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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2019
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Principles of Consolidation
Principles of Consolidation: The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Motorola Solutions, Inc. (the “Company” or “Motorola Solutions”) and all controlled subsidiaries. All intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated.
The consolidated financial statements as of December 31, 2019 and 2018 and for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, include, in the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments and reclassifications) necessary to present fairly the Company's consolidated financial position, results of operations, statements of comprehensive income, and statements of stockholders' equity and cash flows for all periods presented.
Use of Estimates
Use of Estimates: The preparation of financial statements in conformity with United States ("U.S.") Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ("GAAP") requires management to make certain estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Revenue Recognition
Revenue Recognition: Net sales consist of a wide range of goods and services including the delivery of devices, systems and system integration and a full set of software and service offerings. The Company recognizes revenue to reflect the transfer of control of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the Company expects to be entitled in exchange for goods or services.
The Products and Systems Integration segment is comprised of Systems, Devices and Systems Integration. Direct customers of the Products and Systems Integration segment are typically government, public safety and first-responder agencies, procuring at state, local, and federal levels as well as large commercial customers with secure mission critical needs. Indirect customers are defined as customers purchasing professional commercial radios and video security, which are primarily sold through the Company's reseller partners to an end-customer base, composed of various industries where private communications networks and video security are used to secure operations and enable a mobile workforce. Contracts with the Company's customers are typically fixed fee, with consideration measured net of associated sales taxes, and, as it relates to our direct customers, funded through government appropriations. For Products and Systems Integration sales, the Company records consideration from shipping and handling on a gross basis within Net sales.
Devices includes two-way portable and vehicle-mounted radios, fixed and mobile video cameras and accessories. Devices are considered capable of being distinct and distinct within the context of our contracts. Revenue is recognized upon the transfer of control of the devices to the customer at a point in time, typically consistent with delivery under the applicable shipping terms. Devices are sold by both the direct sales force and through reseller partners. Revenue is generally recognized upon transfer of devices to reseller partners, rather than the end-customer, except for limited consignment arrangements. Provisions for returns and reseller discounts are made on a portfolio basis using historical data.
Systems and Systems Integration include customized radio network, video solutions and implementation, and integration of networks, devices, software, and applications. The radio network includes the aggregation of promises to the customer to provide the radio network core and central processing software, base stations, consoles, and repeaters. These individual promises are not distinct in the context of the contract, as the Company provides a significant service of integrating and customizing the goods and services promised. The radio network represents a distinct performance obligation for which revenue is recognized over time, as the Company creates an asset with no alternative use and has an enforceable right to payment for work performed. The Company's revenue recognition over time is based on an input measure of costs incurred, which depicts the transfer of control to its customers under its contracts. Systems and Systems Integration revenue is recognized over an average duration of approximately one to two years.
Systems also include video security including: video analytics, network video management hardware and software, and access control solutions, which are capable of being distinct and distinct in the context of the contract. Video security solutions are traditionally sold through reseller partners, with contracts negotiated under fixed pricing. Provisions for returns are determined on a portfolio basis using historical data. Revenue is recognized upon the transfer of control of the video solution to the reseller partners, typically upon shipment.
The Software and Services segment provides a full set of offerings for government, public safety and commercial communication networks. Direct customers of the Software and Services segment are typically government, public safety and first-responder agencies and municipalities. Indirect customers are commercial customers who distribute broadband push-to-talk services to a final end customer base. Contracts with our customers are typically fixed fee, with consideration measured net of associated sales taxes, and, as it relates to our direct customers, funded through government appropriations.
Software offerings include public safety and enterprise command solutions, unified communications applications, and video security software solutions delivered either “as a service” or on-premise. Solutions delivered as a service consist of a range of promises including hosted software, technical support and the right to unspecified future software enhancements. Software is
not distinct from the hosting service since the customer does not have the right to take possession of the software at any time during the term of the arrangement. The hosted software, technical support, and right to unspecified future software enhancements each represent a series of distinct services that are delivered concurrently using the same over-time method. As such, the promises are accounted for as a single performance obligation with revenue recognized on a straight-line basis.
On-premise offerings consist of multiple promises primarily including software licenses and post-contract customer support. The promises are each distinct and distinct within the context of the contract as the customer benefits from each promise individually without any significant integration or interrelationship between the promises. On-premise software revenue is recognized at the point in time when the customer can benefit from the software which generally aligns with the beginning of the license period. Revenue for post-contract customer support is recognized over time as the customer simultaneously receives and consumes the services on a straight-line basis.
Services includes a continuum of service offerings beginning with repair, technical support and maintenance. More advanced offerings include: monitoring, software updates and cybersecurity services. Managed service offerings range from partial to full operation of customer or Motorola Solutions-owned networks. Services are provided across all radio network technologies. Services are both distinct and capable of being distinct in the context of the contract, representing a series of recurring services that the Company stands ready to perform over the contract term. Since services contracts typically allow for customers to terminate for convenience or for non-appropriations of fiscal funding, the contract term is generally considered to be limited to a monthly or annual basis, subject to customer renewal. While contracts with customers are typically fixed fee, certain managed services contracts may be subject to variable consideration related to the achievement of service level agreement performance measurements. The Company has not historically paid significant penalties under service level agreements, and accordingly, it does not constrain its contract price. Certain contracts may also contain variable consideration driven by the number of users. Revenue is typically recognized on services over time as a series of services performed over the contract term on a straight-line basis.
Significant Judgments
The Company enters into arrangements which consist of multiple promises to our customers. The Company evaluates whether the promised goods and services are distinct or a series of distinct goods or services. Where contracts contain multiple performance obligations, the Company generally allocates the total estimated consideration to each performance obligation based on applying an estimated selling price (“ESP”) as our best estimate of standalone selling price. The Company determines ESP by: (i) collecting all reasonably available data points including sales, cost and margin analyses of the product or services, and other inputs based on its normal pricing and discounting practices, (ii) making any reasonably required adjustments to the data based on market and Company-specific factors, and (iii) stratifying the data points, when appropriate, based on major product or service, type of customer, geographic market, and sales volume.
The Company accounts for certain system contracts on an over-time basis, electing an input method of estimated costs as a measure of performance completed. The selection of the measurement of progress using estimated costs was based on a thorough consideration of alternatives of various output and input measures, including contract milestones and labor hours. However, the Company has determined that other input and output measures are not an appropriate measure of progress as they do not accurately align with the transfer of control on its customized systems. The selection of costs incurred as a measure of progress aligns the transfer of control to the overall production of the customized system.
For system contracts accounted for over time using estimated costs as a measure of performance completed, the Company relies on estimates around the total estimated costs to complete the contract (“Estimated Costs at Completion”). Total Estimated Costs at Completion include direct labor, material and subcontracting costs. Due to the nature of the efforts required to be performed to meet the underlying performance obligation, determining Estimated Costs at Completion may be complex and subject to many variables. The Company has a standard and disciplined quarterly process in which management reviews the progress and performance of open contracts in order to determine the best estimate of Estimated Costs at Completion. As part of this process, management reviews information including, but not limited to, any outstanding key contract matters, progress towards completion, the project schedule, identified risks and opportunities, and the related changes in estimates of costs. The risks and opportunities include management’s judgment about the ability and cost to achieve the project schedule, technical requirements, and other contract requirements. Management must make assumptions and estimates regarding labor productivity and availability, the complexity of work to be performed, the availability and cost of materials, and performance by subcontractors, among other variables. Based on this analysis, any quarterly adjustment to net sales, cost of sales, and the related impact to operating income are recorded as necessary in the period they become known. When estimates of total costs to be incurred on a contract exceed estimates of total revenue to be earned, a provision for the entire loss on the contract is recorded in the period in which the loss is determined.
Cash Equivalents Cash Equivalents: The Company considers all highly-liquid investments purchased with an original maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents.
Investments
Investments: Investments in debt securities classified as available-for-sale are carried at fair value with changes in fair value recorded in other comprehensive income. Certain investments are accounted for using the equity method if the Company has significant influence over the issuing entity.
The Company assesses declines in the fair value of debt securities and equity method investments to determine whether such declines are other-than-temporary. This assessment is made considering all available evidence, including changes in general market conditions, specific industry and individual company data, the length of time and the extent to which the fair value
has been less than cost, the financial condition and the near-term prospects of the entity issuing the security, and the Company’s ability and intent to hold the investment until recovery. Other-than-temporary impairments of investments are recorded to Other within Other income (expense) in the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Operations in the period in which they become impaired.
Equity securities with readily determinable fair values are carried at fair value with changes in fair value recorded in Other within Other income (expense). Equity securities without readily determinable fair values are carried at cost, less impairments, if any, and adjusted for observable price changes for the identical or a similar investment of the same issuer. The Company performs a qualitative impairment assessment to determine if such investments are impaired. The qualitative assessment considers all available information, including declines in the financial performance of the issuing entity, the issuing entity’s operating environment, and general market conditions. Impairments of equity securities without readily determinable fair values are recorded in Other within Other income (expense).
Inventories
Inventories: Inventories are valued at the lower of average cost (which approximates cost on a first-in, first-out basis) or net realizable value.
Property, Plant, and Equipment
Property, Plant and Equipment: Property, plant and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is recorded on a straight-line basis, based on the estimated useful lives of the assets (leasehold improvements, five to twenty years; machinery and equipment, two to ten years) and commences once the assets are ready for their intended use. When certain events or changes in operating conditions occur, useful lives of the assets may be adjusted or an impairment assessment may be performed on the recoverability of the carrying value.
Goodwill and Intangible Assets
Goodwill and Intangible Assets: Goodwill is assessed for impairment at least annually at the reporting unit, or more frequently if events or circumstances occur that would more likely than not reduce the fair value of a reporting unit below its carrying value level. The Company performs its annual assessment of goodwill for impairment in the fourth quarter of each fiscal year, typically through a qualitative assessment. Indicators of impairment include: (i) macroeconomic conditions, (ii) industry and market conditions, (iii) cost factors, including product and SG&A costs, (iv) overall financial performance of the Company, (v) changes in share price, and (vi) other relevant company-specific events. If it is determined that it is more-likely-than-not that the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, the Company will perform the first step of the impairment process, which compares the fair value of the reporting unit to its book value. If the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its book value, the Company performs a hypothetical purchase price allocation based on the reporting unit's fair value to determine the fair value of the reporting unit's goodwill. Fair value is determined using a combination of present value techniques and market prices of comparable businesses.
Intangible assets are amortized on a straight line basis over their respective estimated useful lives ranging from one to twenty years. The Company has no intangible assets with indefinite useful lives.
Leases
Leases: The Company recognizes if an arrangement is a lease at the inception of the contract. The Company determines which party has the right to control an asset during the contract term and recognizes a Right of Use ("ROU") asset and operating lease liability based on the present value of the future minimum lease payments over the term of the lease. Refer to Note 3 for further discussion of the Company’s accounting policy for leases.
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets: Long-lived assets, which include intangible assets, held and used by the Company are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of assets may not be recoverable. The Company evaluates recoverability of assets to be held and used by comparing the carrying amount of an asset (group) to future net undiscounted cash flows to be generated by the asset (group). If an asset (group) is considered to be impaired, the impairment to be recognized is equal to the amount by which the carrying amount of the asset (group) exceeds the asset's (group's) fair value calculated using a discounted future cash flows analysis or market comparable analysis. Assets held for sale, if any, are reported at the lower of the carrying amount or fair value less cost to sell.
Income Taxes
Income Taxes: The Company records deferred income tax assets and liabilities based on the estimated future tax effects of differences between the financial and tax bases of assets and liabilities based on currently enacted tax laws. The Company's deferred and other tax balances are based on management's interpretation of the tax regulations and rulings in numerous tax jurisdictions. Income tax expenses and liabilities recognized by the Company also reflect its best estimates and assumptions regarding, among other things, the level of future taxable income, the effect of the Company's various tax planning strategies, and uncertain tax positions. Future tax authority rulings and changes in tax laws, changes in projected levels of taxable income, and future tax planning strategies could affect the actual effective tax rate and tax balances recorded by the Company.
Long-term Receivables
Long-Term Receivables: Long-term receivables include trade receivables where contractual terms of the note agreement are greater than one year. Long-term receivables are considered impaired when management determines collection of all amounts due according to the contractual terms of the note agreement, including principal and interest, is no longer probable. Impaired long-term receivables are valued based on the present value of expected future cash flows discounted at the receivable’s effective interest rate, or the fair value of the collateral if the receivable is collateral dependent. Interest income and late fees on impaired long-term receivables are recognized only when payments are received. Previously impaired long-term receivables are no longer considered impaired and are reclassified to performing when they have performed under restructuring for four consecutive quarters.
Environmental Liabilities
Environmental Liabilities: The Company maintains a liability related to ongoing remediation efforts of environmental media such as groundwater, soil, and soil vapor, as well as related legal fees for a designated Superfund site under the
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (commonly known as the “Superfund Act”) incurred by a legacy business. It is the Company’s policy to re-evaluate the reserve when certain events become known that will impact the future cash payments. When the timing and amount of the future cash payments are fixed or reliably determinable, the Company discounts the future cash flows used in estimating the accrual using a risk-free treasury rate. The current portion of the estimated environmental liability is included in the “Accrued liabilities” statement line and the non-current portion is included in the “Other liabilities” statement line within the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheet.
Foreign Currency
Foreign Currency: Certain non-U.S. operations within the Company use their respective local currency as their functional currency. Those operations that do not have the U.S. dollar as their functional currency translate assets and liabilities at current rates of exchange in effect at the balance sheet date and revenues and expenses using rates that approximate those in effect during the period. The resulting translation adjustments are included as a component of Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) in the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheet. For those operations that have the U.S. dollar as their functional currency, transactions denominated in the local currency are measured in U.S. dollars using the current rates of exchange for monetary assets and liabilities and historical rates of exchange for nonmonetary assets. Gains and losses from remeasurement of monetary assets and liabilities are included in Other within Other income (expense) within the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Operations.
The Company uses financial instruments to reduce its overall exposure to the effects of currency fluctuations on cash flows. The Company’s policy prohibits speculation in financial instruments for profit on exchange rate fluctuations, trading in currencies for which there are no underlying exposures, or entering into transactions for any currency to intentionally increase the underlying exposure.
The Company’s strategy related to foreign exchange exposure management is to offset the gains or losses on the financial instruments against gains or losses on the underlying operational cash flows, net investments or monetary assets and liabilities based on the Company's assessment of risk. The Company enters into derivative contracts for some of its non-functional currency cash, receivables, and payables, which are primarily denominated in major currencies that can be traded on open markets. The Company typically uses forward contracts and options to hedge these currency exposures. In addition, the Company has entered into derivative contracts for some forecasted transactions or net investments in some of its overseas entities, which are designated as part of a hedging relationship if it is determined that the transaction qualifies for hedge accounting under the provisions of the authoritative accounting guidance for derivative instruments and hedging activities. A portion of the Company’s exposure is from currencies that are not traded in liquid markets and these are addressed, to the extent reasonably possible, by managing net asset positions, product pricing and component sourcing.
Derivative Instruments
Derivative Instruments: Gains and losses on hedging instruments that do not qualify for hedge accounting are recorded immediately in Other income (expense) within the Consolidated Statements of Operations. Gains and losses pertaining to instruments designated as net investment hedges that qualify for hedge accounting are recognized as a component of Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss). Components excluded from the assessment of hedge ineffectiveness in net investment hedges are included in Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) at their initial value and amortized into Interest expense, net on a straight-line basis.
Earnings Per Share
Earnings Per Share: The Company calculates its basic earnings (loss) per share based on the weighted-average number of common shares issued and outstanding. Net earnings (loss) attributable to Motorola Solutions, Inc. is divided by the weighted average common shares outstanding during the period to arrive at the basic earnings (loss) per share. Diluted earnings (loss) per share is calculated by dividing net earnings (loss) attributable to Motorola Solutions, Inc. by the sum of the weighted-average number of common shares used in the basic earnings (loss) per share calculation and the weighted-average number of common shares that would be issued assuming exercise or conversion of all potentially dilutive securities, excluding those securities that would be anti-dilutive to the earnings (loss) per share calculation. Both basic and diluted earnings (loss) per share amounts are calculated for net earnings attributable to Motorola Solutions, Inc. for all periods presented.
Share-Based Compensation Costs
Share-Based Compensation Costs: The Company grants share-based compensation awards and offers an employee stock purchase plan. The amount of compensation cost for these share-based awards is generally measured based on the fair value of the awards as of the date that the share-based awards are issued and adjusted to the estimated number of awards that are expected to vest. The fair values of stock options and stock appreciation rights are generally determined using a Black-Scholes option pricing model which incorporates assumptions about expected volatility, risk-free rate, dividend yield, and expected life. Performance-based stock options, performance-contingent stock options, and market stock units vest based on market conditions and are therefore measured under a Monte Carlo simulation in order to simulate a range of possible future unit prices for Motorola Solutions over the performance period. Compensation cost for share-based awards is recognized on a straight-line basis over the vesting period.
Defined Benefit Plans
Defined Benefit Plans: The Company records annual expenses relating to its defined benefit plans based on calculations which include various actuarial assumptions, including discount rates, assumed asset rates of return, compensation increases, and turnover rates. The Company reviews its actuarial assumptions on an annual basis and makes modifications to the assumptions based on current rates and trends. The effects of the gains, losses, and prior service costs and credits are amortized either over the average service life or over the average remaining lifetime of the participants, depending on the number of active employees in the plan. The funded status, or projected benefit obligation less plan assets, for each plan, is reflected in the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets using a December 31 measurement date.
Recent and Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements
Recent Accounting Pronouncements:
In December 2019, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2019-12, “Income Taxes (Topic 740),” which simplifies the accounting for income taxes by removing certain exceptions and streamlining other areas of accounting for income taxes. The ASU is effective for the Company on January 1, 2021 with early adoption permitted. Portions of the amendment within the ASU require retrospective, modified retrospective or prospective adoption methods. The Company is still evaluating the impact of adoption on its financial statements and disclosures.
In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-14, “Compensation - Retirement Benefits - Defined Benefit Plans - General (Subtopic 715-20) - Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Defined Benefit Plans,” which modifies the disclosure requirements for the defined benefit pension plans and other postretirement plans. The ASU is effective for the Company on January 1, 2021 with early adoption permitted. The ASU requires a retrospective adoption method. The Company does not believe the ASU will have a material impact on its financial statement disclosures.
In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, “Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments,” which requires the Company to measure and recognize expected credit losses for financial assets held and not accounted for at fair value through net income. In November 2018, April 2019, May 2019 and November 2019, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-19, “Codification Improvements to Topic 326, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses,” “ASU No. 2019-04, Codification Improvements to Topic 326, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses, ” “Topic 815, Derivatives and Hedging, and Topic 825, Financial Instruments,” “ASU No. 2019-05, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326): Targeted Transition Relief,” and “ASU No. 2019-11, Codification Improvements to Topic 326, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses,” which provided additional implementation guidance on the previously issued ASU. The ASU is effective for the Company on January 1, 2020. The Company does not believe there will be a material impact on its financial statements as a result of the adoption.
Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements:
In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, "Leases," which amends existing guidance to require lessees to recognize assets and liabilities on the balance sheet for the rights and obligations created by long-term leases and to disclose additional quantitative and qualitative information about leasing arrangements. This was subsequently amended by ASU No. 2018-01, “Land Easement Practical Expedient for Transition to Topic 842,” ASU No. 2018-10, “Codification Improvements to
Topic 842, Leases,” and ASU No. 2018-11, “Targeted Improvements” (collectively "ASC 842"). ASC 842 establishes a right-of-use model ("ROU") that requires a lessee to recognize a ROU asset and lease liability on the balance sheet for all leases with an initial term longer than twelve months. Leases are classified as finance or operating, with classification affecting the pattern and presentation of expense recognition in the income statement.
The Company adopted ASC 842 as of January 1, 2019 using a modified retrospective transition approach for all leases existing at January 1, 2019, the date of the initial application. Consequently, financial information will not be updated and disclosures required under ASC 842 will not be provided for dates and periods before January 1, 2019.
ASC 842 provides for a number of optional practical expedients in transition. The Company elected the practical expedients, which permit the Company to not reassess prior conclusions about lease identification, lease classification and initial direct costs under ASC 842. The Company did not elect the "use-of hindsight" practical expedient to determine the lease term or in assessing the likelihood that a lease purchase option will be exercised, allowing it to carry forward the lease term as determined prior to adoption of ASC 842. Finally, the Company also elected the practical expedient related to land easements, which enabled it to continue its accounting treatment for land easements on existing agreements as of January 1, 2019.
ASC 842 also provides practical expedients for an entity’s ongoing accounting. The Company elected the short-term lease recognition exemption for all leases that qualify. A short-term lease is one with a term of twelve months or less, including any optional periods that are reasonably certain of exercise. For those leases that qualify, the exemption allows the Company to not recognize ROU assets or lease liabilities, including not recognizing ROU assets or lease liabilities for existing short-term leases at transition. Short-term lease costs are recognized as rent expense on a straight-line basis over the lease term consistent with the Company’s prior accounting. The Company also elected the practical expedient to not separate lease and non-lease components for all current lease categories.
As of January 1, 2019, the Company recognized operating lease liabilities of $648 million based on the present value of the remaining minimum rental payments determined under prior lease accounting standards and corresponding ROU assets of $588 million. The $60 million difference between operating lease liabilities and ROU assets recognized is due to deferred rent and exit cost accruals recorded under prior lease accounting standards. ASC 842 requires such balances to be reclassified against ROU assets at transition. In future periods such balances will not be presented separately.
For arrangements where the Company is the lessor, the adoption of ASC 842 did not have a material impact on its financial statements as the majority of its leases are operating leases embedded within managed services contracts. ASC 842 provides a practical expedient for lessors in which the lessor may elect, by class of underlying asset, to not separate non-lease components from the associated lease component and, instead, to account for these components as a single component if both of the following are met: (i) the timing and pattern of transfer of the non-lease component(s) and associated lease component are the same and (ii) the lease component, if accounted for separately, would be classified as an operating lease. The accounting under the practical expedient depends on which component(s) is predominant in the contract. If the non-lease component is predominant, the single component is accounted under ASC Topic 606, "Revenue from Contract with Customers" and accounting and disclosure under ASC 842 is not applicable. The Company has elected the above practical expedient and determined that non-lease components are predominant and is accounting for the single components as managed service contracts under ASC Topic 606.
The Company adopted ASU No. 2017-12 "Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815): Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities" on December 1, 2018, using the modified retrospective method of adoption. The ASU requires a cumulative effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings as of the beginning of the fiscal year of adoption for the previously recorded ineffectiveness included in retained earnings related to existing net investment hedges as of the date of adoption. The Company did not record a cumulative effect adjustment to retained earnings as no net investment hedges existed as of the ASU adoption date. New hedging relationships entered after the adoption date have been presented in the financial statements using the guidance of the ASU. There were no material changes to the Company’s financial statements from the adoption of the ASU.
The Company adopted ASU No. 2016-16, “Accounting for Income Taxes: Intra-Entity Asset Transfers of Assets Other than Inventory” on January 1, 2018 using the modified retrospective method of adoption. This ASU eliminates the prior application of deferring the income tax effect of intra-entity asset transfers, other than inventory, until the transferred asset is sold to a third party or otherwise recovered through use. Under the ASU, the Company recognizes tax expense when intra-entity transfers of assets other than inventory occur. The Company recognized $31 million related to the cumulative effect of applying the ASU as an adjustment to its opening retained earnings balance as of January 1, 2018. During the three months ended December 31, 2019, the Company identified an error in the amounts originally recorded when adopting ASU 2016-16. The Company recorded an out-of-period correction of $30 million to deferred income tax assets in the Consolidated Balance Sheets and retained earnings in the Consolidated Statements of Stockholders' Equity. The adjustment did not have a material impact on the Consolidated Balance Sheets or Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity for any period presented.
The Company adopted ASU No. 2017-07, “Compensation - Retirement Benefits (Topic 715) - Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Postretirement Benefit Cost” on January 1, 2018 using the retrospective method of adoption. The amendments in the ASU require that an employer disaggregate the service cost component from the other components of net periodic cost (benefit) and report that component in the same line item as other compensation costs arising from services rendered by employees during the period. The other components of net periodic cost (benefit) are required to be presented in the statement of operations separately from the service cost component and outside of operating earnings. The Company has restated its comparative period results to reflect the application of the presentation guidance of the ASU. As a result of the ASU, the presentation of net periodic cost (benefit) has been updated to classify all components of the Company’s
net periodic benefit, with the exception of the service cost component, within Other in Other income (expense) on the statement of operations. Accordingly, the Company reclassified $78 million of benefits, $75 million of benefit, and $2 million of expense in the years ended 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively, within Other in Other income (expense).
The Company adopted ASU No. 2014-09, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers," and all the related amendments (collectively “ASC 606”) on January 1, 2018 using the modified retrospective method. The Company recognized the cumulative effect of initially applying the new revenue standard as an adjustment to its opening retained earnings. The comparative information has not been restated and continues to be reported under the accounting standards in effect in those periods.
The Company has retained much of the same accounting treatment used to recognize revenue under ASC 606 as under accounting standards in effect in prior periods. Revenue on a significant portion of its Systems and Systems Integration contracts continues to be recognized under percentage-of-completion accounting, applying a cost-to-cost method. Services contracts continue to be recognized ratably over relevant contract terms as the Company stands ready to perform. Finally, revenue on equipment sales continues to be recognized based on delivery terms as aligned with the transfer of control.
Under the new standard, the Company identified distinct promises to transfer goods and services within its contracts. For system contracts that are recognized under percentage of completion accounting, the Company has considered the factors used to determine whether promises made in the contract are distinct and determined that devices and accessories represent distinct goods. Accordingly, adoption of the new standard impacts the Company's system contracts, with the result being revenue recognized earlier as control of devices and accessories transfers to the customer at a point in time rather than over time. For the remaining promised goods and services within the Company's system contracts, it continues to recognize revenue on these contracts using a cost-to-cost method based on the continuous transfer of control to the customer over time.
Under the new standard, revenue recognition for software sales is accelerated based on when control of software licenses and related support services are transferred to the customer. Amounts deferred under previous software accounting rules due to lack of vendor-specific objective evidence recognized an adjustment through opening retained earnings as of January 1, 2018.
Historically, the Company presented transactions that involved a third-party sales representative on a net basis. After considering the control concept and the remaining three indicators of gross presentation under the new standard, the Company has determined that it is the principal in contracts that involve a third-party sales representative. Thus, under the new standard, the Company presents associated revenues on a gross basis, with the affect being an equal increase to selling, general and administrative expenses for its cost of third-party commissions.
Under prior accounting standards, the Company expensed sales commissions and other costs to obtain a contract as incurred. However, under the new standard, the Company capitalizes sales commissions and certain other costs as incremental costs to obtain a contract. Such costs are classified as non-current contract cost assets within Other assets and amortized over a period that approximates the timing of revenue recognition on the underlying contracts.
The new standard clarified the definition of a receivable and requires the Company to present its net position in a contract with a customer on the balance sheet. The position is presented as either a receivable, contract asset, or a contract liability. Under the new definition, accounts receivable are unconditional rights to consideration from a customer. Contract assets represent rights to consideration from a customer in exchange for transferred goods and services that are conditional on events other than the passage of time. Contract liabilities represent obligations to transfer goods and services for which the Company has received, or is due, consideration from a customer.