Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Basis of Presentation

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Basis of Presentation
6 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2013
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]  
Basis of Presentation
Basis of Presentation
Description of Business
Westell Technologies, Inc. (the “Company”) is a holding company. Its wholly owned subsidiary, Westell, Inc., designs and distributes telecommunications products which are sold primarily to major telephone companies. Noran Tel, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Westell, Inc. Noran Tel's operations focus on power distribution product development and sales of Westell products in Canada. On April 1, 2013, Westell, Inc. acquired 100% of the outstanding shares of Kentrox, Inc. ("Kentrox"). Kentrox designs and distributes intelligent site management solutions that provide comprehensive monitoring, management and control of any site. The assets and liabilities acquired and the results of operations relating to Kentrox are included in the Company's Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements from the date of acquisition.
Sale of Conference Plus, Inc.
On December 31, 2011, the Company sold its wholly owned subsidiary, Conference Plus, Inc., including Conference Plus Global Services, Ltd. ("CGPS"), a wholly owned subsidiary of ConferencePlus (collectively, "ConferencePlus") to Arkadin, Inc. for $40.3 million in cash (the “ConferencePlus sale”). Of the total purchase price, $4.1 million was placed in escrow at closing for one year as security for certain indemnity obligations of the Company. The Company subsequently agreed to extend the escrow with a final settlement in the third quarter of fiscal year 2014. During the three months ended December 31, 2012, the Company recorded a contingent liability of $1.5 million, pre-tax, relating to impending claims raised by Arkadin under the indemnity provisions of the purchase sales agreement. In the quarters ended March 31, 2013, June 30, 2013, and September 30, 2013, $1.6 million , $0.5 million, and $1.5 million, respectively, of the escrow were released with $2.8 million returned to the Company and $0.8 million paid to Arkadin. The escrow amounts have been classified as Restricted cash on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as of September 30, 2013, and March 31, 2013.
Customer Networking Solutions (CNS) Asset Sale
On April 15, 2011, the Company sold certain assets and transferred certain liabilities of the CNS segment to NETGEAR, Inc. for $36.7 million in cash (the “CNS asset sale”). The Company retained a major CNS customer relationship and contract, and also retained the Homecloud product development program. The Company completed the remaining contractually required product shipments under the retained contract in December 2011.
As part of the agreement, the Company agreed to indemnify NETGEAR following the closing of the sale against specified losses in connection with the CNS business and generally retain responsibility for various legal liabilities that may accrue. In the three months ended December 31, 2012, the Company resolved, through arbitration, a dispute with NETGEAR regarding an interpretation of the asset purchase agreement covering the CNS asset sale for $0.9 million.  Prior to fiscal year 2013, the Company recorded a $0.4 million contingency reserve for this claim at the time of the sale and recorded an additional expense of $0.5 million during the three months ended September 30, 2012.
The Company discontinued the operations of the CNS segment in the first quarter of fiscal year 2014. The Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations for the three and six months ended September 30, 2012, has been restated to present the operating results of the CNS segment as discontinued operations. The Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows include discontinued operations.
Basis of Presentation and Reporting
The accompanying Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly owned subsidiaries. The Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared using generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) in the United States for interim financial reporting, and consistent with the instructions of Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X, and accordingly they do not include all of the information and footnotes required in the annual consolidated financial statements and accompanying footnotes. The Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and accompanying notes included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended March 31, 2013. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.
In the opinion of management, the unaudited interim financial statements included herein reflect all adjustments, consisting of normal recurring adjustments, necessary to present fairly the Company’s condensed consolidated financial position and the results of operations, comprehensive income (loss) and cash flows at September 30, 2013, and for all periods presented. The results of operations for the periods presented are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for fiscal year 2014.
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 and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and that affect revenue and expenses during the period reported. Estimates are used when accounting for the allowance for uncollectible accounts receivable, excess and obsolete inventory, net realizable value of inventory, product warranty accrued, relative selling prices, stock-based compensation, goodwill and intangible asset fair value, depreciation, income taxes, contingent consideration and contingencies, among other things. These estimates are based on management’s best estimates and judgment. Management evaluates its estimates and assumptions on an ongoing basis using historical experience and other factors. The Company adjusts such estimates and assumptions when facts and circumstances dictate. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements
In July 2013, the FASB issued ASU No. 2013-11, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Presentation of an Unrecognized Tax Benefit When a Net Operating Loss Carryforward, a Similar Tax Loss, or a Tax Credit Carryforward Exists (“ASU 2013-11”). Prior to ASU 2013-11, Topic 740, Income Taxes, did not include explicit guidance on the financial statement presentation of an unrecognized tax benefit when a net operating loss carryforward, a similar tax loss, or a tax credit carryforward exists. The objective of ASU 2013-11 is to eliminate that diversity in practice in the presentation of unrecognized tax benefits in those cases. ASU 2013-11 generally requires that an unrecognized tax benefit should be presented in the financial statements as a reduction to a deferred tax asset for a net operating loss carryforward, a similar tax loss, or a tax credit carryforward. Effective for the first quarter of fiscal year 2014, the Company elected the early adoption of this provision with retrospective application. As a result, the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet as of March 31, 2013, reflects an adjustment to the previously issued audited financial statements to reclassify $2.7 million of unrecognized tax benefits from tax contingency reserve long-term to deferred income taxes non-current. This balance sheet reclassification had no impact on the historical condensed consolidated statements of operations or accumulated defecit.
Update to Significant Accounting Policies
A complete description of the Company’s significant accounting policies is discussed in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2013. There have been no material changes in our critical accounting policies from those disclosed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended March 31, 2013, except as set forth below.
Revenue Recognition and Deferred Revenue
The Company's revenue is derived from the sale of products, software, and services. The Company records revenue from product sales transactions when title and risk of loss are passed to the customer, there is persuasive evidence of an arrangement for sale, delivery has occurred and/or services have been rendered, the sales price is fixed or determinable, and collectability is reasonably assured.
Revenue recognition on equipment where software is incidental to the product as a whole, or where software is essential to the equipment’s functionality and falls under software accounting scope exceptions, generally occurs when products are shipped, risk of loss has transferred to the customer, objective evidence exists that customer acceptance provisions have been met, no significant obligations remain, collection is reasonably assured and warranty can be estimated.
Revenue recognition where software that is more than incidental to the product as a whole or where software is sold on a standalone basis is recognized when the software is delivered and ownership and risk of loss are transferred.
The Company also recognizes revenue from deployment services, maintenance agreements, training and professional services. Deployment services revenue results from installation of products at customer sites. Deployment services, which generally occur over a short time period, are not services required for the functionality of products, because customers do not have to purchase installation services from the Company, and may install products themselves, or hire third parties to perform the installation services. Revenue for deployment services, training and professional services are recognized upon completion. Revenue from maintenance agreements is recognized ratably over the service period.
When a multiple element arrangement exists, the fee from the arrangement is allocated to the various deliverables so that the proper amount can be recognized as revenue as each element is delivered. Based on the composition of the arrangement, the Company analyzes the provisions of the accounting guidance to determine the appropriate model that is applied towards accounting for the multiple element arrangement. If the arrangement includes a combination of elements that fall within different applicable guidance, the Company follows the provisions of the hierarchal literature to separate those elements from each other and apply the relevant guidance to each.
If deliverables do not fall within the software revenue recognition guidance, the fair value of each element is established using the relative selling price method, which requires the Company to use vendor-specific objective evidence ("VSOE"), reliable third-party objective evidence or management's best estimate of selling price, in that order.
If deliverables fall within the software revenue recognition guidance, the fee is allocated to the various elements based on VSOE of fair value. If sufficient VSOE of fair value does not exist for the allocation of revenue to all the various elements in a multiple element arrangement, all revenue from the arrangement is deferred until the earlier of the point at which such sufficient VSOE of fair value is established or all elements within the arrangement are delivered. If VSOE of fair value exists for all undelivered elements, but does not exist for one or more delivered elements, the arrangement consideration is allocated to the various elements of the arrangement using the residual method of accounting. Under the residual method, the amount of the arrangement consideration allocated to the delivered elements is equal to the total arrangement consideration less the aggregate fair value of the undelivered elements. Using this method, any potential discount on the arrangement is allocated entirely to the delivered elements, which ensures that the amount of revenue recognized at any point in time is not overstated. Under the residual method, if VSOE of fair value exists for the undelivered element, generally maintenance, the fair value of the undelivered element is deferred and recognized ratably over the term of the maintenance contract, and the remaining portion of the arrangement is recognized as revenue upon delivery, which generally occurs upon delivery of the product.
The Company’s product return policy allows customers to return unused equipment for partial credit if the equipment is non-custom product, returned within specified time limits, and currently being manufactured and sold. Credit is not offered on returned products that are no longer manufactured and sold. The Company’s reserve for returns is not significant.
The Company records revenue net of taxes in accordance with ASC topic 605, Revenue Recognition (“ASC 605”).
Reclassification
In addition to the balance sheet reclassification for the adoption of ASU 2013-11 disclosed above, certain amounts in the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for prior periods have been reclassified to conform to the current period presentation. Previously reported amounts in the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations have been restated for the effects of the discontinued operations described in Note 14. The reclassifications related to discontinued operations had no impact on total assets, total liabilities, total stockholders’ equity or net income as previously reported.