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ORGANIZATION AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES | 12 Months Ended
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May 31, 2016
Organization and Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract] |
ORGANIZATION AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES | 1. ORGANIZATION AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES Oracle Corporation develops, manufactures, markets, sells, hosts and supports application, platform and infrastructure technologies for information technology (IT) environments including database and middleware software, application software, cloud infrastructure and hardware—including Oracle Engineered Systems, computer server, storage, networking and industry-specific hardware products—and related services that are engineered to work together in cloud-based and on-premise IT environments. We offer our customers the option to deploy our comprehensive set of cloud services offerings including Oracle Software as a Service (SaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS) and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) or to purchase our software and hardware products and related services to manage their own cloud-based or on-premise IT environments. Customers that purchase our software products may elect to purchase software license updates and product support contracts, which provide our customers with rights to unspecified software product upgrades and maintenance releases issued during the support period as well as technical support assistance. Customers that purchase our hardware products may elect to purchase hardware support contracts, which provide customers with software updates for software components that are essential to the functionality of our hardware products, such as Oracle Solaris and certain other software products, and can include product repairs, maintenance services, and technical support services. We also offer customers a broad set of services offerings that are designed to improve customer utilization of their investments in Oracle application, platform and infrastructure technologies including consulting services, advanced customer support services and education services. Oracle Corporation conducts business globally and was incorporated in 2005 as a Delaware corporation and is the successor to operations originally begun in June 1977. Basis of Financial Statements The consolidated financial statements included our accounts and the accounts of our wholly- and majority-owned subsidiaries. Noncontrolling interest positions of certain of our consolidated entities are reported as a separate component of consolidated equity from the equity attributable to Oracle’s stockholders for all periods presented. The noncontrolling interests in our net income were not significant to our consolidated results for the periods presented and therefore have been included as a component of non-operating income (expense), net in our consolidated statements of operations. Intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated. Certain other prior year balances have been reclassified to conform to the current year presentation. Such reclassifications did not affect total revenues, operating income or net income. Included in acquisition related and other expenses as presented in our consolidated statements of operations for fiscal 2016 and 2015 are an acquisition related benefit of $19 million and a litigation related benefit of $53 million, respectively. Further, acquisition related and other expenses for fiscal 2015 included $186 million related to a goodwill impairment loss (refer to Note 7 below for additional information). In fiscal 2016, we adopted Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2015-17, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes (ASU 2015-17) on a retrospective basis. As required by ASU 2015-17, all deferred tax assets and liabilities are classified as non-current in our consolidated balance sheets, which is a change from our historical presentation whereby certain of our deferred tax assets and liabilities were classified as current and the remainder were classified as non-current. Upon adoption of ASU 2015-17, current deferred tax assets of $663 million and current deferred tax liabilities of $85 million in our May 31, 2015 consolidated balance sheet were reclassified as non-current and certain related reclassification entries were also recorded. In addition, in fiscal 2016, we also adopted the following Accounting Standards Updates, none of which had a material impact to our reported financial position or results of operations and cash flows: ·ASU 2016-07, Investments—Equity Method and Joint Ventures (Topic 323): Simplifying the Transition to the Equity Method of Accounting; ·ASU 2016-06, Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815): Contingent Put and Call Options in Debt Instruments; ·ASU 2016-05, Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815): Effect of Derivative Contract Novations on Existing Hedge Accounting Relationships; ·ASU 2015-16, Business Combinations (Topic 805): Simplifying the Accounting for Measurement-Period Adjustments; ·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; ·ASU 2015-11, Inventory (Topic 330): Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory; and ·ASU 2015-05, Intangibles—Goodwill and Other—Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40): Customer’s Accounting for Fees Paid in a Cloud Computing Arrangement. Use of Estimates Our consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) as set forth in the Financial Accounting Standards Board’s (FASB) Accounting Standards Codification (ASC), and we consider the various staff accounting bulletins and other applicable guidance issued by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. These accounting principles require us to make certain estimates, judgments and assumptions. We believe that the estimates, judgments and assumptions upon which we rely are reasonable based upon information available to us at the time that these estimates, judgments and assumptions are made. These estimates, judgments and assumptions can affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities as of the date of the financial statements as well as the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the periods presented. To the extent that there are differences between these estimates, judgments or assumptions and actual results, our consolidated financial statements will be affected. In many cases, the accounting treatment of a particular transaction is specifically dictated by GAAP and does not require management’s judgment in its application. There are also areas in which management’s judgment in selecting among available alternatives would not produce a materially different result. Revenue Recognition Our sources of revenues include: ·cloud and on-premise software revenues, which include the sale of: new software licenses, which generally grant to customers a perpetual right to use our database, middleware, applications and industry-specific software products; cloud SaaS and PaaS offerings, which grant customers access to a broad range of our software and related support offerings on a subscription basis in a secure, standards-based cloud computing environment; cloud IaaS offerings, which grant customers access to infrastructure cloud services to perform elastic compute, storage and networking services, and also provide management services for software and hardware and related IT infrastructure, both generally on a subscription basis; and software license updates and product support offerings (described further below); ·hardware revenues, which include the sale of hardware products including Oracle Engineered Systems, computer servers, storage products, networking and data center fabric products, and industry-specific hardware; and hardware support revenues (described further below); and ·services revenues, which are earned from providing software and hardware related services including consulting, advanced customer support and education services. Revenues generally are recognized net of any taxes collected from customers and subsequently remitted to governmental authorities. Revenue Recognition for Software Products and Software Related Services (Software Elements) New software licenses revenues primarily represent fees earned from granting customers licenses to use our database, middleware, application and industry-specific software products and exclude cloud SaaS and PaaS revenues and revenues derived from software license updates, which are included in software license updates and product support revenues. The basis for our new software licenses revenue recognition is substantially governed by the accounting guidance contained in ASC 985-605, Software-Revenue Recognition. We exercise judgment and use estimates in connection with the determination of the amount of software and software related services revenues to be recognized in each accounting period. For software license arrangements that do not require significant modification or customization of the underlying software, we recognize new software licenses revenues when: (1) we enter into a legally binding arrangement with a customer for the license of software; (2) we deliver the products; (3) the sale price is fixed or determinable and free of contingencies or significant uncertainties; and (4) collection is probable. Revenues that are not recognized at the time of sale because the foregoing conditions are not met, are recognized when those conditions are subsequently met. Substantially all of our software license arrangements do not include acceptance provisions. However, if acceptance provisions exist as part of public policy (for example, in agreements with government entities where acceptance periods are required by law, or within previously executed terms and conditions that are referenced in the current agreement and are short-term in nature), we generally recognize revenues upon delivery provided the acceptance terms are perfunctory and all other revenue recognition criteria have been met. If acceptance provisions are not perfunctory (for example, acceptance provisions that are long-term in nature or are not included as standard terms of an arrangement), revenues are recognized upon the earlier of receipt of written customer acceptance or expiration of the acceptance period. The vast majority of our software license arrangements include software license updates and product support contracts, which are entered into at the customer’s option, and the related fees are recognized ratably over the term of the arrangement, typically one year. Software license updates provide customers with rights to unspecified software product upgrades, maintenance releases and patches released during the term of the support period. Product support includes internet access to technical content, as well as internet and telephone access to technical support personnel. Software license updates and product support contracts are generally priced as a percentage of the net new software licenses fees and are generally invoiced in full at the beginning of the support term. Substantially all of our customers renew their software license updates and product support contracts annually. Revenue Recognition for Multiple-Element Arrangements—Software Products and Software Related Services (Software Arrangements) We often enter into arrangements with customers that purchase both software related products and software related services from us at the same time, or within close proximity of one another (referred to as software related multiple-element arrangements). Such software related multiple-element arrangements include the sale of our software products, software license updates and product support contracts and other software related services whereby software license delivery is followed by the subsequent or contemporaneous delivery of the other elements. For those software related multiple-element arrangements, we have applied the residual method to determine the amount of new software license revenues to be recognized pursuant to ASC 985-605. Under the residual method, if fair value exists for undelivered elements in a multiple-element arrangement, such fair value of the undelivered elements is deferred with the remaining portion of the arrangement consideration generally recognized upon delivery of the software license. We allocate the fair value of each element of a software related multiple-element arrangement based upon its fair value as determined by our vendor-specific objective evidence (VSOE—described further below), with any remaining amount allocated to the software license. Revenue Recognition for Cloud SaaS, PaaS and IaaS Offerings, Hardware Products, Hardware Support and Related Services (Non-software Elements) Our revenue recognition policy for non-software deliverables including cloud SaaS, PaaS and IaaS offerings, hardware products, support and related services is based upon the accounting guidance contained in ASC 605-25, Revenue Recognition, Multiple-Element Arrangements, and we exercise judgment and use estimates in connection with the determination of the amount of cloud SaaS, PaaS and IaaS revenues, hardware products revenues, support and related services revenues to be recognized in each accounting period. Revenues from the sales of our non-software elements are recognized when: (1) persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists; (2) we deliver the products and passage of the title to the buyer occurs; (3) the sale price is fixed or determinable; and (4) collection is reasonably assured. Revenues that are not recognized at the time of sale because the foregoing conditions are not met are recognized when those conditions are subsequently met. When applicable, we reduce revenues for estimated returns or certain other incentive programs where we have the ability to sufficiently estimate the effects of these items. Where an arrangement is subject to acceptance criteria and the acceptance provisions are not perfunctory (for example, acceptance provisions that are long-term in nature or are not included as standard terms of an arrangement), revenues are recognized upon the earlier of receipt of written customer acceptance or expiration of the acceptance period. Our cloud SaaS and PaaS offerings generally provide customers access to certain of our software within a cloud-based IT environment that we manage, host and support and offer to customers on a subscription basis. Revenues for our cloud SaaS and PaaS offerings are generally recognized ratably over the contract term commencing with the date the service is made available to customers and all other revenue recognition criteria have been satisfied. Our cloud IaaS offerings provide infrastructure cloud services and also include deployment and management offerings for software and hardware and related IT infrastructure. Our cloud IaaS offerings are generally sold on a subscription basis and revenues for these cloud IaaS offerings are generally recognized ratably over the contract term commencing with the date the service is made available to customers and all other revenue recognition criteria have been satisfied. Revenues from the sale of hardware products represent amounts earned primarily from the sale of our Oracle Engineered Systems, computer servers, storage, networking and industry-specific hardware and are recognized upon the delivery of the hardware product to the customer provided all other revenue recognition criteria have been satisfied. Our hardware support offerings generally provide customers with software updates for the software components that are essential to the functionality of our hardware products and can also include product repairs, maintenance services and technical support services. Hardware support contracts are generally priced as a percentage of the net hardware products fees. Hardware support contracts are entered into at the customer’s option and are recognized ratably over the contractual term of the arrangements, which is typically one year, provided all other revenue recognition criteria have been satisfied. Revenue Recognition for Multiple-Element Arrangements—Cloud SaaS, PaaS and IaaS Offerings, Hardware Products, Hardware Support and Related Services (Non-software Arrangements) We enter into arrangements with customers that purchase non-software related products and services from us at the same time, or within close proximity of one another (referred to as non-software multiple-element arrangements). Each element within a non-software multiple-element arrangement is accounted for as a separate unit of accounting provided the following criteria are met: the delivered products or services have value to the customer on a standalone basis; and for an arrangement that includes a general right of return relative to the delivered products or services, delivery or performance of the undelivered product or service is considered probable and is substantially controlled by us. We consider a deliverable to have standalone value if the product or service is sold separately by us or another vendor or could be resold by the customer. Further, our revenue arrangements generally do not include a general right of return relative to the delivered products. Where the aforementioned criteria for a separate unit of accounting are not met, the deliverable is combined with the undelivered element(s) and treated as a single unit of accounting for the purposes of allocation of the arrangement consideration and revenue recognition. For those units of accounting that include more than one deliverable but are treated as a single unit of accounting, we generally recognize revenues over the contractual period of the arrangement, or in the case of our cloud offerings, we generally recognize revenues over the contractual term of the cloud software subscription. For the purposes of revenue classification of the elements that are accounted for as a single unit of accounting, we allocate revenue to the respective revenue line items within our consolidated statements of operations based on a rational and consistent methodology utilizing our best estimate of relative selling prices of such elements. For our non-software multiple-element arrangements, we allocate revenue to each element based on a selling price hierarchy at the arrangement’s inception. The selling price for each element is based upon the following selling price hierarchy: VSOE if available, third-party evidence (TPE) if VSOE is not available, or estimated selling price (ESP) if neither VSOE nor TPE are available (a description as to how we determine VSOE, TPE and ESP is provided below). If a tangible hardware product includes software, we determine whether the tangible hardware product and the software work together to deliver the product’s essential functionality and, if so, the entire product is treated as a non-software deliverable. The total arrangement consideration is allocated to each separate unit of accounting for each of the non-software deliverables using the relative selling prices of each unit based on the aforementioned selling price hierarchy. We limit the amount of revenue recognized for delivered elements to an amount that is not contingent upon future delivery of additional products or services or meeting of any specified performance conditions. When possible, we establish VSOE of selling price for deliverables in software and non-software multiple-element arrangements using the price charged for a deliverable when sold separately and for software license updates and product support and hardware support, based on the renewal rates offered to customers. TPE is established by evaluating similar and interchangeable competitor products or services in standalone arrangements with similarly situated customers. If we are unable to determine the selling price because VSOE or TPE does not exist, we determine ESP for the purposes of allocating the arrangement by reviewing historical transactions, including transactions whereby the deliverable was sold on a standalone basis and considering several other external and internal factors including, but not limited to, pricing practices including discounting, margin objectives, competition, contractually stated prices, the geographies in which we offer our products and services, the type of customer (i.e., distributor, value-added reseller, government agency and direct end user, among others) and the stage of the product lifecycle. The determination of ESP is made through consultation with and approval by our management, taking into consideration our pricing model and go-to-market strategy. As our, or our competitors’, pricing and go-to-market strategies evolve, we may modify our pricing practices in the future, which could result in changes to our determination of VSOE, TPE and ESP. As a result, our future revenue recognition for multiple-element arrangements could differ materially from our results in the current period. Selling prices are analyzed on an annual basis or more frequently if we experience significant changes in our selling prices. Revenue Recognition Policies Applicable to both Software and Non-software Elements Revenue Recognition for Multiple-Element Arrangements—Arrangements with Software and Non-software Elements We also enter into multiple-element arrangements that may include a combination of our various software related and non-software related products and services offerings including new software licenses, software license updates and product support, cloud SaaS, PaaS and IaaS offerings, hardware products, hardware support, consulting, advanced customer support services and education. In such arrangements, we first allocate the total arrangement consideration based on the relative selling prices of the software group of elements as a whole and to the non-software elements. We then further allocate consideration within the software group to the respective elements within that group following the guidance in ASC 985-605 and our policies as described above. After the arrangement consideration has been allocated to the elements, we account for each respective element in the arrangement as described above. Other Revenue Recognition Policies Applicable to Software and Non-software Elements Many of our software arrangements include consulting implementation services sold separately under consulting engagement contracts and are included as a part of our services business. Consulting revenues from these arrangements are generally accounted for separately from new software licenses revenues because the arrangements qualify as services transactions as defined in ASC 985-605. The more significant factors considered in determining whether the revenues should be accounted for separately include the nature of services (i.e., consideration of whether the services are essential to the functionality of the licensed product), degree of risk, availability of services from other vendors, timing of payments and impact of milestones or acceptance criteria on the realizability of the software license fee. Revenues for consulting services are generally recognized as the services are performed. If there is a significant uncertainty about the project completion or receipt of payment for the consulting services, revenues are deferred until the uncertainty is sufficiently resolved. We estimate the proportional performance on contracts with fixed or “not to exceed” fees on a monthly basis utilizing hours incurred to date as a percentage of total estimated hours to complete the project. If we do not have a sufficient basis to measure progress towards completion, revenues are recognized when we receive final acceptance from the customer that the services have been completed. When total cost estimates exceed revenues, we accrue for the estimated losses immediately using cost estimates that are based upon an average fully burdened daily rate applicable to the consulting organization delivering the services. The complexity of the estimation process and factors relating to the assumptions, risks and uncertainties inherent with the application of the proportional performance method of accounting affects the amounts of revenues and related expenses reported in our consolidated financial statements. A number of internal and external factors can affect our estimates, including labor rates, utilization and efficiency variances and specification and testing requirement changes. Our advanced customer support services are offered as standalone arrangements or as a part of arrangements to customers buying other software and non-software products and services. We offer these advanced support services, both on-premise and remote, to Oracle customers to enable increased performance and higher availability of their products and services. Depending upon the nature of the arrangement, revenues from these services are recognized as the services are performed or ratably over the term of the service period, which is generally one year or less. Education revenues are also a part of our services business and include instructor-led, media-based and internet-based training in the use of our software and hardware products. Education revenues are recognized as the classes or other education offerings are delivered. If an arrangement contains multiple elements and does not qualify for separate accounting for the product and service transactions, then new software licenses revenues and/or hardware products revenues, including the costs of hardware products, are generally recognized together with the services based on contract accounting using either the percentage-of-completion or completed-contract method. For the purposes of revenue classification of the elements that are accounted for as a single unit of accounting, we allocate revenues to software and non-software elements based on a rational and consistent methodology utilizing our best estimate of the relative selling price of such elements. We also evaluate arrangements with governmental entities containing “fiscal funding” or “termination for convenience” provisions, when such provisions are required by law, to determine the probability of possible cancellation. We consider multiple factors, including the history with the customer in similar transactions, the “essential use” of the software or hardware products and the planning, budgeting and approval processes undertaken by the governmental entity. If we determine upon execution of these arrangements that the likelihood of cancellation is remote, we then recognize revenues once all of the criteria described above have been met. If such a determination cannot be made, revenues are recognized upon the earlier of cash receipt or approval of the applicable funding provision by the governmental entity. We assess whether fees are fixed or determinable at the time of sale and recognize revenues if all other revenue recognition requirements are met. Our standard payment terms are net 30 days. However, payment terms may vary based on the country in which the agreement is executed. We evaluate non-standard payment terms based on whether we have successful collection history on comparable arrangements (based upon similarity of customers, products, and license economics) and, if so, generally conclude such payment terms are fixed and determinable and thereby satisfy the required criteria for revenue recognition. While most of our arrangements for sales within our businesses include short-term payment terms, we have a standard practice of providing long-term financing to creditworthy customers primarily through our financing division. Since fiscal 1989, when our financing division was formed, we have established a history of collection, without concessions, on these receivables with payment terms that generally extend up to five years from the contract date. Provided all other revenue recognition criteria have been met, we recognize new software licenses revenues and hardware products revenues for these arrangements upon delivery, net of any payment discounts from financing transactions. We have generally sold receivables financed through our financing division on a non-recourse basis to third-party financing institutions within 90 days of the contracts’ dates of execution and we classify the proceeds from these sales as cash flows from operating activities in our consolidated statements of cash flows. We account for the sales of these receivables as “true sales” as defined in ASC 860, Transfers and Servicing, as we are considered to have surrendered control of these financing receivables. We sold $1.8 billion of our financing receivables to financial institutions during each of fiscal 2016 and 2015, and $2.0 billion during fiscal 2014. Our customers include several of our suppliers and, occasionally, we have purchased goods or services for our operations from these vendors at or about the same time that we have sold our products to these same companies (Concurrent Transactions). Software license agreements, sales of hardware or sales of services that occur within a three-month time period from the date we have purchased goods or services from that same customer are reviewed for appropriate accounting treatment and disclosure. When we acquire goods or services from a customer, we negotiate the purchase separately from any sales transaction, at terms we consider to be at arm’s length and settle the purchase in cash. We recognize revenues from Concurrent Transactions if all of our revenue recognition criteria are met and the goods and services acquired are necessary for our current operations. Business Combinations We apply the provisions of ASC 805, Business Combinations, in accounting for our acquisitions. It requires us to recognize separately from goodwill the assets acquired and the liabilities assumed at the acquisition date fair values. G oodwill as of the acquisition date is measured as the excess of consideration transferred over the net of the acquisition date fair values of the assets acquired and the liabilities assumed. While we use our best estimates and assumptions to accurately value assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the acquisition date as well as any contingent consideration, where applicable, our estimates are inherently uncertain and subject to refinement. As a result, 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. Upon the conclusion of the measurement period or final determination of the values of assets acquired or liabilities assumed, whichever comes first, any subsequent adjustments are recorded to our consolidated statements of operations. Costs to exit or restructure certain activities of an acquired company or our internal operations are accounted for as termination and exit costs pursuant to ASC 420, Exit or Disposal Cost Obligations, and are accounted for separately from the business combination. A liability for costs associated with an exit or disposal activity is recognized and measured at its fair value in our consolidated statement of operations in the period in which the liability is incurred. When estimating the fair value of facility restructuring activities, assumptions are applied regarding estimated sub-lease payments to be received, which can differ materially from actual results. This may require us to revise our initial estimates which may materially affect our results of operations and financial position in the period the revision is made. For a given acquisition, we may identify certain pre-acquisition contingencies as of the acquisition date and may extend our review and evaluation of these pre-acquisition contingencies throughout the measurement period in order to obtain sufficient information to assess whether we include these contingencies as a part of the fair value estimates of assets acquired and liabilities assumed and, if so, to determine their estimated amounts. If we cannot reasonably determine the fair value of a pre-acquisition contingency (non-income tax related) by the end of the measurement period, which is generally the case given the nature of such matters, we will recognize an asset or a liability for such pre-acquisition contingency if: (1) it is probable that an asset existed or a liability had been incurred at the acquisition date and (2) the amount of the asset or liability can be reasonably estimated. Subsequent to the measurement period, changes in our estimates of such contingencies will affect earnings and could have a material effect on our results of operations and financial position. In addition, uncertain tax positions and tax related valuation allowances assumed in connection with a business combination are initially estimated as of the acquisition date. We reevaluate these items quarterly based upon facts and circumstances that existed as of the acquisition date with any adjustments to our preliminary estimates being recorded to goodwill if identified within the measurement period. Subsequent to the measurement period or our final determination of the tax allowance’s or contingency’s estimated value, whichever comes first, changes to these uncertain tax positions and tax related valuation allowances will affect our provision for income taxes in our consolidated statement of operations and could have a material impact on our results of operations and financial position. Marketable and Non-Marketable Securities In accordance with ASC 320, Investments—Debt and Equity Securities, and based on our intentions regarding these instruments, we classify substantially all of our marketable debt and equity securities as available-for-sale. Marketable debt and equity securities classified as available-for-sale are reported at fair value, with all unrealized gains (losses) reflected net of tax in stockholders’ equity on our consolidated balance sheets, and as a line item in our consolidated statements of comprehensive income. If we determine that an investment has an other than temporary decline in fair value, we recognize the investment loss in non-operating income (expense), net in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations. We periodically evaluate our investments to determine if impairment charges are required. Substantially all of our marketable debt and equity investments are classified as current based on the nature of the investments and their availability for use in current operations. We hold investments in certain non-marketable equity securities in which we do not have a controlling interest or significant influence. These equity securities are recorded at cost and included in other assets in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. If based on the terms of our ownership of these non-marketable securities, we determine that we exercise significant influence on the entity to which these non-marketable securities relate, we apply the requirements of ASC 323, Investments—Equity Method and Joint Ventures, to account for such investments. Our non-marketable securities are subject to periodic impairment reviews. Fair Values of Financial Instruments We apply the provisions of ASC 820, Fair Value Measurement (ASC 820), to our assets and liabilities that we are required to measure at fair value pursuant to other accounting standards, including our investments in marketable debt and equity securities and our derivative financial instruments. The additional disclosures regarding our fair value measurements are included in Note 4. Allowances for Doubtful Accounts We record allowances for doubtful accounts based upon a specific review of all significant outstanding invoices. For those invoices not specifically reviewed, provisions are provided at differing rates, based upon the age of the receivable, the collection history associated with the geographic region that the receivable was recorded in and current economic trends. We write-off a receivable and charge it against its recorded allowance when we have exhausted our collection efforts without success. Concentrations of Risk Financial instruments that are potentially subject to concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents, marketable securities, derivatives and trade receivables. Our cash and cash equivalents are generally held with large, diverse financial institutions worldwide to reduce the amount of exposure to any single financial institution. Investment policies have been implemented that limit purchases of marketable debt securities to investment-grade securities. Our derivative contracts are transacted with various financial institutions with high credit standings. We generally do not require collateral to secure accounts receivable. The risk with respect to trade receivables is mitigated by credit evaluations we perform on our customers, the short duration of our payment terms for the significant majority of our customer contracts and by the diversification of our customer base. No single customer accounted for 10% or more of our total revenues in fiscal 2016, 2015 or 2014. We outsource the design, manufacturing, assembly and delivery of certain of our hardware products to a variety of companies, many of which are located outside the United States. Further, we have simplified our supply chain processes by reducing the number of third-party manufacturing partners and the number of locations where these third-party manufacturers build our hardware products. Any inability of these third-party manufacturing partners to fulfill orders for our hardware products could adversely impact future operating results of our hardware business. Inventories Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value. Cost is computed using standard cost, which approximates actual cost, on a first-in, first-out basis. We evaluate our ending inventories for estimated excess quantities and obsolescence. This evaluation includes analysis of sales levels by product and projections of future demand within specific time horizons (generally six to nine months). Inventories in excess of future demand are written down and charged to hardware products expenses. In addition, we assess the impact of changing technology to our inventories and we write down inventories that are considered obsolete. At the point of loss recognition, a new, lower-cost basis for that inventory is established, and subsequent changes in facts and circumstances do not result in the restoration or increase in that newly established cost basis. Other Receivables Other receivables represent value-added tax and sales tax receivables associated with the sale of our products and services to third parties. Other receivables are included in prepaid expenses and other current assets in our consolidated balance sheets and totaled $816 million and $817 million at May 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. Deferred Sales Commissions We defer sales commission expenses associated with our cloud SaaS, PaaS and IaaS offerings, and recognize the related expenses over the non-cancelable term of the related contracts, which are typically one to three years. Amortization of deferred sales commissions is included as a component of sales and marketing expenses in our consolidated statements of operations. Property, Plant and Equipment Property, plant and equipment are stated at the lower of cost or realizable value, net of accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method based on estimated useful lives of the assets, which range from one to 40 years. Leasehold improvements are amortized over the lesser of the estimated useful lives of the improvements or the lease terms, as appropriate. Property, plant and equipment are periodically reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. We did not recognize any significant property impairment charges in fiscal 2016, 2015 or 2014. Goodwill, Intangible Assets and Impairment Assessments Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price in a business combination over the fair value of net tangible and intangible assets acquired. Intangible assets that are not considered to have an indefinite useful life are amortized over their useful lives, which generally range from one to 10 years. Each period we evaluate the estimated remaining useful lives of purchased intangible assets and whether events or changes in circumstances warrant a revision to the remaining periods of amortization. The carrying amounts of our goodwill and intangible assets are periodically reviewed for impairment (at least annually for goodwill and indefinite lived intangible assets) and whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of these assets may not be recoverable. According to ASC 350, Intangibles—Goodwill and Other, we can opt to perform a qualitative assessment to test a reporting unit’s goodwill for impairment or we can directly perform the two-step impairment test. Based on our qualitative assessment, if we determine that the fair value of a reporting unit is more likely than not (i.e., a likelihood of more than 50 percent) to be less than its carrying amount, the two-step impairment test will be performed. In the first step, we compare the fair value of each reporting unit to its carrying value. If the fair value of the reporting unit exceeds the carrying value of the net assets assigned to that unit, goodwill is not considered impaired and we are not required to perform further testing. If the carrying value of the net assets assigned to the reporting unit exceeds the fair value of the reporting unit, then we must perform the second step of the impairment test in order to determine the implied fair value of the reporting unit’s goodwill. If the carrying value of a reporting unit’s goodwill exceeds its implied fair value, then we would record an impairment loss equal to the difference. We did not recognize any goodwill impairment charges in fiscal 2016 or 2014. During fiscal 2015, we recognized a $186 million goodwill impairment loss (refer to Note 7 below for additional information). Recoverability of finite lived intangible assets is measured by comparison of the carrying amount of the asset to the future undiscounted cash flows the asset is expected to generate. Recoverability of indefinite lived intangible assets is measured by comparison of the carrying amount of the asset to its fair value. If the asset is considered to be impaired, the amount of any impairment is measured as the difference between the carrying value and the fair value of the impaired asset. We did not recognize any intangible asset impairment charges in fiscal 2016, 2015 or 2014. Derivative Financial Instruments During fiscal 2016, 2015 and 2014, we used derivative and non-derivative financial instruments to manage foreign currency and interest rate risks (see Note 11 below for additional information). We account for these instruments in accordance with ASC 815, Derivatives and Hedging (ASC 815), which requires that every derivative instrument be recorded on the balance sheet as either an asset or liability measured at its fair value as of the reporting date. ASC 815 also requires that changes in our derivatives’ fair values be recognized in earnings, unless specific hedge accounting and documentation criteria are met (i.e., the instruments are accounted for as hedges). The accounting for changes in the fair value of a derivative depends on the intended use of the derivative and the resulting designation. For a derivative instrument designated as a fair value hedge, the gain or loss is recognized in earnings in the period of change. The loss or gain attributable to the risk being hedged is recognized in earnings with an offset recorded to the item for which the risk is being hedged. For a derivative instrument designated as a cash flow hedge, each reporting period we record the change in fair value on the effective portion of the derivative to accumulated other comprehensive loss in our consolidated balance sheets, and an amount is reclassified out of accumulated other comprehensive loss into earnings to offset the earnings impact that is attributable to the risk being hedged. For the non-derivative financial instrument designated as a net investment hedge for our investments in certain of our international subsidiaries, the change on account of remeasurement of the effective portion for each reporting period is recorded to accumulated other comprehensive loss in our consolidated balance sheets. We perform the effectiveness testing of our aforementioned designated hedges on a quarterly basis and the changes in ineffective portions of the derivatives, if any, are recognized immediately in earnings. Legal Contingencies We are currently involved in various claims and legal proceedings. Quarterly, we review the status of each significant matter and assess our potential financial exposure. A description of our accounting policies associated with contingencies assumed as a part of a business combination is provided under “Business Combinations” above. For legal and other contingencies that are not a part of a business combination or related to income taxes, we accrue a liability for an estimated loss if the potential loss from any claim or legal proceeding is considered probable, and the amount can be reasonably estimated. Note 18 below provides additional information regarding certain of our legal contingencies. Shipping and Handling Costs Our shipping and handling costs for hardware products sales are included in hardware products expenses for all periods presented. Foreign Currency We transact business in various foreign currencies. In general, the functional currency of a foreign operation is the local country’s currency. Consequently, revenues and expenses of operations outside the United States are translated into U.S. Dollars using weighted-average exchange rates while assets and liabilities of operations outside the United States are translated into U.S. Dollars using exchange rates at the balance sheet date. The effects of foreign currency translation adjustments are included in stockholders’ equity as a component of accumulated other comprehensive loss in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets and related periodic movements are summarized as a line item in our consolidated statements of comprehensive income. Net foreign exchange transaction losses included in non-operating income (expense), net in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations were $110 million, $157 million and $375 million in fiscal 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively. Stock-Based Compensation We account for share-based payments to employees, including grants of service-based restricted stock awards, performance-based restricted stock awards (PSUs), service-based employee stock options, and purchases under employee stock purchase plans, in accordance with ASC 718, Compensation—Stock Compensation, which requires that share-based payments (to the extent they are compensatory) be recognized in our consolidated statements of operations based on their fair values and the estimated number of shares we ultimately expect will vest. For our PSUs, we recognize stock-based compensation expense on a straight-line basis over the service period for each separately vesting tranche, which is generally twelve months, as the performance conditions to evaluate attainment of each tranche for each participant are independent of the performance conditions for the other tranches. The amount of stock-based compensation expense, net of forfeitures, recorded as of the end of each annual reporting period is based on the actual attainment of performance targets. During our interim reporting periods, stock-based compensation expense is recorded based on expected attainment of performance targets. Changes in our estimates of the expected attainment of performance targets are reflected in the amount of stock-based compensation expense that we recognize for each PSU tranche on a cumulative basis during each interim reporting period in which such estimates are altered and may cause the amount of stock-based compensation expense that we record for each interim reporting period to vary. For our service-based awards, we recognize stock-based compensation expense, net of forfeitures, on a straight-line basis over the service period of the award, which is generally four years. We record deferred tax assets for stock-based compensation awards that result in deductions on our income tax returns based on the amount of stock-based compensation recognized and the fair value attributable to the vested portion of stock awards assumed in connection with a business combination, at the statutory tax rate in the jurisdiction in which we will receive a tax deduction. Advertising All advertising costs are expensed as incurred. Advertising expenses, which were included within sales and marketing expenses, were $68 million, $55 million and $79 million in fiscal 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively. Research and Development and Software Development Costs All research and development costs are expensed as incurred. Software development costs required to be capitalized under ASC 985-20, Costs of Software to be Sold, Leased or Marketed, and under ASC 350-40, Internal-Use Software, were not material to our consolidated financial statements in fiscal 2016, 2015 and 2014. Acquisition Related and Other Expenses Acquisition related and other expenses consist of personnel related costs for transitional and certain other employees, stock-based compensation expenses, integration related professional services, certain business combination adjustments including certain adjustments after the measurement period has ended and certain other operating items, net. Stock-based compensation expenses included in acquisition related and other expenses resulted from unvested stock options and restricted stock-based awards assumed from acquisitions whereby vesting was accelerated upon termination of the employees pursuant to the original terms of those stock options and restricted stock-based awards.
|  | Year Ended May 31,
(in millions) |  | 2016 |  | 2015 |  | 2014
Transitional and other employee related costs |  | $ | 45 |  | $ | 57 |  | $ | 27
Stock-based compensation |  |  | 3 |  |  | 5 |  |  | 10
Professional fees and other, net |  |  | 10 |  |  | (35) |  |  | 20
Business combination adjustments, net |  |  | (16) |  |  | 184 |  |  | (16)
Total acquisition related and other expenses |  | $ | 42 |  | $ | 211 |  | $ | 41
Included in acquisition related and other expenses for fiscal 2016 and 2015 were an acquisition related benefit of $19 million and a litigation related benefit of $53 million, respectively. Further, acquisition related and other expenses for fiscal 2015 included a loss of $186 million related to goodwill impairment (refer to Note 7 below for additional information). Non-Operating Income (Expense), net Non-operating income (expense), net consists primarily of interest income, net foreign currency exchange gains (losses), the noncontrolling interests in the net profits of our majority-owned subsidiaries (primarily Oracle Financial Services Software Limited and Oracle Japan) and net other income (losses), including net realized gains and losses related to all of our investments and net unrealized gains and losses related to the small portion of our investment portfolio that we classify as trading.
|  | Year Ended May 31,
(in millions) |  | 2016 |  | 2015 |  | 2014
Interest income |  | $ | 538 |  | $ | 349 |  | $ | 263
Foreign currency losses, net |  |  | (110) |  |  | (157) |  |  | (375)
Noncontrolling interests in income |  |  | (116) |  |  | (113) |  |  | (98)
Other (loss) income, net |  |  | (7) |  |  | 27 |  |  | 69
Total non-operating income (expense), net |  | $ | 305 |  | $ | 106 |  | $ | (141)
Included in foreign currency losses, net were foreign currency remeasurement losses of $7 million, $23 million and $213 million in fiscal 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively, related to our Venezuelan subsidiary due to the continued “highly inflationary” designation of the Venezuelan economy in accordance with ASC 830, Foreign Currency Matters (ASC 830); certain currency exchange legislation in Venezuela that created certain foreign exchange mechanisms that based upon our specific facts and circumstances, were the most appropriate for the reporting of our Venezuelan subsidiary’s Bolivar-based transactions and net monetary assets in U.S. Dollars; and the remeasurement of certain assets and liabilities of our Venezuelan subsidiary pursuant to such foreign exchange mechanisms with the corresponding loss recorded to earnings as required by ASC 830. Income Taxes We account for income taxes in accordance with ASC 740, Income Taxes. Deferred income taxes are recorded for the expected tax consequences of temporary differences between the tax bases of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and amounts recognized for income tax purposes. We record a valuation allowance to reduce our deferred tax assets to the amount of future tax benefit that is more likely than not to be realized. A two-step approach is applied pursuant to ASC 740 in the recognition and measurement of uncertain tax positions taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. The first step is to determine if the weight of available evidence indicates that it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained in an audit, including resolution of any related appeals or litigation processes. The second step is to measure the tax benefit as the largest amount that is more than 50% likely to be realized upon ultimate settlement. We recognize interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions in our provision for income taxes line of our consolidated statements of operations. A description of our accounting policies associated with tax related contingencies and valuation allowances assumed as a part of a business combination is provided under “Business Combinations” above. Recent Accounting Pronouncements Financial Instruments: In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments—Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments (ASU 2016-13), which requires measurement and recognition of expected credit losses for financial assets held. ASU 2016-13 is effective for us in our first quarter of fiscal 2021, and earlier adoption is permitted beginning in the first quarter of fiscal 2020. We are currently evaluating the impact of our pending adoption of ASU 2016-13 on our 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), which addresses certain aspects of recognition, measurement, presentation, and disclosure of financial instruments. ASU 2016-01 is effective for us in our first quarter of fiscal 2019, and earlier adoption is not permitted except for certain provisions. We currently do not expect that our pending adoption of ASU 2016-01 will have a material effect on our consolidated financial statements. Stock-based Compensation: In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-09, Compensation—Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting (ASU 2016-09). ASU 2016-09 changes how companies account for certain aspects of stock-based awards to employees, including the accounting for income taxes, forfeitures, and statutory tax withholding requirements, as well as classification in the statement of cash flows. ASU 2016-09 is effective for us in our first quarter of fiscal 2018, and earlier adoption is permitted. We believe we will early adopt ASU 2016-09 in the first quarter of fiscal 2017 and are currently evaluating the impact of our pending adoption on our consolidated financial statements. We currently believe the most significant impact of our adoption of ASU 2016-09 to our consolidated financial statements will be to recognize certain tax benefits or tax shortfalls upon a restricted-stock award vesting or stock option exercise event relative to the deferred tax asset position established in our provision for income taxes line of our consolidated statement of operations instead of to consolidated equity. During fiscal 2016, 2015 and 2014, we recorded $141 million, $267 million and $254 million to consolidated equity as tax benefits from our stock plans. Leases: In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) (ASU 2016-02). ASU 2016-02 requires companies to generally recognize on the balance sheet operating and financing lease liabilities and corresponding right-of-use assets. ASU 2016-02 is effective for us in our first quarter of fiscal 2020 on a modified retrospective basis, and earlier adoption is permitted. We are currently evaluating the impact of our pending adoption of ASU 2016-02 on our consolidated financial statements, and we currently expect that most of our operating lease commitments will be subject to the new standard and recognized as operating lease liabilities and right-of-use assets upon our adoption of ASU 2016-02, which will increase our total assets and total liabilities that we report relative to such amounts prior to adoption. Revenue Recognition: In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers: Topic 606 and issued subsequent amendments to the initial guidance in August 2015, March 2016, April 2016 and May 2016 within ASU 2015-04, ASU 2016-08, ASU 2016-10 and ASU 2016-12, respectively (ASU 2014-09, ASU 2015-04, ASU 2016-08, ASU 2016-10 and ASU 2016-12 collectively, Topic 606). Topic 606 supersedes nearly all existing revenue recognition guidance under GAAP. The core principle of Topic 606 is to recognize revenues when promised goods or services are transferred to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration that is expected to be received for those goods or services. Topic 606 defines a five-step process to achieve this core principle and, in doing so, it is possible more judgment and estimates may be required within the revenue recognition process than are required under existing GAAP, including identifying performance obligations in the contract, estimating the amount of variable consideration to include in the transaction price and allocating the transaction price to each separate performance obligation, among others. Topic 606 is effective for us as of either our first quarter of fiscal 2018 or our first quarter of fiscal 2019 using either of two methods: (1) retrospective application of Topic 606 to each prior reporting period presented with the option to elect certain practical expedients as defined within Topic 606 or (2) retrospective application of Topic 606 with the cumulative effect of initially applying Topic 606 recognized at the date of initial application and providing certain additional disclosures as defined per Topic 606. Preliminarily, we plan to adopt Topic 606 in the first quarter of fiscal 2019 pursuant to the aforementioned adoption method (1) and we do not believe there will be a material impact to our revenues upon adoption. We are continuing to evaluate the impacts of our pending adoption of Topic 606 and our preliminary assessments are subject to change.

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- Definition The entire disclosure for the organization, consolidation and basis of presentation of financial statements disclosure, and significant accounting policies of the reporting entity. May be provided in more than one note to the financial statements, as long as users are provided with an understanding of (1) the significant judgments and assumptions made by an enterprise in determining whether it must consolidate a VIE and/or disclose information about its involvement with a VIE, (2) the nature of restrictions on a consolidated VIE's assets reported by an enterprise in its statement of financial position, including the carrying amounts of such assets, (3) the nature of, and changes in, the risks associated with an enterprise's involvement with the VIE, and (4) how an enterprise's involvement with the VIE affects the enterprise's financial position, financial performance, and cash flows. Describes procedure if disclosures are provided in more than one note to the financial statements. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 275 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=51801978&loc=d3e6003-108592 + Details
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