Supplemental balance sheet and cash flow information (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Supplemental balance sheet and cash flow information [Abstract]

Trade accounts receivable

Trade accounts receivable – Net trade accounts receivable was comprised of the following at December 31:

	2011			2010
Trade accounts receivable – gross	$	73,030		$	70,601
Allowances for uncollectible accounts		(4,007	)		(4,130	)
Trade accounts receivable – net	$	69,023		$	66,471

Changes in allowances for uncollectible accounts

Changes in the allowances for uncollectible accounts were as follows:

	2011			2010			2009
Balance, beginning of year	$	4,130		$	4,991		$	5,930
Bad debt expense		4,033			4,686			5,842
Write-offs, net of recoveries		(4,156	)		(5,547	)		(6,781	)
Balance, end of year	$	4,007		$	4,130		$	4,991

Inventories and supplies

Inventories and supplies – Inventories and supplies were comprised of the following at December 31:

	2011		2010
Raw materials	$	5,566	$	4,879
Semi-finished goods		8,273		8,393
Finished goods		5,301		5,083
Supplies, primarily production		2,903		3,305
Inventories and supplies	$	22,043	$	21,660

Marketable securities

Marketable securities – Available-for-sale marketable securities included within funds held for customers and other current assets were comprised of the following:

	December 31, 2011
	Cost		Gross unrealized gains		Gross unrealized losses		Fair value
Corporate investments:
Money market securities	$	2,001	$	-	$	-	$	2,001
Funds held for customers:(1)
Money market securities		3		-		-		3
Canadian and provincial government securities		5,172		243		-		5,415
Marketable securities – funds held for customers		5,175		243		-		5,418
Total marketable securities	$	7,176	$	243	$	-	$	7,419

(1) Funds held for customers, as reported on the consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2011, also included cash and cash equivalents of $38,976.

	December 31, 2010
	Cost		Gross unrealized gains		Gross unrealized losses		Fair value
Corporate investments:
Money market securities	$	2,029	$	-	$	-	$	2,029
Funds held for customers:(1)
Money market securities		5,078		-		-		5,078
Canadian and provincial government securities		5,148		23		-		5,171
Marketable securities – funds held for customers		10,226		23		-		10,249
Total marketable securities	$	12,255	$	23	$	-	$	12,278

(1) Funds held for customers, as reported on the consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2010, also included cash and cash equivalents of $25,471.

Expected maturities of available-for-sale securities

Expected maturities of available-for-sale securities as of December 31, 2011 were as follows:

	Fair value
Due in one year or less	$	2,108
Due in three to five years		1,353
Due after five years		3,958
Total marketable securities	$	7,419

Property, plant and equipment

Property, plant and equipment – Property, plant and equipment was comprised of the following at December 31:

	2011							2010
	Gross carrying amount		Accumulated depreciation			Net carrying amount		Gross carrying amount		Accumulated depreciation			Net carrying amount
Land and improvements	$	33,970	$	(8,848	)	$	25,122	$	33,981	$	(8,517	)	$	25,464
Buildings and improvements		122,262		(69,619	)		52,643		120,672		(65,359	)		55,313
Machinery and equipment		310,021		(274,375	)		35,646		303,987		(264,543	)		39,444
Property, plant and equipment – net	$	466,253	$	(352,842	)	$	113,411	$	458,640	$	(338,419	)	$	120,221

Intangibles

Intangibles – Intangibles were comprised of the following at December 31:

	2011							2010
	Gross carrying amount		Accumulated amortization			Net carrying amount		Gross carrying amount		Accumulated amortization			Net carrying amount
Indefinite-lived:
Trade name	$	19,100	$	-		$	19,100	$	19,100	$	-		$	19,100
Amortizable intangibles:
Internal-use software		410,905		(345,145	)		65,760		378,269		(314,267	)		64,002
Customer lists/relationships		52,542		(26,059	)		26,483		72,292		(43,660	)		28,632
Distributor contracts		30,900		(28,198	)		2,702		30,900		(26,396	)		4,504
Trade names		67,661		(25,958	)		41,703		59,361		(22,009	)		37,352
Other		9,566		(7,975	)		1,591		8,602		(7,080	)		1,522
Amortizable intangibles		571,574		(433,335	)		138,239		549,424		(413,412	)		136,012
Intangibles	$	590,674	$	(433,335	)	$	157,339	$	568,524	$	(413,412	)	$	155,112

Estimated future amortization of intangibles

Based on the intangibles in service as of December 31, 2011, estimated amortization expense for each of the next five years ending December 31 is as follows:

	Estimated amortization  expense
2012	$	37,121
2013		26,700
2014		15,027
2015		8,043
2016		5,713

Acquired intangibles

We acquire internal-use software in the normal course of business. In conjunction with acquisitions (see Note 4), we also acquired certain other amortizable intangible assets. The following intangible assets were acquired during the years indicated:

	2011			2010			2009
	Amount		Weighted- average amortization  period	Amount		Weighted- average amortization period	Amount		Weighted- average amortization period
Internal-use software	$	33,169	4 years	$	36,442	4 years	$	24,911	3 years
Customer lists/relationships		12,600	8 years		16,690	1 year		13,943	7 years
Trade names		8,300	9 years		9,100	10 years		900	10 years
Other		1,000	4 years		-	-		-	-
Acquired intangibles	$	55,069	6 years	$	62,232	4 years	$	39,754	5 years

Summary of goodwill

Goodwill – Information regarding the acquisitions completed during the past three years can be found in Note 4. As ofDecember 31, 2011, goodwill was comprised of the following:

	Goodwill
Acquisition of NEBS in June 2004	$	472,082
Acquisition of Designer Checks in February 2000(1)		77,970
Acquisition of Hostopia.com Inc. in August 2008		68,555
Acquisition of Custom Direct, Inc. in April 2010		66,269
Acquisition of Banker's Dashboard in April 2011(1)		26,281
Acquisition of PsPrint in July 2011(1)		24,826
Acquisition of Abacus America, Inc. in July 2009		24,225
Acquisition of the Johnson Group in October 2006(1)		7,320
Acquisition of Direct Checks in December 1987		4,267
Acquisition of Logo Design Mojo in April 2008(1)		1,359
Acquisition of MerchEngines.com in July 2009(1)		1,140
Acquisition of Dots and Pixels, Inc. in July 2005		1,021
Acquisition of Cornerstone Customer Solutions in March 2010(1)		897
Acquisition of All Trade Computer Forms, Inc. in February 2007		786
Goodwill	$	776,998

(1) This goodwill is deductible for income tax purposes.

Goodwill

Changes in goodwill by reportable segment and in total were as follows:

	Small Business Services			Financial Services		Direct Checks		Total
Balance, December 31, 2009:
Goodwill, gross	$	596,429		$	-	$	82,237	$	678,666
Accumulated impairment charges		(20,000	)		-		-		(20,000	)
Goodwill, net of accumulated impairment charges		576,429			-		82,237		658,666
Acquisition of Custom Direct, Inc. (see Note 4)		-			-		66,269		66,269
Acquisition of Cornerstone Customer Solutions (see Note 4)		-			897		-		897
Currency translation adjustment		105			-		-		105
Balance, December 31, 2010:
Goodwill, gross		596,534			897		148,506		745,937
Accumulated impairment charges		(20,000	)		-		-		(20,000	)
Goodwill, net of accumulated impairment charges		576,534			897		148,506		725,937
Acquisition of Banker's Dashboard (see Note 4)		-			26,281		-		26,281
Acquisition of PsPrint (see Note 4)		24,826			-		-		24,826
Currency translation adjustment		(46	)		-		-		(46	)
Balance, December 31, 2011:
Goodwill, gross		621,314			27,178		148,506		796,998
Accumulated impairment charges		(20,000	)		-		-		(20,000	)
Goodwill, net of accumulated impairment charges	$	601,314		$	27,178	$	148,506	$	776,998

Other non-current assets

Other non-current assets – Other non-current assets as of December 31 were comprised of the following:

	2011		2010
Contract acquisition costs	$	55,076	$	57,476
Deferred advertising costs		15,599		15,832
Other		29,923		20,939
Other non-current assets	$	100,598	$	94,247

Changes in contract acquisition costs

Changes in contract acquisition costs were as follows:

	2011			2010			2009
Balance, beginning of year	$	57,476		$	45,701		$	37,706
Additions(1)		14,624			31,520			32,545
Amortization		(16,659	)		(19,745	)		(24,550	)
Other		(365	)		-			-
Balance, end of year	$	55,076		$	57,476		$	45,701

(1) Contract acquisition costs are accrued upon contract execution. Cash payments made for contract acquisition costs were $12,190 in 2011, $22,087 in 2010 and $29,250 in 2009.

Accrued liabilities

Accrued liabilities – Accrued liabilities as of December 31 were comprised of the following:

	2011		2010
Funds held for customers	$	43,829	$	35,475
Employee profit sharing/cash bonus and pension		23,783		34,109
Customer rebates		20,969		19,201
Contract acquisition costs due within one year		13,070		8,550
Interest		8,760		5,227
Restructuring due within one year (see Note 8)		5,946		6,435
Wages, including vacation		4,995		5,898
Other		28,746		29,139
Accrued liabilities	$	150,098	$	144,034

Supplemental cash flow disclosures

Supplemental cash flow disclosures – Cash payments for interest and income taxes were as follows for the years ended December 31:

	2011		2010		2009
Interest paid	$	42,542	$	44,054	$	43,513
Income taxes paid		60,861		70,246		56,060