Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

12 Months Ended

Mar. 28, 2014

Mar. 29, 2013

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation and Principles of Consolidation

The accompanying consolidated financial statements and notes are those of Computer Sciences Corporation, its subsidiaries, and those business entities in which the Company maintains a controlling interest, hereafter collectively referred to as “CSC” or “the Company.” Investments in business entities in which the Company does not have control, but has the ability to exercise significant influence over operating and financial policies, are accounted for by the equity method. Other investments are accounted for by the cost method. All intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated. The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP) and pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

On June 5, 2015, the Company reached a settlement with the staff of the SEC pursuant to which the Company is restating its accompanying financial statements for fiscal 2012. The restatement has no impact on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets, Statements of Operations, of Comprehensive Income (Loss), of Cash Flows and of Changes in Equity for fiscal 2013 or fiscal 2014 (see Note 2).

During the first quarter of fiscal 2015, the Company changed its accounting policy for the recognition of actuarial gains and losses for its defined benefit pension and other post-employment benefit plans. These changes have been reported through retrospective application of the new accounting methods to all periods presented. As a result, the accompanying financial statements, and all related footnotes have been adjusted from amounts previously reported in the previously filed Form 10-K to reflect this change (see Note 3).

Effective fiscal 2015, the Company changed its inter-company accounting policy. Previously, inter-company transactions between segments were generally reflected as inter-company revenue. Under the new policy, inter-company transactions are now generally treated as cost transfers. The new inter-company policy has been applied retrospectively to all periods presented, adjusting the segment results for the accompanying disclosures herein to reflect this change (see Note 21).

Effective at the beginning of fiscal 2014, the Company began operating under new reportable segments: Global Business Services (GBS), Global Infrastructure Services (GIS), and North American Public Sector (NPS) (see Note 21). All prior period segment disclosures have been adjusted from those previously reported to reflect the Company's change in reportable segments.

The Consolidated Statements of Operations, Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income, and related notes, for the fiscal years ended March 29, 2013 and March 30, 2012 have been adjusted from those previously presented to reflect discontinued operations of two businesses sold during fiscal 2014, as well as the business that CSC has committed to a plan to sell (see Note 6). The Consolidated Balance Sheet for the year ended March 29, 2013 has not been adjusted to reflect the assets and liabilities divested as a result of the two fiscal 2014 discontinued operations. The Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for all the fiscal years presented include both continuing and the discontinued operations.

For classification of certain assets and liabilities of our U.S. federal government contracts as current or long-term, we use the duration of the related contract as our operating cycle, which is generally longer than one year.

Use of Estimates

GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the Consolidated Financial Statements and accompanying notes. These estimates are based on management’s best knowledge of historical experience, current events, and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results could differ from these estimates. Amounts subject to significant judgment and estimates include, but are not limited to, contracts accounted for using the percentage-of-completion method, cash flows used in the evaluation of impairment of goodwill and other long-lived assets, intangible assets, certain deferred costs, collectability of receivables, reserves for uncertain tax benefits, valuation allowances on deferred tax assets, loss accruals for litigation, pension related liabilities, inputs used for computing stock-based compensation and the fair value of derivative instruments.

The Company's income (loss) from continuing operations, before taxes and noncontrolling interests, and diluted earnings per share (EPS) from continuing operations included the following adjustments due to changes in estimated profitability on fixed price contracts accounted for under the percentage-of-completion method for the fiscal years presented:

	Twelve Months Ended
(Amounts in millions), except per share data	March 28, 2014			March 29, 2013			March 30, 2012
							(As Restated)
Gross favorable	$	125		$	142		$	58
Gross unfavorable	(50		)	(122		)	(277		)
Total net adjustments, before taxes and noncontrolling interests (1)	$	75		$	20		$	(219	)
Impact on diluted EPS from continuing operations	$	0.31		$	(0.10	)	$	(1.28	)

⁽¹⁾  Quarterly changes in estimated profitability on the same fixed price contract are disclosed gross as either favorable or unfavorable.

Revenue Recognition

The Company's primary service offerings are information technology (IT) outsourcing, other professional services, or a combination thereof. Revenues are recognized when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, services or products have been provided to the client, the sales price is fixed or determinable, and collectability is reasonably assured. For non-software arrangements that include multiple-elements, revenue recognition involves the identification of separate units of accounting after consideration of combining and/or segmenting contracts and allocation of the arrangement consideration to the units of accounting on the basis of their relative selling price. Revenue under such contracts is recognized based upon the levels of services delivered in the periods in which they are provided. Upfront fees billed for the contract set-up include configuring hardware to new service levels, consolidating and migrating customer architecture from physical to virtual servers, and establishing disaster recoverability capability. These activities do not qualify as separate units of accounting and they are deferred until service commencement and recognized ratably over the period of performance during the period in which CSC provides the related service, which is the life of the contract. Costs are expensed as incurred, except for direct and incremental set-up costs that are capitalized and amortized on a straight-line basis over the life of the contract (see Outsourcing Contract Costs below). See the section below regarding software transactions that include multiple elements.

The Company provides these services under time and materials, cost-reimbursable, unit-price and fixed-price contracts, the revenue for which is recognized in the following manner:

Time and materials contracts - Revenue is recorded at agreed-upon billing rates at the time services are provided.

Cost-reimbursable contracts - Revenue is recorded at the time costs are incurred and associated fees are recognized when probable and estimable by applying an estimated factor to costs as incurred, such factor being determined by the contract provisions and prior experience.

Unit-price contracts - Revenue is recognized on unit-price contracts based on unit metrics multiplied by the agreed upon contract unit price or when services are delivered.

Fixed-price contracts - For certain fixed-price contracts, revenue is recognized under the percentage-of-completion method as described below; these include certain software development projects, all long-term construction-type contracts, and certain fixed-price arrangements with the U.S. federal government. For other fixed-price contracts, revenue is recognized based on the proportion of the services delivered to date as a percentage of the total services to deliver over the contract term. If output or input measures are not available or cannot be reasonably estimated, revenues are recognized ratably over the contract term.

Under the percentage-of-completion method, progress towards completion is measured based on either achievement of specified contract milestones, costs incurred as a proportion of estimated total costs, or other measures of progress when available. Profit in a given period is reported at the estimated profit margin to be achieved on the overall contract. This method can result in the recognition of unbilled receivables, the deferral of costs as work in process, or deferral of profit on these contracts. Contracts that require estimates at completion using the percentage-of-completion method accounted for approximately 18.7% of the Company's revenues for fiscal 2014. Management regularly reviews project profitability and underlying estimates. Revisions to the estimates at completion are reflected in results of operations as a change in accounting estimate in the period in which the facts that give rise to the revision become known by management. Provisions for estimated losses at completion, if any, are recognized in the period in which the loss becomes evident. The provision includes estimated costs in excess of estimated revenue and any profit margin previously recognized.

Multiple-element software sales - For multiple-element arrangements that involve the sale of CSC proprietary software, post contract customer support, and other software-related services, vendor-specific objective evidence (VSOE) of fair value is required to allocate and recognize revenue for each element. VSOE of fair value is determined based on the price charged where each deliverable is sold separately. In situations where VSOE of fair value exists for all undelivered elements but not a delivered element (typically the software license element), the residual method is used to allocate revenue to the undelivered elements equal to their VSOE value with the remainder allocated to the delivered element. If significant customization is required, and VSOE is available to support accounting for the software as a separate unit of account, software revenue is recognized as the related software customization services are performed in accordance with the percentage-of-completion method described above. In situations where VSOE of fair value does not exist for all of the undelivered software-related elements, revenue is deferred until only one undelivered element remains and then recognized following the pattern of delivery of the final undelivered element.

Depreciation and Amortization

The Company’s depreciation and amortization policies are as follows:

Property and Equipment:
Buildings	Up to 40 years
Computers and related equipment	3 to 5 years
Furniture and other equipment	2 to 15 years
Leasehold improvements	Shorter of lease term or useful life
Software	2 to 10 years
Outsourcing contract costs	Contract life, excluding option years
Customer related intangibles	Expected customer service life
Acquired contract related intangibles	Contract life and first contract renewal, where applicable

The cost of property and equipment, less applicable residual values, is depreciated using predominately the straight-line method. Depreciation commences when the specific asset is complete, installed and ready for normal use.

Software and outsourcing contract costs are amortized using predominately the straight-line method. Acquired contract related and customer related intangible assets are amortized in proportion to the estimated undiscounted cash flows projected over the estimated life of the asset or on a straight-line basis if such cash flows cannot be reliably estimated.

Pension and Other Benefit Plans

The Company and its subsidiaries offer a number of pension and postretirement benefits, life insurance benefits, deferred compensation, and other plans. Most of CSC's pension liabilities are frozen to new accruals. All plans are accounted for using the guidance of Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 710 "Compensation - General" and ASC 715 “Compensation—Retirement Benefits” and are measured as of the end of the fiscal year.

Effective the first quarter of fiscal 2015, the Company changed its accounting policy for measuring and recognition of actuarial gains and losses for its defined benefit pension and other post-retirement benefit plans and the calculation of the expected return on pension plan assets. Historically, the Company recognized actuarial gains and losses in excess of 10% of the greater of the market-related value of plan assets or the plans’ projected benefit obligations (the “corridor”) as a component of accumulated other comprehensive loss and, depending on the benefit plan, the Company amortized these gains and losses to earnings either over the remaining average service period for the active participants or over the average remaining life expectancy of the inactive participants. Additionally, for the Company’s U.S. plans and the Australian plan, the Company previously used a calculated value for the market-related valuation of pension plan assets, reflecting changes in the fair value of plan assets over a three-year and a one-year period, respectively. Under the Company’s new accounting policy, the Company recognizes changes in actuarial gains and losses and the changes in fair value of plan assets in earnings at the time of plan remeasurement, typically annually during the fourth quarter of each year as a component of net periodic benefit expense, and the Company no longer applies a corridor and, therefore, no longer defers any gains or losses.

The new accounting policies result in the changes in actuarial gains and losses and the changes in fair value of plan assets being recognized in earnings in the year they occur, rather than amortized over time, and therefore recognized earlier than under the Company’s previous methods of accounting. The Company believes the new pension accounting policies are preferable as they recognize the effects of plan investment performance, interest rate changes, changes in actuarial assumptions as a component of earnings in the year in which they occur rather than amortized over time, and additionally, conform all plans to a consistent policy for determining market-related value of plan assets.

The remaining components of pension/postretirement expense, primarily current period service and interest costs and expected return on plan assets, will continue to be recorded on a quarterly basis. The cumulative effect of the retrospective application of new accounting policies was a decrease of $986 million in retained earnings, a decrease of $1,002 million in accumulated other comprehensive losses and a decrease of $16 million in noncontrolling interest in subsidiaries, as of the beginning of fiscal 2012.

Inherent in the application of the actuarial methods are key assumptions, including, but not limited to, discount rates, expected long-term rates of return on plan assets, mortality rates, rates of compensation increases, and medical cost trend rates. Company management evaluates these assumptions typically annually and updates assumptions as necessary. The fair value of assets are determined based on the prevailing market prices or estimated fair value of investments when quoted prices are not available.

Software Development Costs

The Company capitalizes costs incurred to develop commercial software products to be sold, leased or otherwise marketed after establishing technological feasibility until such time the software products are available for general release to customers. Costs incurred to establish technological feasibility are charged to expense as incurred. Enhancements to software products are capitalized where such enhancements extend the life or significantly expand the marketability of the products. Amortization of capitalized software development costs is determined separately for each software product. Annual amortization expense is calculated based on the greater of the ratio of current gross revenues for each product to the total of current and anticipated future gross revenues for the product or the straight-line amortization method over the estimated economic life of the product.

Unamortized capitalized software costs associated with commercial software products are regularly evaluated for impairment on a product-by-product basis by a comparison of the unamortized balance to the product’s net realizable value. The net realizable value is the estimated future gross revenues from that product reduced by the related estimated future costs. When the unamortized balance exceeds the net realizable value, the unamortized balance is written down to the net realizable value and an impairment charge is recorded.

The Company capitalizes costs incurred to develop internal-use computer software during the application development stage. Costs related to preliminary project activities and post implementation activities are expensed as incurred. Internal and external costs incurred in connection with development of upgrades or enhancements that result in additional functionality are also capitalized. Capitalized costs associated with internal-use software are amortized on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful life of the software. Purchased software is capitalized and amortized over the estimated useful life of the software. Internal-use software assets are evaluated for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances occur that could impact the recoverability of these assets.

Outsourcing Contract Costs

Costs on outsourcing contracts, including costs incurred for bid and proposal activities, are generally expensed as incurred. However, certain costs incurred upon initiation of an outsourcing contract are deferred and expensed over the contract life. These costs represent incremental external costs or certain specific internal costs that are directly related to the contract acquisition or transition activities. Such capitalized costs can be separated into two principal categories: contract acquisition costs and transition/set-up costs. The primary types of costs that may be capitalized include labor and related fringe benefits, subcontractor costs, travel costs, and premiums on asset purchases.

Premiums are amounts paid to customers in excess of the fair market value of assets acquired. Fixed assets acquired in connection with outsourcing transactions are capitalized at fair value and depreciated consistent with the fixed asset policies described above. Premiums paid are capitalized as outsourcing contract costs and amortized over the contract life. The amortization of outsourcing contract cost premiums is accounted for as a reduction in revenue. The second principal category of capitalized outsourcing costs is transition/set-up costs. Such costs are primarily associated with the installation of systems and processes and are amortized over the contract life.

In the event indications exist that an outsourcing contract cost balance related to a particular contract may be impaired, undiscounted estimated cash flows of the contract are projected over its remaining term and compared to the associated long-lived asset group including the unamortized outsourcing contract cost balance. If the projected cash flows are not adequate to recover the unamortized cost balance of the asset group, the balance would be adjusted based on the fair value of the long-lived assets group in the period such a determination is made. The primary indicator used to determine when impairment testing should be performed is when a contract is materially underperforming, or is expected to materially underperform in the future, as compared to the original bid model or subsequent annual budgets.

Terminations of outsourcing contracts, including transfer of assets either back to the customer or to another IT provider, prior to the end of their committed contract terms, are infrequent due to the complex transition of personnel, assets, methodologies, and processes involved with outsourcing transactions. In the event of an early termination, the Company and the customer, pursuant to certain contractual provisions, engage in discussions to determine the recovery of unamortized contract costs, lost profits, transfer of personnel, rights to implemented systems and processes, as well as other matters.

Acquisition Accounting and Goodwill

When the Company acquires a controlling financial interest through a business combination, CSC uses the acquisition method of accounting to allocate the purchase consideration to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed, which are recorded at fair value. Any excess of purchase consideration over the fair value of the acquired assets and assumed liabilities, is recognized as goodwill.

If the initial accounting for an acquisition is incomplete by the end of the reporting period in which it occurs, the Company reports provisional amounts for the items for which the accounting is incomplete. During the measurement period - no longer than one year from the date of the acquisition - the Company retroactively adjusts the provisional amounts recognized at the acquisition date if CSC obtains new information about facts and circumstances that existed as of the acquisition date that, if known, would have changed the measurement of the amounts originally recognized. Any measurement adjustments to the acquired assets or the assumed liabilities are recorded with a corresponding adjustment to goodwill.

Acquired in-process research and development intangible assets (IPR&D) are initially capitalized at fair value as intangible assets with indefinite lives and are assessed for impairment thereafter. When a specific project within acquired IPR&D is completed, the corresponding amount of acquired IPR&D is reclassified as an amortizable intangible asset and is amortized over the asset's estimated useful life.

For contingent consideration recorded as a liability, the Company initially measures the amount at fair value as of the acquisition date and adjusts the liability, if needed, to fair value each reporting period. Changes in the fair value of contingent consideration, other than measurement period adjustments, are recognized as operating income or expense.

Acquisition-related expenses costs are recognized separately from the business combination and are expensed as incurred. The results of operations of acquired businesses are included in the Consolidated Financial Statements from the acquisition date.

The Company tests goodwill for impairment on an annual basis, as of the first day of the second fiscal quarter, and between annual tests if circumstances change, or if an event occurs that would more likely than not reduce the fair value of a reporting unit below its carrying amount. A significant amount of judgment is involved in determining whether an event indicating impairment has occurred between annual testing dates. Such indicators include, among other things: a significant decline in expected future cash flows; a significant adverse change in legal factors or in the business climate; unanticipated competition; the disposal of a significant component of a reporting unit; and the testing for recoverability of a significant asset group within a reporting unit.

The goodwill impairment test initially involves the assessment of qualitative factors to determine whether the existence of events or circumstances leads to a determination that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. If the Company determines that it is not more likely than not, then the subsequent two-step process is not required. However, the Company has the option to bypass this initial qualitative assessment for its annual test and proceed directly to step one of the two-step process for one or more of its reporting units. If the Company determines that it is more likely than not that a reporting unit's carrying value exceeds it fair value, then it proceeds with the subsequent two-step goodwill impairment testing process. The first step is to compare each reporting unit’s fair value to its carrying value. If the reporting unit’s fair value exceeds its carrying value, no further procedures are required and no impairment is recorded. However, if a reporting unit’s fair value is less than its carrying value, an impairment of goodwill may exist, requiring a second step to measure the amount of any impairment loss. In the second step, the reporting unit’s fair value is allocated to all of the assets and liabilities of the reporting unit, including any unrecognized intangible assets, for the sole purpose of calculating the implied fair value of goodwill - as if applying the acquisition method of accounting described above to the reporting unit's assets and liabilities. If the implied fair value of goodwill is less than the recorded goodwill, an impairment charge is recorded in operations for the difference.

When the Company performs step one of the two-step test for a reporting unit, it estimates the fair value of the reporting unit using both the income approach and the market approach. The income approach incorporates the use of a discounted cash flow method in which the estimated future cash flows and terminal values for each reporting unit are discounted to a present value using a discount rate. Cash flow projections are based on management's estimates of economic and market conditions, which drive key assumptions of revenue growth rates, operating margins, capital expenditures and working capital requirements. The discount rate in turn is based on the specific risk characteristics of each reporting unit, the weighted-average cost of capital and its underlying forecasts. The market approach estimates fair value by applying performance-metric multiples to the reporting unit's prior and expected operating performance. The multiples are derived from comparable publicly traded companies that have operating and investment characteristics similar to those of the reporting unit. If the fair value of the reporting unit derived using one approach is significantly different from the fair value estimate using the other approach, the Company reevaluates its assumptions used in the two models. The fair values determined by the market approach and income approach, as described above, are weighted to determine the fair value for each reporting unit. The weighted values assigned to each reporting unit are driven by two primary factors: 1) the number of comparable publicly traded companies used in the market approach, and 2) the similarity of the operating and investment characteristics of the reporting units to the comparable publicly traded companies used in the market approach.

If CSC performs a step one analysis for all of its reporting units in conjunction with its annual goodwill testing, it also compares the sum of all of its reporting units’ fair values to the Company's market capitalization (per-share stock price multiplied by the number of shares outstanding) and calculates an implied control premium (the excess of the sum of the reporting units’ fair values over the market capitalization). The Company evaluates the reasonableness of the control premium by comparing it to control premiums derived from recent comparable business combinations. If the implied control premium is not reasonable in light of the actual acquisition transactions, the Company reevaluates its fair value estimates of the reporting units by adjusting the discount rates and/or other assumptions. As a result, when CSC’s stock price - and thus market capitalization - is low relative to the sum of the estimated fair value of its reporting units, this reevaluation can result in reductions to its estimated fair values for the reporting units.

Fair Value

The Company uses the fair value measurement guidance to value certain of its assets and liabilities. Under this guidance, assets and liabilities are required to be valued based on assumptions used by a market participant, consistent with the following hierarchy of inputs:

Level 1—	Quoted prices unadjusted for identical assets or liabilities in an active market.
Level 2—	Inputs other than quoted prices that are observable, either directly or indirectly, for similar assets or liabilities.
Level 3—	Unobservable inputs that reflect the entity’s own assumptions which market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability.

The assets and liabilities which are valued using the fair value measurement guidance, on a recurring basis, include the Company’s money market funds and money market deposits, time deposits, short-term investments, pension assets, and foreign currency derivatives comprised of forward and option contracts. The fair value of the forward contracts is based on quoted prices for similar but not identical derivative financial instruments; as such, the inputs are considered Level 2 inputs. Option contracts are valued using inputs which are based on quoted pricing intervals from external valuation models, which do not involve management judgment and as such, these inputs are considered Level 2 inputs. Certain pension assets are valued using model based pricing methods that use observable market data; as such these inputs are considered Level 2 inputs. There were no significant assets or liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis using significant unobservable (Level 3) inputs.

Receivables

Receivables consist of amounts billed and currently due from customers, amounts earned but unbilled (including contracts measured under the percentage-of-completion method of accounting), amounts retained by the customer until the completion of a specified contract, completion of U.S. federal government audit activities, negotiation of contract modification, and claims.

Allowances for uncollectible billed trade receivables are estimated based on a combination of write-off history, aging analysis and any specific known collectability issues. Unbilled amounts under contracts in progress that are recoverable do not have an allowance for credit losses. Adjustments to unbilled amounts under contracts in progress related to credit quality, should they occur, would be recorded as a reduction of revenue.

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

Long-lived assets are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset or group of assets may not be recoverable. Recoverability of long-lived assets or groups of assets is assessed based on a comparison of the carrying amount to the estimated future net cash flows. If estimated future undiscounted net cash flows are less than the carrying amount, an expense is recorded in the amount, if any, required to reduce the carrying amount to fair value. Fair value is determined based on a discounted cash flow approach or, when available and appropriate, comparable market values. Long-lived assets to be disposed of are reported at the lower of their carrying amount or their fair value less costs to sell.

Income Taxes

Accounting for income taxes requires the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of temporary differences between the financial statement carrying amounts and the tax bases of assets and liabilities. The Company maintains valuation allowances when, based on the weight of available evidence, it is more likely than not that all or a portion of a deferred tax asset will not be realized. Changes in valuation allowances from period to period are included in the Company’s tax provision in the period of change. In determining whether a valuation allowance is warranted, the Company takes into account such factors as prior earnings history, expected future earnings, carryback and carryforward periods, and tax strategies that could potentially enhance the likelihood of realization of a deferred tax asset.

The Company recognizes uncertain tax positions in the financial statements when it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained upon examination. Uncertain tax positions are measured based on the probabilities that the uncertain tax position will be realized upon final settlement (see Note 14).

Cash and Cash Equivalents

The Company considers investments with an original maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents. The Company’s cash equivalents consist of time deposits, money market funds and money market deposit accounts with a number of institutions that have high credit ratings.

Foreign Currency

The Company has determined that, generally, the local currency of its foreign affiliates is their functional currency. Accordingly, the assets and liabilities of the foreign affiliates are translated from their respective functional currency to U.S. dollars using year-end exchange rates, income and expense accounts are translated at the average rates in effect during the year, and equity accounts are translated at historical rates. The resulting translation adjustment is reported in the Statement of Other Comprehensive Income and recorded as part of accumulated other comprehensive income (AOCI).

To manage the exposure to movements in foreign currency exchange rates, the Company uses foreign currency forward contracts and option contracts (see Note 10). The use of these derivative instruments is intended to offset, to the extent possible, the gains and losses from remeasurement of the Company’s foreign currency denominated monetary assets and liabilities. Gains and losses from remeasurement of the Company’s foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities, and remeasurement and settlement of the related foreign currency derivatives are recorded in other (income) expense.

Earnings (Loss) Per Share

Basic earnings (loss) per common share (EPS) are computed using the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted EPS reflect the incremental shares issuable upon the assumed exercise of stock options and equity awards.

New Accounting Standards

During fiscal year 2014, the Company adopted the following recent Accounting Standard Updates (ASUs):

In July 2013, the FASB issued ASU No. 2013-11, “Presentation of an Unrecognized Tax Benefit When a Net Operating Loss Carryforward, a Similar Tax Loss, or a Tax Credit Carryforward Exists” (ASU 2013-11), which clarifies that an unrecognized tax benefit, or a portion of an unrecognized tax benefit, should be presented in the financial statements as a reduction to a deferred tax asset for a net operating loss carryforward, a similar tax loss, or a tax credit carryforward. An exception to this rule occurs when a net operating loss carryforward, a similar tax loss, or a tax credit carryforward is not available at the reporting date under the tax law of the applicable jurisdiction to settle any additional income taxes that would result from the disallowance of a tax position; or the tax law of the applicable jurisdiction does not require the entity to use, and the entity does not intend to use the deferred tax asset for such purpose. For these exceptions, the unrecognized tax benefit should be presented in the financial statements as a liability and should not be combined with deferred tax assets. The amendments in ASU 2013-11 are effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2013. The amendments in ASU No. 2013-11 are consistent with CSC's existing practices and adoption of ASU 2013-11 did not have a material effect on CSC's Consolidated Financial Statements.

In March 2013, the FASB issued ASU No. 2013-05, "Foreign Currency Matters (Topic 830): “Parent's Accounting for the Cumulative Translation Adjustment upon Derecognition of Certain Subsidiaries or Groups of Assets within a Foreign Entity or of an Investment in a Foreign Entity” (ASU 2013-05). ASU 2013-05 resolves the diversity in practice about whether Subtopic 810-10, "Consolidation - Overall," or Subtopic 830-30, "Foreign Currency Matters - Translation of Financial Statements," applies to the release of the cumulative translation adjustment into net income when a parent either sells a part of or all of its investment in a foreign entity or no longer holds a controlling financial interest in a subsidiary or group of assets that is a nonprofit activity or a business within a foreign entity. ASU 2013-05 stipulates that when a parent ceases to have a controlling financial interest in such an entity, the parent should apply Subtopic 830-30 and release the cumulative translation adjustment into net income only if the sale or transfer results in the complete or substantially complete liquidation of the foreign entity in which the subsidiary or group of assets had resided. ASU 2013-05 is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2013. The amendments in this ASU are consistent with CSC's existing practices and adoption of ASU 2013-05 did not have a material effect on CSC's Consolidated Financial Statements.

In February 2013, the FASB issued ASU No. 2013-02, “Reporting of Amounts Reclassified Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income” (ASU 2013-02), which requires entities to disclose the effect of significant reclassifications out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income on the respective line items in net income unless the amounts are not reclassified in their entirety to net income. For amounts that are not required to be reclassified in their entirety to net income in the same reporting period, entities are required to cross-reference other disclosures that provide additional detail about those amounts. ASU 2013-02 is effective for fiscal years and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2012. The Company adopted the amendments of this update during the first quarter of fiscal 2014 and included additional disclosures in the Consolidated Financial Statements (see Note 17).

In December 2011, the FASB issued ASU No. 2011-11, “Disclosures about Offsetting Assets and Liabilities” (ASU 2011-11), which was subsequently amended in January 2013 when the FASB issued ASU No. 2013-01 “Clarifying the Scope of Disclosures about Offsetting Assets and Liabilities.” Together, these ASUs provide guidance on disclosure of information pertaining to the offsetting (netting) of assets and liabilities in the financial statements. The amendments in these ASUs affect all entities that have financial instruments and derivative instruments that either (1) offset in accordance with either ASC 210-20-45 or ASC 815-10-45 or (2) are subject to an enforceable master netting arrangement or similar agreement. ASU 2011-11 amends the existing disclosure requirements on offsetting in ASC 210-20-50 by requiring disclosures relating to gross amounts of recognized assets and liabilities, the amounts that are offset, net amounts presented in the balance sheet, and amounts subject to an enforceable master netting arrangement or similar agreement. The amendments in these ASUs became effective for annual reporting periods beginning on or after January 1, 2013, and interim periods within those annual periods. The Company adopted the ASUs during the first quarter of fiscal 2014 and included additional disclosures in the Consolidated Financial Statements (see Note 10).

Standards Issued But Not Yet Effective

The following ASUs were recently issued but have not yet been adopted by CSC as of March 28, 2014:

In April 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-08, “Presentation of Financial Statements (Topic 205) and Property, Plant, and Equipment (Topic 360): Reporting Discontinued Operations and Disclosures of Disposals of Components of an Entity” (“ASU 2014-08”), which changes the requirements for reporting discontinued operations in Subtopic 205-20 “Presentation of Financial Statements - Discontinued Operations.” The ASU changes the definition of discontinued operations by limiting discontinued operations reporting to disposals that represent strategic shifts that have (or will have) a major effect on an entity’s operations and financial results. Under current U.S. GAAP, many disposals, some of which may be routine in nature and not representative of a substantive change in an entity’s strategy, are reported in discontinued operations. ASU 2014-08 requires expanded disclosures for discontinued operations designed to provide users of financial statements with more information about the assets, liabilities, revenues, expenses and cash flows related to discontinued operations. ASU 2014-08 also requires an entity to disclose the pretax profit or loss (or change in net assets for a not-for-profit entity) of an individually significant component of an entity that does not qualify for discontinued operations reporting. The amendments in ASU 2014-08 are effective prospectively for fiscal years, and interim periods, beginning after December 15, 2014. Early adoption is permitted, but only for disposals (or classifications as held for sale) that have not been reported in financial statements previously issued or available for issuance. CSC is currently evaluating the impact that the adoption of ASU 2014-08 may have on CSC's Consolidated Financial Statements.

In January 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-05, "Service Concession Arrangements (Topic 853) (a consensus of the FASB Emerging Issues Task Force)” (“ASU 2014-05”). ASU 2014-05 provides guidance on the accounting for service concession arrangements, which are arrangements between a public-sector entity grantor and an operating entity under which the operating entity operates the grantor’s infrastructure (e.g. airports, roads, or bridges). The operating entity also may provide the construction, upgrading, or maintenance services of the grantor’s infrastructure. ASU 2014-05 specifies that an operating entity should not account for a service concession arrangement that is within the scope of this ASU as a lease in accordance with Topic 840, "Leases." ASU 2014-05 also specifies that the infrastructure used in a service concession arrangement should not be recognized as property, plant, and equipment of the operating entity. The amendments in this ASU are effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2014. For CSC, ASU 2014-05 will be effective beginning in fiscal 2016. CSC is in the process of evaluating the impact of adopting the ASU on CSC's Consolidated Financial Statements.

In February 2013, the FASB issued ASU No. 2013-04, "Obligations Resulting from Joint and Several Liability Arrangements for which the Total Amount of the Obligation Is Fixed at the Reporting Date” (“ASU 2013-04”). ASU 2013-04 requires an entity to measure obligations resulting from joint and several liability arrangements for which the total amount of the obligation within the scope of this guidance is fixed at the reporting date, as the sum of the amount the reporting entity agreed to pay on the basis of its arrangement among its co-obligors and any additional amount the reporting entity expects to pay on behalf of its co-obligors. The guidance in ASU 2013-04 also requires an entity to disclose the nature and amount of the obligation as well as other information about those obligations. The amendments in ASU 2013-04 are effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2013. CSC will be required to adopt the amendments in this ASU beginning in fiscal 2015. CSC is currently evaluating the impact that the adoption of ASU 2013-04 may have on CSC's Consolidated Financial Statements.

Stock-Based Compensation

The Company provides different forms of stock-based compensation to its employees and non-employee directors. This includes stock options and restricted stocks units (RSUs), including performance shares units (PSUs). The fair value of the awards is determined on the grant date, based on the Company's closing stock price. For awards settled in shares, the Company recognizes compensation expense based on the grant-date fair value net of estimated forfeitures over the vesting period. For awards settled in cash, the Company recognizes compensation expense based on the fair value at each reporting date net of estimated forfeitures.

The Company uses the Black-Scholes-Merton model in determining the fair value of options granted. The expected term is calculated based on the Company’s historical experience with respect to its stock plan activity in combination with an estimate of when vested and unexercised option shares will be exercised. The expected term of options is based on the two separate job tier classifications, which have distinct historical exercise behavior. The risk-free interest rate is based on the zero-coupon interest rate of U.S. government issued Treasury strips with a period commensurate with the expected term of the options. Expected volatility is based on a blended approach, which uses an equal weighting of implied volatility and historical volatility. However, beginning with the first quarter of fiscal 2012, the historical volatility calculation was based on the Company’s six-year and seven-year historical daily closing price, rather than the ten-year historical used in prior periods, in order to bring this factor more closely into alignment with the expected terms of the stock options. The dividend yield assumption was added concurrent with the introduction of a cash dividend in fiscal 2011 and is based on the respective fiscal year dividend payouts. The Company periodically evaluates its significant assumptions used in the fair value calculation.