Accounting Policies (Policy)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 29, 2017

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Estimates are used for allowances for doubtful accounts, sales returns reserve, allowances for inventory valuation, warranty costs, investments, goodwill impairment, intangibles impairment, purchased intangibles, stock-based compensation, and income taxes among others. Management bases its estimates on historical experience and various other assumptions believed to be reasonable. Although these estimates are based on management’s best knowledge of current events and actions that may impact the company in the future, actual results may differ materially from management’s estimates.

Basis Of Presentation

Basis of Presentation

The Company has a 52-53 week fiscal year, ending on the Friday nearest to December 31. Fiscal 2017, 2016 and 2015 were all 52-week years, and ended on December 29, 2017, December 30, 2016 and January 1, 2016, respectively. Unless otherwise stated, all dates refer to the Company’s fiscal year.

These consolidated financial statements include the results of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries. Inter-company accounts and transactions have been eliminated. Noncontrolling interests represent the noncontrolling stockholders’ proportionate share of the net assets and results of operations of the Company’s consolidated subsidiaries.

The Company has presented revenue and cost of sales separately for products, service and subscriptions. Product revenue includes hardware, software licenses, parts and accessories; service revenue includes maintenance and support for hardware and software products, training and professional services; subscription revenue includes software as a service ("SaaS").

Certain immaterial amounts from prior periods have been reclassified to conform to the current period presentation, including certain line items within the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows, due to the adoption of accounting for certain aspects of the share-based payments awards, including the accounting for income taxes, forfeitures, and statutory tax withholding requirements.

Reportable Segments

In March 2017, the Company effected a change in its financial reporting segments to better reflect the Company’s customer base and end markets. Over time, the Company has experienced growth both organically and through strategic business acquisitions, resulting in an increasingly diversified business model. As a result of the Company’s evolution, Trimble’s chief operating decision maker (its Chief Executive Officer) changed the information he regularly reviews to allocate resources and assess performance. Beginning with the first quarter of fiscal 2017, the Company is reporting its financial performance, including revenues and operating income, based on four new reportable segments: Buildings and Infrastructure, Geospatial, Resources and Utilities, and Transportation. Comparative period financial information by reportable segment has been recast to conform with the current presentation. See Note 6 of the Notes to consolidated financial statements for further information.

Foreign Currency Translation

Assets and liabilities of non-U.S. subsidiaries that operate in local currencies are translated to U.S. dollars at exchange rates in effect at the balance sheet date, with the resulting translation adjustments, net of tax, recorded in Accumulated other comprehensive loss within the stockholders’ equity section of the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Income and expense accounts are translated at average monthly exchange rates during the year.

Derivative Financial Instruments

The Company enters into foreign exchange forward contracts to minimize the short-term impact of foreign currency fluctuations on cash, certain trade and inter-company receivables and payables, primarily denominated in Euro, British pound, New Zealand dollars and Canadian dollars. These contracts reduce the exposure to fluctuations in exchange rate movements as the gains and losses associated with foreign currency balances are generally offset with the gains and losses on the forward contracts. These instruments are marked to market through earnings every period and generally range from one to two months in original maturity. The Company occasionally enters into foreign exchange forward contracts to hedge the purchase price of some of its larger business acquisitions. The Company does not enter into foreign exchange forward contracts for trading purposes. As of the fiscal years ended 2017 and 2016, there were no derivative financial instruments outstanding that were accounted for as hedges.

Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments

The Company's cash equivalents and short-term investments consisted primarily of treasury bills, debt securities and commercial paper, interest and non-interest bearing bank deposits as well as bank time deposits. The Company classifies all investments that are considered readily convertible to known amounts of cash and have stated maturities of three months or less from the date of purchase as cash equivalents and those with stated maturities of greater than three months as short-term investments based on the nature of the investments and their availability for use in current operations. The Company has classified and accounted for such investments in cash equivalents and short-term investments as available-for-sale securities. The carrying amount of cash and cash equivalents approximates fair value because of the short maturity of those instruments.

The Company determines the appropriate classification of its short-term investments at the time of purchase and reevaluates such designation at each balance sheet date. These investments are carried at fair value, and any unrealized gains and losses, net of taxes, are reported in Accumulated other comprehensive loss, except for unrealized losses determined to be other-than-temporary, which would be recorded within Other income, net. The Company has not recorded any such impairment charge in the fiscal year 2017. Realized gains or losses on the sale of marketable securities are determined on a specific identification method, and such gains and losses are recorded as a component of Other income, net.

The fair value of the Notes was determined based on observable market prices in less active markets and is categorized accordingly as Level II in the fair value hierarchy. The fair value of the bank borrowings and promissory notes has been calculated using an estimate of the interest rate the Company would have had to pay on the issuance of notes with a similar maturity and discounting the cash flows at that rate, and is categorized as Level II in the fair value hierarchy. The fair values do not give an indication of the amount that the Company would currently have to pay to extinguish any of this debt.

Concentration Of Risk

Concentrations of Risk

The Company is subject to concentrations of credit risk primarily from cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments and accounts receivable. The Company's cash equivalents and short-term investments consisted primarily of treasury bills, debt securities and commercial paper, interest and non-interest bearing bank deposits as well as bank time deposits. The main objective of these instruments is safety of principal and liquidity while maximizing return, without significantly increasing risk. Deposits held with banks may exceed the amount of insurance provided on such deposits. Generally, these deposits may be redeemed upon demand and are maintained with financial institutions of reputable credit and therefore bear minimal credit risk.

The Company's investment policy requires the portfolio to include only securities with high credit quality and a weighted average maturity not to exceed six months, with the main objective of preserving capital and maintaining liquidity. The Company maintains an investment portfolio of various holdings, types, and maturities.

The Company is also exposed to credit risk in the Company’s trade receivables, which are derived from sales to end-user customers in diversified industries as well as various resellers. The Company performs ongoing credit evaluations of its customers’ financial condition and limits the amount of credit extended when deemed necessary but generally does not require collateral.

With Flex Ltd. as an exclusive manufacturing partner for many of its products, the Company is dependent upon a sole supplier for the manufacture of these products. In addition, the Company relies on sole suppliers for a number of its critical components.

Allowance For Doubtful Accounts

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

The Company maintains an allowance for doubtful accounts for estimated losses resulting from the inability of its customers to make required payments. The allowance for doubtful accounts was $3.6 million and $5.0 million at the end of fiscal 2017 and 2016, respectively. The sales return reserve was $4.2 million and $3.6 million at the end of fiscal 2017 and 2016, respectively.

The Company evaluates the ongoing collectibility of its trade accounts receivable based on a number of factors such as age of the accounts receivable balances, credit quality, historical experience, and current economic conditions that may affect a customer’s ability to pay. In circumstances where the Company is aware of a specific customer’s inability to meet its financial obligations to the Company, a specific allowance for bad debts is estimated and recorded which reduces the recognized receivable to the estimated amount that the Company believes will ultimately be collected. In addition to specific customer identification of potential bad debts, bad debt charges are recorded based on the Company’s recent past loss history and an overall assessment of past due trade accounts receivable amounts outstanding.

Inventories

Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value. Adjustments are also made to reduce the cost of inventory for estimated excess or obsolete balances. Factors influencing these adjustments include declines in demand which impact inventory purchasing forecasts, technological changes, product life cycle and development plans, component cost trends, product pricing, physical deterioration and quality issues. If the Company's estimates used to reserve for excess and obsolete inventory are different from what it expected, the Company may be required to recognize additional reserves, which would negatively impact its gross margin.

Property And Equipment, Net

Property and Equipment, Net

Property and equipment, net is stated at cost less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation of property and equipment is computed using the straight-line method over the shorter of the estimated useful lives or the lease terms when applicable. Useful lives generally include a range from four to six years for machinery and equipment, five to seven years for furniture and fixtures, two to five years for computer equipment and software, thirty-nine years for buildings, and the life of the lease for leasehold improvements. The Company capitalizes eligible costs to acquire or develop internal-use software that are incurred subsequent to the preliminary project stage. Capitalized costs related to internal-use software are amortized using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets, which range generally from two to five years. The costs of repairs and maintenance are expensed when incurred, while expenditures for refurbishments and improvements that significantly add to the productive capacity or extend the useful life of an asset are capitalized. Depreciation expense was $34.6 million in fiscal 2017, $37.0 million in fiscal 2016 and $36.7 million in fiscal 2015.

Lease Obligations

The Company enters into lease arrangements for office space, facilities, and equipment under non-cancelable capital and operating leases. Certain of the operating lease agreements contain rent holidays, rent escalation provisions, and purchase options. Rent holidays and rent escalation provisions are considered in determining the straight-line rent expense to be recorded over the lease term. The lease term begins on the date of initial possession of the leased property for purposes of recognizing lease expense on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease. The Company does not assume renewals in its determination of the lease term unless the renewals are deemed to be reasonably assured at lease inception.

Business Combinations

The Company allocates the fair value of purchase consideration to the assets acquired, liabilities assumed, and non-controlling interests in the acquiree based on their fair values at the acquisition date. The excess of the fair value of purchase consideration over the fair value of these assets acquired, liabilities assumed and non-controlling interests in the acquiree is recorded as goodwill.

When determining the fair values of assets acquired, liabilities assumed, and non-controlling interests in the acquiree, management makes significant estimates and assumptions, especially with respect to intangible assets. Critical estimates in valuing intangible assets include, but are not limited to, expected future cash flows, which includes consideration of future growth rates and margins, customer attrition rates, future changes in technology and brand awareness, loyalty and position, and discount rates. Fair value estimates are based on the assumptions management believes a market participant would use in pricing the asset or liability. Amounts recorded in a business combination may change during the measurement period, which is a period not to exceed one year from the date of acquisition, as additional information about conditions existing at the acquisition date becomes available.

The Company determined the total consideration paid for each of its acquisitions as well as the fair value of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed as of the date of each acquisition. For certain acquisitions completed in fiscal 2017, the fair value of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed are preliminary and may be adjusted as the Company obtains additional information, primarily related to adjustments for the true up of acquired net working capital in accordance with certain purchase agreements, and estimated values of certain net tangible assets and liabilities including tax balances, pending the completion of final studies and analyses. If there are adjustments made for these items the fair value of intangible assets and goodwill could be impacted. Thus the provisional measurements of fair value set forth below are subject to change. Such changes could be significant. The Company expects to finalize the valuation of the net tangible and intangible assets as soon as practicable, but not later than one-year from the acquisition date.

The fair value of identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed were determined under the acquisition method of accounting for business combinations. The excess of purchase consideration over the fair value of net tangible and identifiable intangible assets acquired was recorded as goodwill. The fair value of intangible assets acquired is generally determined based on a discounted cash flow analysis. Acquisition costs of $7.4 million, $6.8 million and $9.9 million in fiscal 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively, were expensed as incurred, along with the changes in fair value of the contingent consideration liabilities, and are included in General and administrative expenses in the Consolidated Statements of Income.

Goodwill And Purchased Intangible Assets

Goodwill and Purchased Intangible Assets

Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase consideration over the fair value of the net tangible and identifiable intangible assets acquired in a business combination. Intangible assets acquired individually, with a group of other assets, or in a business combination are recorded at fair value. Identifiable intangible assets are comprised of distribution channels and distribution rights, patents, licenses, technology, acquired backlog, trademarks and in-process research and development. Identifiable intangible assets are being amortized over the period of estimated benefit using the straight-line method, reflecting the pattern of economic benefits associated with these assets, and have estimated useful lives ranging from four years to eight years with a weighted average useful life of 6.1 years. Goodwill is not subject to amortization, but is subject to at least an annual assessment for impairment, applying a fair-value based test.

Impairment Of Goodwill, Intangible Assets And Other Long-Lived Assets

Impairment of Goodwill, Intangible Assets and Other Long-Lived Assets

The Company evaluates goodwill, at a minimum, on an annual basis and whenever events and changes in circumstances suggest that the carrying amount may not be recoverable. The Company performs its annual goodwill impairment testing in the fourth fiscal quarter of each year based on the values on the first day of that quarter. For the Company's annual goodwill impairment test in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2017, goodwill was reviewed for impairment utilizing a quantitative two-step process. In the first step of this test, goodwill is tested for impairment at the reporting unit level by comparing the reporting unit’s carrying amount, including goodwill, to the fair value of the reporting unit. The fair values of the reporting units are estimated using a discounted cash flow approach. If the carrying amount of the reporting unit exceeds its fair value, a second step is performed to measure the amount of impairment loss, if any. In step two, the implied fair value of goodwill is calculated as the excess of the fair value of a reporting unit over the fair values assigned to its assets and liabilities. If the implied fair value of goodwill is less than the carrying value of the reporting unit’s goodwill, the difference is recognized as an impairment loss. When the Company performs a quantitative assessment of goodwill impairment, the determination of fair value of a reporting unit involves the use of significant estimates and assumptions. The discounted cash flows are based upon, among other things, assumptions about expected future operating performance using risk-adjusted discount rates. Actual future results may differ from those estimates. As of the first day of the fourth quarter of fiscal 2017, the fair value for our reporting units ranged from 311% to approximately 903% of carrying amounts, therefore goodwill was not impaired and no further testing was required.

Depreciation and amortization of the Company’s intangible assets and other long-lived assets is provided using the straight-line method over their estimated useful lives, reflecting the pattern of economic benefits associated with these assets. Changes in circumstances such as technological advances, changes to the Company’s business model, or changes in the capital strategy could result in the actual useful lives differing from initial estimates. In cases where the Company determines that the useful life of an asset should be revised, the Company will depreciate the net book value in excess of the estimated residual value over its revised remaining useful life. These assets are evaluated for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of such assets may not be recoverable. The estimated future cash flows are based upon, among other things, assumptions about expected future operating performance and these estimates may differ from actual future cash flows. The assets evaluated for impairment are grouped with other assets to the lowest level for which identifiable cash flows are largely independent of the cash flows of other groups of assets and liabilities. If the sum of the projected undiscounted cash flows (excluding interest) is less than the carrying value of the assets, the assets will be written down to the estimated fair value.

Warranty

The Company accrues for warranty costs as part of its cost of sales based on associated material product costs, technical support labor costs, and costs incurred by third parties performing work on the Company’s behalf. The Company’s expected future cost is primarily estimated based upon historical trends in the volume of product returns within the warranty period and the cost to repair or replace the equipment. When products sold include warranty provisions, they are covered by a warranty for periods ranging generally from one year to two years.

While the Company engages in extensive product quality programs and processes, including actively monitoring and evaluating the quality of component suppliers, its warranty obligation is affected by product failure rates, material usage, and service delivery costs incurred in correcting a product failure. Should actual product failure rates, material usage, or service delivery costs differ from the estimates, revisions to the estimated warranty accrual and related costs may be required.

Changes in the Company’s product warranty liability during the fiscal years ended 2017 and 2016 are as follows:



Fiscal Years	2017			2016
(In millions)
Beginning balance	$	17.2		$	18.5
Acquired warranties	0.5			(0.2		)
Accruals for warranties issued	20.4			18.3
Changes in estimates	(0.8		)	0.3
Warranty settlements (in cash or in kind)	(19.0		)	(19.7		)
Ending Balance	$	18.3		$	17.2

Guarantees, Including Indirect Guarantees Of Indebtedness Of Others

Guarantees, Including Indirect Guarantees of Indebtedness of Others

In the normal course of business to facilitate sales of its products, the Company indemnifies other parties, including customers, lessors, and parties to other transactions with the Company. For example, the Company has agreed to hold the other party harmless against losses arising from a breach of representations or covenants, or out of intellectual property infringement or other claims made by certain parties. These agreements may limit the time within which an indemnification claim can be made and the amount of the claim. In addition, the Company has entered into indemnification agreements with its officers and directors, and the Company’s bylaws contain similar indemnification obligations to the Company’s agents.

It is not possible to determine the maximum potential exposure under these indemnification agreements due to the limited history of prior indemnification claims and the unique facts and circumstances involved in each particular agreement. Historically, payments made by the Company under these agreements have not been material and no liabilities have been recorded on the Consolidated Balance Sheets at the end of fiscal 2017 and 2016.

Revenue Recognition

The Company recognizes revenue when it is realized or realizable and earned. The Company considers revenue realized or realizable and earned when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, delivery has occurred, the fee is fixed or determinable, and collectibility is reasonably assured. In instances where final acceptance of the product is specified by the customer or is uncertain, revenue is deferred until all acceptance criteria have been met.

Contracts and/or customer purchase orders are used to determine the existence of an arrangement. Shipping documents and customer acceptance, when applicable, are used to verify delivery. The Company assesses whether the fee is fixed or determinable based on the payment terms associated with the transaction and whether the sales price is subject to refund or adjustment. The Company assesses collectibility based primarily on the creditworthiness of the customer as determined by credit checks and analyses, as well as the customer’s payment history.

Revenue for orders is not recognized until the product is shipped and title has transferred to the buyer. The Company bears all costs and risks of loss or damage to the goods up to that point. The Company’s shipment terms for U.S. orders and international orders fulfilled from the Company’s European distribution center typically provide that title passes to the buyer upon delivery of the goods to the carrier named by the buyer at the named place or point. If no precise point is indicated by the buyer, delivery is deemed to occur when the carrier takes the goods into its charge from the place determined by the Company. Other shipment terms may provide that title passes to the buyer upon delivery of the goods to the buyer. Shipping and handling costs are included in Cost of sales.

Revenue from sales to distributors and dealers is recognized upon shipment, assuming all other criteria for revenue recognition have been met. Distributors and dealers do not have a right of return.

Revenue from purchased extended warranty and post contract support ("PCS") agreements is deferred and recognized ratably over the term of the warranty or support period. Revenue from the Company's subscription services related to its hardware and software applications is recognized ratably over the term of the subscription service period beginning on the date that service is made available to the customer, assuming all revenue recognition criteria have been met.

The Company presents revenue net of sales taxes and any similar assessments.

The Company’s software arrangements generally consist of a perpetual license fee and PCS. The Company generally has established vendor-specific objective evidence ("VSOE") of fair value for the Company’s PCS contracts based on the renewal rate. The remaining value of the software arrangement is allocated to the license fee using the residual method. License revenue is primarily recognized when the software has been delivered and fair value has been established for all remaining undelivered elements. In cases where VSOE of fair value for PCS is not established, revenue is recognized ratably over the PCS period after all software deliverables have been made and the only the undelivered element is PCS.

For services performed on a fixed-fee basis, revenue is recognized using the proportional performance method, with performance measured based on hours of work performed. For contracts that involve significant customization and implementation or consulting services that are essential to the functionality of the software, the license and services revenues are recognized using the percentage-of-completion method or, if we are unable to reliably estimate the costs to complete the services, we use the completed-contract method of accounting. A contract is considered complete when all significant costs have been incurred or when acceptance from the customer has been received.

Some of the Company’s subscription product offerings include hardware, subscription services and extended warranty. Under these hosted arrangements, the customer typically does not have the contractual right to take possession of the software at any time during the hosting period without incurring a significant penalty and it is not feasible for the customer to run the software either on its own hardware or on a third-party’s hardware.

The Company’s multiple deliverable product offerings include hardware with embedded firmware, extended warranty, software, PCS and subscription services, which are considered separate units of accounting. For certain of the Company’s products, software and non-software components function together to deliver the tangible product’s essential functionality.

In evaluating the revenue recognition for the Company's hardware or subscription agreements which contain multiple deliverables, the Company determined that in certain instances the Company was not able to establish VSOE for some or all deliverables in an arrangement as the Company infrequently sold each element on a standalone basis, did not price products within a narrow range, or had a limited sales history. When VSOE cannot be established, the Company attempts to establish the selling price of each element based on relevant third-party evidence ("TPE"). TPE is determined based on competitor prices for similar deliverables when sold separately. The Company’s offerings may contain a significant level of proprietary technology, customization or differentiation such that the comparable pricing of products with similar functionality cannot be obtained. Furthermore, the Company is unable to reliably determine what similar competitor products’ selling prices are on a stand-alone basis. Therefore, the Company typically is not able to establish the selling price of an element based on TPE.

When the Company is unable to establish selling price using VSOE or TPE, the Company uses its best estimate of selling price ("BESP") in the Company’s allocation of arrangement consideration. The objective of BESP is to determine the price at which the Company would transact a sale if the product or service were sold on a stand-alone basis. BESP is generally used for offerings that are not typically sold on a stand-alone basis or for new or highly customized offerings. The Company determines BESP for a product or service by considering multiple factors including, but not limited to, pricing practices, market conditions, competitive landscape, internal costs, geographies and gross margin. The determination of BESP is made through consultation with and formal approval by the Company’s management, taking into consideration the Company’s go-to-market strategy.

Advertising and Promotional Costs

The Company expenses all advertising and promotional costs as incurred. Advertising and promotional expense was approximately $37.2 million, $37.2 million, and $32.3 million, in fiscal 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

Research And Development Costs

Research and Development Costs

Research and development costs are charged to expense as incurred. Cost of software developed for external sale subsequent to reaching technical feasibility were not significant and were expensed as incurred. The Company received third party funding of approximately $18.1 million, $13.0 million, and $12.5 million in fiscal 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively. The Company offsets research and development expense with any third party funding earned. The Company retains the rights to any technology developed under such arrangements.

Stock-Based Compensation

The Company has employee stock benefit plans, which are described more fully in "Note 13: Employee Stock Benefit Plans." Stock compensation expense recognized in the Consolidated Statements of Income is based on the fair value of the portion of share-based payment awards expected to vest during the period, net of estimated forfeitures. The Company attributes the fair value of stock options and restricted stock units ("RSUs") to expense using the straight-line method. The fair value for time-based and performance-based RSUs ("PSUs") is measured at the grant date using the fair value of Trimble’s common stock, with total expense for PSUs based upon the expected achievement of the underlying performance goals as adjusted in future periods for changes in expectations and actual achievement. The fair value for restricted stock units with market-based vesting conditions is measured at the grant date using a Monte Carlo simulation. The grant date fair value for options is estimated using the binomial valuation model. The fair value of rights to purchase shares under the Employee Stock Purchase Plan ("ESPP") is estimated using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. The Company estimates forfeitures at the date of grant and revises those estimates in subsequent periods if actual forfeitures differ from those estimates. The Company uses historical and current information to estimate forfeitures.

Fair Value of Share Purchase Rights

The fair value of the share purchase rights granted under the Purchase Plan are valued using the Black-Scholes option pricing model with the following weighted-average assumptions:



Fiscal Years	2017		2016		2015
Expected life of purchase	0.5 years		0.5 years		0.5 years
Expected stock price volatility (1)	32.1	%	36.9	%	31.3	%
Risk free interest rate	0.70	%	0.41	%	0.08	%
Expected dividend yield	—		—		—

(1) Expected stock price volatility is based on implied volatilities from traded options on the Company’s stock. The Company used implied volatility because it is representative of future stock price trends during the purchase period.

Income Taxes

Income taxes are accounted for under the liability method whereby deferred tax assets or liability account balances are calculated at the balance sheet date using current tax laws and rates in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to affect taxable income. A valuation allowance is recorded to reduce the carrying amounts of deferred tax assets if it is more likely than not such assets will not be realized. The Company’s valuation allowance is primarily attributable to foreign net operating losses and state research and development credit carryforwards. Management believes that it is more likely than not that the Company will not realize certain of these deferred tax assets, and, accordingly, a valuation allowance has been provided for such amounts. Valuation allowance adjustments associated with an acquisition after the measurement period are recorded through income tax expense.

Relative to uncertain tax positions, the Company only recognizes a tax benefit 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. The tax benefits recognized in the financial statements from such positions are then measured based on the largest benefit that has a greater than 50 percent likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement. The Company considers many factors when evaluating and estimating our tax positions and tax benefits, which may require periodic adjustments and may not accurately forecast actual tax audit outcomes. Determining whether an uncertain tax position is effectively settled requires judgment. Changes in recognition or measurement of the Company's uncertain tax positions would result in the recognition of a tax benefit or an additional charge to the tax provision. The Company’s practice is to recognize interest and/or penalties related to income tax matters in income tax expense.

The Company is subject to income taxes in the U.S. and numerous other countries, and is subject to routine corporate income tax audits in many of these jurisdictions. The Company generally believes that positions taken on its tax returns are more likely than not to be sustained upon audit, but tax authorities in some circumstance have, and may in the future, successfully challenge these positions. Accordingly, the Company’s income tax provision includes amounts intended to satisfy assessments that may result from these challenges. Determining the income tax provision for these potential assessments and recording the related effects requires management judgments and estimates. The amounts ultimately paid on resolution of an audit could be materially different from the amounts previously included in the Company’s income tax provision and, therefore, could have a material impact on its income tax provision, net income and cash flows. The Company’s accrual for uncertain tax positions includes uncertainties concerning the tax treatment of our international operations, including the allocation of income among different jurisdictions, intercompany transactions and related interest. See Note 11 of the Notes to consolidated financial statements for additional information.

Computation Of Earnings Per Share

Computation of Earnings Per Share

The number of shares used in the calculation of basic earnings per share represents the weighted average common shares outstanding during the period and excludes any potentially dilutive securities. The dilutive effects of outstanding stock options, shares to be purchased under the Company’s employee stock purchase plan and restricted stock units are included in diluted earnings per share.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Fiscal 2017 Adoption

Inventory

In July 2015, the FASB issued amendments to simplify the measurement of inventory. Under the amendments, inventory will be measured at the “lower of cost or net realizable value” and options that existed for “market value” are eliminated. The guidance defines net realizable value as the “estimated selling prices in the ordinary course of business, less reasonably predictable costs of completion, disposal, and transportation”. The Company adopted the amendments beginning in the first quarter of fiscal 2017. The adoption did not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.

Derivatives and Hedging

In March 2016, the FASB issued amendments to its guidance on the accounting for derivatives and hedging. The new guidance clarifies the requirements for assessing whether contingent call or put options that can accelerate the payment of principal on debt instruments are clearly and closely related to their debt hosts. The Company adopted the amendments beginning in the first quarter of fiscal 2017. The adoption did not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.

Investments - Equity Method and Joint Ventures

In March 2016, the FASB issued new guidance related to equity investments and joint ventures. This standard eliminates the requirement that when an existing cost method investment qualifies for use of the equity method, an investor must restate its historical financial statements, as if the equity method had been used during all previous periods. Under the new guidance, at the point an investment qualifies for the equity method, any unrealized gain or loss in accumulated other comprehensive income is recognized through earnings. The Company adopted the amendments beginning in the first quarter of fiscal 2017. The adoption did not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.

Compensation - Stock Compensation

In March 2016, the FASB issued new guidance that changes certain aspects of the accounting for share-based payments awards, including the accounting for income taxes, forfeitures, and statutory tax withholding requirements, as well as classification in the statement of cash flows. The Company adopted the amendments beginning in the first quarter of fiscal 2017 and elected to apply the presentation requirements for cash flows related to excess tax benefits retrospectively to all periods presented which resulted in an increase to both net cash from operations and net cash used in financing of $6.5 million and $2.1 million for fiscal years ended 2016 and 2015 respectively. The presentation requirements for cash flows related to employee taxes paid for withheld shares had no impact to any of the periods presented on its Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows since such cash flows have historically been presented as a financing activity. Adoption of the new standard resulted in the recognition of excess tax benefits in the Company's provision for income taxes rather than paid-in capital of $8.9 million for fiscal year ended 2017.

Consolidation

In October 2016, the FASB issued amendments to its guidance on the accounting for related parties, which amends the consolidation guidance issued in February 2015 regarding the treatment of indirect interests held through related parties that are under common control. The Company adopted the amendments beginning in the first quarter of fiscal 2017. The adoption did not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.

Fiscal 2018 Adoption

Revenue from Contracts with Customers

In May 2014, the FASB issued a comprehensive new revenue recognition standard that replaces the current revenue recognition guidance under U.S. GAAP. The new standard requires companies to recognize revenue in a way that depicts 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. The new standard may be applied either retrospectively to each prior period presented or with the cumulative effect recognized as of the date of initial application. The Company plans to adopt this accounting standard update in the first quarter of fiscal 2018 using the full retrospective adoption method. The Company does not anticipate that its internal control framework will materially change, but rather existing internal controls will be modified and augmented as necessary to implement the new revenue standard.

While the Company continues to assess all potential impacts of the standard, it is currently anticipated that the standard will not have a material impact on its Consolidated Statements of Income or Statements of Cash Flows. However, it does anticipate that the standard will have a material impact on the Consolidated Balance Sheets with the primary impacts due to a reduction in deferred revenue for revenue streams that will be recognized sooner under the new standard, which is currently estimated at between $40.0 million and $55.0 million, and capitalization of incremental costs to obtain customer contracts, which is currently estimated at between $30.0 million and $40.0 million.

Although it is expected that the annual revenue impacts on the Consolidated Statements of Income will be not be material, the timing of a portion of revenue may shift between periods due primarily to the accounting for software term licenses, custom professional service contracts, and non-standard terms and conditions. Under the new standard, software term license revenue will be recognized predominantly at the time of delivery rather than ratably over the contract period as is required under the current standard. Some custom professional service contracts are expected to be recognized over time rather than at contract completion. The majority of revenue, which is related to hardware, software perpetual licenses, SaaS, and other service and support offerings, will remain substantially unchanged. Additionally, incremental costs to obtain customer contracts will be capitalized and amortized over a benefit period, which is the shorter of customer or product life. The Company will elect a practical expedient to exclude contracts with a benefit period of a year or less from this deferral requirement for both retrospective and future financial statement periods. The annual cost impact of the deferral and amortization on the Consolidated Statements of Income is not expected to be material.

Financial Instruments - Overall

In January 2016, the FASB issued new guidance that will require entities to measure equity investments currently accounted for under the cost method at fair value and recognize any changes in fair value in net income. For equity investments without readily determinable fair values, an entity may elect measurement at cost minus impairment, if any, plus or minus any adjustments from observable market transactions. The Company plans to adopt this standard in the first quarter of fiscal 2018 on a prospective basis as required specifically for equity investments. Since none of its equity investments have readily determinable fair values, the Company will elect to measure equity investments at cost less any impairments unless an observable transaction occurs, at which time, the Company would remeasure the investment through net income. The Company’s equity investments are immaterial on its consolidated balance sheets; therefore, adoption of this guidance will not have a material impact. Additionally, other provisions of this standard will not have a material impact for the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

Statement of Cash Flows

In August 2016, the FASB issued new guidance related to statement of cash flows. This guidance amended the existing accounting standard for the statement of cash flows by providing unified guidance for classification of certain cash receipts and cash payments. The Company will adopt this guidance in the first quarter of fiscal 2018, retrospectively. The impact of the related amendments will include, for all periods presented, (a) a reclassification of contingent consideration payments made after business combinations by decreasing net cash used in investing activities and increasing net cash used in financing activities, and (b) a reclassification of dividends received from equity method investees by decreasing net cash provided by investing activities and increasing net cash provided by operating activities.

Accounting for Income Taxes - Intra-Entity Asset Transfers

In October 2016, the FASB issued new guidance related to income taxes. This standard requires the recognition of the income tax consequences of an intra-entity transfer of an asset, other than inventory, when the transfer occurs. The guidance is effective and will be adopted by the Company in its first quarter of fiscal 2018 by using a modified retrospective approach through a cumulative-effect adjustment to retained earnings as of the effective date. Although the Company expects that the deferred tax assets will increase, the adoption of this guidance will not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

Other Income - Gains and Losses from the Derecognition of Non-financial Assets

In February 2017, the FASB issued new guidance clarifying the scope and application of existing guidance related to the sale or transfer of non-financial assets to non-customers that is not a sale of a business, including partial sales and transfers of non-financial assets to joint ventures. The amendments are effective at the same time as the new revenue recognition guidance, which the Company expects to adopt in the first quarter of fiscal 2018. The adoption of this guidance will not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

Compensation - Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Postretirement Benefit Cost

In March 2017, the FASB issued new guidance to improve the presentation for components of defined benefit pension cost, which requires employers to report the service cost component of net periodic pension cost in the same line item as other compensation expense arising from services rendered during the period. The standard also requires the other components of net periodic cost be presented in the income statement separately from the service cost component and outside of a subtotal of income from operations. The guidance is effective and will be adopted by the Company in its first quarter of fiscal 2018 on a retrospective basis. The Company has defined benefit pension plans that are immaterial for its consolidated financial statements; therefore, adoption of this guidance will not have a material impact.

Future Adoption

Leases

In February 2016, the FASB issued new guidance that requires a lessee to recognize lease assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet for most leases and provide enhanced disclosures. Most prominent is the recognition of assets and liabilities by lessees for those leases classified as operating leases under previous U.S. GAAP. Under the new standard, disclosures are required to meet the objective of enabling users of financial statements to assess the amount, timing, and uncertainty of cash flows arising from leases. Leases will continue to be classified as either finance or operating leases, and for both, the initial lease liabilities should be measured at the present value of the lease payments. This new guidance is effective beginning in fiscal 2019, although early adoption is permitted. Companies are required to use a modified retrospective approach for leases that exist or are entered into after the beginning of the earliest comparative period in the financial statements and there are certain practical expedients that companies may elect, including an accounting policy election to not recognize lease assets and liabilities for leases with a term of twelve months or less. While the Company is continuing to assess all potential impacts of the standard, it currently anticipates that the standard will have a material effect on its consolidated balance sheets, with the most significant impact related to the accounting for real estate lease assets and liabilities. The Company plans to adopt the standard in fiscal 2019 and is evaluating the use of optional practical expedients.

Financial Instruments - Credit Losses

In June 2016, the FASB issued new guidance that requires credit losses on financial assets measured at amortized cost basis to be presented based on the net amount expected to be collected, not based on incurred losses. Further, credit losses on available-for-sale debt securities should be recorded through an allowance for credit losses limited to the amount by which fair value is below amortized cost. The new standard is effective for the Company beginning in fiscal 2020. Early adoption for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2018 is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the effect of the updated standard on its consolidated financial statements.

Intangibles - Goodwill and Other

In January 2017, the FASB issued new guidance to that simplifies the accounting for goodwill impairment by requiring impairment charges to be based on the first step in today’s two-step impairment test. The impairment test is performed by comparing the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount and an impairment charge would be recognized for the amount by which the carrying amount exceeds the reporting unit’s fair value. The new standard is to be applied on a prospective basis and is effective for the Company beginning in fiscal 2020 and early adoption is permitted. The Company currently anticipates that the adoption will not have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.