XML 30 R42.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v2.4.1.9
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details 2) (USD $)
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Property, plant and equipment and long-lived assets      
Property, plant and equipment, stated at cost $ 4,668,705us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross $ 4,631,067us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross  
Capitalization of internal use computer software 19,419us-gaap_CapitalizedComputerSoftwareAdditions 39,487us-gaap_CapitalizedComputerSoftwareAdditions 26,755us-gaap_CapitalizedComputerSoftwareAdditions
A reconciliation of liabilities for assets retirement obligation      
Assets Retirement Obligations, beginning of the year 11,809us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligation 10,982us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligation  
Liabilities Incurred 1,366us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligationLiabilitiesIncurred 480us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligationLiabilitiesIncurred  
Liabilities Settled (1,199)us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligationLiabilitiesSettled (687)us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligationLiabilitiesSettled  
Accretion Expense 1,121us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligationAccretionExpense 1,123us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligationAccretionExpense  
Foreign Currency Exchange Movement (200)us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligationForeignCurrencyTranslation (89)us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligationForeignCurrencyTranslation  
Assets Retirement Obligations, end of the year 12,897us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligation 11,809us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligation 10,982us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligation
Land      
Property, plant and equipment and long-lived assets      
Property, plant and equipment, stated at cost 205,463us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_LandMember
203,423us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_LandMember
 
Buildings and buildings improvements      
Property, plant and equipment and long-lived assets      
Property, plant and equipment, stated at cost 1,409,330us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_BuildingAndBuildingImprovementsMember
1,283,458us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_BuildingAndBuildingImprovementsMember
 
Buildings and buildings improvements | Minimum      
Property, plant and equipment and long-lived assets      
Useful life 5 years    
Buildings and buildings improvements | Maximum      
Property, plant and equipment and long-lived assets      
Useful life 40 years    
Leasehold improvements      
Property, plant and equipment and long-lived assets      
Property, plant and equipment, stated at cost 467,176us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_LeaseholdImprovementsMember
499,906us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_LeaseholdImprovementsMember
 
Leasehold improvements | Minimum      
Property, plant and equipment and long-lived assets      
Useful life 5 years    
Leasehold improvements | Maximum      
Property, plant and equipment and long-lived assets      
Useful life 10 years    
Racking      
Property, plant and equipment and long-lived assets      
Property, plant and equipment, stated at cost 1,559,383us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= irm_RackingMember
1,536,212us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= irm_RackingMember
 
Racking | Minimum      
Property, plant and equipment and long-lived assets      
Useful life 1 year    
Racking | Maximum      
Property, plant and equipment and long-lived assets      
Useful life 20 years    
Warehouse equipment and vehicles      
Property, plant and equipment and long-lived assets      
Property, plant and equipment, stated at cost 341,393us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= irm_WarehouseEquipmentAndVehiclesMember
365,171us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= irm_WarehouseEquipmentAndVehiclesMember
 
Warehouse equipment and vehicles | Minimum      
Property, plant and equipment and long-lived assets      
Useful life 1 year    
Warehouse equipment and vehicles | Maximum      
Property, plant and equipment and long-lived assets      
Useful life 10 years    
Furniture and fixtures      
Property, plant and equipment and long-lived assets      
Property, plant and equipment, stated at cost 53,189us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_FurnitureAndFixturesMember
53,590us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_FurnitureAndFixturesMember
 
Furniture and fixtures | Minimum      
Property, plant and equipment and long-lived assets      
Useful life 3 years    
Furniture and fixtures | Maximum      
Property, plant and equipment and long-lived assets      
Useful life 10 years    
Computer hardware and software      
Property, plant and equipment and long-lived assets      
Property, plant and equipment, stated at cost 501,882us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= irm_ComputerHardwareAndSoftwareMember
511,927us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= irm_ComputerHardwareAndSoftwareMember
 
Deferred software cost written off 1,300us-gaap_CapitalizedComputerSoftwareImpairments
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= irm_ComputerHardwareAndSoftwareMember
1,100us-gaap_CapitalizedComputerSoftwareImpairments
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= irm_ComputerHardwareAndSoftwareMember
1,110us-gaap_CapitalizedComputerSoftwareImpairments
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= irm_ComputerHardwareAndSoftwareMember
Computer hardware and software | Minimum      
Property, plant and equipment and long-lived assets      
Useful life 2 years    
Computer hardware and software | Maximum      
Property, plant and equipment and long-lived assets      
Useful life 5 years    
Construction in progress      
Property, plant and equipment and long-lived assets      
Property, plant and equipment, stated at cost 130,889us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ConstructionInProgressMember
177,380us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ConstructionInProgressMember
 
North American Records and Information Management Business | Computer hardware and software      
Property, plant and equipment and long-lived assets      
Deferred software cost written off 1,000us-gaap_CapitalizedComputerSoftwareImpairments
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= irm_ComputerHardwareAndSoftwareMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= irm_NorthAmericanRecordsAndInformationManagementBusinessMember
800us-gaap_CapitalizedComputerSoftwareImpairments
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= irm_ComputerHardwareAndSoftwareMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= irm_NorthAmericanRecordsAndInformationManagementBusinessMember
 
Western European Business | Computer hardware and software      
Property, plant and equipment and long-lived assets      
Deferred software cost written off 300us-gaap_CapitalizedComputerSoftwareImpairments
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= irm_ComputerHardwareAndSoftwareMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= irm_WesternEuropeanBusinessMember
   
Corporate and Other Business | Computer hardware and software      
Property, plant and equipment and long-lived assets      
Deferred software cost written off   $ 300us-gaap_CapitalizedComputerSoftwareImpairments
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= irm_ComputerHardwareAndSoftwareMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= us-gaap_CorporateAndOtherMember
$ 1,110us-gaap_CapitalizedComputerSoftwareImpairments
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= irm_ComputerHardwareAndSoftwareMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= us-gaap_CorporateAndOtherMember