Originally Posted by
morganplus8 Here is the official explanation. The short of it is that they won't see much of anything this quarter aside from Shop-BlackBerry sales and deliveries I guess:
Revenue Recognition
The Company recognizes revenue as earned when the following four criteria have been met: (i) when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, (ii) the product has been delivered to a customer and title has been transferred or the services have been rendered, (iii) the sales price is fixed or determinable, and (iv) collection is reasonably assured. In addition to this general policy, the following paragraphs describe the specific revenue recognition policies for each of the Company’s major categories of revenue.
Hardware
Revenue for hardware products is recognized when the four criteria noted above are met. The determination of when the price is fixed or determinable can affect the timing of revenue recognition, as discussed further below.
The Company records reductions to revenue for estimated commitments related to price protection, rights of return and customer incentive programs. Price protection is accrued as a reduction to revenue provided that (i) the future price reduction can be reliably estimated or based on contractual caps, (ii) the Company has not granted refunds in excess of those caps, and (iii) all other revenue recognition criteria have been met. If refunds cannot be reliably estimated or the contractual cap is no longer valid, revenue is not recognized until reliable estimates can be made or the price protection period lapses. The Company also records reductions to revenue for rights of return based on contractual terms and conditions as it relates to quality defects only and, if the expected product returns can be reasonably and reliably estimated, based on historical experience. Where a right of return cannot be reasonably and reliably estimated, the Company recognizes revenue when the product sells through to an end user or the return period lapses. The estimated cost of customer incentive programs is accrued as a reduction to revenue and is recognized at the later of the date at which the Company has recognized the revenue or the date at which the program is offered. If historical experience cannot support a breakage rate, the maximum rebate amount is accrued and adjusted when the incentive programs end. The Company considers several factors in determining whether it can reliably estimate future refunds or customer incentives such as levels of channel inventory, new competitor introductions, the stage of a product in the product life cycle, and potential cannibalization by future product offerings. If there is a risk of future pricing concessions and a reliable estimate cannot be made at the time of shipment, the Company recognizes the related revenue and costs of goods sold when its products are sold through to an end user.
For shipments where the Company recognizes revenue when the product is sold through to an end user, the Company determines the point at which that happens based upon internally generated reporting indicating when the devices are activated on the Company’s relay infrastructure.
Significant judgment is applied by the Company to determine whether shipments of devices have met the Company’s revenue recognition criteria, as the analysis is dependent on many facts and circumstances. Commencing in fiscal 2016,"