Impact of Recently Issued Accounting Standards	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2017
Impact of Recently Issued Accounting Standards	Note 3. Impact of Recently Issued Accounting Standards Adoption of new accounting standards — In July 2015, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued updated guidance related to the simplification of the measurement of inventory. This standard update applies to inventory that is measured using first-in, first-out or average cost methods. The standard update requires entities to measure inventory at the lower of cost or net realizable value. Net realizable value is defined as the estimated selling prices in the ordinary course of business, less reasonably predictable costs of completion, disposal and transportation. This standard update is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016. ARRIS adopted this update as of January 1, 2017. The adoption of this guidance did not have any impact on the Company’s consolidated financial position and results of operations. In March 2016, the FASB issued guidance, Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting, which simplifies the accounting for share-based payment transactions. The new guidance requires excess tax benefits and tax deficiencies to be recorded in the income statement. In addition, the new standard includes provisions that impact the classification of awards as either equity or liabilities and the classification of excess tax benefits on the cash flow statements. ARRIS adopted this guidance in the first quarter of 2017. Upon adoption, using the modified retrospective transition method, the Company recorded a cumulative-effect adjustment for previously unrecognized excess tax benefits of $8.9 million, decreasing opening accumulated deficit. Applying the guidance prospectively, an income tax benefit of approximately ($2.6) million was recognized for the year ended December 31, 2017. Also, as a result of the adoption of this guidance, the Company made an accounting policy election to continue to estimate the number of forfeitures expected to occur and has applied the amendments in this guidance relating to classification on the statement of cash flows prospectively, as such no prior periods have been adjusted. Following adoption, the primary impact on the Consolidated Financial Statements will be the recognition of excess tax benefits in the provision for income taxes rather than additional paid-in capital, which will likely result in increased volatility in the reported amounts of income tax expense and net income. The tax effects will be treated as discrete items in our interim financial statements. In October 2016, the FASB issued new guidance for intra-entity transfer of assets other than inventory that requires companies to immediately recognize income tax effects of intercompany transactions in their income statements, eliminating the current exception that allows companies to defer the income tax effects of certain intercompany transactions. The new guidance will be effective for public business entities in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017. Early adoption is only permitted as of the beginning of an annual reporting period. ARRIS adopted this update as of January 1, 2017. Upon adoption, using the modified retrospective transition method, the Company recorded a cumulative-effect adjustment for previously recognized prepaid income taxes, decreasing opening accumulated deficit by $2.0 million and increasing non-current deferred tax assets by $4.5 million, and decreasing other current prepaid asset by $2.5 million. Applying the guidance prospectively, an income tax expense of approximately $8.0 million was recognized in the quarter ended March 31, 2017. Also as a result of the adoption of this guidance, any future inter-company sale transactions of assets other than inventory will result in either income tax expense or benefit in the period of the transaction. In January 2017, the FASB issued an accounting standard update that removes Step two of the goodwill impairment test, which requires the assessment of fair value of individual assets and liabilities of a reporting unit to measure goodwill impairments. Goodwill impairment will now be measured as the amount by which a reporting unit’s carrying amount exceeds its fair value. The accounting standard update is effective for the Company for its annual or any interim goodwill impairment tests in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020 on a prospective basis, and early adoption is permitted. ARRIS early adopted this update as of its annual impairment testing date on October 1, 2017. Upon adoption this guidance did not have any impact on the Company’s consolidated financial position and results of operations. Subsequently during the quarter ended December 31, 2017, as a result of a change in strategy for our Cloud TV reporting unit associated with our ActiveVideo acquisition, the Company expects lower future projected cash flows for the business, and as such, the Company has recorded a partial impairment of $51.2 million for the amount by which our Cloud TV reporting unit carrying amount exceeded its fair value of which $17.9 million is attributable to noncontrolling interest. Accounting standards issued but not yet effective — In May 2014, the FASB issued accounting standard update, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. The standard requires an entity to recognize revenue to depict the transfer of control of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. In addition, the standard requires disclosure of the nature, amount, timing, and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from contracts with customers. The FASB issued several amendments to the standard since its initial issuance, including delaying its effective date to reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, but permitting companies the option to adopt the standard one year earlier, as well as clarifications on identifying performance obligations and accounting for licenses of intellectual property, among others. There are two permitted transition methods under the new standard, the full retrospective method or the modified retrospective method. Under the full retrospective method, the standard would be applied to each prior reporting period presented and the cumulative effect of applying the standard would be recognized at the earliest period shown on the face of the financial statements being presented. Under the modified retrospective method, the cumulative effect of applying the standard would be recognized at the date of the initial application of the standard and the effect of the prior periods would be calculated and shown through a cumulative effect change in retained earnings. ARRIS is adopting the standard using the modified retrospective method on January 1, 2018. The Company has a cross-functional team that analyzed the impact of the standard on our revenue streams and contract portfolio to identify potential differences that would arise from applying the requirements of the new standard. To date, the Company has identified major revenue streams, performed an analysis of a sample of contracts to evaluate the impact of the standard, and are finalizing our contract analysis review and accounting policies and evaluating the new disclosure requirements. ARRIS is in the process of testing a new revenue recognition application, new business processes, and implementing new controls to support the adoption of the new standard. While the Company continues to assess all potential impacts of adopting the new guidance, based on analysis completed to date, the Company has identified certain instances where the Company will recognize revenue earlier under the new standard. For example, ARRIS will recognize revenue earlier for certain software license contracts. Likewise, the Company will recognize revenue earlier for certain arrangements with Value Added Resellers (“VARs”) currently accounted for utilizing the sell-through method. The new standard also requires an allocation of the transaction price to contract performance obligations based on their relative standalone selling prices, which could impact the amount and timing of revenue recognition depending on when each performance obligation is satisfied. The new revenue standard is not expected to have a material impact on the amount and timing of revenue recognized in the Company’s consolidated financial statements. While the process to determine the adjustment at adoption and the related controls are still in process, the Company expects to recognize a cumulative effect adjustment of $1.0 million to $10.0 million in 2018 that will reduce the accumulated deficit. The Company is currently assessing the tax impact from adoption. In February 2016, the FASB issued new guidance that will require lessees to recognize most leases on their balance sheets as a right-of-use asset with a corresponding lease liability, and lessors to recognize a net lease investment. Additional qualitative and quantitative disclosures will also be required. This standard is effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018, although early adoption is permitted. The Company has established a project management team to analyze the impact of this standard by reviewing its current accounting policies and practices to identify potential impacts that would result from the application of this standard. The Company has determined changes are likely required to its business processes, systems and controls to effectively report leases and disclosure under the new standard. In August 2016, the FASB issued amended guidance on the classification of certain cash receipts and payments in the statement of cash flows. The primary purpose of the amended guidance is to reduce the diversity in practice that has resulted from the lack of consistent principles on this topic. The amended guidance adds or clarifies guidance on eight cash flow issues, including debt prepayment or debt extinguishment costs, settlement of zero-coupon debt instruments or certain other debt instruments, contingent consideration payments made after a business combination, proceeds from the settlement of insurance claims, proceeds from the settlement of corporate-owned life insurance policies, distributions received from equity method investees, beneficial interests in securitization transactions and separately identifiable cash flows and application of the predominance principle. The guidance is effective for the Company beginning January 1, 2018 for both interim and annual reporting periods, with early adoption permitted. Entities must apply the guidance retrospectively to all periods presented but may apply it prospectively from the earliest date practicable if retrospective application would be impracticable. The Company is currently assessing the potential impact of the adoption of this guidance on its Consolidated Financial Statements. In November 2016, the FASB issued new guidance that requires that a statement of cash flows explain the change during the period in the total of cash, cash equivalents, and amounts generally described as restricted cash or restricted cash equivalents. Therefore, amounts generally described as restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents should be included with cash and cash equivalents when reconciling the beginning-of-period and end-of-period total amounts shown on the statement of cash flows. The new guidance is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017 and early adoption is permitted. The amendment should be adopted retrospectively. The Company is currently assessing the potential impact of the adoption of this guidance on its Consolidated Financial Statements. In January 2017, the FASB issued an accounting standard update that clarifies the definition of a business to help companies evaluate whether acquisition or disposal transactions should be accounted for as asset groups or as businesses. The accounting standard update will be effective for the Company beginning in the first quarter of fiscal 2019 on a prospective basis. The impact of this accounting standard update will be facts and circumstances dependent, but the Company expects, that in some situations, transactions that were previously accounted for as business combinations or disposal transactions will be accounted for as asset purchases or asset sales under the accounting standard update. In March 2017, the FASB issued an accounting standard update that requires entities to disaggregate the service cost component from the other components of net periodic benefit costs and present it with other current compensation costs for related employees in the income statement, and present the other components elsewhere in the income statement and outside of income from operations if that subtotal is presented. The amendments in this update also allow only the service cost component to be eligible for capitalization when applicable. The accounting standard update will be effective for the Company in the first quarter of fiscal 2018. Early adoption is permitted. See Note 20Employee Benefit Plans of Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for the components of net periodic cost for 2017, 2016 and 2015. In May 2017, the FASB issued an accounting standard which amends the scope of modification accounting for share-based payment arrangements. The standard provides guidance on the types of changes to the terms or conditions of share-based payment awards to which an entity would be required to apply modification accounting. The accounting standard will be applied prospectively to awards modified on or after the effective date. It will be effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017 (January 1, 2018 for the Company). Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently assessing the potential impact of the adoption of this standard on its Consolidated Financial Statements. In August 2017, the FASB issued an accounting standard which eliminates the requirement to separately measure and report hedge ineffectiveness and requires companies to recognize all elements of hedge accounting that impact earnings in the same income statement line item where the hedged item resides. The standard includes new alternatives for measuring the hedged item for fair value hedges of interest rate risk and eases the requirements for effectiveness testing, hedge documentation and applying the critical terms match method. Finally, the standard introduces new alternatives that permit companies to reduce the risk of material error if the shortcut method is misapplied. The accounting standard is effective beginning January 1, 2019 and is required to be applied prospectively. The Company is currently assessing the potential impact of the adoption of this standard on its Consolidated Financial Statements.

Note 3. Impact of Recently Issued Accounting Standards

Adoption of new accounting standards — In July 2015, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued updated guidance related to the simplification of the measurement of inventory. This standard update applies to inventory that is measured using first-in, first-out or average cost methods. The standard update requires entities to measure inventory at the lower of cost or net realizable value. Net realizable value is defined as the estimated selling prices in the ordinary course of business, less reasonably predictable costs of completion, disposal and transportation. This standard update is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016. ARRIS adopted this update as of January 1, 2017. The adoption of this guidance did not have any impact on the Company’s consolidated financial position and results of operations.

In March 2016, the FASB issued guidance, Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting, which simplifies the accounting for share-based payment transactions. The new guidance requires excess tax benefits and tax deficiencies to be recorded in the income statement. In addition, the new standard includes provisions that impact the classification of awards as either equity or liabilities and the classification of excess tax benefits on the cash flow statements. ARRIS adopted this guidance in the first quarter of 2017. Upon adoption, using the modified retrospective transition method, the Company recorded a cumulative-effect adjustment for previously unrecognized excess tax benefits of $8.9 million, decreasing opening accumulated deficit. Applying the guidance prospectively, an income tax benefit of approximately ($2.6) million was recognized for the year ended December 31, 2017. Also, as a result of the adoption of this guidance, the Company made an accounting policy election to continue to estimate the number of forfeitures expected to occur and has applied the amendments in this guidance relating to classification on the statement of cash flows prospectively, as such no prior periods have been adjusted. Following adoption, the primary impact on the Consolidated Financial Statements will be the recognition of excess tax benefits in the provision for income taxes rather than additional paid-in capital, which will likely result in increased volatility in the reported amounts of income tax expense and net income. The tax effects will be treated as discrete items in our interim financial statements.

In October 2016, the FASB issued new guidance for intra-entity transfer of assets other than inventory that requires companies to immediately recognize income tax effects of intercompany transactions in their income statements, eliminating the current exception that allows companies to defer the income tax effects of certain intercompany transactions. The new guidance will be effective for public business entities in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017. Early adoption is only permitted as of the beginning of an annual reporting period. ARRIS adopted this update as of January 1, 2017. Upon adoption, using the modified retrospective transition method, the Company recorded a cumulative-effect adjustment for previously recognized prepaid income taxes, decreasing opening accumulated deficit by $2.0 million and increasing non-current deferred tax assets by $4.5 million, and decreasing other current prepaid asset by $2.5 million. Applying the guidance prospectively, an income tax expense of approximately $8.0 million was recognized in the quarter ended March 31, 2017. Also as a result of the adoption of this guidance, any future inter-company sale transactions of assets other than inventory will result in either income tax expense or benefit in the period of the transaction.

In January 2017, the FASB issued an accounting standard update that removes Step two of the goodwill impairment test, which requires the assessment of fair value of individual assets and liabilities of a reporting unit to measure goodwill impairments. Goodwill impairment will now be measured as the amount by which a reporting unit’s carrying amount exceeds its fair value. The accounting standard update is effective for the Company for its annual or any interim goodwill impairment tests in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020 on a prospective basis, and early adoption is permitted. ARRIS early adopted this update as of its annual impairment testing date on October 1, 2017. Upon adoption this guidance did not have any impact on the Company’s consolidated financial position and results of operations. Subsequently during the quarter ended December 31, 2017, as a result of a change in strategy for our Cloud TV reporting unit associated with our ActiveVideo acquisition, the Company expects lower future projected cash flows for the business, and as such, the Company has recorded a partial impairment of $51.2 million for the amount by which our Cloud TV reporting unit carrying amount exceeded its fair value of which $17.9 million is attributable to noncontrolling interest.

Accounting standards issued but not yet effective — In May 2014, the FASB issued accounting standard update, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. The standard requires an entity to recognize revenue to depict the transfer of control of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. In addition, the standard requires disclosure of the nature, amount, timing, and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from contracts with customers. The FASB issued several amendments to the standard since its initial issuance, including delaying its effective date to reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, but permitting companies the option to adopt the standard one year earlier, as well as clarifications on identifying performance obligations and accounting for licenses of intellectual property, among others.

There are two permitted transition methods under the new standard, the full retrospective method or the modified retrospective method. Under the full retrospective method, the standard would be applied to each prior reporting period presented and the cumulative effect of applying the standard would be recognized at the earliest period shown on the face of the financial statements being presented. Under the modified retrospective method, the cumulative effect of applying the standard would be recognized at the date of the initial application of the standard and the effect of the prior periods would be calculated and shown through a cumulative effect change in retained earnings. ARRIS is adopting the standard using the modified retrospective method on January 1, 2018.

The Company has a cross-functional team that analyzed the impact of the standard on our revenue streams and contract portfolio to identify potential differences that would arise from applying the requirements of the new standard. To date, the Company has identified major revenue streams, performed an analysis of a sample of contracts to evaluate the impact of the standard, and are finalizing our contract analysis review and accounting policies and evaluating the new disclosure requirements. ARRIS is in the process of testing a new revenue recognition application, new business processes, and implementing new controls to support the adoption of the new standard.

While the Company continues to assess all potential impacts of adopting the new guidance, based on analysis completed to date, the Company has identified certain instances where the Company will recognize revenue earlier under the new standard. For example, ARRIS will recognize revenue earlier for certain software license contracts. Likewise, the Company will recognize revenue earlier for certain arrangements with Value Added Resellers (“VARs”) currently accounted for utilizing the sell-through method. The new standard also requires an allocation of the transaction price to contract performance obligations based on their relative standalone selling prices, which could impact the amount and timing of revenue recognition depending on when each performance obligation is satisfied. The new revenue standard is not expected to have a material impact on the amount and timing of revenue recognized in the Company’s consolidated financial statements. While the process to determine the adjustment at adoption and the related controls are still in process, the Company expects to recognize a cumulative effect adjustment of $1.0 million to $10.0 million in 2018 that will reduce the accumulated deficit. The Company is currently assessing the tax impact from adoption.

In February 2016, the FASB issued new guidance that will require lessees to recognize most leases on their balance sheets as a right-of-use asset with a corresponding lease liability, and lessors to recognize a net lease investment. Additional qualitative and quantitative disclosures will also be required. This standard is effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018, although early adoption is permitted. The Company has established a project management team to analyze the impact of this standard by reviewing its current accounting policies and practices to identify potential impacts that would result from the application of this standard. The Company has determined changes are likely required to its business processes, systems and controls to effectively report leases and disclosure under the new standard.

In August 2016, the FASB issued amended guidance on the classification of certain cash receipts and payments in the statement of cash flows. The primary purpose of the amended guidance is to reduce the diversity in practice that has resulted from the lack of consistent principles on this topic. The amended guidance adds or clarifies guidance on eight cash flow issues, including debt prepayment or debt extinguishment costs, settlement of zero-coupon debt instruments or certain other debt instruments, contingent consideration payments made after a business combination, proceeds from the settlement of insurance claims, proceeds from the settlement of corporate-owned life insurance policies, distributions received from equity method investees, beneficial interests in securitization transactions and separately identifiable cash flows and application of the predominance principle. The guidance is effective for the Company beginning January 1, 2018 for both interim and annual reporting periods, with early adoption permitted. Entities must apply the guidance retrospectively to all periods presented but may apply it prospectively from the earliest date practicable if retrospective application would be impracticable. The Company is currently assessing the potential impact of the adoption of this guidance on its Consolidated Financial Statements.

In November 2016, the FASB issued new guidance that requires that a statement of cash flows explain the change during the period in the total of cash, cash equivalents, and amounts generally described as restricted cash or restricted cash equivalents. Therefore, amounts generally described as restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents should be included with cash and cash equivalents when reconciling the beginning-of-period and end-of-period total amounts shown on the statement of cash flows. The new guidance is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017 and early adoption is permitted. The amendment should be adopted retrospectively. The Company is currently assessing the potential impact of the adoption of this guidance on its Consolidated Financial Statements.

In January 2017, the FASB issued an accounting standard update that clarifies the definition of a business to help companies evaluate whether acquisition or disposal transactions should be accounted for as asset groups or as businesses. The accounting standard update will be effective for the Company beginning in the first quarter of fiscal 2019 on a prospective basis. The impact of this accounting standard update will be facts and circumstances dependent, but the Company expects, that in some situations, transactions that were previously accounted for as business combinations or disposal transactions will be accounted for as asset purchases or asset sales under the accounting standard update.

In March 2017, the FASB issued an accounting standard update that requires entities to disaggregate the service cost component from the other components of net periodic benefit costs and present it with other current compensation costs for related employees in the income statement, and present the other components elsewhere in the income statement and outside of income from operations if that subtotal is presented. The amendments in this update also allow only the service cost component to be eligible for capitalization when applicable. The accounting standard update will be effective for the Company in the first quarter of fiscal 2018. Early adoption is permitted. See Note 20Employee Benefit Plans of Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for the components of net periodic cost for 2017, 2016 and 2015.

In May 2017, the FASB issued an accounting standard which amends the scope of modification accounting for share-based payment arrangements. The standard provides guidance on the types of changes to the terms or conditions of share-based payment awards to which an entity would be required to apply modification accounting. The accounting standard will be applied prospectively to awards modified on or after the effective date. It will be effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017 (January 1, 2018 for the Company). Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently assessing the potential impact of the adoption of this standard on its Consolidated Financial Statements.

In August 2017, the FASB issued an accounting standard which eliminates the requirement to separately measure and report hedge ineffectiveness and requires companies to recognize all elements of hedge accounting that impact earnings in the same income statement line item where the hedged item resides. The standard includes new alternatives for measuring the hedged item for fair value hedges of interest rate risk and eases the requirements for effectiveness testing, hedge documentation and applying the critical terms match method. Finally, the standard introduces new alternatives that permit companies to reduce the risk of material error if the shortcut method is misapplied. The accounting standard is effective beginning January 1, 2019 and is required to be applied prospectively. The Company is currently assessing the potential impact of the adoption of this standard on its Consolidated Financial Statements.