When Statement of Position 97-2, Software Revenue Recognition , was issued in October 1997, it was clear that all software companies would transition to this new standard. What was not clear was how bright lines would blur for companies outside of the traditional software sector as technology evolved over the next decade.
As technology becomes further woven into consumer and enterprise products ranging from cell phones to copiers, companies in unlikely and sometimes unsuspecting industries are beginning to realize that the true economic value of their offerings is not in their machinery or hardware, but rather in the product’s underlying technology—its software.
As a result, software revenue recognition is becoming a reality for many professionals, a fact that can be unnerving in light of the complexities inherent in software accounting rules. This article will help CPAs address the presence of software in a transaction and decide what revenue recognition rules apply. It also highlights the most important provisions of GAAP related to software revenue recognition.
- See more at: http://www.journalofaccountancy.com/issues/2007/dec/softwarerevenuerecognitionontherise.html#sthash.xlBebpgk.dpuf