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Revenue Recognition
9 Months Ended
Jul. 30, 2011
Revenue Recognition [Abstract]  
Revenue Recognition
Note 2 — Revenue Recognition
     Revenue from product sales to customers is generally recognized when title passes, which for shipments to certain foreign countries is subsequent to product shipment. Title for these shipments ordinarily passes within a week of shipment. A reserve for sales returns and allowances for customers is recorded based on historical experience or specific identification of an event necessitating a reserve.
     In all regions of the world, the Company defers revenue and the related cost of sales on shipments to distributors until the distributors resell the products to their customers. Therefore, the Company’s revenue fully reflects end customer purchases and is not impacted by distributor inventory levels. Sales to distributors are made under agreements that allow distributors to receive price-adjustment credits, as discussed below, and to return qualifying products for credit, as determined by the Company, in order to reduce the amounts of slow-moving, discontinued or obsolete product from their inventory. These agreements limit such returns to a certain percentage of the value of the Company’s shipments to that distributor during the prior quarter. In addition, distributors are allowed to return unsold products if the Company terminates the relationship with the distributor.
     Distributors are granted price-adjustment credits related to many of their sales to their customers. Price-adjustment credits are granted when the distributor’s standard cost (i.e., the Company’s sales price to the distributor) does not provide the distributor with an appropriate margin on its sales to its customers. As distributors negotiate selling prices with their customers, the final sales price agreed to with the customer will be influenced by many factors, including the particular product being sold, the quantity ordered, the particular customer, the geographic location of the distributor and the competitive landscape. As a result, the distributor may request and receive a price-adjustment credit from the Company to allow the distributor to earn an appropriate margin on the transaction.
     Distributors are also granted price-adjustment credits in the event of a price decrease subsequent to the date the product was shipped and billed to the distributor. Generally, the Company will provide a credit equal to the difference between the price paid by the distributor (less any prior credits on such products) and the new price for the product multiplied by the quantity of such product in the distributor’s inventory at the time of the price decrease.
     Given the uncertainties associated with the levels of price-adjustment credits to be granted to distributors, the sales price to the distributor is not fixed or determinable until the distributor resells the products to their customers. Therefore, the Company defers revenue recognition from sales to distributors until the distributors have sold the products to their customers.
     Title to the inventory transfers to the distributor at the time of shipment or delivery to the distributor, and payment from the distributor is due in accordance with the Company’s standard payment terms. These payment terms are not contingent upon the distributors’ sale of the products to their customers. Upon title transfer to distributors, inventory is reduced for the cost of goods shipped, the margin (sales less cost of sales) is recorded as “deferred income on shipments to distributors, net” and an account receivable is recorded.
     The deferred costs of sales to distributors have historically had very little risk of impairment due to the margins the Company earns on sales of its products and the relatively long life-cycle of the Company’s products. Product returns from distributors that are ultimately scrapped have historically been immaterial. In addition, price protection and price-adjustment credits granted to distributors historically have not exceeded the margins the Company earns on sales of its products. The Company continuously monitors the level and nature of product returns and is in continuous contact with the distributors to ensure reserves are established for all known material issues.
     As of July 30, 2011 and October 30, 2010, the Company had gross deferred revenue of $367.5 million and $327.2 million, respectively, and gross deferred cost of sales of $90.0 million and $84.4 million, respectively. Deferred income on shipments to distributors increased by approximately $34.7 million in the first nine months of fiscal 2011 primarily as a result of the Company’s shipments to its distributors in the first nine months of fiscal 2011 exceeding the distributors’ sales to their customers during this same time period.
     Shipping costs are charged to cost of sales as incurred.
     The Company generally offers a 12-month warranty for its products. The Company’s warranty policy provides for replacement of the defective product. Specific accruals are recorded for known product warranty issues. Product warranty expenses during either of the three- and nine-month periods ended July 30, 2011 and July 31, 2010 were not material.