Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets

As described in Note 1, the Company is required to perform an evaluation of goodwill on an annual basis or more frequently if circumstances indicate a potential impairment. The annual test for impairment is conducted as of December 1. The Company’s reporting units used to assess potential goodwill impairment are the same as its operating segments. The Company has two reportable segments: Corporate, which is comprised primarily of business customers, and Public, which is comprised of government entities and education and healthcare institutions. The Company also has three other operating segments, CDW Advanced Services, Canada, and Kelway, which do not meet the reportable segment quantitative thresholds and, accordingly, are combined together as “Other” for segment reporting purposes. The Company has the option of performing a qualitative assessment of a reporting unit's fair value from the last quantitative assessment to determine if it is more likely than not that the reporting unit's goodwill is impaired or performing a quantitative assessment by comparing a reporting unit's estimated fair value to its carrying amount. Under the quantitative assessment, testing for impairment of goodwill is a two-step process. The first step compares the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount, including goodwill. If the carrying amount of a reporting unit exceeds its fair value, the second step compares the implied fair value of reporting unit goodwill with the carrying amount of that goodwill to determine the amount of impairment loss. Fair value of a reporting unit is determined by using a weighted combination of an income approach and a market approach, as this combination is considered the most indicative of the Company’s fair value in an orderly transaction between market participants. Under the income approach, the Company determined fair value based on estimated future cash flows of a reporting unit, discounted by an estimated weighted-average cost of capital, which reflects the overall level of inherent risk of a reporting unit and the rate of return an outside investor would expect to earn. Under the market approach, the Company utilized valuation multiples derived from publicly available information for guideline companies to provide an indication of how much a knowledgeable investor in the marketplace would be willing to pay for a company. The valuation multiples were applied to the reporting units. Determining the fair value of a reporting unit is judgmental in nature and requires the use of significant estimates and assumptions, including revenue growth rates, gross margins, operating margins, discount rates and future market conditions, among others.

December 1, 2014 Evaluation

The Company performed its annual evaluation of goodwill as of December 1, 2014 by utilizing a quantitative assessment for all reporting units. All reporting units passed the first step of the goodwill evaluation (with the fair value exceeding the carrying value by 169%, 147%, 276% and 78% for the Corporate, Public, Canada and CDW Advanced Services reporting units, respectively) and, accordingly, the Company was not required to perform the second step of the goodwill evaluation.

To determine the fair value of the reporting units, the Company used a 75%/25% weighting of the income approach and market approach, respectively. Under the income approach, the Company estimated future cash flows of each reporting unit based on internally generated forecasts for the remainder of 2014 and the next six years. The Company used a 3.5% long-term assumed consolidated annual revenue growth rate for periods after the six-year forecast. The estimated future cash flows for the Corporate and Public reporting units were discounted at 9.0%; cash flows for the Canada and CDW Advanced Services reporting units were discounted at 9.3% and 11.5%, respectively, based on the future growth rates assumed in the discounted cash flows. Discount rates utilized during the 2014 goodwill evaluation declined compared to those used in 2013 as a result of the market performance of the Company's common stock and a lower equity risk premium with the exception of CDW Advanced Services. The discount rate for CDW Advanced Services increased to account for additional forecast risk.

December 1, 2013 Evaluation

The Company performed its annual evaluation of goodwill as of December 1, 2013 by utilizing a quantitative assessment for all reporting units. All reporting units passed the first step of the goodwill evaluation (with the fair value exceeding the carrying value by 107%, 82%, 167% and 168% for the Corporate, Public, Canada and CDW Advanced Services reporting units, respectively) and, accordingly, the Company was not required to perform the second step of the goodwill evaluation.

To determine the fair value of the reporting units, the Company used a 75%/25% weighting of the income approach and market approach, respectively. Under the income approach, the Company estimated future cash flows of each reporting unit based on internally generated forecasts for the remainder of 2013 and the next six years. The Company used a 3.5% long-term assumed consolidated annual revenue growth rate for periods after the six-year forecast. The estimated future cash flows for the Corporate and Public reporting units were discounted at 10.0%; cash flows for the Canada and CDW Advanced Services reporting units were discounted at 10.3% and 10.5%, respectively, based on the future growth rates assumed in the discounted cash flows. Discount rates utilized during the 2013 goodwill evaluation declined compared to those used in 2012 as a result of the market performance of the Company's common stock and a lower equity risk premium.

December 1, 2012 Evaluation

The Company performed its annual evaluation of goodwill as of December 1, 2012 by utilizing a quantitative assessment for all reporting units. All reporting units passed the first step of the goodwill evaluation (with the fair value exceeding the carrying value by 49%, 44%, 104% and 17% for the Corporate, Public, Canada and CDW Advanced Services reporting units, respectively) and, accordingly, the Company was not required to perform the second step of the goodwill evaluation.

The following table presents the change in goodwill by segment for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013:



(in millions)	Corporate			Public			Other ⁽¹⁾			Consolidated

Balances as of December 31, 2012:
Goodwill	$	2,794.4		$	1,261.4		$	107.3		$	4,163.1
Accumulated impairment charges	(1,571.4		)	(354.1		)	(28.3		)	(1,953.8		)
	$	1,223.0		$	907.3		$	79.0		$	2,209.3
2013 Activity:
Translation adjustment	$	—		$	—		$	(2.1	)	$	(2.1	)
Contingent consideration ⁽²⁾	8.8			4.0			0.3			13.1
	$	8.8		$	4.0		$	(1.8	)	$	11.0
Balances as of December 31, 2013:
Goodwill	$	2,803.2		$	1,265.4		$	105.5		$	4,174.1
Accumulated impairment charges	(1,571.4		)	(354.1		)	(28.3		)	(1,953.8		)
	$	1,231.8		$	911.3		$	77.2		$	2,220.3
2014 Activity:
Translation adjustment	$	—		$	—		$	(2.7	)	$	(2.7	)
	$	—		$	—		$	(2.7	)	$	(2.7	)
Balances as of December 31, 2014:
Goodwill	$	2,803.2		$	1,265.4		$	102.8		$	4,171.4
Accumulated impairment charges	(1,571.4		)	(354.1		)	(28.3		)	(1,953.8		)
	$	1,231.8		$	911.3		$	74.5		$	2,217.6


(1)	Other is comprised of CDW Advanced Services, Canada, and Kelway reporting units. There is no goodwill attributable to the Kelway reporting unit.

(2)

During 2013, the Company recorded a $13.1 million net-of-tax addition to goodwill in connection with the settlement of the MPK Coworker Incentive Plan II and related charitable contribution. The charitable contribution was accounted for as additional purchase price (goodwill) in accordance with pre-2009 business combinations accounting guidance. See Note 10 for additional discussion of this transaction.

The following table presents a summary of intangible assets at December 31, 2014 and 2013:



(in millions)
December 31, 2014	Gross Carrying Amount		Accumulated Amortization		Net Carrying Amount
Customer relationships	$	1,859.7	$	1,012.1	$	847.6
Trade name	421.0		152.0		269.0
Internally developed software	110.1		58.9		51.2
Other	3.2		2.2		1.0
Total	$	2,394.0	$	1,225.2	$	1,168.8

December 31, 2013
Customer relationships	$	1,860.8	$	872.8	$	988.0
Trade name	421.0		130.9		290.1
Internally developed software	128.5		79.8		48.7
Other	3.1		1.9		1.2
Total	$	2,413.4	$	1,085.4	$	1,328.0

During 2014, the Company recorded disposals of $41.7 million to remove fully amortized internally developed software assets that were no longer in use from intangible assets.

Amortization expense related to intangible assets for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 was $182.1 million, $181.0 million and $178.2 million, respectively.

Estimated future amortization expense related to intangible assets for the next five years is as follows:



(in millions)
Years ending December 31,
2015	$	180.7
2016	172.8
2017	167.1
2018	160.4
2019	158.9