GUARANTEES

12 Months Ended

Oct. 31, 2020

17.

GUARANTEES

Standard Warranty

Keysight warranties on products sold through direct sales channels are primarily for one year. Warranties for products sold through distribution channels are primarily for three years. We accrue for standard warranty costs based on historical trends in warranty charges. The accrual is reviewed regularly and periodically adjusted to reflect changes in warranty cost estimates. Estimated warranty charges are recorded within cost of products at the time related product revenue is recognized.

Activity related to the standard warranty accrual, which is included in other accrued and other long-term liabilities in our consolidated balance sheet, is as follows:



	Year Ended October 31,
	2020			2019
	(in millions)
Beginning balance	$	38		$	45
Accruals for warranties, including change in estimates	24			28
Settlements made during the period	(29		)	(35		)
Ending balance	$	33		$	38



Accruals for warranties due within one year	$	20	$	23
Accruals for warranties due after one year	13		15
Ending balance	$	33	$	38

Indemnification Obligations Related to Transactions

In connection with acquisitions, divestitures, mergers, spin-offs and other transactions, we have agreed to indemnify certain parties for damages, losses, expenses and liabilities arising in the future but that were incurred prior to or are related to such transactions. The liabilities covered by these indemnifications include but are not limited to tax, employment, benefits, intellectual property, environmental, and other liabilities. We do not believe that our indemnification obligations related to such liabilities were material as of October 31, 2020.

Indemnifications to Officers and Directors

Our corporate by-laws require that we indemnify our officers and directors, as well as those who act as directors and officers of other entities at our request, against expenses, judgments, fines, settlements and other amounts actually and reasonably incurred in connection with any proceedings arising out of their services to Keysight and such other entities, including service with respect to employee benefit plans. In addition, we have entered into separate indemnification agreements with each director and each board-appointed officer of Keysight that provide for indemnification under similar and additional circumstances. The indemnification obligations are more fully described in the by-laws and the indemnification agreements. We purchase standard insurance to cover claims or a portion of the claims made against our directors and officers. Since a maximum obligation is not explicitly stated in our by-laws or in our indemnification agreements and will depend on the facts and circumstances that arise out of any future claims, the overall maximum amount of the obligations cannot be reasonably estimated. Historically, we have not made payments related to these obligations, and do not believe that our indemnification obligations related to such claims were material as of October 31, 2020.

Other Indemnifications

As is customary in our industry and as provided for in local law in the U.S. and other jurisdictions, many of our standard contracts provide remedies to our customers and others with whom we enter into contracts, such as defense, settlement, or payment of judgment for intellectual property claims related to the use of our products. From time to time, we indemnify customers, as well as our suppliers, contractors, lessors, lessees, companies that purchase our businesses or assets and others with whom we enter into contracts, against combinations of loss, expense, or liability arising from various triggering events related to the sale and the use of our products and services, the use of their goods and services, the use of facilities and state of our owned facilities, the state of the assets and businesses that we sell and other matters covered by such contracts, usually up to a specified maximum amount. In addition, from time to time we also provide protection to these parties against claims related to undiscovered liabilities, additional product liability or environmental obligations. In our experience, claims made under such indemnifications are rare and do not believe that our indemnification obligations related to such claims were material as of October 31, 2020.