Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	$ 431,620	$ 450,003	$ 461,443
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Provisions for doubtful accounts on accounts receivable	2,037us-gaap_ProvisionForDoubtfulAccounts	3,656us-gaap_ProvisionForDoubtfulAccounts	2,256us-gaap_ProvisionForDoubtfulAccounts
Stock-based compensation expense	32,998us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensation	31,708us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensation	29,183us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensation
Deferred income taxes	1,583	169	(52,219)
Depreciation	46,393us-gaap_Depreciation	38,165us-gaap_Depreciation	37,422us-gaap_Depreciation
Amortization of intangibles	47,838us-gaap_AmortizationOfIntangibleAssets	41,530us-gaap_AmortizationOfIntangibleAssets	31,409us-gaap_AmortizationOfIntangibleAssets
Building impairment	4,718
In-process research and development and other non-cash charges	16,481us-gaap_OtherNoncashIncomeExpense
Change in operating assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions:
Increase in accounts receivable	(29,435)	(35,233)	(39,836)
Increase in inventories	(15,984)us-gaap_IncreaseDecreaseInInventories	(11,389)us-gaap_IncreaseDecreaseInInventories	(10,930)us-gaap_IncreaseDecreaseInInventories
(Increase) decrease in other current assets	(5,784)	5,033	(7,136)
(Increase) decrease in other assets	(14,409)	(11,467)	1,473
(Decrease) increase in accounts payable and other current liabilities	(13,687)	(28,127)	563
Increase in deferred revenue and customer advances	9,566	8,512	11,005
Decrease in other liabilities	(2,287)	(7,684)	(15,353)
Net cash provided by operating activities	511,648	484,876	449,280
Cash flows from investing activities:
Additions to property, plant, equipment and software capitalization	(91,122)	(118,450)	(104,749)
Business acquisitions, net of cash acquired	(27,008)	(41,395)	(31,016)
Payments for intellectual property licenses	(15,126)
Purchase of investments	(2,196,153)	(2,972,116)	(1,815,988)
Maturities and sales of investments	1,925,816	2,667,232	1,655,359
Proceeds from sale of property	1,563us-gaap_ProceedsFromSaleOfBuildings
Net cash used in investing activities	(402,030)	(464,729)	(296,394)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from debt issuances	381,673	1,032,209	218,324
Payments on debt	(239,776)us-gaap_RepaymentsOfLongTermDebt	(886,644)us-gaap_RepaymentsOfLongTermDebt	(32,107)us-gaap_RepaymentsOfLongTermDebt
Payments of debt issuance costs	(1,400)us-gaap_PaymentsOfDebtIssuanceCosts	(2,039)us-gaap_PaymentsOfDebtIssuanceCosts	(497)us-gaap_PaymentsOfDebtIssuanceCosts
Proceeds from stock plans	73,849	68,958	28,869
Purchase of treasury shares	(337,444)	(301,580)	(295,878)
Excess tax benefit related to stock option plans	15,703	15,842	10,568
Proceeds from derivative contracts	174	8,666	4,186
Net cash used in financing activities	(107,221)	(64,588)	(66,535)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	(21,016)	4,202	10,694
(Decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	(18,619)	(40,239)	97,045
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	440,796	481,035	383,990
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	422,177	440,796	481,035
Supplemental cash flow information:
Income taxes paid	60,971us-gaap_IncomeTaxesPaidNet	55,928us-gaap_IncomeTaxesPaidNet	59,446us-gaap_IncomeTaxesPaidNet
Interest paid	$ 34,332us-gaap_InterestPaidNet	$ 29,563us-gaap_InterestPaidNet	$ 28,305us-gaap_InterestPaidNet

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The aggregate expense charged against earnings to allocate the cost of intangible assets (nonphysical assets not used in production) in a systematic and rational manner to the periods expected to benefit from such assets. As a noncash expense, this element is added back to net income when calculating cash provided by or used in operations using the indirect method.