Basis of Presentation and Recent Accounting Pronouncements Level 2 (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Jul. 31, 2012

Basis of Presentation and Recent Accounting Pronouncements [Abstract]

Goodwill and Intangible Assets, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Goodwill is subject to at least an annual assessment for impairment, applying a fair-value based test. The Company's impairment evaluation for goodwill is conducted annually or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that an asset might be impaired. Versant conducted its annual impairment test in October 2011 and determined there was no impairment.

The process of evaluating goodwill for impairment involves the determination of the fair value of the Company's single reporting unit. Inherent in such a fair value determination are certain judgments and estimates, including the interpretation of current economic indicators and market valuations, and assumptions about the Company's strategic plans with regard to its operations. The Company believes at this time that the carrying value of its remaining goodwill is appropriate, although to the extent additional information arises, it is possible that the Company's conclusions regarding impairment of the remaining goodwill could change and result in a material effect on its financial position and results of operations. No events or circumstances occurred during the nine months ended July 31, 2012 that would more likely than not reduce the fair value of the Company below its carrying amount. The Company intends to conduct its next annual impairment evaluation as of October 31, 2012.

Consolidation, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Versant Corporation (with its subsidiaries, collectively referred to in this report as “Versant” or “the Company”) was incorporated in California in August 1988. The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements contained in this report on Form 10-Q include all of the assets, liabilities, revenues, expenses and cash flows of Versant and all entities in which Versant has a controlling interest (subsidiaries) required to be consolidated in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Inter-company accounts and transactions between consolidated companies have been eliminated in consolidation.

Basis of Accounting [Text Block]

The financial statements included herein reflect all adjustments which, in the opinion of the Company, are necessary for a fair presentation of the results for the interim periods presented. All such adjustments are normal recurring adjustments. These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles related to interim financial statements and the applicable rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by generally accepted accounting principles for annual financial statements.

New Accounting Pronouncements, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

Fair Value Measurement Disclosure

In January 2010, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") amended the disclosure requirements for the fair value measurements for recurring and nonrecurring non-financial assets and liabilities. The guidance requires new disclosures about transfers into and out of Levels 1 and 2 and separate disclosures about purchases, sales, issuances, and settlements relating to Level 3 measurements. It also clarifies existing fair value disclosures about the level of disaggregation and about inputs and valuation techniques used to measure fair value. The new disclosures and clarifications of existing disclosures were effective for the Company’s second quarter of fiscal year 2010, except for the disclosures about purchases, sales, issuances, and settlements relating to Level 3 measurements, which were effective for the Company’s first quarter of fiscal year 2012. The adoption of this guidance had no material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

Description of New Accounting Pronouncements Not yet Adopted [Text Block]

Recent Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted

Goodwill Impairment Testing

In December 2010, the FASB issued guidance which amends ASC 350, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other. This Accounting Standards Update amends the criteria for performing Step 2 of the goodwill impairment test for reporting units with zero or negative carrying amounts and requires performing Step 2 if qualitative factors indicate that it is more likely than not that a goodwill impairment exists. This guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2011 (November 1, 2012 for the Company). The adoption of this guidance is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

Presentation of Comprehensive Income

In June 2011, the FASB issued ASU No. 2011-05, Presentation of Comprehensive Income. The issuance of ASU 2011-05 is intended to improve the comparability, consistency and transparency of financial reporting and to increase the prominence of items reported in other comprehensive income. The guidance in ASU 2011-05 supersedes the presentation options in ASC Topic 220 and facilitates convergence of U.S. generally accepted accounting principles and International Financial Reporting Standards by eliminating the option to present components of other comprehensive income as part of the statement of changes in stockholders' equity and requiring that all non-owner changes in stockholders' equity be presented either in a single continuous statement of comprehensive income or in two separate but consecutive statements. This guidance will be appliedretrospectively and early adoption is permitted. This guidance is effective for fiscal years and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2011 (November 1, 2012 for the Company). The adoption of this guidance is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

Goodwill Impairment Testing

In September 2011, the FASB issued guidance to amend and simplify the rules related to testing goodwill for impairment. The revised guidance allows an entity to make an initial qualitative evaluation, based on the entity’s events and circumstances, to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. The results of this qualitative assessment determine whether it is necessary to perform the currently required two-step impairment test. The new guidance is effective for annual and interim goodwill impairment tests performed for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2011 (November 1, 2012 for the Company). Early adoption is permitted. The adoption of this guidance is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

Intangible Asset Impairment Testing

In July 2012, the FASB issued guidance to allow an entity the option to first assess qualitatively whether it is more likely than not that an indefinite-lived intangible asset is impaired as a basis for determining whether it is necessary to perform the quantitative impairment test under the existing guidance. This guidance also provides examples of events and circumstances that an entity should consider when performing the qualitative assessment such as negative or declining cash flows and deterioration in industry, market or macroeconomic conditions. The new guidance is effective for fiscal years and interim testing dates within those years, beginning after September 15, 2012 (November 1, 2012 for the Company). Early adoption of the amended guidance is permitted. The adoption of this guidance is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments, Policy [Policy Text Block]

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.

Trade and Other Accounts Receivable, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Versant evaluates and revises its allowance for doubtful accounts receivable as part of its quarter end process at the subsidiary and corporate level. The Company’s management assigns a risk factor and percentage of risk to each account receivable, the collection of which is considered non-routine. Accounts are considered past due in accordance with contractual terms which usually provide for payment within 30 to 90 days. The Company also assigns a general reserve to all its overdue accounts, excluding the non-routine items.

Share-based Compensation, Option and Incentive Plans Policy [Policy Text Block]

Share based compensation cost is estimated at the grant date based on the fair value of the award and is recognized as expense over the requisite service period of the award. The fair value of each option granted is estimated on the date of grant and the fair value of each share issued under Versant’s Employee Stock Purchase Plan (or “ESPP”) is estimated at the beginning of the purchase period, using the Black-Scholes Option Pricing Model

Income Tax, Policy [Policy Text Block]

The Company accounts for income taxes pursuant to the provisions of ASC 740, Income Taxes, which requires an asset and liability approach to accounting for income taxes. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on the difference between the financial statement carrying amounts and the tax basis of assets and liabilities and are measured using the enacted statutory tax rates in effect at the balance sheet date. The Company records a valuation allowance to reduce its deferred tax assets when uncertainty exists regarding the realizability of the deferred tax assets.

Segment Reporting, Policy [Policy Text Block]

ASC 280, Segment Reporting establishes standards for the manner in which public companies report information about operating segments in annual and interim financial statements which require the reporting of segment information using the “management approach.” Under this approach, operating segments are identified in substantially the same manner as they are reported internally and used by the Company’s chief operating decision maker (“CODM”) for purposes of evaluating performance and allocating resources. Based on this approach, the Company has determined that it operates in a single operating segment, Data Management.