Symantec 2012 Annual Report Download - page 111

Revenue recognition
We recognize revenue primarily pursuant to the requirements under the authoritative guidance on software
revenue recognition, and any applicable amendments or modifications. Revenue recognition requirements in the
software industry are very complex and require us to make many estimates.
For software arrangements that include multiple elements, including perpetual software licenses and
maintenance or services, packaged products with content updates, managed security services, and subscriptions,
we allocate and defer revenue for the undelivered items based on vendor specific objective evidence (“VSOE”)
of the fair value of the undelivered elements, and recognize the difference between the total arrangement fee and
the amount deferred for the undelivered items as revenue. VSOE of each element is based on the price for which
the undelivered element is sold separately. We determine fair value of the undelivered elements based on
historical evidence of our stand-alone sales of these elements to third parties or from the stated renewal rate for
the undelivered elements. When VSOE does not exist for undelivered items, the entire arrangement fee is
recognized ratably over the performance period. Our deferred revenue consists primarily of the unamortized
balance of enterprise product maintenance, consumer product content updates, managed security services,
subscriptions, and arrangements where VSOE does not exist. Deferred revenue totaled approximately $4.0 billion
as of March 30, 2012, of which $529 million was classified as Long-term deferred revenue in the Consolidated
Balance Sheets. Changes to the elements in a software arrangement, the ability to identify VSOE for those
elements, the fair value of the respective elements, and increasing flexibility in contractual arrangements could
materially impact the amount recognized in the current period and deferred over time.
For arrangements that include both software and non-software elements, we allocate revenue to the software
deliverables as a group and non-software deliverables based on their relative selling prices. In such
circumstances, the accounting principles establish a hierarchy to determine the selling price to be used for
allocating revenue to deliverables as follows: (i) VSOE, (ii) third-party evidence of selling price (“TPE”) and
(iii) best estimate of the selling price (“ESP”). When we are unable to establish a selling price using VSOE or
TPE, we use ESP to allocate the arrangement fees to the deliverables.
For our consumer products that include content updates, we recognize revenue and the associated cost of
revenue ratably over the term of the subscription upon sell-through to end-users, as the subscription period
commences on the date of sale to the end-user. We defer revenue and cost of revenue amounts for unsold product
held by our distributors and resellers.
We expect our distributors and resellers to maintain adequate inventory of consumer packaged products to
meet future customer demand, which is generally four or six weeks of customer demand based on recent buying
trends. We ship product to our distributors and resellers at their request and based on valid purchase orders. Our
distributors and resellers base the quantity of orders on their estimates to meet future customer demand, which
may exceed the expected level of a four or six week supply. We offer limited rights of return if the inventory held
by our distributors and resellers is below the expected level of a four or six week supply. We estimate reserves
for product returns as described below. We typically offer liberal rights of return if inventory held by our
distributors and resellers exceeds the expected level. Because we cannot reasonably estimate the amount of
excess inventory that will be returned, we primarily offset deferred revenue against trade accounts receivable for
the amount of revenue in excess of the expected inventory levels.
Arrangements for managed security services and SaaS offerings are generally offered to our customers over
a specified period of time, and we recognize the related revenue ratably over the maintenance, subscription, or
service period.
Reserves for product returns. We reserve for estimated product returns as an offset to revenue based
primarily on historical trends. We fully reserve for obsolete products in the distribution channels as an offset to
deferred revenue. Actual product returns may be different than what was estimated. These factors and
unanticipated changes in the economic and industry environment could make actual results differ from our return
estimates.
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