Revenue Recognition
The Company recognizes revenue in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("GAAP"), principally those required by the Software topic and Revenue Recognition subtopic of the Codification and those prescribed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC").
The Company's revenue is generated from three sources:
| |
• | System Sales - the sale of information systems, which includes perpetual software licenses, conversion, installation and training services, hardware and peripherals; |
| |
• | Support and Maintenance - the provision of system support services, which includes software application support, hardware maintenance, continuing education, "Software as a Service" (or "SaaS") services, and forms and supplies; and |
| |
• | Business Management, Consulting and Managed IT Services - the provision of business management services, which includes electronic billing, statement processing, payroll processing, accounts receivable management, contract management and insurance services, as well as Internet service provider ("ISP") services and consulting and managed IT services (collectively, "other professional IT services"). |
System Sales, Software Application Support, and Hardware Maintenance
The Company enters into contractual obligations to sell hardware, perpetual software licenses, conversion, installation and training services, and software application support and hardware maintenance services. On average, the Company is able to complete a system installation in three to four weeks. The methods employed by the Company to recognize revenue, which are discussed by element below, achieve results materially consistent with the provisions of Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2009-13, Multiple-Deliverable Revenue Arrangements, due to the relatively short period during which there are multiple undelivered elements, the relatively small amount of non-software related elements in the system sale arrangements, and the limited number of contracts in-process at the end of each reporting period. The Company recognizes revenue on the elements noted above as follows:
| |
• | Hardware – We recognize revenue for hardware upon shipment. The selling price of hardware is based on management’s best estimate of selling price, which consists of cost plus a targeted margin. |
| |
• | Software application support and hardware maintenance services – We have established vendor-specific objective evidence ("VSOE") of the fair value of our software application support and hardware maintenance services by reference to the price our customers are required to pay for the services when sold separately via renewals. Support and maintenance revenue is recognized on a straight-line basis over the term of the maintenance contract, which is generally three to five years. |
| |
• | Perpetual software licenses and conversion, installation and training services – The selling price of perpetual software licenses and conversion, installation and training services is based on management’s best estimate of selling price. In determining management’s best estimate of selling price, we consider the following: (1) competitor pricing, (2) supply and demand of installation staff, (3) overall economic conditions, and (4) our pricing practices as they relate to discounts. With the exception of certain arrangements with extended payment terms that were entered into in 2012 and that are not comparable to our historical and current arrangements (see Note 10), the method of recognizing revenue for the perpetual license of the associated modules included in the arrangement, and the related conversion, installation and training services over the term the services are performed, is on a module by module basis as the respective conversion, installation and training for each specific module is completed, as this is representative of the pattern of provision of these services. |
SaaS, ISP, and Other Professional IT Services
The Company accounts for SaaS services in accordance with the requirements of the Hosting Arrangement section under the Software topic and Revenue Recognition subtopic of the Codification. The Codification states that the software elements of SaaS services should not be accounted for as a hosting arrangement "if the customer has the contractual right to take possession of the software at any time during the hosting period without significant penalty and it is feasible for the customer to either run the software on its own hardware or contract with another party unrelated to the vendor to host the software." Each SaaS contract entered into by the Company includes a system purchase and buyout clause, and this clause specifies the total amount of the system buyout. In addition, a clause is included in the contract which states that should the system be bought out by the customer, the customer would be required to enter into a general support agreement (for post-contract support services) for the remainder of the original SaaS term. Accordingly, the Company has concluded that SaaS customers do not have the right to take possession of the system without significant penalty (i.e., the purchase price of the system), resulting in the determination that these contracts are service contracts for which revenue is recognized when the services are performed.
The Company will occasionally provide ISP and other professional IT services. We consider these services to be non-software elements. The selling price of these services is based on third-party evidence of selling price of similar services. Revenue from this element is recognized as the services are performed.
Business Management Services
Business management services consist of electronic billing services, statement processing services, payroll processing, accounts receivable management services, contract management and insurance services. While business management service arrangements are contracts separate from the system sale and support and maintenance contracts, these contracts are sometimes executed within a short time frame of each other. The selling price of these services is based on VSOE of fair value by reference to the rate at which our customers renew as well as the rate at which the services are sold to customers when the business management services agreement is not executed within a short time frame of the system sale and support and maintenance contracts. Because the pricing is transaction based (per unit pricing), customers are billed and revenue recognized as services are performed based on transaction levels.
