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OVERVIEW, BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
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3 Months Ended | ||||
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Jan. 31, 2015
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| Accounting Policies [Abstract] | |||||
| OVERVIEW AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES |
Overview. Keysight Technologies, Inc. ("we", "us", "Keysight" or the "company"), incorporated in Delaware on December 6, 2013, is a measurement company providing core electronic measurement solutions to communications and electronics industries. Our fiscal year end is October 31, and our fiscal quarters end on January 31, April 30 and July 31. Unless otherwise stated, these dates refer to our fiscal year and fiscal quarters. On November 1, 2014, Keysight became an independent publicly-traded company through the distribution by Agilent Technologies, Inc. ("Agilent") of 100 percent of the outstanding common stock of Keysight to Agilent's shareholders (the "Separation"). Each Agilent shareholder of record as of the close of business on October 22, 2014 received one share of Keysight common stock for every two shares of Agilent common stock held on the record date, resulting in the distribution of approximately 167 million shares of Keysight common stock. Keysight's Registration Statement on Form 10 was declared effective by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") on October 6, 2014. Keysight's common stock began trading "regular-way" under the ticker symbol "KEYS" on the New York Stock Exchange on November 3, 2014. Basis of Presentation. We have prepared the accompanying financial statements for the three months ended January 31, 2015 and 2014 pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) in the U.S. have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations. The accompanying financial statements and information should be read in conjunction with our Annual Report on Form 10-K. Prior to the distribution, Agilent transferred substantially all of the assets and liabilities and operations of the electronic measurement business to Keysight in August 2014 ("the Capitalization"). Combined financial statements prior to the Capitalization were prepared on a stand-alone basis and were derived from Agilent’s consolidated financial statements and accounting records. For the three months ended January 31, 2014, expenses were allocated to us using estimates that we consider to be a reasonable reflection of the utilization of services provided to or benefits received by us. Following the Capitalization, the consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the company and our subsidiaries. Agilent continues to provide some services on a transitional basis for a fee, which are partially offset by other income from Keysight services provided to Agilent. These services are received or provided under a transition services agreement. We do not expect the net costs associated with the transition services agreement to be materially different than the historical costs that have been allocated to us related to these same services. We recognized separation-related costs of $7 million for the three months ended January 31, 2015 and $8 million for the three months ended January 31, 2014, including branding, legal, accounting and other advisory fees and other costs to separate and transition from Agilent, which were principally classified in selling, general and administrative expenses. In the opinion of management, the accompanying condensed combined and consolidated financial statements contain all normal and recurring adjustments necessary to state fairly our condensed consolidated balance sheet as of January 31, 2015 and October 31, 2014, condensed combined and consolidated statement of comprehensive income for the three months ended January 31, 2015 and 2014, condensed combined and consolidated statement of operations for the three months ended January 31, 2015 and 2014, and condensed combined and consolidated statement of cash flows for the three months ended January 31, 2015 and 2014. The preparation of condensed combined and consolidated financial statements in accordance with GAAP in the U.S. requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in our condensed combined and consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Management bases its estimates on historical experience and various other assumptions believed to be reasonable. Although these estimates are based on management’s best knowledge of current events and actions that may impact the company in the future, actual results may be different from the estimates. Our critical accounting policies are those that affect our financial statements materially and involve difficult, subjective or complex judgments by management. Those policies are revenue recognition, inventory valuation, allocation methods and allocated expenses from Agilent, valuation of goodwill and other intangible assets, share-based compensation, retirement and post-retirement plan assumptions, restructuring, warranty and accounting for income taxes. Update to Significant Accounting Policies. There have been no material changes to our significant accounting policies, as compared to the significant accounting policies described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2014. |