Description of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2015

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Basis of Presentation

Basis of Presentation—The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and these notes have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") and in accordance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ("GAAP") with the effect of inter-company balances and transactions eliminated. Certain information and note disclosures normally included in annual financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP and SEC rules have been condensed or omitted as permitted by and pursuant to those rules and regulations, although the Company believes that the disclosures made are adequate to make the information not misleading. These unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements contain adjustments (consisting only of normal recurring items) necessary to fairly present the consolidated financial position of the Company and its consolidated results of operations and cash flows. Operating results for the nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for future quarters or the full year of 2015. The condensed consolidated December 31, 2014 balance sheet included in this interim period filing has been derived from the audited financial statements at that date but does not necessarily include all of the information and related notes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. These condensed interim financial statements should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

Fair Value of Financial Instrument—The Company follows the relevant GAAP guidance concerning fair value measurements which provides a consistent framework to define, measure, and disclose the fair value of assets and liabilities in financial statements. 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. This guidance establishes a three-level hierarchy priority for disclosure of assets and liabilities recorded at fair value. The ordering of priority reflects the degree to which objective data from external active markets are available to measure fair value. The classification of assets and liabilities within the hierarchy is based on whether the inputs to the valuation methodology used for measurement are observable or unobservable.

• Level 1 Inputs - Unadjusted quoted prices available in active markets for identical investments to the reporting entity at the measurement date

• Level 2 Inputs - Other than quoted prices included in Level 1 inputs that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly, for substantially the full term of the asset or liability.

• Level 3 Inputs - Unobservable inputs, which are used to the extent that observable inputs are not available, and used in situations where there is little or no market activity for the asset or liability and wherein the reporting entity makes estimates and assumptions related to the pricing of the asset or liability including assumptions regarding risk.

     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.

As of September 30, 2015 the Company had the following financial instruments to which it had to consider fair values and had to make fair assessments:

• Short-term investments for which the fair values are measured as a Level 1 instrument.

• Contingent accrued earn-out business acquisition consideration liabilities for which fair values are measured as Level 3 instruments. These contingent consideration liabilities were recorded at fair value on the acquisition date and are remeasured quarterly based on the then assessed fair value and adjusted if necessary. The increases or decreases in the fair value of contingent consideration payable can result from changes in anticipated revenue levels and changes in assumed discount periods and rates. As the fair value measure is based on significant inputs that are not observable in the market, they are categorized as Level 3.

Revenue Recognition

Revenue Recognition—The Company derives its revenues primarily from subscription and transaction fees pertaining to services delivered over our exchanges or from our ASP platforms, fees for risk compliance solution services, and fees for software development projects including associated fees for consulting, implementation, training, and project management provided to customers with installed systems and applications. Sales and value-added taxes are not included in revenues, but rather are recorded as a liability until the taxes assessed are remitted to the respective taxing authorities.

In accordance with Financial Accounting Standard Board (“FASB”) and SEC accounting guidance on revenue recognition, the Company considers revenue earned and realizable when: (a) persuasive evidence of the sales arrangement exists, provided that the arrangement fee is fixed or determinable, (b) delivery or performance has occurred, (c) customer acceptance has been received or is assured, if contractually required, and (d) collectability of the arrangement fee is probable. The Company uses signed contractual agreements as persuasive evidence of a sales arrangement. We apply the provisions of the relevant generally accepted accounting principles related to all transactions involving the license of software where the software deliverables are considered more than inconsequential to the other elements in the arrangement.

For contracts that contain multiple deliverables, we analyze the revenue arrangements in accordance with the relevant technical accounting guidance, which provides criteria governing how to determine whether goods or services that are delivered separately in a bundled sales arrangement should be considered as separate units of accounting for the purpose of revenue recognition. These types of arrangements include deliverables pertaining to software licenses, system set-up, and professional services associated with product customization or modification. Delivery of the various contractual elements typically occurs over periods of less than eighteen months. These arrangements generally do not have refund provisions or have very limited refund terms.

Software development arrangements involving significant customization, modification or production are accounted for in accordance with the appropriate technical accounting guidance issued by FASB using the percentage-of-completion method. The Company recognizes revenue using periodic reported actual hours worked as a percentage of total expected hours required to complete the project arrangement and applies the percentage to the total arrangement fee.

Goodwill and Other Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets

Goodwill and Other Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets—Goodwill represents the cost in excess of the fair value of the net assets of acquired businesses. Indefinite-lived intangible assets represent the fair value of certain acquired contractual customer relationships for which future cash flows are expected to continue indefinitely. In accordance with the relevant FASB accounting guidance, goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets are not amortized but are tested for impairment at the reporting unit level on an annual basis or on an interim basis if an event occurs or circumstances change that would likely have reduced the fair value of a reporting unit below its carrying value. Potential impairment indicators include a significant change in the business climate, legal factors, operating performance indicators, competition, and the sale or disposition of a significant portion of the business. The impairment evaluation process involves an assessment of certain qualitative factors to determine whether the existence of events or circumstances would indicate that it is more likely than not that the fair value of any of our reporting units was less than its carrying amount. If after assessing the totality of events or circumstances, we were to determine that it is not more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, then the Company would not perform the two-step quantitative impairment testing described further below.

The aforementioned two-step quantitative testing process involves comparing the reporting unit carrying values to their respective fair values; we determine fair value of our reporting units by applying the discounted cash flow method using the present value of future estimated net cash flows. If the fair value of a reporting unit exceeds its carrying value, then no further testing is required. However, if a reporting unit's fair value were to be less than its carrying value, we would then determine the amount of the impairment charge, if any, which would be the amount that the carrying value of the reporting unit's goodwill exceeded its implied value. Projections of cash flows are based on our views of growth rates, operating costs, anticipated future economic conditions and the appropriate discount rates relative to risk and estimates of residual values. We believe that our estimates are consistent with assumptions that marketplace participants would use in their estimates of fair value. The use of different estimates or assumptions for our projected discounted cash flows (e.g., growth rates, future economic conditions, discount rates and estimates of terminal values) when determining the fair value of our reporting units could result in different values and may result in a goodwill impairment charge. We perform our annual goodwill impairment evaluation and testing as of September 30th of each year. This evaluation is done during the fourth quarter each year. During the year ended December 31, 2014 we had no impairment of our reporting unit goodwill balances.

Finite-lived Intangible Assets

Finite-lived Intangible Assets—Purchased intangible assets represent the estimated acquisition date fair value of customer relationships, developed technology, trademarks and non-compete agreements obtained in connection with the businesses we acquire. We amortize these intangible assets on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful lives, as follows:

Category	Life (yrs)
Customer relationships	7–20
Developed technology	3–12
Trademarks	3–15
Non-compete agreements	5
Database	10

Foreign Currency Translation

Foreign Currency Translation—The functional currency for the Company's foreign subsidiaries in India and Singapore is the U.S. dollar because the intellectual property research and development activities provided by its Singapore subsidiary, and the product development and information technology enabled services activities for the insurance industry provided by its India subsidiary, both in support of Ebix's operating divisions across the world, are transacted in U.S. dollars.

The functional currency of the Company's other foreign subsidiaries is the local currency of the country in which the subsidiary operates. The assets and liabilities of these foreign subsidiaries are translated into U.S. dollars at the rates of exchange at the balance sheet dates. Income and expense accounts are translated at the average exchange rates in effect during the period. Gains and losses resulting from translation adjustments are included as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets, and are included in the condensed consolidated statements of comprehensive income. Foreign exchange transaction gains and losses that are derived from transactions denominated in a currency other than the subsidiary's functional currency are included in the determination of net income.

Income Taxes

Income Taxes—Deferred income taxes are recorded to reflect the estimated future tax effects of differences between the financial statement and tax basis of assets, liabilities, operating losses, and tax credit carry forwards using the tax rates expected to be in effect when the temporary differences reverse. Valuation allowances, if any, are recorded to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount management considers more likely than not to be realized. Such valuation allowances are recorded for the portion of the deferred tax assets that are not expected to be realized based on the levels of historical taxable income and projections for future taxable income over the periods in which the temporary differences will be deductible.

The Company also applies FASB accounting guidance on accounting for uncertainty in income taxes positions. This guidance clarifies the accounting for uncertainty in income taxes by prescribing the minimum recognition threshold a tax position is required to meet before being recognized in the financial statements. In this regard we recognize the tax benefit from uncertain tax positions only if it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained on examination by the taxing authorities, based on the technical merits of the position.

Recent Relevant Accounting Pronouncements

Recent Relevant Accounting Pronouncements—The following is a brief discussion of recently released accounting pronouncements that are pertinent to the Company's business:

In September 2015 the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2015-16, Business Combinations (Topic 805): Simplifying the Accounting for Measurement-Period Adjustments. This pronouncement simplifies the accounting for adjustments made to provisional amounts recognized in a business combination, the amendments eliminate the requirement to retrospectively account for those adjustments.

U.S. GAAP currently requires that during the measurement period, the acquirer retrospectively adjust the provisional amounts recognized at the acquisition date with a corresponding adjustment to goodwill. Those adjustments are required when new information is obtained about facts and circumstances that existed as of the acquisition date that, if known, would have affected the measurement of the amounts initially recognized or would have resulted in the recognition of additional assets or liabilities. The acquirer also must revise comparative information for prior periods presented in financial statements as needed, including revising depreciation, amortization, or other income effects as a result of changes made to provisional amounts.

The amendments require that an acquirer recognize adjustments to provisional amounts that are identified during the measurement period in the reporting period in which the adjustment amounts are determined. The amendments require that the acquirer record and disclose, in the same period’s financial statements, the effect on earnings of changes in depreciation, amortization, or other income effects, if any, as a result of the change to the provisional amounts, calculated as if the accounting had been completed at the acquisition date. The amendments require an entity to present separately on the face of the income statement or disclose in the notes the portion of the amount recorded in current-period earnings by line item that would have been recorded in previous reporting periods if the adjustment to the provisional amounts had been recognized as of the acquisition date.

For public business entities, the amendments are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015, including interim periods within those fiscal years. The amendments should be applied prospectively to adjustments to provisional amounts that occur after the effective date with earlier application permitted for financial statements that have not been issued. The only disclosures required at transition should be the nature of and reason for the change in accounting principle. An entity should disclose that information in the first annual period of adoption and in the interim periods within the first annual period if there is a measurement-period adjustment during the first annual period in which the changes are effective. The Company adopted this ASU during the third quarter of 2015 and its adoption did not have a material impact on its financial statements.

In November 2014 the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2014-17 "Business Combinations Pushdown Accounting (a consensus of the FASB Emerging Issues Task Force). The amendments in this ASU apply to the separate financial statements of an acquired entity and its subsidiaries that are a business (either public or nonpublic) upon the occurrence of an event in which an acquirer (an individual or an entity) obtains control of the acquired entity. The amendments in this ASU provide an acquired entity with an option to apply pushdown accounting in its separate financial statements upon occurrence of an event in which an acquirer obtains control of the acquired entity. An acquired entity may elect the option to apply pushdown accounting in the reporting period in which the change-in-control event occurs. If pushdown accounting is not applied in the reporting period in which the change-in-control event occurs, an acquired entity will have the option to elect to apply pushdown accounting in a subsequent reporting period to the acquired entity’s most recent change-in-control event. An election to apply pushdown accounting in a reporting period after the reporting period in which the change-in-control event occurred should be considered a change in accounting principle. If pushdown accounting is applied to an individual change-in-control event, that election is irrevocable. If an acquired entity elects the option to apply pushdown accounting in its separate financial statements, it should disclose information in the current reporting period that enables users of financial statements to evaluate the effect of pushdown accounting. The amendments in this ASU were effective on November 18, 2014. After the effective date, an acquired entity can make an election to apply the guidance to future change-in-control events or to its most recent change-in-control event. The Company has adopted this ASU and its adoption has not had a material impact on its financial statements.

In May 2014 the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers". ASU 2014-09 affects any entity using U.S. GAAP that either enters into contracts with customers to transfer goods or services or enters into contracts for the transfer of nonfinancial assets unless those contracts are within the scope of other standards (e.g., insurance contracts or lease contracts). This ASU will supersede the revenue recognition requirements in Topic 605, Revenue Recognition, and most industry-specific guidance. This ASU also supersedes some cost guidance included in Subtopic 605-35, Revenue Recognition—Construction-Type and Production-Type Contracts. In addition, the existing requirements for the recognition of a gain or loss on the transfer of nonfinancial assets that are not in a contract with a customer (e.g., assets within the scope of Topic 360, Property, Plant, and Equipment, and intangible assets within the scope of Topic 350, Intangibles—Goodwill and Other) are amended to be consistent with the guidance on recognition and measurement (including the constraint on revenue) in this ASU.

The core principle of the guidance is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. To achieve that core principle, an entity should apply the following steps:

Step 1: Identify the contract(s) with a customer.

Step 2: Identify the performance obligations in the contract.

Step 3: Determine the transaction price.

Step 4: Allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract.

Step 5: Recognize revenue when (or as) the entity satisfies a performance obligation.

For a public entity, the amendments in this ASU are effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within that reporting period. Early application is not permitted.

An entity should apply the amendments in this ASU using one of the following two methods:

1. Retrospectively to each prior reporting period presented and the entity may elect any of the following practical expedients:

• For completed contracts, an entity need not restate contracts that begin and end within the same annual reporting period.

• For completed contracts that have variable consideration, an entity may use the transaction price at the date the contract was completed rather than estimating variable consideration amounts in the comparative reporting periods.

• For all reporting periods presented before the date of initial application, an entity need not disclose the amount of the transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations and an explanation of when the entity expects to recognize that amount as revenue.

2. Retrospectively with the cumulative effect of initially applying this ASU recognized at the date of initial application. If an entity elects this transition method it also should provide the additional disclosures in reporting periods that include the date of initial application of:

• The amount by which each financial statement line item is affected in the current reporting period by the application of this ASU as compared to the guidance that was in effect before the change.

• An explanation of the reasons for significant changes.

Subsequently in August 2015 the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-14 "Revenue from Contracts with Customers: Deferral of Effective Date", to defer the effective date of ASU No. 2014-09 for all entities by one year. Accordingly public business entities should apply the guidance of ASU No. 2014-09 to annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim reporting periods within that annual reporting period.

Although early adoption is allowed, the Company plans to adopt this new accounting standard on its newly revised effective date of January 1, 2018, but it has not presently determined the impact that the adoption of ASU No. 2014-09 will have on its income statement, balance sheet, or statement of cash flows. Furthermore, the Company has not yet determined the method of retrospective adoption it will use as described in first and second paragraphs immediately above.