Description of Business	6 Months Ended
Jan. 24, 2015
Description of Business	1. Description of Business Prior to February 1, 2013, Sycamore Networks, Inc. (the “Company”) developed and marketed Intelligent Bandwidth Management solutions for fixed line and mobile network operators worldwide and provided services associated with such products (the “Intelligent Bandwidth Management Business”), and, prior to November 1, 2012, the Company also developed and marketed a mobile broadband optimization solution (the “IQstream Business”). As used in these Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements, “Sycamore,” “we,” “us,” or “our” refers collectively to the Company and its subsidiaries. On October 23, 2012, the Company entered into an Asset Purchase and Sale Agreement (the “Asset Sale Agreement”) with Sunrise Acquisition Corp. (now known as Coriant America Inc.), a portfolio company of Marlin Equity Partners (“Buyer”), pursuant to which Buyer agreed to acquire substantially all of the assets (the “Asset Sale”) primarily related to the Intelligent Bandwidth Management Business, including inventory, fixed assets, accounts receivable, intellectual property rights (other than patents and patent applications), contracts, certain real estate leases, the Company’s subsidiaries in Shanghai, the Netherlands and Japan, and certain shared facilities and assets for $18.75 million in cash, subject to a working capital adjustment, and the assumption by Buyer of certain liabilities. The Company’s stockholders authorized the Asset Sale at a Special Meeting of Stockholders held on January 29, 2013 (the “Special Meeting”), and the Asset Sale was completed on January 31, 2013 (the transfer of the Company’s equity interests in its Shanghai subsidiary, which was subject to the receipt of government approval, occurred on March 25, 2013). Upon the closing of the Asset Sale, Buyer acquired substantially all of the Company’s operating assets relating to the Intelligent Bandwidth Management Business, including the Company’s accounts receivable, inventories and prepaid and other assets, and assumed most of the Company’s remaining current liabilities, including substantially all of the Company’s deferred revenue and accrued warranty obligations. In conjunction with the approval of the Asset Sale Agreement, the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) also approved the liquidation and dissolution of the Company (the “Dissolution”) pursuant to a Plan of Complete Liquidation and Dissolution (the “Plan of Dissolution”) following the completion of the Asset Sale. The Plan of Dissolution was also approved by the stockholders at the Special Meeting and, following a review of the Company’s strategic alternatives for all of the Company’s assets and available options for providing value to the Company’s stockholders, the Company filed a certificate of dissolution with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware (the “Certificate of Dissolution”) on March 7, 2013. For additional information regarding the Dissolution, please see the Company’s Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on December 28, 2012 and its Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on March 8, 2013. In connection with the filing of the Certificate of Dissolution, on March 7, 2013, the Company closed its stock transfer books and discontinued recording transfers of its common stock, $0.001 par value per share (the “Common Stock”). The Common Stock, and stock certificates evidencing shares of the Common Stock, are no longer assignable or transferable on the Company’s books, other than transfers by will, intestate succession or operation of law. The Company also submitted a request to The NASDAQ Stock Market (“NASDAQ”) to suspend trading of the Common Stock on The NASDAQ Global Select Market effective as of the close of trading on March 7, 2013 and, on March 15, 2013, the Company filed a Form 25 with the SEC to delist its Common Stock, which became effective prior to the opening of trading on March 25, 2013. Since the suspension of trading of the Common Stock on The NASDAQ Global Select Market, shares of our Common Stock held in street name with brokers have been trading in the over-the-counter market on the Pink Sheets, an electronic bulletin board established for unlisted securities. As a result of the completion of the Asset Sale and the Company’s previously announced halting of further development and marketing in connection with the IQstream Business, the Company no longer has any operating assets or revenue. Since the filing of the Certificate of Dissolution, the Company has been operating in accordance with the Plan of Dissolution, which contemplates an orderly wind down of the Company’s business, including the sale or monetization of the Company’s remaining non-cash assets and the satisfaction or settlement of its liabilities and obligations, including contingent liabilities and claims. On December 4, 2014, the Board approved the termination of employment of Anthony J. Petrillo as the Company’s Chief Financial Officer, effective as of the close of business on December 5, 2014. Following the termination of his employment with the Company, Mr. Petrillo has provided certain financial consulting and other services to the Company relating to the wind down pursuant to a Services Consulting Agreement, and he continues to serve as the Company’s Principal Financial Officer and Treasurer on a non-employee basis. As of January 24, 2015, the Company had one remaining employee. During fiscal 2014, the Company completed the sale of its patent portfolios. On February 28, 2014, the Company completed the sale of its portfolio of 40 patents and two patent applications related to the Intelligent Bandwidth Management Business (the “IBM Patents”) for $2.0 million to Dragon Intellectual Property, LLC. On May 22, 2014, the Company completed the sale of its portfolio of three United States patents, six United States patent applications and certain foreign patents and patent applications related to the IQstream Business (the “IQstream Patents”) for $0.3 million to Citrix Systems, Inc. The Company is continuing to pursue the sale of its remaining non-cash assets, which primarily consist of (1) approximately 102 acres of undeveloped land located in Tyngsborough, Massachusetts (the “Tyngsborough Land”), (2) certain technology and equipment relating to the IQstream Business and (3) the Company’s investment in Tejas Networks India Private Limited (“Tejas”), a private company in India that provides optical transport solutions to telecommunications carriers. Following the sale of the IQstream Patents, the Company has continued to pursue the sale of certain technology and equipment relating to the IQstream Business; however, the Company does not presently expect to receive any additional material consideration for its remaining IQstream assets. In addition, given the illiquid nature of the Company’s investment in Tejas and certain other factors negatively impacting the value of the Company’s investment in Tejas, the Company does not presently expect to receive any material consideration in connection with any disposition of its Tejas investment. During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014, the Company received notice of a potential betterment fee that could be assessed against the Tyngsborough Land in connection with a public sewer project proposed by the Town of Tyngsborough (the “Potential Betterment Assessment”). On October 2, 2014, the sewer commission of the Town of Tyngsborough provided the Company with an estimate of the potential betterment fee relating to the Tyngsborough Land in the amount of approximately $3.47 million. At a Special Town Meeting held on October 8, 2014, the Town of Tyngsborough voted against proceeding with the sewer project. Although the Town of Tyngsborough voted against proceeding with the sewer project at that time, the Company cannot provide any assurance that the Town of Tyngsborough will not pursue a similar project in the future, nor can the Company provide any assurance as to the impact of such a project on the value of the Tyngsborough Land. On October 10, 2014, the Company entered into a Purchase and Sale Agreement relating to the Tyngsborough Land (the “Purchase Agreement”) with Princeton Tyngsborough Commons, LLC (“Tyngsborough Commons”) for a total purchase price of $2.5 million. On February 24, 2015, the Company and Tyngsborough Commons entered into an amendment to the Purchase Agreement providing for, among other things, an extension of the closing date to on or before March 27, 2015, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the conditions contained in the Purchase Agreement, and for Tyngsborough Commons to deposit an additional $100,000 with the escrow agent to be credited to the purchase price at closing. The terms of the Purchase Agreement, as amended, provide that in the event that Tyngsborough Commons defaults on its obligation to complete the transaction, the Company will retain the entire amount of the deposits. As of February 26, 2015, amounts totaling $300,000 have been deposited with an escrow agent as nonrefundable deposits to be credited to the purchase price at closing. The Purchase Agreement contains customary provisions relating to, among other things, the condition of the title to the Tyngsborough Land, environmental conditions, representations and warranties, obligations of the parties prior to closing and apportionment of taxes. The Company’s representations and warranties and obligations under the Purchase Agreement will survive the closing for a period of six months, and under no circumstances will the Company be liable to Tyngsborough Commons for more than $75,000 in the aggregate for any breaches of such representations and warranties or obligations. If the closing occurs, Tyngsborough Commons will be solely responsible for any and all costs related to the Potential Betterment Assessment. In addition, following the closing, Tyngsborough Commons intends to sell a portion of the Tyngsborough Land to a third party buyer. In no event will the Company be bound by the terms of any agreement with respect to such sale, provided that, in the event Tyngsborough Commons fails to fulfill its obligations under the Purchase Agreement, the Company may in its sole discretion require an assignment to the Company of Tyngsborough Commons’s rights under any such agreement. The Company currently expects to complete the sale on or about March 27, 2015 (unless an earlier date is agreed upon by the Company and Tyngsborough Commons). The Company is entitled to terminate the Purchase Agreement, as amended, if the closing does not take place on or before March 27, 2015. The closing of the sale is subject to certain conditions and obligations of the parties prior to closing, some of which are outside of the Company’s control and, accordingly, there can be no assurance when or if such closing will occur. If the Purchase Agreement is terminated, there can be no assurance of when, if ever, the Company will be able to sell the Tyngsborough Land. The inability to sell the Tyngsborough Land may delay the completion of the Company’s liquidation and related distributions to its stockholders. On July 29, 2014, the Company paid a liquidating cash distribution to stockholders of $0.24 per share of Common Stock, or $6.93 million in the aggregate. The Board declared this distribution after the Delaware Court of Chancery, on July 2, 2014, granted the Company’s petition for a determination that, among other things, the amount set forth in the petition to be retained by the Company for anticipated wind down costs and expenses and for contingent and unknown liabilities and other possible charges and expenses is sufficient to be retained pursuant to Section 280(c) of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware. In accordance with the petition, any portion of the retained amount that is not required to cover wind down costs, charges, expenses or liabilities may be distributed from time to time to the Company’s stockholders in the discretion of the Board in accordance with its fiduciary duties. Until the completion of the Dissolution, the Company will continue to pursue the liquidation to cash of our remaining non-cash assets for possible distribution to our stockholders. There can be no assurance as to the amount of consideration the Company may be able to obtain for these assets or as to any time frame within which a potential sale or other disposition of these assets might occur. Subject to uncertainties inherent in the winding up of the Company’s business, the Company may make one or more additional liquidating distributions following the liquidation to cash of our non-cash assets and after payment of, or provision for, outstanding claims in accordance with Delaware law. However, the Dissolution process and the payment of any distribution to stockholders involve substantial risks and uncertainties. Accordingly, it is not possible to predict the timing or aggregate amount which will ultimately be distributed to stockholders, and no assurance can be given that the distributions will equal or exceed our estimate of net assets presented in the Company’s Consolidated Statement of Net Assets. The Company will continue to analyze its estimates of liquidation expenses on an ongoing basis, and determine whether further distributions of assets to its stockholders are appropriate at such times.

1. Description of Business

Prior to February 1, 2013, Sycamore Networks, Inc. (the “Company”) developed and marketed Intelligent Bandwidth Management solutions for fixed line and mobile network operators worldwide and provided services associated with such products (the “Intelligent Bandwidth Management Business”), and, prior to November 1, 2012, the Company also developed and marketed a mobile broadband optimization solution (the “IQstream Business”). As used in these Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements, “Sycamore,” “we,” “us,” or “our” refers collectively to the Company and its subsidiaries.

On October 23, 2012, the Company entered into an Asset Purchase and Sale Agreement (the “Asset Sale Agreement”) with Sunrise Acquisition Corp. (now known as Coriant America Inc.), a portfolio company of Marlin Equity Partners (“Buyer”), pursuant to which Buyer agreed to acquire substantially all of the assets (the “Asset Sale”) primarily related to the Intelligent Bandwidth Management Business, including inventory, fixed assets, accounts receivable, intellectual property rights (other than patents and patent applications), contracts, certain real estate leases, the Company’s subsidiaries in Shanghai, the Netherlands and Japan, and certain shared facilities and assets for $18.75 million in cash, subject to a working capital adjustment, and the assumption by Buyer of certain liabilities. The Company’s stockholders authorized the Asset Sale at a Special Meeting of Stockholders held on January 29, 2013 (the “Special Meeting”), and the Asset Sale was completed on January 31, 2013 (the transfer of the Company’s equity interests in its Shanghai subsidiary, which was subject to the receipt of government approval, occurred on March 25, 2013). Upon the closing of the Asset Sale, Buyer acquired substantially all of the Company’s operating assets relating to the Intelligent Bandwidth Management Business, including the Company’s accounts receivable, inventories and prepaid and other assets, and assumed most of the Company’s remaining current liabilities, including substantially all of the Company’s deferred revenue and accrued warranty obligations.

In conjunction with the approval of the Asset Sale Agreement, the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) also approved the liquidation and dissolution of the Company (the “Dissolution”) pursuant to a Plan of Complete Liquidation and Dissolution (the “Plan of Dissolution”) following the completion of the Asset Sale. The Plan of Dissolution was also approved by the stockholders at the Special Meeting and, following a review of the Company’s strategic alternatives for all of the Company’s assets and available options for providing value to the Company’s stockholders, the Company filed a certificate of dissolution with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware (the “Certificate of Dissolution”) on March 7, 2013. For additional information regarding the Dissolution, please see the Company’s Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on December 28, 2012 and its Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on March 8, 2013.

In connection with the filing of the Certificate of Dissolution, on March 7, 2013, the Company closed its stock transfer books and discontinued recording transfers of its common stock, $0.001 par value per share (the “Common Stock”). The Common Stock, and stock certificates evidencing shares of the Common Stock, are no longer assignable or transferable on the Company’s books, other than transfers by will, intestate succession or operation of law. The Company also submitted a request to The NASDAQ Stock Market (“NASDAQ”) to suspend trading of the Common Stock on The NASDAQ Global Select Market effective as of the close of trading on March 7, 2013 and, on March 15, 2013, the Company filed a Form 25 with the SEC to delist its Common Stock, which became effective prior to the opening of trading on March 25, 2013. Since the suspension of trading of the Common Stock on The NASDAQ Global Select Market, shares of our Common Stock held in street name with brokers have been trading in the over-the-counter market on the Pink Sheets, an electronic bulletin board established for unlisted securities.

As a result of the completion of the Asset Sale and the Company’s previously announced halting of further development and marketing in connection with the IQstream Business, the Company no longer has any operating assets or revenue. Since the filing of the Certificate of Dissolution, the Company has been operating in accordance with the Plan of Dissolution, which contemplates an orderly wind down of the Company’s business, including the sale or monetization of the Company’s remaining non-cash assets and the satisfaction or settlement of its liabilities and obligations, including contingent liabilities and claims.

On December 4, 2014, the Board approved the termination of employment of Anthony J. Petrillo as the Company’s Chief Financial Officer, effective as of the close of business on December 5, 2014. Following the termination of his employment with the Company, Mr. Petrillo has provided certain financial consulting and other services to the Company relating to the wind down pursuant to a Services Consulting Agreement, and he continues to serve as the Company’s Principal Financial Officer and Treasurer on a non-employee basis. As of January 24, 2015, the Company had one remaining employee.

During fiscal 2014, the Company completed the sale of its patent portfolios. On February 28, 2014, the Company completed the sale of its portfolio of 40 patents and two patent applications related to the Intelligent Bandwidth Management Business (the “IBM Patents”) for $2.0 million to Dragon Intellectual Property, LLC. On May 22, 2014, the Company completed the sale of its portfolio of three United States patents, six United States patent applications and certain foreign patents and patent applications related to the IQstream Business (the “IQstream Patents”) for $0.3 million to Citrix Systems, Inc.

The Company is continuing to pursue the sale of its remaining non-cash assets, which primarily consist of (1) approximately 102 acres of undeveloped land located in Tyngsborough, Massachusetts (the “Tyngsborough Land”), (2) certain technology and equipment relating to the IQstream Business and (3) the Company’s investment in Tejas Networks India Private Limited (“Tejas”), a private company in India that provides optical transport solutions to telecommunications carriers. Following the sale of the IQstream Patents, the Company has continued to pursue the sale of certain technology and equipment relating to the IQstream Business; however, the Company does not presently expect to receive any additional material consideration for its remaining IQstream assets. In addition, given the illiquid nature of the Company’s investment in Tejas and certain other factors negatively impacting the value of the Company’s investment in Tejas, the Company does not presently expect to receive any material consideration in connection with any disposition of its Tejas investment.

During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014, the Company received notice of a potential betterment fee that could be assessed against the Tyngsborough Land in connection with a public sewer project proposed by the Town of Tyngsborough (the “Potential Betterment Assessment”). On October 2, 2014, the sewer commission of the Town of Tyngsborough provided the Company with an estimate of the potential betterment fee relating to the Tyngsborough Land in the amount of approximately $3.47 million. At a Special Town Meeting held on October 8, 2014, the Town of Tyngsborough voted against proceeding with the sewer project. Although the Town of Tyngsborough voted against proceeding with the sewer project at that time, the Company cannot provide any assurance that the Town of Tyngsborough will not pursue a similar project in the future, nor can the Company provide any assurance as to the impact of such a project on the value of the Tyngsborough Land.

On October 10, 2014, the Company entered into a Purchase and Sale Agreement relating to the Tyngsborough Land (the “Purchase Agreement”) with Princeton Tyngsborough Commons, LLC (“Tyngsborough Commons”) for a total purchase price of $2.5 million. On February 24, 2015, the Company and Tyngsborough Commons entered into an amendment to the Purchase Agreement providing for, among other things, an extension of the closing date to on or before March 27, 2015, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the conditions contained in the Purchase Agreement, and for Tyngsborough Commons to deposit an additional $100,000 with the escrow agent to be credited to the purchase price at closing. The terms of the Purchase Agreement, as amended, provide that in the event that Tyngsborough Commons defaults on its obligation to complete the transaction, the Company will retain the entire amount of the deposits. As of February 26, 2015, amounts totaling $300,000 have been deposited with an escrow agent as nonrefundable deposits to be credited to the purchase price at closing. The Purchase Agreement contains customary provisions relating to, among other things, the condition of the title to the Tyngsborough Land, environmental conditions, representations and warranties, obligations of the parties prior to closing and apportionment of taxes. The Company’s representations and warranties and obligations under the Purchase Agreement will survive the closing for a period of six months, and under no circumstances will the Company be liable to Tyngsborough Commons for more than $75,000 in the aggregate for any breaches of such representations and warranties or obligations. If the closing occurs, Tyngsborough Commons will be solely responsible for any and all costs related to the Potential Betterment Assessment. In addition, following the closing, Tyngsborough Commons intends to sell a portion of the Tyngsborough Land to a third party buyer. In no event will the Company be bound by the terms of any agreement with respect to such sale, provided that, in the event Tyngsborough Commons fails to fulfill its obligations under the Purchase Agreement, the Company may in its sole discretion require an assignment to the Company of Tyngsborough Commons’s rights under any such agreement.

The Company currently expects to complete the sale on or about March 27, 2015 (unless an earlier date is agreed upon by the Company and Tyngsborough Commons). The Company is entitled to terminate the Purchase Agreement, as amended, if the closing does not take place on or before March 27, 2015. The closing of the sale is subject to certain conditions and obligations of the parties prior to closing, some of which are outside of the Company’s control and, accordingly, there can be no assurance when or if such closing will occur. If the Purchase Agreement is terminated, there can be no assurance of when, if ever, the Company will be able to sell the Tyngsborough Land. The inability to sell the Tyngsborough Land may delay the completion of the Company’s liquidation and related distributions to its stockholders.

On July 29, 2014, the Company paid a liquidating cash distribution to stockholders of $0.24 per share of Common Stock, or $6.93 million in the aggregate. The Board declared this distribution after the Delaware Court of Chancery, on July 2, 2014, granted the Company’s petition for a determination that, among other things, the amount set forth in the petition to be retained by the Company for anticipated wind down costs and expenses and for contingent and unknown liabilities and other possible charges and expenses is sufficient to be retained pursuant to Section 280(c) of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware. In accordance with the petition, any portion of the retained amount that is not required to cover wind down costs, charges, expenses or liabilities may be distributed from time to time to the Company’s stockholders in the discretion of the Board in accordance with its fiduciary duties.

Until the completion of the Dissolution, the Company will continue to pursue the liquidation to cash of our remaining non-cash assets for possible distribution to our stockholders. There can be no assurance as to the amount of consideration the Company may be able to obtain for these assets or as to any time frame within which a potential sale or other disposition of these assets might occur. Subject to uncertainties inherent in the winding up of the Company’s business, the Company may make one or more additional liquidating distributions following the liquidation to cash of our non-cash assets and after payment of, or provision for, outstanding claims in accordance with Delaware law. However, the Dissolution process and the payment of any distribution to stockholders involve substantial risks and uncertainties. Accordingly, it is not possible to predict the timing or aggregate amount which will ultimately be distributed to stockholders, and no assurance can be given that the distributions will equal or exceed our estimate of net assets presented in the Company’s Consolidated Statement of Net Assets. The Company will continue to analyze its estimates of liquidation expenses on an ongoing basis, and determine whether further distributions of assets to its stockholders are appropriate at such times.