Accounting Policies

Accounting Principles

The financial statements and accompanying notes are prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States.

Principles of Consolidation

The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly owned subsidiaries. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements. Estimates also affect the amounts of revenue and expenses during the reported periods. Significant estimates included in these consolidated financial statements include:


•	Allowances for doubtful accounts receivable


•	Income tax accruals


•	Uncertain tax positions


•	Tax valuation reserves


•	Fair value of stock-based compensation


•	Contract revenue


•	Useful lives for depreciation and amortization


•	Valuations of goodwill and other intangible assets


•	Contingent consideration


•	Deferred compensation


•	Loss contingencies

Actual results could differ from these estimates. Changes in estimates are recorded in the results of operations in the period that the changes occur.

Revenue Recognition

Revenue is derived principally from the licensing of computer software products and from related maintenance contracts. Revenue from perpetual licenses is classified as license revenue and is recognized upon delivery of the licensed product and the utility that enables the customer to access authorization keys, provided that acceptance has occurred and a signed contractual obligation has been received, the price is fixed and determinable, and collectibility of the receivable is probable. The Company determines the fair value of PCS sold together with perpetual licenses based on the rate charged for PCS when sold separately. Revenue from PCS contracts is classified as maintenance and service revenue and is recognized ratably over the term of the contract.

Revenue for software lease licenses is classified as license revenue and is recognized over the period of the lease contract. Typically, the Company's software leases include PCS which, due to the short term (principally one year or less) of the Company's software lease licenses, cannot be separated from lease revenue for accounting purposes. As a result, both the lease licenses and PCS are recognized ratably over the lease period. Due to the short-term nature of the software lease licenses and the frequency with which the Company provides major product upgrades (typically every 12–18 months), the Company does not believe that a significant portion of the fee paid under the arrangement is attributable to the PCS component of the arrangement and, as a result, includes the revenue for the entire arrangement within software license revenue in the consolidated statements of income.

Many of the Company's semiconductor products are typically licensed via longer term leases of 24–36 months. The Company recognizes revenue for these licenses over the term of the lease contract. Because the Company does not have vendor-specific objective evidence of the fair value of these leases, the Company also recognizes revenue from perpetual licenses over the term of the lease contract during the infrequent occurrence of these licenses being sold with semiconductor leases in multiple-element arrangements.

Revenue from training, support and other services is recognized as the services are performed. The Company applies the specific performance method to contracts in which the service consists of a single act, such as providing a training class to a customer, and the proportional performance method to other service contracts that are longer in duration and often include multiple acts (for example, both training and consulting). In applying the proportional performance method, the Company typically utilizes output-based estimates for services with contractual billing arrangements that are not based on time and materials, and estimates output based on the total tasks completed as compared to the total tasks required for each work contract. Input-based estimates are utilized for services that involve general consultations with contractual billing arrangements based on time and materials, utilizing direct labor as the input measure.

The Company also executes arrangements through independent channel partners in which the channel partners are authorized to market and distribute the Company's software products to end users of the Company's products and services in specified territories. In sales facilitated by channel partners, the channel partner bears the risk of collection from the end-user customer. The Company recognizes revenue from transactions with channel partners when the channel partner submits a written purchase commitment, collectibility from the channel partner is probable, a license agreement signed by the end-user customer is received and delivery has occurred, provided that all other revenue recognition criteria are satisfied. Revenue from channel partner transactions is the amount remitted to the Company by the channel partners. This amount includes a fee for PCS that is compensation for providing technical enhancements and the second level of technical support to the end user, which is based on the rate charged for PCS when sold separately, and is recognized over the period that PCS is to be provided. The Company does not offer right of return, product rotation or price protection to any of its channel partners.

Non-income related taxes collected from customers and remitted to governmental authorities are recorded on the consolidated balance sheet as accounts receivable and accrued expenses. The collection and payment of these amounts are reported on a net basis in the consolidated statements of income and do not impact reported revenues or expenses.

The Company warrants to its customers that its software will substantially perform as specified in the Company's most current user manuals. The Company has not experienced significant claims related to software warranties beyond the scope of maintenance support, which the Company is already obligated to provide. Consequently, the Company has not established reserves for warranty obligations.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents consist primarily of highly liquid investments such as deposits held at major banks and money market mutual funds with original maturities of three months or less. Cash equivalents are carried at cost, which approximates fair value. The Company's cash and cash equivalents balances comprise the following:



	December 31, 2015			December 31, 2014
(in thousands, except percentages)	Amount		% of Total	Amount		% of Total
Cash accounts	$	427,244	54.5	$	506,731	64.3
Money market mutual funds	356,924		45.5	281,333		35.7
Total	$	784,168		$	788,064

The Company's money market mutual fund balances are held in various funds of a single issuer.

Property and Equipment

Property and equipment is stated at cost. Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the various classes of assets, which range from one to forty years. Repairs and maintenance are charged to expense as incurred. Gains or losses from the sale or retirement of property and equipment are included in operating income.

Research and Development

Research and development costs, other than certain capitalized software development costs, are expensed as incurred.

Software Development Costs

Internally developed software costs required to be capitalized as defined by the accounting guidance are not material to the Company's consolidated financial statements.

Business Combinations

When the Company consummates an acquisition, the assets acquired and the liabilities assumed are recognized separately from goodwill at their acquisition date fair values. Goodwill as of the acquisition date is measured as the excess of the fair value of consideration transferred over the net of the acquisition date fair values of the assets acquired and the liabilities assumed. While best estimates and assumptions are used to accurately value assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the acquisition date as well as contingent consideration, where applicable, the Company's estimates are inherently uncertain and subject to refinement. As a result, during the measurement period, which may be up to one year from the acquisition date, the Company records adjustments to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed with the corresponding offset to goodwill as the Company obtains new information about facts and circumstances that existed as of the acquisition date that, if known, would have affected the measurement of the amounts recognized as of that date. Upon the earlier of the conclusion of the measurement period or final determination of the values of assets acquired or liabilities assumed, any subsequent adjustments are recorded in the consolidated statements of income.

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets

Goodwill represents the excess of the consideration transferred over the fair value of net identifiable assets acquired. Other intangible assets consist of trade names, customer lists, contract backlog, acquired software and technology, and a non-compete agreement. Intangible assets that are not considered to have an indefinite useful life are amortized over their useful lives, which are generally two to fifteen years. Amortization expense for intangible assets was $58.1 million, $61.0 million and $60.7 million for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively.

The Company tests goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets for impairment at least annually by performing a quantitative assessment of whether the fair value of each reporting unit or asset exceeds its carrying amount. Goodwill is tested at the reporting unit level and indefinite-lived intangible assets are tested at the individual asset level. This requires the Company to assess and make judgments regarding a variety of factors which impact the fair value of the reporting unit or asset being tested, including business plans, anticipated future cash flows, economic projections and other market data.

The Company performs its annual impairment tests for goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets on January 1 of each year unless there is an indicator that would require a test during the year. The Company periodically reviews the carrying value of other intangible assets and will recognize impairments when events or circumstances indicate that such assets may be impaired.

Concentrations of Credit Risk

The Company has a concentration of credit risk with respect to revenue and trade receivables due to the use of certain significant channel partners to market and sell the Company's products. The Company performs periodic credit evaluations of its customers' financial condition and generally does not require collateral. The following table outlines concentrations of risk with respect to the Company's revenue:



	Year Ended December 31,
(as a % of revenue)	2015		2014		2013
Revenue from channel partners	24	%	25	%	25	%
Largest channel partner	5	%	4	%	6	%
2^nd largest channel partner	2	%	2	%	2	%

No single customer accounted for more than 5% of the Company's revenue in 2015, 2014 or 2013.

In addition to the concentration of credit risk with respect to trade receivables, the Company's cash and cash equivalents are also exposed to concentration of credit risk. The Company's cash and cash equivalent accounts are insured through various public and private bank deposit insurance programs, foreign and domestic; however, a significant portion of the Company's funds are not insured. The following table outlines concentrations of risk with respect to the Company's cash and cash equivalents:



	As of December 31,
(in thousands)	2015		2014
Cash and cash equivalents held domestically	$	539,031	$	556,328
Cash and cash equivalents held by foreign subsidiaries	245,137		231,736
Cash and cash equivalents held in excess of deposit insurance, foreign and domestic	763,400		747,911
Largest balance of cash and cash equivalents held with one financial institution, foreign and domestic	440,650		350,628

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

The Company makes judgments as to its ability to collect outstanding receivables and provides allowances for a portion of receivables when collection becomes doubtful. Provisions are made based upon a specific review of all significant outstanding invoices from both value and delinquency perspectives. For those invoices not specifically reviewed, provisions are estimated at differing rates based upon the age of the receivable and the geographic area of origin. In determining these percentages, the Company considers its historical collection experience and current economic trends in the customer's industry and geographic region. The Company recorded provisions for doubtful accounts of $1.3 million, $2.1 million and $1.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively.

Income Taxes

The Company accounts for income taxes under the asset and liability method, which requires the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of events that have been included in the financial statements. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on the differences between the financial statement and tax bases of assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to reverse. The effect of a change in tax rates on deferred tax assets and liabilities is recognized in income in the period of the enactment date.

The Company records net deferred tax assets to the extent it believes these assets will more likely than not be realized. In making such determination, the Company considers all available positive and negative evidence, including scheduled reversals of deferred tax liabilities, projected future taxable income, tax planning strategies and recent financial operations. In the event the Company determines that it will be able to realize deferred tax assets for which a valuation allowance was used to reduce their carrying value, the adjustment to the valuation allowance will be recorded as a reduction to the provision for income taxes.

Tax benefits related to uncertain tax positions taken or expected to be taken on a tax return are recorded when such benefits meet a more-likely-than-not threshold. Otherwise, these tax benefits are recorded when a tax position has been effectively settled, which means that the statute of limitations has expired or the appropriate taxing authority has completed their examination even though the statute of limitations remains open. The Company recognizes interest and penalties related to income taxes within the income tax expense line in the accompanying consolidated statements of income. Accrued interest and penalties are included within the related tax liability line in the consolidated balance sheets.

Foreign Currencies

Certain of the Company's sales and intercompany transactions are denominated in foreign currencies. These transactions are translated to the functional currency at the exchange rate on the transaction date. Assets and liabilities denominated in a currency other than the Company's or subsidiary's functional currency are translated at the effective exchange rate on the balance sheet date. Gains and losses resulting from foreign exchange transactions are included in other income (expense), net. The Company recorded net foreign exchange gains of $0.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2015 and net foreign exchange losses of $1.6 million and $1.1 million for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively.

The financial statements of the Company's foreign subsidiaries are translated from the functional (local) currency to U.S. Dollars. Assets and liabilities are translated at the exchange rates on the balance sheet date. Results of operations are translated at average exchange rates, which approximate rates in effect when the underlying transactions occurred.

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss

Accumulated other comprehensive loss is composed entirely of foreign currency translation adjustments.

Earnings Per Share

Basic earnings per share ("EPS") amounts are computed by dividing earnings by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted EPS amounts assume the issuance of common stock for all potentially dilutive equivalents outstanding. To the extent stock options are anti-dilutive, they are excluded from the calculation of diluted EPS. The details of basic and diluted EPS are as follows:



	Year Ended December 31,
(in thousands, except per share data)	2015		2014		2013
Net income	$	252,521	$	254,690	$	245,327
Weighted average shares outstanding – basic	89,561		92,067		92,691
Dilutive effect of stock plans	1,941		2,127		2,448
Weighted average shares outstanding – diluted	91,502		94,194		95,139
Basic earnings per share	$	2.82	$	2.77	$	2.65
Diluted earnings per share	$	2.76	$	2.70	$	2.58
Anti-dilutive options	206		718		885

Stock-Based Compensation

The Company accounts for stock-based compensation in accordance with share-based payment accounting guidance. The guidance requires an entity to measure the cost of employee services received in exchange for an award of equity instruments based on the grant-date fair value of the award. The cost is recognized over the period during which an employee is required to provide service in exchange for the award, typically the vesting period.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

The Company accounts for certain assets and liabilities at fair value in accordance with the accounting guidance applicable to fair value measurements and disclosures. The carrying values of cash, cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable, accrued expenses, other accrued liabilities and short-term obligations are deemed to be reasonable estimates of their fair values because of their short-term nature. The fair values of investments are based on quoted market prices for those or similar investments.

New Accounting Guidance

Balance sheet classification of deferred taxes: In November 2015, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2015-17, Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes (ASU 2015-17). ASU 2015-17 requires all deferred tax assets and liabilities to be classified as long-term on the balance sheet. Prior guidance required both current and long-term classification, if applicable. The guidance was early adopted by the Company during the year ended December 31, 2015 and applied retrospectively. As a result of the retrospective adoption, the Company reclassified certain deferred taxes of $7.0 million to long-term deferred tax assets and $21.2 million to long-term deferred tax liabilities on the December 31, 2014 consolidated balance sheet.

Measurement-period adjustments related to business combinations: In September 2015, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2015-16, Simplifying the Accounting for Measurement-Period Adjustments (ASU 2015-16). ASU 2015-16 requires adjustments to provisional amounts that are identified during the measurement period to be recognized in the period in which the adjustments are determined. The acquirer must record the effect on earnings of changes in depreciation, amortization or other income effects, if any, as a result of the change to the provisional amounts, calculated as if the accounting had been completed at the acquisition date. Prior guidance required the restatement of prior periods if the adjustments impacted those periods. The guidance was early adopted by the Company during the quarter ended September 30, 2015 and applied prospectively. The impact on the Company's financial position, results of operations and cash flows was not material.

Revenue from contracts with customers: In May 2014, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) (ASU 2014-09). ASU 2014-09 supersedes most current revenue recognition guidance, including industry-specific guidance. Current guidance requires an entity to recognize revenue when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, delivery has occurred or services have been rendered, the seller's price to the buyer is fixed or determinable, and collectibility is reasonably assured. Under the new guidance, an entity is required to evaluate revenue recognition by identifying a contract with a customer, identifying the performance obligations in the contract, determining the transaction price, allocating the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract and recognizing revenue when (or as) the entity satisfies a performance obligation. ASU 2015-14, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Deferral of the Effective Date, delayed the effective date of ASU 2014-09 to annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within that reporting period. Entities have the option of using a full retrospective, cumulative effect or modified approach to adopt ASU 2014-09. This update will impact the timing and amounts of revenue recognized. The Company is currently evaluating the effect that implementation of this update will have on its financial results upon adoption.