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Audit Commitee Charter

This Charter is intended as a component of the flexible framework within which the Board, assisted by its committees, directs the affairs of the Company. While it should be interpreted in the context of all applicable laws, regulations and listing requirements, as well as in the context of the Company's Certificate of Incorporation and By-Laws, it is not intended to establish by its own force any legally binding obligations.

 

  1. Purpose
    The Audit Committee (the "Committee") shall assist the Board of Directors (the "Board" or the "Board of Directors") of Ulticom, Inc. (the "Company") in fulfilling certain of its responsibilities to oversee management regarding: (i) overseeing the conduct and integrity of the Company's financial reporting process to any governmental or regulatory body, the public or other users thereof; (ii) overseeing the Company's compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, (iii) reviewing and evaluating the qualifications, engagement, compensation, independence and performance of the Company's independent auditors, their conduct of the annual audit, and their engagement for any other services; (iv) reviewing the performance of the Company's internal audit function, if applicable, and its systems of internal accounting and financial and disclosure controls, (v) reviewing and authorizing related-party transactions (as defined in the relevant NASDAQ requirements), (vi) overseeing the Company's code of business conduct and ethics as established by the Board, and (vii) preparing the Committee report required to be included in the Company's annual proxy statement.

    In discharging its oversight role, the Committee is authorized: (i) to investigate any matter that the Committee deems appropriate, with access to all books, records, facilities and personnel of the Company; and (ii) to retain independent counsel, auditors or other experts, with adequate funding provided by the Company.

  2. Committee Membership
    The Committee shall be comprised of three or more members of the Board of Directors, each of whom is determined by the Board of Directors to be "independent" in accordance with applicable rules of the Securities & Exchange Commission ("SEC") and the rules of the Nasdaq National Market. All members of the Committee shall meet the financial literacy requirements of the Nasdaq National Market. In addition, at least one member shall comply with the requirements of Regulation S-K 401(h) as an "audit committee financial expert."

    The members of the Committee shall be elected by the Board and serve until their successors shall be duly elected and qualified. Any member may be removed, with or without cause, by the Board of Directors at any time. The Board of Directors may appoint one member to be the Chairman. If the Board fails to appoint a Chairman, the members of the Committee shall elect a Chairman by majority vote of all members. The Chairman will chair all regular sessions of the Committee and set the agenda for Committee meetings.

  3. Committee Meetings
    The Committee shall meet at least quarterly, or more frequently as it deems appropriate and as circumstances dictate. Any member of the Committee may call a special meeting of the Committee. Meetings of the Committee may be held telephonically.

    The Committee shall periodically meet with each of management (including the Chief Financial Officer) and the independent auditors (including the audit engagement partner) in separate executive sessions to discuss any matters that the Committee or each of these groups believe would be appropriate to discuss privately. The Committee also expects to meet with the independent auditors and management quarterly to review the company's financial statements.

    In addition, the Committee may invite to its meetings any director, member of management of the company and such other persons as it deems appropriate in order to carry out its responsibilities. The Committee may also exclude from its meetings any persons it deems appropriate in order to carry out its responsibilities.

  4. Key Responsibilities
    The Committee's primary responsibility is one of oversight, and it recognizes that the Company's management is responsible for preparing the Company's financial statements and that the independent auditors are responsible for auditing those financial statements. The Committee also recognizes that the Company's financial management, as well as the independent auditors, have more time, knowledge and more detailed information on the Company than do Committee members. Consequently, in carrying out its oversight responsibilities, the Committee is not providing any expert or special assurance as to the Company's financial statements or any professional certification as to the independent auditor's work. The Committee shall also carry out any other responsibilities assigned to it by the Board of Directors from time to time.

    The Committee may form and delegate authority to subcommittees consisting of one or more members when appropriate, including the authority to grant pre-approvals of audit and permitted non-audit services provided that the decisions of such subcommittee to grant pre-approvals shall be presented to the full Committee at its next scheduled meeting.

    The following responsibilities are set forth as a guide with the understanding that the Committee may diverge as appropriate given the circumstances. The Committee is authorized to carry out these and such other responsibilities assigned by the Board from time to time, and take any actions reasonably related to the mandate of this Charter.

    In fulfilling its responsibilities, the Committee shall:

    Independent Auditors

    1. Have the direct responsibility for the appointment, termination, evaluation, compensation and oversight of the work of the independent auditors.
    2. Have independent auditors report directly to the Committee, and the Committee's responsibility includes the resolution of disagreements between management and the independent auditor regarding financial reporting.
    3. Review and approve in advance any audit or permitted non-audit services (including the fees and terms thereof) to be provided to the Company by the independent auditors. The Committee may adopt pre-approval procedures that delegate to one or more designated Committee members the authority to grant pre-approvals required by the foregoing sentence. The decisions of any Committee member to whom authority is delegated hereunder shall be presented to the Committee at each of its scheduled meetings.
    4. At least annually, obtain and review a report by the independent auditors describing: (i) the firm's internal quality-control procedures; (ii) any material issues raised by the most recent internal quality-control review, or peer review, of the firm, or by any inquiry or investigation by governmental or professional authorities, within the preceding five years, regarding one or more independent audits carried out by the firm, and any steps taken to deal with any such issues; and (iii) all relationships between the independent auditors and the Company.
    5. On an annual basis review a formal written statement from the independent auditor delineating all relationships between the independent auditor and the Company, consistent with Independence Standards Board Standard No. 1 (as modified or supplemented), actively engage in a dialogue with the independent auditor with respect to any disclosed relationships or services that may impact the objectivity and independence of the independent auditor and take appropriate action in response to the independent auditor's report to satisfy itself of the auditor's independence.
    6. Review and discuss quarterly reports from the independent auditors on: (i) all critical accounting policies and practices to be used; (ii) any significant changes in Company accounting policies; (iii) all alternative treatments of financial information within generally accepted accounting principles that have been discussed with management, ramifications of the use of such alternative disclosures and treatments, and the treatment preferred by the independent auditor; and (iv) any accounting and financial reporting proposals that may have a significant impact on the Company's financial reports.
    7. Review and evaluate, at least annually, the qualifications, performance and independence of the independent auditors and report on its conclusions to the Board. In conducting its review and evaluation, the Committee should:
      1. Determine whether the lead audit partner (having primary responsibility for the audit) or the audit partner responsible for reviewing the audit is required to rotate in compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and Section 10A of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended; and
      2. Take into account the opinions of management.
    8. Establish hiring policies for the Company in respect of employees and former employees of the independent auditors.

      Financial Reporting Process

    9. Consider and review with the independent auditors and management: (i) the adequacy of the Company's disclosure controls and procedures and internal controls, including computerized information system disclosure controls and procedures and security; (ii) all changes in the Company's internal control over financial reporting which could materially affect the Company's ability to record, process, summarize and report financial data; (iii) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the Company's internal control over financial reporting; and (iv) the related findings and recommendations of the independent auditors together with management's responses.
    10. Without excluding other possibilities, the Committee may wish to review and discuss with the independent auditors: (i) any accounting adjustments that were noted or proposed by the auditors but were "passed" (as immaterial or otherwise), (ii) any communications between the audit team and the audit firm's national office respecting auditing or accounting issues presented by the engagement; and (iii) any "management" or "internal control" letter issued, or proposed to be issued, by the independent auditors to the Company or any other material written communications between the accounting firm and management, such as any management letter or schedule of "unadjusted differences."
    11. Review and discuss with management and the independent auditors: (i) significant findings during the year, including the status of previous audit recommendations; (ii) any audit problems or difficulties encountered in the course of audit work including any restrictions on the scope of activities or access to required information; (iii) any changes required in the planned scope of the audit plan; (iv) the audit budget and staffing; and (v) the coordination of audit efforts in order to monitor completeness of coverage, reduction of redundant efforts, and the effective use of audit resources.
    12. Review and discuss with management and the independent auditor periodically the effect of regulatory and accounting initiatives, as well as off-balance sheet structures, on the financial statements of the Company. Inquire as to independent auditor's view of the accounting treatment related to significant new transactions or other significant matters or events not in the ordinary course of business.
    13. Review with management and the independent auditors significant risks or exposures to the Company's business and assets the steps management has taken to minimize such risks. Discuss with management and the independent auditors the Company's underlying policies and guidelines with respect to risk assessment and risk management.

      Review of Reports and Earnings Press Releases

    14. Review the Company's financial statements, including prior to public release, reviewing the Company's annual and quarterly financial statements to be filed with the SEC, including (a) the Company's disclosures under "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations," (b) any certifications regarding the financial statements or the Company's internal accounting and financial controls and procedures and disclosure controls or procedures filed with SEC by the Company's senior executive and financial officers and (c) the matters required to be discussed with the independent auditor by Statement of Auditing Standards Nos. 61, 90 and 100.
    15. Review and discuss with management and the independent auditors the Company's earnings press releases (paying particular attention to the use of any "pro forma" or "adjusted" non-GAAP information), as well as financial information and earnings guidance provided to analysts and rating agencies.

      Legal Compliance

    16. Review periodically with the Company's general counsel: (i) legal and regulatory matters that may have a material impact on the Company's financial statements and (ii) the scope and effectiveness of compliance policies and programs.
    17. Review any issues that arise under the Company's code of business conduct and ethics, including having the authority to approve or deny any waivers requested thereunder.
    18. Establish and maintain procedures for the receipt, retention and treatment of complaints received by the Company regarding accounting, internal accounting controls, or auditing matters, and the confidential, anonymous submissions by employees of concerns regarding questionable accounting or auditing matters.

      General

    19. Review and approve in advance all related-party transactions (as defined in the relevant NASDAQ requirements) other than executive compensation decisions approved by the Compensation Committee or decisions relating to the compensation of directors or Board committee members approved by the Board of Directors.
    20. Prepare a report to be included in the Company's annual proxy statement stating whether or not the Committee: (i) has reviewed and discussed the audited financial statements with management; (ii) has discussed with the independent auditors the matters required to be discussed by SAS Nos. 61, 90 and 100; (iii) has reviewed and discussed with the independent auditors and has discussed with them their independence; and (iv) based on the review and discussions referred to above, the members of the Committee recommended to the Board that the audited financials be included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
    21. Report regularly to the Board of Directors following each meeting, which reports shall include any issues that arise with respect to the quality or integrity of the company's financial statements, the company's compliance with legal or regulatory requirements, the performance and independence of the company's independent auditors or the performance of the internal audit function, if any, and with respect to such other matters as are relevant to the Committee's discharge of its responsibilities. The Committee shall provide such recommendations, as the Committee may deem appropriate. The report to the Board of Directors may take the form of an oral report by the Chairman or any other member of the Committee designated by the Committee to make such report.

      Annual Self-Evaluation

    22. Conduct an annual self-evaluation of the performance of the Committee, including its effectiveness and compliance with the Charter of the Committee. In addition, the Committee shall annually review and reassess the adequacy of this Charter and recommend to the Board of Directors any improvements to this Charter that the Committee considers necessary or valuable.

 

 

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