Company Description
Issuer Direct Corporation (NYSE American: ISDR) was a communications and compliance company that focused on solutions for public relations (PR) and investor relations (IR), as well as disclosure and related services. According to the company, its products and services were designed to help corporate issuers and funds manage financial compliance and distribute financial and business communications in both online and print formats.
Over time, Issuer Direct emphasized a transition toward a recurring revenue communications model centered around subscription-based offerings. Company disclosures describe growth in subscriptions to its products and a focus on communications revenue, including news distribution brands such as ACCESSWIRE and Newswire. Communications revenue represented a significant portion of total revenue, alongside a Compliance business that included print and proxy fulfillment services, disclosure services and transfer agent services.
In its public statements, Issuer Direct described itself as a communications company serving PR and IR markets, with solutions that supported press release distribution, media and investor engagement, and related communications workflows. The company highlighted a Media Suite subscription and other communications products that were intended to support customers’ news distribution and engagement activities.
Corporate rebrand to ACCESS Newswire Inc.
On January 16, 2025, Issuer Direct Corporation announced that its Board of Directors had approved changing the company’s corporate name to ACCESS Newswire Inc. The company stated that the effective date of the name change to ACCESS Newswire Inc. would be January 27, 2025, and that its common stock was expected to begin trading on the NYSE American Exchange under the new ticker symbol "ACCS" as of the market open on that date. The company indicated that no action was required by existing stockholders with respect to the name and ticker symbol change.
In a January 27, 2025 press release, the company confirmed that the name change to ACCESS Newswire Inc. and the change of NYSE ticker symbol to "ACCS" were effective as of that date. The company described this as a comprehensive rebrand that unified its communications technology brands under a single identity and referred to this moment as significant in its multi-year history.
ACCESS Newswire business focus
Following the rebrand, the company, under the ACCESS Newswire name, stated that it remained focused on public relations and investor relations communications. It highlighted brands including Accesswire.com, Newswire.com and Pressrelease.com as part of a unified communications platform. The company described its objective as better serving a global client base and referenced a volume-based growth strategy for its communications activities.
ACCESS Newswire announced the launch of fixed-fee subscription packages for communications professionals. These subscription offerings were described as ACCESS IR, ACCESS PR and All ACCESS, each positioned as a communications subscription for PR and IR professionals. According to the company, these subscriptions were designed to support storytelling, distribution, monitoring and targeted outreach, and to generate predictable monthly recurring revenue for the business.
Communications and compliance activities
Issuer Direct’s and later ACCESS Newswire’s public filings and press releases describe two primary revenue categories: Communications and Compliance. Communications revenue was associated with news distribution and related communications platforms, including the ACCESSWIRE and Newswire brands. Compliance revenue was associated with services such as print and proxy fulfillment, disclosure services and transfer agent services.
Company commentary in quarterly results highlighted trends in volumes and pricing on news distribution platforms, the seasonal nature of print and proxy fulfillment, and the impact of corporate actions and directives on transfer agent and disclosure services. The company also discussed operating metrics such as the number of customers with active contracts over the prior twelve months and the number of subscriptions defined as customers under contract for at least one year for one or more products.
Subscription model and Media Suite
In its 2024 communications, Issuer Direct reported that it was transitioning toward a recurring revenue communications model, including the rollout of a Media Suite subscription. The company indicated that this subscription approach was intended to increase the number of news distribution customers and overall subscriptions. Management commentary linked this transition to changes in revenue mix, growth in annual recurring revenue and an emphasis on subscription-based communications solutions.
Financial reporting and key metrics
The company regularly reported revenue, gross margin, operating income, net income or loss, cash flows from operations and non-GAAP measures such as EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, Non-GAAP net income, free cash flow and adjusted free cash flow. In its releases, the company explained that non-GAAP measures excluded items such as amortization of intangible assets, stock-based compensation, acquisition and integration costs, interest rate swap fair value changes and other non-recurring items. It stated that these measures were used by management to evaluate core operating performance and underlying trends.
Issuer Direct also disclosed key performance indicators, including the number of customers with active contracts over the preceding twelve months and the number of subscriptions to its products. These indicators were used to describe customer activity and the scale of the company’s subscription base.
Board and governance developments
In mid-2024, Issuer Direct announced changes to its Board of Directors, including the appointment of new independent members and the composition of its audit and compensation committees. The company described these changes as aligned with its goal of pursuing its strategic vision in media and communications software for PR and IR markets.
Ongoing reporting as ACCESS Newswire Inc.
After the name and ticker change, the company filed reports with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as ACCESS Newswire Inc. An example is a Form 8-K dated August 12, 2025, in which ACCESS Newswire Inc. reported issuing a press release about its results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2025. That filing noted that the information in Item 2.02 and the attached press release were furnished rather than filed for purposes of certain sections of the Securities Exchange Act.
How ISDR relates to ACCS
The historical ticker symbol ISDR refers to Issuer Direct Corporation prior to the corporate rebrand and ticker change. As of January 27, 2025, the company’s common stock began trading on the NYSE American Exchange under the new name ACCESS Newswire Inc. and the ticker symbol ACCS, with no required action by existing stockholders in connection with the change. For current information about the company’s operations and financial performance after that date, investors should review disclosures filed under the ACCESS Newswire Inc. name and ACCS ticker.