Warranty accrual

6 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2011

Warranty accrual [Abstract]

Warranty accrual

11.

Warranty accrual. We offer warranty to our customers depending on the specific product and terms of the customer purchase agreement. A typical warranty program requires that we repair or replace defective products within a specified time period (generally one year) from the date of delivery or first use. We record an estimate for future warranty-related costs based on actual historical return rates. Based on analysis of return rates and other factors, the adequacy of our warranty provisions are adjusted as necessary. The liability for warranty costs is included in accrued liabilities in the Consolidated Balance Sheet.

Following is a reconciliation of the product warranty liability for the six months ended April 30, 2011 and 2010:

	April 30, 2011			April 30, 2010
Beginning balance	$	5,242		$	4,587
Warranty assumed from acquisition		—			60
Accruals for warranties		2,681			3,111
Warranty payments		(2,648	)		(2,129	)
Currency effect		161			(223	)
Ending balance	$	5,436		$	5,406