Business Overview	6 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2020
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Business Overview	Note 1. Business Overview History On October 1, 2019, (the “Distribution Date”), Nuance Communications (“Nuance”), a leading provider of speech and language solutions for businesses and consumers around the world, completed the complete legal and structural separation and distribution to its stockholders of all of the outstanding shares of our common stock, and its consolidated subsidiaries, in a tax free spin-off (which we refer to as the “Spin-Off”). The distribution was made in the amount of one share of our common stock for every eight shares of Nuance common stock (which we refer to as the “Distribution”) owned by Nuance’s stockholders as of 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on September 17, 2019, the record date of the Distribution. In connection with the Distribution, on September 30, 2019, we filed an Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, or the Charter, with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware, which became effective on October 1, 2019. Our Amended and Restated By-laws also became effective on October 1, 2019. On October 2, 2019, our common stock began regular-way trading on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the ticker symbol CRNC. Business Cerence Inc. (referred to in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q as “we,” “our,” “us,” “ourselves,” the “Company” or “Cerence”) is a global, premier provider of AI-powered assistants and innovations for connected and autonomous vehicles. Our customers include all major automobile original equipment manufacturers, or OEMs, or their tier 1 suppliers worldwide. We deliver our solutions on a white-label basis, enabling our customers to deliver customized virtual assistants with unique, branded personalities and ultimately strengthening the bond between automobile brands and end users. We generate revenue primarily by selling software licenses and cloud-connected services. In addition, we generate professional services revenue from our work with OEMs and suppliers during the design, development and deployment phases of the vehicle model lifecycle and through maintenance and enhancement projects. COVID-19 Update In December 2019, a novel strain of coronavirus, now known as COVID-19 (“COVID-19”), was reported in Wuhan, China and has since extensively impacted the global health and economic environment. In January 2020, the World Health Organization (“WHO”) declared it a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. On February 28, 2020, the WHO raised its assessment of the COVID-19 threat from high to very high at a global level due to the continued increase in the number of cases and affected countries, and on March 11, 2020, the WHO characterized COVID-19 as a pandemic. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, local, state, and national governments have responded to the spread of COVID-19 by implementing various forms of social distancing and shelter-in-place orders to citizens, which have limited economic activity. These extreme measures to slow the spread of COVID-19 have negatively impacted businesses of all sizes, including the automotive industry and its suppliers. For the foreseeable future, automobile production and shipments have ceased or automotive production is not working at full capacity as manufacturing plants have closed or are not fully operating in order to ensure the safety of their workforces or because of lack of demand. As automobile production continues to be delayed, we anticipate our billings and revenues recognized from license and connected services to be negatively impacted. Due to the macroeconomic conditions driven by the COVID-19 pandemic and the anticipated negative impact on our license and connected services revenues, we concluded that indicators of impairment were present relating to goodwill and long-lived assets as of March 31, 2020. We performed an interim assessment of goodwill and concluded that no impairment existed as the fair value of our reporting unit exceeded its carrying value as of March 31, 2020. We performed a test for recoverability of our long-lived asset group and determined the carrying amount was recoverable, resulting in no impairment of our long-lived asset group as of March 31, 2020. See Note 5 for additional details. The full extent to which the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic adversely affects our financial performance will depend on future developments, many of which are outside of our control, are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, including, but not limited to, the duration and spread of the pandemic, its severity, the effectiveness of actions to contain the virus or treat its impact and how quickly and to what extent normal economic and operating conditions can resume. The COVID-19 pandemic could also result in additional governmental restrictions and regulations, which could adversely affect our business and financial results. In addition, a recession, depression or other sustained adverse market impact resulting from COVID-19 could materially and adversely affect our business, our access to needed capital and liquidity, and the value of our common stock. Even after the COVID-19 pandemic has lessened or subsided, we may continue to experience adverse impacts on our business and financial performance as a result of its global economic impact. Subsequent Events On April 8, 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we committed to a cost efficiency program that encompassed a series of measures primarily intended to allow us to more efficiently operate in a leaner, more directed cost structure. These included reductions in our workforce related to the transfer of certain business processes to lower cost regions. As a result, we involuntarily terminated approximately 75 employees and anticipate recording approximately $2.6 million in restructuring charges related to employee severance during the second half of fiscal 2020.

Business Overview

6 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2020

Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Note 1. Business Overview

History

On October 1, 2019, (the “Distribution Date”), Nuance Communications (“Nuance”), a leading provider of speech and language solutions for businesses and consumers around the world, completed the complete legal and structural separation and distribution to its stockholders of all of the outstanding shares of our common stock, and its consolidated subsidiaries, in a tax free spin-off (which we refer to as the “Spin-Off”). The distribution was made in the amount of one share of our common stock for every eight shares of Nuance common stock (which we refer to as the “Distribution”) owned by Nuance’s stockholders as of 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on September 17, 2019, the record date of the Distribution.

In connection with the Distribution, on September 30, 2019, we filed an Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, or the Charter, with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware, which became effective on October 1, 2019. Our Amended and Restated By-laws also became effective on October 1, 2019. On October 2, 2019, our common stock began regular-way trading on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the ticker symbol CRNC.

Business

Cerence Inc. (referred to in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q as “we,” “our,” “us,” “ourselves,” the “Company” or “Cerence”) is a global, premier provider of AI-powered assistants and innovations for connected and autonomous vehicles. Our customers include all major automobile original equipment manufacturers, or OEMs, or their tier 1 suppliers worldwide. We deliver our solutions on a white-label basis, enabling our customers to deliver customized virtual assistants with unique, branded personalities and ultimately strengthening the bond between automobile brands and end users. We generate revenue primarily by selling software licenses and cloud-connected services. In addition, we generate professional services revenue from our work with OEMs and suppliers during the design, development and deployment phases of the vehicle model lifecycle and through maintenance and enhancement projects.

COVID-19 Update

In December 2019, a novel strain of coronavirus, now known as COVID-19 (“COVID-19”), was reported in Wuhan, China and has since extensively impacted the global health and economic environment. In January 2020, the World Health Organization (“WHO”) declared it a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. On February 28, 2020, the WHO raised its assessment of the COVID-19 threat from high to very high at a global level due to the continued increase in the number of cases and affected countries, and on March 11, 2020, the WHO characterized COVID-19 as a pandemic.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, local, state, and national governments have responded to the spread of COVID-19 by implementing various forms of social distancing and shelter-in-place orders to citizens, which have limited economic activity. These extreme measures to slow the spread of COVID-19 have negatively impacted businesses of all sizes, including the automotive industry and its suppliers. For the foreseeable future, automobile production and shipments have ceased or automotive production is not working at full capacity as manufacturing plants have closed or are not fully operating in order to ensure the safety of their workforces or because of lack of demand. As automobile production continues to be delayed, we anticipate our billings and revenues recognized from license and connected services to be negatively impacted.

Due to the macroeconomic conditions driven by the COVID-19 pandemic and the anticipated negative impact on our license and connected services revenues, we concluded that indicators of impairment were present relating to goodwill and long-lived assets as of March 31, 2020. We performed an interim assessment of goodwill and concluded that no impairment existed as the fair value of our reporting unit exceeded its carrying value as of March 31, 2020. We performed a test for recoverability of our long-lived asset group and determined the carrying amount was recoverable, resulting in no impairment of our long-lived asset group as of March 31, 2020. See Note 5 for additional details.

The full extent to which the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic adversely affects our financial performance will depend on future developments, many of which are outside of our control, are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, including, but not limited to, the duration and spread of the pandemic, its severity, the effectiveness of actions to contain the virus or treat its impact and how quickly and to what extent normal economic and operating conditions can resume. The COVID-19 pandemic could also result in additional governmental restrictions and regulations, which could adversely affect our business and financial results. In addition, a recession, depression or other sustained adverse market impact resulting from COVID-19 could materially and adversely affect our business, our access to needed capital and liquidity, and the value of our common stock. Even after the COVID-19 pandemic has lessened or subsided, we may continue to experience adverse impacts on our business and financial performance as a result of its global economic impact.

Subsequent Events

On April 8, 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we committed to a cost efficiency program that encompassed a series of measures primarily intended to allow us to more efficiently operate in a leaner, more directed cost structure. These included reductions in our workforce related to the transfer of certain business processes to lower cost regions. As a result, we involuntarily terminated approximately 75 employees and anticipate recording approximately $2.6 million in restructuring charges related to employee severance during the second half of fiscal 2020.