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Intangible Assets Including Goodwill
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2019
Intangible Assets Including Goodwill  
Intangible Assets Including Goodwill

NOTE N. INTANGIBLE ASSETS INCLUDING GOODWILL

Intangible Assets

The following table presents the company’s intangible asset balances by major asset class.

($ in millions)

Gross Carrying

Accumulated

Net Carrying

At December 31, 2019:*

Amount

Amortization

Amount

Intangible asset class

Capitalized software

$

1,749

$

(743)

$

1,006

Client relationships

 

8,921

 

(1,433)

 

7,488

Completed technology

 

6,261

 

(1,400)

 

4,861

Patents/trademarks

 

2,301

 

(445)

 

1,856

Other**

 

56

 

(31)

 

24

Total

$

19,287

$

(4,052)

$

15,235

($ in millions)

Gross Carrying

    

Accumulated

    

Net Carrying

At December 31, 2018:

    

Amount

Amortization

Amount

Intangible asset class

Capitalized software

$

1,568

$

(629)

$

939

Client relationships

 

2,068

 

(1,123)

 

945

Completed technology

 

2,156

 

(1,296)

 

860

Patents/trademarks

 

641

 

(330)

 

311

Other**

 

56

 

(23)

 

32

Total

$

6,489

$

(3,402)

$

3,087

*   Amounts as of December 31, 2019 include a decrease of $42 million in net intangible asset balances due to foreign currency translation. There was no foreign currency impact on net intangible assets for the year ended December 31, 2018.

** Other intangibles are primarily acquired proprietary and nonproprietary business processes, methodologies and systems.

The net carrying amount of intangible assets increased $12,147 million during the year ended December 31, 2019, primarily due to the acquisition of Red Hat and additions resulting from capitalized software, partially offset by intangible asset amortization. Intangible assets of $13,472 million generated from the acquisition of Red Hat were allocated to the segments as follows:

($ in millions)

    

Intangible Assets

Segment

 

Allocated*

Cloud & Cognitive Software

$

10,729

Global Technology Services

 

1,819

Global Business Services

 

617

Systems

 

306

Total

$

13,472

* For additional information on the acquisition of Red Hat, refer to note E, “Acquisitions & Divestitures.”

There was no impairment of intangible assets recorded in 2019 and 2018. The aggregate intangible amortization expense was $1,850 million and $1,353 million for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively. In addition, in 2019 and 2018, respectively, the company retired $946 million and $1,469 million of fully amortized intangible assets, impacting both the gross carrying amount and accumulated amortization by this amount. In 2019, the company divested select intangible assets with a gross carrying amount of $335 million and $260 million of accumulated amortization.

The future amortization expense relating to intangible assets currently recorded in the Consolidated Balance Sheet is estimated to be the following at December 31, 2019:

    

Capitalized

    

Acquired

    

    

($ in millions)

Software

Intangibles

Total

2020

$

529

$

1,855

$

2,384

2021

 

352

 

1,747

 

2,099

2022

123

 

1,684

 

1,808

2023

1

 

1,371

 

1,372

2024

0

 

1,322

 

1,322

Thereafter

6,250

6,250

Goodwill

The changes in the goodwill balances by reportable segment, for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018, are as follows:

Foreign

Currency

Balance

Purchase

Translation

Balance

($ in millions)

January 1,

Goodwill

Price

and Other

December 31,

Segment

    

2019

    

Additions

    

Adjustments

    

Divestitures

    

Adjustments**

    

2019

Cloud & Cognitive Software

$

24,594

$

18,399

$

133

$

(131)

$

41

$

43,037

Global Business Services

4,711

1,059

1

(1)

5

5,775

Global Technology Services

3,988

3,119

34

7,141

Systems

1,847

525

(110)

7

2,270

Other—divested businesses

1,126

(1,126)

Total

$

36,265

$

23,102

$

24

$

(1,257)

$

87

$

58,222

Foreign

Currency

Balance

Purchase

Translation

Balance

($ in millions)

January 1,

Goodwill

Price

and Other

December 31,

Segment

    

2018

    

Additions

    

Adjustments

    

Divestitures

    

Adjustments**

    

2018

Cloud & Cognitive Software*

$

24,973

$

9

$

0

$

(1)

$

(388)

$

24,594

Global Business Services*

4,782

24

(3)

(92)

4,711

Global Technology Services*

4,044

0

(56)

3,988

Systems

1,862

0

(15)

1,847

Other—divested businesses*

1,127

1

0

0

(2)

1,126

Total

$

36,788

$

34

$

(3)

$

(1)

$

(553)

$

36,265

*   Recast to conform to 2019 presentation.

** Primarily driven by foreign currency translation.

Goodwill additions recorded during 2019 were related to the acquisition of Red Hat in the third quarter of 2019. For additional information on this transaction and related purchase price adjustments, refer to note E, “Acquisitions & Divestitures.”

There were no goodwill impairment losses recorded during 2019 or 2018 and the company has no accumulated impairment losses.

Purchase price adjustments recorded in 2019 and 2018 were related to acquisitions that 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 recorded in 2019 and 2018 were not material.