2. Significant Accounting Policies

Applicable Accounting Guidance

Any reference in these notes to applicable accounting guidance ("guidance") is meant to refer to the authoritative U.S. generally accepted accounting principles as found in the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC").

Business Combination

On February 22, 2011, the Company completed the acquisition of Occam Networks for a purchase price of $213.1 million which consisted of $94.4 million of cash consideration and a value of $118.7 million of common stock and equity awards issued. See Note 3, "Acquisition of Occam Networks" in the Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

The Company accounted for the acquisition of Occam under ASC Topic 805, "Business Combinations". Under this guidance all of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed are recognized at their fair value as of the acquisition date. The excess of the purchase price over the estimated fair values of the net tangible and net intangible assets acquired is recorded as goodwill. The fair values assigned to the acquired assets and assumed liabilities are based on valuations using management's best estimates and assumptions at the conclusion of the measurement period. During the measurement period (which is not to exceed one year from the acquisition date), the Company is required to retrospectively adjust the provisional assets or liabilities if new information is obtained about facts and circumstances that existed as of the acquisition date that, if known, would have resulted in the recognition of those assets or liabilities as of that date. The application of the purchase method of accounting for business combinations requires management to make significant estimates and assumptions in the determination of the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed in order to properly allocate purchase price consideration between assets that are depreciated and amortized from goodwill. These assumptions and estimates include a market participant's use of the asset and the appropriate discount rates for a market participant. The Company's estimates are based on historical experience and information obtained from the management of the acquired companies. The Company's significant assumptions and estimates can include, but are not limited to, the cash flows that an asset is expected to generate in the future, the appropriate weighted-average cost of capital, and the cost savings expected to be derived from acquiring an asset. These estimates are inherently uncertain and unpredictable. In addition, unanticipated events and circumstances may occur which may affect the accuracy or validity of such estimates. The Company has finalized the fair values of the acquired assets and assumed liabilities from Occam Networks as of June 25, 2011.

Revenue Recognition

In October 2009, the FASB amended the accounting standards for revenue recognition to remove tangible products containing software components and non-software components that function together to deliver the product's essential functionality from the scope of industry-specific software revenue recognition guidance. In October 2009, the FASB also amended the accounting standards for multiple deliverable revenue arrangements to:

 

(i)

provide updated guidance on how the deliverables in an arrangement should be separated, and how the consideration should be allocated;

 

(ii)

require an entity to allocate revenue in an arrangement using best estimate of selling prices ("BSP") of deliverables if a vendor does not have vendor-specific objective evidence of selling price ("VSOE") or third-party evidence of selling price ("TPE"); and

 

(iii)

eliminate the use of the residual method and require an entity to allocate revenue using the relative selling price method.

The Company early adopted this accounting guidance at the beginning of its first quarter of fiscal 2010 on a prospective basis for applicable transactions originating or materially modified after December 31, 2009. The Company's products and services qualify as separate units of accounting. Products are typically considered delivered upon shipment and are deemed to be non-contingent deliverables. The Company provides certain services at stated prices over a specified period of time and must meet specified performance conditions. As such, the Company has determined that its individual services are contingent deliverables. In addition, the Company provides specified packages of items considered a package arrangement which it also considers a contingent deliverable, and therefore the Company does not bill its customers until it has fully delivered the package. For multiple-element arrangements that include products and packages or services, the Company first excludes the contingent revenue items and then allocates the remaining consideration to the non-contingent product deliverables on the basis of their relative selling price, which is currently BSP. To the extent that the stated contractual prices fall within the Company's calculated range for BSP, it will allocate the consideration using the stated contractual prices. However, if the stated contractual price for any product deliverable is outside the range, the contractual prices will be adjusted using the midpoint price within its range in order to allocate arrangement consideration using the "relative selling price method." Since the individual products and services meet the criteria for separate units of accounting, the Company will recognize revenue upon delivery of each product and/or services. Post-sales software support revenue and extended warranty services revenue is deferred and recognized ratably over the period during which the services are to be performed. Installation and training service arrangements are recognized upon delivery or completion of performance. These service arrangements are typically short term in nature and are largely completed shortly after delivery of the product. Revenue from package arrangements is recognized upon full delivery of the package. In instances where substantive acceptance provisions are specified in the customer agreement, revenue is deferred until all acceptance criteria have been met. The Company's arrangements generally do not include any provisions for cancellation, termination, or refunds that would significantly impact recognized revenue.

 

The Company derives revenue primarily from the sales of its hardware products and related software. Shipping charges billed to customers are included in revenue and the related shipping costs are included in cost of revenue. In certain cases, the Company's products are sold along with services, which include installation, training, post-sales software support and/or extended warranty services. Post-sales software support consists of the Company's management software, including rights, on a when-and-if available basis, to receive unspecified software product upgrades to either embedded software or the Company's management software, maintenance releases and patches released during the term of the support period and product support, which includes telephone and Internet access to technical support personnel. Extended warranty services include the right to warranty coverage beyond the standard warranty period. From time to time, the Company offers customers sales incentives, which include volume rebates and discounts. These amounts are accrued on a quarterly basis and recorded net of revenue.

Payment terms to customers generally range from net 30 to net 90 days. The Company assesses the ability to collect from its customers based primarily on the creditworthiness and past payment history of the customer. Revenue arrangements that provide payment terms that extend beyond the Company's customary payment terms are considered extended payment terms. Occasionally, the Company offers extended payment terms in a revenue arrangement. Through the date of this filing, the Company has not experienced any significant accounts receivable write-offs related to revenue arrangements with extended payment terms. Customer arrangements with extended payment terms may also include substantive acceptance criteria within the arrangement which, in accordance with the Company's revenue recognition policy, would cause the revenue in the arrangement to be deferred until all the acceptance criteria have been met. Extended payment terms may also indicate that the customer is relying on a future event as a prerequisite for the payment, such as installation, a new software release or financing, which would indicate that the fees associated with the arrangement are not fixed or determinable. Due to the unusual nature and uncertainty associated with granting extended payment terms in customer arrangements, the Company defers revenue under these arrangements and recognizes the revenue upon payment from the customer, assuming all other revenue recognition criteria have been met.

The Company enters into arrangements with certain of its customers who receive government supported loans and grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Utility Service ("RUS") to finance capital spending. Under the terms of an RUS equipment contract that includes installation services, the customer does not take possession and control and title does not pass until formal acceptance is obtained from the customer. Under this type of arrangement, the Company does not recognize revenue until it has received formal acceptance from the customer. For RUS arrangements that do not involve installation services, the Company recognizes revenue in accordance with the revenue recognition policy described above.

The Company has established VSOE for its training, post-sales software support and extended warranty services. Training courses are based on a daily rate per person and will vary according to the type of training class offered. Post-sales software support is offered for a one year term and the price is based on the number of customer subscriber lines. Extended warranty pricing is based on the type of product and is sold in one or five year durations. In substantially all of the arrangements with multiple deliverables pertaining to arrangements with these services, the Company has used and intends to continue using VSOE to determine the selling price for each deliverable. The Company determines VSOE based on its normal pricing practices for these specific services when sold separately.

In most instances, the Company is not able to establish VSOE for all deliverables in an arrangement with multiple elements. This may be due to the Company infrequently selling each element separately, not pricing products within a narrow range, or only having a limited sales history. When VSOE cannot be established, the Company attempts to establish selling price of each element based on TPE. TPE is determined based on competitor prices for similar deliverables when sold separately. Generally, the Company's marketing strategy differs from that of its peers and its offerings contain a significant level of customization and 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 is typically not able to determine TPE.

When the Company is unable to establish selling price using VSOE or TPE, the Company uses BSP. The objective of BSP 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. BSP is primarily used for all products and installation services where the Company has historically not been able to establish VSOE of selling price.

The Company determines BSP for a product or service by considering multiple factors including, but not limited to, geographies, market conditions, competitive landscape, internal costs, gross margin objectives, characteristics of targeted customers and pricing practices. The determination of BSP is made through consultation with and formal approval by the Company's management, taking into consideration the go-to-market strategy.

 

The Company regularly reviews VSOE, TPE and BSP and maintains internal controls over the establishment and updates of these estimates. There were no material impacts during the three and nine months ended September 24, 2011 nor does the Company expect a material impact in the near term from changes in VSOE, TPE or BSP.

Cost of Revenue

Cost of revenue consists primarily of finished goods inventory purchased from the Company's contract manufacturers, payroll and related expenses associated with managing the contract manufacturers' relationships, depreciation of manufacturing test equipment, warranty costs, excess and obsolete inventory costs, shipping charges, and amortization of certain intangible assets. For the nine months ended September 24, 2011, cost of revenue also includes merger-related expenses associated with the acquisition of Occam primarily related to a charge resulting from the required revaluation of Occam inventory to its estimated fair value and an associated write-down of acquired inventory determined as excess and obsolete.

Stock-Based Compensation

Under the provisions of ASC Topic 718, for share-based payment transactions, stock-based awards, including stock options, are recorded at fair value as of the grant date and recognized to expense over the employee's requisite service period (generally the vesting period), which the Company has elected to amortize on a straight-line basis. The Company adopted this guidance using the modified prospective transition method. Stock-based compensation expense has been reduced by the Company's estimated forfeitures on all unvested awards.

Goodwill and Intangible Assets

Goodwill and other purchased intangible assets have been recorded as a result of our acquisitions of Occam in February 2011 and Optical Solutions, Inc., or OSI, in February 2006. This goodwill is not deductible for tax purposes, and there have been no adjustments to goodwill since the acquisition dates.

Goodwill is not amortized but instead is subject to an annual impairment test or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that they may be impaired. The Company evaluates goodwill on an annual basis as of the end of the second quarter of each fiscal year. The test for goodwill impairment is a two-step process. The first step compares the fair value of each reporting unit with its respective carrying amount, including goodwill. If the fair value of the reporting unit exceeds its carrying amount, goodwill of the reporting unit is not considered impaired and, therefore, the second step of the impairment test is unnecessary. The second step, used to measure the amount of the impairment loss, compares the implied fair value of each reporting unit's goodwill with the respective carrying amount of that goodwill. If the carrying amount of the reporting unit goodwill exceeds the implied fair value of that goodwill, an impairment loss shall be recognized in an amount equal to that excess. Management has determined that the Company operates as a single reporting unit and therefore evaluates goodwill impairment at the enterprise level.

Intangible assets with finite useful lives are amortized over their estimated useful lives on a straight-line basis, generally six months to five years, and reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate an asset's carrying value may not be recoverable. The Company has reviewed events and changes to its business during the quarter and has determined that there was no impairment to its goodwill and intangible assets.

Supplier Concentration

The Company depends primarily on a small number of outside contract manufacturers for the bulk of its finished goods inventory. The Company generally purchases its product through purchase orders and typically has no supply agreements with its suppliers or contract manufacturers. While the Company seeks to maintain a sufficient reserve of its products, the Company's business and results of operations could be adversely affected by a stoppage or delay in receiving such products, the receipt of defective parts, an increase in price of such products or the Company's inability to obtain lower prices from its contract manufacturers and suppliers in response to competitive pressures.

In connection with the acquisition of Occam, under the terms of agreements with certain contract manufacturers, the Company has issued purchase orders for the production of its products. The Company is required to place orders in advance with its contract manufacturers to meet estimated sales demands. The agreement includes certain lead time and cancellation provisions. Future amounts payable to the contract manufacturer will vary based on the level of requirements.

 

Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Marketable Securities

The Company has invested its excess cash primarily in money market funds and highly liquid debt instruments. The Company considers all investments with maturities of three months or less when purchased to be cash equivalents. Marketable securities represent highly liquid debt instruments with maturities greater than 90 days at date of purchase. Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities are stated at amounts that approximate fair value based on quoted market prices.

The Company's investments have been classified and accounted for as available-for-sale. Such investments are recorded at fair value and unrealized holding gains and losses are reported as a separate component of comprehensive loss within stockholders' equity until realized. Should the Company determine that any unrealized losses on the investments are other-than-temporary, the amount of that impairment to be recognized in earnings will depend on whether the Company intends to sell the security or more likely than not will be required to sell the security before recovery of its amortized cost basis less any current period credit loss. The Company, to date, has not determined that any of the unrealized losses on its investments are considered to be other-than-temporary. Realized gains and losses, which have been immaterial to date, are determined on the specific identification method and are reflected in results of operations.

Restricted Cash

Restricted cash consisted of $1.1 million as of September 24, 2011, most of which is related to performance bonds required for the Company's RUS-funded customer contracts, which the Company acquired through its acquisition of Occam.

Inventory

Inventory consisting of finished goods purchased from a contract manufacturer is stated at the lower of cost, determined by the first-in, first-out method, or market value. The Company regularly monitors inventory quantities on hand and records write-downs for excess and obsolete inventories based on the Company's estimate of demand for its products, potential obsolescence of technology, product life cycles, and whether pricing trends or forecasts indicate that the carrying value of inventory exceeds its estimated selling price. These factors are impacted by market and economic conditions, technology changes, and new product introductions and require estimates that may include elements that are uncertain. Actual demand may differ from forecasted demand and may have a material effect on gross margins. If inventory is written down, a new cost basis will be established that cannot be increased in future periods.

Deferred Cost of Revenue

When the Company's products have been delivered, but the product revenue associated with the arrangement has been deferred as a result of not meeting the criteria for immediate revenue recognition, the Company also defers the related inventory costs for the delivered items until all criteria are met for revenue recognition.

Warranty

The Company offers limited warranties for its hardware products for a period of one or five years, depending on the product type. The Company recognizes estimated costs related to warranty activities as a component of cost of revenue upon product shipment. The estimates are based on historical product failure rates and historical costs incurred in correcting product failures. The recorded amount is adjusted from time to time for specifically identified warranty exposure. Actual warranty expenses are charged against the Company's estimated warranty liability when incurred. Factors that affect the Company's warranty liability include the number of installed units and historical and anticipated rates of warranty claims and cost per claim.

Foreign Currency Translation

Assets and liabilities of the Company's wholly owned foreign subsidiaries are translated from their respective functional currencies at exchange rates in effect at the balance sheet date, and revenues and expenses are translated at average exchanges rates prevailing during the day. Any material resulting translation adjustments are reflected as a separate component of stockholders' equity. Realized foreign currency transaction gains and losses were not material during the three and nine months ended September 24, 2011and September 25, 2010, respectively.

 

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In September 2011, the FASB issued ASU No. 2011-08, "Intangibles-Goodwill and Other" that will allow an entity to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is necessary to perform the two-step quantitative goodwill impairment test. Under these amendments, an entity would not be required to calculate the fair value of a reporting unit unless the entity determines, based on a qualitative assessment, that it is more likely than not that its fair value is less than its carrying amount. The amendments include a number of events and circumstances for an entity to consider in conducting the qualitative assessment. The guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2011 with early adoption permitted. The Company does not expect that the adoption of this update will have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements at this time.

In June 2011, the FASB issued ASU No. 2011-05, "Presentation of Comprehensive Income" that improves the comparability, consistency, and transparency of financial reporting and increases the prominence of items reported in other comprehensive income by eliminating the option to present components of other comprehensive income as part of the statement of changes in stockholders' equity. The amendments in this standard require 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. Under either method, adjustments must be displayed for items that are reclassified from other comprehensive income ("OCI") to net income, in both net income and OCI. The standard does not change the current option for presenting components of OCI gross or net of the effect of income taxes, provided that such tax effects are presented in the statement in which OCI is presented or disclosed in the notes to the financial statements. Additionally, the standard does not affect the calculation or reporting of earnings per share. For public entities, the amendments in this ASU are effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2011 and are to be applied retrospectively, with early adoption permitted. The Company does not expect the adoption of this standard to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

In May 2011, the FASB issued ASU 2011-04, which amends U.S. GAAP to conform to the measurement and disclosure requirements in International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS"). The amendments in this Update change the wording used to describe the requirements in U.S. GAAP for measuring fair value and for disclosing information about fair value measurements. The amendments include the following:

1. Those that clarify the Board's intent about the application of existing fair value measurement and disclosure requirements

2. Those that change a particular principle or requirement for measuring fair value or for disclosing information about fair value measurements.

In addition, to improve consistency in application across jurisdictions some changes in wording were made to ensure that U.S. GAAP and IFRS fair value measurement and disclosure requirements are described in the same way (for example, using the word shall rather than should to describe the requirements in U.S. GAAP). The amendments in this Update are to be applied prospectively and are effective during interim and annual period beginning after December 15, 2011. The Company does not believe that the adoption of this update will have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements at this time.

In December 2010, the FASB issued ASU No. 2010-29, Business Combinations (ASC Topic 805): Disclosure of Supplementary Pro Forma Information for Business Combinations. The amendments in this update specify that if a public entity presents comparative financial statements, the entity should disclose revenue and earnings of the combined entity as though the business combination(s) that occurred during the current year had occurred as of the beginning of the comparable prior annual reporting period only. The amendments in this update also expand the supplemental pro forma disclosures under Topic 805 to include a description of the nature and amount of material, nonrecurring pro forma adjustments directly attributable to the business combination included in the reported pro forma revenue and earnings. The amendments in this update are effective prospectively for business combinations for which the acquisition date is on or after the beginning of the first annual reporting period beginning on or after December 15, 2010. The Company does not believe that this updated disclosure requirement will have a material impact to the Company's 2011 annual report on Form 10-K.