Basis of Presentation

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. These estimates include but are not limited to: the collectability of our receivables; the useful lives of our property and equipment and other lease-related assets, liabilities and costs; the benefit period for deferred commissions; the valuation of investments and the determination of other-than-temporary impairments; and the reported amounts of accrued liabilities. For revenue, we make estimates and assumptions related to the standalone selling prices of our products and services and the nature and timing of the delivery of performance obligations from our contracts with customers. We also use estimates in stock-based compensation, income taxes and business combinations. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Risks and Uncertainties

Inherent in our business are various risks and uncertainties, including our limited history of operating our business at its current scale and development of advanced technologies in a rapidly changing industry. These risks include our ability to manage our growth and our ability to attract new customers and expand sales to existing customers, as well as other risks and uncertainties. In the event that we do not successfully implement our business plan, certain assets may not be recoverable, certain liabilities may not be paid and investments in our capital stock may not be recoverable. Our success depends upon the acceptance of our technology, development of sales and distribution channels and our ability to generate significant revenues from the sale of our technology.

Segments

We follow the authoritative literature that established annual and interim reporting standards for an enterprise's operating segments and related disclosures about its products and services, geographic regions and major customers.

Revenue Recognition - ASC 606

We recognize revenues related to our contracts with customers based on the following criteria:

We identify performance obligations in our contracts with customers, which may include software licenses and/or related maintenance and services. We determine the transaction price based on the amount we expect to be entitled to in exchange for transferring the promised goods or services to the customer. We allocate the transaction price in the contract to each distinct performance obligation in an amount that depicts the relative amount of consideration we expect to receive in exchange for satisfying each performance obligation. Revenue is recognized when performance obligations are satisfied.

Our revenues are recorded based on the transaction price excluding amounts collected on behalf of third parties such as sales taxes, which are collected on behalf of and remitted to governmental authorities.

Nature of Products and Services

Our on-premises software licenses are sold both perpetually and through term-based license agreements. These licensing arrangements provide customers with the same product functionality and differ mainly in the duration over which the customer benefits from the software. We deliver our software licenses electronically. Electronic delivery occurs when we provide the customer with access to the software and license key via a secure portal. Revenue from on-premises software licenses is generally recognized upfront at the point in time when the software is made available to the customer.

When purchasing an on-premises software license, a customer typically bundles with a maintenance services agreement and may also purchase training and/or professional services. Maintenance services agreements consist of fees for providing software updates on a when and if available basis and for providing technical support for software products for a specified term. We believe that our when and if available software updates and technical support each have the same pattern of transfer to the customer and are substantially the same. Therefore, we consider these to be a single distinct performance obligation. Revenues allocated to maintenance services are recognized ratably as the services are provided. Revenues related to training services are billed on a fixed fee basis and are recognized as the services are delivered. Payments received in advance of services performed are deferred and recognized when the related services are performed. Revenues related to professional services are billed on a time and materials basis and are recognized as the services are performed.

We also provide cloud-based subscriptions, which allow customers to access our software during a contractual period without taking possession of the software. We recognize revenue related to these cloud-based subscriptions ratably over the life of the subscription agreement beginning when the customer first has access to the software. Revenues from our cloud-based subscriptions are included in license revenues.

Judgments and Estimates

Our contracts with customers often include promises to transfer multiple products and services. Determining whether products and services are considered distinct performance obligations that should be accounted for separately from one another sometimes requires judgment.

Judgment is required to determine standalone selling prices (“SSP”) for each distinct performance obligation. We typically have more than one SSP for each of our products and services based on customer stratification, which is based on the size of the customer, their geographic region and market segment. We use other comparable software license sales to determine SSPs for perpetual software licenses. For our cloud-based subscriptions and for maintenance services, training and professional services, SSPs are generally observable using standalone sales and/or renewals. Our on-premises term-based software licenses generally do not have directly observable inputs for determining SSP. Therefore, we determine SSP using other observable inputs including customer buying patterns, renewal rates, cumulative spend comparisons and other industry data.

Assets Recognized from the Costs to Obtain a Contract with a Customer

We recognize an asset for the incremental costs of obtaining a contract with a customer if we expect the benefit of those costs to be longer than one year. We have determined that certain costs related to our sales incentive programs meet the requirements to be capitalized and deferred. Assets recorded are included in other current assets and other long-term assets. We amortize these deferred costs proportionate with related revenues over four years, which is generally longer than the term of the initial contract because of anticipated renewals as sales commissions for renewals are not commensurate with sales commissions related to our initial contracts.

Concentrations of Credit Risk

Financial instruments that potentially subject us to concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents, investments and accounts receivable.

Our investment portfolio consists of investment-grade securities diversified among security types, industries and issuers. Our cash and cash equivalents and investments are held and managed by recognized financial institutions that follow our investment policy. Our policy limits the amount of credit exposure to any one security issue or issuer.

Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

The new revenue recognition standard materially impacts the timing of revenue recognition related to our on-premises term license agreements. Prior to our adoption of the new revenue recognition standard, we historically recognized revenue related to on-premises term license agreements ratably over the term of the licensing agreement. Under the new revenue recognition standard, revenue allocable to the license portion of the arrangement is recognized upon delivery of the license. Maintenance revenue related to on-premises term license agreements continue to be recognized ratably over the term of the licensing agreement. Under the new revenue recognition standard, we allocate total transaction price to performance obligations based on estimated standalone selling prices, which impacts the timing of revenue recognition depending on when each performance obligation is recognized. These impacts to the timing of revenue recognition also affect our deferred revenue balances.

For further discussion regarding the impacts of adopting the new revenue recognition standard, see Note 6.

In October 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-16 related to the accounting for income tax effects on intra-entity asset transfers of assets other than inventory. The new guidance requires reporting entities to recognize tax expense from the sale of assets when the transfer occurs, even though the pre-tax effects of the transaction are eliminated in consolidation. We adopted the new standard in the first quarter of 2018 on a modified retrospective basis. The adoption resulted in the recognition of a U.S. deferred tax asset, which was fully offset by a corresponding increase to the valuation allowance on our U.S. federal and state deferred income tax assets, and therefore did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02 related to lease accounting. The new guidance will require lessees to recognize right-of-use assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet for operating leases that do not meet the definition of a short-term lease. ASU 2016-02 is effective for annual periods, including interim periods within those annual periods, beginning after December 15, 2018 and requires modified retrospective transition. Under the new standard we anticipate that our current real estate leases will continue to be classified as operating leases and a significant amount of our currently outstanding operating lease commitments will be recorded to the balance sheet as right-of-use assets with corresponding lease liabilities. Our evaluation of the new standard will extend into future periods and we will update our disclosures, including the expected impacts of the new standard, as we progress towards the required adoption date.

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, related to credit losses. The new guidance replaces the existing incurred loss impairment model with an expected credit loss model and requires a financial asset measured at amortized cost to be presented at the net amount expected to be collected. ASU 2016-13 is effective for annual periods, including interim periods within those annual periods, beginning after December 15, 2019. Early adoption is permitted. We are currently evaluating the impact that this standard will have on our consolidated financial statements.