Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2018

Revenue Recognition. Revenue includes sales of hardware, supplies and services (including repair services and product maintenance service contracts, which typically occur over time, and professional services such as installation, integration and provisioning, which typically occur in the early stages of a project). The average life of repair and maintenance service contracts is approximately three years. The duration of professional service arrangements ranges from a day to several weeks or months. We recognize revenues when we transfer control of promised goods or services to our customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which we expect to receive in exchange for those goods or services.

The Company elects to exclude from the transaction price sales and other taxes assessed by a governmental authority and collected by the Company from a customer. The Company also considers shipping and handling activities as part of the fulfillment costs, not as a separate performance obligation.

We recognize revenue arising from performance obligations outlined in contracts with our customers that are satisfied at a point in time and over time. Substantially all of our revenue for tangible products is recognized at a point in time, whereby revenue for services and software is predominantly recognized over time.

Revenues

As prescribed in ASC 606, the Company recognizes revenue to depict the transfer of goods or services to a customer at an amount that reflects the consideration which the entity expects to receive in exchange for those goods or services.

Performance Obligations

We enter into contract arrangements that may include various combinations of tangible products and services, which generally are capable of being distinct and accounted for as separate performance obligations. For these types of contract arrangements, we evaluate whether two or more contracts should be combined and accounted for as one single contract and whether the combined or single contract has more than one performance obligation. This evaluation requires significant judgment and the decision to combine a group of contracts or separate the combined or single contract into multiple performance obligations could change the amount of revenue recorded in the reporting period. We use the accounting guidance on “capable of being distinct” and “distinct within the context of the contract” to help with the aforementioned evaluation.

For contract arrangements that include multiple performance obligations, we allocate the total transaction price to each performance obligation in an amount based on the estimated relative standalone selling prices for the products and/or services underlying each performance obligation. When the standalone selling prices are not directly observable, we estimate the standalone selling prices primarily based on the expected cost-plus margin approach. For arrangements comprised strictly of the sale of product and performance of maintenance type services where the standalone selling price of the maintenance service is not discernible, we estimate the standalone selling price of the maintenance contract through the use of the residual approach. When the residual approach cannot be applied, regional pricing, marketing strategies and business practices are evaluated and analyzed to derive the estimated standalone selling price through the use of a cost-plus margin methodology.

The Company recognizes revenue when transfer of control has occurred for the goods or services sold. Control is deemed to have been transferred when the customer has the ability to direct the use of and has obtained substantially all of the remaining benefits from the goods and services sold. The Company uses judgment in the evaluation of the following criteria: 1) the customer simultaneously receives and consumes the benefits provided by the transfer of goods or service; 2) the performance creates or enhances an asset that is under control of the customer; 3) the performance does not create an asset with an alternative use to the customer and the Company has an enforceable right to payment, in order to determine whether control transfers at a point in time or over time. For each performance obligation satisfied over time, the Company measures its progress toward completion to determine the timing of revenue recognition. Judgment is also used in the evaluation of the following transfer of control criteria: 1) the Company has a present right to payment for the asset; 2) the legal title to the asset has transferred to the customer; 3) the customer has physical possession of the asset; 4) the customer has the significant risks and rewards of ownership of the asset; 5) the customer has accepted the asset, in order to determine when revenue should be recognized in a point in time revenue recognition pattern. Assuming all other criteria for revenue recognition have been met, for products and services sold on a standalone basis, revenue is generally recognized upon shipment and by using an output method or time-based method respectively. In cases where a bundle of products and services are delivered to the customer, judgment is required to select the method of progress which best reflects the transfer of control.

For some of our transactions, products are sold with a right of return, and we may also provide other rebates, price protection, or incentives, which are accounted for as variable consideration. The Company estimates the amount of variable consideration by using the expected value or the most likely amount method and reduces the revenue by those estimated amounts, only to the extent it is probable that a significant reversal in the cumulative revenue recognized will not occur. These estimates are reviewed and updated, as necessary, at the end of each reporting period.

Revenue recognized in the reporting period from performance obligations satisfied in previous periods was not material for the three-month ended March 31, 2018.

Our payment terms vary by the type and location of our customer and the products or services offered. The time between invoicing and when payment is due is not significant. In instances where the timing of revenue recognition differs from the timing of invoicing, we have determined that our contracts do not include a significant financing component.

Costs to obtain a contract

Our incremental direct costs of obtaining a contract, which consist of sales commissions and incremental fringe benefits, are deferred and amortized over the weighted-average contract term, consistent with the guidance in ASC 340 Other Assets and Deferred Costs. The incremental costs to obtain a contract, which were previously expensed as incurred under ASC 605, and the determination of the amortization period are derived at a portfolio level and the amortization is completed on a straight-line basis. The adoption of ASC 606 required the capitalization of these costs which resulted in an adjustment to increase retained earnings.

Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements and Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted

Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

On January 1, 2018, we adopted Accounting Standards Codification 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“ASC 606”) applying the modified retrospective method to those contracts which were not completed as of January 1, 2018. Results for reporting periods beginning after January 1, 2018 are presented under ASC 606, while prior period amounts are not adjusted and continue to be reported in accordance with our historic accounting under ASC 605, Revenue Recognition (“ASC 605”). The Company has determined that the adoption of ASC 606 will not have a material effect on its consolidated financial statements or results of operations.

The cumulative effect of the changes made to our consolidated January 1, 2018 balance sheet related to the adoption of ASC

606 were as follows (in millions):



	As Reported December 31, 2017		Adjustment			As Adjusted January 1, 2018
Assets:
Inventories, net ⁽¹⁾	$	458	$	(3	)	$	455
Prepaid expenses and other current assets ⁽²⁾	24		7			31
Long-term deferred income taxes ⁽³⁾	119		(5		)	114
Other long-term assets ⁽⁴⁾	65		12			77

Liabilities:
Deferred revenue ⁽⁵⁾	186		(2		)	184
Long-term deferred revenue⁽⁶⁾	148		(6		)	142

Stockholders’ Equity:
Retained earnings	1,248		19			1,267


(1)	Reflects an adjustment of $(3) million related to changes in revenue recognition patterns.


(2)	Reflects an adjustment of $7 million related to changes in revenue recognition patterns.


(3)	Reflects the income tax effect of the adjustments made related to the adoption of ASC 606.


(4)	Reflects an adjustment of $12 million related to the capitalization of costs to obtain contracts (primarily comprised of sales commissions associated with longer term support service contracts).


(5)	Reflects an adjustment of $(3) million related to reallocation of revenue between performance obligations and $1 million related to changes in the timing of revenue recognition.


(6)	Reflects an adjustment of $(6) million related to reallocation of revenue between performance obligations.

Under the modified retrospective method of adoption, we are required to disclose the impact to the Consolidated Financial Statements had we continued to follow our accounting policies under the previous revenue recognition guidance. Had the Company applied the previous revenue recognition guidance, revenue would have been $1 million higher for the quarter ended March 31, 2018.

See Note 3, Revenues for further information.

In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-01, “Financial Instruments - Overall (Subtopic 825-10): Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities.” On January 1, 2018, the Company adopted this ASU. ASU 2016-01 amends various aspects of the recognition, measurement, presentation, and disclosure for financial instruments. The adoption of this ASU did not have a material impact to the Company's consolidated financial statements or related disclosures.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, “Financial Instruments-Credit Losses (Topic 326) -Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments.” The new standard requires the measurement and recognition of expected credit losses for financial assets held at amortized cost. It replaces the existing incurred loss impairment model with an expected loss methodology, which will result in more timely recognition of credit losses. There are two transition methods available under the new standard dependent upon the type of financial instrument, either cumulative effect or prospective. The standard will be effective for the Company in the first quarter of 2020. Earlier adoption is permitted only for annual periods after December 15, 2018. Management has assessed the impact of adoption of the new standard and determined there are no material impacts to the Company's consolidated financial statements or disclosures resulting from the adoption of this ASU

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, “Leases (Subtopic 842).” This ASU increases the transparency and comparability of organizations by recognizing lease assets and liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheets and disclosing key quantitative and qualitative information about leasing arrangements. The principal difference from previous guidance is that the lease assets and lease liabilities arising from operating leases were not previously recognized in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. The recognition, measurement, presentation, and cash flows arising from a lease by a lessee have not significantly changed. This standard will be effective for the Company in the first quarter of 2019, with early adoption permitted. In transition, lessees and lessors are required to recognize and measure leases at the beginning of the earliest period presented using a modified retrospective approach, which includes a number of optional practical expedients that entities may elect to apply. Management is currently assessing the impact of adoption on its consolidated financial statements; however, the impact from adoption of this ASU will be non-cash in nature and will not affect the Company’s cash position.

Fair Value Measurements

Financial assets and liabilities are to be measured using inputs from three levels of the fair value hierarchy in accordance with ASC Topic 820, “Fair Value Measurements.” Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. It establishes a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes observable and unobservable inputs used to measure fair value into the following three broad levels:

Level 1: Quoted prices in active markets that are accessible at the measurement date for identical assets or liabilities. The fair value hierarchy gives the highest priority to Level 1 inputs (e.g. U.S. Treasuries & money market funds).

Level 2: Observable prices that are based on inputs not quoted on active markets but corroborated by market data.

Level 3: Unobservable inputs are used when little or no market data is available. The fair value hierarchy gives the lowest priority to Level 3 inputs.

In determining fair value, the Company utilizes valuation techniques that maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs to the extent possible. In addition, the Company considers counterparty credit risk in the assessment of fair value.

Derivative Instruments

In the normal course of business, the Company is exposed to global market risks, including the effects of changes in foreign currency exchange rates and interest rates. The Company uses derivative instruments to manage its exposure to such risks and may elect to designate certain derivatives as hedging instruments under ASC 815, Derivatives and Hedging. The Company formally documents all relationships between designated hedging instruments and hedged items as well as its risk management objectives and strategies for undertaking hedge transactions. The Company does not hold or issue derivatives for trading or speculative purposes.

In accordance with ASC 815, the Company recognizes derivative instruments as either assets or liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheets and measures them at fair value.