CORRESP 1 filename1.htm SEC Comment Letter Response

Via EDGAR

February 2, 2012

United States Securities and Exchange Commission
Division of Corporation Finance
100 F Street, N.E.
Washington, D.C. 20549

Attention: Terry French, Accountant Branch Chief

Re:
Plantronics, Inc.
 
Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended April 2, 2011
 
Filed May 31, 2011
 
 
 
Form 8-K dated November 1, 2011
 
Filed November 1, 2011
 
File No. 1-12696

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen:

This letter is our response (“Response”) to the letter, dated January 26, 2011 (“Comment Letter”) from the staff of the Division of Corporation Finance (“Staff”) of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“Commission”) relating to Plantronics, Inc.'s (“Company”) Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended April 2, 2011 (“2011 Annual Report”) and Form 8-K dated and filed on November 1, 2011 ("Form 8-K"). Please note that although our response below reflects our current draft disclosure intended to address the Staff’s comments, the actual language and format used in our future filings may not compare precisely with the language and format set forth below as the facts and circumstances of our business may change from time to time.

For your convenience, the text of the Staff’s comment is set forth in bold followed by our response. The heading and numbered response set out below correspond to the heading and numbered comment in the Staff’s Comment Letter.

Form 8-K filed November 1, 2011

1.
We note that your press release in Exhibit 99.1 includes a tabular presentation of Non-GAAP Net Income in the format of a complete Statement of Operations. Please revise in future filings to delete the full income statement presentation of non-GAAP net income, as Question 102.10 of the Compliance and Disclosure Interpretation on Non-GAAP Financial Measures dated July 8, 2011 views a full non-GAAP income statement as placing undue prominence on the non-GAAP information.

We respectfully advise the Staff that in all future filings, we will delete the full income statement presentation of non-GAAP net income. We have attached to this Response as Annex A our proposed language and format for non-GAAP information to be provided in future press releases. We further advise the Staff that we used this proposed language and format in our most recent press release in Exhibit 99.1 of our Current Report on Form 8-K, filed on January 31, 2012.

On behalf of the Company, I hereby acknowledge that:

the Company is responsible for the adequacy and accuracy of the disclosure in the filing;

staff comments or changes to disclosure in response to staff comments do not foreclose the Commission from taking any action with respect to the filing; and



the Company may not assert staff comments as a defense in any proceeding initiated by the Commission or any person under the federal securities laws of the United States.


Should you have any additional questions or comments, please contact me at (831) 458-7741 (email ken.kannappan@plantronics.com) or Barbara Scherer, Senior Vice President - Finance and Administration and Chief Financial Officer at (831) 458-4434 (email barbara.scherer@plantronics.com).

Yours very truly,

PLANTRONICS, INC.
 
/s/ Ken Kannappan
Ken Kannappan
President and Chief Executive Officer






- 2 -

Annex A


PLANTRONICS, INC.
UNAUDITED RECONCILIATIONS OF GAAP MEASURES TO NON-GAAP MEASURES
($ in thousands, except per share data)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS DATA
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Three Months Ended
 
Nine Months Ended
 
December 31,
 
December 31,
 
2011
 
2010
 
2011
 
2010
GAAP gross profit
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Stock-based compensation expense
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Purchase accounting amortization
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Non-GAAP gross profit

 

 

 

Non-GAAP gross profit %

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
GAAP research, development and engineering
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Stock-based compensation expense
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Purchase accounting amortization
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Non-GAAP research, development and engineering

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
GAAP selling, general and administrative
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Stock-based compensation expense
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Purchase accounting amortization
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Non-GAAP selling, general and administrative

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
GAAP restructuring and other related charges
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
GAAP total operating expenses

 

 

 

Stock-based compensation expense

 

 

 

Purchase accounting amortization

 

 

 

Restructuring and other related charges

 

 

 

Non-GAAP total operating expenses

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 







Use of Non-GAAP Financial Information
To supplement our consolidated financial statements presented on a GAAP basis, Plantronics uses non-GAAP measures of operating results, which are adjusted to exclude non-recurring and non-cash expenses and charges, such as stock-based compensation expenses related to stock options, restricted stock and employee stock purchases, purchase accounting amortization, restructuring and other related charges, impairment of goodwill and long-lived assets, and tax benefits from the expiration of certain statutes of limitations. Plantronics does not believe these expenses and charges are reflective of ongoing operating results and are not part of our target operating model. The non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered a substitute for, or superior to, financial measures calculated in accordance with GAAP, and the financial results calculated in accordance with GAAP and the reconciliations to those financial statements should be carefully evaluated. The non-GAAP financial measures used by Plantronics may be calculated differently from, and therefore may not be comparable to, similarly titled measures used by other companies.




- 3 -

Annex A (continued)

PLANTRONICS, INC.
 
UNAUDITED RECONCILIATIONS OF GAAP MEASURES TO NON-GAAP MEASURES
 
($ in thousands, except per share data)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS DATA (CONTINUED)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Three Months Ended
 
Nine Months Ended
 
 
December 31,
 
December 31,
 
 
2011
 
2010
 
2011
 
2010
 
GAAP operating income
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Stock-based compensation expense
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Purchase accounting amortization
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Restructuring and other related charges
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Non-GAAP operating income
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
GAAP net income
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Stock-based compensation expense
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Purchase accounting amortization
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Restructuring and other related charges
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Income tax effect
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Non-GAAP net income
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Diluted earnings per common share:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
GAAP diluted earnings per common share
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Stock-based compensation expense
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Purchase accounting amortization
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Restructuring and other related charges
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Income tax effect
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Non-GAAP diluted earnings per common share
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Shares used in diluted earnings per common share calculation
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 




Use of Non-GAAP Financial Information
To supplement our consolidated financial statements presented on a GAAP basis, Plantronics uses non-GAAP measures of operating results, which are adjusted to exclude non-recurring and non-cash expenses and charges, such as stock-based compensation expenses related to stock options, restricted stock and employee stock purchases, purchase accounting amortization, restructuring and other related charges, impairment of goodwill and long-lived assets, and tax benefits from the expiration of certain statutes of limitations. Plantronics does not believe these expenses and charges are reflective of ongoing operating results and are not part of our target operating model. The non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered a substitute for, or superior to, financial measures calculated in accordance with GAAP, and the financial results calculated in accordance with GAAP and the reconciliations to those financial statements should be carefully evaluated. The non-GAAP financial measures used by Plantronics may be calculated differently from, and therefore may not be comparable to, similarly titled measures used by other companies.



- 4 -

Annex A (continued)

Summary of Unaudited Reconciliations of GAAP Measures to Non-GAAP Measures and other Unaudited GAAP Data
 
 
 
 
 
 
($ in thousands, except per share data)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Q111
 
Q211
 
Q311
 
Q411
 
Q112
 
Q212
 
Q312
GAAP gross profit
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Stock-based compensation expense
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Purchase accounting amortization
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Non-GAAP gross profit
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Non-GAAP gross profit %
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
GAAP operating expenses
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Stock-based compensation expense
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Purchase accounting amortization
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Restructuring and other related charges
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Non-GAAP operating expenses
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
GAAP operating income
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Stock-based compensation expense
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Purchase accounting amortization
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Restructuring and other related charges
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Non-GAAP operating income
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Non-GAAP operating income %
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
GAAP income before income taxes
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Stock-based compensation expense
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Purchase accounting amortization
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Restructuring and other related charges
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Non-GAAP income before income taxes
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
GAAP income tax expense
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Income tax effect of stock-based compensation expense
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Income tax effect of purchase accounting amortization
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Tax benefit from the expiration of certain statutes of limitations
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Non-GAAP income tax expense
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Non-GAAP income tax expense as a % of Non-GAAP income before income taxes
 

 

 

 

 

 

 


- 5 -

Annex A (continued)

Summary of Unaudited Reconciliations of GAAP Measures to Non-GAAP Measures and other Unaudited GAAP Data (Continued)
 
 
 
 
 
 
($ in thousands, except per share data)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Q111
 
Q211
 
Q311
 
Q411
 
Q112
 
Q212
 
Q312
GAAP net income
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Stock-based compensation expense
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Purchase accounting amortization
 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
Restructuring and other related charges
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Income tax effect
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Non-GAAP net income
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
GAAP diluted earnings per common share
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Stock-based compensation expense
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Purchase accounting amortization
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Restructuring and other related charges
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Income tax effect
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Non-GAAP diluted earnings per common share
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Shares used in diluted earnings per common share calculation
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
SUMMARY OF UNAUDITED GAAP DATA
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
($ in thousands)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Net revenues from unaffiliated customers:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Office and Contact Center
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Mobile
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Gaming and Computer Audio
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Clarity
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Total net revenues
 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
Net revenues by geographic area from unaffiliated customers:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Domestic
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
International
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Total net revenues
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Balance Sheet accounts and metrics:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Accounts receivable, net
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Days sales outstanding (DSO)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Inventory, net
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Inventory turns
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


- 6 -