Description of the Business and Significant Accounting Policies | Description of the Business and Significant Accounting Policies Business Splunk Inc. (“we,” “us,” “our”) provides innovative software solutions that enable organizations to gain real-time operational intelligence by harnessing the value of their data. Our offerings enable users to collect, index, search, explore, monitor, correlate and analyze data regardless of format or source. Our offerings address large and diverse data sets, commonly referred to as big data, and are specifically tailored for machine data. Machine data is produced by nearly every software application and electronic device and contains a definitive, time-stamped record of various activities, such as transactions, customer and user activities and security threats. Our offerings help users derive new insights from machine data that can be used to, among other things, improve service levels, reduce operational costs, mitigate security risks, demonstrate and maintain compliance, and drive better business decisions. We were incorporated in California in October 2003 and reincorporated in Delaware in May 2006. Fiscal Year Our fiscal year ends on January 31. References to fiscal 2018 or fiscal year 2018, for example, refer to the fiscal year ending January 31, 2018. Basis of Presentation The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”) and applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) regarding interim financial reporting. Certain information and note disclosures normally included in the financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations. The condensed consolidated balance sheet data as of January 31, 2017 was derived from audited financial statements, but does not include all disclosures required by GAAP. Therefore, these condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes included in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2017 , filed with the SEC on March 29, 2017 . There have been no changes in the significant accounting policies from those that were disclosed in the audited consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2017 included in the Annual Report on Form 10-K. In the opinion of management, the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements reflect all normal recurring adjustments necessary to state fairly the financial position, results of operations, comprehensive loss and cash flows for the interim periods, but are not necessarily indicative of the results of operations to be anticipated for the full fiscal year 2018. 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 disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods covered by the financial statements and accompanying notes. In particular, we make estimates with respect to the fair value of multiple elements in revenue recognition, uncollectible accounts receivable, the assessment of the useful life and recoverability of long-lived assets (property and equipment, goodwill and identified intangibles), stock-based compensation expense, the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed for business combinations, income taxes, leases and contingencies. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Segments We operate our business as one operating segment: the development and marketing of software solutions that enable our customers to gain real-time operational intelligence by harnessing the value of their data. Our chief operating decision maker is our Chief Executive Officer, who reviews financial information presented on a consolidated basis for purposes of making operating decisions, assessing financial performance and allocating resources. Principles of Consolidation The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Splunk Inc. and its direct and indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated upon consolidation. Strategic Investments We hold certain non-marketable equity securities which are accounted for using the cost method of accounting. These investments are recorded at cost in "Investments, non-current" on our condensed consolidated balance sheets and are adjusted only for other-than-temporary impairments and additional investments. Recently Adopted Accounting Standards In March 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued ASU No. 2016-09 (Topic 718), Compensation - Stock Compensation, which has been issued as part of its Simplification Initiative. The new guidance requires companies to recognize stock-based compensation excess tax benefits, net of detriments (if any) to the condensed consolidated statements of operations, as opposed to additional paid-in capital within equity, when the awards vest or are exercised. Additionally, net excess tax benefit cash flows resulting from share-based payments are required to be reported as operating activities in the statement of cash flows. These updates are to be adopted either prospectively or retrospectively. The new guidance also allows companies to make a policy election to account for forfeitures as they occur, which, if elected, must be adopted using a modified retrospective approach with a cumulative effect adjustment recorded to opening retained earnings. The ASU is effective for public companies for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016 and interim periods within those fiscal years. We adopted this guidance during the first quarter of fiscal year 2018. Excess tax benefits on stock plans have been recorded to the condensed consolidated statements of operations rather than to additional paid-in capital within equity on a prospective basis. At April 30, 2017, we recorded $301.6 million of previously unrecognized excess tax benefits, which are fully offset by the related valuation allowance. We did not record an adjustment to our accumulated deficit as a result of adopting ASC 2016-09. We also elected to prospectively apply the change in presentation requirement wherein income tax effects of awards are classified as operating activities in the condensed consolidated statement of cash flows. Prior period classification of cash flows related to excess tax benefits have not been adjusted. We did not elect an accounting policy change to record forfeitures as they occur and we will continue to estimate forfeitures at each period. Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements In May 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-09 (Topic 718), Scope of Modification Accounting. The new standard clarifies when changes to the terms or conditions of a share-based payment award must be accounted for as modifications. The standard is effective for our first quarter of fiscal 2019, although early adoption is permitted. We are currently evaluating whether the adoption of this standard will have a material impact on our condensed consolidated financial statements. In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-04 (Topic 350) Intangibles - Goodwill and Other. The new standard simplifies how companies are required to test goodwill for impairment by eliminating Step 2 from the goodwill impairment test. Step 2 measures a goodwill impairment loss by comparing the implied fair value of a reporting unit's goodwill with the carrying amount of that goodwill. Instead, if the carrying amount of a reporting unit exceeds its fair value, an impairment loss shall be recognized in an amount equal to that excess, limited to the total amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit. The standard is effective for our first quarter of fiscal 2021, although early adoption is permitted. We are currently evaluating whether the adoption of this standard will have a material impact on our condensed consolidated financial statements. In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-01 (Topic 805) Business Combinations - Clarifying the Definition of a Business. The new standard narrows the definition of a business to assist companies with evaluating when a set of transferred assets and activities is a business. The standard is effective for our first quarter of fiscal 2019. We are currently evaluating whether the adoption of this standard will have a material impact on our condensed consolidated financial statements. In October 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-16 (Topic 740), Intra-Entity Transfers of Assets Other Than Inventory. The new standard will require companies to recognize, as opposed to defer, the tax effects from intercompany transfers of certain assets when the transfer occurs. The standard is effective for our first quarter of fiscal 2019. We are currently evaluating whether the adoption of this standard will have a material impact on our condensed consolidated financial statements. In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13 (Topic 326), Financial Instruments - Credit Losses. The amendments in this update require a financial asset (or a group of financial assets) measured at an amortized cost basis to be presented at the net amount expected to be collected. The new approach to estimating credit losses (referred to as the current expected credit losses model) applies to most financial assets measured at amortized cost and certain other instruments, including trade and other receivables, loans and held-to-maturity debt securities. The standard is effective for our first quarter of fiscal 2021, although early adoption is permitted. We are currently evaluating whether the adoption of this standard will have a material impact on our condensed consolidated financial statements. In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02 (Topic 842), Leases, which supersedes the lease recognition requirements in ASC Topic 840, Leases. The standard requires an entity to recognize right-of-use assets and lease liabilities arising from a lease for operating leases, initially measured at the present value of the lease payments on the condensed consolidated balance sheets. The impact of such leases on the condensed consolidated statements of operations and cash flows will continue to be treated in a similar manner under current GAAP. The standard also requires additional qualitative and quantitative disclosures. The standard is effective for our first quarter of fiscal 2020, although early adoption is permitted. We are currently evaluating the impact of this standard on our condensed consolidated financial statements and related disclosures. We anticipate that most of our office leases will be recognized as lease liabilities and corresponding right-of-use assets, and will accordingly have a material impact on our condensed consolidated balance sheets upon adoption. In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09 (Topic 606), Revenue from Contracts with Customers, which supersedes the revenue recognition requirements in Accounting Standards Codification 605, Revenue Recognition and establishes a new revenue standard. This ASU is based on the principle that revenue is recognized to depict the transfer of goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The ASU also requires additional disclosure about the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenues and cash flows arising from customer contracts, including significant judgments and changes in judgments and assets recognized from costs incurred to obtain or fulfill a contract. In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-08, Revenue from Contracts with Customers: Principal versus Agent Considerations, which clarifies the guidance in the new revenue standard on assessing whether an entity is a principal or an agent in a revenue transaction. This conclusion impacts whether an entity reports revenue on a gross or net basis. In April 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-10, Revenue from Contracts with Customers: Identifying Performance Obligations and Licensing, which clarifies the guidance in the new revenue standard regarding an entity’s identification of its performance obligations in a contract. In May 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-12, Narrow-Scope Improvements and Practical Expedients, which amends the guidance in the new revenue standard on collectability, non-cash consideration, presentation of sales tax, and transition. In December 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-20, Technical Corrections and Improvements to Topic 606, which clarifies narrow aspects of ASC 606 or corrects unintended application of the guidance. The new revenue standard, as amended by ASU No. 2015-14, is effective in the first quarter of fiscal 2019 and may be applied retrospectively to each prior period presented or with the cumulative effect recognized as of the date of initial application. We currently plan to adopt the standard using the cumulative effect transition method. We are still evaluating the total impact of the new revenue standard on our condensed consolidated financial statements, accounting policies, systems and processes. We have allocated internal and external resources to assist in our implementation and evaluation of the new standard. We have also made investments in systems to assist in financial reporting under the new standard. While we cannot reasonably estimate the expected financial statement impact at this time, we believe the adoption of this new standard will have a material impact on our condensed consolidated financial statements, including the way we account for arrangements involving a term license, deferred revenue and sales commissions. Under the new revenue standard, we would be required to recognize term license revenues upfront and the associated maintenance revenues over the contract period. Under the current revenue standard, we recognize both the term license and maintenance revenues ratably over the contract period. In addition, some deferred revenue recorded in accordance with the current revenue standard will never be recognized as revenue upon adoption of the new revenue standard and instead will be part of the cumulative effect adjustment within accumulated deficit. We have also considered the impact of the guidance in ASC 340-40, Other Assets and Deferred Costs; Contracts with Customers, under Topic 606. Under ASC 340-40, we would be required to capitalize and amortize incremental costs of obtaining a contract, such as sales commission costs. Under our current accounting policy, we do not capitalize sales commission costs but rather recognize these costs when they are incurred. |