XML 46 R25.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v3.8.0.1
Business and Significant Accounting Policies (Tables)
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2017
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]  
Schedule of Property, Plant and Equipment
The Company's total fixed assets, less accumulated depreciation and amortization, consisted of the following (in thousands):
 
 
Useful Life
 
December 31,
Category
 
(Years)
 
2017
 
2016
Computer equipment and software
 
2-7
 
$
189,015

 
$
166,385

Furniture and equipment
 
3-8
 
67,288

 
43,137

Leasehold improvements
 
2-15
 
175,716

 
96,603

 
 
 
 
$
432,019

 
$
306,125

Less — accumulated depreciation and amortization
 
 
 
(210,512
)
 
(184,519
)
Property, equipment, and leasehold improvements, net
 
 
 
$
221,507

 
$
121,606
Schedule of Changes in Intangible Assets Subject to Amortization
Changes in intangible assets subject to amortization during the two-year period ended December 31, 2017 were as follows (in thousands):
 
December 31, 2017
 
Customer
Relationships
 
Software
 
Content
 
Other
 
Total
Gross cost, December 31, 2016
 
$
63,369

 
$
16,025

 
$
3,728

 
$
33,645

 
$
116,767

Additions due to acquisitions (1)
 
1,253,312

 
180,787

 
141,707

 
24,384

 
1,600,190

Intangibles fully amortized
 
—

 
—

 
(4,227
)
 
—

 
(4,227
)
Reclassified as held-for-sale (2)
 
(140,156
)
 
(69,012
)
 
(38,593
)
 
(2,711
)
 
(250,472
)
Foreign currency translation impact
 
23,791

 
(4,376
)
 
1,698

 
(389
)
 
20,724

Gross cost
 
1,200,316

 
123,424

 
104,313

 
54,929

 
1,482,982

Accumulated amortization (3)
 
(92,983
)
 
(26,344
)
 
(47,475
)
 
(24,158
)
 
(190,960
)
Balance, December 31, 2017
 
$
1,107,333

 
$
97,080

 
$
56,838

 
$
30,771

 
$
1,292,022


December 31, 2016
 
Customer
Relationships
 
Software
 
Content
 
Other
 
Total
Gross cost, December 31, 2015
 
$
62,860

 
$
16,219

 
$
5,450

 
$
33,474

 
$
118,003

Additions due to acquisitions
 
3,677

 
—

 
1,948

 
302

 
5,927

Intangibles fully amortized
 
—

 
(125
)
 
(162
)
 
—

 
(287
)
Foreign currency translation impact
 
(3,168
)
 
(69
)
 
(3,508
)
 
(131
)
 
(6,876
)
Gross cost
 
63,369

 
16,025

 
3,728

 
33,645

 
116,767

Accumulated amortization (3)
 
(16,744
)
 
(8,904
)
 
(2,033
)
 
(12,285
)
 
(39,966
)
Balance, December 31, 2016
 
$
46,625

 
$
7,121

 
$
1,695

 
$
21,360

 
$
76,801

 
 
(1)
The additions were primarily due to the Company's acquisitions of CEB and L2 during April 2017 and March 2017, respectively. See Note 2 — Acquisitions and Divestiture for additional information.
(2)
Represents amounts reclassified (net) as held-for-sale assets related to the CEB Talent Assessment business. See Note 2 — Acquisitions and Divestiture for additional information.
(3)
Finite-lived intangible assets are amortized using the straight-line method over the following periods: Customer Relationships—4 to 13 years; Software 3 to 7 years; Content—1.5 to 5 years; and Other —2 to 5 years.
Schedule of Estimated Future Amortization Expense by Year From Amortizable Intangibles
The estimated future amortization expense by year from finite-lived intangibles is as follows (in thousands):
2018
$
190,442

2019
134,530

2020
128,133

2021
107,715

2022 and thereafter
731,202

 
$
1,292,022
Schedule of Changes to The Carrying Amount of Goodwill by Reporting Unit
The following table presents changes to the carrying amount of goodwill by segment during the two-year period ended December 31, 2017 (in thousands):
 
Research
 
Consulting
 
Events
 
Talent Assessment & Other
 
Total
Balance, December 31, 2015 (1)
$
575,292

 
$
98,412

 
$
41,655

 
$
—

 
$
715,359

Additions due to acquisitions
28,465

 
—

 
5,843

 
—

 
34,308

Foreign currency translation impact
(8,307
)
 
(1,932
)
 
(975
)
 
—

 
(11,214
)
Balance, December 31, 2016
$
595,450

 
$
96,480

 
$
46,523

 
$
—

 
$
738,453

Additions due to acquisitions (2)
2,042,514

 
—

 
140,914

 
274,363

 
2,457,791

Reclassified as held-for-sale (3)

—

 
—

 
—

 
(212,994
)
 
(212,994
)
Foreign currency translation impact
(18,287
)
 
1,318

 
483

 
20,530

 
4,044

Balance, December 31, 2017
$
2,619,677

 
$
97,798

 
$
187,920

 
$
81,899

 
$
2,987,294

 
(1)
The Company does not have any accumulated goodwill impairment losses.
(2)
The 2017 goodwill additions are due to the acquisitions of CEB and L2 during April 2017 and March 2017, respectively. See Note 2—Acquisitions and Divestiture for additional information.
(3)
Represents amounts reclassified as held-for-sale assets related to the CEB Talent Assessment business. See Note 2 — Acquisitions and Divestiture for additional information.