Derivative Instruments And Hedging Activities

12 Months Ended

Oct. 29, 2011

Derivative Instruments And Hedging Activities [Abstract]

Derivative Instruments And Hedging Activities

11. Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities

In the normal course of business, the Company is exposed to fluctuations in interest rates and the exchange rates associated with foreign currencies. The Company's primary objective for holding derivative financial instruments is to manage foreign currency exchange rate risk. The Company currently does not enter into derivative instruments to manage credit risk. However, the Company manages its exposure to credit risk through its investment policies. The Company generally enters into derivative transactions with high-credit quality counterparties and, by policy, limits the amount of credit exposure to any one counterparty based on its analysis of that counterparty's relative credit standing. The amounts subject to credit risk related to derivative instruments are generally limited to the amounts, if any, by which counterparty's obligations exceed the Company's obligations with that counterparty.

Foreign Currency Exchange Rate Risk

A majority of the Company's revenue, expense and capital purchasing activities is transacted in U.S. dollars. However, the Company is exposed to foreign currency exchange rate risk inherent in conducting business globally in numerous currencies, of which the most significant to its operations for the fiscal year ended October 29, 2011 were the Chinese yuan, the euro, the Japanese yen, the Indian rupee, the British pound, the Singapore dollar and the Swiss franc. The Company is primarily exposed to foreign currency fluctuations related to operating expenses denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. The Company has established a foreign currency risk management program to protect against fluctuations in the volatility of future cash flows caused by changes in foreign currency exchange rates. This program reduces, but does not always entirely eliminate, the impact of foreign currency exchange rate movements. The Company's foreign currency risk management program includes foreign currency derivatives with cash flow hedge accounting designation that utilizes foreign currency forward contracts to hedge exposures to the variability in the U.S. dollar equivalent of anticipated non-U.S. dollar-denominated cash flows. These instruments generally have a maturity of less than one year. For these derivatives, the Company reports the after-tax gain or loss from the effective portion of the hedge as a component of accumulated other comprehensive loss in stockholders' equity and reclassifies it into earnings in the same period in which the hedged transaction affects earnings. Prior to fiscal year 2011, these gains or losses were included in "Other expenses" on the consolidated statements of operations. Beginning in the first fiscal quarter of 2011, these gains or losses are now presented within "Cost of revenues" and "Operating expenses," to match the underlying exposure to the related hedge results. Prior period amounts are not material and have not been reclassified. Net gains (losses) relating to the effective portion of foreign currency derivatives recorded in the consolidated statements of operations are as follows (in thousands):

	Fiscal Year Ended October  29, 2011		Fiscal Year Ended October  30, 2010			Fiscal Year Ended October  31, 2009
Cost of revenues	$	882	$	—		$	—
Research and development		496		—			—
Sales and marketing		5,498		—			—
General and Administrative		416		—			—
Other expenses		—		(5,285	)		(1,814	)
Total	$	7,292	$	(5,285	)	$	(1,814	)

The net foreign currency exchange gains and losses recorded as part of "Other expenses" were losses of $0.6 million, $6.6 million and $4.5 million for the fiscal years ended October 29, 2011, October 30, 2010 and October 31, 2009, respectively.

Volume of Derivative Activity

Total gross notional amounts, presented by currency, are as follows (in thousands):

	Derivatives Designated as Hedging Instruments				Derivatives Not Designated as Hedging Instruments
	October 29, 2011		October 30, 2010		October 29, 2011		October 30, 2010
In United States Dollars
Euro	$	57,935	$	53,700	$	—	$	—
British pound		25,282		22,018		—		—
Japanese yen		17,957		14,306		—		—
Singapore dollar		16,136		12,427		—		—
Swiss franc		13,060		9,554		5,012		—
Total	$	130,370	$	112,005	$	5,012	$	—

The Company utilizes a rolling hedge strategy for the majority of its foreign currency derivative instruments with cash flow hedge accounting designation that hedges exposures to the variability in the U.S. dollar equivalent of anticipated non-U.S. dollar-denominated cash flows. All of the Company's foreign currency forward contracts are single delivery, which are settled at maturity involving one cash payment exchange.

Gross unrealized loss positions are recorded within "Other accrued liabilities," and gross unrealized gain positions are recorded within "Prepaid and other current assets." As of October 29, 2011, the Company had gross unrealized loss positions of $1.8 million and gross unrealized gain positions of $1.4 million included in "Other accrued liabilities" and "Prepaid and other current assets," respectively. Effective cash flow hedges are reported as a component of accumulated other comprehensive loss. Cash flow hedges ineffectiveness, which is included in the Company's net income as part of "Other expenses," was not significant.