Fair Value Measurements

9 Months Ended

Jul. 31, 2011

Fair Value Measurements [Abstract]

Fair Value Measurements

Fair Value Measurements

Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures, defines fair value as the price that would be received from selling an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. When determining the fair value measurements for assets and liabilities required to be recorded at fair value, the Company considers the principal or most advantageous market for the transaction and considers assumptions that market participants would use when pricing the asset or liability, such as inherent risk, transfer restrictions, and risk of nonperformance.

The FASB guidance also establishes a fair value hierarchy that requires an entity to maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs when measuring fair value. A financial instrument’s categorization within the fair value hierarchy is based upon the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The three levels of inputs that may be used to measure fair value are as follows:

• Level 1: quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities;

• Level 2: inputs other than Level 1 that are observable, either directly or indirectly, such as quoted prices in active markets for similar assets or liabilities, quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not

active, or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities; or

• Level 3: unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair value of the assets or liabilities.

Financial Assets Measured at Fair Value on a Recurring Basis

Our significant financial assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis consisted of the following types of instruments as of July 31, 2011 (Level 1, 2 and 3 inputs are defined above):

	Fair Value Measurements Using Input Type
	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3
	(in thousands)
Assets:
Money market funds	$	14,315	$	—	$	—
Time deposits	7,621		—		—
Total	$	21,936	$	—	$	—

The fair value of money market funds and time deposits reflect quoted market prices in an active market.