PROPERTY PLANT AND EQUIPMENT

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2012

PROPERTY PLANT AND EQUIPMENT [ABSTRACT]

(5) PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT

Property, plant and equipment consisted of the following (amounts in thousands):

		December 31,
		2012		2011
Land and buildings		$	38,833	$	38,846
Computer equipment and software			279,129		261,378
Telephone equipment			42,914		44,861
Furniture and fixtures			50,322		51,460
Leasehold improvements			143,051		138,117
Motor vehicles			355		190
Construction-in-progress and other			450		339
	Property, plant and equipment, gross		555,054		535,191
Less: Accumulated depreciation and amortization			(442,778)		(434,870)
	Property, plant and equipment, net	$	112,276	$	100,321

Depreciation and amortization expense for property, plant and equipment was $37.4 million, $40.4 million and $49.2 million for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010, respectively. Included in computer equipment and software in the table above, the Company had $3.5 million and $3.7 million of unamortized Software Development Costs as of December 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for long-lived, physical assets that are used in the normal conduct of business to produce goods and services and not intended for resale. Examples include land, buildings, machinery and equipment, and other types of furniture and equipment including, but not limited to, office equipment, furniture and fixtures, and computer equipment and software. This disclosure may include property plant and equipment accounting policies and methodology, a schedule of property, plant and equipment gross, additions, deletions, transfers and other changes, depreciation, depletion and amortization expense, net, accumulated depreciation, depletion and amortization expense and useful lives, income statement disclosures, assets held for sale and public utility disclosures.

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