Schedule of Trade Accounts Receivable (Detail) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Total accounts receivable	$ 156,384us-gaap_AccountsReceivableGrossCurrent	$ 167,638us-gaap_AccountsReceivableGrossCurrent
Allowance for sales credit memos	(1,540)pega_AllowanceForSalesCreditMemos	(1,997)pega_AllowanceForSalesCreditMemos
Total accounts receivable net	154,844us-gaap_AccountsReceivableNetCurrent	165,641us-gaap_AccountsReceivableNetCurrent
Trade accounts receivable
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Total accounts receivable	128,757	129,020
Unbilled accounts receivable
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Total accounts receivable	$ 27,627	$ 38,618

Allowance for the Company's estimate of sales credit memos for services rendered based on historical analysis of sales credit memos and assumptions about future events and experience with customer disputes.

No definition available.

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- Definition

Amounts due from customers or clients, within one year of the balance sheet date (or the normal operating cycle, whichever is longer) for goods or services (including trade receivables) that have been delivered or sold in the normal course of business.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.3)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 03

-Paragraph 3

-Subparagraph a, b

-Article 5

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- Definition

Amount due from customers or clients, within one year of the balance sheet date (or the normal operating cycle, whichever is longer), for goods or services (including trade receivables) that have been delivered or sold in the normal course of business, reduced to the estimated net realizable fair value by an allowance established by the entity of the amount it deems uncertain of collection.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.3-4)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Paragraph 3

-Subparagraph a(1)

-Article 5

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Paragraph 4

-Article 5

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