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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2015
Accounting Policies [Abstract] |
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies | Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Principles of Consolidation. These accompanying consolidated financial statements were prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States and include the accounts of Zebra and its wholly owned subsidiaries. All significant intercompany accounts, transactions and unrealized profit were eliminated in consolidation. Fiscal Calendar. Zebra operates on a 4 week/4 week/5 week fiscal quarter, and each fiscal quarter ends on a Saturday. The fiscal year always begins on January 1 and ends on December 31. This fiscal calendar results in some fiscal quarters being either greater than or less than 13 weeks, depending on the days of the week those dates fall. During the 2015 fiscal year, our quarter end dates were as follows:
• | April 4,
• | July 4,
• | October 3, and
• | December 31.
Use of Estimates. These consolidated financial statements were prepared using estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Examples of estimates include: loss contingencies; product warranties; useful lives of our tangible and intangible assets; allowances for doubtful accounts; and share-based compensation forfeiture rates. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Cash and Cash Equivalents. Cash consists primarily of deposits with banks. In addition, the Company considers highly liquid short-term investments with original maturities of less than three months to be cash equivalents. These highly liquid short-term investments are readily convertible to known amounts of cash and are so near their maturity that they present insignificant risk of a change in value because of changes in interest rates. Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts. Accounts receivable consist primarily of amounts due to us from our customers in the course of normal business activities. Collateral on trade accounts receivable is generally not required. The Company maintains an allowance for doubtful accounts for estimated uncollectible accounts receivable. The allowance is based on our assessment of known delinquent accounts. Accounts are written off against the allowance account when they are determined to be no longer collectible. Inventories. Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or market, and cost is determined by the first-in, first-out ("FIFO") method. Manufactured inventories consist of the following costs: components, direct labor and manufacturing overhead. Purchased inventories also include internal purchasing overhead costs. We review inventory quantities on hand and record a provision for excess and obsolete inventory based on forecasts of product demand and production requirements or historical consumption when appropriate. Property and Equipment. Property and equipment is stated at cost. Depreciation and amortization is computed primarily using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the various classes of property and equipment, which are 30 years for buildings and range from 3 to 10 years for other property. Leasehold improvements are amortized using the straight-line method over the shorter of the lease term or estimated useful life of the asset. Income Taxes. The Company accounts for income taxes under the liability method in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") 740, Income Taxes. Accordingly, deferred income taxes are provided for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting and income tax purposes. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using tax rates in effect for the year in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. A valuation allowance is established when necessary to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount that is more likely than not to be realized. The Company recognizes the benefit of tax positions when it is more likely than not to be sustained on its technical merits. The Company recognizes interest and penalties related to income tax matters as part of income tax expense. Goodwill. Goodwill is not amortized, but is evaluated for impairment annually, or more frequently if an event occurs or circumstances change that would more likely than not reduce the fair value of a reporting unit below its carrying value. If a quantitative assessment is completed as part of our impairment analysis for a reporting unit, we engage a third party appraisal firm to assist in the determination of estimated fair value for each reporting unit. This determination includes estimating the fair value using both the income and market approaches. The income approach requires management to estimate a number of factors for each reporting unit, including projected future operating results, economic projections, anticipated future cash flows and discount rates. The market approach estimates fair value using comparable marketplace fair value data from within a comparable industry grouping. The determination of the fair value of the reporting units and the allocation of that value to individual assets and liabilities within those reporting units requires us to make significant estimates and assumptions. These estimates and assumptions primarily include, but are not limited to: the selection of appropriate peer group companies; control premiums appropriate for acquisitions in the industries in which we compete; the discount rates; terminal growth rates; and forecasts of revenue, operating income, depreciation and amortization and capital expenditures. The allocation requires several analyses to determine the fair value of assets and liabilities including, among other things, customer relationships and trade names. Although we believe our estimates of fair value are reasonable, actual financial results could differ from those estimates due to the inherent uncertainty involved in making such estimates. Changes in assumptions concerning future financial results or other underlying assumptions could have a significant impact on either the fair value of the reporting units, the amount of any goodwill impairment charge, or both. We also compared the sum of the estimated fair values of the reporting units to the Company’s total value as implied by the market value of the Company’s securities. This comparison indicated that, in total, our assumptions and estimates were reasonable. However, future declines in the overall market value of the Company’s securities may indicate that the fair value of one or more reporting units has declined below its carrying value. One measure of the sensitivity of the amount of goodwill impairment charges to key assumptions is the amount by which each reporting unit “passed” (fair value exceeds the carrying amount) or “failed” (the carrying amount exceeds fair value) the first step of the goodwill impairment test. Our reporting units’ fair values exceeded their carrying values. Other Intangibles. Other intangible assets capitalized consist primarily of current technology, customer relationships, trade names, unpatented technology, and patent rights. These assets are recorded at cost and amortized on a straight-line basis over a weighted-average life of 3.0 years, which approximates the estimated useful lives. Weighted average lives remaining by intangible asset class are as follows: Current technology 1.9 years; Trade names 0.8 years; Unpatented technology 2.4 years; Patent and patent rights 2.2 years and Customer relationships 4.7 years. Amortization of Debt Issuance Costs. The Company capitalizes costs incurred in connection with borrowings or establishment of credit facilities. These costs are amortized over the life of the borrowing or life of the credit facility using the effective interest method. Revenue Recognition. Revenue includes sales of hardware, supplies and services (including repair services and extended service contracts, which typically occur over time, and professional services, which typically occur at the inception of a project). We enter into revenue arrangements that may consist of multiple deliverables of our hardware products and services due to the needs of our customers. For this type of revenue arrangements, we apply the guidance in ASC 605 "Revenue Recognition" to identify the separate units of accounting by determining whether the delivered items have value to the customer on a standalone basis. Generally, our multiple deliverables arrangements do not have a right of return. We also follow the accounting principles that establish a hierarchy to determine the selling price to be used for allocating revenue to deliverables as follows: (i) vendor-specific objective evidence of fair value (VSOE), (ii) third-party evidence of selling price (TPE) and (iii) best estimate of the selling price (ESP). Generally, our agreements contain termination provisions whereby we are entitled to payment for delivered equipment and services rendered through the date of the termination. Some of our agreements may also contain cancellation provisions that in certain cases result in customer penalties. We may enter into multiple agreements with a single customer. In those cases we follow the guidance in ASC 985 "Software" to determine whether these agreements should be accounted for as a single multiple element arrangement. The Company recognizes revenue when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, delivery has occurred and title has passed to the customer, which typically happens at the point of shipment provided that no significant obligations remain, the price is fixed and determinable and collectability of the sales price is reasonably assured. For hardware sales, in addition to the criteria discussed above, revenue recognition incorporates allowances for discounts, price protection, returns and customer incentives that can be reasonably estimated. In addition to cooperative marketing and other incentive programs, the Company has arrangements with some distributors, which allow for price protection and limited rights of return, generally through stock rotation programs. Under the price protection programs, the Company gives distributors credits for the difference between the original price paid and the Company’s then current price. Under the stock rotation programs, distributors are able to exchange certain products based on the number of qualified purchases made during the period. We monitor and track these programs and record a provision for future payments or credits granted as reductions of revenue based on historical experience. Recorded revenues are reduced by these allowances. The Company enters into post contract maintenance and support agreements; revenues are deferred and then recognized ratably over the service period and the cost of providing these services is expensed as incurred. The Company includes shipping and handling charges billed to customers as revenue when the product ships; any costs incurred related to these services are included in cost of sales. Research and Development Costs. Research and development costs ("R&D") are expensed as incurred. These costs include:
• | Salaries, benefits, and other R&D personnel related costs,
• | Consulting and other outside services used in the R&D process,
• | Engineering supplies,
• | Engineering related information systems costs, and
• | Allocation of building and related costs.
Advertising. Advertising is expensed as incurred. Advertising costs totaled $22 million for the year ended December 31, 2015, $13 million for the year ended December 31, 2014 and $7 million for the year ended December 31, 2013. Warranty. The Company generally provides warranty coverage of 1 year on mobile computers and WLAN products. Advanced data capture products are warranted from 1 to 5 years, depending on the product. Printers are warranted for one year against defects in material and workmanship. Thermal printheads are warranted for 6 months and batteries are warranted for 1 year. Battery based products, such as location tags, are covered by a 90 days warranty. A provision for warranty expense is adjusted quarterly based on historical warranty experience. The following table is a summary of the Company’s accrued warranty obligation (in millions):
| Year Ended December 31,
Warranty reserve | 2015 |  | 2014 |  | 2013
Balance at the beginning of the year | $ | 25 |  |  | $ | 4 |  |  | $ | 4 |
Acquisition | — |  |  | 21 |  |  | — |
Warranty expense | 30 |  |  | 13 |  |  | 7 |
Warranty payments | (33 | ) |  | (13 | ) |  | (7 | )
Balance at the end of the year | $ | 22 |  |  | $ | 25 |  |  | $ | 4 |
Fair Value of Financial Instruments. Fair value is the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. Our financial assets and financial liabilities that require recognition under the accounting guidance generally include our available-for-sale investments, employee deferred compensation plan investments, foreign currency derivatives and interest rate swaps. In accordance with ASC 815, "Derivatives and Hedging" we recognize derivative instruments and hedging activities as either assets or liabilities on the balance sheet and measure them at fair value. Gains and losses resulting from changes in fair value are accounted for depending on the use of the derivative and whether it is designated and qualifies for hedge accounting. See Note 13 Derivative Instruments for additional information on our derivatives and hedging activities. The Company has foreign currency forwards to hedge certain foreign currency exposures and interest rate swaps to hedge a portion of the variability in future cash flows on debt. We use broker quotations or market transactions, in either the listed or over-the-counter markets to value our foreign currency exchange contracts and relevant observable market inputs at quoted intervals, such as forward yield curves and the Company’s own credit risk to value our interest rate swaps. The Company’s investments in marketable debt securities are classified as available-for-sale except for securities held in the Company’s deferred compensation plans, which are considered to be trading securities. In general we use quoted prices in active markets for identical assets to determine fair value. If active markets for identical assets are not available to determine fair value, then we use quoted prices for similar assets or inputs that are observable either directly or indirectly. Share-Based Compensation. At December 31, 2015, the Company had a general share-based compensation plan and an employee stock purchase plan under which shares of our common stock were available for future grants and sales, and which are described more fully in Note 18 Share-Based Compensation. We account for these plans in accordance with ASC 505 "Equity" and ASC 718 "Compensation - Stock Compensation." The Company recognizes compensation costs using the straight-line method over the vesting period upon grant of up to 4 years. The compensation expense and the related income tax benefit for share-based compensation were included in the Consolidated Statement of Operations as follows (in millions):
| Year Ended December 31,
Compensation costs and related income tax benefit | 2015 |  | 2014 |  | 2013
Cost of sales | $ | 3 |  |  | $ | 1 |  |  | $ | 1 |
Selling and marketing | 8 |  |  | 4 |  |  | 2 |
Research and development | 8 |  |  | 3 |  |  | 2 |
General and administration | 14 |  |  | 12 |  |  | 8 |
Total compensation expense | $ | 33 |  |  | $ | 20 |  |  | $ | 13 |
Income tax benefit | $ | 11 |  |  | $ | 7 |  |  | $ | 5 |
Foreign Currency Translation. The consolidated balance sheets of the Company’s non-U.S. subsidiaries, not having a U.S. dollar functional currency, are translated into U.S. dollars using the year-end exchange rate, and statement of earnings items are translated using the average exchange rate for the year. The resulting translation gains or losses are recorded in stockholders’ equity as a cumulative translation adjustment, which is a component of accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income. Acquisition and Integration Costs. The Company expenses acquisition and integration costs as incurred. The Company incurred transaction expenses of approximately $144 million, $127 million, and $5 million, which have been recorded in acquisition and integration costs in the consolidated statements of operations for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively. Acquisitions. We account for acquired businesses using the acquisition method of accounting. This method requires that the purchase price be allocated to the identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed at their estimated fair values. The excess of the purchase price over the identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed is recorded as goodwill. The estimates used to determine the fair value of long-lived assets, such as intangible assets, can be complex and require significant judgments. We use information available to us to make fair value determinations and engage independent valuation specialists, when necessary, to assist in the fair value determination of significant acquired long-lived assets. While we use our best estimates and assumptions as a part of the purchase price allocation process, our estimates are inherently uncertain and subject to refinement. Critical estimates in valuing certain intangible assets include, but are not limited to, future expected cash flows from customer relationships, customer attrition rates and discount rates. Management’s estimates of fair value are based upon assumptions believed to be reasonable, but due to the inherent uncertainty during the measurement period, which may be up to one year from the acquisition date, we record adjustments to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed, with the corresponding offset to goodwill. Impairment of Long-Lived Assets and Long-Lived Assets to be Disposed of. The Company accounts for long-lived assets in accordance with the provisions of ASC 360 "Property, Plant and Equipment." The statement requires that long-lived assets and certain identifiable intangibles be reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. Recoverability of assets to be held and used is measured by a comparison of the carrying amount of an asset to the sum of the undiscounted cash flows expected to result from the use and the eventual disposition of the asset. If such assets are considered to be impaired, the impairment to be recognized is measured by the amount by which the carrying amount of the assets exceeds the fair value of the assets. Assets to be disposed of are reported at the lower of the carrying amount or fair value less costs to sell. Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements. Recently Adopted. In April 2015, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standard Update (“ASU”) 2015-03 “Interest-Imputation of Interest (Subtopic 835-30): Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs.” This guidance requires that debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of that debt liability, consistent with debt discounts. The recognition and measurement guidance for debt issuance costs are not affected by this ASU. This standard is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2015 and interim periods within those annual periods. Upon adoption, an entity must apply the new guidance retrospectively to all prior periods presented in the financial statements. As permitted, the Company early adopted this ASU beginning in the second quarter of calendar year 2015. The impact of this ASU reduced both long-term assets and long-term debt by $26 million at December 31, 2015. It also reduced long-term assets, short-term debt and long-term debt by $30 million, $3 million, and $27 million, respectively, at December 31, 2014. This ASU has no impact on the consolidated statements of operations or cash flows. In August 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-15 “Interest-Imputation of Interest (Subtopic 835-30): Presentation and Subsequent Measurement of Debt Issuance Costs Associated with Line of Credit Arrangements- Amendments to SEC Paragraphs Pursuant to Staff Announcement at June 18, 2015 EITF Meeting (SEC Update).” This ASU indicates that the guidance in ASU 2015-03, discussed above, does not address presentation or subsequent measurement of debt issuance costs related to line-of-credit arrangements. Given the absence of authoritative guidance within ASU 2015-03, the SEC staff has indicated that they would not object to an entity deferring and presenting debt issuance costs as an asset and subsequently amortizing the deferred debt issuance costs ratably over the term of the line-of-credit arrangement, regardless of whether there are any outstanding borrowings on the line-of-credit arrangement. However, in conjunction with ASU 2015-03, the Company has elected to present debt issuance costs associated with its line-of-credit arrangement as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of its total debt liability regardless of whether there are any outstanding borrowings on the line-of-credit arrangement and amortizing these costs using the straight line method over its term. This ASU has no impact on the consolidated statements of operations or cash flows. In September 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-16, “Business Combinations (Topic 805): Simplifying the Accounting for Measurement-Period Adjustments,” which requires that an acquirer recognize adjustments to provisional amounts that are identified during the measurement period in the reporting period in which the adjustment amounts are determined. This update is to be applied prospectively and is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2015 with earlier adoption permitted. The Company elected to early adopt this ASU during the third quarter of 2015. See Note 3 Business Combinations for additional information. In November 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-17, “Income Taxes (Topic 740): Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes,” to simplify the presentation of deferred taxes. The amendments in this update require that deferred tax assets and liabilities be classified as non-current on the balance sheet. This ASU is effective for annual reporting periods, and interim periods therein, beginning after December 15, 2016 with earlier adoption permitted. Companies can adopt the guidance either prospectively or retrospectively. In order to simplify the presentation of deferred taxes in its consolidated balance sheet, the Company elected to early adopt this ASU prospectively during the fourth quarter of 2015. As a result, the prior periods were not retrospectively adjusted. This ASU has no impact on the consolidated statements of operations or cash flows. Not Yet Effective In May 2014, the FASB issued update 2014-9, ASC 606, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers." The core principle is that a company should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of goods or services to a customer at an amount that reflects the consideration, which the entity expects to receive in exchange for those goods or services. In August 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-14, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers: Deferral of the Effective Date," which deferred the effective date for all entities by one year so it is now effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017 and interim periods within those annual periods. Earlier application is prohibited. Management is still assessing the impact of adoption on its consolidated financial statements. In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-05, “Intangibles-Goodwill and Other-Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40): Customer’s Accounting for Fees Paid in a Cloud Computing Arrangement." This update provides guidance to customers about whether a cloud computing arrangement includes a software license or should be accounted for differently. If a cloud computing arrangement includes a software license, then the customer should account for the software license element of the arrangement consistent with the acquisition of other software licenses. If a cloud computing arrangement does not include a software license, the customer should account for the arrangement as a service contract. The guidance will not change generally accepted accounting principles for a customer’s accounting for service contracts. This update is effective for annual periods, including interim periods within those annual periods, beginning after December 15, 2015. Entities have the option of applying the guidance (1) prospectively to all arrangements entered into or materially modified after the effective date or (2) retrospectively. Management is still assessing the impact of adoption on its consolidated financial statements. In July 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-11, “Inventory (Topic 330): Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory,” which changes the measurement principle for inventory from the lower of cost or market to the lower of cost or net realizable value for entities that measure inventory using first-in, first-out (FIFO) or average cost. Net realizable value is defined as the estimated selling prices in the ordinary course of business, less reasonably predictable costs of completion, disposal, and transportation. This ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016 and for interim periods therein. Early adoption is permitted and the guidance must be applied prospectively after the date of adoption. Management is still assessing the impact of adoption on its consolidated financial statements. In January, 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-01, “Financial Instruments - Overall (Subtopic 825-10): Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities.” ASU 2016-01 modifies how entities measure equity investments and present changes in the fair value of financial liabilities. Under the new guidance, entities will have to measure equity investments that do not result in consolidation and are not accounted under the equity method at fair value and recognize any changes in fair value in net income unless the investments qualify for the new practicality exception. A practicality exception will apply to those equity investments that do not have a readily determinable fair value and do not qualify for the practical expedient to estimate fair value under ASC 820, "Fair Value Measurements", and as such these investments may be measured at cost. ASU 2016-01 will be effective for the Company’s fiscal year beginning January 1, 2018 and subsequent interim periods. Early adoption of the amendment in this ASU is not permitted. Amendments should be applied by means of cumulative effect adjustment to the balance sheet as of the beginning of the fiscal year of adoption. The amendments related to equity securities without readily determinable fair values including disclosure requirements should be applied prospectively to equity investments that exist as of the date of adoption of the ASU. Management is still assessing the impact of adoption on its consolidated financial statements.

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