Consolidated Statements of Income - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands		12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Revenues:
Product and licenses		$ 883,329	$ 875,807	$ 899,736
Software as a service		816,436	731,292	651,562
License updates and maintenance		1,587,271	1,521,007	1,416,017
Professional services		131,229	147,488	175,541
Total net revenues		3,418,265	3,275,594	3,142,856
Cost of net revenues:
Cost of product and license revenues		121,391	118,265	124,110
Cost of services and maintenance revenues		377,731	364,916	349,683
Amortization of product related intangible assets		59,291	74,912	93,431
Impairment of product related intangible assets		1,128	56,271	52,995
Total cost of net revenues		559,541	614,364	620,219
Gross margin		2,858,724	2,661,230	2,522,637
Operating expenses:
Research and development		489,265	563,975	553,817
Sales, marketing and services		1,185,814	1,195,362	1,280,265
General and administrative		377,568	336,313	319,922
Amortization of other intangible assets		29,173	41,595	39,577
Impairment of other intangible assets		0	67,137	6,321
Restructuring	[1]	71,122	100,411	20,424
Separation		56,624	6,352	0
Total operating expenses		2,209,566	2,311,145	2,220,326
Income from operations		649,158	350,085	302,311
Interest income		16,686	11,675	9,421
Interest expense		44,949	44,153	28,332
Other expense, net		(4,131)	(5,730)	(7,694)
Income before income taxes		616,764	311,877	275,706
Income tax expense (benefit)		80,652	(7,484)	23,983
Net income		$ 536,112	$ 319,361	$ 251,723
Earnings per share:
Basic (USD per share)		$ 3.46	$ 2.01	$ 1.48
Diluted (USD per share)		$ 3.41	$ 1.99	$ 1.47
Weighted average shares outstanding:
Basic (in shares)		155,134	158,874	169,879
Diluted (in shares)		157,084	160,362	171,270

[1] Represents expenses presented to management on a consolidated basis only and not allocated to the operating segments.