Description of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Business Combinations Policy [Policy Text Block]

Description of Business - Innodata Inc. and Subsidiaries (the “Company”) is a global digital services and solutions company. Our technology and services power leading information products and online retail destinations around the world. Our solutions help prestigious enterprises harness the power of digital data to re-imagine how they operate and drive performance. We serve publishers, media and information companies, digital retailers, banks, insurance companies, government agencies and many other industries. Founded in 1988, we comprise a team of 5,000 diverse people in eight countries who are dedicated to delivering services and solutions that help the world embrace digital data as a means of enhancing our lives and transforming our businesses.

The Company operates in three reporting segments: Digital Data Solutions (DDS), Innodata Advanced Data Solutions (IADS) and Media Intelligence Solutions (MIS).

The Company’s DDS segment provides solutions to digital retailers, information services companies, publishers and enterprises that have one or more of the following broad business requirements: development of digital content (including e-books); development of new digital information products; and operational support of existing digital information products and systems. The DDS segment was formerly known as Content Services.

The Company’s IADS segment designs and develops new capabilities to enable clients in the financial services, insurance, medical and healthcare sectors to improve decision-support through digital technologies. IADS operates through two subsidiaries. Synodex offers a range of services for healthcare, medical and insurance companies, and docGenix provides services to financial services institutions. As of December 31, 2016, Innodata owned 91% of Synodex and 94% of docGenix, both limited liability companies.

 

Our MIS segment operates through our MediaMiser, Bulldog Reporter and the Agility PR Solutions subsidiaries. In December 2016, we rebranded the MediaMiser and Agility PR Solutions products under the name Agility PR Solutions.

Agility Enterprise (formerly known as MediaMiser Enterprise) provides media monitoring and analysis solutions and professional services to several Fortune 500 companies and Canadian government institutions, as well as small- and medium-sized businesses. Agility Enterprise enables companies to reduce the time and effort required to extract, analyze and share valuable business intelligence from traditional and online media sources. Bulldog Reporter is a news aggregation service for the public relations and corporate communications professionals. Bulldog Reporter publishes a well-known daily e-newsletter, the Daily Dog.

In July 2016, we acquired the Agility business from PR Newswire, comprised of the Agility and Agility Plus products. Agility is a global media contact database and email distribution platform and Agility Plus provides additional self-service media monitoring and analytics capabilities. The solution is offered as software-as-a-service (SaaS). This acquisition fostered growth in North America and Europe and filled out our PR solution set. With this acquisition, Agility PR Solutions can now offer self and full-service solutions that address the entire communications life cycle – from identifying influencers, amplifying messages, monitoring coverage, to measuring impact.

Consolidation, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Principles of Consolidation - The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Innodata Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, MediaMiser, a corporation in which the Company owns substantially all of the economic interest, and the Synodex and docGenix limited liability companies that are majority-owned by the Company. The non-controlling interests in the Synodex and docGenix limited liability companies are accounted for in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) non-controlling interest guidance. All significant intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation.

Use of Estimates, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Use of Estimates - In preparing financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, management is required to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Significant estimates include those related to revenue recognition, allowance for doubtful accounts and billing adjustments, long-lived assets, intangible assets, goodwill, valuation of deferred tax assets, valuation of securities underlying stock-based compensation, litigation accruals, pension benefits, purchase price allocation of the net assets acquired in the acquisition of Agility, valuation of derivative instruments and estimated accruals for various tax exposures.

Revenue Recognition, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Revenue Recognition - For the DDS segment, revenue is recognized based on the quantity delivered or resources utilized and in the period in which services are performed and delivery has occurred. Revenues for contracts billed on a time-and-materials basis are recognized as services are performed. Revenues under fixed-fee contracts, which are not significant to the overall revenues, are recognized on the percentage of completion method of accounting, as services are performed or milestones are achieved.

For the IADS segment, revenue is recognized primarily based on the quantity delivered and the period in which services are performed and deliverables are made as per contracts. A portion of our IADS segment revenue is derived from licensing our software and providing access to our hosted software platform. Revenue from such services are recognized monthly when access to the service is provided to the end user and there are no significant remaining obligations, persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, the fees are fixed or determinable and collection is reasonably assured.

The MIS segment derives its revenues primarily from subscription arrangements and provision of enriched media analysis services. Revenue from subscriptions is recognized monthly when access to the service is provided to the end user and there are no significant remaining obligations, persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, the fees are fixed or determinable and collection is reasonably assured. Revenue from enriched media analysis services is recognized when the services are performed and delivered to the client.

Revenues include reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses, with the corresponding out-of-pocket expenses included in direct operating costs.

Foreign Currency Transactions and Translations Policy [Policy Text Block]

Foreign Currency Translation - The functional currency of our production operations located in the Philippines, India, Sri Lanka and Israel is the U.S. dollar. Transactions denominated in the Philippine pesos, Indian and Sri Lankan rupees or Israeli shekels are translated to U.S. dollars at rates which approximate those in effect on the transaction dates. Monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies at December 31, 2016 and 2015 were translated at the exchange rate in effect as of those dates. Nonmonetary assets, liabilities, and stockholders’ equity were translated at the appropriate historical rates. Included in direct operating costs are exchange losses (gains) resulting from such transactions of approximately $486,000, $(134,000) and $246,000 for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively.

The functional currency for our subsidiaries in Germany, United Kingdom and Canada are the Euro, the Pound Sterling and the Canadian dollar, respectively. The financial statements of these subsidiaries are reported in these respective currencies. Financial information is translated from the applicable functional currency to the U.S. dollar (the reporting currency) for inclusion in our consolidated financial statements. Income, expenses and cash flows are translated at weighted average exchange rates prevailing during the fiscal period, and assets and liabilities are translated at fiscal period-end exchange rates. Resulting translation adjustments are included as a component of accumulated other comprehensive loss in stockholders' equity. Foreign exchange transaction gains or losses are included in direct operating costs in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss. The amount of foreign currency translation adjustment was $1,393,000, $1,442,000 and $447,000 as of December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively.

Derivatives, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Derivative Instruments - The Company has designated its derivatives (foreign currency forward contracts) as a cash flow hedge. Accordingly, the effective portion of the derivative’s gain or loss is initially reported as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income or loss, and is subsequently reclassified to earnings when the hedge exposure affects earnings. The Company formally documents all relationships between hedging instruments and hedged items, as well as its risk management objective and strategy for undertaking various hedging activities.

Cash and Cash Equivalents, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Cash Equivalents - For financial statement purposes (including cash flows), the Company considers all highly liquid instruments purchased with an original maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents.

Property, Plant and Equipment, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Property and Equipment - Property and equipment are stated at cost and are depreciated on the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the related assets, which is generally two to five years. Leasehold improvements are amortized on a straight-line basis over the shorter of their estimated useful lives or the lives of the leases. Certain assets under capital leases are amortized over the lives of the respective leases or the estimated useful lives of the assets, whichever is shorter.

Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Long-lived Assets - Management assesses the recoverability of its long-lived assets, which consist primarily of fixed assets, whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable. The following factors, if present, may trigger an impairment review: (i) significant underperformance relative to expected historical or projected future operating results; (ii) significant negative industry or economic trends; (iii) significant decline in the Company’s stock price for a sustained period; and (iv) a change in the Company’s market capitalization relative to net book value. If the recoverability of these assets is unlikely because of the existence of one or more of the above-mentioned factors, an impairment analysis is performed, initially using a projected undiscounted cash flow method.  Management makes assumptions regarding estimated future cash flows and other factors to determine the fair value of these respective assets. An impairment loss will be recognized only if the carrying value of a long-lived asset is not recoverable, exceeds its fair value, and is measured as the amount by which the carrying amount of a long-lived asset exceeds its fair value.

During the fourth quarter of 2014, the Company recorded an impairment charge of $0.4 million representing the write-off of certain long lived assets on account of the consolidation of two India-based production facilities.

Goodwill and Intangible Assets, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets - Goodwill represents the excess purchase price paid over the fair value of net assets acquired. The Company tests its goodwill on an annual basis using a two-step fair value based test. The first step of the goodwill impairment test, used to identify potential impairment, compares the fair value of a reporting unit, with its carrying amount, including goodwill. If the carrying amount of the reporting unit exceeds its fair value, the second step of the goodwill impairment test must be performed to measure the amount of the impairment loss, if any. If impairment is determined, the Company will recognize additional charges to operating expenses in the period in which they are identified, which would result in a reduction of operating results and a reduction in the amount of goodwill.

In the annual impairment test conducted by the Company as of September 30, 2016, 2015 and 2014, the estimated fair value of the reporting unit exceeded its carrying amount, including goodwill. As such, no impairment was identified or recorded.

Income Tax, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Income Taxes - Deferred taxes are determined based on the difference between the financial statement and tax basis of assets and liabilities, using enacted tax rates, as well as any net operating loss or tax credit carryforwards expected to reduce taxes payable in future years. A valuation allowance is provided when it is more likely than not that all or some portion of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. While the Company considers future taxable income in assessing the need for the valuation allowance, in the event that the Company determines that it would be able to realize the deferred tax assets in the future in excess of its net recorded amount, an adjustment to the deferred tax assets would increase income in the period such determination was made. Similarly, in the event that the Company determines that it would not be able to realize the deferred tax assets in the future considering future taxable income, an adjustment to the deferred tax assets would decrease income in the period such determination was made. Changes in the valuation allowance from period to period are included in the Company’s tax provision in the period of change. The Company indefinitely reinvests the foreign earnings in its foreign subsidiaries. Unremitted earnings of foreign subsidiaries have been included in the consolidated financial statements without giving effect to the United States taxes that may be payable on distribution to the United States, because such earnings are not anticipated to be remitted to the United States.

In assessing the realization of deferred tax assets, management considered whether it is more likely than not that all or some portion of the U.S. deferred tax assets will not be realizable. As the expectation of future taxable income resulting from Synodex cannot be predicted with certainty, the Company maintains a valuation allowance against all the U.S. and Canadian deferred tax assets.

The Company accounts for income taxes regarding uncertain tax positions, and recognizes interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions in income tax expense in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss.

Share-based Compensation, Option and Incentive Plans Policy [Policy Text Block]

Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation - The Company measures and recognizes stock-based compensation expense for all share-based payment awards made to employees and directors based on estimated fair value at the grant date. The stock-based compensation expense is recognized over the requisite service period. The fair value is determined using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model.

The stock-based compensation expense related to the Company’s various stock option plans was allocated as follows (in thousands):

	Years Ended December 31,
	2016		2015		2014
Direct operating costs	$	330	$	381	$	390
Selling and administrative expenses		832		945		766
Total stock-based compensation	$	1,162	$	1,326	$	1,156

Fair Value of Financial Instruments, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Fair Value of Financial Instruments - The carrying amounts of financial instruments, including cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable and accounts payable approximated their fair value as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, because of the relative short maturity of these instruments.

Fair value measurements and disclosures define fair value as the price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date.

The accounting standard establishes a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs used to measure fair value into three levels. The three levels are defined as follows:

⋅ Level 1: Unadjusted quoted price in active market for identical assets and liabilities.

⋅ Level 2: Observable inputs other than those included in Level 1.

⋅ Level 3: Unobservable inputs reflecting management’s own assumptions about the inputs used in pricing the asset or liability.

Trade and Other Accounts Receivable, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Accounts Receivable - The majority of the Company’s accounts receivable are due from publishers, information providers and e-book platform providers. The Company establishes credit terms for new clients based upon management’s review of their credit information and project terms, and performs ongoing credit evaluations of its clients, adjusting credit terms when management believes appropriate based upon payment history and an assessment of the client’s current creditworthiness. The Company records an allowance for doubtful accounts for estimated losses resulting from the inability of its clients to make required payments. The Company determines its allowance by considering a number of factors, including the length of time trade accounts receivable are past due (accounts outstanding longer than the payment terms are considered past due), the Company’s previous loss history, the client’s current ability to pay its obligation to the Company, and the condition of the general economy and the industry as a whole. While credit losses have generally been within expectations and the provisions established, in 2016 the Company deferred $750,000 of revenue from one client that will be accounted for on a cash basis and also recorded a $150,000 allowance for accounts receivables from this client. This cannot guarantee that credit loss rates in the future will not be greater that those experienced in the past. In addition, there is credit exposure if the financial condition of one of the Company’s major clients were to deteriorate. In the event that the financial condition of one of the Company’s clients were to deteriorate, resulting in an impairment of their ability to make payments, additional allowances may be necessary. 

Concentration Risk, Credit Risk, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Concentration of Credit Risk - The Company maintains its cash with highly rated financial institutions, located in the United States and in foreign locations where the Company has its operations. At December 31, 2016, the Company had cash and cash equivalents of $14.2 million, of which $11.7 million was held by its foreign subsidiaries with local banks located mainly in Asia and $2.5 million was held in the United States. To the extent that such cash exceeds the maximum insurance levels, the Company would be uninsured. The Company has not experienced any losses in such accounts.

Earnings Per Share, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Loss per Share - Loss per share is computed using the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during the year. Diluted loss per share is computed by considering the impact of the potential issuance of common shares, using the treasury stock method, on the weighted average number of shares outstanding. For those securities that are not convertible into a class of common stock, the “two class” method of computing loss per share is used.

Pension and Other Postretirement Plans, Pensions, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Pension - The Company records annual pension costs based on calculations, which include various actuarial assumptions including discount rates, compensation increases and other assumptions involving demographic factors. The Company reviews its actuarial assumptions on an annual basis and makes modifications to the assumptions based on current rates and trends. The Company believes that the assumptions used in recording its pension obligations are reasonable based on its experience, market conditions and inputs from its actuaries.

Revenue Recognition, Deferred Revenue [Policy Text Block]

Deferred Revenue - Deferred revenue represents payments received from clients in advance of providing services and amounts deferred if conditions for revenue recognition have not been met. Included in accrued expenses on the accompanying consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 is deferred revenue amounting to $2.0 million and $1.2 million, respectively.

New Accounting Pronouncements, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Recent Accounting Pronouncements - In May 2014, the FASB issued guidance on revenue from contracts with clients. This update is a comprehensive new revenue recognition model that requires a company to recognize revenue to depict the transfer of goods or services to a customer at an amount that reflects the consideration it expects to receive in exchange for those goods or services. It also requires additional disclosure about the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from customer contracts, including significant judgments and changes in judgments and assets recognized from costs incurred to obtain or fulfill a contract. This accounting guidance is effective prospectively for annual reporting periods, and interim periods within those periods, beginning after December 15, 2017 and early adoption is permitted starting from the first quarter of 2017. Companies may use either a full retrospective or a modified retrospective approach to adopt the new standard when it takes effect. The Company does not anticipate that adoption of this standard will have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

In November 2015, the FASB issued guidance related to balance sheet classification of deferred taxes.

This new guidance requires that deferred tax assets and liabilities be classified as noncurrent in the balance sheet. The new standard is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2016. Early adoption is permitted. The Company adopted this standard and there was no material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

In February 2016, the FASB issued guidance related to leases. This new guidance requires lessees to recognize on the balance sheet a right-of-use asset, representing its right to use the underlying asset for the lease term, and a lease liability for all leases with terms greater than 12 months.  The guidance also requires qualitative and quantitative disclosures designed to assess the amount, timing, and uncertainty of cash flows arising from leases.  The standard requires the use of a modified retrospective transition approach, which includes a number of optional practical expedients that entities may elect to apply.  This new guidance is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2018.  Early application is permitted.  The Company has not yet determined the potential effects of the adoption of this standard on its consolidated financial statements.

In March 2016, the FASB issued guidance relating to share-based compensation. This new guidance is intended to simplify several aspects of the accounting for share-based payment transactions, including the income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, and classification on the statement of cash flows.  The new guidance is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016.  Early application is permitted.  The Company adopted this standard and there was no material impact on its consolidated financial statements.