The consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes are prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. Certain items in the notes to the consolidated financial statements of prior years have been reclassified to conform to the current year's presentation. These reclassifications had no effect on reported net income, comprehensive income, cash flows, total assets or total liabilities and stockholders' equity.

Business combinations: In October 2021, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued ASU No. 2021-08, Business Combinations (Topic 805): Accounting for Contract Assets and Contract Liabilities from Contracts with Customers (ASU 2021-08). ASU 2021-08 requires contract assets and contract liabilities acquired in a business combination to be recognized and measured by the acquirer on the acquisition date in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, as if the acquirer had originated the contracts. We adopted the standard effective January 1, 2022. Under the prior guidance, such assets and liabilities were recognized by the acquirer at fair value on the acquisition date. The adoption of the new standard did not have a material effect on our consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes.

Segment reporting: In November 2023, the FASB issued ASU No. 2023-07, Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures (ASU 2023-07). ASU 2023-07 requires enhanced disclosures related to segment information, including for entities with one reportable segment. It does not change the determination of reportable segments. The enhanced disclosures in accordance with the new guidance are required to be reported in the annual period beginning after December 15, 2023. Early adoption is permitted. The standard only impacts footnote disclosures and will not impact our consolidated financial statements.

Income tax disclosures: In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU No. 2023-09, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures (ASU 2023-09). ASU 2023-09 requires disclosure of greater disaggregation of information in the rate reconciliation and income taxes paid disaggregated by jurisdiction. It also includes certain other amendments to improve the effectiveness of income tax disclosures. The standard is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2024. Early adoption is permitted. The standard only impacts footnote disclosures and will not impact our consolidated financial statements.

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 or impacting these consolidated financial statements include:

Our revenue is derived principally from the licensing of computer software products and from related maintenance contracts. We enter into contracts that include combinations of products, maintenance and services, which are accounted for as separate performance obligations with differing revenue recognition patterns.

Revenue from perpetual licenses is classified as software license revenue. Software license revenue is recognized up front upon delivery of the licensed product and/or the utility that enables the customer to access authorization keys, provided that an enforceable contract has been received. Typically, our perpetual licenses are sold with post-contract support (PCS), which includes unspecified technical enhancements and customer support. We allocate value in bundled perpetual and PCS arrangements based on the standalone selling prices of the perpetual license and PCS. Revenue from PCS is classified as maintenance revenue and is recognized ratably over the term of the contract, as we satisfy the PCS performance obligation.

In addition to perpetual licenses, we sell time-based subscription lease licenses. Subscription lease licenses are sold only as a bundled arrangement that includes the rights to a term software license and PCS. Utilizing observable inputs, we determined that 50% of the estimated standalone selling price of the subscription lease license is attributable to the term license and 50% is attributable to the PCS. This determination considered the value relationship for our products between PCS and time-based subscription lease licenses, the value relationship between PCS and perpetual licenses, the average economic life of our products, software renewal rates and the price of the bundled arrangement in relation to the perpetual licensing approach. Consistent with the perpetual sales, the license component is classified as software license revenue and recognized as revenue up front at the commencement of the lease upon delivery of the licensed product and/or utility that enables the customer to access authorization keys. The PCS is classified as maintenance revenue and is recognized ratably over the term of the contract, as we satisfy the PCS performance obligation.

Revenue from training, consulting and other services is recognized as the services are performed. For contracts in which the service consists of a single performance obligation, such as providing a training class to a customer, we recognize revenue upon completion of the performance obligation. For service contracts that are longer in duration and often include multiple performance obligations (for example, both training and consulting), we measure the progress toward completion of the obligations and recognize revenue accordingly. In measuring progress towards the completion of performance obligations, we typically utilize output-based estimates for services with contractual billing arrangements that are not based on time and materials, and estimate 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.

We also execute arrangements through independent channel partners in which the channel partners are authorized to market and distribute our software products to end users of our products and services in specified territories. In sales facilitated by channel partners, the channel partner is the principal to the transaction with the end user. We recognize revenue from transactions with channel partners in a manner consistent with the direct sales described above for both perpetual and time-based licenses. Revenue from channel partner transactions is the amount remitted to us 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 recognized over the period that PCS is to be provided.

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.

We do not offer right of return. We warrant to our customers that our software will perform substantially as specified in our current user manuals. We have not experienced significant claims related to software warranties beyond the scope of maintenance support, which we are already obligated to provide. The warranty is not sold, and cannot be purchased, separately.

Our agreements with our customers generally require us to indemnify the customer against claims that our software infringes third-party patent, copyright, trademark or other proprietary rights. Such indemnification obligations are generally limited in a variety of industry-standard respects, including our right to replace an infringing product.

Our contracts with customers typically include promises to transfer licenses and services to a customer. Judgment is required to determine if the promises are separate performance obligations, and if so, to allocate the transaction price to each performance obligation. We use the estimated standalone selling price method to allocate the transaction price for each performance obligation. The estimated standalone selling price is determined using all information reasonably available to us, including market conditions and other observable inputs. The corresponding revenues are recognized as the related performance obligations are satisfied.

We apply a practical expedient to expense sales commissions as incurred when the amortization period would have been one year or less. Sales commissions associated with the initial year of multi-year contracts are expensed as incurred due to their immateriality. Sales commissions associated with multi-year contracts beyond the initial year are subject to an employee service requirement and are expensed as incurred as they are not considered incremental costs to obtain a contract.

We are required to adjust promised amounts of consideration for the effects of the time value of money if the timing of the payments provides the customer or us with a significant financing benefit. We consider various factors in assessing whether a financing component exists, including the duration of the contract, market interest rates and the timing of payments. Our contracts do not include a significant financing component requiring adjustment to the transaction price.

Cash and cash equivalents consist primarily of highly liquid investments such as deposits held at major banks and money market funds. Cash equivalents are carried at cost, which approximates fair value. Our cash and cash equivalents balances comprise the following:

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 year 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.

When we consummate 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 acquisition date fair value of the net identifiable assets acquired. 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, our 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, we record adjustments to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed with the corresponding offset to goodwill as we obtain 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.

Goodwill represents the excess of the fair value of consideration transferred over the fair value of net identifiable assets acquired. Other intangible assets consist of acquired software and technology, customer lists and trade names. Intangible assets that are not considered to have an indefinite useful life are amortized over their useful lives, which range from two years to seventeen years. Amortization expense for intangible assets was $103.5 million, $85.1 million and $76.0 million for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

We test 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. We have one reporting unit. Goodwill is tested at this reporting unit level and indefinite-lived intangible assets are tested at the individual asset level. This requires us 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.

During the first quarter of 2023, we completed the annual impairment test for goodwill and the indefinite-lived intangible asset and determined that these assets had not been impaired as of the test date, January 1, 2023. No other events or circumstances changed during the year ended December 31, 2023 that would indicate that the fair values of our reporting unit and indefinite-lived intangible asset are below their carrying amounts.

We have a concentration of credit risk with respect to revenue and trade receivables due to the use of channel partners to market and sell our products. We perform periodic credit evaluations of our customers' financial condition and generally do not require collateral. The following table outlines concentrations of risk with respect to our revenue:

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


	As of December 31,
(in thousands)	2023		2022
Cash and cash equivalents held domestically	$	529,092	$	326,784
Cash and cash equivalents held by foreign subsidiaries	331,109		287,607
Cash and cash equivalents held in excess of deposit insurance, foreign and domestic	846,723		597,471
Largest balance of cash and cash equivalents held with one financial institution, foreign and domestic	359,362		238,058

ASU No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments requires us to use the current expected credit loss methodology to make judgments as to our ability to collect outstanding receivables and provide allowances for a portion of receivables over the lifetime of the receivables. 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. In determining these percentages, we consider our historical loss experience, current economic trends and future conditions.


(in thousands)	2023		2022		2021
Beginning balance – January 1	$	18,300	$	14,600	$	14,000
Additions: Charges to expense	2,704		$	6,222	1,006
Deductions: Write-offs	(304)		(2,522)		(406)
Ending balance – December 31	$	20,700	$	18,300	$	14,600

We account 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.

We record net deferred tax assets to the extent we believe these assets will more likely than not be realized. In making such determination, we consider 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 we determine that we 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 its examination even though the statute of limitations remains open.

We recognize interest and penalties related to income taxes within the income tax expense line in the consolidated statements of income. Accrued interest and penalties are included within the related tax liability line in the consolidated balance sheets.

Certain of our sales and intercompany transactions are denominated in foreign currencies. These transactions are converted to the functional currency in the period in which they occur. Assets and liabilities denominated in a currency other than our functional currency or our subsidiaries' functional currencies are translated at the effective exchange rate on the balance sheet date. Gains and losses resulting from foreign exchange transactions are included in other (expense) income, net. We recorded net foreign exchange losses of $4.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, net foreign exchange gains of $1.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 and net foreign exchange losses of $1.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2021.

The financial statements of our 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.

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 awards are anti-dilutive, they are excluded from the calculation of diluted EPS.


	Year Ended December 31,
(in thousands, except per share data)	2023		2022		2021
Net income	$	500,412	$	523,710	$	454,627
Weighted average shares outstanding – basic	86,833		87,051		87,100
Dilutive effect of stock plans	553		439		1,002
Weighted average shares outstanding – diluted	87,386		87,490		88,102
Basic earnings per share	$	5.76	$	6.02	$	5.22
Diluted earnings per share	$	5.73	$	5.99	$	5.16
Anti-dilutive shares	218		300		23

We account 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 services in exchange for the award, typically the vesting period.