Deferred Income on Shipments to Distributors

6 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2012

Deferred Revenue Disclosure [Abstract]

Deferred Income on Shipments to Distributors

Deferred Income on Shipments to Distributors

Included in the caption “Deferred income on shipments to distributors” on the Consolidated Balance Sheets are amounts related to shipments to certain distributors for which revenue is not recognized until our product has been sold by the distributor to an end customer. The components of deferred income on shipments to distributors as of September 30, 2012 and April 1, 2012 are as follows:

	Fiscal Year Ended
(in thousands)	September 30, 2012			April 1, 2012
Gross deferred revenue	$	18,009		$	17,883
Gross deferred costs	(3,056		)	(3,620		)
Deferred income on shipments to distributors	$	14,953		$	14,263

The gross deferred revenue represents the gross value of shipments to distributors at the list price billed to the distributor less any price protection credits provided to them in connection with reductions in list price while the products remain in their inventory.  The amount ultimately recognized as revenue will be lower than this amount as a result of ship from stock pricing credits which are issued in connection with the sell through of our products to end customers. Historically, this amount represents on an average approximately 27% of the list price billed to the customer.  The gross deferred costs represent the standard costs (which approximate actual costs) of products the Company sells to the distributors.  Although we monitor the levels and quality of inventory in the distribution channel, our experience is that products returned from these distributors may be sold to a different distributor or in a different region of the world.  As such, inventory write-downs for products in the distribution channel have not been significant.