The Company and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Estimates (Policies)

3 Months Ended

Oct. 31, 2016

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Guidewire Software, Inc., a Delaware corporation, was incorporated on September 20, 2001. Guidewire Software, Inc., together with its subsidiaries (the “Company”), provides a technology platform which consists of three key elements: core transaction processing, data management and analytics, and digital engagement. It supports core insurance operations, including underwriting and policy administration, claim management and billing, enables new insights into data that can improve business decision making and supports digital sales, service and claims experiences for policyholders, agents, and other key stakeholders. The Company’s customers are primarily insurance carriers for property and casualty insurance.

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes include the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, and reflect all adjustments (all of which are normal and recurring in nature) that, in the opinion of management, are necessary for a fair presentation of the interim periods presented. All inter-company balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. Certain information and note disclosures normally included in annual financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) have been condensed or omitted under the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).

These unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Company’s financial statements and related notes, together with management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations, presented in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2016. There have been no changes in the Company’s significant accounting policies from those that were disclosed in the Company’s consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2016 included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K except for the stock-based compensation policy which has been updated to address awards with market conditions in the first quarter of fiscal 2017.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of the accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions about future events that affect the amounts of assets and liabilities reported, disclosures about contingent assets and liabilities, and reported amounts of revenues and expenses. Significant items subject to such estimates include, but are not limited to, revenue recognition, the useful lives of property and equipment and intangible assets, allowance for doubtful accounts, valuation allowance for deferred tax assets, stock-based compensation, annual bonus attainment, income tax uncertainties, valuation of goodwill and intangible assets, and contingencies. These estimates and assumptions are based on management’s best estimates and judgment. Management regularly evaluates its estimates and assumptions using historical experience and other factors; however, actual results could differ significantly from these estimates.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents are comprised of cash and highly liquid investments with remaining maturities of 90 days or less at the date of purchase. Cash equivalents consist of commercial paper and money market funds.

Investments

Management determines the appropriate classification of investments at the time of purchase based upon management’s intent with regard to such investments. All investments are held as available-for-sale investments.

The Company classifies investments as short-term when they have remaining contractual maturities of one year or less from the balance sheet date, and as long-term when the investments have remaining contractual maturities of more than one year from the balance sheet date. All investments are recorded at fair value with unrealized holding gains and losses included in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss).

Business Combinations

The Company uses its best estimates and assumptions to assign fair value to the tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the acquisition date. Goodwill is calculated as the difference between the acquisition-date fair value of the consideration transferred and the values assigned to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed. The Company’s estimates of fair value are based upon assumptions believed to be reasonable, but which are inherently uncertain and subject to refinement and, as a result, actual results may differ from estimates. During the measurement period, which may be up to one year from the acquisition date, if new information is obtained about facts and circumstances that existed as of the acquisition date, the Company may record adjustments to the fair value of these assets and liabilities, with the corresponding offset to goodwill. Upon the conclusion of the measurement period or final determination of the fair value of assets acquired or liabilities assumed, whichever comes first, any subsequent adjustments are recorded to the Company’s consolidated statements of operations.

Intangible Assets

The Company evaluates its acquired intangible assets for indicators of possible impairment when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of certain assets may not be recoverable. Impairment exists if the carrying amounts of such assets exceed the estimates of future net undiscounted cash flows expected to be generated by such assets. Should impairment exist, the impairment loss would be measured based on the excess carrying value of the assets over the estimated fair value of the assets.

Goodwill Impairment

The Company tests goodwill for impairment annually during the fourth quarter of each fiscal year and in the interim whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable. The Company evaluates qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount as a basis for determining whether it is necessary to perform the two-step goodwill impairment test. In performing the qualitative assessment, the Company considers events and circumstances, including but not limited to, macroeconomic conditions, industry and market considerations, cost factors, overall financial performance, changes in management or key personnel, changes in strategy, changes in customers, changes in the composition or carrying amount of a reporting unit’s net assets and changes in the price of the Company’s common stock. If, after assessing the totality of events or circumstances, the Company determines that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is greater than its carrying amount, then the two-step goodwill impairment test is not performed.

In assessing impairment on the Company’s goodwill, the Company first analyzes qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount as a basis for determining whether it is necessary to perform the two-step goodwill impairment test. The qualitative factors the Company assesses include long-term prospects of its performance, share price trends and market capitalization, and Company specific events. If the Company concludes it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit exceeds its carrying amount, the Company does not need to perform the two-step impairment test. If based on that qualitative assessment, the Company believes it is more likely than not that the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying value, a two-step goodwill impairment test will be performed. The first step measures for impairment by applying fair value-based tests at the reporting unit level. The second step (if necessary) measures the amount of impairment by applying fair value-based tests to the individual assets and liabilities within each reporting unit. Reporting units are determined by the components of operating segments that constitute a business for which (1) discrete financial information is available, (2) segment management regularly reviews the operating results of that component, and (3) whether the component has dissimilar economic characteristics to other components. The Company determined that it was more likely than not that the fair value of its reporting unit exceeded its carrying amount and, as such, the Company did not need to perform the two-step impairment test.

Concentration of Credit Risk

Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist of cash, cash equivalents, investments and accounts receivable. The Company maintains its cash, cash equivalents and investments with high quality financial institutions. The Company is exposed to credit risk for cash held in financial institutions in the event of a default to the extent that such amounts recorded on the balance sheet are in excess of amounts that are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”).

Revenue Recognition

The Company enters into arrangements to deliver multiple products or services (multiple-elements). The Company applies software revenue recognition rules and allocates the total revenues among elements based on vendor-specific objective evidence (“VSOE”) of fair value of each element. The Company recognizes revenue on a net basis excluding indirect taxes, such as sales tax and value added tax collected from customers and remitted to government authorities.

Revenues are derived from three sources:


(i)	License fees related to term (or time-based) licenses, perpetual software licenses, and other software subscription models including those from recently acquired companies;


(ii)	Maintenance fees related to email and phone support, bug fixes and unspecified software updates and upgrades released when, and if, available during the maintenance term; and


(iii)	Services fees from professional services related to the implementation of the Company’s software, reimbursable travel and training.

Revenues are recognized when all of the following criteria are met:


•	Persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists. Evidence of an arrangement consists of a written contract signed by both the customer and management prior to the end of the period.


•	Delivery or performance has occurred. The Company’s software is delivered electronically to the customer. Delivery is considered to have occurred when the Company provides the customer access to the software along with login credentials.

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Fees are fixed or determinable. The Company assesses whether a fee is fixed or determinable at the outset of the arrangement, primarily based on the payment terms associated with the transaction. Fees from term licenses are invoiced in annual or quarterly installments over the term of the agreement beginning on the effective date of the license. A significant majority are invoiced annually. Perpetual license fees are generally due between 30 and 60 days from delivery of software. Generally, the Company offers extended payment terms to its customers for term licenses. As a result, term license fees are not considered to be fixed and determinable until they become due or payment is received.

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Collectability is probable. Collectability is assessed on a customer-by-customer basis, based primarily on creditworthiness as determined by credit checks and analysis, as well as customer payment history. Payment terms generally range from 30 to 90 days from invoice date. If it is determined prior to revenue recognition that collection of an arrangement fee is not probable, revenues are deferred until collection becomes probable or cash is collected, assuming all other revenue recognition criteria are satisfied.

VSOE of fair value does not exist for the Company’s software licenses; therefore, the Company allocates revenues to software licenses using the residual method. Under the residual method, the amount recognized for license fees is the difference between the total fixed and determinable fees and the VSOE of fair value for the undelivered elements under the arrangement.

The VSOE of fair value for elements of an arrangement is based upon the normal pricing and discounting practices for those elements when sold separately. VSOE of fair value for maintenance is established using the stated maintenance renewal rate in the customer’s contract. For term licenses with duration of one year or less, no VSOE of fair value for maintenance exists. VSOE of fair value for services is established if a substantial majority of historical stand-alone selling prices for a service fall within a reasonably narrow price range.

If the undelivered elements are all service elements and VSOE of fair value does not exist for one or more service element, the total arrangement fee is recognized ratably over the longest service period starting at software delivery, assuming all the related services have been made available to the customer.

Substantially all of the Company’s professional services engagements are billed on a time and materials basis. Services are typically not considered to be essential to the functionality of the software and the related revenues and costs are recognized in the period incurred.

In select situations, the Company will contract its professional services on a fixed fee basis. In these situations, if reliable estimates of total project costs are available, the Company recognizes services revenues on a proportional performance basis as the performance obligations are completed by using the ratio of labor hours to date as an input measure compared to total estimated labor hours for the consulting services.

If reliable estimates of total project costs cannot be made, the zero gross margin or the completed contract method is applied to revenues and direct costs. Under the zero gross margin method, revenues recognized are limited to the direct costs incurred for the implementation services. Under the completed contract method, revenues and direct costs are deferred until the project is complete. When the zero gross margin method is applied for lack of reliable project estimates and subsequently project estimates become reliable, the Company switches to the percentage-of-completion method, resulting in a cumulative effect adjustment for deferred license revenues to the extent of progress toward completion, and the related portion of the deferred professional service margin is recognized in full as revenues.

In cases where professional services are deemed to be essential to the functionality of the software, the arrangement is accounted for using contract accounting until the essential services are complete. If reliable estimates of total project costs can be made, the Company applies the percentage-of-completion method whereby percentage toward completion is measured by using the ratio of service billings to date compared to total estimated service billings for the consulting services. Service billings approximate labor hours as an input measure since they are generally billed monthly on a time and material basis. The fees related to the maintenance are recognized over the period the maintenance is provided.

The Company sells some of its products on a subscription or software-as-a-service (“SaaS”) basis, and the related revenues are recognized ratably over the contract term.

Deferred Revenues

As noted above, the Company generally invoices fees for licenses and maintenance to its customers in annual or quarterly installments payable in advance. Deferred revenues represent amounts, which are billed to or collected from creditworthy customers for which one or more of the revenue recognition criteria have not been met. The deferred revenues balance does not represent the total contract value of annual or multi-year, non-cancellable arrangements.

Income Taxes

Income taxes are accounted for under the asset and liability method. Under this method, the Company determines deferred tax assets and liabilities on the basis of the differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities by using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which the difference is expected to reverse. All deferred tax assets and liabilities are classified as non-current. Deferred tax assets related to excess tax benefits are recorded when utilized. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date. A valuation allowance against deferred tax assets is recorded when it is more likely than not that some portion or all of such deferred tax assets will not be realized and is based on the positive and negative evidence about the future including future reversals of existing taxable temporary differences, projected future taxable income, tax-planning strategies, and results of recent operations.

The effective tax rate in any given financial statement period may differ materially from the statutory rate. These differences may be caused by changes in the mix and level of income or losses, changes in the expected outcome of audits, change in tax regulations, or changes in the deferred tax valuation allowance.

The Company records interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits as income tax expense in its condensed consolidated statement of operations.

Stock-Based Compensation

The Company accounts for stock-based compensation using the fair value method, which requires the Company to measure the stock-based compensation based on the grant-date fair value of the awards and recognize the compensation expense over the requisite service period. The Company recognizes compensation expense net of estimated forfeitures. To date, the Company has granted stock options, time-based restricted stock units (“RSUs”), performance-based restricted stock units (“PSUs”), and beginning in the first quarter of fiscal 2017, restricted stock units that may be earned subject to the Company’s total shareholder return ranking relative to the software companies in the S&P Software and Services Select Industry Index for a specified performance period or specified performance periods, time-based, and in select cases, subject to certain performance conditions (“TSR PSUs”).

The fair value of the Company’s RSUs and PSUs equals the market value of the Company’s common stock on the date of grant. These awards are subject to time-based vesting, which generally occurs over a period of four years. The Company recognizes compensation expense for awards which contain only service conditions on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period, which is generally the vesting period of the respective awards. The Company recognizes the compensation cost for awards which contain either performance condition, market conditions, or both using the graded method.

The fair value of the Company’s TSR PSUs are estimated at the grant date using a Monte Carlo simulation method. The assumptions utilized in this simulation require judgments and estimates. Changes in these inputs and assumptions could affect the measurement of the estimated fair value of the related compensation expense. Compensation expense associated with these TSR PSUs will be recognized regardless of whether the market condition is ultimately satisfied, however, the expense will be reversed if a grantee terminates prior to satisfying the requisite service period. For TSR PSUs containing an additional performance condition, a portion of the expense will fluctuate depending on the achievement of the performance conditions. All TSR PSUs will vest at the end of a three-year period.

The fair value of each stock option award is estimated on the grant date using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model and is recognized on a straight-line basis over the applicable service period. The assumptions utilized in the option pricing model are expected term, expected volatility, risk-free interest rate and expected dividend. Each of these assumptions generally requires judgment to determine. Changes in these inputs and assumptions could affect the measurement of the estimated fair value of the related compensation expense.

Recent Accounting Pronouncement

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments

In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU. 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments (ASU 2016-15), which clarifies how companies present and classify certain cash receipts and cash payments in the statement of cash flows. The standard is effective for public business entities for annual reporting years beginning after December 15, 2017, and interim periods within that reporting period. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adopting this new accounting guidance on its consolidated financial statements.

Improvements on Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting

In March 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2016-09, “Improvements on Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting (Topic 718)” (“ASU 2016-09”), which simplifies several aspects of the accounting for employee share-based payment transactions for both public and nonpublic entities, including the accounting for income taxes, forfeitures, and statutory tax withholding requirements, as well as classification in the statement of cash flows. The new standard is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016 and interim periods within those years. Early adoption is permitted. The standard will be effective for the Company beginning August 1, 2017. The Company is currently evaluating the impact to its consolidated financial statements.

Accounting for Leases

In February 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2016-02, “Leases (Topic 842)” (“ASU 2016-02”), which requires lessees to put most leases on their balance sheets but recognize the expenses on their income statements in a manner similar to current practice. ASU 2016-02 states that a lessee would recognize a lease liability for the obligation to make lease payments and a right-to-use asset for the right to use the underlying asset for the lease term. The new standard is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2018 and interim periods within those years. Early adoption is permitted. The standard will be effective for the Company beginning August 1, 2019. The Company is currently evaluating the impact to its consolidated financial statements.

Revenue from Contracts with Customers

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606)”, which provides guidance for revenue recognition. This ASU affects any entity that either enters into contracts with customers to transfer goods or services or enters into contracts for the transfer of non-financial assets. This ASU will supersede the revenue recognition requirements in Topic 605, Revenue Recognition, and most industry-specific guidance. In August 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-14 which deferred the effective date to annual reporting periods and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017. Early adoption is permitted only as of annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim reporting periods within that reporting period.

Subsequently, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-08, Principal Versus Agent Consideration (or Reporting Revenue Gross versus Net) in March 2016, ASU No. 2016-10, Identifying Performance Obligations and Licensing in April 2016, and ASU No. 2016-12, Narrow-Scope Improvements and Practical Expedients in May 2016. These amendments clarified certain aspects of Topic 606 and have the same effective date as ASU 2014-09.

The Company will adopt the guidance on August 1, 2018 and currently intends to select the cumulative effect transition method. In evaluating the potential impacts that this guidance will have on its revenue recognition practices, the Company has begun to revise its contracting practices primarily by shortening the initial non-refundable term of its licenses. The Company continues to evaluate the other potential impacts that this guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements.