Officials from beleaguered Unix software developer SCO Group met with NASDAQ officials Thursday over the fate of its publicly trade stock.

The Lindon, Utah, company was warned by officials at the stock exchange in February that it faced delisting for its failure to file its annual report, Form 10-K, with the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC). The company had missed two deadlines, Jan. 31 and Feb. 15, to file the report with the commission.

The NASDAQ listing qualification panel met with SCO officials to hear the reasons for the delay in filing.

"What was presented was a lot of what we've talked about and announced publicly -- basically the reason behind the company's recent restatement and how that has impacted the company's ability to turn in its Form 10-K to the SEC," said Blake Stowell, a SCO spokesman.

He also said the company has gotten some good feedback from its auditors, KPMG, and were close to being able to file.

Earlier this month, the company announced it would need to restate the financial statements for the first three quarters of 2004.

Typically, a final decision whether to delist or not by the NASDAQ panel can take between 30 and 40 days, though it can happen sooner or later than that timeframe, said a source familiar with the SCO proceedings. Generally speaking, the source told internetnews.com, the panel can also take new information into consideration before issuing its final decree.

"To the extent that a company was to become compliant with the filing requirement prior to the issuance of the decision, that would be considered and would certainly have an impact on the ultimate decision," the source said.

SCO is embroiled in a lengthy breach of contract and infringement lawsuit with IBM over the alleged use of Unix System IV source code in the Linux kernel.


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