NATURE OF OPERATIONS AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Policies)	12 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2018
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Nature of Operations	Nature of Operations Mitek Systems, Inc. ("Mitek" or the "Company") is a leading innovator of mobile capture and digital identity verification solutions. We are a software development company with expertise in artificial intelligence and machine learning. The Company is currently serving more than 6,100 financial services organizations and leading marketplace and financial technology ("fintech") brands across the globe. The Company's solutions are embedded in native mobile apps and mobile optimized websites to facilitate better mobile user experiences, fraud detection and reduction, and compliant transactions. Mitek's Mobile Deposit® solution is used today by millions of consumers in the United States ("U.S.") and Canada for mobile check deposit. Mitek’s Mobile Verify™ is an important technology used to verify people’s identities at the point of onboarding via web or mobile device. Scanning an identity document enables an enterprise to identify the person with whom they are conducting business, comply with growing governmental Know Your Customer ("KYC") and Anti-Money Laundering ("AML") regulatory requirements, and to improve the overall customer experience for digital onboarding. To be sure the person submitting the identity document is who they say they are, Mitek's Mobile Verify Face Comparison provides an incremental layer of verification and compares the face on the identity document with the selfie photo of the user. Mitek's Mobile Verify Face Comparison technology uses advanced liveness detection so it cannot be spoofed. The identification capture process provided by Mitek can also provide prefill of much of the data obtained from the identity document into an application, requiring far fewer key strokes, reducing keying errors, and improving both operational efficiency and the customer experience. Today, the financial services verticals (banks, credit unions, lenders, payments processors, card issuers, fintech companies, etc.) represent the greatest percentage of use of The Company's solutions, but there is accelerated adoption by marketplaces, sharing economy, telecommunications, healthcare, travel, and retail sectors. Similarly, websites that must verify the customer’s age (or other consumer information) prior to selling goods can do so by verifying identity documents. Mitek uses machine learning to constantly improve the product performance of Mobile Verify™ and applies artificial intelligence to increase automation and speed of approvals of identification documents. The core of the Company's user experience is Mitek MiSnap™, a touch-free automated capture technology, which can be incorporated across product lines. It provides a simple and superior user-experience, making transactions on mobile devices fast, accurate, and easy for the consumer while helping organizations drive revenue from the increasingly popular mobile channel. Mobile Fill™, Mitek's mobile identity capture solution, enables the camera to serve as a keyboard. Using Mobile Fill™, consumers can quickly prefill any form with personal data by simply snapping a picture of their driver's license, credit card, or other similar identity document. Mobile Deposit® is the category leading product that allows individuals and businesses to remotely deposit checks using their camera-equipped smartphone or tablet. The Company's Mobile Deposit® solution has now processed over two billion check deposits. Mitek began selling Mobile Deposit® in the second fiscal quarter of 2008, and received our first patent issued for this product in August 2010. As of September 30, 2018, the Company has been granted 49 patents and it has an additional 21 patent applications pending. CheckReader™, which the Company acquired through the acquisition of A2iA (as defined below), enables financial institutions to automatically extract data from a check image received across all deposit channels – branch, ATM, RDC, and mobile. Through the automatic recognition of all fields on checks, whether handwritten or machine print, CheckReader™ speeds the time to deposit for banks and customers and reduces costs formerly incurred before images could be exchanged. The Company markets and sells its products and services worldwide through internal, direct sales teams located in the U.S., Europe, and Latin America as well as through channel partners. The Company's partner sales strategy includes channel partners who are financial services technology providers and identity verification providers. These partners integrate the Company's products into their solutions to meet the needs of their customers.
Basis of Presentation	Basis of Presentation The financial statements are prepared under the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 105-10, Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. (“GAAP”).
Principles of Consolidation	Principles of Consolidation The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.
Foreign Currency	Foreign CurrencyThe Company has foreign subsidiaries that operate and sell products and services in various countries and jurisdictions around the world. As a result, the Company is exposed to foreign currency exchange risks. For those subsidiaries whose functional currency is not the U.S. dollar, assets and liabilities are translated into U.S. dollars equivalents at the exchange rate in effect on the balance sheet date and revenues and expenses are translated into U.S. dollars using the average exchange rate over the period. Resulting currency translation adjustments are recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) in the consolidated balance sheet.
Use of Estimates	Use of Estimates The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenue, expenses, deferred taxes, and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. On an ongoing basis, management reviews its estimates based upon currently available information. Actual results could differ materially from those estimates. These estimates include, but are not limited to, assessing the collectability of accounts receivable, estimation of the value of stock-based compensation awards, fair value of assets and liabilities acquired, impairment of goodwill and intangible assets, useful lives of intangible assets, vendor specific objective evidence (“VSOE”) of fair value related to revenue recognition, and income taxes.
Revenue Recognition	Revenue Recognition Revenue from sales of software licenses sold through direct and indirect channels is recognized upon shipment of the related product, if the requirements of FASB ASC Topic 985-605, Software Revenue Recognition (“ASC 985-605”) are met, including evidence of an arrangement, delivery, fixed or determinable fee, collectability, and VSOE of the fair value of the undelivered element. If the requirements of ASC 985-605 are not met at the date of shipment, revenue is not recognized until such elements are known or resolved. Revenue from customer support services, or maintenance revenue, includes post-contract support and the rights to unspecified upgrades and enhancements. VSOE of fair value for customer support services is determined by reference to the price the customer pays for such element when sold separately; that is, the renewal rate offered to customers. In those instances when objective and reliable evidence of fair value exists for the undelivered items but not for the delivered items, the residual method is used to allocate the arrangement consideration. Under the residual method, the amount of arrangement consideration allocated to the delivered items equals the total arrangement consideration less the aggregate fair value of the undelivered items. Revenue from post-contract customer support is recognized ratably over the term of the contract. Certain customers have agreements that provide for usage fees above fixed minimums. Usage fees above fixed minimums are recognized as revenue when such amounts are reasonably estimable and billable. Revenue from professional services is recognized when such services are delivered. When a software sales arrangement requires professional services related to significant production, modification, or customization of software, or when a customer considers professional services essential to the functionality of the software product, revenue is recognized based on predetermined milestone objectives required to complete the project, as those milestone objectives are deemed to be substantive in relation to the work performed. Any expected losses on contracts in progress are recorded in the period in which the losses become probable and reasonably estimable. The Company provides hosting services that give customers access to software that resides on its servers. The Company’s model typically includes an up-front fee and a periodic commitment from the customer that commences upon completion of the implementation through the remainder of the customer life. The up-front fee is the initial setup fee, or the implementation fee. The periodic commitment includes, but is not limited to, a fixed periodic fee or a transactional fee based on system usage that exceeds committed minimums. If the up-front fee does not have standalone value, revenue is deferred until the date the customer commences use of the Company’s services, at which point the up-front fees are recognized ratably over the life of the customer arrangement. The Company does not view the signing of the contract or the provision of initial setup services as discrete earnings events that have stand-alone value. As a result of the acquisition of ICAR Vision Systems, S.L. ("ICAR"), the Company also generates revenues from the sale of hardware scanner boxes and servers. Revenue allocated to the delivered hardware and the related essential software is recognized at the time of sale provided the conditions for recognition of revenue have been met. Revenue allocated to post contract support is deferred and recognized on a straight-line basis over the estimated term of the support period.
Net Income (Loss) Per Share	Net Income (Loss) Per Share The Company calculates net income (loss) per share in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 260, Earnings per Share. Basic net income (loss) per share is based on the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted net income (loss) per share also gives effect to all potentially dilutive securities outstanding during the period, such as restricted stock units (“RSUs”), stock options, and Employee Stock Purchase Plan ("ESPP") shares, if dilutive. In a period with a net loss position, potentially dilutive securities are not included in the computation of diluted net loss because to do so would be antidilutive, and the number of shares used to calculate basic and diluted net loss is the same.
Cash and Cash Equivalents	Cash and Cash Equivalents Cash and cash equivalents are defined as highly liquid financial instruments with original maturities of three months or less. The Company's cash and cash equivalents are composed of interest and non-interest-bearing deposits and money market funds.
Investments	Investments Investments consist of corporate notes and bonds, commercial paper, and U.S. Treasury securities. The Company classifies investments as available-for-sale at the time of purchase and reevaluates such classification as of each balance sheet date. All investments are recorded at estimated fair value. Unrealized gains and losses for available-for-sale securities are included in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), a component of stockholders’ equity. The Company evaluates its investments to assess whether those with unrealized loss positions are other-than-temporarily impaired. Impairments are considered to be other-than-temporary if they are related to deterioration in credit risk or if it is likely that the Company will sell the securities before the recovery of its cost basis. Realized gains and losses and declines in value judged to be other-than-temporary are determined based on the specific identification method and are reported in other income (expense), net in the consolidated statements of operations and other comprehensive income (loss). No other-than-temporary impairment charges were recognized in the fiscal years ended September 30, 2018, 2017, and 2016. All investments whose maturity or sale is expected within one year are classified as “current” on the consolidated balance sheet. All other securities are classified as “long-term” on the consolidated balance sheet.
Fair Value Measurements	Fair Value Measurements The carrying amounts of cash equivalents, investments, accounts receivable, accounts payable, and other accrued liabilities are considered representative of their respective fair values because of the short-term nature of those instruments.
Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts	Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Doubtful AccountsTrade accounts receivable are recorded at the net invoice value and are not interest bearing. The Company considers receivables past due based on the contractual payment terms. Allowances for doubtful accounts are established based on various factors including credit profiles of the Company’s customers, contractual terms and conditions, historical payments, and current economic trends. The Company reviews its allowances by assessing individual accounts receivable over a specific aging and amount. Accounts receivable are written off on a case-by-case basis, net of any amounts that may be collected.
Deferred Maintenance Fees	Deferred Maintenance Fees Deferred maintenance fees consist of capitalized costs associated with software maintenance fees paid to vendors who supply licenses and maintenance for software embedded in the Company’s products that it sells to customers. These software maintenance fees, which are included in prepaid expenses on the consolidated balance sheets, are typically billed annually to the Company and are amortized to cost of revenue-maintenance and professional services in the consolidated statements of operations and other comprehensive income (loss) over the maintenance period, which is typically one year.
Property and Equipment	Property and EquipmentProperty and equipment are carried at cost.
Long-Lived Assets	Long-Lived AssetsThe Company evaluates the carrying value of long-lived assets, including license agreements and other intangible assets, when events and circumstances indicate that these assets may be impaired or in order to determine whether any revision to the related amortization periods should be made. This evaluation is based on management’s projections of the undiscounted future cash flows associated with each product or asset. If management’s evaluation indicates that the carrying values of these intangible assets were 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.
Capitalized Software Development Costs	Capitalized Software Development Costs Costs incurred for the development of software that will be sold, leased, or otherwise marketed are capitalized when technological feasibility has been established. Software development costs consist primarily of compensation of development personnel and related overhead incurred to develop new products and upgrade and enhance the Company’s current products, as well as fees paid to outside consultants. Capitalization of software development costs ceases and amortization of capitalized software development costs commences when the products are available for general release. For the fiscal years ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, no software development costs were capitalized because the time period and cost incurred between technological feasibility and general release for all software product releases were not material. The Company had no amortization expense from capitalized software costs during the years ended September 30, 2018, 2017, or 2016. Costs related to software acquired, developed, or modified solely to meet our internal requirements, with no substantive plans to market such software at the time of development, are capitalized. Costs incurred during the preliminary planning and evaluation stage of the project and during post implementation operational stage are expensed as incurred. Costs incurred during the application development stage of the project are capitalized. The Company defines the design, configuration, and coding process as the application development stage.
Goodwill and Purchased Intangible Assets	Goodwill and Purchased Intangible Assets The Company’s goodwill resulted from prior acquisitions. Goodwill and intangible assets with indefinite useful lives are not amortized, but are tested for impairment at least annually or as circumstances indicate that their value may no longer be recoverable. In accordance with ASC Topic 350, Intangibles—Goodwill and Other (“ASC Topic 350”), the Company reviews its goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible asset for impairment at least annually in its fiscal fourth quarter and more frequently if events or changes in circumstances occur that indicate a potential reduction in the fair value of its reporting unit and/or its indefinite-lived intangible asset below their respective carrying values. Examples of such events or circumstances include: a significant adverse change in legal factors or in the business climate, a significant decline in the Company’s stock price, a significant decline in the Company’s projected revenue or cash flows, an adverse action or assessment by a regulator, unanticipated competition, a loss of key personnel, or the presence of other indicators that would indicate a reduction in the fair value of a reporting unit. The Company’s goodwill is considered to be impaired if management determines that the carrying value of the reporting unit to which the goodwill has been assigned exceeds management’s estimate of its fair value. Based on the guidance provided by ASC Topic 350 and ASC Topic 280, Segment Reporting (“ASC Topic 280”), management has determined that the Company operates in one segment and consists of one reporting unit given the similarities in economic characteristics between its operations and the common nature of its products, services and customers. Because the Company has only one reporting unit, and because the Company is publicly traded, the Company determines the fair value of the reporting unit based on its market capitalization as it believe this represents the best evidence of fair value. In the fourth quarter of fiscal 2018, management completed its annual goodwill impairment test and concluded that the Company’s goodwill was not impaired. The Company’s conclusion that goodwill was not impaired was based on a comparison of its net assets to its market capitalization. Because the Company determines the fair value of its reporting unit based on its market capitalization, the Company’s future reviews of goodwill for impairment may be impacted by changes in the price of its common stock, par value $0.001 per share ("Common Stock"). For example, a significant decline in the price of the Company’s Common Stock may cause the fair value of its goodwill to fall below its carrying value. Therefore, the Company cannot provide assurance that when it completes its future reviews of goodwill for impairment, a material impairment charge will not be recorded. Intangible assets are amortized over their useful lives. Each period, the Company evaluates the estimated remaining useful life of its intangible assets and whether events or changes in circumstances warrant a revision to the remaining period of amortization. The carrying amounts of these assets are periodically reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of these assets may not be recoverable. Recoverability of these assets is measured by comparing the carrying amount of each asset to the future undiscounted cash flows the asset is expected to generate. The carrying amount of such assets is reduced to fair value if the undiscounted cash flows used in the test for recoverability are less than the carrying amount of such assets. No impairment charge related to the impairment of intangible assets was recorded during the years ended September 30, 2018, 2017, and 2016.
Deferred Revenue	Deferred Revenue Deferred revenues represent advance payments or billings for software licenses, professional services, and maintenance billed in advance of the time revenue is recognized. Deferred maintenance revenue represents customer billings, paid up front, generally annually at the beginning of each maintenance period, with revenue recognized ratably over such period. For certain other licensing arrangements, revenue attributable to undelivered elements, including post-contract customer support which typically includes telephone support and the right to receive unspecified upgrades and enhancements of software on a when-and-if-available basis, is based upon the sales price of those elements when sold separately and is recognized ratably on a straight-line basis over the term of the arrangement.
Guarantees	Guarantees In the ordinary course of business, the Company is not subject to potential obligations under guarantees that fall within the scope of FASB ASC Topic 460, Guarantees (“ASC 460”), except for standard indemnification and warranty provisions that are contained within many of the Company’s customer license and service agreements and certain supplier agreements, and give rise only to the disclosure requirements prescribed by ASC 460. Indemnification and warranty provisions contained within the Company’s customer license and service agreements and certain supplier agreements are generally consistent with those prevalent in the Company’s industry. The Company has not historically incurred significant obligations under customer indemnification or warranty provisions and does not expect to incur significant obligations in the future. Accordingly, the Company does not maintain accruals for potential customer indemnification or warranty-related obligations.
Loss Contingencies	Loss Contingencies The Company records its best estimates of a loss contingency when it is considered probable and the amount can be reasonably estimated. When a range of loss can be reasonably estimated with no best estimate in the range, the Company records the minimum estimated liability related to the claim. As additional information becomes available, the Company assesses the potential liability related to the Company’s pending loss contingency and revises its estimates. The Company discloses contingencies if there is at least a reasonable possibility that a material loss or a material additional loss may have been incurred. The Company’s legal costs are expensed as incurred.
Other Borrowings	Other BorrowingsThe Company has certain loan agreements with Spanish government agencies which were assumed when the Company acquired ICAR. These agreements are have repayment periods of five to twelve years and bear no interest
Income Taxes	Income Taxes The Company accounts for income taxes in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 740, Income Taxes (“ASC 740”). Deferred tax assets and liabilities arise from temporary differences between the tax bases of assets and liabilities and their reported amounts in the financial statements that will result in taxable or deductible amounts in future years. Management evaluates the available evidence about future taxable income and other possible sources of realization of deferred tax assets. The valuation allowance reduces deferred tax assets to an amount that represents management’s best estimate of the amount of such deferred tax assets that more likely than not will be realized. See Note 6 of the consolidated financial statements for additional details. The Company recognizes the tax benefit from an uncertain tax position only if it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained on examination by the tax authorities, based on the technical merits of the position. The tax benefit is measured based on the largest benefit that has a greater than 50% likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement. The Company recognizes interest and penalties related to income tax matters in income tax expense. See Note 6 of the consolidated financial statements for additional details. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (the "Tax Act") significantly changes existing U.S. tax law and includes numerous provisions that affect the Company. See Note 6 of the consolidated financial statements for further discussion.
Stock-Based Compensation	Stock-Based Compensation The Company issues RSUs, stock options, and Senior Executive Long-Term Incentive Restricted Stock Units (“Senior Executive Performance RSUs”) as awards to its employees. Additionally, eligible employees may participate in the Company’s ESPP. Employee stock awards are measured at fair value on the date of grant and expense is recognized using the straight-line single-option method in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718, Compensation—Stock Compensation (“ASC 718”). Forfeitures are recorded as they occur. The Company assigns fair value to RSUs based on the closing stock price of its Common Stock on the date of grant. The Company estimates the fair value of stock options and ESPP shares using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. The Black-Scholes option pricing model requires subjective assumptions, including future stock price volatility and expected time to exercise, which greatly affect the calculated values. The expected term of options granted is derived from historical data on employee exercises and post-vesting employment termination behavior. The risk-free rate selected to value any particular grant is based on the U.S. Treasury rate that corresponds to the expected life of the grant effective as of the date of the grant. The expected volatility is based on the historical volatility of the Company’s stock price. These factors could change in the future, affecting the determination of stock-based compensation expense in future periods. The Company estimates the fair value of Senior Executive Performance RSUs and similar awards using the Monte-Carlo simulation. The Monte-Carlo simulation requires subjective assumptions, including the Company’s valuation date stock price, the annual risk-free interest rate, expected volatility, the probability of reaching the performance targets, and a 20-trading-day average stock price.
Advertising Expense	Advertising ExpenseAdvertising costs are expensed as incurred
Research and Development	Research and Development Research and development costs are expensed in the period incurred.
Leases	Leases Leases are reviewed and classified as capital or operating at their inception. For leases that contain rent escalations, the Company records the total rent payable on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease. The difference between rent payments and straight-line rent expense is recorded as deferred rent.
Segment Reporting	Segment Reporting FASB ASC Topic 280, Segment Reporting, requires the use of a management approach in identifying segments of an enterprise. During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2018, management determined that the Company has only one operating segment: the development, sale, and service of proprietary software solutions related to mobile imaging.
Comprehensive Income (Loss)	Comprehensive income (loss) consists of net income (loss), unrealized gains and losses on available-for-sale securities, and foreign currency translation adjustments.
Recently Adopted and Issued Accounting Pronouncements	Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements In March 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2016-09, Compensation—Stock Compensation (Topic 718) (“ASU 2016-09”) which simplified certain aspects of the accounting for share-based payment transactions, including income taxes, classification of awards and classification in the statement of cash flows. The new standard requires excess tax benefits and tax deficiencies to be recorded in the consolidated statements of operations and other comprehensive income (loss) as a component of the provision for income taxes when stock awards vest or are settled. In addition, it eliminates the requirement to reclassify cash flows related to excess tax benefits from operating activities to financing activities on the consolidated statements of cash flows. The standard also provides an accounting policy election to account for forfeitures as they occur and clarifies that all cash payments made to tax authorities on an employee’s behalf for withheld shares should be presented as a financing activity on the cash flows statement. The Company adopted ASU 2016-09 prospectively as of October 1, 2017, resulting in net cumulative-effect adjustment to increase retained earnings by $8.3 million, primarily related to the recognition of the previously unrecognized excess tax benefits using the modified retrospective method. The previously unrecognized excess tax effect was recorded as an increase to deferred income taxes in the consolidated balance sheet. Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-15, Intangibles—Goodwill and Other—Internal-Use Software (ASC 350-40): Customer’s Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement That Is a Service Contract ("ASU 2018-15"), which requires hosting arrangements that are service contracts to follow the guidance for internal-use software to determine which implementation costs can be capitalized. ASU 2018-15 is effective either prospectively or retrospectively for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, and interim periods within those fiscal years, with early adoption permitted. The Company does not expect the adoption of ASU 2018-15 to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements. In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-13, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Disclosure Framework—Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement, to eliminate, add, and modify certain disclosure requirements for fair value measurements. Entities will no longer be required to disclose the amount of and reasons for transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy, but public companies will be required to disclose the range and weighted average used to develop significant unobservable inputs for Level 3 fair value measurements. The guidance is effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2019, but entities are permitted to early adopt either the entire standard or only the provisions that eliminate or modify the requirements. The Company is currently evaluating how to apply the new guidance. In February 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-02, Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (“ASU 2018-02”). Under previously existing GAAP, the effects of changes in tax rates and laws on deferred tax balances are recorded as a component of income tax expense in the period in which the law was enacted. When deferred tax balances related to items originally recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income are adjusted, certain tax effects become stranded in accumulated other comprehensive income. The amendments in ASU 2018-02 allow a reclassification from accumulated other comprehensive income to retained earnings for stranded tax effects resulting from the Tax Act. The amendments in this ASU also require certain disclosures about stranded tax effects. The guidance is required for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018 (our fiscal year 2020), and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption in any period is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the effect that ASU No. 2018-02 will have on its financial statements and related disclosures. See Note 6 to the consolidated financial statements for additional information on the effects of the Tax Act on our financial position and result of operations, including provisional transitional adjustments that were recorded in the year ended September 30, 2018 related to the Tax Act. In May 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-09, Compensation—Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Scope of Modification Accounting ("ASU 2017-09"), which provides guidance about which changes to the terms or conditions of a share-based payment award require an entity to apply modification accounting in Topic 718. ASU 2017-09 requires entities to account for the effects of a modification unless the fair value, vesting conditions, and classification of the modified award are all the same as the original award immediately before the original award is modified. ASU 2017-09 is effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017 with early adoption permitted. The Company does not expect the adoption of ASU 2017-09 to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements. In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-04, Intangibles—Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment (“ASU 2017-04”), which eliminates Step 2 of the goodwill impairment test that had required a hypothetical purchase price allocation. Rather, entities should apply the same impairment assessment to all reporting units and recognize an impairment loss for the amount by which a reporting unit's carrying amount exceeds its fair value, without exceeding the total amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit. Entities will continue to have the option to perform a qualitative assessment for a reporting unit to determine if the quantitative impairment test is necessary. ASU 2017-04 will be effective prospectively for annual or interim goodwill impairment tests in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, or those beginning after January 1, 2017 if adopted early. The Company does not expect the adoption of ASU 2017-04 to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements. In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-01, Business Combinations (Topic 805): Clarifying the Definition of a Business (“ASU 2017-01”), which clarifies the definition of a business with the objective of adding guidance and providing a more robust framework to assist reporting organizations with evaluating whether transactions should be accounted for as acquisitions (or disposals) of assets or businesses. For public entities, ASU 2017-01 is effective prospectively for fiscal years, including interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2017, with early adoption permitted for transactions occurring before the issuance or effective date of the standard for which financial statements have not yet been issued. The Company does not expect the adoption of ASU 2017-01 to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements. In October 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-16, Intra-Entity Transfers of Assets Other Than Inventory (Topic 740) (“ASU 2016-16”), which requires entities to recognize the income tax consequences of an intra-entity transfer of an asset other than inventory when the transfer occurs. ASU 2016-16 is effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017 with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact ASU 2016-16 will have on its consolidated financial statements. In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments—Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments (“ASU 2016-13”), which requires entities to use a Current Expected Credit Loss model which is a new impairment model based on expected losses rather than incurred losses. Under this model, an entity would recognize an impairment allowance equal to its current estimate of all contractual cash flows that the entity does not expect to collect from financial assets measured at amortized cost. The entity's estimate would consider relevant information about past events, current conditions and reasonable and supportable forecasts. ASU 2016-13 is effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 31, 2019 with early adoption permitted for annual reporting periods beginning after December 31, 2018. The Company is currently evaluating the impact ASU 2016-13 will have on its consolidated financial statements. In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) (“ASU 2016-02”), which modified lease accounting for both lessees and lessors to increase transparency and comparability by recognizing lease assets and lease liabilities by lessees for those leases classified as operating leases under previous accounting standards and disclosing key information about leasing arrangements. ASU 2016-02 will be effective for the Company beginning in its first quarter of fiscal 2020 and early adoption is permitted. In the original guidance the modified retrospective application was required, however, in July 2018 the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-11, Leases (Topic 842): Targeted Improvements, which permits entities to use another transition method. Under this optional transition method, the Company would recognize a cumulative-effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings in the period of adoption. The Company is currently evaluating the timing of its adoption and the impact of adopting the new lease standard on its consolidated financial statements. In May 2014, the FASB issued guidance codified in FASB ASC Topic 606, Revenue Recognition—Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“ASC Topic 606”), which amends the guidance in former ASC 605, Revenue Recognition. The Company has performed a review of the requirements of the new revenue standard and related ASUs and is monitoring the activity of the FASB and the transition resource group as it relates to specific interpretive guidance. The Company is reviewing customer contracts and is in the process of applying the new revenue standard to its key identified revenue streams included within either software revenue or Software as a Service (“SaaS”), maintenance, and consulting revenue and is comparing the results to its current accounting practices. This accounting standard update will be effective for the Company beginning in the first quarter of fiscal 2019. Entities have the option of adopting this new guidance using either a full retrospective or a modified approach with the cumulative effect of applying the guidance recognized at the date of initial application. The Company currently plans to adopt this accounting standard update using the modified retrospective approach, which will result in a cumulative effect adjustment to retained earnings as of October 1, 2018. Under this method, the Company would not restate the prior consolidated financial statements presented. However, the Company will be required to provide additional disclosures in fiscal 2019 related to the amount by which each relevant fiscal 2019 financial statement line item is affected by adoption of the new standard, and an explanation of the reasons for significant changes. The Company is continuing to assess the impact of adopting ASC Topic 606 on the consolidated financial statements and believes the new standard will impact the following policies and disclosures: •Timing of revenue recognition of license revenue on term licenses and transactional revenue on guaranteed minimum fees related to on-premises software products. Under the new standards, the Company expects to recognize revenue when control of the license is transferred to the customer, rather than at the date payments become due and payable or ratably over the term of the contract required under the current standard; and •Accounting for commissions under the new standard will result in the deferral of incremental commission costs for obtaining contracts. The Company expects a cumulative-effect adjustment to increase retained earnings by $1.2 million to $2.0 million, or $0.8 million to $1.4 million net of income tax, on October 1, 2018, primarily related to software that has been delivered but no revenue was previously recognized due to extended payment terms. The Company does not currently expect ASC Topic 606 to have a significant effect on the timing of revenue recognition for hardware or SaaS, maintenance, and consulting revenue. No other new accounting pronouncement issued or effective during the year ended September 30, 2018 had, or is expected to have, a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

NATURE OF OPERATIONS AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2018

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Mitek Systems, Inc. ("Mitek" or the "Company") is a leading innovator of mobile capture and digital identity verification solutions. We are a software development company with expertise in artificial intelligence and machine learning. The Company is currently serving more than 6,100 financial services organizations and leading marketplace and financial technology ("fintech") brands across the globe. The Company's solutions are embedded in native mobile apps and mobile optimized websites to facilitate better mobile user experiences, fraud detection and reduction, and compliant transactions.

Mitek's Mobile Deposit® solution is used today by millions of consumers in the United States ("U.S.") and Canada for mobile check deposit.

Mitek’s Mobile Verify™ is an important technology used to verify people’s identities at the point of onboarding via web or mobile device. Scanning an identity document enables an enterprise to identify the person with whom they are conducting business, comply with growing governmental Know Your Customer ("KYC") and Anti-Money Laundering ("AML") regulatory requirements, and to improve the overall customer experience for digital onboarding. To be sure the person submitting the identity document is who they say they are, Mitek's Mobile Verify Face Comparison provides an incremental layer of verification and compares the face on the identity document with the selfie photo of the user. Mitek's Mobile Verify Face Comparison technology uses advanced liveness detection so it cannot be spoofed.

The identification capture process provided by Mitek can also provide prefill of much of the data obtained from the identity document into an application, requiring far fewer key strokes, reducing keying errors, and improving both operational efficiency and the customer experience. Today, the financial services verticals (banks, credit unions, lenders, payments processors, card issuers, fintech companies, etc.) represent the greatest percentage of use of The Company's solutions, but there is accelerated adoption by marketplaces, sharing economy, telecommunications, healthcare, travel, and retail sectors. Similarly, websites that must verify the customer’s age (or other consumer information) prior to selling goods can do so by verifying identity documents. Mitek uses machine learning to constantly improve the product performance of Mobile Verify™ and applies artificial intelligence to increase automation and speed of approvals of identification documents.

The core of the Company's user experience is Mitek MiSnap™, a touch-free automated capture technology, which can be incorporated across product lines. It provides a simple and superior user-experience, making transactions on mobile devices fast, accurate, and easy for the consumer while helping organizations drive revenue from the increasingly popular mobile channel.

Mobile Fill™, Mitek's mobile identity capture solution, enables the camera to serve as a keyboard. Using Mobile Fill™, consumers can quickly prefill any form with personal data by simply snapping a picture of their driver's license, credit card, or other similar identity document.

Mobile Deposit® is the category leading product that allows individuals and businesses to remotely deposit checks using their camera-equipped smartphone or tablet. The Company's Mobile Deposit® solution has now processed over two billion check deposits. Mitek began selling Mobile Deposit® in the second fiscal quarter of 2008, and received our first patent issued for this product in August 2010. As of September 30, 2018, the Company has been granted 49 patents and it has an additional 21 patent applications pending.

CheckReader™, which the Company acquired through the acquisition of A2iA (as defined below), enables financial institutions to automatically extract data from a check image received across all deposit channels – branch, ATM, RDC, and mobile. Through the automatic recognition of all fields on checks, whether handwritten or machine print, CheckReader™ speeds the time to deposit for banks and customers and reduces costs formerly incurred before images could be exchanged.

The Company markets and sells its products and services worldwide through internal, direct sales teams located in the U.S., Europe, and Latin America as well as through channel partners. The Company's partner sales strategy includes channel partners who are financial services technology providers and identity verification providers. These partners integrate the Company's products into their solutions to meet the needs of their customers.

Basis of Presentation

The financial statements are prepared under the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 105-10, Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. (“GAAP”).

Principles of Consolidation

The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

Foreign Currency

Foreign CurrencyThe Company has foreign subsidiaries that operate and sell products and services in various countries and jurisdictions around the world. As a result, the Company is exposed to foreign currency exchange risks. For those subsidiaries whose functional currency is not the U.S. dollar, assets and liabilities are translated into U.S. dollars equivalents at the exchange rate in effect on the balance sheet date and revenues and expenses are translated into U.S. dollars using the average exchange rate over the period. Resulting currency translation adjustments are recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) in the consolidated balance sheet.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenue, expenses, deferred taxes, and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. On an ongoing basis, management reviews its estimates based upon currently available information. Actual results could differ materially from those estimates. These estimates include, but are not limited to, assessing the collectability of accounts receivable, estimation of the value of stock-based compensation awards, fair value of assets and liabilities acquired, impairment of goodwill and intangible assets, useful lives of intangible assets, vendor specific objective evidence (“VSOE”) of fair value related to revenue recognition, and income taxes.

Revenue Recognition

Revenue from sales of software licenses sold through direct and indirect channels is recognized upon shipment of the related product, if the requirements of FASB ASC Topic 985-605, Software Revenue Recognition (“ASC 985-605”) are met, including evidence of an arrangement, delivery, fixed or determinable fee, collectability, and VSOE of the fair value of the undelivered element. If the requirements of ASC 985-605 are not met at the date of shipment, revenue is not recognized until such elements are known or resolved. Revenue from customer support services, or maintenance revenue, includes post-contract support and the rights to unspecified upgrades and enhancements. VSOE of fair value for customer support services is determined by reference to the price the customer pays for such element when sold separately; that is, the renewal rate offered to customers. In those instances when objective and reliable evidence of fair value exists for the undelivered items but not for the delivered items, the residual method is used to allocate the arrangement consideration. Under the residual method, the amount of arrangement consideration allocated to the delivered items equals the total arrangement consideration less the aggregate fair value of the undelivered items. Revenue from post-contract customer support is recognized ratably over the term of the contract. Certain customers have agreements that provide for usage fees above fixed minimums. Usage fees above fixed minimums are recognized as revenue when such amounts are reasonably estimable and billable. Revenue from professional services is recognized when such services are delivered. When a software sales arrangement requires professional services related to significant production, modification, or customization of software, or when a customer considers professional services essential to the functionality of the software product, revenue is recognized based on predetermined milestone objectives required to complete the project, as those milestone objectives are deemed to be substantive in relation to the work performed. Any expected losses on contracts in progress are recorded in the period in which the losses become probable and reasonably estimable.

The Company provides hosting services that give customers access to software that resides on its servers. The Company’s model typically includes an up-front fee and a periodic commitment from the customer that commences upon completion of the implementation through the remainder of the customer life. The up-front fee is the initial setup fee, or the implementation fee. The periodic commitment includes, but is not limited to, a fixed periodic fee or a transactional fee based on system usage that exceeds committed minimums. If the up-front fee does not have standalone value, revenue is deferred until the date the customer commences use of the Company’s services, at which point the up-front fees are recognized ratably over

the life of the customer arrangement. The Company does not view the signing of the contract or the provision of initial setup services as discrete earnings events that have stand-alone value.

As a result of the acquisition of ICAR Vision Systems, S.L. ("ICAR"), the Company also generates revenues from the sale of hardware scanner boxes and servers. Revenue allocated to the delivered hardware and the related essential software is recognized at the time of sale provided the conditions for recognition of revenue have been met. Revenue allocated to post contract support is deferred and recognized on a straight-line basis over the estimated term of the support period.

Net Income (Loss) Per Share

The Company calculates net income (loss) per share in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 260, Earnings per Share. Basic net income (loss) per share is based on the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted net income (loss) per share also gives effect to all potentially dilutive securities outstanding during the period, such as restricted stock units (“RSUs”), stock options, and Employee Stock Purchase Plan ("ESPP") shares, if dilutive. In a period with a net loss position, potentially dilutive securities are not included in the computation of diluted net loss because to do so would be antidilutive, and the number of shares used to calculate basic and diluted net loss is the same.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents are defined as highly liquid financial instruments with original maturities of three months or less. The Company's cash and cash equivalents are composed of interest and non-interest-bearing deposits and money market funds.

Investments

Investments consist of corporate notes and bonds, commercial paper, and U.S. Treasury securities. The Company classifies investments as available-for-sale at the time of purchase and reevaluates such classification as of each balance sheet date. All investments are recorded at estimated fair value. Unrealized gains and losses for available-for-sale securities are included in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), a component of stockholders’ equity. The Company evaluates its investments to assess whether those with unrealized loss positions are other-than-temporarily impaired. Impairments are considered to be other-than-temporary if they are related to deterioration in credit risk or if it is likely that the Company will sell the securities before the recovery of its cost basis. Realized gains and losses and declines in value judged to be other-than-temporary are determined based on the specific identification method and are reported in other income (expense), net in the consolidated statements of operations and other comprehensive income (loss). No other-than-temporary impairment charges were recognized in the fiscal years ended September 30, 2018, 2017, and 2016.

All investments whose maturity or sale is expected within one year are classified as “current” on the consolidated balance sheet. All other securities are classified as “long-term” on the consolidated balance sheet.

Fair Value Measurements

The carrying amounts of cash equivalents, investments, accounts receivable, accounts payable, and other accrued liabilities are considered representative of their respective fair values because of the short-term nature of those instruments.

Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Doubtful AccountsTrade accounts receivable are recorded at the net invoice value and are not interest bearing. The Company considers receivables past due based on the contractual payment terms. Allowances for doubtful accounts are established based on various factors including credit profiles of the Company’s customers, contractual terms and conditions, historical payments, and current economic trends. The Company reviews its allowances by assessing individual accounts receivable over a specific aging and amount. Accounts receivable are written off on a case-by-case basis, net of any amounts that may be collected.

Deferred Maintenance Fees

Deferred maintenance fees consist of capitalized costs associated with software maintenance fees paid to vendors who supply licenses and maintenance for software embedded in the Company’s products that it sells to customers. These software maintenance fees, which are included in prepaid expenses on the consolidated balance sheets, are typically billed annually to the Company and are amortized to cost of revenue-maintenance and professional services in the consolidated statements of operations and other comprehensive income (loss) over the maintenance period, which is typically one year.

Property and Equipment

Property and EquipmentProperty and equipment are carried at cost.

Long-Lived Assets

Long-Lived AssetsThe Company evaluates the carrying value of long-lived assets, including license agreements and other intangible assets, when events and circumstances indicate that these assets may be impaired or in order to determine whether any revision to the related amortization periods should be made. This evaluation is based on management’s projections of the undiscounted future cash flows associated with each product or asset. If management’s evaluation indicates that the carrying values of these intangible assets were 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.

Capitalized Software Development Costs

Costs incurred for the development of software that will be sold, leased, or otherwise marketed are capitalized when technological feasibility has been established. Software development costs consist primarily of compensation of development personnel and related overhead incurred to develop new products and upgrade and enhance the Company’s current products, as well as fees paid to outside consultants. Capitalization of software development costs ceases and amortization of capitalized software development costs commences when the products are available for general release. For the fiscal years ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, no software development costs were capitalized because the time period and cost incurred between technological feasibility and general release for all software product releases were not material. The Company had no amortization expense from capitalized software costs during the years ended September 30, 2018, 2017, or 2016.

Costs related to software acquired, developed, or modified solely to meet our internal requirements, with no substantive plans to market such software at the time of development, are capitalized. Costs incurred during the preliminary planning and evaluation stage of the project and during post implementation operational stage are expensed as incurred. Costs incurred during the application development stage of the project are capitalized. The Company defines the design, configuration, and coding process as the application development stage.

Goodwill and Purchased Intangible Assets

The Company’s goodwill resulted from prior acquisitions. Goodwill and intangible assets with indefinite useful lives are not amortized, but are tested for impairment at least annually or as circumstances indicate that their value may no longer be recoverable. In accordance with ASC Topic 350, Intangibles—Goodwill and Other (“ASC Topic 350”), the Company reviews its goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible asset for impairment at least annually in its fiscal fourth quarter and more frequently if events or changes in circumstances occur that indicate a potential reduction in the fair value of its reporting unit and/or its indefinite-lived intangible asset below their respective carrying values. Examples of such events or circumstances include: a significant adverse change in legal factors or in the business climate, a significant decline in the Company’s stock price, a significant decline in the Company’s projected revenue or cash flows, an adverse action or assessment by a regulator, unanticipated competition, a loss of key personnel, or the presence of other indicators that would indicate a reduction in the fair value of a reporting unit.

The Company’s goodwill is considered to be impaired if management determines that the carrying value of the reporting unit to which the goodwill has been assigned exceeds management’s estimate of its fair value. Based on the guidance provided by ASC Topic 350 and ASC Topic 280, Segment Reporting (“ASC Topic 280”), management has determined that the Company operates in one segment and consists of one reporting unit given the similarities in economic characteristics between its operations and the common nature of its products, services and customers. Because the Company has only one reporting unit, and because the Company is publicly traded, the Company determines the fair value of the reporting unit based on its market capitalization as it believe this represents the best evidence of fair value. In the fourth quarter of fiscal 2018, management completed its annual goodwill impairment test and concluded that the Company’s goodwill was not impaired. The Company’s conclusion that goodwill was not impaired was based on a comparison of its net assets to its market capitalization.

Because the Company determines the fair value of its reporting unit based on its market capitalization, the Company’s future reviews of goodwill for impairment may be impacted by changes in the price of its common stock, par value $0.001 per share ("Common Stock"). For example, a significant decline in the price of the Company’s Common Stock may cause the fair value of its goodwill to fall below its carrying value. Therefore, the Company cannot provide assurance that when it completes its future reviews of goodwill for impairment, a material impairment charge will not be recorded.

Intangible assets are amortized over their useful lives. Each period, the Company evaluates the estimated remaining useful life of its intangible assets and whether events or changes in circumstances warrant a revision to the remaining period of amortization. The carrying amounts of these assets are periodically reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of these assets may not be recoverable. Recoverability of these assets is measured by comparing the carrying amount of each asset to the future undiscounted cash flows the asset is expected to generate. The carrying amount of such assets is reduced to fair value if the undiscounted cash flows used in the test for recoverability are less than the carrying amount of such assets. No impairment charge related to the impairment of intangible assets was recorded during the years ended September 30, 2018, 2017, and 2016.

Deferred Revenue

Deferred revenues represent advance payments or billings for software licenses, professional services, and maintenance billed in advance of the time revenue is recognized. Deferred maintenance revenue represents customer billings, paid up front, generally annually at the beginning of each maintenance period, with revenue recognized ratably over such period. For certain other licensing arrangements, revenue attributable to undelivered elements, including post-contract customer support which typically includes telephone support and the right to receive unspecified upgrades and enhancements of software on a when-and-if-available basis, is based upon the sales price of those elements when sold separately and is recognized ratably on a straight-line basis over the term of the arrangement.

Guarantees

In the ordinary course of business, the Company is not subject to potential obligations under guarantees that fall within the scope of FASB ASC Topic 460, Guarantees (“ASC 460”), except for standard indemnification and warranty provisions that are contained within many of the Company’s customer license and service agreements and certain supplier agreements, and give rise only to the disclosure requirements prescribed by ASC 460. Indemnification and warranty provisions contained within the Company’s customer license and service agreements and certain supplier agreements are generally consistent with those prevalent in the Company’s industry. The Company has not historically incurred significant obligations under customer indemnification or warranty provisions and does not expect to incur significant obligations in the future. Accordingly, the Company does not maintain accruals for potential customer indemnification or warranty-related obligations.

Loss Contingencies

The Company records its best estimates of a loss contingency when it is considered probable and the amount can be reasonably estimated. When a range of loss can be reasonably estimated with no best estimate in the range, the Company records the minimum estimated liability related to the claim. As additional information becomes available, the Company assesses the potential liability related to the Company’s pending loss contingency and revises its estimates. The Company discloses contingencies if there is at least a reasonable possibility that a material loss or a material additional loss may have been incurred. The Company’s legal costs are expensed as incurred.

Other Borrowings

Other BorrowingsThe Company has certain loan agreements with Spanish government agencies which were assumed when the Company acquired ICAR. These agreements are have repayment periods of five to twelve years and bear no interest

Income Taxes

The Company accounts for income taxes in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 740, Income Taxes (“ASC 740”). Deferred tax assets and liabilities arise from temporary differences between the tax bases of assets and liabilities and their reported amounts in the financial statements that will result in taxable or deductible amounts in future years.

Management evaluates the available evidence about future taxable income and other possible sources of realization of deferred tax assets. The valuation allowance reduces deferred tax assets to an amount that represents management’s best estimate of the amount of such deferred tax assets that more likely than not will be realized. See Note 6 of the consolidated financial statements for additional details.

The Company recognizes the tax benefit from an uncertain tax position only if it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained on examination by the tax authorities, based on the technical merits of the position. The tax benefit is measured based on the largest benefit that has a greater than 50% likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement. The Company recognizes interest and penalties related to income tax matters in income tax expense. See Note 6 of the consolidated financial statements for additional details.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (the "Tax Act") significantly changes existing U.S. tax law and includes numerous provisions that affect the Company. See Note 6 of the consolidated financial statements for further discussion.

Stock-Based Compensation

The Company issues RSUs, stock options, and Senior Executive Long-Term Incentive Restricted Stock Units (“Senior Executive Performance RSUs”) as awards to its employees. Additionally, eligible employees may participate in the Company’s ESPP. Employee stock awards are measured at fair value on the date of grant and expense is recognized using the straight-line single-option method in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718, Compensation—Stock Compensation (“ASC 718”). Forfeitures are recorded as they occur.

The Company assigns fair value to RSUs based on the closing stock price of its Common Stock on the date of grant.

The Company estimates the fair value of stock options and ESPP shares using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. The Black-Scholes option pricing model requires subjective assumptions, including future stock price volatility and expected time to exercise, which greatly affect the calculated values. The expected term of options granted is derived from historical data on employee exercises and post-vesting employment termination behavior. The risk-free rate selected to value any particular grant is based on the U.S. Treasury rate that corresponds to the expected life of the grant effective as of the date of the grant. The expected volatility is based on the historical volatility of the Company’s stock price. These factors could change in the future, affecting the determination of stock-based compensation expense in future periods.

The Company estimates the fair value of Senior Executive Performance RSUs and similar awards using the Monte-Carlo simulation. The Monte-Carlo simulation requires subjective assumptions, including the Company’s valuation date stock price, the annual risk-free interest rate, expected volatility, the probability of reaching the performance targets, and a 20-trading-day average stock price.

Advertising Expense

Advertising ExpenseAdvertising costs are expensed as incurred

Research and Development

Research and development costs are expensed in the period incurred.

Leases

Leases are reviewed and classified as capital or operating at their inception. For leases that contain rent escalations, the Company records the total rent payable on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease. The difference between rent payments and straight-line rent expense is recorded as deferred rent.

Segment Reporting

FASB ASC Topic 280, Segment Reporting, requires the use of a management approach in identifying segments of an enterprise. During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2018, management determined that the Company has only one operating segment: the development, sale, and service of proprietary software solutions related to mobile imaging.

Comprehensive Income (Loss)

Comprehensive income (loss) consists of net income (loss), unrealized gains and losses on available-for-sale securities, and foreign currency translation adjustments.

Recently Adopted and Issued Accounting Pronouncements

Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

In March 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2016-09, Compensation—Stock Compensation (Topic 718) (“ASU 2016-09”) which simplified certain aspects of the accounting for share-based payment transactions, including income taxes, classification of awards and classification in the statement of cash flows. The new standard requires excess tax benefits and tax deficiencies to be recorded in the consolidated statements of operations and other comprehensive income (loss) as a component of the provision for income taxes when stock awards vest or are settled. In addition, it eliminates the requirement to reclassify cash flows related to excess tax benefits from operating activities to financing activities on the consolidated statements of cash flows. The standard also provides an accounting policy election to account for forfeitures as they occur and clarifies that all cash payments made to tax authorities on an employee’s behalf for withheld shares should be presented as a financing activity on the cash flows statement.

The Company adopted ASU 2016-09 prospectively as of October 1, 2017, resulting in net cumulative-effect adjustment to increase retained earnings by $8.3 million, primarily related to the recognition of the previously unrecognized excess tax benefits using the modified retrospective method. The previously unrecognized excess tax effect was recorded as an increase to deferred income taxes in the consolidated balance sheet.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-15, Intangibles—Goodwill and Other—Internal-Use Software (ASC 350-40): Customer’s Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement That Is a Service Contract ("ASU 2018-15"), which requires hosting arrangements that are service contracts to follow the guidance for internal-use software to determine which implementation costs can be capitalized. ASU 2018-15 is effective either prospectively or retrospectively for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, and interim periods within those fiscal years, with early adoption permitted. The Company does not expect the adoption of ASU 2018-15 to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-13, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Disclosure Framework—Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement, to eliminate, add, and modify certain disclosure requirements for fair value measurements. Entities will no longer be required to disclose the amount of and reasons for transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy, but public companies will be required to disclose the range and weighted average used to develop significant unobservable inputs for Level 3 fair value measurements. The guidance is effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2019, but entities are permitted to early adopt either the entire standard or only the provisions that eliminate or modify the requirements. The Company is currently evaluating how to apply the new guidance.

In February 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-02, Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (“ASU 2018-02”). Under previously existing GAAP, the effects of changes in tax rates and laws on deferred tax balances are recorded as a component of income tax expense in the period in which the law was enacted. When deferred tax balances related to items originally recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income are adjusted, certain tax effects become stranded in accumulated other comprehensive income. The amendments in ASU 2018-02 allow a reclassification from accumulated other comprehensive income to retained earnings for stranded tax effects resulting from the Tax Act. The amendments in this ASU also require certain disclosures about stranded tax effects. The guidance is required for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018 (our fiscal year 2020), and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption in any period is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the effect that ASU No. 2018-02 will have on its financial statements and related disclosures. See Note 6 to the consolidated financial statements for additional information on the effects of the Tax Act on our financial position and result of operations, including provisional transitional adjustments that were recorded in the year ended September 30, 2018 related to the Tax Act.

In May 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-09, Compensation—Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Scope of Modification Accounting ("ASU 2017-09"), which provides guidance about which changes to the terms or conditions of a share-based payment award require an entity to apply modification accounting in Topic 718. ASU 2017-09 requires entities to account for the effects of a modification unless the fair value, vesting conditions, and classification of the modified award are all the same as the original award immediately before the original award is modified. ASU 2017-09 is effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017 with early adoption permitted. The Company does not expect the adoption of ASU 2017-09 to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-04, Intangibles—Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment (“ASU 2017-04”), which eliminates Step 2 of the goodwill impairment test that had required a hypothetical purchase price allocation. Rather, entities should apply the same impairment assessment to all reporting units and recognize an impairment loss for the amount by which a reporting unit's carrying amount exceeds its fair value, without exceeding the total amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit. Entities will continue to have the option to perform a

qualitative assessment for a reporting unit to determine if the quantitative impairment test is necessary. ASU 2017-04 will be effective prospectively for annual or interim goodwill impairment tests in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, or those beginning after January 1, 2017 if adopted early. The Company does not expect the adoption of ASU 2017-04 to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-01, Business Combinations (Topic 805): Clarifying the Definition of a Business (“ASU 2017-01”), which clarifies the definition of a business with the objective of adding guidance and providing a more robust framework to assist reporting organizations with evaluating whether transactions should be accounted for as acquisitions (or disposals) of assets or businesses. For public entities, ASU 2017-01 is effective prospectively for fiscal years, including interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2017, with early adoption permitted for transactions occurring before the issuance or effective date of the standard for which financial statements have not yet been issued. The Company does not expect the adoption of ASU 2017-01 to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

In October 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-16, Intra-Entity Transfers of Assets Other Than Inventory (Topic 740) (“ASU 2016-16”), which requires entities to recognize the income tax consequences of an intra-entity transfer of an asset other than inventory when the transfer occurs. ASU 2016-16 is effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017 with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact ASU 2016-16 will have on its consolidated financial statements.

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments—Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments (“ASU 2016-13”), which requires entities to use a Current Expected Credit Loss model which is a new impairment model based on expected losses rather than incurred losses. Under this model, an entity would recognize an impairment allowance equal to its current estimate of all contractual cash flows that the entity does not expect to collect from financial assets measured at amortized cost. The entity's estimate would consider relevant information about past events, current conditions and reasonable and supportable forecasts. ASU 2016-13 is effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 31, 2019 with early adoption permitted for annual reporting periods beginning after December 31, 2018. The Company is currently evaluating the impact ASU 2016-13 will have on its consolidated financial statements.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) (“ASU 2016-02”), which modified lease accounting for both lessees and lessors to increase transparency and comparability by recognizing lease assets and lease liabilities by lessees for those leases classified as operating leases under previous accounting standards and disclosing key information about leasing arrangements. ASU 2016-02 will be effective for the Company beginning in its first quarter of fiscal 2020 and early adoption is permitted. In the original guidance the modified retrospective application was required, however, in July 2018 the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-11, Leases (Topic 842): Targeted Improvements, which permits entities to use another transition method. Under this optional transition method, the Company would recognize a cumulative-effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings in the period of adoption. The Company is currently evaluating the timing of its adoption and the impact of adopting the new lease standard on its consolidated financial statements.

In May 2014, the FASB issued guidance codified in FASB ASC Topic 606, Revenue Recognition—Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“ASC Topic 606”), which amends the guidance in former ASC 605, Revenue Recognition. The Company has performed a review of the requirements of the new revenue standard and related ASUs and is monitoring the activity of the FASB and the transition resource group as it relates to specific interpretive guidance. The Company is reviewing customer contracts and is in the process of applying the new revenue standard to its key identified revenue streams included within either software revenue or Software as a Service (“SaaS”), maintenance, and consulting revenue and is comparing the results to its current accounting practices. This accounting standard update will be effective for the Company beginning in the first quarter of fiscal 2019. Entities have the option of adopting this new guidance using either a full retrospective or a modified approach with the cumulative effect of applying the guidance recognized at the date of initial application. The Company currently plans to adopt this accounting standard update using the modified retrospective approach, which will result in a cumulative effect adjustment to retained earnings as of October 1, 2018. Under this method, the Company would not restate the prior consolidated financial statements presented. However, the Company will be required to provide additional disclosures in fiscal 2019 related to the amount by which each relevant fiscal 2019 financial statement line item is affected by adoption of the new standard, and an explanation of the reasons for significant changes.

The Company is continuing to assess the impact of adopting ASC Topic 606 on the consolidated financial statements and believes the new standard will impact the following policies and disclosures:

•Timing of revenue recognition of license revenue on term licenses and transactional revenue on guaranteed minimum fees related to on-premises software products. Under the new standards, the Company expects to recognize revenue when control of the license is transferred to the customer, rather than at the date payments become due and payable or ratably over the term of the contract required under the current standard; and

•Accounting for commissions under the new standard will result in the deferral of incremental commission costs for obtaining contracts.

The Company expects a cumulative-effect adjustment to increase retained earnings by $1.2 million to $2.0 million, or $0.8 million to $1.4 million net of income tax, on October 1, 2018, primarily related to software that has been delivered but no revenue was previously recognized due to extended payment terms. The Company does not currently expect ASC Topic 606 to have a significant effect on the timing of revenue recognition for hardware or SaaS, maintenance, and consulting revenue.

No other new accounting pronouncement issued or effective during the year ended September 30, 2018 had, or is expected to have, a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.