Property, Plant And Equipment

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Property, Plant And Equipment [Abstract]

8. Property, Plant and Equipment

Property, plant and equipment, net consisted of the following at December 31 (in thousands):


	Estimated Useful Lives (in Years)	2011			2010
Computer hardware and software	3 to 7	$	72,920		$	65,419
Card-reading equipment	5		6,960			6,695
Furniture, fixtures, and vehicles	3to 6		5,236			5,619
Buildings and improvements	10 to 30		8,264			5,280

Property, plant and equipment, gross			93,380			83,013
Less: accumulated depreciation			(60,656	)		(56,195	)

Property, plant and equipment, net		$	32,724		$	26,818

Depreciation expense related to property and equipment for the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010, and 2009 was $11.5 million, $11.3 million, and $9.6 million, respectively. Depreciation expense includes $4.1 million, $3.9 million, and $3.7 for capitalized computer software costs for the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010, and 2009, respectively. At December 31, 2011 and 2010, the Company had unamortized computer software costs of $13.8 million and $11.4 million, 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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