BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2017
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES	BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES Basis of Presentation The consolidated financial statements have been prepared in United States dollars, in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States ("GAAP"). On October 27, 2017 (the "Merger Date"), Sonus Networks, Inc. ("Sonus") consummated an acquisition as specified in an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”) with Solstice Sapphire Investments, Inc. ("NewCo") and certain of its wholly-owned subsidiaries, GENBAND Holdings Company, GENBAND Inc. and GENBAND II, Inc. (collectively, "GENBAND") pursuant to which, following a series of merger transactions (collectively, the "Merger"), Sonus and GENBAND each became a wholly-owned subsidiary of NewCo, with Sonus deemed the acquirer in the transaction for accounting purposes. Subsequently, on November 28, 2017, the Company changed its name to "Ribbon Communications Inc." The consolidated financial statements of the Company represent the consolidated financial statements of Sonus, prior to the Merger Date, and the consolidated financial statements of Ribbon, on and after the Merger Date. The financial results of GENBAND are included in Ribbon's consolidated financial statements beginning on the Merger Date. Significant Accounting Policies Principles of Consolidation The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Ribbon and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation. Use of Estimates and Judgments 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 and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. Significant estimates and judgments relied upon in preparing these consolidated financial statements include accounting for business combinations, revenue recognition for multiple element arrangements, inventory valuations, assumptions used to determine the fair value of stock-based compensation, intangible assets and goodwill valuations, legal contingencies and recoverability of Ribbon's net deferred tax assets and the related valuation allowances. Ribbon regularly assesses these estimates and records changes in estimates in the period in which they become known. Ribbon bases its estimates on historical experience and various other assumptions that it believes to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Reclassifications Certain reclassifications, not affecting previously reported net loss, have been made to the previously issued financial statements to conform to the current period presentation. Business Combinations The Company recognizes identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed at their acquisition date fair values. Goodwill as of the acquisition date is measured as the excess of consideration transferred over the net of the acquisition date fair values of the assets acquired and the liabilities assumed and represents the expected future economic benefits arising from other assets acquired in the business combination that are not individually identified and separately recognized. While the Company uses its best estimates and assumptions as part of the purchase price allocation process to accurately value assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the acquisition date, its estimates are inherently uncertain and subject to refinement. As a result, during the measurement period, which may be up to one year from the acquisition date, the Company records adjustments to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed with the corresponding offset to goodwill to the extent that it identifies adjustments to the preliminary purchase price allocation. Upon the conclusion of the measurement period or final determination of the values of assets acquired and liabilities assumed, whichever comes first, any subsequent adjustments are recorded to the consolidated statements of operations. Revenue Recognition The Company recognizes revenue from sales when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, delivery has occurred, the sale price is fixed or determinable, and collectability of the related receivable is reasonably assured. In instances where customer acceptance is required, revenue is deferred until the acceptance has been achieved. When fees for products or services are not fixed and determinable, the Company defers the recording of receivables, deferred revenue and revenue until such time as the fees become due or are collected. Revenue from maintenance and support services is recognized ratably over the service period. Maintenance revenue is deferred until the associated product is accepted by the customer and all other revenue recognition criteria have been met. Maintenance and support services include telephone support, return and repair support and unspecified rights to product upgrades and enhancements. Revenue from other professional services is typically recognized as the services are delivered if all other revenue recognition criteria have been met. The Company's products typically have both software and non-software components that function together to deliver the products' essential functionality. In addition, hardware sold generally cannot be used apart from the software. Therefore, the Company considers its principal products to be both software and hardware-related. Many of the Company's sales involve multiple element arrangements that include product, maintenance and various professional services. The Company recognizes revenue in accordance with the provisions of Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") 605-25, Revenue Recognition - Multiple-Element Arrangements ("ASC 605-25") for transactions that include both hardware and software components. The Company recognizes revenue from stand-alone software sales under the software revenue recognition guidance in ASC 985-605, Software - Revenue Recognition ("ASC 985-605"). The Company limits the amount of revenue recognized for delivered elements to the amount that is not contingent on the future delivery of products or services, future performance obligations, or subject to customer-specific return or refund privileges. For multiple-element arrangements that include both software-only products and non-software products, the Company allocates the total arrangement consideration to the software-only deliverables as a group and to the individual non-software deliverables based on their relative selling prices. If an undelivered element (such as maintenance and support services) relates to both the software-only and non-software deliverables, the Company bifurcates the consideration allocated to the undelivered element (such as maintenance and support services) into a non-software component and the software-only component using the relative selling price method. The consideration allocated to the non-software and software-only deliverables is recognized in accordance with the guidance as discussed in this note. Under ASC 985-605, revenue for any undelivered elements that are considered not essential to the functionality of the product and for which VSOE has been established is deferred and recognized upon delivery utilizing the residual method. If the Company has undelivered product for which VSOE has not been established, it defers all revenue on the entire arrangement until VSOE is established or until such elements are delivered, provided that all other revenue recognition criteria are met. If the Company has undelivered services for which VSOE has not been established, the entire arrangement is recognized as revenue over the longest remaining service period from the point in time that all services have commenced and all products have been delivered, provided that all other revenue recognition criteria are met. For transactions that include multiple elements, arrangement consideration is allocated to each element based on the relative selling prices of all of the elements in the arrangement using the fair value hierarchy as required by ASC 605-25. The Company establishes VSOE based upon the price charged when the same element is sold separately or established by management having the relevant pricing authority. The Company has VSOE for certain of its maintenance and support services and certain professional services. When VSOE exists, it is used to determine the selling price of a deliverable. The Company has not been able to establish VSOE of its products, for certain of its services and for certain maintenance offerings because the Company has not sold such products or services on a stand-alone basis, has not priced its products or services within a narrow range, or has limited sales history. When VSOE is not established, the Company attempts to establish the selling price of each element based on TPE. The Company's solution typically differs from that of its peers as there are no similar or interchangeable competitor products or services. The Company's various product, service and maintenance offerings contain a significant level of unique features and functionality and therefore, comparable pricing of competitors' products and services with similar functionality cannot be obtained. Accordingly, the Company is not able to determine TPE for its products or services. When the Company is unable to establish selling price using VSOE or TPE, the Company uses ESP in its allocation of arrangement consideration for the relevant deliverables. The objective of ESP is to determine the price at which the Company would transact a sale if a product or service was sold on a stand-alone basis. The Company determines ESP for its products and certain services by considering multiple factors including, but not limited to, overall market conditions, including geographic or regional-specific market factors, profit objectives and historical pricing practices for such deliverables. The determination of ESP is a formal process within the Company that includes review and approval by the Company's management. Deferred revenue typically includes customer deposits and amounts associated with partial product shipments and maintenance or service contracts. Deferred revenue expected to be recognized as revenue more than one year subsequent to the balance sheet date is reported as a component of long-term liabilities in the consolidated balance sheets. The Company defers recognition of incremental direct costs, such as cost of goods, third-party installations and commissions, until recognition of the related revenue. Such costs are classified as current assets if the deferred revenue is initially classified as current and noncurrent assets if the related deferred revenue is initially classified as long-term. The Company excludes any taxes assessed by a governmental authority that are directly imposed on a revenue-producing transaction (i.e., sales, use and value added) from its revenue and costs. Reimbursement received for out-of-pocket expenses and shipping costs is recorded as revenue. The Company sells the majority of its products directly to its end customers. For products sold to resellers and distributors, the Company recognizes revenue on a sell-through basis. Financial Instruments The carrying amounts of Ribbon's financial instruments, which include cash equivalents, investments, accounts receivable and accounts payable, approximate their fair values. All investments in marketable securities are classified as available-for-sale and are reported at fair value, with unrealized gains and losses excluded from earnings and reported, net of tax, in Accumulated other comprehensive loss, which is a component of stockholders' equity. Unrealized losses that are determined to be other-than-temporary, based on current and expected market conditions, are recognized in earnings. Declines in fair value determined to be credit-related are charged to earnings. The cost of marketable securities sold is determined by the specific identification method. Financial instruments with remaining maturities or that are due within one year from the balance sheet date are classified as current. Financial instruments with remaining maturities or that are payable more than one year from the balance sheet date are classified as noncurrent. Cash and Cash Equivalents Cash equivalents are stated at fair value. Cash equivalents are liquid securities that have remaining maturities of three months or less at the date of purchase. Restricted Cash The Company classifies as restricted cash all cash pledged as collateral to secure long-term obligations and all cash whose use is otherwise limited by contractual provisions. Restricted cash is recorded within other current assets on the consolidated balance sheet. Foreign Currency Translation For foreign subsidiaries where the functional currency is the local currency, assets and liabilities are translated into U.S. dollars at the current exchange rate on the balance sheet date. Revenue and expenses are translated at average rates of exchange prevailing during each period. Translation adjustments for these subsidiaries are included in Accumulated other comprehensive loss. For foreign subsidiaries where the functional currency is the U.S. dollar, monetary assets and liabilities are translated into U.S. dollars at the current exchange rate on the balance sheet date. Nonmonetary assets and liabilities are remeasured into U.S. dollars at historical exchange rates. Revenue and expense items are translated at average rates of exchange prevailing during each period. Realized and unrealized foreign currency gains and losses arising from transactions denominated in currencies other than the subsidiary's functional currency are reflected in earnings with the exception of intercompany transactions considered to be of a long-term investment nature. Effective on the Merger Date, the Company began to record its foreign currency transaction gains (losses) as a component of Other income (expense), net. The Company did not reclassify amounts previously recorded within General and administrative expenses as the amounts were not material to the consolidated results of the Company. The Company recognized net transaction gains of $0.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2017 and net transaction losses of $0.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2016 and $0.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2015. Inventory Inventory is recorded at the lower of cost or market value using the first-in, first-out convention. The Company reduces the carrying value of inventory for those items that are potentially excess, obsolete or slow-moving based on changes in customer demand, technology developments or other economic factors. Ribbon writes down evaluation equipment at the time of shipment to its customers, as it is probable that the inventory value will not be realized. Deferred product costs represent deferred cost of revenue for product shipments to customers prior to satisfaction of Ribbon's revenue recognition criteria. The Company classifies inventory that is not expected to be consumed within one year from the balance sheet date as noncurrent and includes such inventory as a component of Other assets. Property and Equipment Property and equipment are stated at cost, net of accumulated depreciation. Expenditures for maintenance and repairs are charged to expense as incurred. Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the related assets, which range from two to five years. Leasehold improvements are amortized over the lesser of the lease term or five years. When an asset is sold or retired, the cost and related accumulated depreciation or amortization are eliminated, and the resulting gain or loss, if any, is recognized in income (loss) from operations in the consolidated statement of operations. The Company reviews property and equipment for impairment in the same manner as intangible assets discussed below. Software development costs associated with internal use software are incurred in three stages of development: the preliminary project stage, the application development stage and the post-implementation stage. Costs incurred during the preliminary project and post-implementation stages are expensed as incurred. Certain qualifying costs incurred during the application development stage are capitalized as property and equipment. Internal use software is amortized on a straight-line basis over its estimated useful life of three years, beginning when the software is ready for its intended use. Intangible Assets and Goodwill Intangible assets are comprised of certain intangible assets arising from the Merger, as well as previous acquisitions. These intangible assets include a combination of in-process research and development, developed technology, customer relationships, trade names, and internal use software. Intangible assets are reviewed for impairment when events or changes in circumstances indicate that their carrying amounts may not be recoverable based upon the estimated undiscounted cash flows. Recoverability of intangible assets with estimated lives and other long-lived assets is measured by a comparison of the carrying amount of an asset or asset group to future net undiscounted cash flows expected to be generated by the asset or asset group. If these comparisons indicate that an asset is not recoverable, the Company will recognize an impairment loss for the amount by which the carrying value of the asset or asset group exceeds the related estimated fair value. Estimated fair value is based on either discounted future operating cash flows or appraised values, depending on the nature of the asset. The Company amortizes its intangible assets over their respective useful lives, with the exception of in-process research and development, which has an indefinite life until the product is generally available, at which time such asset is typically reclassified to developed technology, and the Company begins to amortize this asset. See Note 9 for additional information regarding the Company's intangible assets. Goodwill is recorded when the consideration for an acquisition exceeds the fair value of net tangible and identifiable intangible assets acquired. Goodwill is not amortized, but instead is tested for impairment at least annually, or more frequently if indicators of potential impairment exist, by comparing the fair value of the Company's reporting unit to its carrying value. The Company's annual testing for impairment of goodwill is completed as of November 30. The Company operates as a single operating segment with one reporting unit and consequently evaluates goodwill for impairment based on an evaluation of the fair value of the Company as a whole. The Company performed its step one assessments for each of the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015 and determined each year that its market capitalization was significantly in excess of its carrying value and accordingly, there was no impairment of goodwill. Other Assets Other assets are primarily comprised of the long-term portion of deferred cost of goods sold, prepaid expenses and deposits. Stock-Based Compensation The Company's stock-based compensation cost is measured at the grant date based on the fair value of the award and is recognized as expense over the requisite service period, which generally represents the vesting period, and includes an estimate of the awards that will be forfeited. The Company uses the Black-Scholes valuation model for estimating the fair value on the date of grant of stock options. The fair value of stock option awards is affected by the Company's stock price as well as valuation assumptions, including the volatility of Ribbon's stock price, expected term of the option, risk-free interest rate and expected dividends. In 2015, the Company began to grant performance-based stock units ("PSUs") that include a market condition to certain of its executives. The Company uses a Monte Carlo simulation approach to model future stock price movements based upon the risk-free rate of return, the volatility of each entity and the pair-wise covariance between each entity. These results are then used to calculate the grant date fair values of the PSUs. Research and Development Costs Research and development costs are expensed as incurred. Concentrations of Credit Risk The financial instruments that potentially subject Ribbon to concentrations of credit risk are cash, cash equivalents, investments and accounts receivable. The Company's cash equivalents and investments were managed by one financial institution at both December 31, 2017 and 2016. Historically, the Company has not experienced significant losses due to such bank depository concentration. Certain components and software licenses from third parties used in Ribbon's products are procured from single sources of supply. The failure of a supplier, including a subcontractor, to deliver on schedule could delay or interrupt Ribbon's delivery of products and thereby materially adversely affect Ribbon's revenues and operating results. Advertising Costs Advertising costs are expensed as incurred and included as a component of Sales and marketing expense in the Company's consolidated statements of operations. Advertising expenses were $0.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2017, $0.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2016 and $0.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2015. Operating Segments The Company operates in a single segment, as the chief operating decision maker makes decisions and assesses performance at the company level. Operating segments are identified as components of an enterprise about which separate discrete financial information is utilized for evaluation by the chief operating decision maker in making decisions regarding resource allocation and assessing performance. To date, the chief operating decision maker has made such decisions and assessed performance at the company level, as one segment. The Company's chief operating decision maker is its President and Chief Executive Officer. Loss Contingencies and Reserves Ribbon is subject to ongoing business risks arising in the ordinary course of business, including legal claims, that affect the estimation process of the carrying value of assets, the recording of liabilities and the possibility of various loss contingencies. An estimated loss contingency is accrued when it is probable that a liability has been incurred or an asset has been impaired and the amount of loss can be reasonably estimated. Ribbon regularly evaluates current information available to determine whether such amounts should be adjusted and records changes in estimates in the period they become known. An allowance for doubtful accounts is estimated based on the Company's assessment of the collectability of specific customer accounts. Ribbon accrues for royalties for technology that it licenses from vendors based on established royalty rates and usage. In certain cases, Ribbon has been contacted by third parties who claim that Ribbon's products infringe on certain intellectual property of a third party. Ribbon evaluates these claims and accrues amounts when it is probable that the obligation has been incurred and the amounts are reasonably estimable. Accounting for Income Taxes Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the expected future consequences of events that have been reflected in the consolidated financial statements. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on the differences between the financial reporting and tax basis of assets and liabilities and operating loss carryforwards, using tax rates expected to be in effect for the years in which the differences are expected to reverse. The Company records valuation allowances to reduce deferred income tax assets to the amount that is more likely than not to be realized. The Company has provided for income taxes on the undistributed earnings of its non-U.S. subsidiaries as of December 31, 2017, with the exception of the Company's Irish subsidiary, as the Company does not plan to permanently reinvest these amounts outside the United States. The repatriation of the undistributed earnings would result in withholding taxes imposed on the repatriation. Consequently, the Company has recorded a tax liability of $3.2 million, primarily consisting of withholding and distribution taxes, relating to undistributed earnings from these subsidiaries as of December 31, 2017. Had the earnings of the Irish subsidiary been determined to not be permanently reinvested outside the U.S., no additional deferred tax liability would be required due to no withholding taxes or income tax expense being imposed on such repatriation. The Company determines whether it is more likely than not that a tax position will be sustained upon examination. If it is not more likely than not that a position will be sustained, no amount of the benefit attributable to the position is recognized. The tax benefit to be recognized of any tax position that meets the more likely than not recognition threshold is calculated as the largest amount that is more than 50% likely of being realized upon resolution of the contingency. The Company accounts for interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions as part of its provision for income taxes. Defined Benefit Plans In connection with the Merger, the Company assumed defined benefit plans for some of GENBAND's employees at various international locations. The Company recognizes retirement benefit assets or liabilities in the consolidated balance sheets reflecting the funded status of pension and other retirement benefit plans. Retirement benefit assets and liabilities are adjusted for the difference between the benefit obligations and the plan assets at fair value (measured at year-end), with the offset recorded directly to stockholders' equity through accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax. The amount recorded in stockholders' equity represents the after-tax unamortized actuarial gains or losses, unamortized transition obligations and unamortized prior service costs. The amounts included in the Company's consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2017 represent the activity for the period from the Merger Date to December 31, 2017. Recent Accounting Pronouncements In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“ASU 2014-09”), its new standard on revenue from contracts with customers, along with additional ASUs which, among other things, clarified the implementation of the new revenue guidance and delayed the adoption by one year, to January 1, 2018 (collectively, the "New Revenue Standard" or "ASC 606"). The New Revenue Standard outlines a single comprehensive model for entities to use in accounting for revenue arising from contracts with customers and supersedes most current revenue recognition guidance, including industry-specific guidance. The core principle of the revenue model is that an entity recognizes revenue to depict the transfer 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 applying the revenue model to contracts within its scope, an entity identifies the contract(s) with a customer, identifies the performance obligations in the contract, determines the transaction price, allocates the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract and recognizes revenue when (or as) the entity satisfies a performance obligation. Certain of the New Revenue Standard's provisions also apply to transfers of nonfinancial assets, including in-substance nonfinancial assets that are not an output of an entity’s ordinary activities (i.e., property, plant and equipment; real estate; or intangible assets). Existing accounting guidance applicable to these transfers has been amended or superseded. Effective January 1, 2018, the Company adopted the New Revenue Standard using the modified retrospective option and has identified the necessary changes to its policies, processes, systems and controls. However, due to the recent acquisition of GENBAND, the Company has not yet completed all of its internal control procedures. Under the modified retrospective method, the Company is applying the New Revenue Standard to all contracts not yet completed as of January 1, 2018, recognizing in beginning Accumulated deficit an adjustment for the cumulative effect of the change and providing additional disclosures comparing results to those as if the Company was still following the previous accounting standards. Currently, the Company does not have VSOE for certain elements in software bundled arrangements, which results in revenue being recognized ratably over the longest performance period. The majority of the Company's transition adjustment will be related to these arrangements. The Company currently expects that the adjustment to decrease Accumulated deficit as a result of this change will not exceed $15 million. Additionally, the Company expects to capitalize certain commission costs resulting directly from securing contracts which are currently expensed. The Company expects this to result in the capitalization of approximately $1 million of previously expensed commissions expense. In May 2017, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2017-09, Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Scope of Modification Accounting ("ASU 2017-09"), which amends the scope of modification accounting for share-based payment arrangements such that an entity would not apply modification accounting if the fair value, vesting conditions and classification of the awards are the same immediately before and after the modification. ASU 2017-09 is effective for the Company beginning January 1, 2018 for both interim and annual reporting periods. The Company does not expect the adoption of ASU 2017-09 will have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements. In March 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-07, Compensation - Retirement Benefits (Topic 715): Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Post Retirement Benefit Cost ("ASU 2017-07"). ASU 2017-07 amends the requirements in ASC 715 to require entities to disaggregate the current-service-cost component from the other components of net benefit cost (the "other components") and include it with other current compensation costs for related employees, present the other components elsewhere in the income statement and outside of income from operations if such a subtotal is presented and disclose the income statement lines that contain the other components if they are not presented on appropriately described separate lines. ASU 2017-07 is effective for the Company beginning January 1, 2018 for both interim and annual reporting periods. The Company does not expect the adoption of ASU 2017-07 will have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements. In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-04, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment ("ASU 2017-04"), which removes the requirement to compare the implied fair value of goodwill with its carrying amount as part of step 2 of the goodwill impairment test by instead comparing the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount and recognizing an impairment charge for the amount by which the carrying amount exceeds the reporting unit's fair value. ASU 2017-04 also clarifies the treatment of foreign currency translation adjustments to reporting units and the income tax effects on goodwill impairment loss measurement. ASU 2017-04 is effective prospectively for the Company beginning January 15, 2020, with early adoption permitted for interim or annual goodwill impairment tests performed on testing dates after January 1, 2017. The Company elected to early-adopt ASU 2017-04; such early adoption did not have a material impact on its consolidated financial results. In October 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-16, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Intra-Entity Transfers of Assets Other Than Inventory ("ASU 2016-16"), which removes the prohibition in ASC 740, Income Taxes, against the immediate recognition of the current and deferred income tax effects of intra-entity transfers of assets other than inventory. ASU 2016-16 is effective for us beginning January 1, 2019 for both interim and annual reporting periods. The Company does not believe that the adoption of this standard will have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements. In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments ("ASU 2016-15"), which 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. ASU 2016-15 is effective for the Company beginning January 1, 2018 for both interim and annual reporting periods. 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 does not expect the adoption of ASU 2016-15 will have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements. In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments ("ASU 2016-13"), which adds an impairment model that is based on expected losses rather than incurred losses. Under ASU 2016-13, an entity recognizes as an allowance its estimate of expected credit losses, which the FASB believes will result in more timely recognition of such losses. ASU 2016-13 is effective for the Company beginning January 1, 2020 for both interim and annual reporting periods, with early adoption permitted. The Company does not expect the adoption of ASU 2016-13 will have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements. In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-09, Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting ("ASU 2016-09"), which simplifies several aspects of the accounting for employee share-based payment transactions, including the accounting for income taxes, forfeitures and statutory tax withholding requirements, as well as classification in the statement of cash flows. ASU 2016-09 became effective for the Company beginning January 1, 2017 for both interim and annual reporting periods. Under ASU 2016-09, the Company will now recognize unrealized excess tax benefits. Due to the full valuation allowance on the Company's federal and state income taxes, the adoption of ASU 2016-09 did not have a material impact on its accounting for income taxes. Without the valuation allowance, the Company would have recognized an increased deferred tax asset approximating $5 million. The Company has elected to continue to apply forfeiture rates to the expense attribution related to stock options, restricted stock awards and restricted stock units, as the Company believes that such continued application results in more accurate expense attribution over the life of these equity grants. In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) Section A - Leases: Amendments to the FASB Accounting Standards Codification ("ASU 2016-02"), its new standard on accounting for leases. ASU 2016-02 introduces a lessee model that brings most leases onto the balance sheet. ASU 2016-02 eliminates the current GAAP requirement for an entity to use bright-line tests in determining lease classification. ASU 2016-02 is effective for the Company for both interim and annual periods beginning January 1, 2019. Upon adoption of ASU 2016-02, the Company will recognize lease obligations for the right to use these assets in connection with its existing lease agreements. The Company is currently assessing the potential impact of the adoption of ASU 2016-02 on its consolidated financial statements and accordingly, such amounts to be recognized on the balance sheet have yet to be determined. In July 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-11, Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory ("ASU 2015-11"), which simplifies the measurement of inventory by requiring entities to measure most inventory at the lower of cost and net realizable value, replacing the previous requirement to measure most inventory at the lower of cost or market. ASU 2015-11 does not apply to inventories that are measured by using either the last-in, first-out method or the retail inventory method. ASU 2015-11 became effective for the Company for both interim and annual reporting periods beginning January 1, 2017. The adoption of ASU 2015-11 did not have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of Presentation

The consolidated financial statements have been prepared in United States dollars, in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States ("GAAP").

On October 27, 2017 (the "Merger Date"), Sonus Networks, Inc. ("Sonus") consummated an acquisition as specified in an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”) with Solstice Sapphire Investments, Inc. ("NewCo") and certain of its wholly-owned subsidiaries, GENBAND Holdings Company, GENBAND Inc. and GENBAND II, Inc. (collectively, "GENBAND") pursuant to which, following a series of merger transactions (collectively, the "Merger"), Sonus and GENBAND each became a wholly-owned subsidiary of NewCo, with Sonus deemed the acquirer in the transaction for accounting purposes. Subsequently, on November 28, 2017, the Company changed its name to "Ribbon Communications Inc."

The consolidated financial statements of the Company represent the consolidated financial statements of Sonus, prior to the Merger Date, and the consolidated financial statements of Ribbon, on and after the Merger Date. The financial results of GENBAND are included in Ribbon's consolidated financial statements beginning on the Merger Date.

Significant Accounting Policies

Principles of Consolidation

The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Ribbon and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation.

Use of Estimates and Judgments

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 and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. Significant estimates and judgments relied upon in preparing these consolidated financial statements include accounting for business combinations, revenue recognition for multiple element arrangements, inventory valuations, assumptions used to determine the fair value of stock-based compensation, intangible assets and goodwill valuations, legal contingencies and recoverability of Ribbon's net deferred tax assets and the related valuation allowances. Ribbon regularly assesses these estimates and records changes in estimates in the period in which they become known. Ribbon bases its estimates on historical experience and various other assumptions that it believes to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Reclassifications

Certain reclassifications, not affecting previously reported net loss, have been made to the previously issued financial statements to conform to the current period presentation.

Business Combinations

The Company recognizes identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed at their acquisition date fair values. Goodwill as of the acquisition date is measured as the excess of consideration transferred over the net of the acquisition date fair values of the assets acquired and the liabilities assumed and represents the expected future economic benefits arising from other assets acquired in the business combination that are not individually identified and separately recognized. While the Company uses its best estimates and assumptions as part of the purchase price allocation process to accurately value assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the acquisition date, its estimates are inherently uncertain and subject to refinement. As a result, during the measurement period, which may be up to one year from the acquisition date, the Company records adjustments to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed with the corresponding offset to goodwill to the extent that it identifies adjustments to the preliminary purchase price allocation. Upon the conclusion of the measurement period or final determination of the values of assets acquired and liabilities assumed, whichever comes first, any subsequent adjustments are recorded to the consolidated statements of operations.

Revenue Recognition

The Company recognizes revenue from sales when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, delivery has occurred, the sale price is fixed or determinable, and collectability of the related receivable is reasonably assured. In instances where customer acceptance is required, revenue is deferred until the acceptance has been achieved. When fees for products or services are not fixed and determinable, the Company defers the recording of receivables, deferred revenue and revenue until such time as the fees become due or are collected.

Revenue from maintenance and support services is recognized ratably over the service period. Maintenance revenue is deferred until the associated product is accepted by the customer and all other revenue recognition criteria have been met. Maintenance and support services include telephone support, return and repair support and unspecified rights to product upgrades and enhancements. Revenue from other professional services is typically recognized as the services are delivered if all other revenue recognition criteria have been met.

The Company's products typically have both software and non-software components that function together to deliver the products' essential functionality. In addition, hardware sold generally cannot be used apart from the software. Therefore, the Company considers its principal products to be both software and hardware-related. Many of the Company's sales involve multiple element arrangements that include product, maintenance and various professional services. The Company recognizes revenue in accordance with the provisions of Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") 605-25, Revenue Recognition - Multiple-Element Arrangements ("ASC 605-25") for transactions that include both hardware and software components. The Company recognizes revenue from stand-alone software sales under the software revenue recognition guidance in ASC 985-605, Software - Revenue Recognition ("ASC 985-605"). The Company limits the amount of revenue recognized for delivered elements to the amount that is not contingent on the future delivery of products or services, future performance obligations, or subject to customer-specific return or refund privileges.

For multiple-element arrangements that include both software-only products and non-software products, the Company allocates the total arrangement consideration to the software-only deliverables as a group and to the individual non-software deliverables based on their relative selling prices. If an undelivered element (such as maintenance and support services) relates to both the software-only and non-software deliverables, the Company bifurcates the consideration allocated to the undelivered element (such as maintenance and support services) into a non-software component and the software-only component using the relative selling price method. The consideration allocated to the non-software and software-only deliverables is recognized in accordance with the guidance as discussed in this note.

Under ASC 985-605, revenue for any undelivered elements that are considered not essential to the functionality of the product and for which VSOE has been established is deferred and recognized upon delivery utilizing the residual method. If the Company has undelivered product for which VSOE has not been established, it defers all revenue on the entire arrangement until VSOE is established or until such elements are delivered, provided that all other revenue recognition criteria are met. If the Company has undelivered services for which VSOE has not been established, the entire arrangement is recognized as revenue over the longest remaining service period from the point in time that all services have commenced and all products have been delivered, provided that all other revenue recognition criteria are met.

For transactions that include multiple elements, arrangement consideration is allocated to each element based on the relative selling prices of all of the elements in the arrangement using the fair value hierarchy as required by ASC 605-25.

The Company establishes VSOE based upon the price charged when the same element is sold separately or established by management having the relevant pricing authority. The Company has VSOE for certain of its maintenance and support services and certain professional services. When VSOE exists, it is used to determine the selling price of a deliverable. The Company has not been able to establish VSOE of its products, for certain of its services and for certain maintenance offerings because the Company has not sold such products or services on a stand-alone basis, has not priced its products or services within a narrow range, or has limited sales history.

When VSOE is not established, the Company attempts to establish the selling price of each element based on TPE. The Company's solution typically differs from that of its peers as there are no similar or interchangeable competitor products or services. The Company's various product, service and maintenance offerings contain a significant level of unique features and functionality and therefore, comparable pricing of competitors' products and services with similar functionality cannot be obtained. Accordingly, the Company is not able to determine TPE for its products or services.

When the Company is unable to establish selling price using VSOE or TPE, the Company uses ESP in its allocation of arrangement consideration for the relevant deliverables. The objective of ESP is to determine the price at which the Company would transact a sale if a product or service was sold on a stand-alone basis. The Company determines ESP for its products and certain services by considering multiple factors including, but not limited to, overall market conditions, including geographic or regional-specific market factors, profit objectives and historical pricing practices for such deliverables. The determination of ESP is a formal process within the Company that includes review and approval by the Company's management.

Deferred revenue typically includes customer deposits and amounts associated with partial product shipments and maintenance or service contracts. Deferred revenue expected to be recognized as revenue more than one year subsequent to the balance sheet date is reported as a component of long-term liabilities in the consolidated balance sheets. The Company defers recognition of incremental direct costs, such as cost of goods, third-party installations and commissions, until recognition of the related revenue. Such costs are classified as current assets if the deferred revenue is initially classified as current and noncurrent assets if the related deferred revenue is initially classified as long-term.

The Company excludes any taxes assessed by a governmental authority that are directly imposed on a revenue-producing transaction (i.e., sales, use and value added) from its revenue and costs. Reimbursement received for out-of-pocket expenses and shipping costs is recorded as revenue.

The Company sells the majority of its products directly to its end customers. For products sold to resellers and distributors, the Company recognizes revenue on a sell-through basis.

Financial Instruments

The carrying amounts of Ribbon's financial instruments, which include cash equivalents, investments, accounts receivable and accounts payable, approximate their fair values.

All investments in marketable securities are classified as available-for-sale and are reported at fair value, with unrealized gains and losses excluded from earnings and reported, net of tax, in Accumulated other comprehensive loss, which is a component of stockholders' equity. Unrealized losses that are determined to be other-than-temporary, based on current and expected market conditions, are recognized in earnings. Declines in fair value determined to be credit-related are charged to earnings. The cost of marketable securities sold is determined by the specific identification method.

Financial instruments with remaining maturities or that are due within one year from the balance sheet date are classified as current. Financial instruments with remaining maturities or that are payable more than one year from the balance sheet date are classified as noncurrent.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash equivalents are stated at fair value. Cash equivalents are liquid securities that have remaining maturities of three months or less at the date of purchase.

Restricted Cash

The Company classifies as restricted cash all cash pledged as collateral to secure long-term obligations and all cash whose use is otherwise limited by contractual provisions. Restricted cash is recorded within other current assets on the consolidated balance sheet.

Foreign Currency Translation

For foreign subsidiaries where the functional currency is the local currency, assets and liabilities are translated into U.S. dollars at the current exchange rate on the balance sheet date. Revenue and expenses are translated at average rates of exchange prevailing during each period. Translation adjustments for these subsidiaries are included in Accumulated other comprehensive loss.

For foreign subsidiaries where the functional currency is the U.S. dollar, monetary assets and liabilities are translated into U.S. dollars at the current exchange rate on the balance sheet date. Nonmonetary assets and liabilities are remeasured into U.S. dollars at historical exchange rates. Revenue and expense items are translated at average rates of exchange prevailing during each period.

Realized and unrealized foreign currency gains and losses arising from transactions denominated in currencies other than the subsidiary's functional currency are reflected in earnings with the exception of intercompany transactions considered to be of a long-term investment nature.

Effective on the Merger Date, the Company began to record its foreign currency transaction gains (losses) as a component of Other income (expense), net. The Company did not reclassify amounts previously recorded within General and administrative expenses as the amounts were not material to the consolidated results of the Company. The Company recognized net transaction gains of $0.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2017 and net transaction losses of $0.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2016 and $0.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2015.

Inventory

Inventory is recorded at the lower of cost or market value using the first-in, first-out convention. The Company reduces the carrying value of inventory for those items that are potentially excess, obsolete or slow-moving based on changes in customer demand, technology developments or other economic factors.

Ribbon writes down evaluation equipment at the time of shipment to its customers, as it is probable that the inventory value will not be realized.

Deferred product costs represent deferred cost of revenue for product shipments to customers prior to satisfaction of Ribbon's revenue recognition criteria. The Company classifies inventory that is not expected to be consumed within one year from the balance sheet date as noncurrent and includes such inventory as a component of Other assets.

Property and Equipment

Property and equipment are stated at cost, net of accumulated depreciation. Expenditures for maintenance and repairs are charged to expense as incurred. Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the related assets, which range from two to five years. Leasehold improvements are amortized over the lesser of the lease term or five years. When an asset is sold or retired, the cost and related accumulated depreciation or amortization are eliminated, and the resulting gain or loss, if any, is recognized in income (loss) from operations in the consolidated statement of operations. The Company reviews property and equipment for impairment in the same manner as intangible assets discussed below.

Software development costs associated with internal use software are incurred in three stages of development: the preliminary project stage, the application development stage and the post-implementation stage. Costs incurred during the preliminary project and post-implementation stages are expensed as incurred. Certain qualifying costs incurred during the application development stage are capitalized as property and equipment. Internal use software is amortized on a straight-line basis over its estimated useful life of three years, beginning when the software is ready for its intended use.

Intangible Assets and Goodwill

Intangible assets are comprised of certain intangible assets arising from the Merger, as well as previous acquisitions. These intangible assets include a combination of in-process research and development, developed technology, customer relationships, trade names, and internal use software. Intangible assets are reviewed for impairment when events or changes in circumstances indicate that their carrying amounts may not be recoverable based upon the estimated undiscounted cash flows. Recoverability of intangible assets with estimated lives and other long-lived assets is measured by a comparison of the carrying amount of an asset or asset group to future net undiscounted cash flows expected to be generated by the asset or asset group. If these comparisons indicate that an asset is not recoverable, the Company will recognize an impairment loss for the amount by which the carrying value of the asset or asset group exceeds the related estimated fair value. Estimated fair value is based on either discounted future operating cash flows or appraised values, depending on the nature of the asset. The Company amortizes its intangible assets over their respective useful lives, with the exception of in-process research and development, which has an indefinite life until the product is generally available, at which time such asset is typically reclassified to developed technology, and the Company begins to amortize this asset. See Note 9 for additional information regarding the Company's intangible assets.

Goodwill is recorded when the consideration for an acquisition exceeds the fair value of net tangible and identifiable intangible assets acquired. Goodwill is not amortized, but instead is tested for impairment at least annually, or more frequently if indicators of potential impairment exist, by comparing the fair value of the Company's reporting unit to its carrying value.

The Company's annual testing for impairment of goodwill is completed as of November 30. The Company operates as a single operating segment with one reporting unit and consequently evaluates goodwill for impairment based on an evaluation of the fair value of the Company as a whole. The Company performed its step one assessments for each of the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015 and determined each year that its market capitalization was significantly in excess of its carrying value and accordingly, there was no impairment of goodwill.

Other Assets

Other assets are primarily comprised of the long-term portion of deferred cost of goods sold, prepaid expenses and deposits.

Stock-Based Compensation

The Company's stock-based compensation cost is measured at the grant date based on the fair value of the award and is recognized as expense over the requisite service period, which generally represents the vesting period, and includes an estimate of the awards that will be forfeited.

The Company uses the Black-Scholes valuation model for estimating the fair value on the date of grant of stock options. The fair value of stock option awards is affected by the Company's stock price as well as valuation assumptions, including the volatility of Ribbon's stock price, expected term of the option, risk-free interest rate and expected dividends.

In 2015, the Company began to grant performance-based stock units ("PSUs") that include a market condition to certain of its executives. The Company uses a Monte Carlo simulation approach to model future stock price movements based upon the risk-free rate of return, the volatility of each entity and the pair-wise covariance between each entity. These results are then used to calculate the grant date fair values of the PSUs.

Research and Development Costs

Research and development costs are expensed as incurred.

Concentrations of Credit Risk

The financial instruments that potentially subject Ribbon to concentrations of credit risk are cash, cash equivalents, investments and accounts receivable. The Company's cash equivalents and investments were managed by one financial institution at both December 31, 2017 and 2016. Historically, the Company has not experienced significant losses due to such bank depository concentration.

Certain components and software licenses from third parties used in Ribbon's products are procured from single sources of supply. The failure of a supplier, including a subcontractor, to deliver on schedule could delay or interrupt Ribbon's delivery of products and thereby materially adversely affect Ribbon's revenues and operating results.

Advertising Costs

Advertising costs are expensed as incurred and included as a component of Sales and marketing expense in the Company's consolidated statements of operations. Advertising expenses were $0.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2017, $0.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2016 and $0.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2015.

Operating Segments

The Company operates in a single segment, as the chief operating decision maker makes decisions and assesses performance at the company level. Operating segments are identified as components of an enterprise about which separate discrete financial information is utilized for evaluation by the chief operating decision maker in making decisions regarding resource allocation and assessing performance. To date, the chief operating decision maker has made such decisions and assessed performance at the company level, as one segment. The Company's chief operating decision maker is its President and Chief Executive Officer.

Loss Contingencies and Reserves

Ribbon is subject to ongoing business risks arising in the ordinary course of business, including legal claims, that affect the estimation process of the carrying value of assets, the recording of liabilities and the possibility of various loss contingencies. An estimated loss contingency is accrued when it is probable that a liability has been incurred or an asset has been impaired and the amount of loss can be reasonably estimated. Ribbon regularly evaluates current information available to determine whether such amounts should be adjusted and records changes in estimates in the period they become known.

An allowance for doubtful accounts is estimated based on the Company's assessment of the collectability of specific customer accounts.

Ribbon accrues for royalties for technology that it licenses from vendors based on established royalty rates and usage. In certain cases, Ribbon has been contacted by third parties who claim that Ribbon's products infringe on certain intellectual property of a third party. Ribbon evaluates these claims and accrues amounts when it is probable that the obligation has been incurred and the amounts are reasonably estimable.

Accounting for Income Taxes

Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the expected future consequences of events that have been reflected in the consolidated financial statements. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on the differences between the financial reporting and tax basis of assets and liabilities and operating loss carryforwards, using tax rates expected to be in effect for the years in which the differences are expected to reverse. The Company records valuation allowances to reduce deferred income tax assets to the amount that is more likely than not to be realized.

The Company has provided for income taxes on the undistributed earnings of its non-U.S. subsidiaries as of December 31, 2017, with the exception of the Company's Irish subsidiary, as the Company does not plan to permanently reinvest these amounts outside the United States. The repatriation of the undistributed earnings would result in withholding taxes imposed on the repatriation. Consequently, the Company has recorded a tax liability of $3.2 million, primarily consisting of withholding and distribution taxes, relating to undistributed earnings from these subsidiaries as of December 31, 2017. Had the earnings of the Irish subsidiary been determined to not be permanently reinvested outside the U.S., no additional deferred tax liability would be required due to no withholding taxes or income tax expense being imposed on such repatriation.

The Company determines whether it is more likely than not that a tax position will be sustained upon examination. If it is not more likely than not that a position will be sustained, no amount of the benefit attributable to the position is recognized. The tax benefit to be recognized of any tax position that meets the more likely than not recognition threshold is calculated as the largest amount that is more than 50% likely of being realized upon resolution of the contingency. The Company accounts for interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions as part of its provision for income taxes.

Defined Benefit Plans

In connection with the Merger, the Company assumed defined benefit plans for some of GENBAND's employees at various international locations. The Company recognizes retirement benefit assets or liabilities in the consolidated balance sheets reflecting the funded status of pension and other retirement benefit plans. Retirement benefit assets and liabilities are adjusted for the difference between the benefit obligations and the plan assets at fair value (measured at year-end), with the offset recorded directly to stockholders' equity through accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax. The amount recorded in stockholders' equity represents the after-tax unamortized actuarial gains or losses, unamortized transition obligations and unamortized prior service costs. The amounts included in the Company's consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2017 represent the activity for the period from the Merger Date to December 31, 2017.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“ASU 2014-09”), its new standard on revenue from contracts with customers, along with additional ASUs which, among other things, clarified the implementation of the new revenue guidance and delayed the adoption by one year, to January 1, 2018 (collectively, the "New Revenue Standard" or "ASC 606"). The New Revenue Standard outlines a single comprehensive model for entities to use in accounting for revenue arising from contracts with customers and supersedes most current revenue recognition guidance, including industry-specific guidance. The core principle of the revenue model is that an entity recognizes revenue to depict the transfer 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 applying the revenue model to contracts within its scope, an entity identifies the contract(s) with a customer, identifies the performance obligations in the contract, determines the transaction price, allocates the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract and recognizes revenue when (or as) the entity satisfies a performance obligation. Certain of the New Revenue Standard's provisions also apply to transfers of nonfinancial assets, including in-substance nonfinancial assets that are not an output of an entity’s ordinary activities (i.e., property, plant and equipment; real estate; or intangible assets). Existing accounting guidance applicable to these transfers has been amended or superseded. Effective January 1, 2018, the Company adopted the New Revenue Standard using the modified retrospective option and has identified the necessary changes to its policies, processes, systems and controls. However, due to the recent acquisition of GENBAND, the Company has not yet completed all of its internal control procedures. Under the modified retrospective method, the Company is applying the New Revenue Standard to all contracts not yet completed as of January 1, 2018, recognizing in beginning Accumulated deficit an adjustment for the cumulative effect of the change and providing additional disclosures comparing results to those as if the Company was still following the previous accounting standards. Currently, the Company does not have VSOE for certain elements in software bundled arrangements, which results in revenue being recognized ratably over the longest performance period. The majority of the Company's transition adjustment will be related to these arrangements. The Company currently expects that the adjustment to decrease Accumulated deficit as a result of this change will not exceed $15 million. Additionally, the Company expects to capitalize certain commission costs resulting directly from securing contracts which are currently expensed. The Company expects this to result in the capitalization of approximately $1 million of previously expensed commissions expense.

In May 2017, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2017-09, Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Scope of Modification Accounting ("ASU 2017-09"), which amends the scope of modification accounting for share-based payment arrangements such that an entity would not apply modification accounting if the fair value, vesting conditions and classification of the awards are the same immediately before and after the modification. ASU 2017-09 is effective for the Company beginning January 1, 2018 for both interim and annual reporting periods. The Company does not expect the adoption of ASU 2017-09 will have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

In March 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-07, Compensation - Retirement Benefits (Topic 715): Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Post Retirement Benefit Cost ("ASU 2017-07"). ASU 2017-07 amends the requirements in ASC 715 to require entities to disaggregate the current-service-cost component from the other components of net benefit cost (the "other components") and include it with other current compensation costs for related employees, present the other components elsewhere in the income statement and outside of income from operations if such a subtotal is presented and disclose the income statement lines that contain the other components if they are not presented on appropriately described separate lines. ASU 2017-07 is effective for the Company beginning January 1, 2018 for both interim and annual reporting periods. The Company does not expect the adoption of ASU 2017-07 will have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-04, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment ("ASU 2017-04"), which removes the requirement to compare the implied fair value of goodwill with its carrying amount as part of step 2 of the goodwill impairment test by instead comparing the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount and recognizing an impairment charge for the amount by which the carrying amount exceeds the reporting unit's fair value. ASU 2017-04 also clarifies the treatment of foreign currency translation adjustments to reporting units and the income tax effects on goodwill impairment loss measurement. ASU 2017-04 is effective prospectively for the Company beginning January 15, 2020, with early adoption permitted for interim or annual goodwill impairment tests performed on testing dates after January 1, 2017. The Company elected to early-adopt ASU 2017-04; such early adoption did not have a material impact on its consolidated financial results.

In October 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-16, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Intra-Entity Transfers of Assets Other Than Inventory ("ASU 2016-16"), which removes the prohibition in ASC 740, Income Taxes, against the immediate recognition of the current and deferred income tax effects of intra-entity transfers of assets other than inventory. ASU 2016-16 is effective for us beginning January 1, 2019 for both interim and annual reporting periods. The Company does not believe that the adoption of this standard will have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments ("ASU 2016-15"), which 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. ASU 2016-15 is effective for the Company beginning January 1, 2018 for both interim and annual reporting periods. 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 does not expect the adoption of ASU 2016-15 will have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments ("ASU 2016-13"), which adds an impairment model that is based on expected losses rather than incurred losses. Under ASU 2016-13, an entity recognizes as an allowance its estimate of expected credit losses, which the FASB believes will result in more timely recognition of such losses. ASU 2016-13 is effective for the Company beginning January 1, 2020 for both interim and annual reporting periods, with early adoption permitted. The Company does not expect the adoption of ASU 2016-13 will have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-09, Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting ("ASU 2016-09"), which simplifies several aspects of the accounting for employee share-based payment transactions, including the accounting for income taxes, forfeitures and statutory tax withholding requirements, as well as classification in the statement of cash flows. ASU 2016-09 became effective for the Company beginning January 1, 2017 for both interim and annual reporting periods. Under ASU 2016-09, the Company will now recognize unrealized excess tax benefits. Due to the full valuation allowance on the Company's federal and state income taxes, the adoption of ASU 2016-09 did not have a material impact on its accounting for income taxes. Without the valuation allowance, the Company would have recognized an increased deferred tax asset approximating $5 million. The Company has elected to continue to apply forfeiture rates to the expense attribution related to stock options, restricted stock awards and restricted stock units, as the Company believes that such continued application results in more accurate expense attribution over the life of these equity grants.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) Section A - Leases: Amendments to the FASB Accounting Standards Codification ("ASU 2016-02"), its new standard on accounting for leases. ASU 2016-02 introduces a lessee model that brings most leases onto the balance sheet. ASU 2016-02 eliminates the current GAAP requirement for an entity to use bright-line tests in determining lease classification. ASU 2016-02 is effective for the Company for both interim and annual periods beginning January 1, 2019. Upon adoption of ASU 2016-02, the Company will recognize lease obligations for the right to use these assets in connection with its existing lease agreements. The Company is currently assessing the potential impact of the adoption of ASU 2016-02 on its consolidated financial statements and accordingly, such amounts to be recognized on the balance sheet have yet to be determined.

In July 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-11, Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory ("ASU 2015-11"), which simplifies the measurement of inventory by requiring entities to measure most inventory at the lower of cost and net realizable value, replacing the previous requirement to measure most inventory at the lower of cost or market. ASU 2015-11 does not apply to inventories that are measured by using either the last-in, first-out method or the retail inventory method. ASU 2015-11 became effective for the Company for both interim and annual reporting periods beginning January 1, 2017. The adoption of ASU 2015-11 did not have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.