Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

(2) Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the Company’s results of operations and those of its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation. The Company’s accounting and financial reporting policies conform to generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”).

Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current year’s presentation. Current Deferred costs of $6.5 million and noncurrent Deferred costs of $10.3 million as of December 31, 2018 are reported in Deferred costs and other current assets and Deferred costs and other assets, respectively, with no effect on Total current assets or Total assets, respectively.

Effective January 1, 2019, the Company adopted the requirements of Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2016-02, Leases, as discussed in this Note 2 and Note 18.

Principles of Consolidation

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. Business acquisitions are included in the Company’s consolidated financial statements from the date of the acquisition. The Company’s purchase accounting resulted in all assets and liabilities of acquired businesses being recorded at their estimated fair values on the acquisition dates.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP 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 consolidated financial statements, and the reported amount of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Assets and liabilities which are subject to judgment and use of estimates include the determination of the period of benefit for deferred commissions, relative stand-alone selling price for identified performance obligations in our revenue transactions, allowances for doubtful accounts, the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed in business combinations, the recoverability of goodwill and long-lived assets, valuation allowances with respect to deferred tax assets, useful lives associated with property and equipment and intangible assets, contingencies, and the valuation and assumptions underlying stock-based compensation. On an ongoing basis, the Company evaluates its estimates compared to historical experience and trends, which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying value of assets and liabilities. In addition, the Company engages valuation specialists to assist with management’s determination of the valuation of its fair values of assets acquired and liabilities assumed in business combinations, convertible senior notes, and certain market-based performance equity awards.

Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

ASU No. 2014-09

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers ("Topic 606"). Topic 606 supersedes the revenue recognition requirements in Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") Topic 605, Revenue Recognition ("Topic 605"), and requires the recognition of revenue when promised goods or services are transferred to customers in an amount that reflects the considerations to which the entity expects to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services. Topic 606 also includes Subtopic 340-40, Other Assets and Deferred Costs - Contracts with Customers, which requires the deferral of incremental costs of obtaining a contract with a customer. Collectively, the Company refers to Topic 606 and Subtopic 340-40 as the "new revenue standard" or “ASC 606.”

The Company adopted the requirements of the new revenue standard as of January 1, 2018, utilizing the modified retrospective method of transition. Adoption of the new revenue standard resulted in changes to the Company’s accounting policies for revenue recognition and deferred commissions as detailed below. The Company applied the new revenue standard using a practical expedient where the consideration allocated to the remaining performance obligations or an explanation of when the Company expects to recognize that amount as revenue for all reporting periods presented before the date of the initial application is not disclosed.

Based on the results of the Company’s evaluation, the adoption of the new revenue standard did not have a material impact on its revenue for the year ended December 31, 2018. The primary impact of adopting the new revenue standard relates to the deferral of incremental commission costs of obtaining subscription contracts. Under Topic 605, the Company deferred only direct and incremental commission costs to obtain a contract and amortized those costs over one year. Under the new revenue standard, the Company defers all incremental commission costs to obtain the contract. The Company amortizes costs for subscription-related commissions over a period of benefit that the Company has determined to be four years. Sales commissions attributable to professional services are expensed within twelve months of selling the service to the customer. Adoption of the new revenue standard had no impact on total cash provided from or used in operating, financing, or investing activities in the Company’s consolidated statements of cash flows. For details on the impact of the Company’s adoption of the new revenue standard, see Note 15.

ASU No. 2016-02

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), to require lessees to recognize most leases on the balance sheet, while recognition on the statement of operations will remain similar to current lease accounting. The ASU requires lessees to recognize a liability for lease obligations, which represents the discounted obligation to make future lease payments, and a corresponding right-of-use (“ROU”) asset on the balance sheet. The guidance requires disclosure of key information about leasing arrangements that is intended to enable the assessment of the amount, timing and potential uncertainty of cash flows related to leases. The ASU also eliminates real estate-specific provisions and modifies certain aspects of lessor accounting.

The Company adopted the standard on January 1, 2019 using the modified retrospective approach. The Company elected to apply the transition method that allows companies to continue applying the guidance under the lease standard in effect at that time in the comparative periods presented in the consolidated financial statements and recognize a cumulative-effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings on the date of adoption. The Company also elected the “package of practical expedients”, which permits the Company not to reassess under the new standard its prior conclusions about lease identification, lease classification and initial direct costs.

Results for reporting periods beginning after January 1, 2019 are presented under the new standard, while prior period amounts are not adjusted and continue to be reported under the accounting standards in effect for the prior period. Upon adoption of the new lease standard, on January 1, 2019, the Company capitalized ROU assets of $14.7 million and $16.9 million of lease liabilities, within the Company’s consolidated balance sheets upon adoption. Additionally, the Company reversed its deferred rent liability of $2.2 million, which upon adoption became a component of the ROU asset. The adoption of this standard did not have an impact on the Company’s consolidated statement of operations or cash flows and did not result in a cumulative catch-up adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings.

ASU No. 2018-02

In February 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-02, Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income. The amendments in this update allow a reclassification from accumulated other comprehensive income to retained earnings for stranded tax effects resulting from the U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. The Company adopted ASU 2018-02 effective January 1, 2019. The adoption of this standard did not have an impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

ASU No. 2018-07

In June 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-07, Improvements to Nonemployee Share Based Payments. The improvement expands stock-based compensation guidance to include share-based payment transactions for acquiring goods and services from nonemployees. The pronouncement is effective for fiscal years, and for interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2018. The Company adopted ASU 2018-07 effective January 1, 2019. The adoption of this standard did not have an impact on its consolidated financial statements.

ASU 2019-12

In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-12, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes. ASU 2019-12 simplifies aspects of the income tax accounting guidance including requirements related to separate financial statements of entities not subject to tax, the intraperiod tax allocation exception to the incremental approach, interim-period accounting for enacted changes in tax law and the year-to-date loss limitation in interim-period tax accounting. The guidance includes retrospective, modified retrospective and prospective basis application dependent on the requirements of specific amendments. The Company early adopted ASU 2019-12 in the fourth quarter of 2019 using the prospective approach. The adoption did not have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted

ASU 2016-13

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13 (as amended through November 2019), Financial Instruments—Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. ASU 2016-13 introduces a new forward-looking approach, based on expected losses, to estimate credit losses on certain types of financial instruments, including trade receivables and held-to-maturity debt securities, which will require entities to incorporate considerations of historical information, current information and reasonable and supportable forecasts. This ASU also expands disclosure requirements. ASU 2016-13 is effective for the Company beginning in the first quarter of 2020. The guidance will be applied using the modified-retrospective approach. The Company is currently assessing the impact this standard will have on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

ASU 2018-13

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-13, Disclosure Framework - Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurements, which eliminates, adds and modifies certain disclosure requirements for fair value measurements as part of the FASB’s disclosure framework project. ASU 2018-13 is effective for the Company beginning in the first quarter of 2020. The Company is currently assessing the impact this standard will have on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

ASU 2018-15

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-15, Customer's Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement That Is a Service Contract, a new standard on a customer's accounting for implementation, set-up, and other upfront costs incurred in a cloud computing arrangement (“CCA”). Under the new guidance, customers will assess if a CCA includes a software license and if a CCA does include a software license, implementation and set-up costs will be accounted for consistent with existing internal-use software implementation guidance. Implementation costs associated with a CCA that do not include a software license would be expensed to operating expenses. The standard also provides classification guidance on these implementation costs as well as additional quantitative and qualitative disclosures. ASU 2018-15 is effective for the Company beginning in the first quarter of 2020. Entities can choose to adopt the new guidance prospectively or retrospectively. The Company is currently assessing the impact this standard will have on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

ASU 2020-01

In January 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-01, Clarifying the Interactions Between Topic 321, Topic 323, and Topic 815. ASU 2020-01 addresses the accounting for the transition into and out of the equity method and measuring certain purchased options and forward contracts to acquire investments. Observable transactions that require a company to either apply or discontinue the equity method of accounting for the purposes of applying the measurement alternative in accordance with ASC 321, Investments – Equity Securities, should be considered immediately before applying or upon discontinuing the equity method. Certain non-derivative forward contracts or purchased call options to acquire equity securities generally will be measured using the fair value principles of ASC 321 before settlement or exercise and consideration shall not be given to how entities will account for the resulting investments on eventual settlement or exercise. ASU 2020-01 is effective for the Company beginning in the first quarter of 2021 and early adoption is permitted. ASU 2020-01 should be applied prospectively. The Company is currently assessing the impact this standard will have on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

Other accounting standard updates effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 31, 2019 are not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s financial position, results of operations or cash flows.    

Fair Value Measurements

Fair value is defined as the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date.

Valuation techniques used to measure fair value must maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs. Accounting standards describe a fair value hierarchy based on three levels of inputs, of which the first two are considered observable and the last unobservable, that may be used to measure fair value which are the following:

Level 1—Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities or funds.

Level 2—Inputs other than Level 1 that are observable, either directly or indirectly, such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities; quoted prices in markets that are not active; or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities.

Level 3—Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair value of the assets or liabilities.

A financial instrument’s level within the fair value hierarchy is based on the lowest level of any input that is significant to the fair value measurement.

Concentrations of Credit and Business Risk

Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to a concentration of credit risk consist of cash, cash equivalents and accounts receivable.

The Company maintains cash and cash equivalent balances at several banks. Accounts located in the United States are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”), up to $250,000. From time to time, balances may exceed amounts insured by the FDIC. The Company has not experienced any losses in such amounts.

The Company’s accounts receivable are generally unsecured and are derived from revenue earned from customers primarily located in the United States, Norway, Netherlands and the United Kingdom and are generally denominated in U.S. dollars, Norwegian Krone, Euro or British pounds. Each reporting period, the Company reevaluates each customer’s ability to satisfy credit obligations and maintains an allowance for doubtful accounts based on the evaluations. No single customer comprised more than 10% of the Company’s total revenue for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017. No single customer comprised more than 10% of the Company’s total accounts receivable balance at December 31, 2019 and 2018.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

The Company considers all highly liquid instruments with original maturities of three months or less at the date of purchase to be cash equivalents. Cash equivalents consist of funds deposited into money market funds. Cash and cash equivalents are recorded at cost, which approximates fair value.

Restricted Cash

The Company’s restricted cash balance primarily consists of cash held at a financial institution for collateral against performance on the Company’s customer contracts and certain other cash deposits for specific purposes. 

Short-Term Investments

Short-term investments consist of highly liquid investments, primarily commercial paper, U.S. Treasury and U.S. agency securities, with maturities over three months from the date of purchase and less than 12 months from the date of the balance sheet. Debt securities, money market funds and U.S. agency bonds that the Company has the ability and positive intent to hold to maturity are carried at amortized cost, which approximates fair value. There were no short-term investments at December 31, 2019. Short-term investments of $45.5 million at December 31, 2018 were classified as held-to-maturity and primarily comprised of U.S. treasury and U.S. government and agency securities.

Accounts Receivable

Accounts receivable includes trade accounts receivables from the Company’s customers, net of an allowance for doubtful accounts. Accounts receivable are recorded at the invoiced amount and do not bear interest. Allowance for doubtful accounts is established based on various factors including credit profiles of the Company’s customers, historical payments and current economic trends. The Company reviews its allowance by assessing individual accounts receivable over a specific aging and amount and all other balances are pooled based on historical collection experience. Accounts receivable are written-off on a case by case basis, net of any amounts that may be collected.

Deferred Offering Costs

Deferred offering costs consist primarily of direct incremental costs related to the Company’s follow on offerings of its common stock, which were completed in April 2017 and January 2019. Upon completion of the Company’s follow-on offering in April 2017, $0.6 million was offset against the proceeds of the offering. The Company incurred $0.1 million and $0.3 million of offering cost during the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018 related to the January 2019 offering.

Property and Equipment, Net

Property and equipment are stated at cost, less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets, which is generally three years for computer software, office computers and system software, five years for system hardware and furniture and equipment, and over the shorter of lease term or useful life of the assets for leasehold improvements. Maintenance and repairs are expensed as incurred. 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 reflected in the Company’s results of operations.

Depreciation expense is computed using the straight-line method over the shorter of the estimated useful lives of the asset or the period of the related lease for leasehold improvements.

Capitalized Software Development Costs

The Company capitalizes the costs of software developed or obtained for internal use in accordance with FASB ASC 350-40, Internal Use Software. Capitalized software development costs consist of costs incurred during the application development stage and include purchased software licenses, implementation costs, consulting costs, and payroll-related costs for projects that qualify for capitalization. These costs relate to major new functionality. All other costs, primarily related to maintenance and minor software fixes, are expensed as incurred.

The Company amortizes the capitalized software development costs on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful life of the software, which is generally three years, beginning when the asset is substantially ready for use. The amortization of capitalized software development costs is reflected in cost of revenue.

For software licenses for on premise usage, software development costs are capitalized in accordance with ASC 985-20, Costs of Software to be Sold, Leased or Marketed. The Company capitalizes software development costs incurred after technological feasibility of the software is established or for development costs that have alternative future uses. Under the Company’s current practice, the technological feasibility of the underlying software is not established until substantially all product development and testing is complete, which generally includes the development of a working model. Software development costs that have been capitalized to date have not been material.

Business Combinations

The results of businesses acquired in a business combination are included in the Company’s consolidated financial statements from the date of acquisition. Purchase accounting results in assets and liabilities of an acquired business being recorded at their estimated fair values on the acquisition date. Any excess consideration over the value of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed is recognized as goodwill.

The Company performs valuations of assets acquired and liabilities assumed on each acquisition accounted for as a business combination, and allocates the purchase price to the tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on its best estimate of fair value. Acquired intangible assets include: tradenames, customer relationships, and developed technology. The Company determines the appropriate useful life of intangible assets by performing an analysis of cash flows based on historical experience of the acquired businesses. Intangible assets are amortized over their estimated useful lives based on the pattern in which the economic benefits associated with the asset are expected to be consumed, which to date has approximated the straight-line method of amortization. The estimated useful lives for tradenames, customer relationships, and technology are generally, one to seven years, five to seven years, and three years, respectively.

Segment Information

The Company's Chief Executive Officer is the chief operating decision maker, who reviews the Company's financial information presented on a consolidated basis for purposes of allocating resources and evaluating the Company's financial performance. Accordingly, the Company has determined that it operates in a single reporting segment.

Long-Lived Assets

The Company evaluates the recoverability of its long-lived assets with finite useful lives for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amounts may not be recoverable. Long-lived assets are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the asset may not be recoverable or that the useful lives of those assets are no longer appropriate. Management considers the following potential indicators of impairment of its long-lived assets (asset group): a substantial decrease in the Company’s stock price, a significant adverse change in the extent or manner in which a long-lived asset (asset group) is being used, a significant adverse change in legal factors or in the business climate that could affect the value of the long-lived asset (asset group), an accumulation of costs significantly in excess of the amount originally expected for the acquisition or construction of a long-lived asset (asset group), and a current expectation that, more likely than not, a long lived asset (asset group) will be sold or otherwise disposed of significantly before the end of its previously estimated useful life. When such events occur, the Company compares the carrying amounts of the assets group to their undiscounted expected future cash flows. If this comparison indicates that there may be an impairment, the amount of the impairment is calculated as the difference between the carrying value and fair value. For the years presented, the Company did not recognize an impairment charge.

Intangible Assets

Intangible assets consist of patents, tradename, customer relationships and acquired technology. The Company records acquired intangible assets at fair value on the date of acquisition. and amortize such assets using the straight-line method over the expected useful life of the asset. The estimated useful life of acquired intangible assets is one to seven years. The Company evaluates the useful lives of these assets on an annual basis and tests for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances occur that could impact the recoverability of these assets in accordance with the long-lived assets policy states above. If the estimate of an intangible asset’s remaining useful life is changed, the Company amortizes the remaining carrying value of the intangible asset prospectively over the revised remaining useful life.

Goodwill

Goodwill represents the excess of the aggregate purchase price paid over the fair value of the net assets acquired in business combinations. Goodwill is not amortized and is tested for impairment at least annually or whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable. Events or changes in circumstances that could trigger an impairment review include a significant adverse change in business climate, an adverse action or assessment by a regulator, unanticipated competition, a loss of key personnel, significant changes in the manner of use of the acquired assets or the strategy for the Company’s overall business, significant negative industry or economic trends, or significant underperformance relative to expected historical or projected future results of operations. The Company has the option to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether the existence of events or circumstances leads to a determination that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value, including goodwill. If, after assessing the totality of events or circumstances, the Company determines that it is not more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, additional impairment testing is not required. The Company tests for goodwill impairment annually on November 30.

The Company performed a qualitative goodwill assessment at November 30, 2019 and concluded there was no impairment based on consideration of a number of factors, including the improvement in the Company’s key operating metrics over the prior year, improvement in the strength of the general economy and the Company’s continued execution against its overall strategic objectives.

Debt Issuance Costs

Debt issuance costs related to convertible senior notes recorded as a reduction of the carrying amount of the debt are amortized to interest expense using the effective interest method.

Revenue Recognition

The Company derives its revenues primarily from subscription services and professional services. The Company adopted the requirements of the ASC 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, as of January 1, 2018. See Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements above.

Under the ASC 606, revenues are recognized when control of services is transferred to the Company’s customers in an amount that reflects the consideration it expects to be entitled to in exchange for those services.

The Company determines revenue recognition through the following steps:

• Identification of the contract, or contracts, with a customer;

• Identification of the performance obligations in the contract;

• Determination of the transaction price;

• Allocation of the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract; and

• Recognition of revenue when, or as, the Company satisfies a performance obligation.

Identify the customer contract

A customer contract is generally identified when the Company and a customer have executed an arrangement that calls for the Company to grant access to its online software products and provide professional services in exchange for consideration from the customer.

Identify performance obligations that are distinct

A performance obligation is a promise to provide a distinct good or service or a series of distinct goods or services. A good or service that is promised to a customer is distinct if the customer can benefit from the good or service either on its own or together with other resources that are readily available to the customer, and a company’s promise to transfer the good or service to the customer is separately identifiable from other promises in the contract. The Company has determined that subscriptions for its online software products are distinct because, once a customer has access to the online software product that it purchased, the online software product is fully functional and does not require any additional development, modification, or customization. Professional services sold are distinct because the customer benefits from the on-boarding and training to make better use of the online software products it purchased.

Determine the transaction price

The transaction price is the amount of consideration to which the Company expects to be entitled in exchange for transferring goods or services to a customer, excluding sales taxes that are collected on behalf of government agencies. The Company estimates any variable consideration to which it will be entitled at contract inception, and reassesses at each reporting date, when determining the transaction price. The Company does not include variable consideration to the extent that it is probable that a significant reversal in the amount of cumulative revenue recognized will occur when any uncertainty associated with the variable consideration is resolved. Variable consideration revenue was not material for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018.

Allocate the transaction price to the distinct performance obligations

The transaction price is allocated to the separate performance obligation on a relative standalone selling prices (“SSP”) basis for those performance obligations with stable observable prices and then the residual method is applied for any performance obligation that has pricing which is highly variable. The Company determines the SSP of its goods and services based upon their average sales price or using other observable inputs, such as similar products or services.

Recognize revenue as the performance obligations are satisfied

Revenues are recognized when or as control of the promised goods or services is transferred to customers. Revenue from subscriptions to the Company’s critical event management and enterprise safety applications is recognized ratably over the subscription period beginning on the date the Company’s online software products are made available to customers. Most subscription contracts are two years or more. The Company recognizes revenue from professional services as the services are provided. 

Disaggregation of Revenue

The Company provides disaggregation of revenue based on geographic region (see Note 15) and based on the subscription versus professional services and other classification on the consolidated statements of operations as it believes this best depict how the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows are affected by economic factors.

Subscription Services Revenues

Subscription services revenues primarily consist of fees that provide customers access to one or more of the Company’s hosted applications for critical event management, with routine customer support. Revenue is generally recognized over time on a ratable basis over the contract term beginning on the date that the Company’s service is made available to the customer. All services are recognized using an output measure of progress looking at time elapsed as the contract generally provides the customer equal benefit throughout the contract period. The Company’s subscription contracts are generally two years or longer in length, billed annually in advance, and non-cancelable.

Professional Services Revenues

Professional services revenues primarily consist of fees for deployment and optimization services, as well as training. The majority of the Company’s consulting contracts revenue is recognized over time as the services are performed. For contracts billed on a fixed price basis, revenue is recognized over time based on the proportion performed.

Software License Revenues

On occasion the Company may sell software and related post contract support for on premise usage as well as professional services which is outside of the Company’s core business. These sales have been to a limited number of customers and is not a significant revenue stream for the Company. The Company’s on premise license transactions are perpetual in nature and are recognized at a point in time when made available to the customer. Significant judgment is required to determine the standalone selling prices for each distinct performance obligation in order to allocate the transaction price for purposes of revenue recognition. Making this judgment of estimating a standalone selling price involves consideration of overall pricing objectives, market conditions and other factors, including the value of our other similar contracts, the applications sold, customer demographics, geographic locations, and the number and types of users within the Company’s contracts. The significant judgment was primarily due to using such considerations to estimate the price that each distinct performance obligation would be sold for on a standalone basis because such performance obligations are typically sold together on a bundled basis. Changes in these estimates of standalone selling prices can have a material effect on the amount of revenue recognized from each distinct performance obligation.

Contracts with Multiple Performance Obligations

Most of the Company’s contracts with customers contain multiple performance obligations. For these contracts, the Company accounts for individual performance obligations separately if they are distinct. The transaction price is allocated to the separate performance obligations on a relative standalone selling price basis for those performance obligations with stable observable prices and then the residual method applied for any performance obligation that has pricing which is highly variable. The Company determines the standalone selling prices based on the Company’s overall pricing objectives, taking into consideration market conditions and other factors, including the value of the Company’s contracts, pricing when certain services are sold on a standalone basis, the applications sold, customer demographics, geographic locations, and the volume of services and users purchased.

Returns

The Company does not offer rights of return for its products and services in the normal course of business. 

Customer Acceptance

The Company’s contracts with customers generally do not include customer acceptance clauses.

Trade and Other Receivables

Trade and other receivables are primarily comprised of trade receivables that are recorded at the invoice amount, net of an allowance for doubtful accounts, which is not material. Other receivables represent unbilled receivables related to subscription and professional services contracts.

Deferred Costs

Sales commissions earned by the Company’s sales force are considered incremental and recoverable costs of obtaining a contract with a customer. Subscription-related commissions costs are deferred and then amortized on a straight-line basis over a period of benefit that the Company has determined to be four years. Sales commissions attributable to professional services are expensed within twelve months of selling the service to the customer. The Company has determined the period of benefit by taking into consideration its customer contracts, its technology and other factors. Sales commissions attributed to renewals are not material and are not commensurate with initial and growth sales. Amortization of deferred commissions is included in sales and marketing expenses in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations.

For periods prior to January 1, 2018, sales commission costs were recorded over a one year period.

Deferred Revenue

Deferred revenue consists of amounts that have been invoiced and for which the Company has the right to bill, but that have not been recognized as revenue because the related goods or services have not been transferred. Deferred revenue that will be realized during the succeeding 12-month period is recorded as current, and the remaining deferred revenue is recorded as non-current.

In instances where the timing of revenue recognition differs from the timing of invoicing, the Company has determined its contracts generally do not include a significant financing component. The primary purpose of the Company’s invoicing terms is to provide customers with simplified and predictable ways of purchasing the Company’s products and services, not to receive financing from its customers or to provide customers with financing. Examples include invoicing at the beginning of a subscription term with revenue recognized ratably over the contract period.

Advertising Expenses

Advertising expenses to promote the Company’s services are expensed as incurred. Advertising expenses included in sales and marketing expense were $1.9 million, $1.4 million and $1.2 million for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

Research and Development

Research and development expenses primarily consist of employee-related costs for research and development staff, including salaries, bonuses, benefits and stock-based compensation and the cost of certain third-party service providers related to the development of the Company’s solutions that do not meet the criteria to be capitalized under ASC 350-40, Internal Use Software or ASC 985-20, Costs of Software to be Sold, Leased or Marketed.

Stock-Based Compensation

Stock-based compensation expense is comprised of stock options, and restricted stock units (“RSUs”), performance-based and market-based RSUs and employee stock purchase plan awards.

Stock-based compensation related to stock options and RSUs is measured at the grant date based on the fair value of the award and is recognized straight-line as expense, net of estimated forfeitures, over the requisite service period, which is generally the vesting period of the respective award. The Company utilizes the Black-Scholes pricing model for determining the estimated fair value of the stock options and employee stock purchase plan awards. The Black-Scholes pricing model requires the use of subjective assumptions including the option’s expected term, the volatility of the underlying stock, the fair value of the stock and the expected forfeiture rate.

In 2017 and 2018, the Company granted market-based RSUs that vest upon satisfaction of certain market-based conditions. These RSUs were valued using the Monte-Carlo simulation model. No market-based RSUs were granted during the year ended December 31, 2019. The Company recognized compensation expense associated with the market-based RSUs over the implied requisite service period subject to acceleration based on meeting the market-based condition.

In 2018 and 2019, the Company granted performance-based RSUs (“PSUs”), that vest upon satisfaction of certain performance-based conditions. Vesting of PSUs is subject to the employee’s continued employment with the Company through the date of achievement. Fair value is based on value of the Company’s common stock at the date of issuance and the probability of achieving the performance metric. The Company has assessed the probability of achievement as highly probable based on past performance of achievement of the performance metric. Compensation cost is recognized under the accelerated method and is adjusted in future periods for subsequent changes in the expected outcome of the performance related conditions.

Income Taxes

The Company accounts for income taxes using the asset and liability method of accounting for income taxes in which deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized as income in the period that includes the enactment date. A valuation allowance is established if it is more likely than not that all or a portion of the deferred tax asset will not be realized.

The calculation of the Company’s tax liabilities involves dealing with uncertainties of the application of complex tax regulations. The Company recognizes liabilities for uncertain tax positions based on a two-step approach. The first step is to evaluate the tax position for recognition by determining if the weight of available evidence indicates it is more likely than not, that the position will be sustained on audit, including resolution of related appeals or litigation processes, if any. The second step is to measure the tax benefit as the largest amount, which is more than 50% likely of being realized upon ultimate settlement. The Company considers many factors when evaluating and estimating its tax positions and tax benefits, which may require periodic adjustments.

Foreign Currency Translation

The functional currency for the Company’s foreign subsidiaries is the local currency. For those subsidiaries, the assets and liabilities are translated into U.S. dollars at the exchange rate method at the balance sheet date. Income and expenses are translated at the average exchange rates for the period. Foreign currency exchange gain and losses are recorded in other expenses.

Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)

For all periods presented, the Company’s other comprehensive income (loss) is comprised of foreign currency translation adjustments related to the Company’s foreign subsidiaries.

Net Loss Per Share Attributable to Common Stockholders

Basic net loss per share attributable to common stockholders is computed by dividing the Company’s net loss attributable to common stockholders by the weighted-average number of common shares used in the loss per share calculation during the period. Diluted net loss per share attributable to common stockholders is computed by giving effect to all potentially dilutive securities, including stock options and restricted stock awards. Basic and diluted net loss per share attributable to common stockholders was the same for all periods presented as the inclusion of all potentially dilutive securities outstanding was anti-dilutive.