Acquisitions	12 Months Ended
Jan. 31, 2012
Acquisitions [Abstract]
Acquisitions	NOTE 5 — ACQUISITIONS Acquisition of Triade Holding B.V. ("Triade") On October 1, 2010, the Company completed the acquisition of all of the outstanding shares of Triade, a privately-held portfolio of leading value-added distributors of consumer electronics and information technology products in the Benelux region, Denmark and Norway, for a purchase price of $58.5 million, of which $57.2 million was paid in cash (based on the foreign currency exchange rate on the date of acquisition). The Company believes the acquisition of Triade strengthens the Company's presence in these countries and has enabled the Company to accelerate its diversification strategy into the consumer electronics business in Europe, while leveraging the Company's existing infrastructure. The Company has accounted for the Triade acquisition as a business combination and the purchase price was assigned to the assets acquired, including cash of $1.1 million, accounts receivable, inventory and certain other tangible assets totaling $181.3 million, and liabilities assumed totaling $185.2 million, at their estimated fair value as of the acquisition date. The allocation of identifiable intangible assets and goodwill, based on foreign currency exchange rates on the date of acquisition, includes $25.5 million for customer and vendor relationships with estimated useful lives of seven years, $1.9 million for trademarks with an estimated useful life of 10 years and $33.9 million of goodwill, none of which are deductible for tax purposes. Acquisition of Mobile Communication Company B.V. and Mobile Communications Company Belgium N.V. (collectively "MCC") In a transaction related to the discussion above, on October 1, 2010, Brightstar Europe Limited ("BEL"), a consolidated joint venture between the Company and Brightstar Corp. ("Brightstar") completed the acquisition of all of the outstanding shares of certain of Triade's mobility subsidiaries in Belgium and the Netherlands ("MCC") for a purchase price of $58.8 million, of which $57.8 million was paid in cash (based on the foreign currency exchange rates on the date of acquisition). The Company and Brightstar each contributed 50% of the purchase price to BEL to fund the acquisition. Brightstar's funding was comprised of a capital contribution and a loan to BEL. The Company believes BEL's acquisition of MCC has significantly extended BEL's mobility operations in Europe. BEL's acquisition of MCC and the related financing was a reconsideration event under the variable interest entity ("VIE") accounting standards. Based on the final structure of BEL and related analysis of the MCC acquisition, the Company concluded that the joint venture continued to be a VIE and the results of BEL (including MCC) will continue to be consolidated in the Company's financial statements. The portion of the joint venture not owned by the Company will continue to be recognized as a noncontrolling interest in the Company's consolidated financial statements. The Company has accounted for the MCC acquisition as a business combination and the purchase price has been assigned to the assets acquired, including cash of $1.9 million, accounts receivable, inventory and certain other assets totaling $116.1 million, and liabilities assumed totaling $84.3 million, at their estimated fair value as of the acquisition date. The allocation of identifiable intangible assets and goodwill, based on foreign currency exchange rates on the date of the acquisition, includes $14.8 million for customer and vendor relationships with estimated useful lives of seven years and $10.3 million of goodwill, none of which are deductible for tax purposes. Other Acquisitions During fiscal 2012, the Company made two business acquisitions in the European technology distribution marketplace comprised of the distribution business of Mensch und Maschine Software SE, a leading value-added distributor in the design software market in several European countries and an additional value-added specialty software distributor in Belgium. These acquisitions, while not material to the Company's consolidated financial results, strengthen the Company's position as Autodesk, Inc.'s leading value-added distributor by establishing a presence in Benelux and Romania, extending the Company's product portfolio to include the Autodesk, Inc. software for the manufacturing industry in Italy, France, UK and Poland and adding a number of highly skilled and qualified professionals, while leveraging the Company's existing logistics infrastructure in Europe. In addition to the Triade and MCC acquisitions in fiscal 2011, the Company completed four other acquisitions in Europe that further strengthened the Company's European enterprise, broadline and mobility businesses. The aggregate purchase price for these acquisitions was $36.4 million, of which $29.0 million was paid in cash (based on the foreign currency exchange rate on the date of acquisition). The acquisitions have been accounted for as business combinations and the total purchase price of the acquisitions has been assigned to the assets acquired, including accounts receivable, inventory and certain other assets totaling $24.4 million and liabilities assumed totaling $13.9 million, at their estimated fair value as of the acquisition dates. The allocation of the identifiable intangible assets includes $13.3 million for customer and vendor relationships with estimated useful lives of five years, $5.4 million for a noncompete agreement with an estimated useful life of four years, and $7.2 million of goodwill, none of which are deductible for tax purposes. Proforma Financial Information Proforma information for the Company's acquisitions during fiscal 2012, 2011 and 2010 has not been presented as these acquisitions were not material, either individually or in the aggregate, to the Company's consolidated financial position or results of operations.

NOTE 5 — ACQUISITIONS

Acquisition of Triade Holding B.V. ("Triade")

On October 1, 2010, the Company completed the acquisition of all of the outstanding shares of Triade, a privately-held portfolio of leading value-added distributors of consumer electronics and information technology products in the Benelux region, Denmark and Norway, for a purchase price of $58.5 million, of which $57.2 million was paid in cash (based on the foreign currency exchange rate on the date of acquisition). The Company believes the acquisition of Triade strengthens the Company's presence in these countries and has enabled the Company to accelerate its diversification strategy into the consumer electronics business in Europe, while leveraging the Company's existing infrastructure.

The Company has accounted for the Triade acquisition as a business combination and the purchase price was assigned to the assets acquired, including cash of $1.1 million, accounts receivable, inventory and certain other tangible assets totaling $181.3 million, and liabilities assumed totaling $185.2 million, at their estimated fair value as of the acquisition date. The allocation of identifiable intangible assets and goodwill, based on foreign currency exchange rates on the date of acquisition, includes $25.5 million for customer and vendor relationships with estimated useful lives of seven years, $1.9 million for trademarks with an estimated useful life of 10 years and $33.9 million of goodwill, none of which are deductible for tax purposes.

Acquisition of Mobile Communication Company B.V. and Mobile Communications Company Belgium N.V. (collectively "MCC")

In a transaction related to the discussion above, on October 1, 2010, Brightstar Europe Limited ("BEL"), a consolidated joint venture between the Company and Brightstar Corp. ("Brightstar") completed the acquisition of all of the outstanding shares of certain of Triade's mobility subsidiaries in Belgium and the Netherlands ("MCC") for a purchase price of $58.8 million, of which $57.8 million was paid in cash (based on the foreign currency exchange rates on the date of acquisition). The Company and Brightstar each contributed 50% of the purchase price to BEL to fund the acquisition. Brightstar's funding was comprised of a capital contribution and a loan to BEL. The Company believes BEL's acquisition of MCC has significantly extended BEL's mobility operations in Europe.

BEL's acquisition of MCC and the related financing was a reconsideration event under the variable interest entity ("VIE") accounting standards. Based on the final structure of BEL and related analysis of the MCC acquisition, the Company concluded that the joint venture continued to be a VIE and the results of BEL (including MCC) will continue to be consolidated in the Company's financial statements. The portion of the joint venture not owned by the Company will continue to be recognized as a noncontrolling interest in the Company's consolidated financial statements.

The Company has accounted for the MCC acquisition as a business combination and the purchase price has been assigned to the assets acquired, including cash of $1.9 million, accounts receivable, inventory and certain other assets totaling $116.1 million, and liabilities assumed totaling $84.3 million, at their estimated fair value as of the acquisition date. The allocation of identifiable intangible assets and goodwill, based on foreign currency exchange rates on the date of the acquisition, includes $14.8 million for customer and vendor relationships with estimated useful lives of seven years and $10.3 million of goodwill, none of which are deductible for tax purposes.

Other Acquisitions

During fiscal 2012, the Company made two business acquisitions in the European technology distribution marketplace comprised of the distribution business of Mensch und Maschine Software SE, a leading value-added distributor in the design software market in several European countries and an additional value-added specialty software distributor in Belgium. These acquisitions, while not material to the Company's consolidated financial results, strengthen the Company's position as Autodesk, Inc.'s leading value-added distributor by establishing a presence in Benelux and Romania, extending the Company's product portfolio to include the Autodesk, Inc. software for the manufacturing industry in Italy, France, UK and Poland and adding a number of highly skilled and qualified professionals, while leveraging the Company's existing logistics infrastructure in Europe.

In addition to the Triade and MCC acquisitions in fiscal 2011, the Company completed four other acquisitions in Europe that further strengthened the Company's European enterprise, broadline and mobility businesses. The aggregate purchase price for these acquisitions was $36.4 million, of which $29.0 million was paid in cash (based on the foreign currency exchange rate on the date of acquisition). The acquisitions have been accounted for as business combinations and the total purchase price of the acquisitions has been assigned to the assets acquired, including accounts receivable, inventory and certain other assets totaling $24.4 million and liabilities assumed totaling $13.9 million, at their estimated fair value as of the acquisition dates. The allocation of the identifiable intangible assets includes $13.3 million for customer and vendor relationships with estimated useful lives of five years, $5.4 million for a noncompete agreement with an estimated useful life of four years, and $7.2 million of goodwill, none of which are deductible for tax purposes.

Proforma Financial Information

Proforma information for the Company's acquisitions during fiscal 2012, 2011 and 2010 has not been presented as these acquisitions were not material, either individually or in the aggregate, to the Company's consolidated financial position or results of operations.