of goodwill for impairment requires us to make significant estimates about the future performance and cash flows of our company, as well as other assumptions. These estimates can be affected by numerous factors, including changes in economic, industry or market conditions, changes in underlying business operations, future reporting unit operating performance, existing or new product market acceptance, changes in competition, or changes in technologies. Any changes in key assumptions, or actual performance compared with those assumptions, about our business and future prospects or other assumptions could affect the fair value of one or more reporting units, resulting in an impairment charge.

We may not be able to maintain profitability on a quarterly or annual basis.

Our ability to maintain profitability on a quarterly or annual basis given our planned business strategy depends upon a number of factors, including, but not limited to, our ability to achieve and maintain vendor relationships, procure merchandise and fulfill orders in an efficient manner, leverage our fixed cost structure, maintain adequate levels of vendor consideration and price protection, maintain a well-balanced product and customer mix, maintain customer acquisition costs and shipping costs at acceptable levels, and our ability to effectively compete in the marketplace with our competitors. Our ability to maintain profitability on a quarterly or annual basis will also depend on our ability to manage and control operating expenses and to generate and sustain adequate levels of revenue. Many of our expenses are fixed in the short term, and we may not be able to quickly reduce spending if our revenue is lower than what we project. In addition, we may find that our business plan costs more to execute than what we currently anticipate. Some of the factors that affect our ability to maintain profitability on a quarterly or annual basis are beyond our control, including general economic trends and uncertainties.

The effect of accounting rules for stock-based compensation may materially adversely affect our consolidated operating results, our stock price and our ability to hire, retain and motivate employees.

We use employee stock options and other stock-based compensation to hire, retain and motivate certain of our employees. Current accounting rules require us to measure compensation costs for all stock-based compensation (including stock options) at fair value as of the date of grant and to recognize these costs as expenses in our consolidated statements of operations. The recognition of non-cash stock-based compensation expenses in our consolidated statements of operations has had and will likely continue to have a negative effect on our consolidated operating results, including our net income and earnings per share, which could negatively impact our stock price. Additionally, if we reduce or alter our use of stock-based compensation to reduce these expenses and their impact, our ability to hire, motivate and retain certain employees could be adversely affected and we may need to increase the cash compensation we pay to these employees.

Our operating results are difficult to predict and may adversely affect our stock price.

Our operating results have fluctuated in the past and are likely to vary significantly in the future based upon a number of factors, many of which we cannot control. We operate in a highly dynamic industry and future results could be subject to significant fluctuations. These fluctuations could cause us to fail to meet or exceed financial expectations of investors or analysts, which could cause our stock price to decline rapidly and significantly. Revenue and expenses in future periods may be greater or less than revenue and expenses in the immediately preceding period or in the comparable period of the prior year. Therefore, period-to-period comparisons of our operating results are not necessarily a good indication of our future performance. Some of the factors that could cause our operating results to fluctuate include:

·              the amount and timing of operating costs and capital expenditures relating to any expansion of our business operations and infrastructure;

·              price competition that results in lower sales volumes, lower profit margins, or net losses;

·              fluctuations in mail-in rebate redemption rates;

·              the amount and timing of advertising and marketing costs;

·              our ability to successfully integrate operations and technologies from any past or future acquisitions or other business combinations;

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·              revisions or refinements of fair value estimates relating to acquisitions or other business combinations;

·              changes in the number of visitors to our websites or our inability to convert those visitors into customers;

·              technical difficulties, including system or Internet failures;

·              fluctuations in the demand for our products or overstocking or under-stocking of our products;

·              introduction of new or enhanced services or products by us or our competitors;

·              fluctuations in shipping costs, particularly during the holiday season;

·              changes in the amounts of information technology spending by SMB, MME and Public Sector segment customers;

·              economic conditions generally or economic conditions specific to the Internet, e-commerce, the retail industry or the mail order industry;

·              changes in the mix of products that we sell; and

·              fluctuations in levels of inventory theft, damage or obsolescence that we incur.

If we fail to accurately predict our inventory risk, our gross margins may decline as a result of required inventory write downs due to lower prices obtained from older or obsolete products.

We derive most of our gross sales from products sold out of inventory at our distribution facilities. We assume the inventory damage, theft and obsolescence risks, as well as price erosion risks for products that are sold out of inventory stocked at our distribution facilities. These risks are especially significant because many of the products we sell are characterized by rapid technological change, obsolescence and price erosion (e.g., computer hardware, software and consumer electronics), and because our distribution facilities sometimes stock large quantities of particular types of inventory. There can be no assurance that we will be able to identify and offer products necessary to remain competitive, maintain our gross margins, or avoid or minimize losses related to excess and obsolete inventory. We currently have limited return rights with respect to products we purchase from Apple, HP, Lenovo, and certain other vendors, but these rights vary by product line, are subject to specified conditions and limitations, and can be terminated or changed at any time.

We may need additional financing and may not be able to raise additional financing on favorable terms or at all, which could increase our costs, limit our ability to grow and dilute the ownership interests of existing stockholders.

We require substantial working capital to fund our business. We believe that our current working capital, including our existing cash balance, together with our expected future cash flows from operations and available borrowing capacity under our existing credit facility, which functions as a working capital line of credit, will be adequate to support our current operating plans for at least the next twelve months. However, if we need additional financing, such as for acquisitions or expansion or to finance our operations during a significant downturn in sales or an increase in operating expenses, there are no assurances that adequate financing will be available on acceptable terms, if at all. We may in the future seek additional financing from public or private debt or equity financings to fund additional expansion, or take advantage of opportunities or favorable market conditions. There can be no assurance such financings will be available on terms favorable to us or at all. To the extent any such financings involve the issuance of equity securities, existing stockholders could suffer dilution. If we raise additional financing through the issuance of equity, equity-related or debt securities, those securities may have rights, preferences or privileges senior to those of the rights of our common stock and our stockholders will experience dilution of their ownership interests. If additional financing is required but not available, we would have to implement further measures to conserve cash and reduce costs. However, there is no assurance that such measures would be successful. Our failure to raise required additional financing could adversely affect our ability to maintain, develop or enhance our product offerings, take advantage of future opportunities, respond to competitive pressures or continue operations.

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Our existing credit facility contains terms that are more favorable to us than terms that we believe would otherwise be available to us in the current credit market environment. We have been informed by the administrative agent for the facility that any amendment, modification, waiver, consent or other change we may seek with regard to our facility will result in the renegotiation of the terms of the facility and that any such renegotiated terms would likely include terms less favorable to us, such as the addition of stricter financial covenants and less favorable interest rate terms. Such limitations could adversely affect our ability to pursue certain acquisitions and other strategic transactions which would require an amendment or consent under the existing credit facility. Additionally, if market conditions have not improved by the time our current credit facility expires in 2011, we expect that any new facility, to the extent available to us at such time, would be on terms less favorable to us than our existing credit facility.

There has been weakening in the global economic environment, coupled with disruptions in the capital and credit markets. Continued problems in these areas could have a negative impact on our ability to obtain financing if we need additional funds, such as for acquisitions or expansion, to fund a significant downturn in our sales or an increase in our operating expenses, or to take advantage of opportunities or favorable market conditions, in the future. To the extent we seek additional financing from public or private debt or equity issuances, there can be no assurance that such financing will be available at acceptable terms, if at all. There can be no assurance that the cost or availability of future borrowings, if any, under our credit facility or in the debt markets will not be impacted by disruptions in the capital and credit markets.

Rising interest rates could negatively impact our results of operations and financial condition.

A significant portion of our working capital requirements has historically been funded through borrowings under our credit facility, which functions as a working capital line of credit and bears interest at variable rates, tied to the LIBOR or prime rate. In connection with and as part of the line of credit, we also entered into a term note, bearing interest at the same rate as our credit facility. If the variable interest rates on our line of credit and term note increase, we could incur greater interest expense than we have in the past. Rising interest rates, and our increased interest expense that would result from them, could negatively impact our results of operations and financial condition.

We may be subject to claims regarding our intellectual property, including our business processes, or the products we sell, any of which could result in expensive litigation, distract our management or force us to enter into costly royalty or licensing agreements.

Third parties have asserted, and may in the future assert, that our business or the technologies we use infringe on their intellectual property rights. As a result, we may be subject to intellectual property legal proceedings and claims in the ordinary course of our business. We cannot predict whether third parties will assert additional claims of infringement against us in the future or whether any future claims will prevent us from offering popular products or operating our business as planned. If we are forced to defend against any third-party infringement claims, whether they are with or without merit or are determined in our favor, we could face expensive and time-consuming litigation, which could result in the imposition of a preliminary injunction preventing us from continuing to operate our business as currently conducted throughout the duration of the litigation or distract our technical and management personnel. If we are found to infringe, we may be required to pay monetary damages, which could include treble damages and attorneys’ fees for any infringement that is found to be willful, and either be enjoined or required to pay ongoing royalties with respect to any technologies found to infringe. Further, as a result of infringement claims either against us or against those who license technology to us, we may be required, or deem it advisable, to develop non-infringing technology, which could be costly and time consuming, or enter into costly royalty or licensing agreements. Such royalty or licensing agreements, if required, may be unavailable on terms that are acceptable to us, or at all. If a third party successfully asserts an infringement claim against us and we are enjoined or required to pay monetary damages or royalties or we are unable to develop suitable non-infringing alternatives or license the infringed or similar technology on reasonable terms on a timely basis, our business, results of operations and financial condition could be materially harmed. Similarly, we may be required incur substantial monetary and diverted resource costs in order to protect our intellectual property rights against infringement by others.

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Furthermore, we sell products manufactured and distributed by third parties, some of which may be defective. If any product that we sell were to cause physical injury or damage to property, the injured party or parties could bring claims against us as the retailer of the product. Our insurance coverage may not be adequate to cover every claim that could be asserted. If a successful claim were brought against us in excess of our insurance coverage, it could expose us to significant liability. Even unsuccessful claims could result in the expenditure of funds and management time and could decrease our profitability.

Costs and other factors associated with pending or future litigation could materially harm our business, results of operations and financial condition.

From time to time we receive claims and become subject to litigation, including consumer protection, employment, intellectual property and other litigation related to the conduct of our business. Additionally, we may from time to time institute legal proceedings against third parties to protect our interests. Any litigation that we become a party to could be costly and time consuming and could divert our management and key personnel from our business operations. In connection with any such litigation, we may be subject to significant damages or equitable remedies relating to the operation of our business and could incur significant costs in asserting, defending, or settling any such litigation. We cannot determine with any certainty the costs or outcome of pending or future litigation. Any such litigation may materially harm our business, results of operations and financial condition.

We may fail to expand our merchandise categories, product offerings, websites and processing systems in a cost-effective and timely manner as may be required to efficiently operate our business.

We may be required to expand or change our merchandise categories, product offerings, websites and processing systems in order to compete in our highly competitive and rapidly changing industry or to efficiently operate our business. Any failure on our part to expand or change the way we do business in a cost-effective and timely manner in response to any such requirements would likely adversely affect our operating results, financial condition and future prospects. Additionally, we cannot assure you that we will be successful in implementing any such changes when and if they are required.

We have generated substantially all of our revenue in the past from the sale of computer hardware, software and accessories and consumer electronics products. Expansion into new product categories may require us to incur significant marketing expenses, develop relationships with new vendors and comply with new regulations. We may lack the necessary expertise in a new product category to realize the expected benefits of that new category. These requirements could strain our managerial, financial and operational resources. Additional challenges that may affect our ability to expand into new product categories include our ability to:

·              establish or increase awareness of our new brands and product categories;

·              acquire, attract and retain customers at a reasonable cost;

·              achieve and maintain a critical mass of customers and orders across all of our product categories;

·              attract a sufficient number of new customers to whom our new product categories are targeted;

·              successfully market our new product offerings to existing customers;

·              maintain or improve our gross margins and fulfillment costs;

·              attract and retain vendors to provide our expanded line of products to our customers on terms that are acceptable to us; and

·              manage our inventory in new product categories.

We cannot be certain that we will be able to successfully address any or all of these challenges in a manner that will enable us to expand our business into new product categories in a cost-effective or timely manner. If our new categories of products or services are not received favorably, or if our suppliers fail to meet our customers’

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expectations, our results of operations would suffer and our reputation and the value of the applicable new brand and our other brands could be damaged. The lack of market acceptance of our new product categories or our inability to generate satisfactory revenue from any expanded product categories to offset their cost could harm our business.

We may not be able to attract and retain key personnel such as senior management and information technology specialists.

Our future performance will depend to a significant extent upon the efforts and abilities of certain key management and other personnel, including Frank F. Khulusi, our Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer, as well as other executive officers and senior management. The loss of service of one or more of our key management members could have a material adverse effect on our business. Our success and plans for future growth will also depend in part on our management’s continuing ability to hire, train and retain skilled personnel in all areas of our business. For example, our management information systems and processes require the services of employees with extensive knowledge of these systems and processes and the business environment in which we operate, and in order to successfully implement and operate our systems and processes we must be able to attract and retain a significant number of information technology specialists. We may not be able to attract, train and retain the skilled personnel required to, among other things, implement, maintain, and operate our information systems and processes, and any failure to do so would likely have a material adverse effect on our operations.

If we fail to achieve and maintain adequate internal controls, we may not be able to produce reliable financial reports in a timely manner or prevent financial fraud.

We monitor and periodically test our internal control procedures. We may from time to time identify deficiencies which we may not be able to remediate in a timely or cost-effective manner. In addition, if we fail to achieve and maintain the adequacy of our internal controls, we may not be able to ensure that we can conclude on an ongoing basis that we have effective internal controls over financial reporting. Effective internal controls, particularly those related to revenue recognition, are necessary for us to produce reliable financial reports and are important in helping prevent financial fraud. If we cannot provide reliable financial reports on a timely basis or prevent financial fraud, our business and operating results could be harmed, investors could lose confidence in our reported financial information, and the trading price of our stock could drop significantly.

Any inability to effectively manage our growth may prevent us from successfully expanding our business.

The growth of our business has required us to make significant additions in personnel and has significantly increased our working capital requirements. Although we have experienced significant sales growth in the past, such growth should not be considered indicative of future sales growth. Such growth has resulted in new and increased responsibilities for our management personnel and has placed and continues to place significant strain upon our management, operating and financial systems, and other resources. Any future growth, whether organic or through acquisition, may result in increased strain. There can be no assurance that current or future strain will not have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations, nor can there be any assurance that we will be able to attract or retain sufficient personnel to continue the expansion of our operations. Also crucial to our success in managing our growth will be our ability to achieve additional economies of scale. We cannot assure you that we will be able to achieve such economies of scale, and the failure to do so could have a material adverse effect upon our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our advertising and marketing efforts may be costly and may not achieve desired results.

We incur substantial expense in connection with our advertising and marketing efforts. Postage represents a significant expense for us because we generally mail our catalogs to current and potential customers through the U.S. Postal Service. Any future increases in postal rates will increase our mailing expenses and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. We also incur significant expenses related to purchasing the paper we use in printing our catalogs. The cost of paper has fluctuated over the last several years, and may increase in the future. We believe that we may be able to recoup a portion of any increased postage and paper costs through increases in vendor advertising rates, but no assurance can be given that any efforts we may undertake to offset all or a portion of future increases in postage, paper and other advertising and marketing costs through increases in vendor advertising rates will be successful or sustained, or that they will offset all of the increased costs. Furthermore, although we target our advertising and marketing efforts on current and

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potential customers who we believe are likely to be in the market for the products we sell, we cannot assure you that our advertising and marketing efforts will achieve our desired results. In addition, we periodically adjust our advertising expenditures in an effort to optimize the return on such expenditures. Any decrease in the level of our advertising expenditures which may be made to optimize such return could adversely affect our sales.

We are exposed to the credit risk of some of our customers and to credit exposures in weakened markets, which could negatively impact our business, operating results and financial condition.

Business customers who qualify are provided credit terms and while we monitor individual customer payment capability and maintain reserves we believe are adequate to cover exposure for doubtful accounts, we have exposure to credit risk in the event that customers fail to meet their payment obligations. Additionally, to the degree that the recent turmoil in the credit markets makes it more difficult for some customers to obtain financing, those customers’ ability to meet their payment obligations to us could be adversely impacted, which in turn could have a material adverse impact on our business, operating results, and financial condition.

Increased product returns or a failure to accurately predict product returns could decrease our revenue and impact profitability.

We make allowances for product returns in our consolidated financial statements based on historical return rates. We are responsible for returns of certain products ordered through our catalogs and websites from our distribution center, as well as products that are shipped to our customers directly from our vendors. If our actual product returns significantly exceed our allowances for returns, our revenue and profitability could decrease. In addition, because our allowances are based on historical return rates, the introduction of new merchandise categories, new products, changes in our product mix, or other factors may cause actual returns to exceed return allowances, perhaps significantly. In addition, any policies that we adopt that are intended to reduce the number of product returns may result in customer dissatisfaction and fewer repeat customers.

Our business may be harmed by fraudulent activities on our websites, including fraudulent credit card transactions.

We have received in the past, and anticipate that we will receive in the future, communications from customers due to purported fraudulent activities on our websites, including fraudulent credit card transactions. Negative publicity generated as a result of fraudulent conduct by third parties could damage our reputation and diminish the value of our brand name. Fraudulent activities on our websites could also subject us to losses and could lead to scrutiny from lawmakers and regulators regarding the operation of our websites. We expect to continue to receive requests from customers for reimbursement due to purportedly fraudulent activities or threats of legal action against us if no reimbursement is made.

We may be liable for misappropriation of our customers’ personal information.

If third parties or our employees are able to penetrate our network security or otherwise misappropriate our customers’ personal information or credit card information, or if we give third parties or our employees improper access to our customers’ personal information or credit card information, we could be subject to liability. This liability could include claims for unauthorized purchases with credit card information, identity theft or other similar fraud-related claims. This liability could also include claims for other misuses of personal information, including for unauthorized marketing purposes. Other liability could include claims alleging misrepresentation or our privacy and data security practices. Any such liability for misappropriation of this information could decrease our profitability. In addition, the Federal Trade Commission and state agencies have been investigating various Internet companies regarding whether they misused or inadequately secured personal information regarding consumers. We could incur additional expenses if new laws or regulations regarding the use of personal information are introduced or if government agencies investigate our privacy practices.

We seek to rely on encryption and authentication technology licensed from third parties to provide the security and authentication necessary to effect secure online transmission of confidential information such as customer credit card numbers. Advances in computer capabilities, new discoveries in the field of cryptography or other events or developments may result in a compromise or breach of the algorithms that we use to protect sensitive customer transaction data. A party who is able to circumvent our security measures could misappropriate proprietary

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information or cause interruptions in our operations. We may be required to expend significant capital and other resources to protect against such security breaches or to alleviate problems caused by such breaches. Our security measures are designed to protect against security breaches, but our failure to prevent such security breaches could cause us to incur significant expense to investigate and respond to a security breach and correct any problems caused by any breach, subject us to liability, damage our reputation and diminish the value of our brand-name.

Laws or regulations relating to privacy and data protection may adversely affect the growth of our Internet business or our marketing efforts.

We mail catalogs and send electronic messages to names in our proprietary customer database and to potential customers whose names we obtain from rented or exchanged mailing lists. Worldwide public concern regarding personal privacy has subjected the rental and use of customer mailing lists and other customer information to increased scrutiny and regulation. As a result, we are subject to increasing regulation relating to privacy and the use of personal information. For example, we are subject to various telemarketing and anti-spam laws that regulate the manner in which we may solicit future suppliers and customers. Such regulations, along with increased governmental or private enforcement, may increase the cost of operating and growing our business. In addition, several states have proposed legislation that would limit the uses of personal information gathered online or require online services to establish privacy policies. The Federal Trade Commission has adopted regulations regarding the collection and use of personal identifying information obtained from children under 13 years of age. Bills proposed in Congress would expand online privacy protections already provided to adults. Moreover, both in the United States and elsewhere, laws and regulations are becoming increasingly protective of consumer privacy, with a trend toward requiring companies to establish procedures to notify users of privacy and security policies, to obtain consent from users for collection and use of personal information, and to provide users with the ability to access, correct and delete personal information stored by companies. Such privacy and data protection laws and regulations, and efforts to enforce such laws and regulations, may restrict our ability to collect, use or transfer demographic and personal information from users, which could be costly or harm our marketing efforts. Further, any violation of domestic or foreign privacy or data protection laws and regulations, including the national do-not-call list, may subject us to fines, penalties and damages, which could decrease our revenue and profitability.

The security risks of e-commerce may discourage customers from purchasing goods from us.

In order for the e-commerce market to be successful, we and other market participants must be able to transmit confidential information securely over public networks. Third parties may have the technology or know-how to breach the security of customer transaction data. Any breach could cause customers to lose confidence in the security of our websites and choose not to purchase from our websites. If someone is able to circumvent our security measures, he or she could destroy or steal valuable information or disrupt our operations. Concerns about the security and privacy of transactions over the Internet could inhibit the growth of Internet usage and e-commerce. Our security measures may not effectively prohibit others from obtaining improper access to our information. Any security breach could expose us to risks of loss, litigation and liability and could seriously damage our reputation and disrupt our operations.

Credit card fraud could decrease our revenue and profitability.

We do not carry insurance against the risk of credit card fraud, so the failure to adequately control fraudulent credit card transactions could reduce our revenues or increase our operating costs. We may in the future suffer losses as a result of orders placed with fraudulent credit card data even though the associated financial institution approved payment of the orders. Under current credit card practices, we may be liable for fraudulent credit card transactions. If we are unable to detect or control credit card fraud, or if credit card companies require more burdensome terms or refuse to accept credit card charges from us, our revenue and profitability could decrease.

Our facilities and systems are vulnerable to natural disasters or other catastrophic events.

Our headquarters, customer service center and the majority of our infrastructure, including computer servers, are located near Los Angeles, California in an area that is susceptible to earthquakes and other natural disasters. Our distribution facilities, which are located in Memphis, Tennessee, Irvine, California, and Lewis Center, Ohio, house the product inventory from which a substantial majority of our orders are shipped, and are also in areas that are susceptible to natural disasters and extreme weather conditions such as earthquakes, fire, floods and major storms.

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A natural disaster or other catastrophic event, such as an earthquake, fire, flood, severe storm, break-in, terrorist attack or other comparable events in the areas in which we operate could cause interruptions or delays in our business and loss of data or render us unable to accept and fulfill customer orders in a timely manner, or at all. Our systems, including our management information systems, websites and telephone system, are not fully redundant, and we do not have redundant geographic locations or earthquake insurance. Further, California periodically experiences power outages as a result of insufficient electricity supplies. These outages may recur in the future and could disrupt our operations. We currently have no formal disaster recovery plan and our business interruption insurance may not adequately compensate us for losses that may occur.

We rely on independent shipping companies to deliver the products we sell.

We rely upon third party carriers, especially FedEx and UPS, for timely delivery of our product shipments. As a result, we are subject to carrier disruptions and increased costs due to factors that are beyond our control, including employee strikes, inclement weather and increased fuel costs. Any failure to deliver products to our customers in a timely and accurate manner may damage our reputation and brand and could cause us to lose customers. We do not have a written long-term agreement with any of these third party carriers, and we cannot be sure that these relationships will continue on terms favorable to us, if at all. If our relationship with any of these third party carriers is terminated or impaired, or if any of these third parties are unable to deliver products for us, we would be required to use alternative carriers for the shipment of products to our customers. We may be unable to engage alternative carriers on a timely basis or on terms favorable to us, if at all. Potential adverse consequences include:

·              reduced visibility of order status and package tracking;

·              delays in order processing and product delivery;

·              increased cost of delivery, resulting in reduced margins; and

·              reduced shipment quality, which may result in damaged products and customer dissatisfaction.

Furthermore, shipping costs represent a significant operational expense for us. Any future increases in shipping rates could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We may not be able to compete successfully against existing or future competitors, which include some of our largest vendors.

The business of direct marketing of computer hardware, software, peripherals and electronics is highly competitive, based primarily on price, product availability, speed and accuracy of delivery, effectiveness of sales and marketing programs, credit availability, ability to tailor specific solutions to customer needs, quality and breadth of product lines and services, and availability of technical or product information. We compete with other direct marketers, including CDW, Insight Enterprises and PC Connection. In addition, we compete with large value added resellers such as CompuCom Systems and World Wide Technology, and computer retail stores and resellers, including superstores such as Best Buy and Staples, certain hardware and software vendors such as Apple and Dell Computer that sell or are increasing sales directly to end users, online resellers such as Amazon.com, Newegg.com and TigerDirect.com, government resellers such as GTSI, CDWG and GovConnection, software focused resellers such as Soft Choice and Software House International and other direct marketers and value added resellers of hardware, software and computer-related and electronic products. In the direct marketing and Internet retail industries, barriers to entry are relatively low and the risk of new competitors entering the market is high. Certain of our existing competitors have substantially greater financial resources than we have. There can be no assurance that we will be able to continue to compete effectively against existing competitors, consolidations of competitors or new competitors that may enter the market.

Furthermore, the manner in which our products and services are distributed and sold is changing, and new methods of sale and distribution have emerged and serve an increasingly large portion of the market. Computer hardware and software vendors have sold, and may intensify their efforts to sell, their products directly to end users. From time to time, certain vendors, including Apple and HP, have instituted programs for the direct sale of large quantities of hardware and software to certain large business accounts. These types of programs may continue to be developed and used by various vendors. Vendors also may attempt to increase the volume of software products distributed electronically to end users’ personal computers. Any of these competitive programs, if successful, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

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Our success is tied to the continued use of the Internet and the adequacy of the Internet infrastructure.

The level of sales generated from our websites, both in absolute terms and as a percentage of our net sales, continues to be material to our operating results. Our Internet sales are dependent upon customers continuing to use the Internet in addition to traditional means of commerce to purchase products and services. Widespread use of the Internet could decline as a result of disruptions, computer viruses, data security threats, privacy issues or other damage to Internet servers or users’ computers. If consumer use of the Internet to purchase products or services declines in any significant way, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.

The success of our Canadian call center is dependent, in part, on our receipt of government labor credits.

We maintain a Canadian call center serving the U.S. market, which has historically received the benefit of labor credits under a Canadian government program. In December 2007, we received an eligibility certificate to participate in the Investment Quebec Refundable Tax Credit for Major Employment Generating Projects (GPCE), replacing the prior government subsidy program which ended at the end of 2007. In addition to other eligibility requirements under the replacement program, which extends through fiscal year 2016, we will be required to maintain a minimum of 317 eligible employees employed by our subsidiary PC Mall Canada, Inc. in the province of Quebec at all times to remain eligible to apply annually for these labor credits. The success of our Canadian call center is dependent, in part, on our receipt of the government labor credits we expect to receive. If we do not receive these expected labor credits, or a sufficient portion of them, the costs of operating our Canadian call center may exceed the benefits it provides us and our operating results would likely suffer.

We are exposed to the risks of business and other conditions in the Asia Pacific region.

All or portions of certain of the products we sell are produced, or have major components produced, in the Asia Pacific region. We engage in U.S. dollar denominated transactions with U.S. divisions and subsidiaries of companies located in that region as well. As a result, we may be indirectly affected by risks associated with international events, including economic and labor conditions, political instability, tariffs and taxes, availability of products, natural disasters and currency fluctuations in the U.S. dollar versus the regional currencies. In the past, countries in the Asia Pacific region have experienced volatility in their currency, banking and equity markets. Future volatility could adversely affect the supply and price of the products we sell and their components and ultimately, our results of operations.

In the third quarter of 2005, we opened an office in the Philippines in connection with our cost reduction initiatives, and we may increase these and other offshore operations in the future. Establishing offshore operations may entail considerable expense before we realize cost savings, if any, from these initiatives. Our limited operating history in the Philippines, as well as the risks associated with doing business overseas and international events, could prevent us from realizing the expected benefits from our Philippines operations. For example, a national state of emergency was temporarily in effect in the Philippines in early 2006 as a result of political unrest. We could be subject to similar risks and uncertainties, particularly if and to the extent we increase or establish new offshore operations, in the Philippines or elsewhere in the future.

The increasing significance of our foreign operations exposes us to risks that are beyond our control and could affect our ability to operate successfully.

In order to enhance the cost-effectiveness of our operations, we have increasingly sought to shift portions of our operations to jurisdictions with lower cost structures than that available in the United States. The transition of even a portion of our business operations to new facilities in a foreign country involves a number of logistical and technical challenges that could result in operational interruptions, which could reduce our revenues and adversely affect our business. We may encounter complications associated with the set-up, migration and operation of business systems and equipment in a new facility. This could result in disruptions that could damage our reputation and otherwise adversely affect our business and results of operations.

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To the extent that we shift any operations or labor offshore to jurisdictions with lower cost structures, we may experience challenges in effectively managing those operations as a result of several factors, including time zone differences and regulatory, legal, cultural and logistical issues. Additionally, the relocation of labor resources may have a negative impact on our existing employees, which could negatively impact our operations. If we are unable to effectively manage our offshore personnel and any other offshore operations, our business and results of operations could be adversely affected.

We cannot be certain that any shifts in our operations to offshore jurisdictions will ultimately produce the expected cost savings. We cannot predict the extent of government support, availability of qualified workers, future labor rates, or monetary and economic conditions in any offshore locations where we may operate. Although some of these factors may influence our decision to establish or increase our offshore operations, there are inherent risks beyond our control, including:

·              political uncertainties;

·              wage inflation;

·              exposure to foreign currency fluctuations;

·              tariffs and other trade barriers; and

·              foreign regulatory restrictions and unexpected changes in regulatory environments.

We will likely be faced with competition in these offshore markets for qualified personnel, and we expect this competition to increase as other companies expand their operations offshore. If the supply of such qualified personnel becomes limited due to increased competition or otherwise, it could increase our costs and employee turnover rates. One or more of these factors or other factors relating to foreign operations could result in increased operating expenses and make it more difficult for us to manage our costs and operations, which could cause our operating results to decline and result in reduced revenues.

International operations expose us to currency exchange risk and we cannot predict the effect of future exchange rate fluctuations on our business and operating results.

We have operation centers in Canada and the Philippines that provide back-office administrative support and customer service support. Our international operations are sensitive to currency exchange risks. We have currency exposure arising from both sales and purchases denominated in foreign currencies, as well as intercompany transactions. Significant changes in exchange rates between foreign currencies in which we transact business and the U.S. dollar may adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition. Historically, we have not entered into any hedging activities, and, to the extent that we continue not to do so in the future, we may be vulnerable to the effects of currency exchange-rate fluctuations.

In addition, our international operations also expose us to currency fluctuations as we translate the financial statements of our foreign operations to the U.S. dollar. Although the effect of currency fluctuations on our financial statements has not generally been material in the past, there can be no guarantee that the effect of currency fluctuations will not be material in the future.

We are subject to risks associated with consolidation within our industry.

Many computer resellers are consolidating operations and acquiring or merging with other resellers, direct marketers and providers of information technology solutions to achieve economies of scale, expanded product and service offerings, and increased efficiency. The current industry reconfiguration and the trend towards consolidation could cause the industry to become even more competitive, further increase pricing pressures and make it more difficult for us to maintain our operating margins or to increase or maintain the same level of net sales or gross profit. Declining prices, resulting in part from technological changes, may require us to sell a greater number of products to achieve the same level of net sales and gross profit. Such a trend could make it more difficult for us to continue to increase our net sales and earnings growth. In addition, growth in the information technology market has slowed. If the growth rate of the information technology market were to further decrease, our business, financial condition and operating results could be materially adversely affected.

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Our success is in part dependent on the accuracy and proper utilization of our management information systems.

Our ability to analyze data derived from our management information (ERP) systems, including our telephone system, to increase product promotions, manage inventory and accounts receivable collections, to purchase, sell and ship products efficiently and on a timely basis and to maintain cost-efficient operations, is dependent upon the quality and utilization of the information generated by our management information systems. We regularly upgrade our management information system hardware and software to better meet the information requirements of our users, and believe that to remain competitive, it will be necessary for us to upgrade our management information systems on a regular basis in the future. We currently operate our management information systems using an HP3000 Enterprise System and are in the process of implementing a substantial upgrade to our ERP system. In addition to the costs associated with upgrading our existing systems, the transition to and implementation of new or upgraded hardware or software systems can result in system delays or failures which could impair our ability to receive, process, ship and bill for orders in a timely manner. We do not currently have a redundant or back-up telephone system, nor do we have complete redundancy for our management information systems. Any interruption in our management information systems, including those caused by natural disasters, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

If we are unable to provide satisfactory customer service, we could lose customers or fail to attract new customers.

Our ability to provide satisfactory levels of customer service depends, to a large degree, on the efficient and uninterrupted operation of our customer service operations. Any material disruption or slowdown in our order processing systems resulting from labor disputes, telephone or Internet failures, upgrading our management information systems, power or service outages, natural disasters or other events could make it difficult or impossible to provide adequate customer service and support. Furthermore, we may be unable to attract and retain adequate numbers of competent customer service representatives and relationship managers for our business customers, each of which is essential in creating a favorable interactive customer experience. If we are unable to continually provide adequate staffing and training for our customer service operations, our reputation could be seriously harmed and we could lose customers or fail to attract new customers. In addition, if our e-mail and telephone call volumes exceed our present system capacities, we could experience delays in placing orders, responding to customer inquiries and addressing customer concerns. Because our success depends largely on keeping our customers satisfied, any failure to provide high levels of customer service would likely impair our reputation and decrease our revenues.

Our stock price may be volatile.

We believe that certain factors, such as sales of our common stock into the market by existing stockholders, fluctuations in our quarterly operating results, changes in market conditions affecting stocks of computer hardware and software manufacturers and resellers generally and companies in the Internet and e-commerce industries in particular, could cause the market price of our common stock to fluctuate substantially. Other factors that could affect our stock price include, but are not limited to, the following:

·              failure to meet investors’ expectations regarding our operating performance;

·              changes in securities analysts’ recommendations or estimates of our financial performance;

·              publication of research reports by analysts;

·              changes in market valuations of similar companies;

·              announcements by us or our competitors of significant contracts, acquisitions, commercial relationships, joint ventures or capital commitments;

·              actual or anticipated fluctuations in our operating results;

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·              litigation developments; and

·              general economic and market conditions or other economic factors unrelated to our performance, including disruptions in the capital and credit markets.

The stock market in general, and the stocks of computer and software resellers, and companies in the Internet and electronic commerce industries in particular, and other technology or related stocks, have in the past experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations which have been unrelated to corporate operating performance. Such market volatility may adversely affect the market price of our common stock. In the past, following periods of volatility in the market price of a public company’s securities, securities class action litigation has often been instituted against that company. Such litigation, if asserted against us, could result in substantial costs to us and cause a likely diversion of our management’s attention from the operations of our company.

The following is a biographical summary of the experience of our executive officers:

Frank F. Khulusi is one of our co-founders and has served as our Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer since our inception in 1987, served as President until July 1999, and resumed the office of President in March 2001. Mr. Khulusi attended the University of Southern California.

Brandon H. LaVerne has served as our Chief Financial Officer since July 2008. Mr. LaVerne previously served as our Interim Chief Financial Officer, Chief Accounting Officer and Treasurer of the Company since June 2007, and continues to serve as our principal financial and accounting officer. Prior to June 2007, Mr. LaVerne served as Vice President and Controller and has been with us since October 1998. Prior to joining us, Mr. La Verne worked for Computer Sciences Corporation, and started his career with Deloitte and Touche LLP. Mr. LaVerne received his B.S. in Accounting from the University of Southern California and is a Certified Public Accountant.

Kristin M. Rogers joined us in February 2000 and was appointed as our Executive Vice President — Sales in June 2001. Ms. Rogers currently serves as Executive Vice President — Sales and Marketing and is responsible for all of our sales and marketing functions. Prior to joining us, Ms. Rogers held a variety of positions with Merisel, a computer wholesale distributor from 1980 through 1999, most recently as Senior Vice President and General Manager of the U.S. region. In addition, Ms. Rogers spent one year (1997) as Executive Vice President and General Manager of the U.S. region for Micro Warehouse, a direct marketer based in Norwalk, Connecticut. Ms. Rogers received a B.A. degree in Political Science from Bates College in Lewiston, Maine. Ms. Rogers also serves as the President of the HP SMB Advisory Council.

Daniel J. DeVries has served as our Executive Vice President — Marketing since February 1996 and was our Senior Vice President from October 1994 to that time. Mr. DeVries currently serves as Executive Vice President — Consumer and is responsible for all aspects of our Consumer businesses, including sales and marketing. From April 1993 to October 1994, Mr. DeVries held various sales and marketing positions with our company. From July 1988 to April 1993, Mr. DeVries was a Regional Manager for Sun Computers, a computer retailer. Mr. DeVries attended the University of Michigan.

Robert I. Newton joined us in June 2004 as our General Counsel. Mr. Newton was Of Counsel in the corporate practice group of Morrison & Foerster LLP from February 2000 until joining our company. Prior to his employment at Morrison & Foerster LLP, Mr. Newton was a partner in the corporate practice group of McDermott, Will & Emery LLP. Mr. Newton received a B.B.A., with highest honors, and a J.D., with honors, from the University of Texas at Austin.

Joseph B. Hayek joined us in March 2008 as Executive Vice President, Corporate Development and Investor Relations. From August 2000 to March 2008, Mr. Hayek worked in corporate finance at Raymond James & Associates, an investment banking firm, where he most recently served as a Senior Vice President and headed the firm’s Supply Chain Technologies Practice. Before joining Raymond James, Mr. Hayek was an investment banker in the technology group at Wachovia Securities. Mr. Hayek also worked for the Eastman Kodak Company. Mr. Hayek holds an MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and a B.S. in Business from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.

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