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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies:
12 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2011
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies:  
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies:

3. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies:

  • Principles of Consolidation

        The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its subsidiaries. All inter-company balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

  • Use of Estimates

        Preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect reported amounts of assets and liabilities, and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities, as of the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Estimates are used in accounting for, among other items, allowance for doubtful accounts, inventory obsolescence, product warranty cost liability, income taxes and contingencies. Actual results could differ materially from those estimates.

  • Cash and Cash Equivalents

        Highly liquid investments purchased with an original maturity of three months or less are classified as cash equivalents. Cash equivalents at September 30, 2011 and 2010 consist of cash invested in money market funds with financial institutions.

  • Inventory Valuation

        Inventories are stated at the lower of cost (first-in, first-out) or market and consist of the following:

 
  September 30,
2011
  September 30,
2010
 

Raw materials

  $ 2,520,437   $ 2,725,268  

Work-in-process

    223,437     236,060  

Finished goods

    764,721     1,695,064  
           

 

  $ 3,508,595   $ 4,656,392  
           
  • Property and Equipment

        Property and equipment are stated at cost. Depreciation is provided using an accelerated method over estimated useful lives of the assets (the lesser of three to seven years or over the lease term), except for the corporate airplane and manufacturing facility, which are depreciated using the straight-line method over estimated useful lives of ten years and thirty-nine years. During fiscal 2011, no depreciation was provided for the airplane since it had been depreciated to its estimated salvage value. Major additions and improvements are capitalized, while maintenance and repairs that do not improve or extend the life of assets are charged to expense as incurred.

  • Long-Lived Assets

        The Company assesses the impairment of long-lived assets in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 360-10, "Property, Plant and Equipment". This statement requires that long-lived assets be reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. In addition, long-lived assets to be disposed of should be reported at the lower of the carrying amount or fair value less cost to sell. The Company considers historical performance and future estimated results in its evaluation of potential impairment and then compares the carrying amount of the asset to estimated future cash flows expected to result from use of the asset. If the carrying amount of the asset exceeds the estimated expected undiscounted future cash flows, the Company measures the amount of the impairment by comparing the carrying amount of the asset to its fair value. The estimation of fair value is generally measured by discounting expected future cash flows. No impairment charges were recorded in fiscal years 2011, 2010 or 2009.

  • Revenue Recognition

        The Company enters into sales arrangements with customers that, in general, provide for the Company to design, develop, manufacture and deliver large flat-panel display systems, flight information computers, and advanced monitoring systems that measure and display critical flight information, including data relative to aircraft separation, airspeed, and altitude, as well as engine and fuel data measurements. During the three months ended June 30, 2010, the Company began delivery in accordance with a new arrangement with a new customer to provide, among other deliverables, functional upgrades to the Company's flight information computers and flat-panel displays. Deliveries to this customer under this arrangement continued through to September 30, 2011. The Company's sales arrangements may include multiple deliverables as defined in FASB ASC Topic 605-25, "Multiple-Element Arrangements" ("ASC Topic 605-25"), which typically include design and engineering services and the production and delivery of the flat panel display and related components. The Company includes any design and engineering services elements in EMD sales and any functional upgrades and product elements in "Product" sales on the accompanying consolidated statement of operations.

Multiple Element Arrangements—

        The Company identifies all goods and/or services that are to be delivered separately under such a sales arrangement and allocates revenue to each deliverable (if more than one) based on that deliverable's selling price. Then, the Company considers the appropriate recognition method for each deliverable; deliverables under multiple element arrangements are typically purchased engineering and design services, product sales and/or the sale of functional upgrades. The Company's multiple element arrangements can typically include defined design and development activities and/or functional upgrades, along with product sales.

        The Company utilizes the selling price hierarchy that has been established by FASB Accounting Standards Update, ASU 2009-13, "Multiple-Deliverable Revenue Arrangements—a consensus of the FASB Emerging Issues Task Force" ("ASU 2009-13"), which requires that the selling price for each deliverable be based on vendor-specific objective evidence if available, third-party evidence if vendor-specific objective evidence is not available, or estimated selling price if neither vendor-specific objective evidence nor third-party evidence is available. To the extent that an arrangement includes a deliverable for which estimated selling price is used, the Company's determines the best estimate of selling price by applying the same pricing policies and methodologies that would be used to determine the price to sell the deliverable on a standalone basis.

        To the extent that an arrangement contains software elements that are essential to the functionality of tangible products sold in the arrangement, the Company recognizes revenue for the deliverables in accordance with the guidance included in FASB Accounting Standards Update 2009-14, "Revenue Arrangements That Include Software Elements" ("ASU 2009-14"), ASU 2009-13 and FASB ASC Topic 605, "Revenue Recognition" ("ASC Topic 605").

        To the extent that an arrangement contains defined design and development activities as an identified deliverable in addition to products (resulting in a multiple element arrangement), the Company recognizes as EMD revenue amounts earned during the design and development phase of the contract following the guidance included in the FASB ASC Topic 605-35, "Construction-Type and Production-Type Contracts" ("ASC Topic 605-35"). To the extent that multiple element arrangements include product sales, revenue is generally recognized once revenue recognition criteria for the product deliverable have been met based on the provisions of ASC Topic 605. The Company includes any design and engineering services elements in EMD sales and any functional upgrades and product elements in "Product" sales on the accompanying consolidated statement of operations.

        To the extent that an arrangement contains software components, which include functional upgrades, that are sold on a standalone basis and which the Company has deemed outside the scope of the exception defined by ASU 2009-14, the Company recognizes software revenue in accordance with ASC Topic 985, "Software", although no such sales have occurred to date.

Single Element Arrangements—

  • Products—

        To the extent that a single element arrangement provides for product sales and repairs, revenue is generally recognized once revenue recognition criteria for the product deliverable have been met based on the provisions of ASC Topic 605. The Company also receives orders for existing equipment and parts. Revenue from the sale of such products is generally recognized upon shipment to the customer.

        The Company offers its customers extended warranties for additional fees. These warranty sales are recorded as deferred revenue and recognized as sales on a straight-line basis over the warranty period.

  • Engineering Services—

        The Company also may enter into service arrangements to perform specified design and development services related to its products. The Company recognizes revenue from these arrangements as EMD revenue, following the guidance included in ASC Topic 605-35. The Company considers the nature of these service arrangements (including term, size of contract, level of effort) when determining the appropriate accounting treatment for a particular contract. The Company recognizes the revenue from these contracts using either the percentage-of-completion method or completed contract method of accounting.

        The Company records revenue relating to these contracts using the percentage-of-completion method when the Company determines that progress toward completion is reasonable and reliably estimable and the contract is long-term in nature; the Company uses the completed contract method for all others contracts.

  • Income Taxes

        Income taxes are recorded in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 740, "Income Taxes" ("ASC Topic 740"), which principally utilizes a balance sheet approach to provide for income taxes. Under this method, the Company recognizes deferred tax assets and liabilities for temporary differences between the financial reporting basis and the tax basis of the Company's assets, liabilities and expected benefits of utilizing net operating loss and tax credit carry-forwards. The impact on deferred taxes of changes in tax rates and laws, if any, applied to the years during which temporary differences are expected to be settled, are reflected in the consolidated financial statements in the period of enactment.

        Deferred tax assets are reduced by valuation allowances if, based on the consideration of all available evidence, it is more likely than not that some portion of the deferred tax asset will not be realized. Significant weight is given to evidence that can be objectively verified. The Company evaluates deferred income taxes on a quarterly basis to determine if valuation allowances are required by considering available evidence. Deferred tax assets are realized by having sufficient future taxable income to allow the related tax benefits to reduce taxes otherwise payable. The sources of taxable income that may be available to realize the benefit of deferred tax assets are future reversals of existing taxable temporary differences, future taxable income exclusive of reversing temporary differences and carry-forwards, taxable income in carry-back years and tax planning strategies that are both prudent and feasible. In the event that the Company were to determine that it would be able to realize its deferred tax assets in the future in excess of the net recorded amount, an adjustment would be made to the valuation allowance which would reduce the provision for income taxes.

        The accounting for uncertainty in income taxes requires a more likely than not threshold for financial statement recognition and measurement of tax positions taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. The Company records a liability for the difference between the (i) benefit recognized and measured for financial statement purposes and (ii) the tax position taken or expected to be taken on the Company's tax return. To the extent that the Company's assessment of such tax positions changes, the change in estimate is recorded in the period in which the determination is made. The Company has elected to record any interest or penalties from the uncertain tax position as income tax expense.

        The Company files a consolidated United States federal income tax return. The Company prepares and files tax returns based on the interpretation of tax laws and regulations, and records estimates based on these judgments and interpretations. In the normal course of business, the tax returns are subject to examination by various taxing authorities. Such examinations may result in future tax and interest assessments by these taxing authorities, and the Company records a liability when it is probable that there will be an assessment. The Company adjusts the estimates periodically because of ongoing examinations by and settlements with the various taxing authorities, as well as changes in tax laws, regulations and precedent. The consolidated tax provision of any given year includes adjustments to prior year income tax accruals that are considered appropriate and any related estimated interest. Management believes that adequate accruals have been made for income taxes. Differences between estimated and actual amounts determined upon ultimate resolution, individually or in the aggregate, are not expected to have a material adverse effect on the Company's consolidated financial position but could possibly be material to its consolidated results of operations or cash flow of any one period.

  • Research and Development

        Research and development charges incurred for product design, product enhancements and future product development are expensed as incurred. Product development and design charges incurred related to a specific customer agreement that are billable are capitalized and then charged to cost of sales-engineering modification and development as the revenue related to the agreements are recognized.

  • Comprehensive Income

        Pursuant to FASB ASC Topic 220, "Comprehensive Income" ("ASC Topic 220"), the Company is required to classify items of other comprehensive income by their nature in a financial statement and display the accumulated balance of other comprehensive income separately from retained earnings and additional paid-in capital in the equity section of the Company's condensed consolidated balance sheets. For fiscal 2011 and 2010, comprehensive income consists of net income and there were no items of other comprehensive income for any of the periods presented.

  • Fair Value of Financial Instruments

        The Company adopted FASB ASC Topic 820, "Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures" ("ASC Topic 820") in the first quarter of fiscal 2009 for financial assets and liabilities. This standard defines fair value as the price at which an asset could be exchanged in a current transaction between knowledgeable, willing parties. A liability's fair value is defined as the amount that would be paid to transfer the liability to a new obligor, not the amount that would be paid to settle the liability with the creditor. Effective October 1, 2010, the Company adopted the provisions of Accounting Standards Update No. 2010-06, "Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures" ("ASU 2010-06") which amends ASC Topic 820, adding new requirements for disclosures for Levels 1 and 2, separate disclosures of purchases, sales, issuances, and settlements relating to Level 3 measurements and clarification of existing fair value disclosures.

        Assets and liabilities measured at fair value are categorized based upon the level of judgment associated with the inputs used to measure their fair value. Hierarchical levels, defined by ASC Topic 820 and directly related to the amount of subjectivity associated with the inputs to fair valuation of these assets and liabilities, are as follows:

  •         Level 1—Unadjusted quoted prices that are available in active markets for the identical assets or liabilities at the measurement date.

            Level 2—Other observable inputs available at the measurement date, other than quoted prices included in Level 1, either directly or indirectly, including:

    • Quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets;
      Quoted prices for identical or similar assets in non-active markets;
      Inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the asset or liability; and
      Inputs that are derived principally from or corroborated by other observable market data.
  •         Level 3—Unobservable inputs that cannot be corroborated by observable market data and reflect the use of significant management judgment. These values are generally determined using pricing models for which the assumptions utilize management's estimates of market participant assumptions.

        The following table sets forth by level within the fair value hierarchy the Company's financial assets and liabilities that were accounted for at fair value on a recurring basis as of September 30, 2011 and 2010, according to the valuation techniques the Company used to determine their fair values.

 
  Fair Value Measurement on September 30, 2011  
 
  Quoted Price in
Active Markets for
Identical Assets
  Significant Other
Observable
Inputs
  Significant
Unobservable
Inputs
 
 
  (Level 1)
  (Level 2)
  (Level 3)
 

Assets

                   
 

Cash and cash equivalents:

                   
   

Money market funds

  $ 40,330,266   $   $  


 

 
  Fair Value Measurement on September 30, 2010  
 
  Quoted Price in
Active Markets for
Identical Assets
  Significant Other
Observable
Inputs
  Significant
Unobservable
Inputs
 
 
  (Level 1)
  (Level 2)
  (Level 3)
 

Assets

                   
 

Cash and cash equivalents:

                   
   

Money market funds

  $ 36,903,024   $   $  
  • Share-Based Compensation

        The Company accounts for stock-based compensation under FASB ASC Topic 505-50, "Equity-Based Payments to Non-Employees" ("ASC Topic 505-50") and ASC Topic 718, "Stock Compensation" ("ASC Topic 718"), which requires the Company to measure the cost of employee services received in exchange for an award of equity instruments based on the grant-date fair value of the award using an option pricing model. That cost is recognized over the period during which an employee is required to provide service in exchange for the award.

  • Warranty

        IS&S offers warranties of various lengths on some products. At the time of shipment, the Company establishes a reserve for estimated costs of warranties based on its best estimate of the amounts necessary to settle future and existing claims using historical data on products sold as of the balance sheet date. The length of the warranty period, the product's failure rates and the customer's usage affects warranty cost. If actual warranty costs differ from the estimated amounts, future results of operations could be adversely affected.

  • New Accounting Pronouncements

        Effective October 1, 2010, the Company adopted the provisions of ASU No. 2009-13, "Multiple-Deliverable Revenue Arrangements" ("ASU 2009-13"), which changes the requirements for establishing separate units of accounting in a multiple-element arrangement and requires the allocation of arrangement consideration to each deliverable based on the relative selling price. The selling price for each deliverable is based on vendor-specific objective evidence ("VSOE") if such evidence is available; third-party evidence if VSOE is not available; or an estimated selling price if neither VSOE nor third-party evidence is available. The adoption of ASU 2009-13 did not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.

        Effective October 1, 2010, the Company adopted the provisions of ASU No. 2010-06, "Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures" ("ASU 2010-06"), which amends ASC Topic 820, adding new requirements for disclosures for Levels 1 and 2, separate disclosures of purchases, sales, issuances, and settlements relating to Level 3 measurements and clarification of existing fair value disclosures. The adoption of ASU 2010-06 did not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.

        Effective October 1, 2010, the Company adopted the provisions of ASU No. 2010-17, "Revenue Recognition-Milestone Method" ("ASU 2010-17") which amends ASC Topic 605, Revenue Recognition, providing a consistent framework for applying the milestone method, thus adding clarity in practice on its application. The objective of ASU 2010-17 is to provide guidance on defining a milestone and determining when to apply the milestone method of revenue recognition to research and development transactions. The adoption of ASU 2010-17 did not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.

        Effective October 1, 2012, the Company is required to adopt the provisions of ASU No. 2011-05, "Comprehensive Income (Topic 220): Presentation of Comprehensive Income" ("ASU 2011-05") which requires that all non-owner changes in stockholders' equity be presented either in a single continuous statement of comprehensive income or in two separate but consecutive statements. In the two-statement approach, the first statement would present total net income and its components followed consecutively by a second statement that would present total other comprehensive income, the components of other comprehensive income, and the total of comprehensive income. The adoption of ASU 2011-05 will not have an impact on the Company's consolidated financial position, results of operations, or cash flows, as the guidance only changes the presentation of financial information.