Intangible Assets Including Goodwill

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2017

Intangible Assets Including Goodwill:

10. Intangible Assets Including Goodwill: The following table details the company’s intangible asset balances by major asset class:

	At March 31, 2017
(Dollars in millions)	Gross Carrying		Accumulated			Net Carrying
Intangible asset class	Amount		Amortization			Amount
Capitalized software	$	1,557	$	(691	)	$	865
Client relationships	2,751		(1,254		)	1,497
Completed technology	3,231		(1,688		)	1,542
Patents/trademarks	725		(228		)	496
Other*	52		(17		)	35
Total	$	8,314	$	(3,879	)	$	4,436

Other intangibles are primarily acquired proprietary and non-proprietary business processes, methodologies and systems.

	At December 31, 2016
(Dollars in millions)	Gross Carrying		Accumulated			Net Carrying
Intangible asset class	Amount		Amortization			Amount
Capitalized software	$	1,537	$	(661	)	$	876
Client relationships	2,831		(1,228		)	1,602
Completed technology	3,322		(1,668		)	1,654
Patents/trademarks	730		(205		)	525
Other*	46		(15		)	31

Total	$	8,466	$	(3,778	)	$	4,688

Other intangibles are primarily acquired proprietary and non-proprietary business processes, methodologies and systems.

The net carrying amount of intangible assets decreased $252 million during the first quarter of 2017, primarily due to intangible asset amortization, partially offset by additions resulting from capitalized software. The aggregate intangible amortization expense was $390 million and $347 million for the quarters ended March 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. In addition, in the first three months of 2017, the company retired $289 million of fully amortized intangible assets, impacting both the gross carrying amount and accumulated amortization by this amount.

The amortization expense for each of the five succeeding years relating to intangible assets currently recorded in the Consolidated Statement of Financial Position is estimated to be the following at March 31, 2017:

	Capitalized		Acquired
(Dollars in millions)	Software		Intangibles		Total
2017 (for Q2 - Q4)	$	391	$	707	$	1,098
2018	347		811		1,158
2019	119		648		768
2020	8		549		557
2021	—		437		437

The change in the goodwill balances by reportable segment, for the three months ended March 31, 2017 and for the year ended December 31, 2016 are as follows:

										Foreign
										Currency
					Purchase					Translation
(Dollars in millions)	Balance		Goodwill		Price					And Other		Balance
Segment	01/01/17		Additions		Adjustments			Divestitures		Adjustments*		3/31/17
Cognitive Solutions	$	19,484	$	3	$	4		$	—	$	26	$	19,518
Global Business Services	4,607		—		2			—		35		4,643
Technology Services & Cloud Platforms	10,258		5		(3		)	—		35		10,295
Systems	1,850		—		—			—		1		1,851

Total	$	36,199	$	8	$	3		$	—	$	97	$	36,307

Primarily driven by foreign currency translation.

											Foreign
											Currency
					Purchase						Translation
(Dollars in millions)	Balance		Goodwill		Price						And Other			Balance
Segment	01/01/16		Additions		Adjustments			Divestitures			Adjustments*			12/31/16
Cognitive Solutions	$	15,621	$	3,821	$	5		$	(12	)	$	48		$	19,484
Global Business Services	4,396		303		4			(1		)	(95		)	4,607
Technology Services & Cloud Platforms	10,156		119		(12		)	(5		)	(1		)	10,258
Systems	1,848		—		(4		)	—			5			1,850

Total	$	32,021	$	4,244	$	(7	)	$	(18	)	$	(42	)	$	36,199

Primarily driven by foreign currency translation.

There were no goodwill impairment losses recorded during the first three months of 2017 or the full year of 2016 and the company has no accumulated impairment losses.

Purchase price adjustments recorded in the first three months of 2017 and full year 2016 were related to acquisitions that were completed on or prior to December 31, 2016 or September 30, 2016, respectively, and were still subject to the measurement period that ends at the earlier of 12 months from the acquisition date or when information becomes available. Net purchase price adjustments of $3 million were recorded during the first three months of 2017, with the primary driver being deferred tax assets. Net purchase price adjustments of $7 million were recorded during 2016, with the primary drivers being deferred tax assets, accounts receivable, deferred income, inventory and other current liabilities.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for the aggregate amount of goodwill and a description of intangible assets, which may include (a) for amortizable intangible assets (also referred to as finite-lived intangible assets), the carrying amount, the amount of any significant residual value, and the weighted-average amortization period, (b) for intangible assets not subject to amortization (also referred to as indefinite-lived intangible assets), the carrying amount, and (c) the amount of research and development assets acquired and written off in the period, including the line item in the income statement in which the amounts written off are aggregated, if not readily apparent from the income statement. Also discloses (a) for amortizable intangibles assets in total and by major class, the gross carrying amount and accumulated amortization, the total amortization expense for the period, and the estimated aggregate amortization expense for each of the five succeeding fiscal years, (b) for intangible assets not subject to amortization the carrying amount in total and by major class, and (c) for goodwill, in total and for each reportable segment, the changes in the carrying amount of goodwill during the period (including the aggregate amount of goodwill acquired, the aggregate amount of impairment losses recognized, and the amount of goodwill included in the gain (loss) on disposal of a reporting unit). If any part of goodwill has not been allocated to a reportable segment, discloses the unallocated amount and the reasons for not allocating. For each impairment loss recognized related to an intangible asset (excluding goodwill), discloses: (a) a description of the impaired intangible asset and the facts and circumstances leading to the impairment, (b) the amount of the impairment loss and the method for determining fair value, (c) the caption in the income statement or the statement of activities in which the impairment loss is aggregated, and (d) the segment in which the impaired intangible asset is reported. For each goodwill impairment loss recognized, discloses: (a) a description of the facts and circumstances leading to the impairment, (b) the amount of the impairment loss and the method of determining the fair value of the associated reporting unit, and (c) if a recognized impairment loss is an estimate not finalized and the reasons why the estimate is not final. May also disclose the nature and amount of any significant adjustments made to a previous estimate of an impairment loss.

+ References + Details