Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Segment Information (Details)

v2.4.1.9
Segment Information (Details) (USD $)
 3 Months Ended 12 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
Dec. 31, 2014
Sep. 30, 2014
Jun. 30, 2014
Mar. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Sep. 30, 2013
Jun. 30, 2013
Mar. 31, 2015
Mar. 31, 2014
Mar. 31, 2013
Segment information                      
Revenue                 $ 84,127,000us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet $ 102,073,000us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet $ 38,808,000us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet
Gross profit 4,666,000us-gaap_GrossProfit 4,395,000us-gaap_GrossProfit 8,065,000us-gaap_GrossProfit 9,684,000us-gaap_GrossProfit 8,090,000us-gaap_GrossProfit 11,932,000us-gaap_GrossProfit 12,022,000us-gaap_GrossProfit 8,417,000us-gaap_GrossProfit 26,810,000us-gaap_GrossProfit 40,461,000us-gaap_GrossProfit [1],[2] 12,616,000us-gaap_GrossProfit [1]
Gross margin                 31.90%wstl_GrossMargin 39.60%wstl_GrossMargin 32.50%wstl_GrossMargin
Research and development                 17,348,000us-gaap_ResearchAndDevelopmentExpense 11,339,000us-gaap_ResearchAndDevelopmentExpense 5,928,000us-gaap_ResearchAndDevelopmentExpense
Segment Profit Loss                 9,462,000wstl_SegmentProfitLoss 29,122,000wstl_SegmentProfitLoss 6,688,000wstl_SegmentProfitLoss
Operating expenses:                      
Sales and marketing                 12,407,000us-gaap_SellingAndMarketingExpense 13,304,000us-gaap_SellingAndMarketingExpense [1] 6,783,000us-gaap_SellingAndMarketingExpense [1]
General and administrative                 14,678,000us-gaap_GeneralAndAdministrativeExpense 14,027,000us-gaap_GeneralAndAdministrativeExpense 9,310,000us-gaap_GeneralAndAdministrativeExpense
Intangible amortization                 6,377,000us-gaap_AmortizationOfIntangibleAssets 4,889,000us-gaap_AmortizationOfIntangibleAssets [2] 887,000us-gaap_AmortizationOfIntangibleAssets
Restructuring 3,188,000us-gaap_RestructuringCharges   (2,000)us-gaap_RestructuringCharges 57,000us-gaap_RestructuringCharges 62,000us-gaap_RestructuringCharges 38,000us-gaap_RestructuringCharges 169,000us-gaap_RestructuringCharges 66,000us-gaap_RestructuringCharges 3,243,000us-gaap_RestructuringCharges 335,000us-gaap_RestructuringCharges 149,000us-gaap_RestructuringCharges
Goodwill impairment   20,547,000us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss 10,555,000us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss           31,102,000us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss   2,884,000us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss
Operating loss from continuing operations                 (58,345,000)us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss (3,433,000)us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss [2] (13,325,000)us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss
Other income (expense), net                 (2,000)us-gaap_OtherNonoperatingIncomeExpense (56,000)us-gaap_OtherNonoperatingIncomeExpense 175,000us-gaap_OtherNonoperatingIncomeExpense
Income tax benefit (expense) 31,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit 72,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit 69,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit 29,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit 8,585,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit (38,000)us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit (68,000)us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit (19,000)us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit 201,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit 8,460,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit [2] (29,392,000)us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
Net income (loss) from continuing operations (13,139,000)us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperations (27,540,000)us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperations (14,649,000)us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperations (2,818,000)us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperations 4,443,000us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperations 1,954,000us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperations 1,324,000us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperations (2,750,000)us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperations (58,146,000)us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperations 4,971,000us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperations [2] (42,542,000)us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperations
CSG [Member]                      
Segment information                      
Revenue                 46,413,000us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= wstl_CSGMember 		88,977,000us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= wstl_CSGMember 		37,904,000us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= wstl_CSGMember
Gross profit                 13,095,000us-gaap_GrossProfit
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= wstl_CSGMember 		36,300,000us-gaap_GrossProfit
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= wstl_CSGMember 		12,225,000us-gaap_GrossProfit
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= wstl_CSGMember
Gross margin                 28.20%wstl_GrossMargin
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= wstl_CSGMember 		40.80%wstl_GrossMargin
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= wstl_CSGMember 		32.30%wstl_GrossMargin
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= wstl_CSGMember
Research and development                 8,393,000us-gaap_ResearchAndDevelopmentExpense
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= wstl_CSGMember 		9,979,000us-gaap_ResearchAndDevelopmentExpense
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= wstl_CSGMember 		5,623,000us-gaap_ResearchAndDevelopmentExpense
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= wstl_CSGMember
Segment Profit Loss                 4,702,000wstl_SegmentProfitLoss
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= wstl_CSGMember 		26,321,000wstl_SegmentProfitLoss
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= wstl_CSGMember 		6,602,000wstl_SegmentProfitLoss
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= wstl_CSGMember
Operating expenses:                      
Goodwill impairment                 10,555,000us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= wstl_CSGMember 		   
IBW [Member]                      
Segment information                      
Revenue                 37,714,000us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= wstl_IBWMember 		13,096,000us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= wstl_IBWMember 		904,000us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= wstl_IBWMember
Gross profit                 13,715,000us-gaap_GrossProfit
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= wstl_IBWMember 		4,161,000us-gaap_GrossProfit
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= wstl_IBWMember 		391,000us-gaap_GrossProfit
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= wstl_IBWMember
Gross margin                 36.40%wstl_GrossMargin
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= wstl_IBWMember 		31.80%wstl_GrossMargin
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= wstl_IBWMember 		43.30%wstl_GrossMargin
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= wstl_IBWMember
Research and development                 8,955,000us-gaap_ResearchAndDevelopmentExpense
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= wstl_IBWMember 		1,360,000us-gaap_ResearchAndDevelopmentExpense
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= wstl_IBWMember 		305,000us-gaap_ResearchAndDevelopmentExpense
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= wstl_IBWMember
Segment Profit Loss                 4,760,000wstl_SegmentProfitLoss
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= wstl_IBWMember 		2,801,000wstl_SegmentProfitLoss
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= wstl_IBWMember 		86,000wstl_SegmentProfitLoss
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= wstl_IBWMember
Operating expenses:                      
Goodwill impairment                 $ 20,547,000us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= wstl_IBWMember 		   
[1] Certain amounts have been reclassified to reflect a change in accounting principle (see Note 1).
[2] Certain amounts have been adjusted to reflect measurement period adjustments related to the CSI acquisition (see Note 2).