| CIENA CORPORATION AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATES | CIENA CORPORATION AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATES Description of Business Ciena Corporation (“Ciena” or the “Company”) is a networking systems, services and software company, providing solutions that enable a wide range of network operators to deploy and manage next-generation networks that deliver services to businesses and consumers. Ciena provides hardware, software and services that e the transport, routing, switching, aggregation, service delivery and management of video, data and voice traffic on communications networks. Ciena’s solutions are used by communications service providers, cable and multiservice operators, Web-scale providers, submarine network operators, governments, enterprises, research and education institutions and emerging network operators. Ciena’s solutions include Networking Platforms, including Ciena’s Converged Packet Optical and Packet Networking portfolios, which can be applied from the network core to end-user access points, and which allow network operators to scale capacity, increase transmission speeds, allocate traffic and adapt dynamically to changing end-user service demands. Ciena’s Converged Packet Optical portfolio includes products and solutions that support the connection of content to content and users to content, including in long haul and regional, submarine and data center interconnect networks. Ciena’s Packet Networking portfolio includes products and solutions that enable next-generation metro, access and aggregation networks, connecting users to content in applications that include 5G, mobile backhaul, virtualization and enterprise services. To complement these solutions, Ciena offers Platform Software, which provides management, domain control and specialized applications that automate network lifecycle operations, including provisioning equipment and services, network data, analytics and policy-based assurance to achieve closed loop automation across multi-vendor and multi-domain network environments. Through Ciena’s Blue Planet® Software suite, Ciena enables customers to transform their business and operations support systems (“OSS”) through software-based automation of their network and IT infrastructures. To complement these hardware and software products, Ciena offers a broad range of services that help its customers build, operate and improve their networks and associated operational environments, including network optimization and migration offerings. Ciena refers to its complete portfolio vision as the Adaptive Network. The Adaptive Network emphasizes a programmable network infrastructure, software control and automation capabilities, network analytics and intelligence, and related advanced services. By transforming network infrastructures into a dynamic, programmable environment driven by automation and analytics, network operators can realize greater business agility, dynamically adapt to changing end user service demands and rapidly introduce new revenue-generating services. They can also gain valuable real-time network insights, allowing them to optimize network operation and maximize the return on their network infrastructure investment. Basis of Presentation The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Ciena and its wholly owned subsidiaries. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. Ciena has a 52 or 53-week fiscal year, which ends on the Saturday nearest to the last day of October in each year. Fiscal 2020 and fiscal 2019 each consisted of a 52-week fiscal year and fiscal 2018 consisted of a 53-week fiscal year. Effective the second quarter of fiscal 2020, Ciena changed the presentation of reporting for its financial statements and notes thereto to reflect the actual dates on which fiscal years ended. Because these dates can change from period to period, for consistency purposes, Ciena previously presented such information indicating that its fiscal years ended on October 31. This change, affecting only the presentation of such information, was made on a prospective basis and it does not impact comparability of previous financial results. Reference to prior reported periods have been changed to reflect the actual period end dates of November 2, 2019, November 3, 2018 and October 28, 2017 for periods reported herein. Business Combinations Ciena records acquisitions using the purchase method of accounting. All of the assets acquired, liabilities assumed, contractual contingencies and contingent consideration are recognized at their fair value as of the acquisition date. The excess of the purchase price over the estimated fair values of the net tangible and net intangible assets acquired is recorded as goodwill. The application of the purchase method of accounting for business combinations requires management to make significant estimates and assumptions in the determination of the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed, in order to properly allocate purchase price consideration between assets that are depreciated and amortized from goodwill. These assumptions and estimates include a market participant’s use of the asset and the appropriate discount rates for a market participant. Ciena’s estimates are based on historical experience, information obtained from the management of the acquired companies and, when appropriate, include assistance from independent third-party appraisal firms. Significant assumptions and estimates can include, but are not limited to, the cash flows that an asset is expected to generate in the future, the appropriate weighted-average cost of capital and the cost savings expected to be derived from acquiring an asset. These estimates are inherently uncertain and unpredictable. In addition, unanticipated events and circumstances may occur which may affect the accuracy or validity of such estimates. Use of Estimates The preparation of the financial statements and related disclosures in conformity with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“GAAP”) requires management to make estimates and judgments that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Estimates are used for selling prices for multiple element arrangements, shared-based compensation, bad debts, valuation of inventories and investments, recoverability of intangible assets, other long-lived assets and goodwill, income taxes, warranty obligations, restructuring liabilities, derivatives, contingencies and litigation. Ciena bases its estimates on historical experience and assumptions that it believes are reasonable. Actual results may differ materially from management’s estimates. Cash and Cash Equivalents Ciena considers all highly liquid investments purchased with original maturities of three months or less to be cash equivalents. Any restricted cash collateralizing letters of credit is included in other current assets and other long-term assets depending on the duration of the restriction. Investments Ciena’s investments in debt securities are classified as available-for-sale and reported at fair value, with unrealized gains and losses recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss). Ciena recognizes losses in the income statement when it determines that declines in the fair value of its investments below their cost basis are other-than-temporary. In determining whether a decline in fair value is other-than-temporary, Ciena considers various factors, including market price (when available), investment ratings, the financial condition and near-term prospects of the investee, the length of time and the extent to which the fair value has been less than Ciena’s cost basis, and Ciena’s intent and ability to hold the investment until maturity or for a period of time sufficient to allow for any anticipated recovery in market value. Ciena considers all marketable debt securities that it expects to convert to cash within one year or less to be short-term investments, with all others considered to be long-term investments. Ciena has minority equity investments in privately held technology companies that are classified in other long-term assets. These investments are carried at cost because Ciena owns less than 20% of the voting equity and does not have the ability to exercise significant influence over the company. Ciena monitors these investments for impairment and makes appropriate reductions to the carrying value when necessary. As of October 31, 2020, the combined carrying value of these investments was $13.4 million. Ciena elects to estimate the fair value at cost minus impairment, if any, plus or minus observable price changes in orderly transactions for identical or similar investments of the same issuer. Ciena evaluates these investments for impairment or observable price changes quarterly and records adjustments to interest and other income (loss), net on the Consolidated Statements of Operations. Inventories Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or market, with cost computed using standard cost, which approximates actual cost, on a first-in, first-out basis. Ciena records a provision for excess and obsolete inventory when an impairment has been identified. Segment Reporting Ciena’s chief operating decision maker, its chief executive officer, evaluates the Company’s performance and allocates resources based on multiple factors, including measures of segment profit (loss). Operating segments are defined as components of an enterprise that engage in business activities that may earn revenue and incur expense, for which discrete financial information is available, and for which such information is evaluated regularly by the chief operating decision maker for purposes of allocating resources and assessing performance. Ciena has the following operating segments for reporting purposes: (i) Networking Platforms; (ii) Platform Software and Services; (iii) Blue Planet Automation Software and Services; and (iv) Global Services. See Note 24 below. Goodwill Goodwill is the excess of the purchase price over the fair values assigned to the net assets acquired in a business combination. Ciena tests goodwill for impairment on an annual basis, which it has determined to be the last business day of fiscal September each year. Ciena also tests goodwill for impairment between annual tests if an event occurs or circumstances change that would, more likely than not, reduce the fair value of the reporting unit below its carrying value. Ciena tests goodwill impairment by comparing the fair value of the reporting unit with the unit’s carrying amount, including goodwill. If this test indicates that the fair value is less than the carrying value, then an impairment loss is recognized limited to the total amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit. A non-cash goodwill impairment charge would have the effect of decreasing earnings or increasing losses in such period. If Ciena is required to take a substantial impairment charge, its operating results would be materially adversely affected in such period. Long-lived Assets Long-lived assets include: equipment, building, furniture and fixtures, ROU assets, finite-lived intangible assets and maintenance spares. Ciena tests long-lived assets for impairment whenever triggering events or changes in circumstances indicate that the asset’s carrying amount is not recoverable from its undiscounted cash flows. An impairment loss is measured as the amount by which the carrying amount of the asset or asset group exceeds its fair value. Ciena’s long-lived assets are assigned to asset groups that represent the lowest level for which cash flows can be identified. Equipment, Building, Furniture and Fixtures and Internal Use Software Equipment, building, furniture and fixtures are recorded at cost. Depreciation and amortization are computed using the straight-line method over useful lives of two years to five years for equipment and furniture and fixtures and the shorter of useful life or lease term for leasehold improvements. Qualifying internal use software and website development costs incurred during the application development stage, which consist primarily of outside services and purchased software license costs, are capitalized and amortized straight-line over the estimated useful lives of two years to five years. Leases At the inception of a contract, Ciena must determine whether the contract is or contains a lease. The contract is or contains a lease if the contract conveys the right to control the use of the property, plant, or equipment for a designated term in exchange for consideration. Ciena’s evaluation of its contracts follows the assessment of whether there is a right to obtain substantially all of the economic benefits from the use and the right to direct the use of the identified asset in the contract. Operating leases are included in the Operating right-of-use assets (“Operating ROU assets”), Operating lease liabilities and Long-term operating lease liabilities in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Finance leases are included in Equipment, building, furniture and fixtures, net (“Finance ROU assets”), Accrued liabilities and other short-term obligations and Other long-term obligations in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Ciena has operating and finance leases that primarily relate to real property. Ciena has elected not to capitalize leases with a term of 12 months or less without a purchase option that it is likely to exercise. Ciena has elected not to separate lease and non-lease components of operating and finance leases. Lease components are payment items directly attributable to the use of the underlying asset, while non-lease components are explicit elements of a contract not directly related to the use of the underlying asset, including pass-through operating expenses like common area maintenance and utilities. Operating ROU assets and lease liabilities and Finance ROU assets and lease liabilities are recognized on the Consolidated Balance Sheets at the present value of the future lease payments over the life of the lease term. Ciena uses discount rates based on incremental borrowing rates, on a collateralized basis, for the respective underlying assets, for terms similar to the respective leases when implicit rates for leases are not determinable. Operating lease costs are included as rent expense in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. Fixed base payments on operating leases paid directly to the lessor are recorded as lease expense on a straight-line basis. Related variable payments based on usage, changes in an index, or market rate are expensed as incurred. Finance ROU assets are generally amortized on a straight-line basis over the lease term with the interest expense on the lease liability recorded using the interest method. The amortization and interest expense are recorded separately in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. Intangible Assets Ciena has recorded finite-lived intangible assets as a result of several acquisitions. Finite-lived intangible assets are carried at cost less accumulated amortization. Amortization is computed using the straight-line method over the expected economic lives of the respective assets, up to seven years, which approximates the use of intangible assets. Maintenance Spares Maintenance spares are recorded at cost. Spares usage cost is expensed ratably over four years. Concentrations Substantially all of Ciena’s cash and cash equivalents are maintained at a small number of major U.S. financial institutions. The majority of Ciena’s cash equivalents consist of money market funds. Deposits held with banks may exceed the amount of insurance provided on such deposits. Because these deposits generally may be redeemed upon demand, management believes that they bear minimal risk. Historically, a significant percentage of Ciena’s revenue has been concentrated among sales to a small number of large communications service providers and Web-scale providers. Consolidation among Ciena’s customers has increased this concentration. Consequently, Ciena’s accounts receivable are concentrated among these customers. See Note 24 below. Additionally, Ciena’s access to certain materials or components is dependent on sole or limited source suppliers. The inability of any of these suppliers to fulfill Ciena’s supply requirements, or significant changes in supply cost, could affect future results. Ciena relies on a small number of contract manufacturers to perform the majority of the manufacturing for its products. If Ciena cannot effectively manage these manufacturers or forecast future demand, or if these manufacturers fail to deliver products or components on time, Ciena’s business and results of operations may suffer. Revenue Recognition Ciena recognizes revenue when control of the promised products or services is transferred to its customer, in an amount that reflects the consideration to which Ciena expects to be entitled in exchange for those products or services. Ciena determines revenue recognition by applying the following five-step approach: • identification of the contract, or contracts, with a customer; • identification of the performance obligations in the contract; • determination of the transaction price; • allocation of the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract; and • recognition of revenue when, or as, Ciena satisfies a performance obligation. Generally, Ciena makes sales pursuant to purchase orders placed by customers under framework agreements that govern the general commercial terms and conditions of the sale of Ciena’s products and services. These purchase orders under framework agreements are used to determine the identification of the contract or contracts with this customer. Purchase orders typically include the description, quantity, and price of each product or service purchased. Purchase orders may include one-line bundled pricing for both products and services. Accordingly, purchase orders can include various combinations of products and services that are generally distinct and accounted for as separate performance obligations. Ciena evaluates each promised product and service offering to determine whether it represents a distinct performance obligation. In doing so, Ciena considers, among other things, customary business practices, whether the customer can benefit from the product or service on its own or together with other resources that are readily available, and whether Ciena’s commitment to transfer the product or service to the customer is separately identifiable from other obligations in the purchase order. For transactions where Ciena delivers the product or services, Ciena is typically the principal and records revenue and costs of goods sold on a gross basis. Purchase orders are invoiced based on the terms set forth either in the purchase order or the framework agreement, as applicable. Generally, sales of products and software licenses are invoiced upon shipment or delivery. Maintenance and software subscription services are invoiced quarterly or annually in advance of the service term. Ciena’s other service offerings are generally invoiced upon completion of the service. Payment terms and cash received typically range from 30 to 90 days from the invoicing date. Historically, Ciena has not provided any material financing arrangements to its customers. As a practical expedient, Ciena does not adjust the amount of consideration it will receive for the effects of a significant financing component as it expects, at contract inception, that the period between Ciena transfer of the products or services to the customer, and customer payment for the products or services will be one year or less. Shipping and handling fees invoiced to customers are included in revenue, with the associated expense included in product cost of goods sold. Ciena records revenue net of any associated sales taxes. Ciena recognizes revenue upon the transfer of control of promised products or services to a customer. Transfer of control occurs once the customer has the contractual right to use the product, generally upon shipment or delivery to the customer. Transfer of control can also occur over time for services such as software subscription, maintenance, installation, and various professional services as the customer receives the benefit over the contract term. Significant Judgments Revenue is allocated among performance obligations based on standalone selling price (“SSP”). SSP reflects the price at which Ciena would expect to sell that product or service on a stand-alone basis at contract inception and that Ciena would expect to be entitled to receive for the promised products or services. SSP is estimated for each distinct performance obligation, and judgment may be required in its determination. The best evidence of SSP is the observable price of a product or service when Ciena sells the products separately in similar circumstances and to similar customers. In instances where SSP is not directly observable, Ciena determines SSP using information that may include market conditions and other observable inputs. Ciena applies judgment in determining the transaction price, as Ciena may be required to estimate variable consideration when determining the amount of revenue to recognize. Variable consideration can include various rebate, cooperative marketing, and other incentive programs that Ciena offers to its distributors, partners and customers. When determining the amount of revenue to recognize, Ciena estimates the expected usage of these programs, applying the expected value or most likely estimate and updates the estimate at each reporting period as actual utilization data becomes available. Ciena also considers any customer right of return and any actual or potential payment of liquidated damages, contractual or similar penalties, or other claims for performance failures or delays in determining the transaction price, where applicable. When transfer of control is judged to be over time for installation and professional service arrangements, Ciena applies the input method to determine the amount of revenue to be recognized in a given period. Utilizing the input method, Ciena recognizes revenue based on the ratio of actual costs incurred to date to the total estimated costs expected to be incurred. Revenue for software subscription and maintenance is recognized ratably over the period during which the services are performed. Capitalized Contract Acquisition Costs Ciena has considered the impact of the guidance in ASC 340-40, Other Assets and Deferred Costs; Contracts with Customers , and the interpretations of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Transition Resource Group for Revenue Recognition with respect to capitalization and amortization of incremental costs of obtaining a contract. In conjunction with this interpretation, Ciena considers each customer purchase in combination with the corresponding framework agreement, if applicable, as a contract. Ciena has elected to implement the practical expedient, which allows for incremental costs to be recognized as an expense when incurred if the period of the asset recognition is one year or less. If the period of the asset recognition is greater than one year, Ciena amortizes these costs over the period of performance. Ciena considers sales commissions incurred upon receipt of purchase orders placed by customers as incremental costs to obtain such purchase orders. The practical expedient method is applied to the purchase order as a whole and thus the capitalized costs of obtaining a purchase order is applied even if the purchase order contains more than one performance obligation. In cases where a purchase order includes various distinct products or services with both short-term (one year or less) and long-term (more than a year) performance periods, the cost of commissions incurred for the total value of the purchase order is capitalized and subsequently amortized as each performance obligation is recognized. For the additional disclosures on capitalized contract acquisition costs, see Note 2 below. Warranty Accruals Ciena provides for the estimated costs to fulfill customer warranty obligations upon recognition of the related revenue. Estimated warranty costs include estimates for material costs, technical support labor costs and associated overhead. Warranty is included in cost of goods sold and is determined based on actual warranty cost experience, estimates of component failure rates and management’s industry experience. Ciena’s sales contracts do not permit the right of return of the product by the customer after the product has been accepted. Accounts Receivable, Net Ciena’s allowance for doubtful accounts receivable is based on its assessment, on a specific identification basis, of the collectibility of customer accounts. Ciena performs ongoing credit evaluations of its customers and generally has not required collateral or other forms of security from them. In determining the appropriate balance for Ciena’s allowance for doubtful accounts receivable, management considers each individual customer account receivable in order to determine collectibility. In doing so, management considers creditworthiness, payment history, account activity and communication with the customer. If a customer’s financial condition changes, or if actual defaults are higher than Ciena’s historical experience, Ciena may be required to take a charge for an allowance for doubtful accounts receivable, which could have an adverse impact on its results of operations. Research and Development Ciena charges all research and development costs to expense as incurred. Types of expense incurred in research and development include employee compensation, prototype equipment, consulting and third-party services, depreciation, facility costs and information technology. Government Grants Ciena accounts for proceeds from government grants as a reduction of expense when there is reasonable assurance that Ciena has met the required conditions associated with the grant and that grant proceeds will be received. Grant benefits are recorded to the particular line item of the Consolidated Statement of Operations to which the grant activity relates. See Note 26 below. Advertising Costs Ciena expenses all advertising costs as incurred. Legal Costs Ciena expenses legal costs associated with litigation as incurred. Share-Based Compensation Expense Ciena measures and recognizes compensation expense for share-based awards based on estimated fair values on the date of grant. Ciena estimates the fair value of each option-based award on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. This model is affected by Ciena’s stock price as well as estimates regarding a number of variables, including expected stock price volatility over the expected term of the award and projected employee stock option exercise behaviors. Ciena recognizes the estimated fair value of restricted stock units subject only to service-based vesting conditions by multiplying the number of shares underlying the award by the closing price per share of Ciena common stock on the grant date. In each case, Ciena only recognizes expense in its Consolidated Statement of Operations for those stock options or restricted stock units that are expected ultimately to vest. Awards with performance-based vesting conditions (i) require the achievement of certain operational, financial or other performance criteria or targets or (ii) vest based on Ciena’s total shareholder return as compared to an index of peer companies, in whole or in part. Ciena recognizes the estimated fair value of restricted stock units subject to performance-based vesting conditions other than total shareholder return by assuming the satisfaction of any performance-based objectives at the “target” level and multiplying the corresponding number of shares earned based upon such achievement by the closing price per share of Ciena common stock on the grant date. Ciena recognizes the estimated fair value of performance based awards subject to total shareholder return as compared to an index of peer companies using a Monte Carlo simulation valuation model on the date of grant. At the end of each reporting period, Ciena reassesses the probability of achieving the performance targets and the performance period required to meet those targets. See Note 23 below. Stock Repurchase Plan Shares repurchased pursuant to Ciena’s share repurchase program are immediately retired upon purchase. Repurchased common stock is reflected as a reduction of stockholders’ equity. Ciena’s accounting policy related to its share repurchases is to reduce its common stock based on the par value of the shares and to reduce its capital surplus for the excess of the repurchase price over the par value. Since the inception of its share repurchase program in December 2018, Ciena has had an accumulated deficit balance; therefore, the excess over the par value has been applied to additional paid-in capital. Once Ciena has retained earnings, the excess will be charged entirely to retained earnings. Due to the continued uncertainty surrounding the duration and severity of potential macroeconomic impacts of COVID-19, Ciena considered it prudent to temporarily suspend purchases of its common stock under its stock repurchase program effective as of March 17, 2020. See Note 27 below for information related to the resumption of purchases under this plan in fiscal 2021. Income Taxes Ciena accounts for income taxes using an asset and liability approach. This approach recognizes deferred tax assets and liabilities (“DTA”) for the expected future tax consequences attributable to differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and their respective tax bases, and for operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. In estimating future tax consequences, Ciena considers all expected future events other than the enactment of changes in tax laws or rates. Valuation allowances are provided if, based on the weight of the available evidence, it is more likely than not that some or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. In the ordinary course of business, transactions occur for which the ultimate outcome may be uncertain. In addition, tax authorities periodically audit Ciena’s income tax returns. These audits examine significant tax filing positions, including the timing and amounts of deductions and the allocation of income tax expenses among tax jurisdictions. Ciena is currently under audit in India for 2012 and 2014 through 2018, in Canada for 2013 through 2015, and in the United Kingdom for 2014 through 2018. Management does not expect the outcome of these audits to have a material adverse effect on Ciena’s consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows. Ciena’s major tax jurisdictions and the earliest open tax years are as follows: United States (2017), United Kingdom (2014), Canada (2013), and India (2012). Limited adjustments can be made to federal U.S. tax returns in earlier years in order to reduce net operating loss carryforwards. Ciena classifies interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions as a component of income tax expense. Ciena has not provided for U.S. deferred income taxes on the cumulative unremitted earnings of its non-U.S. affiliates, as it plans to indefinitely reinvest these foreign earnings outside the U.S. As of October 31, 2020, the cumulative amount of such temporary differences for which a deferred tax liability has not been recognized totaled approximately $375.0 million. If these earnings were distributed to the U.S. in the form of dividends, or otherwise, or if the shares of the relevant foreign subsidiaries were sold or otherwise transferred, Ciena would be subject to additional U.S. income taxes (subject to an adjustment for foreign tax credits) and foreign withholding taxes. Ciena is required to record excess tax benefits or tax deficiencies related to stock-based compensation as income tax benefit or expense when share-based awards vest or are settled. Ciena adopted ASU 2016-09, Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting, in the first quarter of fiscal 2018. In connection with the adoption of this guidance, Ciena recognized approximately $62.1 million of deferred tax assets related to previously unrecognized tax benefits. This was recorded as a cumulative-effect adjustment to retained earnings as of the beginning of the first quarter of fiscal 2018. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Tax Act |
