2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of presentation

The Company classifies its revenues and cost of revenues into two categories: (1) portal and (2) software & services. The portal category generally includes revenues and cost of revenues from the Company’s subsidiaries operating enterprise-wide outsourced portals on behalf of state and local governments. The software & services category primarily includes revenues and cost of revenues from the Company’s subsidiaries that provide software development and services, other than enterprise-wide outsourced portal services, to state and local governments as well as federal agencies. The primary categories of operating expenses include: cost of portal revenues, cost of software & services revenues, selling & administrative, amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets, and depreciation & amortization. Cost of portal revenues consists of all direct costs associated with operating government portals on an outsourced basis including employee compensation (including stock-based compensation), telecommunications, fees required to process debit/credit card and automated clearinghouse transactions, and all other costs associated with the provision of dedicated client service such as dedicated facilities. Cost of software & services revenues consists of all direct project costs to provide software development and services such as employee compensation (including stock-based compensation), subcontractor labor costs, and all other direct project costs including hardware, software, materials, travel and other out-of-pocket expenses. Selling & administrative costs consist primarily of corporate-level expenses relating to human resource management, administration, information technology, security, legal, finance and accounting, and all costs of non-customer service personnel from the Company’s software & services businesses, including information systems and office rent. Selling & administrative costs also consist of stock-based compensation and corporate-level expenses for market development and public relations. In addition, selling & administrative costs include legal fees and other expenses, net of directors’ and officers’ liability insurance and other reimbursements received, incurred in connection with the previously disclosed SEC matter and derivative action (see Note 8). In 2009, selling & administrative costs also include acquisition-related costs for the portal management contracts in the state of Texas (see Note 4).

Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified to conform to the 2011 presentation.

Basis of consolidation

The accompanying consolidated financial statements consolidate the Company together with all of its direct and indirect wholly owned subsidiaries. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated.

Cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents primarily include cash on hand in the form of bank deposits. For purposes of the consolidated balance sheets and consolidated statements of cash flows, the Company considers all non-restricted highly liquid instruments purchased with an original maturity of one month or less to be cash equivalents.

Cash restricted for payment of dividend

Restricted cash represents cash which is restricted for use by NIC. On October 24, 2011, the Company’s Board of Directors declared a special cash dividend of $0.25 per share, payable to stockholders of record as of December 19, 2011. The dividend, totaling approximately $16.2 million, was paid on January 3, 2012. Cash used to pay the special dividend is classified as restricted at December 31, 2011.

Trade accounts receivable

The Company records trade accounts receivable at net realizable value. This value includes an appropriate allowance for estimated uncollectible accounts. The Company calculates this allowance based on its history of write-offs, the level of past-due accounts, and its relationship with, and the economic status of, its customers. Trade accounts receivable are written off when deemed uncollectible. Recoveries of receivables previously written off are recorded when received. The allowance for doubtful accounts at December 31, 2011 and 2010 was $0.5 million and $0.6 million, respectively.

Property and equipment

Property and equipment are carried at cost less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method over estimated useful lives of 8 years for furniture and fixtures, 3-10 years for equipment, 3-5 years for purchased software, and the lesser of the term of the lease or 5 years for leasehold improvements. When assets are retired or otherwise disposed of, the cost and related accumulated depreciation are removed from the accounts and any resulting gain or loss is included in results of operations for the period. The cost of maintenance and repairs is charged to expense as incurred. Significant renewals and betterments are capitalized.

The Company periodically evaluates the carrying value of property and equipment to be held and used when events and circumstances warrant such a review. The carrying value of property and equipment is considered impaired when the anticipated undiscounted cash flows from the asset is separately identifiable and is less than its carrying value. In that event, a loss is recognized based on the amount by which the carrying value exceeds the fair value of the asset. Fair value is determined primarily using the anticipated cash flows discounted at a rate commensurate with the risk involved. Losses on assets to be disposed of are determined in a similar manner, except that fair values are reduced for the cost to dispose. The Company did not record any impairment losses on property and equipment during the periods presented.

Software development costs and intangible assets

The Company expenses as incurred all employee costs to start up, operate, and maintain government portals on an outsourced basis as costs of performance under the contracts because, after the completion of a defined contract term, the government entities with which the Company contracts typically receive a perpetual, royalty-free license to the applications the Company developed. Such costs are included in cost of portal revenues in the consolidated statements of income.

The Company accounts for the costs of developing internal use computer software in accordance with authoritative accounting guidance for internal use computer software, whereby certain costs of developing internal use computer software are capitalized and amortized over their estimated useful life. For internal use computer software, the estimated economic life is typically 36 months from the date the software is placed in production. At December 31, 2011 and 2010, such costs are included in intangible assets in the consolidated balance sheets. At December 31, 2011 and 2010, intangible assets also include the rights to the Texas Master Work Order (see Notes 4 and 5).

The Company carries intangible assets at cost less accumulated amortization. Intangible assets are generally amortized on a straight-line basis over estimated economic lives of the respective assets. At each balance sheet date, or whenever events or changes in circumstances warrant, the Company assesses the carrying value of intangible assets for possible impairment based primarily on the ability to recover the balances from expected future cash flows on an undiscounted basis. If the sum of the expected future cash flows on an undiscounted basis were to be less than the carrying amount of the intangible asset, an impairment loss would be recognized for the amount by which the carrying value of the intangible asset exceeds its estimated fair value. There is considerable management judgment necessary to determine future cash flows, and accordingly, actual results could vary significantly from such estimates. The Company has not recorded any impairment losses on intangible assets during the periods presented.

Accrued expenses

As of each balance sheet date, the Company estimates expenses which have been incurred but not yet paid or for which invoices have not yet been received. Significant components of accrued expenses consist primarily of employee compensation and benefits (including bonuses, vacation, health insurance and employer 401(k) contributions), third-party professional service fees, payment processing fees, and miscellaneous other accruals.

Revenue recognition

Portal revenues

The Company recognizes revenue from providing enterprise-wide outsourced government portal services (primarily transaction-based information access fees and filing fees) net of the transaction fees due to the government when the services are provided. The fees that the Company must remit to state agencies for data access and other statutory fees are accrued as accounts payable at the time services are provided. The Company must remit a certain amount or percentage of these fees to government agencies regardless of whether the Company ultimately collects the fees. As a result, trade accounts receivable and accounts payable reflect the gross amounts outstanding at the balance sheet dates.

Revenue from service contracts to provide portal consulting, application development, and management services to governments is recognized as the services are provided at rates provided for in the contract.

Amounts received prior to providing services are recorded as unearned revenue. At each balance sheet date, the Company makes a determination as to the portion of unearned revenue that will be earned within one year and records that amount in other current liabilities in the consolidated balance sheets. The remainder, if any, is recorded in other long-term liabilities. Unearned revenues at December 31, 2011 and 2010 were approximately $0.3 million and $0.6 million, respectively.

Software & services revenues

The Company’s software & services revenues primarily include revenues from subsidiaries that provide software development and services, other than enterprise-wide outsourced portal services, to state and local governments as well as federal agencies. NIC Technologies currently derives a significant portion of its revenues from its contract with the FMCSA to develop and manage the PSP for motor carriers nationwide, using a self-funded, transaction-based business model. NIC Technologies recognizes revenue from its contract with the FMCSA (primarily transaction-based information access fees) when the services are provided. NIC Technologies also derives a portion of its revenues from time and materials application development and outsourced maintenance contracts with the state of Michigan and the FEC and recognizes revenues as the services are provided. Its contracts with the state of Michigan and the FEC contain general fiscal funding clauses. The Company recognizes revenue under these contracts if the probability of cancellation is determined to be a remote contingency.

Stock-based compensation

The Company measures stock-based compensation cost for service-based restricted stock awards at the grant date based on the calculated fair value of the award, and recognizes an expense over the employee’s requisite service period (generally the vesting period of the grant). The Company measures stock-based compensation cost for performance-based restricted stock awards at the date of grant, based on the fair value of shares expected to be earned at the end of the performance period, and recognizes an expense over the performance period based upon the probable number of shares expected to vest. The Company estimates compensation cost related to awards not expected to vest. See Note 11 for additional information.

Income taxes

The Company, along with its wholly owned subsidiaries, files a consolidated federal income tax return. Deferred income taxes are recognized for the tax consequences in future years of differences between the tax basis of assets and liabilities and their financial reporting amounts at each year-end based on enacted laws and statutory tax rates applicable to the periods in which the differences are expected to affect taxable income. Valuation allowances are established, when necessary, to reduce deferred tax assets to the amounts expected to be realized.

The Company does not recognize a tax benefit for uncertain tax positions unless management’s assessment concludes that it is “more likely than not” that the position is sustainable, based on its technical merits. If the recognition threshold is met, the Company recognizes a tax benefit based upon the largest amount of the tax benefit that is greater than 50% likely to be realized. The Company recognizes interest and penalties, if any, related to unrecognized tax benefits in income tax expense in the consolidated statements of income.

Fair value of financial instruments

The carrying values of the Company's cash and cash equivalents, cash restricted for payment of dividend, accounts receivable, and accounts payable approximate fair value.

Comprehensive income

The Company has no material components of other comprehensive income or loss and, accordingly, the Company's comprehensive income is approximately the same as its net income for all periods presented.

Earnings per share

Unvested share-based payment awards that contain non-forfeitable rights to dividends or dividend equivalents (whether paid or unpaid) are considered participating securities and are included in the computation of earnings per share pursuant to the two-class method for all periods presented. The two-class method is an earnings allocation formula that treats a participating security as having rights to undistributed earnings that would otherwise have been available to common stockholders. The Company’s service-based restricted stock awards contain non-forfeitable rights to dividends and are considered participating securities. Accordingly, service-based restricted stock awards were included in the calculation of earnings per share using the two-class method for all periods presented. Unvested service-based restricted shares totaled approximately 0.7 million, 1.1 million, and 1.1 million at December 31, 2011, 2010, and 2009, respectively. Basic earnings per share is calculated by first allocating earnings between common stockholders and participating securities. Earnings attributable to common stockholders are divided by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted earnings per share is calculated by giving effect to dilutive potential common shares outstanding during the period. The dilutive effect of stock options and shares related to the Company’s employee stock purchase plan is determined based on the treasury stock method. The dilutive effect of service-based restricted stock awards is based on the more dilutive of the treasury stock method or the two-class method assuming a reallocation of undistributed earnings to common stockholders after considering the dilutive effect of potential common shares other than the participating unvested restricted awards. The dilutive effect of performance-based restricted stock awards is based on the treasury stock method.

The following table sets forth the changes to the computation of basic and diluted earnings per share:

	December 31,
	2011			2010			2009
Numerator:
Net income	$	22,942,482		$	18,363,047		$	13,945,993
Less: Income allocated to participating securities		(294,022	)		(556,304	)		(290,480	)
Net income available to common stockholders	$	22,648,460		$	17,806,743		$	13,655,513
Denominator:
Weighted average shares - basic		64,017,813			63,511,383			63,002,361
Stock options and restricted stock awards		138,856			97,697			77,804
Weighted average shares - diluted		64,156,669			63,609,080			63,080,165

Basic net income per share:
Net income	$	0.35		$	0.28		$	0.22

Diluted net income per share:
Net income	$	0.35		$	0.28		$	0.22

There were no outstanding stock options excluded from the computation of diluted weighted average shares outstanding during 2011, 2010, or 2009. As of December 31, 2011 and 2010, there were no stock options outstanding.

Concentration of credit risk

Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to significant concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents and accounts receivable. The Company limits its exposure to credit loss by depositing its cash with high credit quality financial institutions. In November 2010, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) adopted a final rule to implement Section 343 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, which provides temporary unlimited deposit insurance coverage for non-interest bearing transaction accounts at all FDIC-insured depository institutions effective December 31, 2010 through December 31, 2012. At December 31, 2011, the amount of cash held in domestic non-interest bearing transaction accounts was approximately $60.6 million, while the amount of cash held in interest-bearing transaction accounts was approximately $1.0 million. The Company limits its exposure to credit loss by holding a majority of its cash in non-interest bearing transaction accounts. The Company performs ongoing credit evaluations of its customers and generally requires no collateral to secure accounts receivable.

Segment reporting

The Company reports segment information in accordance with authoritative accounting guidance for segment disclosures based upon the "management" approach, which designates the internal organization that is used by management for making operating decisions and assessing performance as the source of the Company's segments. Authoritative guidance for segment disclosures also requires disclosures about products and services and major customers. See Note 12.

Use of estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles 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 and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Recent accounting pronouncements

In October 2009, the FASB issued new guidance related to the accounting for multiple-deliverable revenue arrangements. These new rules amend the existing guidance for separating consideration into multiple-deliverable arrangements and establish a selling price hierarchy for determining the selling price of a deliverable. This guidance was adopted by the Company as of January 1, 2011, and did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

In October 2009, the FASB issued new guidance that changes the accounting model for revenue arrangements that include both tangible products and software elements. Tangible products containing software components and non-software components that function together to deliver the tangible product’s essential functionality are no longer within the scope of the software revenue guidance. This guidance was adopted by the Company as of January 1, 2011, and did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.