Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenue for Q3 2025 was $215 million, a 2% increase year over year, and year-to-date revenue increased by 6% [18][7] - EBITDA for Q3 was $29 million, a decrease of $1 million from the prior year, with a non-GAAP tax rate of 40% [19][20] - Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share were $0.04, down from $0.01 in the prior year [20] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - IP Optical Networks revenue increased by 11% year over year to $91 million, with a non-GAAP gross margin of 39.4% [21] - Cloud and Edge revenue decreased by 3% year over year to $124 million, with a non-GAAP gross margin of 62.2% [22] - Sales to service providers increased by 5% year over year, while sales to enterprise customers decreased by approximately 3% [8][15] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Sales in Europe, Middle East, and Africa grew by 26% year over year, while sales in Asia-Pacific increased by 13% [10] - North American sales were impacted by a decline of approximately 10% year over year due to lower U.S. federal sales [10][15] - Sales to India increased by 31% year over year, contributing to strong growth in the Asia-Pacific region [12] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focusing on AI ops automation with the launch of the Acumen platform, aimed at enhancing network reliability and performance [4][5] - There is a strategic emphasis on the convergence of AI and voice technologies, with significant opportunities identified in this area [7][29] - The company expects Q4 to be the strongest quarter of the year, despite uncertainties related to the U.S. government shutdown [25][26] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management noted that the U.S. government shutdown has delayed procurement processes but emphasized that no business has been lost [9][38] - The fundamentals of the Cloud and Edge and IP Optical Networks businesses remain strong, with good demand from service provider and enterprise customers [9][29] - The company anticipates continued growth in voice communications and investment in data centers and fiber networks [29] Other Important Information - The company repurchased approximately 900,000 shares for a total cost of $3.5 million during the quarter [23] - The company expects Q4 revenue to be in the range of $230 to $250 million, with adjusted EBITDA projected between $42 to $48 million [28] Q&A Session Summary Question: Impact of AI on Cloud and Edge growth - Management views AI as a new category that will drive growth in Cloud and Edge, with a focus on AI ops and the convergence of voice and AI [32][33] Question: Performance of Verizon and U.S. IP Optical Networks - Verizon grew about 20% year over year in Q3, with a shift towards services rather than products [34] - U.S. IP Optical business is expected to be lumpy, with revenue influenced by various projects [35] Question: Quantifying the impact of the government shutdown - Management indicated that the shutdown impacted Q3 results, with a potential revenue loss of around $10 million to $15 million in Q4 [61][62] Question: Future growth of government program business - Management anticipates solid growth in government programs, particularly with new voice modernization projects [67][69] Question: BEAD funding and its impact - Management has not factored BEAD funding into the outlook yet, as the timing and execution remain uncertain [78] Question: New product innovations and potential business segments - The Acumen product spans both business units, and while it currently falls under Cloud and Edge, future categorization may evolve [83]