UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
_____________________________
FORM 10-K
(Mark One)
xANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the fiscal year ended December 1, 2017November 29, 2019
or
oTRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the transition period fromto
 
Commission File Number: 0-15175
ADOBE SYSTEMS INCORPORATEDINC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
_____________________________
Delaware
77-0019522
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)
77-0019522
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)

345 Park Avenue, San Jose, California95110-2704
(Address of principal executive offices)
(408) (408536-6000
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of Each ClassTrading SymbolName of Each Exchange on Which Registered
Common Stock, $0.0001 par value per share
The ADBE
NASDAQ Stock Market LLC
(NASDAQ Global Select Market)
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None
_____________________________
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. YesxNoo
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. YesoNox
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. YesxNoo
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).YesxNoo
Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (§ 229.405 of this chapter) is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. x
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer”, “accelerated filer”, “smaller reporting company”, and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filerx
Accelerated filero
Non-accelerated filero
(Do not check if a smaller reporting company)
Smaller reporting companyo
Emerging growth companyo
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). YesoNox
The aggregate market value of the registrant’s common stock, $0.0001 par value per share, held by non-affiliates of the registrant on June 2, 2017,May 31, 2019, the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter, was $52,575,558,763$102.25 billion (based on the closing sales price of the registrant’s common stock on that date). Shares of the registrant’s common stock held by each officer and director and each person who owns 5% or more of the outstanding common stock of the registrant have been excluded in that such persons may be deemed to be affiliates. This determination of affiliate status is not necessarily a conclusive determination for other purposes. As of January 12, 2018, 491,578,52910, 2020, 482,130,975 shares of the registrant’s common stock, $0.0001 par value per share, were issued and outstanding.
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
Portions of the Proxy Statement for the registrant’s 20182020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “Proxy Statement”), to be filed within 120 days of the end of the fiscal year ended December 1, 2017,November 29, 2019, are incorporated by reference in Part III hereof. Except with respect to information specifically incorporated by reference in this Form 10-K, the Proxy Statement is not deemed to be filed as part hereof.
 




ADOBE SYSTEMS INCORPORATEDINC.
FORM 10-K
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS
 
  Page No.
PART I 
Item 1.
Item 1A.
Item 1B.
Item 2.
Item 3.
Item 4.
   
PART II 
Item 5.
Item 6
Item 7.
Item 7A.
Item 8.
Item 9.
Item 9A.
Item 9B.
  
PART III 
Item 10.
Item 11.
Item 12.
Item 13.
Item 14.
   
PART IV  
Item 15.
   




 

Forward-Looking Statements
In addition to historical information, this Annual Report on Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding product plans, future growth, market opportunities, strategic initiatives, industry positioning, customer acquisition and retention, the amount of annualized recurring revenue and revenue growth. In addition, when used in this report, the words “will,” “expects,” “could,” “would,” “may,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “seeks,” “targets,” “estimates,” “looks for,” “looks to,” “continues” and similar expressions, as well as statements regarding our focus for the future, are generally intended to identify forward-looking statements. Each of the forward-looking statements we make in this report involves risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, those discussed in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in Part I, Item 1A of this report. You should carefully review the risks described herein and in other documents we file from time to time with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), including our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q to be filed in 2018.2020. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. We undertake no obligation to publicly release any revisions to the forward-looking statements or reflect events or circumstances after the date of this document, except as required by law.


PART I
ITEM 1.  BUSINESS
Founded in 1982, Adobe Systems IncorporatedInc. is one of the largest and most diversified software companies in the world. We offer a line of products and services used by creative professionals, marketers, knowledge workers, students, application developers, enterprises and consumers for creating, managing, delivering, measuring, optimizing, engaging and engagingtransacting with compelling content and experiences across personal computers, devices and media. We market our products and services directly to enterprise customers through our sales force and certain local field offices. We license our products to end users through app stores and our own website at www.adobe.com. We offer many of our products via a Software-as-a-Service (“SaaS”) model or a managed services model (both of which are referred to as hosted or cloud-based) as well as through term subscription and pay-per-use models. We also distribute certain products and services through a network of distributors, value-added resellers (“VARs”), systems integrators (“SIs”), independent software vendors (“ISVs”), retailers, software developers and original equipment manufacturers (“OEMs”). In addition, we license our technology to hardware manufacturers, software developers and service providers for use in their products and solutions. Our products run on personal and server-based computers, as well as on smartphones, tablets and other devices, depending on the product. We have operations in the Americas, Europe, Middle East and Africa (“EMEA”), and Asia-Pacific (“APAC”).See Note 17 of our Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for further geographical information.
Adobe was originally incorporated in California in October 1983 and was reincorporated in Delaware in May 1997. Our executive offices and principal facilities are located at 345 Park Avenue, San Jose, California 95110-2704. Our telephone number is 408-536-6000 and our website is www.adobe.com. Investors can obtain copies of our SEC filings from this site free of charge, as well as from the SEC website at www.sec.gov. The information posted to our website is not incorporated into this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

BUSINESS OVERVIEW
For over 35 years, Adobe’s innovations have transformed how individuals, teams, businesses and governments interact.engage and interact with their constituents in print and online. We help our customers create and deliver the most compelling experiences in a streamlined workflow and optimize those experiences for greater return on investment. Our solutions turn ordinary interactions into valuable digital experiences, across media and devices, anytime, anywhere.
While we continue to offer a broad portfolio of products, services and solutions, we focus our investments in two strategic growth areas:
Digital Media—Media – providing products, services and solutions that enable individuals, teams and enterprises to create, publish and promote their content anywhere. Our customers include creative professionals like photographers, video editors, graphic and experience designers, and application and game developers; communicators like content creators, web designers, app developersstudents, marketers and digital media professionals, as well as management in marketing departments and agencies, companies and publishers. Our customers also include knowledge workers who create, collaborate on and distribute documents.documents and creative content; and consumers. This is the core of what we have delivered for over 25 years,decades, and we have evolved our business model to provide our customers with a range of flexible solutions that allow them to reach their full creative potential anytime, anywhere, on any device on projects of all types.
Digital Experience—Experience – providing solutionsa comprehensive and integrated platform and set of applications and services for creating, managing, executing, measuringthrough Adobe Experience Cloud that enables businesses and optimizing digital marketingbrands to create, manage, execute, measure, monetize and optimize customer

experiences that span from advertising campaigns across multiple channels.to commerce. Our customers include marketers, advertisers, agencies, publishers,

merchandisers, merchants, web analysts, data scientists, developers, marketing executives, information management and technology executives, product development executives and sales and support executives. In fiscal 2017, we processed 186 trillion data transactions with our analytics products, providing our customers with a robust data platform that can be used to gain insight and optimize digital experiences delivered withUnderpinning Adobe Experience Cloud is our Adobe Experience Cloud solutions.Platform, which provides businesses and brands with an open and extensible platform for customer experience management with real-time customer profiles that enable deep customer insights and the delivery of personalized digital experiences in milliseconds. By combining the creativity of our Digital Media business with the science of our Digital Experience offerings, we help our customers more efficiently and effectively make, manage, measure and monetize their content across every channelchannels and devices with an end-to-end workflow and feedback loop.
We believe we are uniquely positioned to be a leader in both the Digital Media and Digital Experience markets, where our mission is to change the world through digital experiences. By integrating products from each of these two areas, of Adobe’s business, our customers are able to utilize a comprehensive suite of solutions and services that no other company currently offers. In addition, our ability to deliver innovation and productivity improvements across customer workflows involving the creation, management, delivery, measurement and optimization of engaging content favorably positions Adobe as our customers continue investingto invest in engaging their constituents digitally.

delivering digital experiences.
SEGMENTS
Effective in fiscal 2018, ourOur business is organized into three reportable segments: Digital Media, Digital Experience (formerly Digital Marketing), and Publishing (formerly Print and Publishing).Publishing. These segments provide Adobe’s senior management with a comprehensive financial view of our key businesses. Our segments are aligned around our two strategic growth opportunities described above, placing our Publishing business in a third segment that contains some of our mature products and solutions.
MARKET OVERVIEW
This overview provides an explanation of our markets and a discussion of strategic opportunities in fiscal 20182020 and beyond for each of our segments. See “Results of Operations” within Part II, Item 7 titled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations”and Note 172 of our NotesPart II, Item 8 titled “Notes to Consolidated Financial StatementsStatements” for further segment information.

MARKET OVERVIEW
Digital Media
Digital Media Opportunity
Recent technology trends in digital communications continue to provide a significant market opportunity for Adobe in digital media. Everyone has a story to tell — from creative professionals, to students and knowledge workers, to immersive content and experience designers — and they need to tell those stories on an ever-increasing number of canvasses. In today’s world where the velocity of creation and consumption of digital content is ever increasing,constantly growing, design and creativity have never been more relevant and customers are looking for a way to meet demand with engaging online experiences. Adobe is in a strong position to capitalize on this opportunity by driving modernization andwith innovation that will accelerate the creative process across all platforms and devices, deepen engagement with communities and accelerate long-term revenue growth by focusing on cloud-based offerings, which are licensed on a subscription basis.
The flagship of our Digital Media business is Adobe Creative Cloud—Cloud — a subscription service that allows members to use Adobe’s creative products integrated with cloud-delivered services across desktop, web and mobile devices. Creative Cloud members can download and access the latest versions of our creative products such as Photoshop, CC, Illustrator, CC, Premiere Pro, CC, Lightroom, CC, InDesign, CC, Adobe XD CC and many more creative applications. To expand our reach and improve the way we serve the needs of our customers, we create different combinations of these services, including our applications with free and paid tiers such as Adobe Lightroom Mobile that have brought new customers into our franchise and increased our footprint on mobile devices. In addition, members can access built-in templates and presets created by the Adobe user community to jumpstart designs and step-by-step interactive tutorials to sharpen their skills and get up to speed quickly. Through Creative Cloud, members can access online services to sync, store and share files across users’ machines,devices, access marketplace, social and community-based features within our Adobe Stock and Behance services, and create apps and websites, all at affordable subscription pricing for cost-sensitive customers.pricing.
Adobe continues to redefine the creative process with Adobe Creative Cloud so that our customers can obtain everything they need to create, collaborate and be inspired. A coreOne part of our strategy is Adobe Sensei, a proprietary framework and set of intelligent services for dramatically improving the design and delivery of digital experiences. Adobe Sensei leverages Adobe’s massive content and data assets, as well as its deep domain expertise in the creative, marketing and document segments, within a unified artificial intelligence (“AI”) and machine learning framework to tackle today’s complex creative experience challenges.help customers discover hidden opportunities, reduce tedious processes and offer relevant experiences to every customer.

Adobe Creative Cloud addresses the needs of creative professionals such as artists, designers, developers, students and administrators. Theyadministrators, as well as knowledge workers, marketers, educators, hobbyists and consumers, who also use our products to create and deliver content. Our customers rely on our products for publishing, webcontent creation, design, and development, video and animation production, mobile app and gaming development and document creation and collaboration. End users of our creative products work in businesses of all sizes ranging from large publishers, media companies and global enterprises, to smaller design agencies and individual freelancers. Moreover, our creative products are used to create much of the printed and online information people see, read and interact with every day, including video, animation, mobile and advertising content. Knowledge workers, educators, hobbyists and consumers

also use our products to create and deliver content. We have introduced new products, features and services to address emerging categories of content creation across devices and platforms, such as voice-based prototyping, refined content creation tools, 3D, augmented reality, virtual reality and user experience design. New projects announced and solutions include Adobe Dimension,offered include: Substance, a tool that enables the creationsuite of high-quality, photorealistic 3D images; Adobe XD, a solutionapplications for creating, user experiencesmixing and screen designs as part of designing websitesapplying textures and materials for 3D creations; Adobe Fresco, a mobile apps;drawing and painting application, featuring live brushes that mimic natural media like oil paint and watercolors in amazingly lifelike ways; Adobe Spark,Aero, a set of capabilities that enables anyonefree iOS application for viewing, building and sharing immersive and interactive augmented reality experiences; Photoshop Camera, an AI-driven mobile camera application launching in 2020 powered by Adobe Sensei featuring unique Photoshop lenses and camera effects right inside the camera; and both Illustrator on iPad, which will be available in 2020, and Photoshop on iPad to create impactful graphics, web pagesenable a seamless content creation experience across devices and video stories in minutes.attract a new, mobile-centric audience.
Adobe’s Digital Media segment includes our Adobe Document Cloud business, built around our Acrobat family of products, theincluding Adobe Acrobat and Adobe Acrobat Reader, and a set of integrated, cloud-based document services.services, including Adobe Sign and Adobe Scan. Tens of millions of knowledge workers worldwide interact with documents daily. Across industries and across the world, business processes from contracting to invoicing to employee onboarding are making the change from paper to electronic documents. Cloud services and mobile devices are reshaping how we work in ways that are more ad hoc, collaborative, unstructured and on the go. For over 25 years, Adobe Acrobat has provided for the reliable creation and exchange of electronic documents, regardless of platform or application source type. Users can collaborate on documents with electronic comments and tailor the security of a file in order to distribute reliable Adobe PDF documents that can be viewed, printed or filled out utilizing our free Adobe Acrobat Reader.Reader on any device. Acrobat provides essential electronic document capabilities and services across desktop, mobile devices and the web to help knowledge workers accomplish a wide variety of tasks ranging from simple publications and forms to mission-critical engineering documentation and architectural plans. With our Acrobat product and its innovative cloud services, we have extended the capabilities of our solutions.document solutions, from view and create, to edit, secure, scan, review, embed, share and sign. Users can create a PDF with just the camera on their phone with Adobe Scan, edit PDFs on the go with Acrobat on iOS and Android, and turn slow, manual signing processes into automated experiences and collect signatures with Adobe Scan, Adobe Sign and Adobe Send & Track.Sign.
Digital Media Strategy
Our goal is to be the leading platform for creativity where we offer a range of products and services that allow individuals, teams and enterprises, and both professionals and enthusiasts, to design and deliver amazing digital content.
We believe there is significant opportunity for growth across all customer segments and expect Adobe Creative Cloud will drive sustained long-term revenue growth through a continued expansion of our customer base by using our products to enable everyone to create and tell their stories, expanding into new categories and technologies like immersive 3D and augmented reality, making the creative process more productive with cloud-enabled collaboration and workflows, delivering intelligent, time-saving features with Adobe Sensei’s artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities, and acquiring new users in North America and international markets. by engaging with the creative community.
We will continue to seek to deepen our relationship with existing users through meeting their needs holistically and delivering additional features and value. increased value, including through data-driven customer engagement, AI and machine learning through Adobe Sensei, and offering a true “multi-surface platform” that provides our customers with the ability to use our tools for creation wherever inspiration strikes, by enabling them to seamlessly access their assets in the cloud and work across mobile, tablet and desktop with new applications like Adobe Fresco and Photoshop for iPad. We are embracing new frontiers in technology and creativity such as immersive 3D and augmented reality (“AR”) experiences with Adobe Aero and our Substance suite of products. We are pursuing new ways to help our customers develop creative skills such as allowing creators to live-stream their creative process on Behance and allowing users to learn with step-by-step, in-app, interactive tutorials from experienced creators.
As appropriate, we plan to optimize our pricing strategy and move our customers to higher priced and better value offerings and continue to employ targeted promotions that attract past customers and potential users to try out and ultimately subscribe to Adobe Creative Cloud. To target new customers and better address the needs of our existing customers, we will continue to invest in driving innovation to maintain the leadership position that we have established. We have also builtoffer a marketplace for Creative Cloud subscribers to enable the delivery and purchase of stock content in our Adobe Stock service. Overall, our strategy with Creative Cloud is designed to enable us to increase our revenue with users, attract more new customers and grow a recurring and predictable revenue stream that is recognized ratably.

As part of our Adobe Creative Cloud strategy, we utilize a data-driven operating model and our Adobe Experience Cloud solutions to drive and optimize customer awareness, engagement and licensing of our creative products and services at every stop of the customer journey through our website and across other channels. Adobe.com is increasingly becoming the destination site where we engage individual and small business customers to sign up for and renew Creative Cloud subscriptions. We offer free apps and trials to attract new customers and through a data-driven model, we optimize conversion of these trialists to paid subscribers. We utilize channel partners to target mid-size creative customers with our Creative Cloud for teams offering. Our direct sales force is focused on building relationships with our largest customers and driving adoption of our Creative Cloud for enterprise offering.
We offer many of the products included in Adobe Creative Cloud on a standalone basis, including subscriptions to the Creative Cloud version of certain point products. We also offer a range of other creative tools and services, including our hobbyist products such as Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements, TypekitAdobe Fonts and mobile apps such as Photoshop Mix,Express, Photoshop Sketch, Photoshop Fix, Adobe Capture, CC,Premiere Rush and Adobe Spark. Further descriptions of our Digital Media products are included below under “Principal Products and Services.”
In our Adobe Document Cloud business, althoughAdobe Acrobat has achieved strong market adoption and a leadership position in document-intensive industries such as government, financial services, pharmaceutical, legal, aerospace, insurance and technical publishing,publishing. Trillions of PDF documents are created every year and we believe there are tensremain hundreds of millions of users in industries that engage with PDF files on a daily basis like legal, financial services or publishing, as well as a broader array of communicators, knowledge workers and Acrobat Reader users, who need the capabilities provided by our Acrobat applications and the service capabilitiesdocument services platform found in Document Cloud. We planexpect to continue marketingdrive sustained long-term revenue growth in Adobe Document Cloud through a continued expansion of our customer base by delivering the benefitsbest PDF experience on every platform and across platforms, expanding the number of actions and features in Acrobat, using Adobe Sensei to make both new and legacy documents more intelligent and responsive, and investing in embedded document services such as integrating Adobe Sign in third-party applications. As with our Adobe Creative Cloud strategy, we utilize a data-driven operating model to market our Document Cloud solutions combined with the low entry point ofto and optimize our subscription-based pricing tofor individuals as well as small and medium-sized businesses, large enterprises and government institutions around the world. We aim to increase our seat penetration in theseour key markets through the utilization of our corporate and volume licensing programs. We will continue to engage in strategic partnerships to help drive the business, including the recently announced Adobe Sign partnership with Microsoft. We also intend to increase our focus on marketing and licensing Acrobat in targeted vertical markets such as education, financial services, telecommunications and government, as well as on expanding into emerging markets, while simultaneously enhancingmarkets. We will continue to engage in strategic partnerships to help drive the enterprise business, including our partnership with Microsoft.
Our Document Cloud customers increasingly expect business processes to be seamless across desktop, web and building outmobile devices. Acrobat on mobile devices can be used to create, edit, export, combine, collaborate on and share PDFs on the delivery of cloud-based document services to our Acrobatgo and Adobe Acrobat Reader users. We intend to continue promoting the capabilities of our cloud-based document solutions to millions of Acrobat users and hundreds of millions of Adobe Acrobat Reader users. Our Adobe Sign services provide a green alternative to costly paper-based solutions, and are an easier way for customers to manage their contract workflows. The Adobe Scan app for mobile devices can be used to capture paper documents as images and transform them into full-featured PDFs via Adobe Document Cloud services that can be shared immediately, essentially putting scanning capabilities in the pocket of every person. We are delivering PDF document services on the web, such as allowing users to create, convert and compress PDFs on Adobe.com. Our Adobe Sign service also provides a green alternative to costly paper-based solutions, and is a more modern and convenient way for customers to digitally manage their documents, processes and contract workflows. We believe that by growing the awareness of electronic signatures in the broader contract delivery and signing market, utilizing Adobe Sensei to enhance customer experiences through machine learning and AI, and continuing to add new capabilities

to our Adobe Scan and Adobe Sign offerings, we can help our customers migrate away from paper-based express mailing and adopt our solution to modernize and digitize document experiences, growing our revenue with this business in the process.
Digital Experience
Digital Experience Opportunity
Digital transformation is a macro trend that affects every business, government and educational institution today - making every business a digital business. Consumers today increasinglybuy experiences, not just products, and they demand personalized content andcompelling experiences in their digital interactions that are seamless across multiple channels and devices. Enterprises and brands recognize that customers have more choices and lower switching costs than ever before. In this new hyper-connected digital environment, it is the customer experience that differentiates brands and ultimately determines customer loyalty. As a result, businesses must figure outdetermine how to best attract, engage, acquire and retain customers in a digital world where the reach and quality of experiences directly impact success. Business customers are consumers too, and they increasingly have the same expectations, which are driving business-to-business (“B2B”) companies to deliver business-to-consumer (“B2C”) experiences with a “business-to-everyone” (“B2E”) strategy. Delivering the best experience to a consumer at a given moment requires the right combination of data, insights and content. Executivescontent across multiple channels in real time. To deliver these multi-channel experiences that are personalized to every customer, executives are increasingly demanding solutions that optimize their consumers’ experiences in real time and deliver the greatest return on their marketing and IT spend so they can demonstrate the successbusiness impact of their programs using objective metrics.

For the past decade, Adobe Experience Cloud has helped businesses provide exceptional experiences to their customers via a comprehensive suite of solutions. We believe there is now a significant opportunity to address these challenges of customer experience management and help our customers transform their businesses.businesses into “Experience Businesses.” The world’s leading brands are increasingly steering their marketing, advertising and development budgets toward digital experiences. As enterprises make this move to digital, our opportunity is accelerating as customers look forbrands seek vendors to help them navigate this transition. Enterprises needhave a mandate to ensure they deliver meaningful experiences to their consumers across digital channels and in areas such as sales, support and product interactions where consumers expect experiences to be consistent and personalized.
Our Adobe Experience Cloud business targets this large and growing opportunity to help companies deliver the most engaging customer experiences by providing an integrated, comprehensive set of solutions that includefor customer experience management. Together, our applications, services and platforms provide real-time data and insights, deliver content and personalization, enable customer journey management and provide platforms for commerce and advertising management. Our solutions address analytics, targeting, advertising optimization, digital experience management, marketing automation and engagement, cross-channel campaign management, content management, creative asset management, audience management, premium video deliverydigital commerce enablement, order management, predictive intelligence and monetization. TheseCollectively, these comprehensive solutions enable marketers to measure, personalize and optimize digital experiences across all channels for optimal performance.and touch points to drive stronger business performance throughout the customer journey.
We believe the market for Adobe Experience Cloud is large and rapidly expanding,growing as more businesses and industry analysts predict more advertising dollars will be spententerprises invest in digital than in traditional media in the future.solutions that aid their goals to transform how they engage with their customers and constituents digitally.
Digital Experience Strategy
Our goal is to be the leading provider of solutions that enable our customers to provide exceptional digital experiences. Our integrated cloud-based solutions for delivering digital experiences and enabling digital transformation. The Adobe Experience Cloud applications, services and platform are designed to manage customer journeys, enable enterprises to build personalized campaigns, manage advertising,shoppable experiences and gain deepdeliver intelligence about their customers.for businesses of any size in any industry. Our content and data platform provides differentiation and competitive advantage.
In March 2017, we migratedadvantage is strengthened by our hierarchy of solutions under what was formerly known as Adobe Marketing Cloudability to our next generation offering referred to asuse the Adobe Experience Cloud.Platform to connect our comprehensive set of solutions.
Adobe Experience Cloud consists ofdelivers the following cloud offerings:
Adobe Marketing Cloud—provides an integrated setsets of solutions to help marketers differentiate their brands and engage their customers, helping businesses manage, personalize, and orchestrate campaigns and customer journeys; includesfor our customers:
Data and insights. Our solutions deliver real-time customer profiles and intelligence across the customer journey. Adobe Analytics provides an experience system of intelligence for real-time cross-channel data, insights and activations across every channel. Adobe Audience Manager, our data management platform, helps digital publishers build unique audience profiles to identify the most valuable segments and use them across any digital channel. Adobe Experience Platform ingests, processes and stitches data across sources, channels and customer interactions in real time to create unified customer profiles. Adobe’s Real-time Customer Data Platform service, built on Adobe Experience Platform, enables brands to bring together known and unknown customer data, to activate customer profiles across channels and leverage intelligent decision-making throughout the customer journey. Our Customer Journey Analytics service brings a powerful set of analytics tools to omnichannel data in Adobe Experience Platform, providing brands viewing data across channels an easy, interactive way to dig deeper and uncover new insights, while making analytics more accessible across their organization.
Content and commerce. We offer solutions to help customers manage, deliver, test, target and optimize content delivery and enable shopping experiences that scale from mid-market to enterprise businesses. Our leading digital experience management solution, Adobe Experience Manager, helps customers organize, create, manage and deliver creative assets and other content across digital marketing channels, including web, mobile, email, communities and video, enabling customers to improve their market and brand perception and provide a personalized experience to their consumers. Adobe Target is a personalization engine that lets our customers test, target and optimize content using machine learning across multiple apps and the web. Magento Commerce, which integrates with Adobe Experience Manager, enables our customers to create content and promotions for storefronts on every platform and provides a highly customizable and scalable end-to-end platform to manage, personalize and optimize the commerce experience across every touchpoint by bringing together digital commerce, order management and predictive intelligence to enable engaging shopping experiences.
Customer journey management. Our solutions help businesses manage, personalize and orchestrate campaigns and customer journeys across B2E use cases. Adobe Campaign enables marketers to manage the B2C customer journey and use rich customer data to create, coordinate and deliver dynamic, personalized experiences that are synchronized across multiple channels and determined by each consumer’s behaviors and preferences. Marketo Engage is a complete customer experience management solution optimized for B2B, cross-channel campaigns requiring lead management, account-based marketing and revenue attribution technology by bringing together planning, engagement and measurement capabilities into an integrated marketing platform. Our Journey Orchestration service, built on Adobe

Experience Manager (“AEM”), Adobe Campaign, Adobe Target and Adobe Primetime.
Adobe Analytics Cloud—Platform, enables businesses to move from insightsdesign, orchestrate and measure event-driven, customer-led journeys across the entire customer lifecycle at the individual level to actions in real time by uniquely integrating audiences as the core system of intelligence for the enterprise; makes data availableintelligently anticipate every individual’s needs across all Adobe clouds through the capture, aggregation, rationalization and understanding of vast amounts of disparate data and then translating that data into singular customer profiles; includes Adobe Analytics and Adobe Audience Manager.their personal journey.
Adobe Advertising Cloud—delivers an end-to-end platform for managing advertising across traditional TV and digital formats, and simplifies the delivery of video, display and search advertising across channels and screens; combines capabilities from Adobe Media Optimizer (“AMO”) and Adobe’s acquisition of TubeMogul during the first quarter of fiscal 2017.
Advertising. Adobe Advertising Cloud delivers an end-to-end platform for managing advertising across traditional TV and digital formats, and simplifies the delivery of video, display and search advertising across channels and screens. Adobe Sensei enables machine learning and predictive intelligence and helps automate digital media buying to traditional TV advertising as well as ad creation. Adobe Advertising Cloud integrates with Adobe Creative Cloud products and combines capabilities from the Adobe Advertising Cloud Demand-Side Platform, Adobe Advertising Cloud Search, Adobe Advertising Cloud TV and Adobe Advertising Cloud Creative offerings.
We believe the artificial intelligenceAI and machine learning framework enabled by our strategy with Adobe Sensei enhances the delivery of digital experiences.  Adobe Experience Cloud offers domain-specific AI services powered by Adobe Sensei that work with Adobe Experience Platform to augment existing Experience Cloud product offerings. These AI services help provide domain-specific intelligence in areas such as attribution and automated insights, customer journey management, lead management, sentiment analysis, one-click personalization, enhanced anomaly detection and more. By building on existing features such as Enhanced Anomaly Detection, Auto-Target, and other capabilities,these AI-powered services, we believe Adobe Sensei will increase the value we provide our customers and create a competitive differentiation in the market.
Adobe Experience Cloud also offers an open platform and ecosystem through its multi-cloud foundation, the Adobe Experience Platform, AI services powered by Adobe Sensei, and developer services through Adobe I/O. Adobe Experience Platform standardizes data into an easily sharable format consumable by Adobe Sensei and provides an open and extensible cloud infrastructure for Adobe Experience Cloud that allows data to flow freely within the Adobe Experience Platform and between Adobe Experience Cloud solutions and third-party software. This open architecture offers scalability with a wide variety of supporting products and services, empowers users to quickly develop innovative applications to interact with consumers, and enables a broad industry ecosystem through our Open Data Initiative, an open alliance among Adobe, Microsoft, SAP and others.
To drive growth of Adobe Experience Cloud, we are focused on delivering the best customer experience management solutions for B2E, enterprise and mid-market through our applications, services and platform. We also intend to focus on customer engagement, partner leverage,growing within existing customer accounts, and product differentiation. We are expanding our customers to include Chief Information Officers and continuing to invest in Adobe Experience Platform integrations with Adobe Analytics and Adobe Audience Manager, as well as new services such as Customer Journey Analytics and our Real-time Customer Data Platform, to create a truly comprehensive customer data and insights offering. To give our customers increased flexibility and expand our reach, we are also delivering new functionality through additional services delivered on the Adobe Experience Platform such as Journey Orchestration. We utilize a direct sales force to market and license our Experience Cloud solutions, as well as an extensive ecosystem of partners, including marketing agencies, SIs and independent software vendorsISVs that help license and deploy our solutions to their customers. Strategic partnerships, such as the one we have formed with Microsoft, continue to increase our

market reach. We have made significant investments to broaden the scale and size of all of these routes to market and believe these investments will result in continued growth in revenue in our Digital Experience segment in fiscal 20182020 and beyond.
Publishing
Our Publishing segment contains legacy products and services that address diverse market opportunities including eLearning solutions, technical document publishing, web conferencing, document and forms platform, web application development and high-end printing. Graphics professionals and professional publishers continue to require quality, reliability and efficiency in production printing, and our Adobe PostScript and Adobe PDF printing technologies provide advanced functionality to meet the sophisticated requirements of this marketplace. As high-end printing systems evolve and transition to fully digital, composite workflows, we believe we are well positioned to be a supplier of software and technology based on the Adobe PostScript and Adobe PDF standards for use by this industry.
We generate revenue by licensing our technology to OEMs that manufacture workflow software, printers and other output devices. In fiscal 2017,2019, we maintained a relatively consistent quarterlyannual revenue run-rate with the mature products we market and license in our Publishing business.
In December 2017, in order to more closely align our Digital Experience business with the strategic growth opportunity, we moved two legacy enterprise software offerings from our Digital Experience segment to Publishing: our Adobe Connect web conferencing platform and Adobe LiveCycle, an enterprise document and forms platform. Since fiscal 2012, the focus of marketing and licensing these products has been to financial services and government markets, driven by a subset of our enterprise sales force. We have also been focused on migrating some legacy LiveCycle customers to an updated offering with similar capabilities based on our Adobe Experience Manager solution.

COMPETITION
The markets for our products and services are characterized by intense competition, new industry standards, evolving distribution models, disruptive technology developments, frequent product introductions, short product life cycles, price cutting with resulting downward pressure on gross margins and price sensitivity on the part of consumers. Our future success will depend on our ability to enhance and better integrate our existing products, introduce new products on a timely and cost-effective basis, meet changing customer needs, provide best-in-class information security to build customer confidence and combat cyber-attacks, extend our core technology into new applications and anticipate emerging standards, business models, software delivery methods and other technological changes.

Digital Media

No single company has offerings that match the capabilities of our Adobe Creative Cloud products and services, but we face collective competition from a variety of point offerings, free products and downloadable apps. Our competition includes offerings from companies such as Apple, Autodesk, Avid, Facebook, Corel, Microsoft, QuarkAffinity and others, as well as from many lower-end offerings. We believe our greatest advantage in this space is the performance and scope of our integrated solutions, which work together as part of Creative Cloud. With Creative Cloud, we compete favorably on the basis of features and functionality, ease of use, product reliability, value and performance characteristics.
Professional digital imaging, drawing and illustration products are characterized by feature-rich competition, brand awareness and price sensitivity. Competition in this space is also emerging with drawing and illustration applications on tablet and smartphone platforms. The demand for professional web page layout and professional web content creation tools is constantly evolving and highly volatile. In this area, we face direct and indirect competition from desktop software companies and various proprietary and open source web-authoring tools.
We face competition from device, hardware and camera manufacturers as they try to differentiate their offerings by bundling, for free, their own digital imaging software or those of our competitors. Similarly, we face potential competition from operating system manufacturers as they integrate or offer hobbyist-level digital imaging and image management features with their operating systems. We also face competition from smartphone and tablet manufacturers that integrate imaging and video software into their devices to work with cameras that come as part of their smartphone and tablet offerings. In addition, social networking platforms such as Facebook (including Instagram), Snapchat, Twitter, TikTok and Pinterest, as well as portal sites such as Google Bing and Yahoo!Bing are becoming a direct means to post, edit and share images,digital media, bypassing the step of using image editing and sharing software. Online storage and synchronization are becoming free and ubiquitous. Consumers will be encouraged to use the image and video editing software offered by those storage products, thus competing with our software.
In addition, the needs of digital imaging and video editing software users are constantly evolving due to rapid technology and hardware advancements in digital cameras, digital video cameras, printers, personal computers, tablets, smartphones and other

new devices. Our imaging and video offerings, including Photoshop, Lightroom, After Effects, Premiere Pro and Premiere Pro,Rush, face competition from established and emerging companies offering similar products.
New image editing applications for mobile devices and tablets with features that compete with our professional tools are also emerging as adoption of these devices grows. Our consumer digital imaging and video editing offerings are subject to intense competition, including customer price sensitivity and competitor brand awareness. We face direct and indirect competition in the consumer digital imaging space from a number of companies whose market software competes with our offerings.
Applications and tools for experience and interface design and prototyping are still emerging and evolving as adoption of these tools by designers, design teams and larger organizations grows. Competitors to Adobe XD include Figma, Invision and Sketch. Partnerships and integrations between these companies and third parties create an increasingly competitive landscape in this space.
The universe of applications for 3D texturing and material authoring as well as other applications and tools in the areas of 3D, augmented reality and immersive design are still developing and advancing as adoption grows and new use cases emerge. Adobe’s Substance suite of applications and Adobe Aero face competition from both hardware and software players in these nascent fields and competitors include Autodesk, Foundry, Quixel and Unity.
The stock content marketplace has significant competition, especially in the microstock segment, where Adobe primarily operates today with our Adobe Stock offering. Key competitors in this segment include Shutterstock, Getty Images and a number of smaller companies. Adobe Stock’s deepDeep product integration with Adobe Creative Cloud and superior reach and relationships with creative professionals around the world differentiate our Adobe Stock offerings.

The nature of traditional digital document creation, storage, collaboration and collaborationsigning has been rapidly evolving as knowledge workers and consumers shift their behavior increasingly to non-desktop workflows. Competitors like Microsoft, Google, Box, Dropbox and DropboxDocuSign all offer competitive alternatives to our Adobe Document Cloud business for creating and managing PDFs.PDFs and e-signatures. In addition, other PDF creation solutions can be found at a low cost or for free on the web or via mobile applications. To address these competitive threats, we are working to ensure our Adobe Document Cloud applications stay at the forefront of innovation in emerging opportunities such as PDF document generation, document collaboration and document security, document workflow management, easeful software integrations, enablement of paper to digital transformations, and have developedaccessibility and usability on multiple devices, including mobile solutions such as Adobe Scan.
As e-signatures are quickly becoming a core element of digital documents, competitors to Adobe Sign such as DocuSign have emerged. Partnerships and integrations between these companies and third-parties create an increasingly competitive landscape in this space.

desktop.
Digital Experience

The markets in which our Digital Experience business unit competes are growing rapidly and characterized by intense competition. Our Adobe Experience Cloud solutions face competition from large companies such as Google, IBM, Marketo, Oracle, salesforce.com, SAP, SAS, Verizon, TeradataShopify, Sitecore and others, in addition to point product solutions and focused competitors. Additionally, new competitors are constantly entering these markets. Some of these competitors provide SaaS solutions to customers, generally through a web browser, while others provide software that is installed by customers directly on their servers. In addition, we compete at times with our customers’ or potential customers’ internally developed applications. Of the competitors listed above, no single company has products identical in breadth and depth to our Adobe Experience Cloud offerings. Adobe Experience Cloud competes in a variety of areas, including: reporting and analytics; cross-channel marketing and optimization; online and social marketing; audience management; advertising and real-time bidding technology; video delivery and monetization;marketing automation; customer data platforms; digital commerce enablement; order management; web experience management; customer experience management and others.
Large software, internet and database management companies have expanded their offerings in the digital experience area, either by developing competing services or by acquiring existing competitors or strategic partners of ours. We believe competitive factors in our markets include the proven performance, security, scalability, flexibility and reliability of services; the strategic relationships and integration with third-party applications; the intuitiveness and visual appeal of user interfaces; demonstrable cost-effective benefits to customers; pricing; the flexibility of services to match changing business demands; enterprise-level customer service and training; perceived market leadership; the usability of services; real-time data and reporting; independence from portals and search engines; the ability to deploy the services globally; and success in educating customers in how to utilize services effectively. We believe we compete favorably with both the enterprise and low-cost alternatives based on many of these competitive factors including our strong feature set, the breadth of our offerings, our focus on global, multi-brand companies, our superior user experience, tools for building multi-screen, cross-channel applications, standards-based architecture, scalability and performance and leadership in industry standards efforts.
Creative and digital agencies, as well as SIs, are increasingly investing in acquiring their own digital experience technology to complement their creative services offerings. Adobe may face competition from these agencies and SIs as they come to market with best-of-breed offerings in one or more digital experience capabilities, or if agencies attempt to create a more complete technology platform offering. We believe our creative tools heritage differentiates us from our competitors. We have worked closely with marketing and creative customers for over 30 years. We also believe we have leadership in this space, with current customers representing leading global brands. Our comprehensive solutions extend more broadly than any other company in serving the needs of marketers and addressing this market opportunity; we integrate content and data, analytics, personalization, digital experience management, marketing automation, cross-channel campaign management, digital commerce, audience management video delivery and monetization and social capabilitiescustomer intelligence in our Adobe Experience Cloud. Most importantly, we provide a vision for our digital experienceDigital Experience customers as we

engage with them across the important aspects of their business, extending from their use of Adobe Creative Cloud and Adobe Document Cloud to how they manage, deliver, measure and monetize their content, participate in digital commerce, and create highly personalized and engaging shoppable experiences with our Experience Cloud.

Publishing

Our Publishing product offerings face competition from large-scale publishing systems, XML-based publishing companies, as well as lower-end desktop publishing products. Similarly, our web conferencing product faces competition from a number of established products from other companies, including Cisco, Citrix and Microsoft. Competition involves a number of factors, including: product features, ease-of-use, printer service support, the level of customization and integration with other publishing system components, the number of hardware platforms supported, service and price. We believe we can successfully compete based upon the quality and features of our products, our strong brand among users, the widespread adoption of our products among printer service bureaus, and our extensive application programming interfaces.

In printing technologies, we believe the principal competitive factors for OEMs in selecting a page description language or a printing technology are product capabilities, market leadership, reliability, price, support and engineering development assistance. We believe that our competitive advantages include our technology competency, OEM customer relationships and our intellectual property portfolio.

PRINCIPAL PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
Digital Media Offerings
Creative Cloud
Adobe Creative Cloud is a cloud-based subscription offering that enables creative professionals and enthusiasts alike to express themselves with apps and services for video, design, photography and the web that connect across devices, platforms and geographies. Members have access to a vibrant creative community, publishing services to deliver apps and websites, cloud storage to easily access their work, the ability to sync their files to virtually any device, collaboration capabilities with team members, and new products and exclusive updates as they are developed. Creative Cloud members can build a Creative Profile which persists wherever they are. A user’s Creative Profile moves with them via Creative Cloud services from app to app and device to device, giving them immediate access to their personal files, photos, brushes, graphics, colors, fonts, text styles, desktop setting customizations and other important assets. Creative Cloud subscriptions include allAll of the applications listed below and many more.more are available through subscriptions to Creative Cloud.
Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Lightroom
Adobe Photoshop is the world’s most advanced digital imaging solution.and design app. It is used by photographers, designers, animators, web professionals and video professionals, and is available to Adobe Creative Cloud subscribers.subscribers on both desktop and iPad. Lightroom, CC, our new cloud-based photo service for editing, organizing, storing and sharing photos, is also available to Creative Cloud subscribers.subscribers on desktop, tablet and mobile devices. Customers can also subscribe to Photoshop or Lightroom CC as individual cloud-enabled subscription products, or through our Photography Plan, which is a cloud-enabled offering targeted at photographers and photo hobbyists and includes Photoshop, Lightroom, CC, integrated cloud services, and Lightroom Classic.Classic, a desktop-only version of the photo service app.
We also offer Photoshop Elements, which is targeted at consumers who desire the brand and power of Photoshop through an easy-to-use interface. For tablet and smartphone users, we offer several mobile apps including Photoshop Sketch, Photoshop Mix, Photoshop Express Lightroom for mobile and Photoshop Fix—Fix – all of which enable sophisticated photo editing and content creation using a touch-based interface on tablet and mobile devices.
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Illustrator is our industry-standard vector graphics solutionapp used worldwide by designers of all types who want to create digital graphics and illustrations from web icons and product packaging to book illustrations and billboards, and for all kinds of media: print, web, interactive, video and mobile. Illustrator is available to Adobe Creative Cloud subscribers, and customers can also subscribe to use it as an individual subscription product. Users can also utilize mobile apps such as Illustrator Draw to gain access to Illustrator capabilities on their tablets and mobile devices, and seamlessly sync their work across apps and devices through Adobe CreativeSync technology, including for use with Illustrator on their desktop. Illustrator will also be available on iPad starting in 2020.
Adobe XDFresco
Adobe XDFresco (formerly Project Gemini) is our all-in-one UX/UI solutionan illustration app designed for designing websites, mobile appsthe latest stylus and moretouch devices that is designedbrings together the world’s largest collection of vector and raster brushes, plus revolutionary new Live Brushes, to enable usersdeliver a completely natural painting and drawing experience for artists, illustrators, animators, sketchers and anyone who wants to go from concept to prototype faster. It contains intuitive tools that deliver precisiondiscover - or rediscover - the joy of drawing and performance using timesaving features like Repeat Grid and flexible artboards to create everything from low-fidelity wireframes to fully interactive prototypes for any screen in minutes.painting. Live Brushes, powered by Adobe XD also makes it easy to share prototypes with teammates via the web and show colleagues how

multiscreen experiencesSensei, look, feel and workact just like real watercolors that bloom and bleed in real time or oil that can be swirled and smudged on canvas. Tight integration with a single click. Adobe XDCreative Cloud enables customers to start their projects on tablet devices and move seamlessly to desktop, with all files, brushes, fonts and assets synced across devices through Adobe Creative Cloud. A free version of Adobe Fresco is available toand a premium version is offered as part of Adobe Creative Cloud, subscribers,as part of an Adobe Photoshop subscription plan, or as a standalone subscription for individuals, teams, education or enterprises. Adobe Fresco is available for iPad, Microsoft Surface computers and customers can also subscribe to use it as an individual cloud-enabled subscription product.Wacom Mobile Studio devices.
Adobe InDesign
Adobe InDesign is the leading professional pageindustry-leading design and layout softwareapp for print and digital publishing.media. Our customers use it to design,create, preflight and publish a broad range of content including newspapers and magazines for print, online and tablet app delivery. CustomersFrom

stationery, fliers and posters to brochures, annual reports, magazines and books with professional layout and typesetting tools, customers can create simple or complex layouts quicklymulticolumn pages that feature stylish typography and efficiently with precise control over typography, built-in creative tools,rich graphics, images and an intuitive design environment.tables. Tight integration with other Adobe offerings such as Photoshop, Illustrator and Acrobat enables customers to work productively in print and digital workflows. InDesign integrates seamlessly with Adobe InCopy, so customers can work on layouts simultaneously with writers and editors. Customers can also access Adobe digital publishing capabilities from within InDesign to create and publish engaging apps for a broad range of devices, including iOS, Android and Amazon-based devices. InDesign is available to Adobe Creative Cloud subscribers, and customers can also subscribe to use InDesign as an individual cloud-enabled subscription product.
Adobe Stock
Adobe Stock provides designers and businesses with access to millions of high-quality, curated, royalty-free photos, vectors, illustrations, videos, templates and 3D assets, for all their creative projects. Adobe Stock is built into Adobe Creative Cloud apps, including Photoshop , Illustrator and InDesign, enabling users to search, browse, and add images to their Creative Cloud Libraries, and obtain instant access to assets across desktop and mobile devices. Adobe Stock assets may be licensed directly within the Creative Cloud desktop apps, through stock.adobe.com or as a multi-asset subscription.
Adobe XD
Adobe XD is our all-in-one experience design (XD) solution used to build user experiences (UX) and user interfaces (UI) when designing websites, mobile apps and more; Adobe XD enables users to go from concept to prototype faster. Adobe XD brings design and prototyping together with fast, intuitive tools that deliver precision and performance using timesaving features like Responsive Resize, Repeat Grid, Auto-Animate and flexible artboards to create everything from low-fidelity wireframes to fully interactive prototypes for any size screen in minutes. Adobe XD also makes it easy to, with a single click, share and collaborate on designs and prototypes with teammates and allow multiple colleagues on multiple devices to simultaneously make changes to the same document in real time, with support for version control. Adobe XD offers prototyping capabilities that no other design tools offer by allowing designers to design, prototype and share digital experiences that extend beyond the screen, including keyboard and gamepad triggers for desktop and console-based experiences, and voice prototyping to create audio interactions for voice-based smart assistants and other similar platforms. Adobe XD also enables users to share and reuse assets with design systems that can scale as teams and organizations grow. Adobe XD is available to Adobe Creative Cloud subscribers, and individuals and teams can also subscribe to use it as an individual cloud-enabled subscription product. A free version is also available.
Adobe Premiere Pro and Adobe Premiere Rush
Adobe Premiere Pro is a leading nonlinear video editing tool used by video professionals.filmmakers, TV editors, YouTubers and videographers. Customers can import and combine various types of media, from video shot on a smartphone to 8K to virtual reality, and then edit in its native format without transcoding. Premiere Pro supports a vast majority of formats, and customers can use multiple graphics cards to accelerate, render and export times. As part of Creative Cloud, Premiere Pro is the only nonlinear editor that lets users have multiple projects open while simultaneously collaborating on a single project with their team. Automated tools powered by Adobe Sensei like Auto-Reframe save time and workflows for color, graphics, audio and immersive 360/VR in Premiere Pro take customers from first edit to final credits faster than ever. Adobe Premiere Rush (formerly Project Rush) is an all-in-one, easy-to-use video editing app that simplifies video creation and sharing on platforms including YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, while delivering professional quality video results. Premiere Rush is uniquely positioned toward social media marketers, video bloggers and video enthusiasts who are looking for an all-in-one app to create and directly share online videos. Premiere Pro and Premiere Rush tightly integratesintegrate with other Adobe creative applications. Customers can also subscribeapplications and are available to use it as an individual cloud-enabled subscription product.
Adobe Dimension
Adobe Dimension (formerly Project Felix) is our newly released product that is designed to make it easy for graphic designers to create high-quality, photorealistic 3D images. Users can composite 2D and 3D assets to build product shots, scene visualizations, and abstract art. Dimension integrates well with other Adobe apps. Users can drag and drop background images from Photoshop and 3D models from Adobe Stock - without leaving Dimension. Dimension is available to Creative Cloud subscribers, and customers can also subscribe to use itPremiere Pro and Premiere Rush as an individual cloud-enabled subscription product.products, or they can download the free Premiere Rush starter plan.
Adobe After Effects
Adobe After Effects is our industry-leading animationindustry-standard motion graphics and creative compositing solutionvisual effects app used by a wide variety of motion graphicsanimators, designers and visualcompositors to create cinematic movie titles, remove objects from videos, apply countless effects artists.and create animations. It offers superior control, a wealth of creative options and integration with other post-production applications. After Effects works together seamlessly with other Adobe apps such as Premiere Pro, Photoshop, Illustrator, Adobe XD and Adobe Audition. After Effects is available to Adobe Creative Cloud subscribers, and customers can also subscribe to use it as an individual cloud-enabled subscription product.
TypekitAdobe Dimension
Adobe TypekitDimension is designed to make it easy for graphic designers to compose, adjust and render high-quality, photorealistic 3D images. Users can composite 2D and 3D assets to create product shots, craft photorealistic scenes and visualize branding, packaging and logo designs in 3D with photorealistic renderings. Dimension integrates well with other Adobe apps. Users can

drag and drop background images from Photoshop, geometry from Substance Painter and 3D models from Adobe Stock - without leaving Dimension. Dimension is available to Adobe Creative Cloud subscribers, and customers can also subscribe to use it as an individual cloud-enabled subscription product.
Adobe Aero
Adobe Aero (formerly Project Aero) is our free iOS application for viewing, building and sharing immersive and interactive augmented reality experiences. Users can directly import 2D and 3D assets created in Adobe applications like Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Dimension and Substance by Adobe, as well as third-party applications like Cinema4D, and bring them to life with animations and interactive triggers. Adobe Aero automatically optimizes these assets for augmented reality and uses machine learning technology to mimic real-world lighting on objects without the need for complex models or time-consuming manual rendering. Adobe Aero is available for free on the iOS App Store.
Substance by Adobe
On January 23, 2019, Adobe acquired Allegorithmic, a privately held 3D editing and authoring software company for gaming and entertainment, and began integrating it into Adobe Creative Cloud as Substance by Adobe. Substance by Adobe is a suite of tools, comprised of Substance Painter, Substance Source, Substance Alchemist and Substance Designer, for 3D texturing and materials authoring that enables users to get all the details just right in their 3D creations. Substance Painter allows users to nondestructively paint 3D textures on models in real time with smart materials that adjust to any object to show realistic wear and tear. Substance Source is a 3D materials library from which users can import professional quality 3D textures into their projects and generate infinite texture variations. Substance Alchemist allows users to create collections of 3D textures and materials, mix and tweak existing materials and even create new materials from the real world using photographs and high-resolution scans. Substance Designer is the industry standard texture authoring tool for precisely creating custom materials with complete nondestructive authoring control. Substance integrates well with other Adobe apps like Dimension, as well as game engines like Epic Games’ Unreal Engine 4, Unity, Autodesk’s Maya and 3ds Max and more. Customers can also subscribe to use Substance as an individual subscription product.
Adobe Fonts
Adobe Fonts brings thousands of fonts from foundry partners into one library for quick browsing, easy use on the web or on the user’s desktop and endless typographic inspiration. Our full library of commercially-licensed fonts is offered through Adobe Creative Cloud. In addition, customers may subscribe to the standalone TypekitAdobe Fonts portfolio plan, or license individual fonts infrom the Adobe TypekitFonts Marketplace.
Behance
Behance is the leading social community to showcase and discover creative work online. Adobe Portfolio allows users to quickly and simply build a fully customizable and hosted website that seamlessly syncs with Behance.
Adobe Spark
Adobe Spark is our integrated web and mobile software for creating and sharing impactful visual stories. Designed for everyday communication, AdobeSparkAdobe Spark empowers users to create stunning visual contenttransform text, photos and videos into dynamic web stories, video stories or professional-looking graphics for social media that engagesengage audiences across multiple channels and on any device. The Adobe Spark web app seamlessly syncs with the Spark Post, Spark Page and Spark Video iOS mobile apps (with Spark Post also available as an Android app), allowing users to create, edit and share their story from any location regardless of their design experience. Adobe Spark with premium features allows users to apply custom branding to anything they create; the premium product is offered as part of any Adobe Creative Cloud plan or as a standalone subscription.subscription for individuals, teams, education or enterprises. A free version is also still available to attract new users.available.
Acrobat and Adobe Document Cloud
Adobe Document Cloud is a cloud-based subscription offering that enables complete, portfolio of securereliable and automated digital document solutions that speedand signature workflows across desktop, mobile, web and third-party enterprise applications to drive business transactions through streamlined digital workflows.productivity for individuals, teams, small businesses and enterprises. With Adobe Document Cloud, users can create, review, approve, sign and track documents, and store them in Document Cloud for easy access and sharing, whether on a desktop or mobile device.

Document Cloud includes Adobe Acrobat DC, Adobe Sign, Adobe Scan and other Document Cloud apps and services that work standalone or integrate with users’ existing productivity apps, processes and systems.
At the heart of Adobe Document Cloud is Adobe Acrobat DC, the industry standard for PDF creation and conversion. Acrobat enables users to create secure, reliable and compact Adobe PDF documents from desktop authoring applications such as Microsoft

Office software, graphics applications and more. Acrobat enables automated collaborative workflows with a rich set of commenting tools and review tracking features and includes everything needed to create and distribute rich, secure electronic documents that can be viewed easily within leading web browsers or on computer desktops via the free Adobe Acrobat Reader DC.Reader.
Adobe Acrobat is available to both Adobe Creative Cloud and Adobe Document Cloud subscribers. Customers can also license Acrobat Pro DC or Acrobat Standard DC (which has a subset of Acrobat Pro DC features) as individual point products either asavailable through a cloud-enabled subscription or in the form of desktop software.subscription. Adobe Acrobat is also available as a free mobile app that allows users to view, annotate, and scan documents. Acrobat Reader, is our free software for reliable viewing, searching, reviewingannotating and printing of Adobe PDF documents on a variety of hardwaredesktop and operating system platforms.mobile platforms, offers additional features for subscribers to Adobe Document Cloud or Adobe Acrobat DC that enables subscribers to create, edit, export, combine, share and collaborate on PDF documents on mobile devices. Users of both Acrobat and Acrobat Reader can also access, edit and save changes to their PDF files stored onin the Adobe Document Cloud, or other third-party cloud storage services, including Box, Dropbox, website or mobile app.Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive.
Adobe Scan can be used for free on mobile devices to provide scanning capabilities in the pocket of every person. It captures paper documents as images and transforms them into full-featured and versatile PDFs via Adobe Document Cloud services for instant sharing with others.
Our Adobe Sign cloud-based e-signature services, which can be accessed as part of Document Cloud, allowservice allows users to securely electronically send and sign any document from any device. As well as being available on the web, Adobe Sign has a mobile app companion allowingthat allows users to e-sign documents and forms, send them for signature, track responses in real-time,real time and obtain instant signatures with in-person signing. ItAdobe Sign also integrates with users’ enterprise systems through a comprehensive set of applicable programming interfaces, and Adobe Experience Manager Forms and Advanced Workflows for Adobe Sign, to create forms and provide seamless experiences to customers across web and mobile sites. Adobe Sign is Microsoft’s preferred e-sign solution and is integrated into Microsoft Office 365, Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Microsoft SharePoint.
Digital Experience Offerings
Adobe Experience Cloud Productsis a comprehensive collection of best-in-class solutions for advertising, analytics, marketing and Services
Adobecommerce, all integrated on a cloud platform, along with service, support and an open ecosystem. Experience Cloud includesis comprised of the following sets of solutions for our Marketing Cloud, Analytics Cloud,customers: Data and Insights, Content and Commerce, Customer Journey Management and Advertising, Cloud offerings, which are each described below.
Adobe Marketing CloudData and Insights
Adobe Marketing Cloud providesOur Data and Insights solutions deliver real-time customer profiles and intelligence across the customer journey with a complete set of integrated digital marketing solutions. It contains everything necessary to deliver first-class digital experiences. Adobe Marketing Cloud enables our customers to manage their contentunified, purpose-built platform for customer experience management, a data management platform and assets, grow audiences and increase engagement to optimize customer experiences; personalize content and deliver optimized experiences at scale that are meaningful to each of their customers; and orchestrate individual cross-channel campaigns that encourage meaningful customer experiences. Adobe Marketing Cloud also provides a solution that allows our customers to monetize video experiences.analytics. The following is a brief description of theour solutions that comprise the Adobe Marketing Cloud.for Data and Insights.
Adobe Experience ManagerPlatform
Adobe Experience ManagerPlatform is a leading digitalthe industry’s first purpose-built platform for customer experience management solution that helps customers organize, create,users ingest, process and manage the delivery of creative assetsstitch together known and other contentunknown customer data from every customer interaction across digital marketingmultiple channels including web, mobile, email, communities and video. It enables customers to manage content on premise or host it in the cloud, delivering agile and rapid deployment. With this ultimate control of content and campaigns, our customers can deliver real-time and personalized experiences to their consumers that help build the customers’ brand, drive demand and extend reach.real time into unified customer profiles. Adobe Experience Manager includes digital asset management, web content management, digital publishing, integrated mobile app development, enterprise-level forms management,Platform standardizes data into an easily sharable format consumable by Adobe Sensei and social capabilities, providing customersprovides an open and extensible cloud infrastructure which allows that data to flow freely within the Adobe Experience Platform and between Adobe applications and services and third-party software. This open architecture offers scalability with tools enablinga wide variety of supporting products and services, empowers users to improve their marketquickly develop innovative applications to interact with consumers and brand perceptionenables a broad industry ecosystem through our Open Data Initiative, an open alliance among Adobe, Microsoft and provide a personalized experienceSAP. Adobe Experience Platform also offers Query Service and Data Science Workspace, which enable users to their consumers.
gain deeper insights from stored datasets, and customer journey intelligence, which leverages predefined data-driven operational best practices, AI and business intelligence to enable and optimize real-time decisions, actions and business processes. Users are able to leverage Adobe Campaign
Adobe Campaign enables marketersExperience Platform to orchestrate personalized experiences determined by each consumer’s behaviors and preferences. As part of its feature set, Adobe Campaign provides visual campaign orchestration, allowing for intuitive design and automated consumer experiencesactivate insights across channels, from one-off campaigns to triggered messages, with a graphically rich interface. Marketers can also integrate consumer data from across marketing channels to develop and deliver more relevant marketing experiences to their consumers. Features also include targeted segmentation, multilingual email execution, real-time interaction, in-app messaging, and operational reporting to easily see how well campaigns are performing.



Adobe Target
Adobe Target lets our customers test, target and personalize content across multiple devices. With Adobe Target, our customers have the tools they need to quickly discover what gets noticed, what increases conversion, and what keeps consumers coming back for more. It paves a path from simple testing to targeting to true segmentation and optimization through A/B and multivariate testing, content targeting and automated decision-making. Adobe Target capabilities also enable our customers to test and target adaptive or responsive mobile web experiences.
Adobe Primetime
Adobe Primetime is a multiscreen TV platform that helps broadcasters, cable networks, and service providers create and monetize engaging, personalized viewing experiences. When integrated withall Adobe Experience Cloud solutions, media sellers can optimize campaign and advertisement delivery in real time.
Adobe Analytics Cloud
Adobe Analytics Cloud provides a core intelligence engine for enterprises that allow customers to put real-time insights into action. With Adobe Analytics Cloud, enterprise-level marketing analytics is made understandable and accessible to everyone in the organization; targeting is improved, as our customers can connect their analytics with real-time activation so the transition from insight to action is fast; users are provided with an objective view of their customers’ journeys across every device and channel that helps them achieve better understanding of their ROI; and segmentation is more precise as our customers can discover and create high-value audiences and understand the best way to reach them. The following is a brief description of the solutions that comprise the Adobe Analytics Cloud.applications.
Adobe Analytics
Adobe Analytics is our industry leading solution that helps our customers create a holistic view of their business by turning consumer interactions into actionable insights. Adobe Analytics enables web, social, video, mobile, attribution and predictive analytics to continuously improve the performance of marketing activities and better direct our customers’ marketing spend. From attribution and predictive modeling to contribution analysis and propensity scoring, Adobe Analytics is immersed in machine learning and AI. With intuitive and interactive dashboards and reports, our customers can sift, sort and share real-time information to provide insights that can be used to identify problems and opportunities and to drive conversion and relevant consumer experiences. Our Analysis Workspace provides a robust, flexible canvas for creating and curating reusable analysis projects that

are customized to their needs. Adobe Analytics enables web, social, video, mobile, attribution,lets users capture, analyze and predictive analytics acrossintegrate data from virtually any source, both online and offline, channelsfrom web, email and CRM to continuously improve the performance of marketing activities. It also provides the ability to perform advanced ad-hoc segmentationvoice, IoT and to integrate data from offline and third-party sources. Adobe Analytics is available in four plans that contain various features and add-ons to meet the needs of our customers’ businesses.connected car data.
Adobe Audience Manager
Adobe Audience Manager is a data management platform that helps digital publishers build unique audience profiles to identify the most valuable segments and use them across any digital channel. Adobe Audience Manager consolidates audience information from all available sources. It then identifies, quantifies and optimizes high-value target audiences, which can then be offered to advertisers via an integrated, secure, privacy-friendly management system that works across all advertising distribution platforms. Adobe Audience Manager provides access to multiple data sources, offering digital publishers the ability to use a wide variety of third-party data as well as Audience Manager’s private data co-op.
Customer Journey Analytics
Our Customer Journey Analytics service, built on Adobe Experience Platform, brings a powerful set of analytics tools that stitch and analyze cross-channel data to deliver comprehensive customer journey insights that allow our customers to more easily deliver consistent experiences regardless of channel. This service provides brands viewing data across channels with an easy, interactive way to dig deeper and uncover new insights with omnichannel data analysis, while making analytics more accessible across their organization. The Customer Journey Analytics interface democratizes data analysis by allowing users to creatively and intelligently visualize their customer data and gather collections of insights for different audiences in real time by manipulating layers of data.
Real-Time Customer Data Platform
Our Real-time Customer Data Platform, built on Adobe Experience Platform, uses customer data to instantly personalize experiences. It does so by activating Adobe Experience Platform’s unified customer profiles across channels to leverage intelligent decision making throughout the customer journey and deliver hyper-personalized experiences across all known channels and devices. The Real-time Customer Data Platform utilizes an open and extensible architecture that allows integration with a variety of data sources and activation touchpoints and provides continuous data refreshes to keep customer profiles updated in real time.
Content and Commerce
Our Content and Commerce solutions help customers manage, deliver, test, target and optimize content delivery and enable shopping experiences that scale from mid-market to enterprise businesses. The following is a brief description of our solutions for Content and Commerce.
Adobe Experience Manager
Adobe Experience Manager is a leading digital experience management solution that uses AI tools to help customers organize, create and manage the delivery of creative assets and other content across digital marketing channels, including web, mobile, email, communities and video. It enables customers to manage content on premise or host it in the cloud, delivering agile and rapid deployment. With this ultimate control of content and campaigns, our customers can deliver real-time and personalized experiences to their consumers that help build customers’ brands, drive demand and extend reach. Adobe Experience Manager includes digital asset management, web content management, digital publishing and enterprise-level forms management. These tools enable customers to improve their market and brand perception and provide a personalized experience to their consumers.
Adobe Target
Adobe Target is a personalization engine that lets our customers test, target and optimize content using machine learning across multiple apps and the web. With Adobe Target, our customers have the tools they need to quickly discover what gets noticed and what increases conversion and engagement. It paves a path from simple testing to targeting to true segmentation and optimization through A/B and multivariate testing, AI-powered automation at scale, content targeting and automated decision making. Adobe Target capabilities also enable our customers to test and target adaptive or responsive mobile web experiences.
Magento Commerce
Magento Commerce offers digital commerce enablement and order orchestration for both physical and digital goods across a range of industries, including consumer packaged goods, retail, wholesale, manufacturing and the public sector. Magento Commerce brings together digital commerce, order management and predictive intelligence to enable shopping experiences that scale from mid-market to enterprise businesses. Based on an open-source ecosystem, Magento Commerce extends beyond the web shopping cart to every shoppable experience, including email, mobile, in-store and marketplaces. Magento Commerce also

integrates with Adobe Experience Manager to enable the user-friendly creation and deployment of content and promotions for shopping experiences that integrate seamlessly across mobile, social or in-store.
Customer Journey Management
Our Customer Journey Management solutions enable our customers to manage and orchestrate individual cross-channel campaigns that encourage meaningful customer experiences; personalize content and deliver optimized experiences at scale that are meaningful to each of their customers; and plan, orchestrate and measure engagement with their prospects and customers at every stage of the customer journey, across B2E use cases. The following is a brief description of our solutions for Customer Journey Management.
Adobe Campaign
Adobe Campaign is optimized for B2C experiences involving high volume email and cross-channel campaign management. Adobe Campaign enables marketers to manage the customer journey and use rich customer data to create, coordinate and deliver dynamic, personalized experiences that are synchronized across multiple channels and determined by each consumer’s behaviors and preferences. As part of its feature set, Adobe Campaign provides visual campaign orchestration, allowing for intuitive design and automated consumer experiences across channels, from one-off campaigns to triggered messages, with a graphically rich interface. Marketers can also integrate consumer data from across marketing channels to develop and deliver more relevant marketing experiences to their consumers through email, mobile, offline channels and more. Features also include targeted segmentation, multilingual email execution, real-time interaction, in-app messaging and operational reporting to easily see how well campaigns are performing.
Marketo Engage
Marketo Engage is a complete customer experience management solution optimized for B2B, cross-channel campaigns requiring lead management, account-based marketing and revenue attribution technology by bringing together planning, engagement and measurement capabilities into an integrated marketing platform. Marketo Engage simplifies how companies plan, orchestrate and measure engagement with prospects and customers at every stage of their experience and allows companies to better align marketing and sales at every touchpoint to engage high priority accounts. It offers a feature-rich and cloud-native platform with a set of solutions for delivering transformative customer experiences across industries and companies of all sizes.
Journey Orchestration
Our Journey Orchestration service, built on Adobe Experience Platform, enables businesses to design, orchestrate and measure event-driven, customer-led journeys across the entire customer lifecycle at the individual level to intelligently anticipate every individual’s needs across their personal journey. It allows businesses to trigger individual journeys, apply conditions in real time to qualify events and personalize journeys, as well as visually map individual journeys across all systems in an intuitive workflow-based interface. Journey Orchestration also allows businesses to track detailed performance of executed journeys and how individuals are progressing in real time, with data automatically sent to Adobe Experience Platform to allow full-funnel analysis.
Advertising Cloud
Adobe Advertising Cloud is an end-to-end, independent platform for managing advertising across traditional TVthat unifies and digital formats.automates all media, screens, data and creativity at scale. With Adobe Advertising Cloud and its use of Adobe Sensei AI and data integrations, customers can identify and amplify their high-value audiences for more personal and accurate targeting; seamlessly unite creative, data and media buying across all screens and formats; protect their brand by preventing their campaigns from mixing with content and properties that do not align with their image; scale bidding and optimization strategies; implement programmatic creative management using automated advertisement creation for both prospecting and retargeting customers; generate advertisements at scale using Adobe Creative Cloud apps; and use data insights that reveal customers’ interests and past behaviors to create relevant, targeted ads. Adobe Advertising Cloud includes Adobe Advertising Cloud Demand Side Platform, Adobe Advertising Cloud Search, Adobe Advertising Cloud TV and Adobe Advertising Cloud Creative offerings.
Adobe Advertising Cloud DSP is comprisedthe first independent, omnichannel demand-side platform that brings cross-screen and cross-channel integrations for planning, buying, measurement and optimization and supports all forms of TV (linear, addressable and connected), video, display, native, audio, social and search campaigns. It builds identities, finds optimal mixes to reach audiences and manages tactics that span multiple sites simultaneously, effortlessly and nearly instantly. Adobe Advertising Cloud Search brings customers the most comprehensive search management through the automation of search, shopping and retargeting campaigns by offering model transparency and accuracy reports that give insight into actual performance rather than just forecasts for clicks, cost and revenue. With intuitive navigation and time-saving workflows, it delivers powerful, real-time integration with

Adobe Analytics, Adobe Audience Manager and Adobe Campaign and connects users’ data, audience segments and other marketing channels to get a bird’s-eye view of their performance. Adobe Advertising Cloud TV uses data and automation to help customers make smarter TV buying decisions, deliver precision against their audiences and increase the impact of their TV advertising with access to over 30,000 audience data attributes. As part of the Adobe Media Optimizer offerings described below.
Advertising Cloud DSP, Adobe Media Optimizer Search
Advertising Cloud Creative uniquely brings together designers and marketing professionals in a self-serve, intuitive interface with direct integration with Adobe Media Optimizer Search allows customersCreative Cloud apps that enhances collaboration between customers’ ad production and media teams and enables users to simulate and quickly act upon the best and most profitable options in their search marketing strategy. Specifically, it provides customers with sophisticated models to test and visualize the expected traffic and conversion for keywords, ad placements, and product targets. Adobe Media Optimizer Search also enables customers to run models to determine the highest performing mixautomatically create thousands of advertisingads at varied spend levels across portfolios and then validate assumptions with reports based on models and data.
Adobe Media Optimizer Demand Side Platform (DSP)
Adobe Media Optimizer DSP (formerly TubeMogul) is a unified cross-channel solution that allows customers to streamline global advertising from a single platform. With Adobe Media Optimizer DSP, customers can intelligently target their most valuable

audiences by optimizing display ad campaigns in real time. Adobe Media Optimizer DSP’s programmatic TV buying solution extends many of the benefits digital buying offers - like targeting and reporting insights - to television advertising. It helps advertisers plan campaigns holistically, across every screen, while providing more flexibility to shift spend and optimize reach and frequency. Adobe Media Optimizer DSP also provides users with the tools to create, manage, optimize and scale ads for Facebook and Instagram.
Adobe Media Optimizer Dynamic Creative Optimization (DCO)
Adobe Media Optimizer DCO enables advertisers to reach specific audiences with flexible creative content that’s personalized in real time based on site actions, customer and partner data, and third-party demographic data. Adobe Media Optimizer DCO provides customers with robust campaign options, from retargeting and loyalty programs to prospecting and awareness campaigns; site visitor, partner, third-party and location data to improve audience targeting; flexibility to deliver the right content across device types; and reports and algorithms to help optimize creative elements.scale.
Other Products and Services
We also offer a broad range of other enterprise and digital media products and services. Information about other products not referenced here can be found on our corporate website, www.adobe.com.

OPERATIONS
Marketing and Sales
We market and license our products directly using our sales force and certain local offices and through our own website at www.adobe.com. We also market and distribute our products through sales channels, which include distributors, retailers, software developers, SIs, ISVs and VARs, as well as through OEM and hardware bundle customers.
Our local field offices include locations in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Columbia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Moldova, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Romania, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States.
We sell the majority of our products through a software subscription model where our customers purchase access to a product for a specific period of time during which they always have rights to use the most recent version of that product. We also license perpetual versions of our software with maintenance and support, which includes rights to upgrades, when and if available, support, updates and enhancements.
For fiscal 2017, 20162019, 2018 and 2015,2017, there were no customers that represented at least 10% of net revenue. As of fiscal year end 20172019 and 2016,2018, no single customer was responsible for over 10% of our trade receivables.

Services and Support
We provide expert consulting, customer success management, technical support and learning services across all our customer segments, including enterprises, small and medium businesses, creative professionals and consumers. With a focus on ensuring sustained customer success and realized value, this comprehensive portfolio of services is designed to help customers and partners maximize the return on their investments in our cloud solutions and licensed products. Our service and support revenue consists primarily of consulting fees, software maintenance, technical support fees and training fees.

Consulting Services

We have a global professional services team dedicated to designing and implementing solutions for our largest customers. Our professional services team uses a comprehensive, customer-focused methodology that has been refined over years of capturing and analyzing best practices from numerous customer engagements across a diverse mix of solutions, industries and customer segments. Increasingly, our customers seek to integrate across Adobe’s products and cloud solutions, and engage our professional services teams to share their expertise in leading customers’ digital strategies, multi-solution integrations and multi-solution integrations.in running customer platforms. Using our methodology, our professional services teams are able to accelerate customers’ time to value, and maximize the return customers earn on their investment in Adobe solutions.

A key component of Adobe’s strategy is developing a large partner ecosystem to expand the reach and breadth of Adobe solutions in the global marketplace. In order to assist partners in building their respective digital practices, Adobe Global Services provides a comprehensive set of deliverables through Adobe’s Solution Partner Program. The breadth of services described in the

program provides system integrators, agencies and regional partners the tools required to develop core capabilities for positioning and building with Adobe technology, as well as implementing and running customer platforms. We believe that through these programmatic services and support, our joint customers benefit greatly byfrom the combination of Adobe technology and the deep customer context that our global partners represent.

Customer Success Account Management

For our largest Digital Experience and Digital Media customers, Adobe Global ServicesCustomer Solutions provides post-sales Customer Success Managers, who work individually with enterprise and commercial customers on an ongoing basis to understand their current and future business needs, promote faster solution adoption, and align product capabilities to customers’ business objectives to maximize the return on their investment in Adobe’s offerings. We engage customers to share innovative best practices, relevant industry and vertical knowledge, and proven success strategies based on our extensive engagements with leading marketers and brands. The performance of these teams is directly associated with customer-focused outcomes, notably ongoing customer retention.

outcomes.
Technical Support

Adobe provides enterprise maintenance and support services to customers of subscription products as part of the subscription entitlement, and to perpetual license customers via annual fee-based maintenance and support programs. These offerings provide:

technical support on the products they have purchased from Adobe;
“how to” help in using our products; and
product upgrades and enhancements during the term of the maintenance and support or subscription period, which is typically one to three years.

We provide product support through a global support organization that includes several regional and global support centers, supplemented with outsourced vendors for specific services. Customers can seek help through multiple channels including phone, chat, web, social media and email, allowing quick and easy access to the information they need. These teams are responsible for providing timely, high-quality technical expertise on all our products.

As registered owners of the current version of an Adobe desktop product,Certain consumers are eligible to receive Getting Started support, on certain matters, to supportassist with easy adoption of their products. Support for some products and in some countries may vary. For enterprise customers with greater support needs, we offer personalized service options through Premium Services options, delivered by global support centers and technical account managers who can also provide proactive risk mitigation services and on-site support services for those with business criticalbusiness-critical deployments.

Lastly, we also offer delivery assurance, technical support and enablement services to partners and developer organizations. Through the Adobe Partner Connection Reseller Program, we provide developers with high-quality tools, software development kits, information and services.

Digital Learning Services

Adobe Global ServicesCustomer Solutions offers a comprehensive portfolio of learning and enablement services to assist our customer and partner teams in the use of our products, including those within Digital Marketing,Experience, Digital Media and other legacy products and solutions. Our training portfolio includes a large number of free online self-service learning options on www.training.adobe.com. Adobe Digital Learning Services also has an extensive portfolio of fee-based learning programs including a wide range of traditional classroom, virtual and on-demand training and certifications delivered by our team of training professionals and partners across the globe.

These core offerings are complemented by our custom learning services, which support our largest enterprise customers and their unique requirements. Solution-specific skills assessments help our enterprise customers objectively assess the knowledge and competencies within their marketing teams and tailor their learning priorities accordingly. Finally, aligned with our cloud strategy, we have introduced a new learning subscription service that enables customers to access both business and technical Digital MarketingExperience training over a 12-month period, which is a scalable approach to supporting long-term learning.

Investments
From time to time we make direct investments in privately held companies. We enter into these investments with the intent of securing financial returns as well as for strategic purposes, as they often increase our knowledge of emerging markets and technologies and expand our opportunities to provide Adobe products and services.

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
A continuous high level of investment is required for the enhancement of existing solutions and the development of new solutions due to the speed of technological change that characterizes the software industry. We develop our software internally, as well as acquire products or technology developed by others by purchasing the stock or assets of the business entity that owns the technology. In other instances, we have licensed or purchased the intellectual property ownership rights of programs developed by others with license or technology transfer agreements that may obligate us to pay a flat license fee or royalties, typically based on a dollar amount per unit or a percentage of the revenue generated by those programs.
During fiscal 2017, 2016 and 2015, our research and development expenses were $1.22 billion, $976.0 million and $862.7 million, respectively.
PROTECTING AND LICENSING OUR PRODUCTS
We protect our intellectual property through a combination of patents, copyrights, trademarks and trade secrets, foreign intellectual property laws, confidentiality procedures and contractual provisions. We have United States and foreign patents and pending applications that relate to various aspects of our products and technology. Although our patents have value, no single patent is essential to any of our principal businesses. We have also registered, and applied for the registration of, U.S. and international trademarks, service marks, domain names and copyrights.
Our enterprise customers license our hosted offerings as On-demand ServicesSaaS or Managed Services, and consumers primarily use our desktop software and mobile apps. We license our desktop software to users under ‘click through’ or signed license agreements containing restrictions on duplication, disclosure and transfer. Similarly, cloud products and services are provided to users under ‘click through’ or signed agreements containing restrictions on access and use.
Despite our efforts to protect our proprietary technology and our intellectual property rights, unauthorized parties may attempt to copy or obtain and use our technology to develop applications with the same functionality as our application. Policing unauthorized use of our technology and intellectual property rights is difficult. We believe that our transition from perpetual-use software licenses to a subscription-based business model combined with the increased focus on cloud-based computing has and may continue to improve our efforts to combat the pirating of our products.
EMPLOYEES
As of December 1, 2017November 29, 2019, we employed 17,97322,634 people. We have not experienced work stoppages and believe our employee relations are good.
AVAILABLE INFORMATION
Our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and amendments to reports filed or furnished pursuant to Sections 13(a) and 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, are available free of charge on our Investor Relations website at www.adobe.com/adbe as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the SEC. The information posted on our website is not incorporated into this report.
EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
Adobe’s executive officers as of January 12, 201821, 2020 are as follows:
Name Age Positions
 Shantanu Narayen
 
 
 5456 
Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board

Mr. Narayen currently serves as our President, Chief Executive Officer, and Chairman of the Board.Board, President and Chief Executive Officer. He joined Adobe in January 1998 as Vice President and General Manager of our engineering technology group. In January 1999, he was promoted to Senior Vice President, Worldwide Products, and in March 2001 he was promoted to Executive Vice President, Worldwide Product Marketing and Development. In January 2005, Mr. Narayen was promoted to President and Chief Operating Officer, and effective December 2007, he was appointed our Chief Executive Officer and joined our Board of Directors. In January 2017, Mr. Narayenhe was selected bynamed our Board of Directors as Chairman of the Board. Mr. Narayen serves as lead independent director on the board of directors of Pfizer, Inc., a multinational pharmaceutical corporation. He previously served as a director of Dell Inc. from September 2009 to October 2013. Mr. Narayen holds a B.S. in Electronics Engineering from Osmania University in India, a M.S. in Computer Science from Bowling Green State University and an M.B.A. from the Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley.

Name Age Positions
Mark Garrett John Murphy 6051 
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Mr. Garrett joined Adobe in February 2007Murphy currently serves as our Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. He joined Adobe in March 2017 and served as our Senior Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer and Corporate Controller until April 2018. Prior to joining Adobe, Mr. GarrettMurphy served as Senior Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer and Corporate Controller of Qualcomm Incorporated from September 2014 to March 2017. He previously served as Senior Vice President, Controller and Chief FinancialAccounting Officer of DIRECTV Inc. from November 2007 until August 2014, and Vice President and General Auditor of DIRECTV from October 2004 to November 2007. Prior to joining DIRECTV he worked at several global companies, including Experian, Nestle, and Atlantic Richfield (ARCO), in a variety of finance and accounting roles. He served as Director of DirecTV Holdings LLC from November 2007 until August 2014. Mr. Murphy serves on the Software GroupCorporate Advisory Board of EMCthe Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California. He holds an MBA from the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California, a B.S. in Accounting from Fordham University.
Scott Belsky39
Chief Product Officer and Executive Vice President, Creative Cloud

Mr. Belsky joined Adobe in December 2017 as Chief Product Officer and Executive Vice President, Creative Cloud. Prior to joining Adobe in December 2017, Belsky was a venture investor at Benchmark in San Francisco from February 2016 to December 2017. Prior to Benchmark, Belsky led Adobe's mobile strategy for Creative Cloud from December 2012 to January 2016, having joined the company through the acquisition of Behance. Belsky co-founded Behance in 2006 and served as its CEO for over 6 years. He is an early advisor and investor to Pinterest, Uber and Warby Parker among other early-stage companies, and co-founded and serves on the board of Prefer, a referrals platform that empowers the careers of independent professionals. Mr. Belsky also serves on the advisory board of Cornell University's Entrepreneurship Program and as President of the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum board of trustees.
Anil Chakravarthy52
Executive Vice President and General Manager, Digital Experience

Mr. Chakravarthy joined Adobe in January 2020 as Executive Vice President and General Manager, Digital Experience. Prior to joining Adobe, he served as Informatica’s Chief Executive Officer from August 2015 to January 2020 and Executive Vice President and Chief Product Officer from September 2013 to August 2015. Prior to joining Informatica, for over nine years, Mr. Chakravarthy held multiple leadership roles at Symantec Corporation, most recently serving as its Executive Vice President, Information Security from February 2013 to September 2013. Prior to Symantec, he was a products,Director of Product Management for enterprise security services at VeriSign. Mr. Chakravarthy began his career as an engagement manager at McKinsey & Company. Mr. Chakravarthy holds a Bachelor of Technology in Computer Science and solutions provider for information managementEngineering from the Institute of Technology, Varanasi, India and storage,Master of Science and Ph.D. degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Gloria Chen55
Executive Vice President, Strategy and Growth

Ms. Chen joined Adobe in 1997 and currently serves as Executive Vice President, Strategy and Growth. In her more than 20 years at Adobe, she has held senior leadership positions in worldwide sales operations, customer service and support, and strategic planning. In October 2009, Ms. Chen was appointed Vice President and Chief of Staff to the Chief Executive Officer. In March 2018, she was promoted to Senior Vice President, Strategy and Growth and in November 2019, she was elevated to Executive Vice President, Strategy and Growth. Prior to joining Adobe, Ms. Chen was an engagement manager at McKinsey & Company. Ms. Chen holds a BS in electrical engineering from the University of Washington, an MS in electrical and computer engineering from Carnegie Mellon University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Bryan Lamkin59
Executive Vice President and General Manager, Digital Media


Mr. Lamkin currently serves as Executive Vice President and General Manager, Digital Media. He rejoined Adobe in February 2013 as Senior Vice President, Technology and Corporate Development. From June 2011 to May 2012, Mr. Lamkin served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Clover, a mobile payments platform. Prior to Clover, Mr. Lamkin co-founded and served as the Chief Executive Officer of Bagcheck, a sharing and discovery platform,
from June 20042010 to January 2007, his most recent position since EMC's acquisitionMay 2011. From April 2009 to June 2010, Mr. Lamkin served as Senior Vice President of Documentum, Inc.Consumer Products and Applications at Yahoo!, an enterprisea global technology company providing online search, content and communication tools. From May 2008 to April 2009, Mr. Lamkin served as Executive in Residence at Sutter Hill Ventures. Mr. Lamkin previously was with Adobe from 1992 to 2006 and held various senior management company,positions including Senior Vice President, Creative Solutions Business Unit.

NameAgePositions
Ann Lewnes

58
Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer 

Ms. Lewnes joined Adobe in December 2003. Mr. Garrett first joined DocumentumNovember 2006 and currently serves as Executive Vice President and Chief FinancialMarketing Officer. Prior to joining Adobe, Ms. Lewnes spent 20 years at Intel Corporation, where she was Vice President of Sales and Marketing. Ms. Lewnes is a board member of Mattel and the Adobe Foundation.
Donna Morris

52
Chief Human Resources Officer and Executive Vice President, Employee Experience

Ms. Morris currently serves as Chief Human Resources Officer and Executive Vice President of Adobe's Global Customer and Employee Experience organization. Ms. Morris joined Adobe as Senior Director of Global Talent Management in 1997, holding that positionApril 2002 through October 1999the acquisition of Accelio Corporation, a Canadian software company, where she served as Vice President of Human Resources and then re-joining Documentum as Learning. In December 2005, Ms. Morris was promoted to Vice President Global Human Resources Operations and subsequently to Senior Vice President Human Resources in March 2007. Ms. Morris is a director of Marvell Technology Group Limited and the Adobe Foundation.
Abhay Parasnis45
Executive Vice President and Chief FinancialTechnology Officer

Mr. Parasnis joined Adobe in 2002.July 2015 as Senior Vice President of Adobe's Cloud Technology & Services organization and Chief Technology Officer. Prior to joining Adobe, he served as President and Chief Operating Officer at Kony, Inc. from March 2013 to March 2015. From January 2012 to November 2013, Mr. Garrett is alsoParasnis was a directorSenior Vice President and later Strategic Advisor for the Oracle Public Cloud at Oracle. Prior to joining Oracle, he was General Manager of Pure Storage, Inc.,Microsoft Azure AppFabric at Microsoft from April 2009 to December 2011.
Dana Rao50
Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary

Mr. Rao currently serves as our Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary.  He joined Adobe in April 2012 and served as our Vice President, Intellectual Property and Litigation where he spearheaded strategic initiatives including the company’s litigation efforts, and its patent, trademark and copyright portfolio strategies until June 2018.  Prior to joining Adobe, Foundation,Mr. Rao was with Microsoft Corporation for 11 years, serving in a variety of roles including Associate General Counsel of Intellectual Property and Licensing, where he oversaw all patent matters for Microsoft’s entertainment and devices division as well as the Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose.company-wide patent acquisition team. From 1997 until March 2001, he served as a patent attorney at Fenwick & West.  He holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Villanova University and a J.D. from George Washington University. 
Matthew Thompson 5961 
Executive Vice President, Worldwide Field Operations

Mr. Thompson currently serves as Executive Vice President, Worldwide Field Operations. Mr. Thompson joined Adobe in January 2007 as Senior Vice President, Worldwide Field Operations. In January 2013, he was promoted to Executive Vice President, Worldwide Field Operations. Prior to joining Adobe, Mr. Thompson served as Senior Vice President of Worldwide Sales at Borland Software Corporation, a software delivery optimization solutions provider, from October 2003 to December 2006. Prior to joining Borland, Mr. Thompson was Vice President of Worldwide Sales and Field Operations for Marimba, Inc., a provider of products and services for software change and configuration management, from February 2001 to January 2003. From July 2000 to January 2001, Mr. Thompson was Vice President of Worldwide Sales for Calico Commerce, Inc., a provider of eBusiness applications. Prior to joining Calico, Mr. Thompson spent six years at Cadence Design Systems, Inc., a provider of electronic design technologies. While at Cadence, from January 1998 to June 2000, Mr. Thompson served as Senior Vice President, Worldwide Sales and Field Operations and from April 1994 to January 1998 as Vice President, Worldwide Professional Services. Mr. Thompson is a board member of NCR Corporation.
Michael Dillon

59
Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary

Mr. Dillon joined Adobe in August 2012 as Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary. Prior to joining Adobe, Mr. Dillon served as General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Silver Spring Networks, a networking solutions provider, from November 2010 to August 2012. Before joining Silver Spring Networks, Mr. Dillon served in various capacities at Sun Microsystems, a diversified computer networking company, prior to its acquisition by Oracle Corporation. While at Sun Microsystems, from April 2006 to January 2010, Mr. Dillon served as Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, from April 2004 to April 2006, as Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, and from July 2002 to March 2004 as Vice President, Products Law Group. From October 1999 until June 2002, Mr. Dillon served as Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of ONI Systems Corp, an optical networking company. Mr. Dillon is a board member of the Adventure Cycling Association, Business Software Alliance, and the Adobe Foundation.
Bryan Lamkin57
Executive Vice President and General Manager, Digital Media


Mr. Lamkin currently serves as Executive Vice President and General Manager, Digital Media. He rejoined Adobe in February 2013 as Senior Vice President, Technology and Corporate Development. From June 2011 to May 2012, Mr. Lamkin served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Clover, a mobile payments platform. Prior to Clover, Mr. Lamkin co-founded and served as the Chief Executive Officer of Bagcheck, a sharing and discovery platform, from June 2010 to May 2011. From April 2009 to June 2010, Mr. Lamkin served as Senior Vice President of Consumer Products and Applications at Yahoo!, a global technology company providing online search, content and communication tools. From May 2008 to April 2009, Mr. Lamkin served as Executive in Residence at Sutter Hill Ventures. Mr. Lamkin previously was with Adobe from 1992 to 2006 and held various senior management positions including Senior Vice President, Creative Solutions Business Unit.
Ann Lewnes

56
Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer 

Ms. Lewnes joined Adobe in November 2006 and currently serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer. Prior to joining Adobe, Ms. Lewnes spent 20 years at Intel Corporation, where she was Vice President of Sales and Marketing. Ms. Lewnes is a board member of Mattel, The Ad Council, and the Adobe Foundation.

NameAgePositions
Donna Morris

50
Executive Vice President, Customer and Employee Experience

Ms. Morris currently serves as Executive Vice President of Adobe's Global Customer and Employee Experience organization. Ms. Morris joined Adobe as Senior Director of Global Talent Management in April 2002 through the acquisition of Accelio Corporation, a Canadian software company, where she served as Vice President of Human Resources and Learning. In December 2005, Ms. Morris was promoted to Vice President, Global Human Resources Operations and subsequently to Senior Vice President, Human Resources in March 2007. Ms. Morris is a director of the Society for Human Resource Management and the Adobe Foundation.
Abhay Parasnis43
Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer

Mr. Parasnis joined Adobe in July 2015 as Senior Vice President of Adobe's Cloud Technology & Services organization and Chief Technology Officer. Prior to joining Adobe, he served as President and Chief Operating Officer at Kony,  Inc. from March 2013 to March 2015. From January 2012 to November 2013, Mr. Parasnis was a Senior Vice President and later Strategic Advisor for the Oracle Public Cloud at Oracle. Prior to joining Oracle, he was General Manager of Microsoft Azure AppFabric at Microsoft from April 2009 to December 2011.
Bradley Rencher

44
Executive Vice President and General Manager, Digital Experience

Mr. Rencher serves as Executive Vice President and General Manager of Adobe's Digital Experience business unit. Mr. Rencher joined Omniture, Inc. in January 2008 as Vice President of Corporate Development and was promoted to Senior Vice President of Business Operations prior to Adobe's acquisition of Omniture in 2009. Following the acquisition he joined Adobe as Vice President of Business Operations. Mr. Rencher was promoted to Vice President and General Manager, Omniture business unit in 2010 and subsequently to Senior Vice President in 2011. Prior to joining Omniture, Mr. Rencher was a member of the technology investment banking team at Morgan Stanley from 2005 to 2008 and a member of the investment banking team at RBC Capital Markets from 1998 to 2004. Mr. Rencher is a director of Pluralsight and the Utah Symphony.
Scott Belsky37
Chief Product Officer and Executive Vice President, Creative Cloud

Mr. Belsky joined Adobe in December 2017 as Executive Vice President and Chief Product Officer, Creative Cloud. Prior to joining Adobe in December 2017, Belsky was a venture investor at Benchmark in San Francisco from February 2016 to December 2017. Prior to Benchmark, Belsky led Adobe's mobile strategy for Creative Cloud from December 2012 to January 2016, having joined the company through the acquisition of Behance. Belsky co-founded Behance in 2006 and served as its CEO for over 6 years. He is an early advisor and investor to Pinterest, Uber, and Warby Parker among other early-stage companies, and co-founded and serves on the Board of Prefer, a referrals platform that empowers the careers of independent professionals. Mr. Belsky serves on the advisory board of Cornell University's Entrepreneurship Program and is President of the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum board of trustees.
 John MurphyMark Garfield 49 
Senior Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer and Corporate Controller


Mr. Murphy joined Adobe in March 2017Garfield currently serves as our Senior Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer and Corporate Controller. Prior to joining Adobe in December 2018, Mr. MurphyGarfield served as the Vice President of Finance of Cloudflare, Inc. commencing in November 2017. He served as Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer and Corporate Controller of Qualcomm Incorporatedat Symantec Corporation from SeptemberMarch 2014 to MarchOctober 2017. He previouslyPrior to joining Symantec, he was at Brightstar Corporation where he served primarily as Senior Vice President Controller and Chief Accounting Officer of DIRECTV Inc. from November 2007 until August 2014, and Vice President and General Auditor of DIRECTV from October 2004January 2013 to November 2007. Prior to joining DIRECTV he worked at several global companies, including Experian, Nestle, and Atlantic Richfield (ARCO), in a variety of finance and accounting roles. HeFebruary 2014. Mr. Garfield served as Director of DirecTV Holdings LLCFinance at Advanced Micro Devices from November 2007 until August 2014.2010 to December 2012. Prior to Advanced Micro Devices, Mr. Murphy serves on the Corporate Advisory Board of the Marshall School ofGarfield also served in senior level finance roles at LoudCloud and Ernst and Young. Mr. Garfield holds a B.A. in Business at theEconomics from University of Southern California.  He holds an MBA from the Marshall School of BusinessCalifornia at the University of Southern California, a B.S. in Accounting from Fordham University and is a Certified Public Accountant.Santa Barbara.

ITEM 1A.  RISK FACTORS
As previously discussed, our actual results could differ materially from our forward-looking statements. Below we discuss some of the factors that could cause these differences. These and many other factors described in this report could adversely affect our operations, performance and financial condition.
Our competitive position and results of operations could be harmed if we do not compete effectively.
The markets for our products and services are characterized by intense competition, new industry standards, evolving distribution models, limited barriers to entry, disruptive technology developments, short product life cycles, customer price sensitivity and frequent product introductions (including alternatives with limited functionality available at lower costs or free of charge). Any of these factors could create downward pressure on pricing and gross margins and could adversely affect our renewal and upsell and cross-sell rates, as well as our ability to attract new customers. Our future success will depend on our continued ability to enhance and integrate our existing products and services, introduce new products and services in a timely and cost-effective manner, meet changing customer expectations and needs, extend our core technology into new applications, and anticipate emerging standards, business models, software delivery methods and other technological developments. Furthermore, some of our competitors and potential competitors enjoy competitive advantages such as greater financial, technical, sales, marketing and other resources, broader brand awareness and access to larger customer bases. As a result of these advantages, potential and current customers might select the products and services of our competitors, causing a loss of our market share. In addition, consolidation has occurred among some of our competitors. Further consolidations in these markets may subject us to increased competitive pressures and may harm our results of operations.
If we cannot continue to develop, acquire, market and offer new products and services or enhancements to existing products and services that meet customer requirements, our operating results could suffer.
The process of developing and acquiring new technology products and services and enhancing existing offerings is complex, costly and uncertain. If we fail to anticipate customers’ rapidly changing needs and expectations or adapt to emerging technological trends, our market share and results of operations could suffer. We must make long-term investments, develop, acquire or obtain appropriate intellectual property and commit significant resources before knowing whether our predictions will accurately reflect customer demand for our products and services. If we misjudge customer needs in the future, our new products and services may not succeed and our revenues and earnings may be harmed. Additionally, any delay in the development, acquisition, marketing or launch of a new offering or enhancement to an existing offering could result in customer attrition or impede our ability to attract new customers, causing a decline in our revenue, earnings or stock price and weakening our competitive position.
We offer our products on a variety of hardware platforms. Consumers continue to migrate from personal computers to tablet and mobile devices. If we cannot continue adapting our products to tablet and mobile devices, or if our competitors can adapt their products more quickly than us, our business could be harmed. Releases of new devices or operating systems may make it more difficult for our products to perform or may require significant costs in order for us to adapt our solutions to such devices or operating systems. These potential costs and delays could harm our business.
Our competitive position and results of operations could be harmed if we do not compete effectively.
The markets for our products and services are characterized by intense competition, new industry standards, evolving distribution models, limited barriers to entry, disruptive technology developments, short product life cycles, customer price sensitivity and frequent product introductions (including alternatives with limited functionality available at lower costs or free of charge). Any of these factors could create downward pressure on pricing and gross margins and could adversely affect our renewal and upsell and cross-sell rates, as well as our ability to attract new customers. Our future success will depend on our continued ability to enhance and integrate our existing products and services, introduce new products and services in a timely and cost-effective manner, meet changing customer expectations and needs, extend our core technology into new applications, and anticipate emerging standards, business models, software delivery methods and other technological developments. Furthermore, some of our competitors and potential competitors enjoy competitive advantages such as greater financial, technical, sales, marketing and other resources, broader brand awareness, and access to larger customer bases. As a result of these advantages, potential and current customers might select the products and services of our competitors, causing a loss of our market share. In addition, consolidation has occurred among some of our competitors. Further consolidations in these markets may subject us to increased competitive pressures and may harm our results of operations.
Introduction of new technology could harm our business and results of operations.
The expectations and needs of technology consumers are constantly evolving. Our future success depends on a variety of factors, including our continued ability to innovate, introduce new products and services efficiently, enhance and integrate our products and services in a timely and cost-effective manner, extend our core technology into new applications, and anticipate emerging standards, business models, software delivery methods and other technological developments. Integration of our products and services with one another and other companies’ offerings creates an increasingly complex ecosystem that is partly reliant on third parties. If any disruptive technology, or competing products, services or operating systems that are not compatible with our solutions, achieve widespread acceptance, our operating results could suffer and our business could be harmed.

The introduction of certain technologies may reduce the effectiveness of our products. For example, some of our products rely on third-party cookies, which are placed on individual browsers when consumers visit websites that contain advertisements. We use these cookies to help our customers more effectively advertise, gauge the performance of their advertisements and detect and prevent fraudulent activity. Consumers can block or delete cookies through their browsers or “ad-blocking” software or applications. The most common Internet browsers allow consumers to modify their browser settings to prevent cookies from being accepted by their browsers, or are set to block third-party cookies by default. Increased use of methods, software or applications that block cookies could harm our business.

Some of our enterprise offerings have extended and complex sales cycles, which can make our sales cycles unpredictable.
Sales cycles for some of our enterprise offerings, including our Adobe Experience Cloud solutions and ETLAs in our Digital Media business, are multi-phased and complex. The complexity in these sales cycles is due to several factors, including:
the need for our sales representatives to educate customers about the use and benefit of large-scale deployments of our products and services, including technical capabilities, security features, potential cost savings and return on investment;

the desire of organizations to undertake significant evaluation processes to determine their technology requirements prior to making information technology expenditures;
the need for our representatives to spend a significant amount of time assisting potential customers in their testing and evaluation of our products and services;

intensifying competition within the industry;

the negotiation of large, complex, enterprise-wide contracts;

the need for our customers to obtain requisition approvals from various decision makers within their organizations due to the complexity of our solutions touching multiple departments within customers’ organizations; and

customer budget constraints, economic conditions and unplanned administrative delays.

We spend substantial time and expense on our sales efforts without assurance that potential customers will ultimately purchase our solutions. As we target our sales efforts at larger enterprise customers, these trends are expected to continue and could have a greater impact on our results of operations.  Additionally, our enterprise sales pattern has historically been uneven, where a higher percentage of a quarter’s total sales occur during the final weeks of each quarter, which is common in our industry.  Our extended sales cycle for these products and services makes it difficult to predict when a given sales cycle will close.
Subscription offerings could create risks related to the timing of revenue recognition.
We generally recognize revenue from subscription offerings ratably over the terms of their subscription agreements, which range from 1 to 36 months. As a result, most of the subscription revenue we report in each quarter is the result of subscription agreements entered into during previous quarters. Any reduction in new or renewed subscriptions in a quarter may not be reflected in our revenue results until a later quarter. Declines in new or renewed subscriptions may decrease our revenue in future quarters. Lower sales, reduced demand for our products and services, and increases in our attrition rate may not be fully reflected in our results of operations until future periods. Our subscription model could also make it difficult for us to rapidly increase our revenue from subscription-based or hosted services through additional sales in any period, as revenue from new customers will be recognized over the applicable subscription term.
Additionally, in connection with our sales efforts to enterprise customers and our use of ETLAs, a number of factors could affect our revenue, including longer-than-expected sales and implementation cycles, potential deferral of revenue due to multiple-element revenue arrangements and alternative licensing arrangements. If any of our assumptions about revenue from our subscription-based offerings prove incorrect, our actual results may vary materially from those anticipated.
If our customers fail to renew subscriptions in accordance with our expectations, our future revenue and operating results could suffer.
Our Adobe Experience Cloud, Creative Cloud, and Document Cloud offerings typically involve subscription based offerings pursuant to product and service agreements. Revenue from our subscription customers is generally recognized ratably over the term of their agreements, which typically range from 1 to 36 months. Our customers have no obligation to renew their subscriptions for our services after the expiration of their initial subscription period, and customers may not renew their subscriptions at the same or higher level of service, for the same number of seats or for the same duration of time, if at all. Moreover, under certain circumstances, some of our customers have the right to cancel their agreements prior to the expiration of the terms. Our varied customer base combined with the flexibility we offer in the length of our subscription-based agreements complicates our ability to precisely forecast renewal rates. Therefore, we cannot provide assurance that we will be able to accurately predict future customer renewal rates.

Our customers’ renewal rates may decline or fluctuate as a result of a number of factors, including their level of satisfaction with our services, our ability to continue enhancing features and functionality, the reliability (including uptime) of our subscription offerings, the prices of offerings and those offered by our competitors, the actual or perceived information security of our systems and services, decreases in the size of our customer base, reductions in our customers’ spending levels or declines in customer activity as a result of economic downturns or uncertainty in financial markets. If our customers do not renew their subscriptions or if they renew on terms less favorable to us, our revenue may decline.
Security breaches in data centers we manage, or third parties manage on our behalf, may compromise the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of employee and customer data, which could expose us to liability and adversely affect our reputation and business.
We process and store significant amounts of employee and customer data, mosta large volume of which is hosted by third-party service providers. A security incident impacting our own data centers or those controlled by our service providers may compromise the confidentiality, integrity or availability of this data. Unauthorized access to or loss or disclosure of data stored by Adobe or our service providers may occur through physical break-ins, breaches of a secure network by an unauthorized party, software vulnerabilities or coding errors, employee theft or misuse or other misconduct. It is also possible that unauthorized access to or disclosure of employee or customer data may be obtained through inadequate use of security controls by customers or employees. Accounts created with weak or recycled passwords could allow cyber-attackers to gain access to employee or customer data. Additionally, failure by Adobe or our customers to remove the accounts of their own employees, or the granting of accounts by the customer in an uncontrolled manner, may allow for access by former or unauthorized customer representatives.individuals. If there were an inadvertent disclosure of customer information,data, or if a third party were to gain unauthorized access to the informationdata we possess on behalf of our customers, our operations could be disrupted, our reputation could be damaged and we could be subject to claims or other liabilities, regulatory investigations, or fines. In addition, such perceived or actual unauthorized loss or disclosure of the information we collect, process, or store or breach of our security could damage our reputation, result in the loss of customers and harm our business.
We rely on data centers managed both by Adobe and third parties to host and deliver our services, as well as access, collect, process, use, transmit and store data, and any interruptions or delays in these hosted services, or failures in data collection or transmission could expose us to liability and harm our business and reputation.

Much of our business relies on hardware and services that are hosted, managed and controlled directly by Adobe or third-party service providers, including our online store at adobe.com, Creative Cloud, Document Cloud and Experience Cloud solutions. We do not have redundancy for all of our systems, many of our critical applications reside in only one of our data centers, and our disaster recovery planning may not account for all eventualities. If our business relationship with a third-party provider of hosting or content delivery services is negatively affected, or if one of our content delivery suppliers were to terminate its agreement with us, without adequate notice, we might not be able to deliver the corresponding hosted offerings to our customers, which could subject us to reputational harm, costly and time intensivetime-intensive notification requirements, and cause us to lose customers and future business. Occasionally, we migrate data among data centers and to third-party hosted environments. If a transition among data centers or to third-party service providers encounters unexpected interruptions, unforeseen complexity, or unplanned disruptions despite precautions undertaken during the process, this may impair our delivery of products and services to customers and result in increased costs and liabilities, which may harm our operating results and our business.
It is also possible that hardware or software failures or errors in our systems (or those of our third-party service providers) could result in data loss or corruption, cause the information that we collect or maintain to be incomplete or contain inaccuracies that our customers regard as significant, or cause us to fail to meet committed service levels or comply with regulatory notification requirements. Furthermore, our ability to collect and report data may be delayed or interrupted by a number of factors, including access to the Internet, the failure of our network or software systems, security breaches or significant variability in visitor traffic on customer websites. In addition, computer viruses, worms, or other malware may harm our systems, causing us to lose data, and the transmission of computer viruses or other malware could expose us to litigation or regulatory investigation, and costly and time intensivetime-intensive notification requirements.
We may also find, on occasion, that we cannot deliver data and reports to our customers in near real time because of a number of factors, including significant spikes in customer activity on their websites or failures of our network or software, or the failure of our third-party service providers’ network or software. If we fail to plan infrastructure capacity appropriately and expand it proportionally with the needs of our customer base, and we experience a rapid and significant demand on the capacity of our data centers or those of third parties, service outages could occur, and our customers could suffer impaired performance of our services. Such a strain on our infrastructure capacity could subject us to regulatory and customer notification requirements, violations of service level agreement commitments, financial liabilities, result in customer dissatisfaction, or harm our business. If we supply inaccurate information or experience interruptions in our ability to capture, store and supply information in near real time or at all, our reputation could be harmed and we could lose customers as a result, or we could be found liable for damages or incur other losses.

Increasing regulatory focus on privacy and security issues and expanding laws could impact our business models and expose us to increased liability.
U.S.As a global company, Adobe is subject to global data privacy and data security laws, regulations and codes of conduct that apply to our various businesses. We also do business globally in countries that have more stringent data protectionunits. These laws than those in the United States thatand regulations may be inconsistent across jurisdictions and are subject to evolving and differing (sometimes conflicting) interpretations. Governments,Government officials and regulators, privacy advocates and class action attorneys

are increasingly scrutinizing how companies collect, process, use, store, share and transmit personal data. This increased scrutiny may result in new interpretations of existing laws, thereby further impacting Adobe’s business. Globally, new and emerging laws, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) and the Network and Information Systems Directive (“NISD”) in Europe, state laws in the U.S. on privacy, data and related technologies, such as the California Consumer Privacy Act, as well as industry self-regulatory codes create new compliance obligations and expand the scope of potential liability, either jointly or severally with our customers and suppliers. While we have been enactedinvested in readiness to comply with applicable requirements, these new and more are being considered thatemerging laws, regulations and codes may affect our ability (and our enterprise customers’ ability) to reach current and prospective customers, to respond to both enterprise and individual customer requests under the laws (such as individual rights of access, correction and deletion of their personal information), and to implement our business models effectively. These new laws may also impact our innovation and business drivers in developing new and emerging technologies (e.g., artificial intelligence and machine learning). These requirements, among others, may impact demand for our offerings and force us to bear the burden of more onerous obligations in our contracts. Any perception of our practices, products or services as a violation of individual privacy rights may subject us to public criticism, class action lawsuits, reputational harm, or investigations or claims by regulators, industry groups or other third parties, all of which could disrupt our business and expose us to increased liability. Additionally, we collect and store information on behalf of our business customers and if our customers fail to comply with contractual obligations or applicable laws, it could result in litigation or reputational harm to us.
Transferring personal information across international borders is becoming increasingly complex. For example, European data transfers outside the European Economic Area are highly regulated. The mechanisms that we and many other companies rely upon for European data transfers (e.g., Privacy Shield and Model Clauses) are being contested in the European court system. We are closely monitoring developments related to requirements for transferring personal data outside the EU.European Union and other countries that have similar trans-border data flow requirements. These requirements may result in an increase in the obligations required to provide our services in the EUEuropean Union or in sanctions and fines for non-compliance. Several other countries, including Australia and Japan, have also established specific legal requirements for cross-border transfers of personal information. TheseOther countries, such as India, are considering requirements for data localization (e.g., where personal data must remain in the country). If the mechanisms for transferring personal information from certain countries or areas, including Europe to the United States, should be found invalid or if other countries implement more restrictive regulations for cross-border data transfers (or not permit data to leave the country of origin), such developments in Europe and elsewhere could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Security vulnerabilities in our products and systems, or in our supply chain, could lead to reduced revenue or to liability claims.
Maintaining the security of our products computers and networksservices is a critical issue for us and our customers. Security threats to our information systems, end points and networks have the potential to impact our customers as well. Security researchers, criminal hackers and other third parties regularly develop new techniques to penetrate computerour end points, information systems and network security measures and,measures. And, as we have previously disclosed, certain unauthorized parties have in the past managed to breach our data security systemsgain access to and misusedmisuse some of our systems and software in order to access our end users’ authentication, payment and paymentpersonal information. In addition, cyber-attackers also develop and deploy viruses, worms, credential stuffing attack tools and other malicious software programs, some of which may be specifically designed to attack our products, services, information systems computers or networks. Sophisticated hardwareHardware, software and operating system applications that we develop or procure from third parties may contain defects in design or manufacture, including bugs, vulnerabilities and other problems that could unexpectedly compromise the security of the system or impair a customer’s ability to operate or use our products. The costs to prevent, eliminate, notify affected parties of,mitigate, or alleviate cyber- or other security problems, bugs, viruses, worms, malicious software programs and security vulnerabilities are significant, and our efforts to address these problems, including notifying affected parties, may not be successful or may be delayed and could result in interruptions, delays, cessation of service and loss of existing or potential customers. It is impossible to predict the extent, frequency or impact these problems may have on us.
Outside parties have in the past and may in the future attempt to fraudulently induce our employees or users of our products or services to disclose sensitive, personal, or confidential information via illegal electronic spamming, phishing or other tactics. Unauthorized parties may also attempt to gain physical access to our facilities in order to infiltrate our information systems or attempt to gain logical access to our products, services, or information systems for the purpose of exfiltrating content and data. These actual and potential breaches of our security measures and the accidental loss, inadvertent disclosure or unauthorized dissemination of proprietary information or sensitive, personal or confidential data about us, our employees, our customers or their end users, including the potential loss or disclosure of such information or data as a result of hacking, fraud, trickery or other forms of deception, could expose us, our employees, our customers or the individuals affected to a risk of loss or misuse of this information. This may result in litigation and liability or fines, our compliance with costly and time intensivetime-intensive notice requirements, governmental inquiry or oversight or a loss of customer confidence, any of which could harm our business or damage our brand and reputation, possibly impeding our present and future success in retaining and attracting new customers and thereby requiring time and resources to repair our brand and reputation. These risks will likely increase as we expand our hosted offerings, integrate our products and services and store and process more data, including personal information.

These problems affect our products and services in particular because cyber-attackers tend to focus their efforts on popular offerings with a large user base, and we expect them to continue to do so. Critical vulnerabilities may be identified in some of our applications.applications and services and those of our third-party service providers. These vulnerabilities could cause such applications and services to crash and could allow an attacker to access our or our users’ confidential or personal information or take control of the affected system, which could result in liability to us or limit our ability to conduct our business and deliver our products and services to customers. We devote significant resources to address security vulnerabilities through engineering more secure products, enhancing

security and reliability features in our products and systems, code hardening, conducting rigorous penetration tests, deploying updates to address security vulnerabilities, reviewing our service providers’ security controls, reviewing and auditing our hosted services against independent security control frameworks (such as ISO 27001, SOC 2 and PCI), and improving our incident response time, but these security vulnerabilities cannot be totally eliminated. The cost of these steps could reduce our operating margins, and we may be unable to implement these measures quickly enough to prevent cyber-attackers from gaining unauthorized access into our systems and products. Despite our preventative efforts, actual or perceived security vulnerabilities in our products and systems may harm our reputation or lead to claims against us (and have in the past led to such claims), and could lead some customers to stop using certain products or services, to reduce or delay future purchases of products or services, or to use competing products or services. If we do not make the appropriate level of investment in our technology systems or if our systems become out-of-date or obsolete and we are not able to deliver the quality of data security customers require, our business could be adversely affected. Customers may also adopt security measures designed to protect their existing computer systems from attack, which could delay adoption of new technologies. Further, if we, our supply chain, or our customers are subject to a future attack, or our technology is used in a third-party attack, we could be subject to costly and time intensivetime-intensive notice requirements, and it may be necessary for us to take additional extraordinary measures and make additional expenditures to take appropriate responsive and preventative steps. Any of these events could adversely affect our revenue or margins. Moreover, delayed sales, lower margins or lost customers resulting from disruptions caused by cyber-attacks or preventative measures could adversely affect our financial results, stock price and reputation.
Some of our enterprise offerings have extended and complex sales cycles, which can make our sales cycles unpredictable.
Sales cycles for some of our enterprise offerings, including our Adobe Experience Cloud and Adobe Experience Platform solutions and Enterprise Term License Agreements (“ETLAs”) in our Digital Media business, are multi-phased and complex. The complexity in these sales cycles is due to several factors, including:
the need for our sales representatives to educate customers about the use and benefit of large-scale deployments of our products and services, including technical capabilities, security features, potential cost savings and return on investment;
the desire of organizations to undertake significant evaluation processes to determine their technology requirements prior to making information technology expenditures;
the need for our representatives to spend a significant amount of time assisting potential customers in their testing and evaluation of our products and services;
intensifying competition within the industry;
the negotiation of large, complex, enterprise-wide contracts;
the need for our customers to obtain requisition approvals from various decision makers within their organizations due to the complexity of our solutions touching multiple departments within customers’ organizations; and
customer budget constraints, economic conditions and unplanned administrative delays.
We spend substantial time and expense on our sales efforts without assurance that potential customers will ultimately purchase our solutions. As we target our sales efforts at larger enterprise customers, these trends are expected to continue and could have a greater impact on our results of operations.  Additionally, our enterprise sales pattern has historically been uneven, where a higher percentage of a quarter’s total sales occur during the final weeks of each quarter, which is common in our industry.  Our extended sales cycle for these products and services makes it difficult to predict when a given sales cycle will close.
If our customers fail to renew subscriptions in accordance with our expectations, our future revenue and operating results could suffer.
Our Adobe Experience Cloud, Creative Cloud and Document Cloud offerings typically involve subscription-based offerings pursuant to product and service agreements. Revenue from our subscription customers is generally recognized ratably over the term of their agreements, which typically range from 1 to 36 months. Our customers have no obligation to renew their subscriptions for our services after the expiration of their initial subscription period, and customers may not renew their subscriptions at the same or higher level of service, for the same number of seats or for the same duration of time, if at all. Moreover, under certain

circumstances, some of our customers have the right to cancel their agreements prior to the expiration of the terms. Our varied customer base combined with the flexibility we offer in the length of our subscription-based agreements complicates our ability to precisely forecast renewal rates. Therefore, we cannot provide assurance that we will be able to accurately predict future customer renewal rates.
Our customers’ renewal rates may decline or fluctuate as a result of a number of factors, including their level of satisfaction with our services, our ability to continue enhancing features and functionality, the reliability (including uptime) of our subscription offerings, the prices of offerings and those offered by our competitors, the actual or perceived information security of our systems and services, decreases in the size of our customer base, reductions in our customers’ spending levels or declines in customer activity as a result of economic downturns or uncertainty in financial markets. If our customers do not renew their subscriptions or if they renew on terms less favorable to us, our revenue may decline.
We face various risks associated with our operating as a multinational corporation.
As a global business that generates approximately 42% of our total revenue from sales to customers outside of the Americas, we are subject to a number of risks, including:
foreign currency fluctuations and controls;
international and regional economic, political and labor conditions, including any instability or security concerns abroad and the United Kingdom’s vote to exit the European Union (Brexit);
tax laws (including U.S. taxes on foreign subsidiaries);
increased financial accounting and reporting burdens and complexities;
changes in, or impositions of, legislative or regulatory requirements;
changes in laws governing the free flow of data across international borders;
failure of laws to protect our intellectual property rights adequately;
inadequate local infrastructure and difficulties in managing and staffing international operations;
delays resulting from difficulty in obtaining export licenses for certain technology, tariffs, quotas and other trade barriers;
the imposition of governmental economic sanctions on countries in which we do business or where we plan to expand our business;
costs and delays associated with developing products in multiple languages;
operating in locations with a higher incidence of corruption and fraudulent business practices; and
other factors beyond our control, such as terrorism, war, natural disasters and pandemics.
Some of our third-party business partners have international operations and are also subject to these risks and if our third-party business partners are unable to appropriately manage these risks, our business may be harmed. If sales to any of our customers outside of the Americas are reduced, delayed or canceled because of any of the above factors, our revenue may decline.
Our business could be harmed if we fail to effectively manage critical strategic third-party business relationships.
As our offerings expand and our customer base grows, our relationships with strategic partners become increasingly valuable. If our contractual relationships with these third parties were to terminate, or if we were unable to renew on favorable terms, our business could be harmed. This is especially the case when the third party’s offerings are integrated with our products and services, or where the third party’s offerings are difficult to substitute or replace. Alternative arrangements for such products and services may not be available to us, or on commercially reasonable terms, and we may experience business interruptions upon a transition to an alternative partner. The failure of third parties to provide acceptable products and services or to update their technology may result in a disruption to our business operations and those of our customers, which may reduce our revenues and profits, cause us to lose customers and damage our reputation.

We may not realize the anticipated benefits of past or future investments or acquisitions, and integration of acquisitions may disrupt our business and management.
We may not realize the anticipated benefits of an investment or acquisition of a company, division, product or technology, each of which involves numerous risks. These risks include:
inability to achieve the financial and strategic goals for the acquired and combined businesses;

difficulty in, and the cost of, effectively integrating the operations, technologies, products or services, and personnel of the acquired business;

entry into markets in which we have minimal prior experience and where competitors in such markets have stronger market positions;

disruption of our ongoing business and distraction of our management and other employees from other opportunities and challenges;

inability to retain personnel of the acquired business;

inability to retain key customers, distributors, vendors and other business partners of the acquired business;

inability to take advantage of anticipated tax benefits;

incurring acquisition-related costs or amortization costs for acquired intangible assets that could impact our operating results;

elevated delinquency or bad debt write-offs related to receivables of the acquired business we assume;

increased accounts receivables collection times and working capital requirements associated with acquired business models;

additional costs of bringing acquired companies into compliance with laws and regulations applicable to a multinational corporation;

difficulty in maintaining controls, procedures and policies during the transition and integration;

impairment of our relationships with employees, customers, partners, distributors or third-party providers of our technologies, products or services;

failure of our due diligence processes to identify significant problems, liabilities or other challenges of an acquired company or technology;

exposure to litigation or other claims in connection with, or inheritance of claims or litigation risk as a result of, an acquisition, such as claims from terminated employees, customers, former stockholders or other third parties;

incurring significant exit charges if products or services acquired in business combinations are unsuccessful;

inability to conclude that our internal controls over financial reporting are effective;

inability to obtain, or obtain in a timely manner, approvals from governmental authorities, which could delay or prevent such acquisitions;

the failure of strategic investments to perform as expected or to meet financial projections;

delay in customer and distributor purchasing decisions due to uncertainty about the direction of our product and service offerings; and

incompatibility of business cultures.

Mergers and acquisitions of technology companies are inherently risky. If we do not complete an announced acquisition transaction or integrate an acquired business successfully and in a timely manner, we may not realize the benefits of the acquisition to the extent anticipated, and in certain circumstances an acquisition could harm our financial position.
Changes in accounting principles, or interpretations thereof, could have a significant impact on our financial position and results of operations.
We prepare our condensed consolidated financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”). These principles are subject to interpretation by the SEC and various bodies formed to interpret and create appropriate accounting principles. A change in these principles, how the principles are interpreted, or the adoption of new accounting principles can have a significant effect on our reported results, and could even retroactively affect previously reported transactions, and may require that we make significant changes to our systems, processes and controls.
Changes resulting from these new standards may result in materially different financial results and may require that we change how we process, analyze and report financial information and that we change financial reporting controls. For additional information regarding these updated standards, see the section titled “Recent Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Effective” within Part II. Item 8, Note 1. Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies.
Such changes in accounting principles may have an adverse effect on our business, financial position, and income, or cause an adverse deviation from our revenue and profitability targets, which may negatively impact our financial results.
Changes in tax rules and regulations, or interpretations thereof, may adversely affect our effective tax rates.
We are a U.S.-based multinational company subject to tax in multiple U.S. and foreign tax jurisdictions. A significant portion of our foreign earnings for the current fiscal year were earned by our Irish subsidiaries. In addition to providing for U.S. income taxes on earnings from the United States, we provide for U.S. income taxes on the earnings of foreign subsidiaries unless the subsidiaries’ earnings are considered permanently reinvested outside the United States. While, as of the balance sheet date, we do not anticipate changing our intention regarding permanently reinvested earnings, if certain foreign earnings previously treated as permanently reinvested are repatriated, the related U.S. tax liability may be reduced by any foreign income taxes paid on these earnings.
Our income tax expense has differed from the tax computed at the U.S. federal statutory income tax rate due primarily to discrete items and to earnings considered as permanently reinvested in foreign operations. Unanticipated changes in our tax rates could affect our future results of operations. Our future effective tax rates could be unfavorably affected by changes in the tax rates in jurisdictions where our income is earned, by changes in or our interpretation of tax rules and regulations in the jurisdictions in which we do business, by unanticipated decreases in the amount of earnings in countries with low statutory tax rates, by unexpected negative changes in business and market conditions that could reduce certain tax benefits, or by changes in the valuation of our deferred tax assets and liabilities.
In addition, in the United States, the European Commission, countries in the European Union and other countries where we do business, we are subject to potential changes in relevant tax, accounting and other laws, regulations and interpretations, including changes to tax laws applicable to corporate multinationals such as Adobe. These countries and other governmental bodies have or could make unprecedented assertions about how earnings in their jurisdictions might be determined that are contrary to the way in which we have interpreted and historically applied the rules and regulations described above in our income tax returns filed in such jurisdictions. In the current global tax policy environment, any changes in laws, regulations and interpretations related

to these assertions could adversely affect our effective tax rates or result in other costs to us which could adversely affect our operations and financial results.
Moreover, we are subject to the continual examination of our income tax returns by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) and other domestic and foreign tax authorities. These tax examinations are expected to focus on our intercompany transfer pricing practices as well as other matters. We regularly assess the likelihood of outcomes resulting from these examinations to determine the adequacy of our provision for income taxes and have reserved for adjustments that may result from these examinations. We cannot provide assurance that the final determination of any of these examinations will not have an adverse effect on our operating results and financial position.
The success of some of our product and service offerings depends on our ability to continue to attract and retain customers of and contributors to our online marketplaces for creative content.

The success of some of our product and service offerings, such as Adobe Stock, depends on our ability to continue to attract new customers and contributors to these online marketplaces for creative content, as well as our ability to continue to retain existing customers and contributors. An increase in paying customers has generally resulted in more content from contributors, which increases the size of our collection and in turn attracts new paying customers. We rely on the functionality and features of our online marketplaces, the size and content of our collection and the effectiveness of our marketing efforts to attract new customers and contributors and retain existing ones. New technologies may render the features of our online marketplaces obsolete, our collection may fail to grow as anticipated or our marketing efforts may be unsuccessful, any of which may adversely affect our results of operations.

We face various risks associated with our operating as a multinational corporation.
As a global business that generates approximately 42% of our total revenue from sales to customers outside of the Americas, we are subject to a number of risks, including:
foreign currency fluctuations and controls;

international and regional economic, political and labor conditions, including any instability or security concerns abroad;

tax laws (including U.S. taxes on foreign subsidiaries);

increased financial accounting and reporting burdens and complexities;

changes in, or impositions of, legislative or regulatory requirements;

changes in laws governing the free flow of data across international borders;

failure of laws to protect our intellectual property rights adequately;

inadequate local infrastructure and difficulties in managing and staffing international operations;

delays resulting from difficulty in obtaining export licenses for certain technology, tariffs, quotas and other trade barriers;

the imposition of governmental economic sanctions on countries in which we do business or where we plan to expand our business;

costs and delays associated with developing products in multiple languages;

operating in locations with a higher incidence of corruption and fraudulent business practices; and

other factors beyond our control, such as terrorism, war, natural disasters and pandemics.

Some of our third-party business partners have international operations and are also subject to these risks and if our third-party business partners are unable to appropriately manage these risks, our business may be harmed. If sales to any of our customers outside of the Americas are reduced, delayed or canceled because of any of the above factors, our revenue may decline.

We are subject to risks associated with compliance with laws and regulations globally, which may harm our business.
We are a global company subject to varied and complex laws, regulations and customs, both domestically and internationally. These laws and regulations relate to a number of aspects of our business, including trade protection, import and export control, data and transaction processing security, payment card industry data security standards, records management, user-generated content hosted on websites we operate, privacy practices, data residency, corporate governance, anti-trust and competition, employee and third-party complaints, anti-corruption, gift policies, conflicts of interest, securities regulations and other regulatory requirements affecting trade and investment. The application of these laws and regulations to our business is often unclear and may at times conflict. For example, in many foreign countries, particularly in those with developing economies, it is common to engage in business practices that are prohibited by U.S. regulations applicable to us, including the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. We cannot provide assurance that our employees, contractors, agents and business partners will not take actions in violation of our internal policies or U.S. laws. Compliance with these laws and regulations may involve significant costs or require changes in our business practices that result in reduced revenue and profitability. Non-compliance could also result in fines, damages, criminal sanctions against us, our officers or our employees, prohibitions on the conduct of our business, and damage to our reputation.
In addition, approximately 52%48% of our employees are located outside the United States. Accordingly, we are exposed to changes in laws governing our employee relationships in various U.S. and foreign jurisdictions, including laws and regulations regarding wage and hour requirements, fair labor standards, employee data privacy, unemployment tax rates, workers’ compensation rates, citizenship requirements and payroll and other taxes, which likely would have a direct impact on our operating costs.

Uncertainty about current and future economic conditions and other adverse changes in general political conditions in any of the major countries in which we do business could adversely affect our operating results.
As our business has grown, we have become increasingly subject to the risks arising from adverse changes in economic and political conditions, both domestically and globally.globally, including trends toward protectionism and nationalism. Uncertainty about the effects of current and future economic and political conditions on us, our customers, suppliers and partners makes it difficult for us to forecast operating results and to make decisions about future investments. If economic growth in countries where we do business slows, customers may delay or reduce technology purchases, advertising spending or marketing spending. This could result in reductions in sales of our products and services, more extended sales cycles, slower adoption of new technologies and increased price competition. Among our customers are government entities, including the U.S. federal government, and our revenue could decline if spending cuts impact the government’s ability to purchase our products and services. Deterioration in economic conditions in any of the countries in which we do business could also cause slower or impaired collections on accounts receivable, which may adversely impact our liquidity and financial condition.
A disruption in financial markets could impair our banking partners, on which we rely for operating cash management and affect our derivative counterparties. Any of these events would likely harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Political instability or adverse political developments in or around any of the major countries in which we do business would also likely harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Subscription offerings could create risks related to the timing of revenue recognition.
We generally recognize revenue from subscription offerings ratably over the terms of their subscription agreements, which typically range from 1 to 36 months. As a result, most of the subscription revenue we report in each quarter is the result of subscription agreements entered into during previous quarters. Any reduction in new or renewed subscriptions in a quarter may not be reflected in our revenue results until a later quarter. Declines in new or renewed subscriptions may decrease our revenue in future quarters. Lower sales, reduced demand for our products and services, and increases in our attrition rate may not be fully reflected in our results of operations until future periods. Our subscription model could also make it difficult for us to rapidly increase our revenue from subscription-based or hosted services through additional sales in any period, as revenue from new customers will be recognized over the applicable subscription term.
Additionally, in connection with our sales efforts to enterprise customers and our use of ETLAs, a number of factors could affect our revenue, including longer-than-expected sales and implementation cycles, potential deferral of revenue and alternative licensing arrangements. If any of our assumptions about revenue from our subscription-based offerings prove incorrect, our actual results may vary materially from those anticipated.

Changes in accounting principles, or interpretations thereof, could have a significant impact on our financial position and results of operations.
We prepare our consolidated financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”). These principles are subject to interpretation by the SEC and various bodies formed to interpret and create appropriate accounting principles. A change in these principles, how the principles are interpreted, or the adoption of new accounting standards can have a significant effect on our reported results, and could even retroactively affect previously reported transactions, and may require that we make significant changes to our systems, processes and controls.
Changes resulting from these new standards may result in materially different financial results and may require that we change how we process, analyze and report financial information and that we change financial reporting controls. For additional information regarding these new standards, see the section titled “Recent Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Effective” within Part II. Item 8, Note 1. Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies.
Such changes in accounting principles may have an adverse effect on our business, financial position and income, or cause an adverse deviation from our revenue and profitability targets, which may negatively impact our financial results.
Changes in tax rules and regulations, or interpretations thereof, may adversely affect our effective tax rates.
We are a United States-based multinational company subject to tax in multiple U.S. and foreign tax jurisdictions. A significant portion of our foreign earnings for the current fiscal year were earned by our Irish subsidiaries. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, enacted into law on December 22, 2017, changed existing U.S. tax law applicable to us and included certain international provisions effective for us starting in fiscal 2019. The applicability and impact of these new tax provisions, and of other international tax law changes effective for fiscal 2020 and beyond, will likely require us to respond by making change(s) to our international trading structure. The net impact of such change(s) is uncertain but is anticipated to adversely affect our effective income tax rate and cash flows in years beyond fiscal 2020.
Our income tax expense has differed from the tax computed at the U.S. federal statutory income tax rate due primarily to discrete items including, but not limited to, the effects of tax credits, stock-based compensation and settlements of tax examinations, and to tax on earnings from foreign operations. Unanticipated changes in our tax rates could affect our future results of operations. Our future effective tax rates are likely to be unfavorably affected by changes in the tax rates in jurisdictions where our income is earned, by changes in our repatriation policy, by changes in or our interpretation of tax rules and regulations in the jurisdictions in which we do business, by unanticipated decreases in the amount of earnings in countries with low statutory tax rates, by unexpected negative changes in business and market conditions that could reduce certain tax benefits, or by changes in the valuation of our deferred tax assets and liabilities.
In addition, in countries where we conduct business and in jurisdictions in which we are subject to tax, including those covered by governing bodies that enact tax laws applicable to us, such as the European Commission of the European Union, we are subject to potential changes in relevant tax, accounting and other laws, regulations and interpretations, including changes to tax laws applicable to corporate multinationals such as Adobe. These countries, other governmental bodies and intergovernmental economic organizations such as the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, have or could make unprecedented assertions about how taxation is determined in their jurisdictions that are contrary to the way in which we have interpreted and historically applied the rules and regulations described above in our income tax returns filed in such jurisdictions. In the current global tax policy environment, any changes in laws, regulations and interpretations related to these assertions could adversely affect our effective tax rates or result in other costs to us which could adversely affect our operations and financial condition.results.
Moreover, we are subject to the continual examination of our income tax returns by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service and other domestic and foreign tax authorities. These tax examinations are expected to focus on our intercompany transfer pricing practices as well as other matters. We regularly assess the likelihood of outcomes resulting from these examinations to determine the adequacy of our provision for income taxes and have reserved for adjustments that may result from these examinations. We cannot provide assurance that the final determination of any of these examinations will not have an adverse effect on our operating results and financial position.
If our products or platforms are used to create or disseminate objectionable content, particularly misleading content intended to manipulate public opinion, our brand reputation may be damaged, and our business and financial results may be harmed.
We believe that our brands have significantly contributed to the success of our business. Maintaining and enhancing the brands within Adobe increases our ability to enter new categories and launch new and innovative products that better serve the needs of our customers. We also believe that maintaining and enhancing our brands is critical to expanding our base of customers. Our brands may be negatively affected by the use of our products or services to create or disseminate newsworthy content that is deemed to be misleading, deceptive, or intended to manipulate public opinion (e.g. “DeepFakes”), by the use of our products or

services for illicit, objectionable, or illegal ends, or by our failure to respond appropriately and expeditiously to such uses of our products and services. Such uses of our products and services may also cause us to face claims related to defamation, rights of publicity and privacy, illegal content, misinformation and personal injury torts. Maintaining and enhancing our brands may require us to make substantial investments and these investments may not be successful. If we fail to appropriately respond to objectionable content created using our products or services or shared on our platforms, our users may lose confidence in our brands and our business and financial results may be adversely affected.
The success of some of our product and service offerings depends on our ability to continue to attract and retain customers of and contributors to our online marketplaces for creative content.
The success of some of our product and service offerings, such as Adobe Stock, depends on our ability to continue to attract new customers and contributors to these online marketplaces for creative content, as well as our ability to continue to retain existing customers and contributors. An increase in paying customers has generally resulted in more content from contributors, which increases the size of our collection and in turn attracts new paying customers. We rely on the functionality and features of our online marketplaces, the size and content of our collection and the effectiveness of our marketing efforts to attract new customers and contributors and retain existing ones. New technologies may render the features of our online marketplaces obsolete, our collection may fail to grow as anticipated or our marketing efforts may be unsuccessful, any of which may adversely affect our results of operations.
Our intellectual property portfolio is a valuable asset and we may not be able to protect our intellectual property rights, including our source code, from infringement or unauthorized copying, use or disclosure.
Our intellectual property portfolio is a valuable asset. Infringement or misappropriation of our patents, trademarks, trade secrets, copyrights and other intellectual property rights could result in lost revenues and ultimately reduce their value. Preventing unauthorized use or infringement of our intellectual property rights is inherently difficult. We actively combat software piracy as we enforce our intellectual property rights, but we nonetheless lose significant revenue due to illegal use of our software. If piracy activities continue at historical levels or increase, they may further harm our business. We apply for patents in the U.S. and internationally to protect our newly created technology and if we are unable to obtain patent protection for the technology described in our pending patent, or if the patent is not obtained timely, this could result in revenue loss, adverse effects on operations and harm to our business. We offer our products and services in foreign countries and we may seek intellectual property protection from those foreign legal systems. Some of those foreign countries may not have as robust or comprehensive of intellectual property protection laws and schemes as those offered in the U.S. In some foreign countries, the mechanisms to enforce intellectual property rights may be inadequate to protect our technology, which could harm our business.
If unauthorized disclosure of our source code occurs through security breach, cyber-attack or otherwise, we could lose future trade secret protection for that source code. The loss of future trade secret protection could make it easier for third parties to compete with our products by copying functionality, which could cause us to lose customers and could adversely affect our revenue and operating margins. We also seek to protect our confidential information and trade secrets through the use of non-disclosure

agreements with our customers, contractors, vendors and partners. However, there is a risk that our confidential information and trade secrets may be disclosed or published without our authorization, and in these situations, enforcing our rights may be difficult or costly.
We may incur substantial costs defending against third parties alleging that we infringe their proprietary rights.

We have been, are currently, and may in the future be, subject to claims, negotiations and complex, protracted litigation relating to disputes regarding the validity or alleged infringement of third-party intellectual property rights, including patent rights. Intellectual property disputes and litigation are typically costly and can be disruptive to our business operations by diverting the attention of management and key personnel. We may not prevail in every lawsuit or dispute. Third-party intellectual property disputes, including those initiated by patent assertion entities, could subject us to significant liabilities, require us to enter into royalty and licensing arrangements on unfavorable terms, prevent us from licensing certain of our products or offering certain of our services, subject us to injunctions restricting our sale of products or services, cause severe disruptions to our operations or the markets in which we compete, or require us to satisfy indemnification commitments with our customers, including contractual provisions under various license arrangements and service agreements. In addition, we may incur significant costs in acquiring the necessary third-party intellectual property rights for use in our products, in some cases to fulfill contractual obligations with our customers. Any of these occurrences could significantly harm our business.

We may incur losses associated with currency fluctuations and may not be able to effectively hedge our exposure.

Our operating results are subject to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates due to the global scope of our business. Global economic events, including trade disputes, economic sanctions and emerging market volatility, and associated uncertainty may cause currencies to fluctuate. We attempt to mitigate a portion of these risks through foreign currency hedging based on our

judgment of the appropriate trade-offs among risk, opportunity and expense. We regularly review our program to partially hedge our exposure to foreign currency fluctuations and make adjustments as necessary. Our hedging activities may not offset more than a portion of the adverse financial impact resulting from unfavorable movement in foreign currency exchange rates, which could adversely affect our financial condition or results of operations.
Failure of our third-party customer service and technical support providers to adequately address customers’ requests could harm our business and adversely affect our financial results.
Our customers rely on our customer service support organization to resolve issues with our products and services. We outsource a substantial portion of our customer service and technical support activities to third-party service providers. We depend heavily on these third-party customer service and technical support representatives working on our behalf, and we expect to continue to rely heavily on third parties in the future. This strategy presents risks to our business due to the fact that we may not be able to influence the quality of support as directly as we would be able to do if our own employees performed these activities. Our customers may react negatively to providing information to, and receiving support from, third-party organizations, especially if these third-party organizations are based overseas. If we encounter problems with our third-party customer service and technical support providers, our reputation may be harmed, our ability to sell our offerings could be adversely affected, and we could lose customers and associated revenue.
FailureRevenue, margin or earnings shortfalls or the volatility of the market generally may cause the market price of our stock to managedecline.
In the past, the market price for our salescommon stock experienced significant fluctuations and distribution channels effectively could resultit may do so in a loss of revenue and harm to our business.
We contract with athe future. A number of software distributors and other strategic partners, none of which is individually responsiblefactors may affect the market price for a material amountour common stock, such as:
shortfalls in, or changes in expectations about, our revenue, margins, earnings, Annualized Recurring Revenue (“ARR”), sales of our total net revenue for any recent period. Nonetheless, if any single agreement with one of our distributors were terminated, any prolonged delayDigital Experience offerings, or other key performance metrics;
changes in securing a replacement distributor could have a negative impact onestimates or recommendations by securities analysts;
whether our results meet analysts’ expectations;
compression or expansion of operations.multiples used by investors and analysts to value high technology SaaS companies;

Successfully managing our indirect distribution channel efforts to reach various customer segments for our products and services is a complex process across the broad rangeannouncement of geographies where we do business or plan to do business. Our distributors and other channel partners are independent businesses that we do not control. Notwithstanding the independence of our channel partners, we face legal risk and potential reputational harm from the activities of these third parties including, but not limited to, export control violations, workplace conditions, corruption and anti-competitive behavior.
We cannot be certain that our distribution channel will continue to market or sell our products and services effectively. If our distribution channel is not successful, we may lose sales opportunities, customers and revenue. Our distributors also sell our competitors’ products and services, and if they favor our competitors’new products or services, for any reason, they may failproduct enhancements, service introductions, strategic alliances or significant agreements by us or our competitors;
the loss of large customers or our inability to increase sales to existing customers, retain customers or attract new customers;
recruitment or departure of key personnel;
variations in our or our competitors’ results of operations, changes in the competitive landscape generally and developments in our industry;
general socio-economic, political or market conditions; and
unusual events such as significant acquisitions by us or our products or services effectively orcompetitors, divestitures, litigation, regulatory actions and other factors, including factors unrelated to devote resources necessary to provide effective sales, which would cause our results to suffer. We also distribute some products and services through our OEM channel, and if our OEMs decide not to bundle our applications on their devices, our results could suffer. operating performance.
In addition, the financial health ofmarket for technology stocks or the stock market in general may experience uneven investor confidence, which may cause the market price for our distributors and our continuing relationships with them are importantcommon stock to decline for reasons unrelated to our success. Someoperating performance. Volatility in the market price of these distributors may be unable to withstand adverse changes in

economic conditions, which could result in insolvency, the inability of such distributors to obtain credit to finance purchases of our products and services, or a delay in paying their obligations to us.
We also sell some of our products and services through our direct sales force. Risks associated with this sales channel include more extended sales and collection cycles associated with direct sales efforts, challenges related to hiring, retaining and motivating our direct sales force, and substantial amounts of ongoing trainingcompany’s securities for sales representatives. Moreover, recent hires may not become as productive as we would like, as in most cases it takes a significant period of time before they achieve full productivity. Our business could be seriously harmed ifmay increase the company’s susceptibility to securities class action litigation. Oftentimes, this type of litigation is expensive and diverts management’s attention and resources which may adversely affect our expansion efforts do not generate a corresponding significant increase in revenue and we are unable to achieve the efficiencies we anticipate. In addition, the loss of key sales employees could impact our customer relationships and future ability to sell to certain accounts covered by such employees.business.
Contracting with government entities exposes us to additional risks inherent in the government procurement process.
We provide products and services, directly and indirectly, to a variety of government entities, both domestically and internationally. Risks associated with licensing and selling products and services to government entities include more extended sales and collection cycles, varying governmental budgeting processes and adherence to complex procurement regulations and other government-specific contractual requirements. We may be subject to audits and investigations relating to our government contracts and any violations could result in various civil and criminal penalties and administrative sanctions, including termination

of contracts, payment of fines, and suspension or debarment from future government business, as well as harm to our reputation and financial results.
Revenue, margin or earnings shortfalls or the volatility of the market generally may cause the market price of our stock to decline.
In the past, the market price for our common stock experienced significant fluctuations and it may do so in the future. A number of factors may affect the market price for our common stock, such as:
shortfalls in, or changes in expectations about our revenue, margins, earnings, Annualized Recurring Revenue (“ARR”), sales of our Adobe Experience Cloud offerings, or other key performance metrics;

changes in estimates or recommendations by securities analysts;

whether our results meet analysts’ expectations;

compression or expansion of multiples used by investors and analysts to value high technology SaaS companies;

the announcement of new products or services, product enhancements, service introductions, strategic alliances or significant agreements by us or our competitors;

the loss of large customers or our inability to increase sales to existing customers, retain customers or attract new customers;

recruitment or departure of key personnel;

variations in our or our competitors’ results of operations, changes in the competitive landscape generally and developments in our industry;

general socio-economic, political or market conditions; and

unusual events such as significant acquisitions by us or our competitors, divestitures, litigation, regulatory actions and other factors, including factors unrelated to our operating performance.

In addition, the market for technology stocks or the stock market in general may experience uneven investor confidence, which may cause the market price for our common stock to decline for reasons unrelated to our operating performance. Volatility in the market price of a company’s securities for a period of time may increase the company’s susceptibility to securities class action litigation. Oftentimes, this type of litigation is expensive and diverts management’s attention and resources which may adversely affect our business.

If we are unable to recruit and retain key personnel, our business may be harmed.
Much of our future success depends on the continued service, availability and performance of our senior management. These individuals have acquired specialized knowledge and skills with respect to Adobe. The loss of any of these individuals could harm our business, especially if we have not been successful in developing adequate succession plans. Our business is also dependent on our ability to retain, hire and motivate talented, highly skilled personnel across all levels of our organization. Our efforts to attract, develop, integrate and retain highly skilled employees with appropriate qualifications may be compounded by intensified restrictions on travel, immigration, or the availability of work visas. Experienced personnel in the information technology industry are in high demand and competition for their talents is intense in many areas where our employees are located. We may experience higher compensation costs to retain senior management and experienced personnel that may not be offset by improved productivity or increased sales. If we are unable to continue to successfully attract and retain key personnel, our business may be harmed.
We continue to hire personnel in countries where exceptional technical knowledge and other expertise are offered at lower costs, which increases the efficiency of our global workforce structure and reduces our personnel related expenditures. Nonetheless, as globalization continues, competition for these employees in these countries has increased, which may impact our ability to retain these employees and increase our expenses resulting from competitive compensation. We may continue to expand our international operations and international sales and marketing activities, which would require significant management attention and resources. We may be unable to scale our infrastructure effectively or as quickly as our competitors in these markets, and our revenue may not increase to offset these expected increases in costs and operating expenses, causing our results to suffer.
We believe that a critical contributor to our success to date has been our corporate culture, which we have built to foster innovation, teamwork and employee satisfaction. As we grow, including from the integration of employees and businesses acquired in connection with previous or future acquisitions, we may find it difficult to maintain important aspects of our corporate culture, which could negatively affect our ability to retain and recruit personnel who are essential to our future success.
Failure to manage our sales and distribution channels effectively could result in a loss of revenue and harm to our business.
We contract with a number of software distributors and other strategic partners, none of which are individually responsible for a material amount of our total net revenue for any recent period. Nonetheless, if any single agreement with one of our distributors were terminated, any prolonged delay in securing a replacement distributor could have a negative impact on our results of operations.
Successfully managing our indirect distribution channel efforts to reach various customer segments for our products and services is a complex process across the broad range of geographies where we do business or plan to do business. Our distributors and other channel partners are independent businesses that we do not control. Notwithstanding the independence of our channel partners, we face legal risk and potential reputational harm from the activities of these third parties including, but not limited to, export control violations, workplace conditions, corruption and anti-competitive behavior.
We cannot be certain that our distribution channel will continue to market or sell our products and services effectively. If our distribution channel is not successful, we may lose sales opportunities, customers and revenue. Our distributors also sell our competitors’ products and services, and if they favor our competitors’ products or services for any reason, they may fail to market our products or services effectively or to devote resources necessary to provide effective sales, which would cause our results to suffer. We also distribute some products and services through our OEM channel, and if our OEMs decide not to bundle our applications on their devices, our results could suffer. In addition, the financial health of our distributors and our continuing relationships with them are important to our success. Some of these distributors may be unable to withstand adverse changes in economic conditions, which could result in insolvency, the inability of such distributors to obtain credit to finance purchases of our products and services, or a delay in paying their obligations to us.
We also sell some of our products and services through our direct sales force. Risks associated with this sales channel include more extended sales and collection cycles associated with direct sales efforts, challenges related to hiring, retaining and motivating our direct sales force, and substantial amounts of ongoing training for sales representatives. Moreover, recent hires may not become as productive as we would like, as in most cases it takes a significant period of time before they achieve full productivity. Our business could be seriously harmed if our expansion efforts do not generate a corresponding significant increase in revenue and we are unable to achieve the efficiencies we anticipate. In addition, the loss of key sales employees could impact our customer relationships and future ability to sell to certain accounts covered by such employees.

If our goodwill or amortizable intangible assets become impaired, then we could be required to record a significant charge to earnings.
GAAP requires us to test for goodwill impairment at least annually. In addition, we review our goodwill and amortizable intangible assets for impairment when events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying value may not be recoverable. Factors that may be considered a change in circumstances indicating that the carrying value of our goodwill or amortizable intangible assets may not be recoverable include declines in stock price, market capitalization or cash flows, and slower growth rates in our industry. Depending on the results of our review, we could be required to record a significant charge to earnings in our consolidated financial statements during the period in which any impairment of our goodwill or amortizable intangible assets were determined, negatively impacting our results of operations.
We have issued $1.9 billion of notes in debt offerings and have a $2.25 billion term loan, and may incur other debt in the future, which may adversely affect our financial condition and future financial results.
We have $1.9 billion in senior unsecured notes and a $2.25 billion senior unsecured term loan outstanding. We also have a $1 billion senior unsecured revolving credit agreement, which is currently undrawn. This debt may adversely affect our financial condition and future financial results by, among other things:
increasing our vulnerability to adverse changes in general economic and industry conditions;

requiring the dedication of a portion of our expected cash flow from operations to service our indebtedness, thereby reducing the amount of expected cash flow available for other purposes, including capital expenditures and acquisitions; and

limiting our flexibility in planning for, or reacting to, changes in our business and our industry.

Our senior unsecured notes and senior unsecured revolving credit agreementagreements impose restrictions on us and require us to maintain compliance with specified covenants. Our ability to comply with these covenants may be affected by events beyond our control. If we breach any of the covenants and do not obtain a waiver from the lendersnoteholders or noteholders,lenders, then, subject to applicable cure periods, any outstanding indebtedness may be declared immediately due and payable.
In addition, changes by any rating agency to our credit rating may negatively impact the value and liquidity of both our debt and equity securities, as well as the potential costs associated with a refinancing of our debt. Under certain circumstances, if our credit ratings are downgraded or other negative action is taken, the interest rate payable by us under our revolving credit facility and Term Loan could increase. Downgrades in our credit ratings could also affect the terms of any such financing and restrict our ability to obtain additional financing in the future.

Catastrophic events may disrupt our business.
We are a highly automated business and rely on our network infrastructure and enterprise applications, internal technology systems and website for our development, marketing, operations, support, hosted services and sales activities. In addition, some of our businesses rely on third-party hosted services, and we do not control the operation of third-party data center facilities serving our customers from around the world, which increases our vulnerability. A disruption, infiltration or failure of these systems or third-party hosted services in the event of a major earthquake, fire, flood, tsunami or other weather event, power loss, telecommunications failure, software or hardware malfunctions, pandemics, cyber-attack, war, terrorist attack or other catastrophic event that our disaster recovery plans do not adequately address, could cause system interruptions, reputational harm, loss of intellectual property, delays in our product development, lengthy interruptions in our services, breaches of data security and loss of critical data. Any of these events could prevent us from fulfilling our customers’ orders or could negatively impact a country or region in which we sell our products, which could in turn decrease that country’s or region’s demand for our products. Our corporate headquarters, a significant portion of our research and development activities, certain of our data centers and certain other critical business operations are located in the San Francisco Bay Area, and additional facilities where we conduct significant operations are located in the Salt Lake Valley Area, both of which are near major earthquake faults. A catastrophic event that results in the destruction or disruption of any of our data centers or our critical business or information technology systems could severely affect our ability to conduct normal business operations and, as a result, our future operating results could be adversely affected.
Climate change may have a long-term impact on our business.
While we seek to partner with organizations that mitigate their business risks associated with climate change, we recognize that there are inherent risks wherever business is conducted. Access to clean water and reliable energy in the communities where we conduct our business, whether for our offices or for our vendors, is a priority. Our major sites in California, Utah and India are vulnerable to prolonged droughts dueclimate change effects. For example, in California, increasing intensity of drought throughout the state and annual periods of wildfire danger increase the probability of planned power outages in the communities where we work and live. While

this danger has a low-assessed risk of disrupting normal business operations, it has the potential impact on employees’ abilities to climate change. Incommute to work and to stay connected. Climate-related events, including the eventincreasing frequency of a natural disaster that disrupts business due to limited access to these resources, weextreme weather events and their impact on U.S., India and other major regions’ critical infrastructure, have the potential to experience losses todisrupt our business, our third-party suppliers, and/or the business of our customers, and addedmay cause us to experience higher attrition, losses, and additional costs to maintain or resume operations. To accurately assess and take potential proactive action as appropriate, Adobe is aligned with the guidelines of the Financial Stability Board’s Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures recommendations and the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board environmental metrics.
Our investment portfolio may become impaired by deterioration of the financial markets.
Our cash equivalent and short-term investment portfolio as of December 1, 2017November 29, 2019 consisted of asset-backed securities, corporate bonds and commercial paper, foreign government securities and U.S. Treasurydebt securities, money market mutual funds, municipal securities, time deposits and asset-backedU.S. Treasury securities. We follow an established investment policy and set of guidelines to monitor and help mitigate our exposure to interest rate and credit risk. The policy sets forth credit quality standards and limits our exposure to any one issuer, as well as our maximum exposure to various asset classes.
Should financial market conditions worsen in the future, investments in some financial instruments may pose risks arising from market liquidity and credit concerns. In addition, any deterioration of the capital markets could cause our other income and expense to vary from expectations. As of December 1, 2017,November 29, 2019, we had no material impairment charges associated with our short-term investment portfolio, and although we believe our current investment portfolio has little risk of material impairment, we cannot predict future market conditions, market liquidity or credit availability, and can provide no assurance that our investment portfolio will remain materially unimpaired.

ITEM 1B.  UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
None.

ITEM 2.  PROPERTIES
We ownThe following table sets forth the location, approximate square footage and occupy three office buildings and land in San Jose, California whereuse of our corporate headquarters is located. We also own buildings and land in Lehi, Utah, and at 601 and 625 Townsend Street in San Francisco, California, and the data center in Hillsboro, Oregon. Outside of the United States, we own certain land and buildings we occupy in Bangalore, India and Noida, India. material properties during fiscal 2019:
LocationOwned / LeasedApproximate
Square Footage
Use
Americas:
San Jose, CaliforniaOwned & leased1,081,000
(1)
Research, product development, sales, marketing and administration
San Francisco, CaliforniaOwned & leased657,000
(2)
Research, product development, sales, marketing and administration
APAC:
Bangalore, IndiaOwned & leased422,000
(3)
Research, product development, sales and administration
Noida, IndiaOwned & leased554,000
(4)
Research, product development, sales and administration
EMEA:
Greater London Area, United KingdomLeased92,000
Product development, sales, marketing and administration
_________________________________________
(1)
We own approximately 989,000 square feet of our San Jose properties where our headquarters is located.
(2)
We own approximately 346,000 square feet of our San Francisco properties
(3)
We own approximately 250,000 square feet of our Bangalore properties.
(4)
We own our Noida properties except for a land lease for one of our buildings. The term for the land lease is until 2091.
We lease or sublease the rest of the properties we occupy under operating leases. Such leases expire at various times through 2031, with the exception of our landground lease in Noida, India that expires in 2091.

The following table sets forth the location, approximate square footage and use of each of the principal properties used by Adobe during fiscal 2017.
LocationApproximate
Square
Footage
Use
North America:
West Tower, 345 Park Avenue
San Jose, CA 95110, USA
391,000
Research, product development, sales, marketing and administration
East Tower, 321 Park Avenue
San Jose, CA 95110, USA
325,000
Research, product development, sales, marketing and administration
Almaden Tower, 151 Almaden Boulevard
San Jose, CA 95110, USA
273,000
Research, product development, sales, marketing and administration
601 and 625 Townsend Street
San Francisco, CA 94103, USA
346,000
Research, product development, sales, marketing and administration
410 Townsend Street
San Francisco, CA 94107, USA
47,000
Research, product development, sales, marketing and administration
3900 Adobe Way
Lehi, UT 84043, USA
257,000
Research, product development, sales, marketing and administration
801 N. 34th Street-Waterfront
Seattle, WA 98103, USA
161,000
Product development, sales, marketing and administration
1540 Broadway
New York, NY 10036, USA
55,000
Sales, marketing and administration
343 Preston Street
Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5N4, Canada
122,000
(1)
Research, product development, sales, marketing and administration
25100 NW Evergreen Rd
Hillsboro, OR 97124, USA
85,000
Data center
India:
Adobe Towers, 1-1A, Sector 25A
Noida, U.P.
191,000
Product development and administration
Plot No. 05, Block A, Sector 132
Noida, U.P.
363,000
Product development and administration
Prestige Platina Technology Park
Building 1, Block A
Bangalore
250,000
Research, product development, sales and administration
Prestige Trinity Centre
Bhoganahalli Village, Varthur Hobli
Bangalore
149,000
Research, product development, sales and administration
Japan:
Gate City Osaki East Tower
1-11 Osaki
Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo
56,000
Product development, sales, marketing and administration
Romania:
26 Z Timisoara Blvd, Anchor Plaza
Lujerului, Sector 6
Bucharest
71,000
Research and product development
UK:
Market House
Providence Place
Maidenhead, Berkshire, SL6 8AD
49,000
Product development, sales, marketing and administration


_________________________________________

(1)
The total square footage is 122,000, of which we occupy 59,000 square feet, or approximately 48% of this facility; 6,000 square feet is unoccupied. The remaining square footage is subleased.

Noida.
In general, all facilities are in good condition, suitable for the conduct of our business and are operating at an average capacity of approximately 83%95%.

ITEM 3.  LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
In connection with disputes relating to the validity or alleged infringement of third-party intellectual property rights, including patent rights, we have been, are currently and may in the future be subject to claims, negotiations or complex, protracted litigation. Intellectual property disputes and litigation may be very costly and can be disruptive to our business operations by diverting the attention and energies of management and key technical personnel. Although we have successfully defended or resolved past litigation and disputes, we may not prevail in any ongoing or future litigation and disputes. Third-party intellectual property disputes could subject us to significant liabilities, require us to enter into royalty and licensing arrangements on unfavorable terms, prevent us from licensing certain of our products or offering certain of our services, subject us to injunctions restricting our sale of products or services, cause severe disruptions to our operations or the markets in which we compete, or require us to satisfy indemnification commitments with our customers including contractual provisions under various license arrangements and service agreements.
In addition to intellectual property disputes, we are subject to legal proceedings, claims and investigations in the ordinary course of business, including claims relating to commercial, employment and other matters. Some of these disputes and legal proceedings may include speculative claims for substantial or indeterminate amounts of damages. We consider all claims on a quarterly basis in accordance with GAAP and, based on known facts, assess whether potential losses are considered reasonably possible, probable and estimable. Based upon this assessment, we then evaluate disclosure requirements and whether to accrue for such claims in our financial statements. This determination is then reviewed and discussed with the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors and our independent registered public accounting firm.
We make a provision for a liability when it is both probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. These provisions are reviewed at least quarterly and adjusted to reflect the impacts of negotiations, settlements, rulings, advice of legal counsel and other information and events pertaining to a particular case. Unless otherwise specifically disclosed in our Consolidated Financial Statements and notes thereto, we have determined that no provision for liability noror disclosure is required related to any claim against us because: (a) there is not a reasonable possibility that a loss exceeding amounts already recognized (if any) may be incurred with respect to such claim; (b) a reasonably possible loss or range of loss cannot be estimated; or (c) such estimate is immaterial.
All legal costs associated with litigation are expensed as incurred. Litigation is inherently unpredictable. However, we believe that we have valid defenses with respect to the legal matters pending against us. It is possible, nevertheless, that our consolidated financial position, cash flows or results of operations could be negatively affected by an unfavorable resolution of one or more of such proceedings, claims or investigations.
In connection with our piracy conversion efforts, conducted both internally and through organizations such as the Business Software Alliance, from time to time we undertake litigation against alleged copyright infringers. Such lawsuits may lead to counter-claims alleging improper use of litigation or violation of other laws. We believe we have valid defenses with respect to such counter-claims; however, it is possible that our consolidated financial position, cash flows or results of operations could be negatively affected in any particular period by the resolution of one or more of these counter-claims.
ITEM 4.  MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES
Not applicable.

PART II
ITEM 5.  MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
Market Information for Common Stock
Our common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “ADBE.” The following table sets forth the high and low sales price per share of our common stock for the periods indicated.
  Price Range
  High Low
Fiscal 2017:    
First Quarter $120.35
 $101.55
Second Quarter $143.48
 $119.60
Third Quarter $155.16
 $137.25
Fourth Quarter $185.40
 $144.57
Fiscal Year $185.40
 $101.55
Fiscal 2016:  
  
First Quarter $95.56
 $73.85
Second Quarter $100.17
 $84.35
Third Quarter $103.57
 $90.85
Fourth Quarter $110.81
 $98.77
Fiscal Year $110.81
 $73.85
Stockholders
According to the records of our transfer agent, there were 1,091993 holders of record of our common stock on January 12, 2018.10, 2020. Because many of such shares are held by brokers and other institutions on behalf of stockholders, we are unable to estimate the total number of stockholders represented by these record holders.
Dividends
We did not declare or pay any cash dividends on our common stock during fiscal 2017 or fiscal 2016. Under the terms of our credit agreement and lease agreements, we are not prohibited from paying cash dividends unless payment would trigger an event of default or one currently exists. We do not anticipate paying any cash dividends in the foreseeable future.

Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
Below is a summary of stock repurchases for the three months ended December 1, 2017. November 29, 2019. See Note 1214 of our Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for information regarding our stock repurchase programs.
Period
 
Total Number of Shares
Repurchased
 
Average
Price
Per
Share
 
Total
Number of
Shares
Purchased
as Part of
Publicly
Announced
Plans
 
 
Approximate
Dollar Value
that May
Yet be
Purchased
Under the
Plan(1)
  
Total Number of Shares
Repurchased
 
Average
Price Paid
Per
Share
 
Total
Number of
Shares
Purchased
as Part of
Publicly
Announced
Plans
 
 
Approximate
Dollar Value
that May
Yet be
Purchased
Under the
Plan(1)
 
      (in thousands, except average price per share)
 
      (in thousands, except average price per share)
 
Beginning repurchase authorityBeginning repurchase authority      $2,298,777
 Beginning repurchase authority      $6,100,054
 
September 2 — September 29, 2017        
August 31 — September 27, 2019August 31 — September 27, 2019        
Shares repurchasedShares repurchased642
 $154.03
 642
 $(98,777) Shares repurchased885
 $282.43
 885
 $(250,054) 
September 30 — October 27, 2017        
September 28 — October 25, 2019September 28 — October 25, 2019        
Shares repurchasedShares repurchased662
 $151.04
 662
 $(100,000)
(2) 
Shares repurchased927
 $274.12
 927
 $(254,032)
(2) 
October 28 — December 1, 2017 
  
  
  
 
October 26 — November 29, 2019October 26 — November 29, 2019 
  
  
  
 
Shares repurchasedShares repurchased552
 $178.36
 552
 $(98,500)
(2) 
Shares repurchased954
 $279.52
 954
 $(266,779)
(2) 
TotalTotal1,856
  
 1,856
 $2,001,500
 Total2,766
  
 2,766
 $5,329,189
 

_________________________________________ 
(1) 
In January 2017,May 2018, the Board of Directors granted authority to repurchase up to $2.5$8 billion in common stock through the end of fiscal 2019.2021.
(2) 
In September 2017,2019, we entered into a structured stock repurchase agreement with a large financial institution whereupon we provided them with a prepayment of $300$750 million. As of December 1, 2017,November 29, 2019, approximately $101.5$229.2 million of the prepayment remained under this agreement.

ITEM 6.  SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA
The following selected consolidated financial data (presented in thousands, except per share amounts and employee data) is derived from our Consolidated Financial Statements. As our historical operating results are not necessarily indicative of future operating results, this data should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and notes thereto, and with Item 7, Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.
  Fiscal Years
(in thousands, except per share amounts and employee data)
  Fiscal Years
2017 2016 2015 2014 2013
2019(1)
 2018 2017 
2016(3)
 2015
Operations:                  
Revenue$7,301,505
 $5,854,430
 $4,795,511
 $4,147,065
 $4,055,240
Revenue:$11,171,297
 $9,030,008
 $7,301,505
 $5,854,430
 $4,795,511
Gross profit$6,291,014
 $5,034,522
 $4,051,194
 $3,524,985
 $3,468,683
$9,498,577
 $7,835,009
 $6,291,014
 $5,034,522
 $4,051,194
Income before income taxes$2,137,641
 $1,435,138
 $873,781
 $361,376
 $356,141
$3,204,741
 $2,793,876
 $2,137,641
 $1,435,138
 $873,781
Net income$1,693,954
 $1,168,782
 $629,551
 $268,395
 $289,985
$2,951,458
 $2,590,774
 $1,693,954
 $1,168,782
 $629,551
Net income per share: 
  
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
  
Basic$3.43
 $2.35
 $1.26
 $0.54
 $0.58
$6.07
 $5.28
 $3.43
 $2.35
 $1.26
Diluted$3.38
 $2.32
 $1.24
 $0.53
 $0.56
$6.00
 $5.20
 $3.38
 $2.32
 $1.24
Shares used to compute basic net income per share493,632
 498,345
 498,764
 497,867
 501,372
486,291
 490,564
 493,632
 498,345
 498,764
Shares used to compute diluted net income per share501,123
 504,299
 507,164
 508,480
 513,476
491,572
 497,843
 501,123
 504,299
 507,164
Cash dividends declared per common share$
 $
 $
 $
 $
Financial position:(1)
 
  
  
  
  
Financial position: 
  
  
  
  
Cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments$5,819,774
 $4,761,300
 $3,988,084
 $3,739,491
 $3,173,752
$4,176,976
 $3,228,962
 $5,819,774
 $4,761,300
 $3,988,084
Working capital(2)
$3,720,356
 $3,028,139
 $2,608,336
 $2,107,893
 $2,520,281
$(1,696,013) $555,913
 $3,720,356
 $3,028,139
 $2,608,336
Total assets$14,535,556
 $12,697,246
 $11,714,500
 $10,781,991
 $10,374,940
$20,762,400
 $18,768,682
 $14,535,556
 $12,697,246
 $11,714,500
Debt and capital lease obligations, non-current$1,881,421
 $1,892,200
 $1,895,259
 $907,248
 $1,493,939
Debt, current$3,149,343
 $
 $
 $
 $
Debt, non-current$988,924
 $4,124,800
 $1,881,421
 $1,892,200
 $1,895,259
Stockholders’ equity$8,459,869
 $7,424,835
 $7,001,580
 $6,775,905
 $6,724,634
$10,530,155
 $9,362,114
 $8,459,869
 $7,424,835
 $7,001,580
Additional data:   
  
  
  
   
  
  
  
Worldwide employees17,973
 15,706
 13,893
 12,499
 11,847
22,634
 21,357
 17,973
 15,706
 13,893
_________________________________________ 
(1) 
Information associated withOn December 1, 2018, the beginning of our financial position is asfiscal year 2019, we adopted the requirements of the Friday closestFinancial Accounting Standards Board’s Accounting Standards Update No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, Topic 606, utilizing the modified retrospective method of transition. Prior period information has not been restated and continues to November 30be reported under the accounting standard in effect for the five fiscal periods through 2017.
those periods.
(2) 
For fiscal 2014 and prior, ourAs of November 29, 2019, working capital did not includewas in a deficit primarily due to the effectsreclassification of our $2.25 billion term loan due April 30, 2020 and $900 million 4.75% senior notes due February 1, 2020 to current liabilities. We intend to refinance our Term Loan and 2020 Notes on or before the adoption of ASU No. 2015-17, Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes,due dates.
(3)
Our fiscal year is a 52- or 53-week year that ends on the Friday closest to November 30. Fiscal 2016 was a 53-week fiscal year compared with the other periods presented which required all deferred tax assets and liabilities and any related valuation allowance to be classified as non-current on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. The new standard was adopted prospectively startingwere 52-week fiscal 2015.years.




ITEM 7.  MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The following discussion should be read in conjunction with our Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes thereto. Discussion regarding our financial condition and results of operations for fiscal 2018 as compared to fiscal 2017 is included in Item 7 of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended November 30, 2018, filed with the SEC on January 25,2019.
ACQUISITIONS
During fiscal 2019, we acquired the remaining interest in Allegorithmic SAS (“Allegorithmic”), a privately held 3D editing and authoring software company for gaming and entertainment, for approximately $106.2 million in cash consideration, and integrated it into our Digital Media reportable segment.
During fiscal 2018, we completed our acquisitions of Marketo, a privately held marketing cloud platform company, for $4.73 billion and Magento, a privately held commerce platform company, for $1.64 billion, and integrated them into our Digital Experience reportable segment.
During fiscal 2017, we completed our acquisition of TubeMogul, a publicly held video advertising platform company, for $560.8 million. As of the end of fiscal 2017, we are continuing to integrate TubeMogulmillion, and integrated it into our Digital Marketing reportable segment.
During fiscal 2015, we completed our acquisition of privately held Fotolia, a leading marketplace for royalty-free photos, images, graphics and HD videos, for $807.5 million. During fiscal 2015, we integrated Fotolia into our Digital MediaExperience reportable segment.
We also completed other immaterial business acquisitions during the fiscal years presented. Pro forma information has not been presented for any of our fiscal 2017, 2016 and 2015 acquisitions as the impact to our Consolidated Financial Statements was not material.
See Note 23 of our Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for further information regarding these acquisitions.acquisitions, including pro forma financial information related to the Marketo acquisition. Pro forma information has not been presented for our other acquisitions during the fiscal years presented as the impact to our Consolidated Financial Statements was not material.
CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATES
In preparing our Consolidated Financial Statements in accordance with GAAP and pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC, we make assumptions, judgments and estimates that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenue and expenses, and related disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities. We base our assumptions, judgments and estimates on historical experience and various other factors that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results could differ materially from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. On a regular basis, we evaluate our assumptions, judgments and estimates. We also discuss our critical accounting policies and estimates with the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors.
We believe that the assumptions, judgments and estimates involved in the accounting for revenue recognition, business combinations and income taxes have the greatest potential impact on our Consolidated Financial Statements. These areas are key components of our results of operations and are based on complex rules requiring us to make judgments and estimates, soand consequently, we consider these to be our critical accounting policies. Historically, our assumptions, judgments and estimates relative to our critical accounting policies have not differed materially from actual results.
Revenue Recognition
Our contracts with customers may include multiple goods and services. For example, some of our offerings include both on-premise and/or on-device software licenses and cloud services. Determining whether the software licenses and the cloud services are distinct from each other, and therefore performance obligations to be accounted for separately, or not distinct from each other, and therefore part of a single performance obligation, may require significant judgment. We have concluded that the on-premise/on-device software licenses and cloud services provided in our Creative Cloud and Document Cloud subscription offerings are not distinct from each other such that revenue is derived from each offering should be recognized ratably over the subscription non-software related hostedperiod for which the cloud services perpetual and term-based licensing of software products, associated software maintenance and support plans, consulting services, training and technical support. Mostare provided. In reaching this conclusion, we considered the nature of our enterprise customer arrangements are complex, involving multiple solutionspromise to Creative Cloud and various license rights, bundled with post-contract customer support and other meaningful rights that togetherDocument Cloud customers, which is to provide a complete end-to-end creative design or document workflow solution that operates seamlessly across multiple devices and teams. We fulfill this promise by providing access to a solution that integrates cloud-based and on-premise/on-device features that, together through their integration, provide functionalities, utility and workflow efficiencies that could not be obtained from either the customer. Throughouton-premise/on-device software or cloud services on their own.
Cloud-based features that are integral to our Creative Cloud and Document Cloud offerings and that work together with the contract period,on-premise/on-device software include, but are not limited to: Creative Cloud Libraries, which enable customers use our solutions to complete various phasesaccess their work, settings, preferences, and other assets seamlessly across desktop and mobile devices and collaborate across teams in real time; shared reviews which enable simultaneous editing and commenting of PDFs across desktop, mobile, and web; automatic cloud rendering of a design which enables it to be worked on in multiple mediums; and Sensei, Adobe’s cloud-hosted artificial intelligence and machine learning framework, which enables features such as automated photo-editing, photograph content-awareness, natural language processing, optical character recognition, and automated document tagging.

Business Combinations
We allocate the purchase price of acquired companies to tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed based upon their estimated fair values at the acquisition date. The purchase price allocation process requires management to make significant estimates and assumptions with respect to intangible assets and deferred revenue obligations. Although we believe the assumptions and estimates we have made are reasonable, they are based in part on historical experience, market conditions and information obtained from management of the creative and/acquired companies and are inherently uncertain. Examples of critical estimates in valuing certain of the intangible assets we have acquired or marketing processes allowing themmay acquire in the future include but are not limited to:
future expected cash flows from software license sales, subscriptions, support agreements, consulting contracts and acquired developed technologies and patents;
historical and expected customer attrition rates and anticipated growth in revenue from acquired customers;
the acquired company’s trade name and trademarks as well as assumptions about the period of time the acquired trade name and trademarks will continue to concurrently work on multiple projects. be used in the combined company’s product portfolio;
the expected use of the acquired assets; and
discount rates.
In response to evolving customer and market expectations, we frequently expand and improve our technology to keep upconnection with the pace of change, to provide enhancements topurchase price allocations for our tools to meet industry needs and to provide support at each stage of the customer’s life cycle.
We recognize revenue when all four revenue recognition criteria have been met: persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists;acquisitions, we have delivered the product or performed the service; the fee is fixed or determinable; and collection is probable. Determining whether and when some of these criteria have been satisfied often involves assumptions and judgments that can have a significant impact on the timing and amount of revenue we report. 
We enter into multiple element revenue arrangements in which a customer may purchase a combination of software, upgrades, maintenance and support, hosted services and consulting.
For our software and software-related multiple element arrangements, we must: (1) determine whether and when each element has been delivered; (2) determine whether undelivered products or services are essential to the functionality of the delivered products and services; (3) determineestimate the fair value of each undelivered element using vendor-specific objective evidence (“VSOE”); and (4) allocate the total price among the various elements. VSOE of fair value is used to allocate a portion of the price to the undelivered elements and the residual method is used to allocate the remaining portion to the delivered elements. Absent VSOE,deferred revenue is deferred until the earlier of the point at which VSOE of fair value exists for any undelivered element or until all elements of the arrangement have been delivered. However, if the only undelivered element is maintenance and support, the entire

arrangement fee is recognized ratably over the performance period. Changes in assumptions or judgments or changes to the elements in a software arrangement could cause a material increase or decrease in the amount of revenue that we report in a particular period.
We determine VSOE for each element based on historical stand-alone sales to third parties or from the stated renewal rate for the elements contained in the initial arrangement. In determining VSOE, we require that a substantial majority of the selling prices for a product or service fall within a reasonably narrow pricing range.
We have established VSOE for our software maintenance and support services, custom software development services, consulting services and training, when such services are sold optionally with software licenses.
For multiple-element arrangements containing our non-software services, we must: (1) determine whether and when each element has been delivered; (2) determine theobligations assumed. The estimated fair value of each element usingthese obligations is determined utilizing a cost build-up approach. The cost build-up approach determines fair value by estimating the selling price hierarchycosts related to fulfilling the obligations plus a normal profit margin.
Unanticipated events and circumstances may occur which may affect the accuracy or validity of VSOE of selling price, third-party evidence (“TPE”) of selling pricesuch assumptions, estimates or best-estimated selling price (“BESP”), as applicable; and (3) allocate the total price among the various elements based on the relative selling price method.
For multiple-element arrangements that contain both software and non-software elements, we allocate revenue to software or software-related elements as a group and any non-software elements separately based on the selling price hierarchy. We determine the selling price for each deliverable using VSOE of selling price, if it exists, or TPE of selling price. If neither VSOE nor TPE of selling price exist for a deliverable, we use BESP. Once revenue is allocated to software or software-related elements as a group, we recognize revenue in conformance with software revenue accounting guidance. Revenue is recognized when revenue recognition criteria are met for each element.
We are generally unable to establish VSOE or TPE for non-software elements and as such, we use BESP. BESP is generally used for offerings that are not typically sold on a stand-alone basis or for new or highly customized offerings. We determine BESP for a product or service by considering multiple factors including, but not limited to, major product groupings, geographies, market conditions, competitive landscape, internal costs, gross margin objectives and pricing practices. Pricing practices taken into consideration include historic contractually stated prices, volume discounts where applicable and our price lists. We must estimate certain royalty revenue amounts due to the timing of securing information from our customers. While we believe we can make reliable estimates regarding these matters, these estimates are inherently subjective. Accordingly, our assumptions and judgments regarding future products and services as well as our estimates of royalty revenue could differ from actual events, thus materially impacting our financial position and results of operations.
Product revenue is recognized when the above criteria are met. We reduce the revenue recognized for estimated future returns, rebates and price protection at the time the related revenue is recorded. In determining our estimate for returns and in accordance with our internal policy regarding global channel inventory which is used to determine the level of product held by our distributors on which we have recognized revenue, we rely upon historical data, the estimated amount of product inventory in our distribution channel, the rate at which our product sells through to the end user, product plans and other factors. Our estimated provisions for returns can vary from what actually occurs. Product returns may be more or less than what was estimated. The amount of inventory in the channel could be different than what is estimated. Our estimate of the rate of sell-through for product in the channel could be different than what actually occurs. These factors and unanticipated changes in the economic and industry environment could make our return estimates differ from actual returns, thus impacting our financial position and results of operations.
In the future, actual returns and price protection may exceed our estimates as unsold products in the distribution channels are exposed to rapid changes in consumer preferences, market conditions or technological obsolescence due to new platforms, product updates or competing products. While we believe we can make reliable estimates regarding these matters, these estimates are inherently subjective. Accordingly, if our estimates change, our returns and price protection reserves would change, which would impact the total net revenue we report.
We recognize revenue for hosted services that are priced based on a committed number of transactions ratably beginning on the date the services associated with the committed transactions are first made available to the customer and continuing through the end of the contractual service term. Over-usage fees, and fees billed based on the actual number of transactions from which we capture data, are billed in accordance with contract terms as these fees are incurred. We record amounts that have been invoiced in accounts receivable and in deferred revenue or revenue, depending on whether the revenue recognition criteria have been met.
Our consulting revenue is recognized on a time and materials basis and is measured monthly based on input measures, such as on hours incurred to date compared to total estimated hours to complete, with consideration given to output measures, such as contract milestones, when applicable.


results.
Accounting for Income Taxes
We use the asset and liability method of accounting for income taxes. Under this method, income tax expense is recognized for the amount of taxes payable or refundable for the current year. In addition, deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the expected future tax consequences of temporary differences between the financial reporting and tax bases of assets and liabilities, and for operating losses and tax credit carryforwards. Management must make assumptions, judgments and estimates to determine our current provision for income taxes and also our deferred tax assets and liabilities and any valuation allowance to be recorded against a deferred tax asset.liabilities.
Our assumptions, judgments and estimates relative to the current provision for income taxes take into account current tax laws, our interpretation of current tax laws and possible outcomes of current and future audits conducted by foreign and domestic tax authorities. We have established reserves for income taxes to address potential exposures involving tax positions that could be challenged by tax authorities. In addition, we are subject to the continual examination of our income tax returns by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) and other domestic and foreign tax authorities. We expect future examinations to focus on our intercompany transfer pricing practices as well as other matters. We regularly assess the likelihood of outcomes resulting from these examinations to determine the adequacy of our provision for income taxes and have reserved for potential adjustments that may result from such examinations. We believe such estimates to be reasonable; however, the final determination of any of these examinations could significantly impact the amounts provided for income taxes in our Consolidated Financial Statements.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
See Note 1 of our Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for information regarding recent accounting pronouncements that are of significance, or potential significance to us.

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Overview of 2019
For fiscal 2019, we reported strong financial results consistent with the continued execution of our long-term plans for our two strategic growth areas, Digital Media and Digital Experience, while continuing to market and license a broad portfolio of products and solutions.
On December 1, 2018, the beginning of our fiscal year 2019, we adopted the requirements of the new revenue standard utilizing the modified retrospective method of transition, and began to report our financial results under the new revenue standard. The impact of the adoption was not significant to our results of operations.
In our Digital Media segment, we are a market leader with Creative Cloud, our subscription-based offering which provides desktop tools, mobile apps and cloud-based services for designing, creating and publishing rich and immersive content. Creative Cloud delivers value with deep, cross-product integration, frequent product updates and feature enhancements, cloud-enabled services including storage and syncing of files across users’ machines, machine learning and artificial intelligence, access to marketplace, social and community-based features with our Adobe Stock and Behance services, app creation capabilities, tools which assist with enterprise deployments and team collaboration, and affordable pricing for cost-sensitive customers.
We offer Creative Cloud for individuals, students, teams and enterprises. We expect Creative Cloud will drive sustained long-term revenue growth through a continued expansion of our customer base by acquiring new users as a result of low cost of entry and delivery of additional features and value to Creative Cloud, as well as keeping existing customers current on our latest release. We have also built out a marketplace for Creative Cloud subscribers to enable the delivery and purchase of stock content in our Adobe Stock service. Overall, our strategy with Creative Cloud is designed to enable us to increase our revenue with users, attract more new customers, and grow our recurring and predictable revenue stream that is recognized ratably.
We continue to implement strategies that will accelerate awareness, consideration and purchase of subscriptions to our Creative Cloud offerings. These strategies include increasing the value Creative Cloud users receive, such as offering new desktop and mobile applications, as well as targeted promotions and offers that attract past customers and potential users to try out and ultimately subscribe to Creative Cloud. Because of the shift towards Creative Cloud subscriptions and Enterprise Term License Agreements (“ETLAs”), revenue from perpetual licensing of our Creative products has been immaterial to our business.
We are also a market leader with our Adobe Document Cloud offerings built around our Adobe Acrobat family of products, including Adobe Acrobat Reader DC, and a set of integrated cloud-based document services, including Adobe Sign. Acrobat provides reliable creation and exchange of electronic documents, regardless of platform or application source type. Document Cloud, which we believe enhances the way people manage critical documents at home, in the office and across devices, includes Adobe Acrobat DC and Adobe Sign, and a set of integrated services enabling users to create, review, approve, sign and track documents whether on a desktop or mobile device. Adobe Acrobat DC, with a touch-enabled user interface, is offered both through subscription and perpetual licenses.
Annualized Recurring Revenue (“ARR”) is currently the key performance metric our management uses to assess the health and trajectory of our overall Digital Media segment. ARR should be viewed independently of revenue, deferred revenue, unbilled backlog and remaining performance obligation as ARR is a performance metric and is not intended to be combined with any of these items. We adjust our reported ARR on an annual basis to reflect any material exchange rates changes. Our assumptions, judgmentsreported ARR results in the current fiscal year are based on currency rates set at the beginning of the year and estimates relativeheld constant throughout the year. We calculate ARR as follows:
Creative ARR
Annual Value of Creative Cloud Subscriptions and Services
+
Annual Creative ETLA Contract Value
Document Cloud ARR
Annual Value of Document Cloud Subscriptions and Services
+
Annual Document Cloud ETLA Contract Value
Digital Media ARR
Creative ARR
+
Document Cloud ARR

Creative ARR exiting fiscal 2019 was $7.31 billion, up from $5.92 billion at the end of fiscal 2018. Document Cloud ARR exiting fiscal 2019 was $1.09 billion, up from $791 million at the end of fiscal 2018. Total Digital Media ARR grew to $8.40 billion at the end of fiscal 2019, up from $6.71 billion at the end of fiscal 2018. Revaluing our ending ARR for fiscal 2019 using currency rates at the beginning of fiscal 2019, our Digital Media ARR at the end of fiscal 2019 would be $8.33 billion or approximately $66 million lower than the ARR reported above.
Our success in driving growth in ARR has positively affected our revenue growth. Creative revenue in fiscal 2019 was $6.48 billion, up from $5.34 billion in fiscal 2018 and representing 21% year-over-year growth. Document Cloud revenue in fiscal 2019 was $1.22 billion, up from $981.8 million in fiscal 2018 and representing 25% year-over-year revenue growth. Total Digital Media segment revenue grew to $7.71 billion in fiscal 2019, up from $6.33 billion in fiscal 2018 and representing 22% year-over-year growth.
We are a market leader in the fast-growing category addressed by our Digital Experience segment. Our Digital Experience business provides comprehensive solutions that include analytics, targeting, media optimization, digital experience management, cross-channel campaign management, marketing automation, audience management, commerce, premium video delivery and monetization. These comprehensive solutions enable marketers to measure, personalize and optimize marketing campaigns and digital experiences across channels for optimal marketing performance.
During fiscal 2019, our hierarchy of solutions in the Digital Experience segment consisted of the following cloud offerings:
Adobe Advertising Cloud—delivers an end-to-end platform for managing advertising across traditional TV and digital formats, and simplifies the delivery of video, display and search advertising across channels and screens.
Adobe Analytics Cloud—enables businesses to move from insights to actions in real time by uniquely integrating audiences as the core system of intelligence for the enterprise; makes data available across all Adobe clouds through the capture, aggregation, rationalization and understanding of vast amounts of disparate data and then translating that data into singular customer profiles; includes Adobe Analytics and Adobe Audience Manager.
Adobe Marketing Cloud—provides an integrated set of solutions to help marketers differentiate their brands and engage their customers, helping businesses manage, personalize, and orchestrate campaigns and customer journeys; includes Adobe Experience Manager (“AEM”), Adobe Campaign, Adobe Target, Marketo Engage and Adobe Primetime.
Adobe Commerce Cloud—provides digital commerce, order management and predictive intelligence based on a unified commerce platform enabling shopping experiences across a wide array of industries; includes Magento Commerce.
In addition to chief marketing officers, chief revenue officers and digital marketers, users of our Digital Experience solutions include advertisers, campaign managers, publishers, data analysts, content managers, social marketers, marketing executives and information management and technology executives. These customers often are involved in workflows that utilize other Adobe products, such as our Digital Media offerings. By combining the creativity of our Digital Media business with the science of our Digital Experience business, we help our customers to more efficiently and effectively make, manage, measure and monetize their content across every channel with an end-to-end workflow and feedback loop.
We utilize a direct sales force to market and license our Digital Experience solutions, as well as an extensive ecosystem of partners, including marketing agencies, systems integrators and independent software vendors that help license and deploy our solutions to their customers. We have made significant investments to broaden the scale and size of all of these routes to market, and our recent financial results reflect the success of these investments.
We achieved record Digital Experience revenue of $3.21 billion in fiscal 2019, up from $2.44 billion in fiscal 2018 which represents 31% year-over-year growth. Driving this increase was the increase in subscription revenue across our offerings which grew to $2.67 billion in fiscal 2019 from $1.95 billion in fiscal 2018, representing 37% year-over-year growth. Largely contributing to the valueincrease in Digital Experience subscription revenue was revenue associated with Marketo Engage. To a lesser extent, subscription revenue associated with Magento Commerce and Adobe Experience Manager also contributed to the overall increase. We expect that continued demand across our portfolio of Adobe Experience Cloud solutions, including new offerings and enhancements to existing solutions, will drive revenue growth in future years.

Our financial results for fiscal 2019 are presented in accordance with the new revenue standard that was adopted under the modified retrospective method at the beginning of fiscal 2019. Prior period results have not been restated which limits the comparability of our results of operations for fiscal 2019 when compared to the year-ago period. See Note 2 of our Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for information regarding adoption of the new revenue standard.
Financial Performance Summary for Fiscal 2019
Total Digital Media ARR of approximately $8.40 billion as of November 29, 2019 increased by $1.69 billion, or 25%, from $6.71 billion as of November 30, 2018. The change in our Digital Media ARR was primarily due to stronger new user adoption of our Creative Cloud and Adobe Document Cloud offerings.
Creative revenue of $6.48 billion increased by $1.14 billion, or 21%, during fiscal 2019, from $5.34 billion in fiscal 2018. The increase was primarily due to the increase in subscription revenue associated with our Creative Cloud offerings.
Digital Experience revenue of $3.21 billion increased by $762.4 million, or 31%, during fiscal 2019, from $2.44 billion in fiscal 2018. The increase was primarily due to the increase in subscription revenue driven by the addition of Marketo and Magento, which we acquired in the later part of fiscal 2018.
Our total deferred revenue of $3.50 billion as of November 29, 2019 increased by $447.1 million, or 15%, from $3.05 billion as of November 30, 2018. The increase was primarily due to increases in new contracts and the timing of renewals for offerings with cloud-enabled services and hosted services.
Cost of revenue of $1.67 billion increased by $477.7 million, or 40%, during fiscal 2019, from $1.19 billion in fiscal 2018. The increase was primarily due to increases in amortization of intangibles from our acquisition of Magento and Marketo in the later part of fiscal 2018. To a lesser extent, increases in hosting services and data center costs also contributed to the overall increase in cost of revenue.
Operating expenses of $6.23 billion increased by $1.24 billion, or 25%, during fiscal 2019, from $4.99 billion in fiscal 2018. The increase was primarily due to increases in base compensation and related benefits costs and stock-based compensation expense associated with headcount growth, including additions from the acquisitions of Magento and Marketo in the later part of fiscal 2018. To a lesser extent, increases in marketing spend also contributed to the overall increase in operating expenses.
Net income of $2.95 billion increased by $360.7 million, or 14%, during fiscal 2019 from $2.59 billion in fiscal 2018 primarily due to increases in revenue and offset in part by the increases in operating expenses and cost of revenue.
Net cash flow from operations of $4.42 billion during fiscal 2019 increased by $392.5 million, or 10%, from $4.03 billion during fiscal 2018 primarily due to higher net income adjusted for the net effect of non-cash items. This increase was offset in part by comparatively lower increases in income taxes payable and higher increases in prepaid expenses and other assets.
Revenue
(dollars in millions) 2019 2018 2017 % Change
2019-2018
Subscription $9,994.5
 $7,922.2
 $6,133.9
 26%
Percentage of total revenue 89% 88% 84%  
Product 647.8
 622.1
 706.7
 4%
Percentage of total revenue 6% 7% 10%  
Services and support 529.0
 485.7
 460.9
 9%
Percentage of total revenue 5% 5% 6%  
Total revenue $11,171.3
 $9,030.0
 $7,301.5
 24%
Subscription Revenue by Segment
Our subscription revenue is comprised primarily of fees we charge for our subscription and hosted service offerings including Creative Cloud and certain of our Digital Experience and Document Cloud services. We recognize subscription revenue ratably over the term of agreements with our customers, beginning with commencement of service.

We have the following reportable segments: Digital Media, Digital Experience and Publishing. Subscription revenue by reportable segment for fiscal 2019, 2018 and 2017 is as follows:
(dollars in millions) 2019 2018 2017 % Change
2019-2018
Digital Media $7,208.3
 $5,857.7
 $4,480.8
 23%
Digital Experience 2,670.7
 1,949.3
 1,552.5
 37%
Publishing 115.5
 115.2
 100.6
 *
Total subscription revenue $9,994.5
 $7,922.2
 $6,133.9
 26%
_________________________________________
(*)    Percentage is less than 1%.
Our product revenue is primarily comprised of revenue from distinct on-premise software licenses recognized at a point in time and certain of our OEM and royalty agreements. Our services and support revenue is comprised of consulting, training and maintenance and support, primarily related to the licensing of our enterprise offerings and the sale of our hosted Digital Experience services. Our support revenue also includes technical support and developer support to partners and developer organizations related to our desktop products. Our maintenance and support offerings, which entitle customers to receive desktop product upgrades and enhancements or technical support, depending on the offering, are generally recognized ratably over the term of the arrangement.
Segments
In fiscal 2019, we categorized our products into the following reportable segments:
Digital Media—Our Digital Media segment provides tools and solutions that enable individuals, teams and enterprises to create, publish, promote and monetize their digital content anywhere. Our customers include content creators, experience designers, app developers, enthusiasts, students, social media users and creative professionals, as well as marketing departments and agencies, companies and publishers. Our customers also include knowledge workers who create, collaborate on and distribute documents and creative content.
Digital Experience—Our Digital Experience segment provides products, services and solutions for creating, managing, executing, measuring, monetizing and optimizing customer experiences from advertising to commerce. Our customers include marketers, advertisers, agencies, publishers, merchandisers, merchants, web analysts, data scientists, developers, marketing executives, information management and technology executives, product development executives, and sales and support executives.
Publishing—Our Publishing segment addresses market opportunities ranging from the diverse authoring and publishing needs of technical and business publishing to our legacy type and OEM printing businesses. It also includes our web conferencing and document and forms platforms.
Segment Information
(dollars in millions) 2019 2018 2017 % Change
2019-2018
Digital Media $7,707.0
 $6,325.3
 $5,010.6
 22 %
Percentage of total revenue 69% 70% 69%  
Digital Experience 3,206.2
 2,443.7
 2,030.3
 31 %
Percentage of total revenue 29% 27% 28%  
Publishing 258.1
 261.0
 260.6
 (1)%
Percentage of total revenue 2% 3% 3%  
Total revenue $11,171.3
 $9,030.0
 $7,301.5
 24 %
Digital Media
Revenue from Digital Media increased $1.38 billion during fiscal 2019 as compared to fiscal 2018, driven by increases in revenue associated with our Creative and Document Cloud offerings. Revenue associated with our Creative offerings, which includes our Creative Cloud, perpetually licensed Creative and stock photography offerings, increased during fiscal 2019. The increase was primarily due to an increase in subscription revenue across all of our Creative Cloud offerings driven by increases in net new subscriptions. Adobe Document Cloud revenue, which includes our Acrobat product family and Adobe Sign service, increased during fiscal 2019 as compared to fiscal 2018 primarily due to increases in subscription revenue driven by strong adoption of our Document Cloud.

Digital Experience
Revenue from Digital Experience increased $762.5 million during fiscal 2019, as compared to fiscal 2018 primarily due to subscription revenue growth across our Experience Cloud offerings. Largely contributing to the subscription revenue increases were revenue associated with Marketo Engage, which we acquired in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2018, and revenue associated with our Magento Commerce offerings. Also contributing to the subscription revenue growth were increases in our AEM and Campaign offerings.
Geographical Information
(dollars in millions) 2019 2018 2017 % Change
2019-2018
Americas $6,505.9
 $5,116.8
 $4,216.5
 27%
Percentage of total revenue 58% 57% 58%  
EMEA 2,975.2
 2,550.0
 1,985.1
 17%
Percentage of total revenue 27% 28% 27%  
APAC 1,690.2
 1,363.2
 1,099.9
 24%
Percentage of total revenue 15% 15% 15%  
Total revenue $11,171.3
 $9,030.0
 $7,301.5
 24%
Overall revenue during fiscal 2019 increased in all geographic regions as compared to fiscal 2018 primarily due to increases in Digital Media and Digital Experience revenue. Within each geographic region, the fluctuations in revenue by reportable segment were attributable to the factors noted in the segment information above.
Included in the overall change in revenue for fiscal 2019 and fiscal 2018 were impacts associated with foreign currency as shown below. Our cash flow hedging program is used to mitigate a portion of the foreign currency impact to revenue.
(in millions)2019 2018
Revenue impact: Increase/(Decrease)
Euro$(73.2) $96.3
Australian Dollar(27.2) (0.7)
British Pound(27.0) 21.6
Japanese Yen2.3
 2.8
Other currencies(12.9) 2.6
Total revenue impact(138.0) 122.6
Hedging impact:   
Euro30.3
 29.1
British Pound8.2
 11.3
Japanese Yen1.4
 8.2
Total hedging impact39.9
 48.6
Total impact$(98.1) $171.2
During fiscal 2019, the U.S. Dollar strengthened against EMEA and other currencies, which decreased revenue in U.S. Dollar equivalents. The foreign currency impact to revenue was offset in part by hedging gains primarily from our EMEA currencies cash flow hedging programs during fiscal 2019.
See Note 2 of our Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for additional details of revenue by geography.
Backlog
Adoption of the new revenue standard resulted in changes to our measurement of unbilled backlog starting in fiscal 2019 such that orders with a right of termination and unbilled amounts recognized as revenue under the new revenue standard are not included in our unbilled backlog, consistent with our measurement of remaining performance obligations. Our unbilled backlog represents expected future billings not yet recognized in revenue that are contractually committed under our existing subscription agreements. As of November 29, 2019, we had unbilled backlog of $6.38 billion, which excludes amounts cancellable without substantive penalty. Approximately $2.61 billion of our unbilled backlog is not reasonably expected to be recognized during fiscal

2020. As of November 30, 2018, we had unbilled backlog of approximately $5.05 billion, which was measured under the accounting standard in effect for that period.
We expect that the amount of unbilled backlog will change from period to period due to certain factors, including the timing and duration of large customer subscription agreements, varying billing cycles of these agreements, timing of customer renewals, timing of revenue recognition, changes in customer financial circumstances and foreign currency fluctuations. Our presentation of unbilled backlog may differ from that of other companies in the industry.
Cost of Revenue
(dollars in millions) 2019 2018 2017 % Change
2019-2018
Subscription $1,222.5
 $807.2
 $623.0
 51 %
Percentage of total revenue 11% 9% 9%  
Product 39.6
 46.0
 57.1
 (14)%
Percentage of total revenue *
 1% 1%  
Services and support 410.6
 341.8
 330.4
 20 %
Percentage of total revenue 4% 4% 5%  
Total cost of revenue $1,672.7
 $1,195.0
 $1,010.5
 40 %
_________________________________________
(*)
Percentage is less than 1%
Subscription
Cost of subscription revenue consists of third-party royalties and expenses related to operating our network infrastructure, including depreciation expense and operating lease payments associated with computer equipment, data center costs, salaries and related expenses of network operations, implementation, account management and technical support personnel, amortization of certain intangible assets and allocated overhead. We enter into contracts with third parties for hosting services and use of data center facilities. Our data center costs largely consist of the amounts we pay to these third parties for rack space, power and similar items. Cost of subscription revenue also includes media costs related to impressions purchased from third-party ad inventory sources for our Adobe Advertising Cloud offerings.
Cost of subscription revenue increased due to the following:
Components of
% Change
2019-2018
Amortization of intangibles17%
Hosting services and data center costs12
Media rebill costs7
Royalty costs4
Incentive compensation, cash and stock-based4
Base compensation and related benefits associated with headcount3
Various individually insignificant items4
Total change51%
Amortization of intangibles increased during fiscal 2019 as compared to fiscal 2018 primarily due to amortization of intangible assets purchased through our acquisitions of Magento and Marketo in fiscal 2018.
Product
Cost of product revenue includes product packaging, third-party royalties, excess and obsolete inventory, amortization of intangibles and the costs associated with the manufacturing of our products.
Cost of product revenue decreased during fiscal 2019 as compared to fiscal 2018 primarily due to decreases in localization costs.

Services and Support
Cost of services and support revenue is primarily comprised of employee-related costs and associated costs incurred to provide consulting services, training and product support.
Cost of services and support revenue increased due to the following:
Components of
% Change
2019-2018
Incentive compensation, cash and stock-based10%
Base compensation and related benefits associated with headcount7
Various individually insignificant items3
Total change20%
Operating Expenses
(dollars in millions) 2019 2018 2017 % Change
2019-2018
Research and development $1,930.2
 $1,537.8
 $1,224.1
 26%
Percentage of total revenue 17% 17% 17%  
Sales and marketing 3,244.4
 2,620.8
 2,197.6
 24%
Percentage of total revenue 29% 29% 30%  
General and administrative 880.6
 744.9
 624.7
 18%
Percentage of total revenue 8% 8% 9%  
Amortization of intangibles 175.3
 91.1
 76.5
 92%
Percentage of total revenue 2% 1% 1%  
Total operating expenses $6,230.5
 $4,994.6
 $4,122.9
 25%
Research and Development
Research and development expenses consist primarily of salary and benefit expenses for software developers, contracted development efforts, related facilities costs and expenses associated with computer equipment used in software development.
Research and development expenses increased due to the following:
Components of
% Change
2019-2018
Incentive compensation, cash and stock-based11%
Base compensation and related benefits associated with headcount8
Professional and consulting fees4
Various individually insignificant items3
Total change26%
We believe that investments in research and development, including the recruiting and hiring of software developers, are critical to remain competitive in the marketplace and are directly related to continued timely development of new and enhanced offerings and solutions. We will continue to focus on long-term opportunities available in our end markets and make significant investments in the development of our subscription and service offerings, applications and tools.
Sales and Marketing
Sales and marketing expenses consist primarily of salary and benefit expenses, amortization of contract acquisitions costs including sales commissions, travel expenses and related facilities costs for our sales, marketing, order management and global supply chain management personnel. Sales and marketing expenses also include the costs of programs aimed at increasing revenue, such as advertising, trade shows, public relations and other market development programs.

Sales and marketing expenses increased due to the following:
Components of
% Change
2019-2018
Marketing spending related to campaigns, events and overall marketing efforts8%
Base compensation and related benefits associated with headcount7
Incentive compensation, cash and stock-based3
Professional and consulting fees2
Amortization of contract acquisition costs, including sales commissions2
Various individually insignificant items2
Total change24%
General and Administrative
General and administrative expenses consist primarily of compensation and benefit expenses, travel expenses and related facilities costs for our finance, facilities, human resources, legal, information services and executive personnel. General and administrative expenses also include outside legal and accounting fees, provision for bad debts, expenses associated with computer equipment and software used in the administration of the business, charitable contributions and various forms of insurance.
General and administrative expenses increased due to the following:
Components of
% Change
2019-2018
Professional and consulting fees4%
Facilities and telecom4
Incentive compensation, cash and stock-based4
Base compensation and related benefits associated with headcount3
Software licenses2
Various individually insignificant items1
Total change18%
Amortization of Intangibles
During the last several years, we have completed a number of business combinations and asset acquisitions. As a result of these acquisitions, we purchased intangible assets that are being amortized over their estimated useful lives ranging from one to fifteen years.
Amortization expense increased during fiscal 2019 as compared to fiscal 2018 primarily due to amortization of intangible assets purchased through our acquisitions of Magento and Marketo in the later part of fiscal 2018 and partially offset by certain fully amortized acquired intangible assets from previous acquisitions.
Non-Operating Income (Expense), Net
(dollars in millions) 2019 2018 2017 % Change
2019-2018
Interest and other income (expense), net $42.2
 $39.5
 $36.4
 **
Percentage of total revenue *
 *
 *
  
Interest expense (157.2) (89.2) (74.4) 76%
Percentage of total revenue (1)% (1)% (1)%  
Investment gains (losses), net 51.6
 3.2
 7.5
 **
Percentage of total revenue *
 *
 *
  
Total non-operating income (expense), net $(63.4) $(46.5) $(30.5) 36%
_________________________________________
(*)    Percentage is less than 1%.
(**)    Percentage is not meaningful.


Interest and Other Income (Expense), Net
Interest and other income (expense), net consists primarily of interest earned on cash, cash equivalents and short-term fixed income investments. Interest and other income (expense), net also includes gains and losses on fixed income investments and foreign exchange gains and losses.
Interest Expense
Interest expense primarily represents interest associated with our Term Loan, senior notes and interest rate swaps. In October 2018, we entered into a credit agreement providing for a $2.25 billion senior unsecured term loan for the purpose of partially funding the purchase price for our acquisition of Marketo. Interest on our Term Loan is payable periodically at the end of each interest period, whereas interest on our senior notes is payable semi-annually, in arrears, on February 1 and August 1. Floating interest payments on the interest rate swaps are paid monthly. The fixed-rate interest receivable on the swaps is received semi-annually concurrent with the senior notes interest payments. See Notes 6and 17 of our Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for further details regarding our interest rate swaps and debt, respectively.
Interest expense increased during fiscal 2019 as compared to fiscal 2018 primarily due to interest on our Term Loan which was entered into in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2018.
Investment Gains (Losses), Net
Investment gains (losses), net consists principally of unrealized holding gains and losses associated with our deferred compensation plan assets which are classified as trading securities, and gains and losses associated with our direct and indirect investments in privately held companies.
Investment gains increased during fiscal 2019 as compared to fiscal 2018 primarily due to the gain recognized upon our acquisition of the remaining interest in Allegorithmic in January 2019, which was accounted for as an equity-method investment immediately before the acquisition. See Note 3 of our Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for further details regarding our acquisition of Allegorithmic.
Provision for Income Taxes
 (dollars in millions) 2019 2018 2017 % Change
2019-2018
 % Change
2018-2017
Provision $253.3
 $203.1
 $443.7
 25% (54)%
Percentage of total revenue 2% 2% 6%    
Effective tax rate 8% 7% 21%    
Our effective tax rate increased by approximately one percentage point during fiscal 2019 as compared to fiscal 2018. The effective tax rate for fiscal 2019 included U.S. federal and state taxes associated with our current year international earnings resulting from the international provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“Tax Act”) effective this year and for additional foreign taxation on our foreign operations. This increase was offset in part by the provisional accounting expense recorded in the prior year for the effects of the Tax Act adoption.
Our effective tax rate decreased by approximately 14 percentage points during fiscal 2018 as compared to fiscal 2017. The lower effective tax rate was primarily due to the effects of the Tax Act enacted on December 22, 2017, which included the reduction in the statutory federal corporate income tax rate from 35% to 21% effective on January 1, 2018, and a related change to our corporate tax structure from which we serve our foreign customers that provided us the ability to deduct more expenses against our earnings in the U.S.
Beginning in our fiscal 2019, the annual statutory federal corporate tax rate is 21% and certain international provisions of the Tax Act, such as a tax on global intangible low-tax income, a base erosion and anti-abuse tax and a special tax deduction for foreign-derived intangible income, took effect. The U.S. Treasury Department has issued proposed regulations that could impact the calculation of taxes related to these provisions and which are anticipated to be applicable on a retroactive basis. While the Company continues to evaluate the impact, such regulations have not been finalized and are subject to change. We will account for new regulations in the period of enactment.
We recognize deferred tax asset take into account predictions ofassets to the amountextent that we believe these assets are more likely than not to be realized. In making such a determination, we considered all available positive and category ofnegative evidence, including our past operating results, forecasted earnings, future taxable income suchand prudent and feasible tax planning strategies. On the basis of this evaluation, we continue to maintain a valuation allowance related primarily to the realizability of state and foreign credits. Total valuation allowance was $244.4 million as income from operations or capital gains income. Actual operating results and the underlying amount and category of income in future years could render our current assumptions, judgments and estimates of recoverable net deferred taxes inaccurate. Any of the assumptions, judgments and estimates mentioned above could cause our actual income tax obligations to differ from our estimates, thus materially impacting our financial position and results of operations.November 29, 2019.

We are a United States-based multinational company subject to tax in multiple U.S. and foreign tax jurisdictions. A significant portion of our foreign earnings for the current fiscal year were earned by our Irish subsidiaries. In addition to providing for U.S.The Tax Act provides an exemption from federal income taxes on earningsfor distributions from the United States, we provide for U.S. income taxes on the earnings of foreign subsidiaries unlessmade after December 31, 2017, including certain earnings that were not subject to the subsidiaries’one-time transition or global intangible low-tax income tax. As we repatriate the undistributed foreign earnings for use in the U.S., the distributions will generally not be subject to further U.S. federal tax.
Subsequent to November 29, 2019, final and proposed tax regulations were issued that are considered permanently reinvested outsideapplicable to Adobe. We are currently evaluating the United States. Whileimpact of these enacted and issued regulations, but we do not anticipate changingthey will have a material impact to our intention regarding permanently reinvested earningsfiscal 2020 operating results.
The Tax Act included certain international provisions effective for us starting in fiscal 2019. As discussed in Part 1. Item 1A. Risk Factors, the applicability and impact of these new tax provisions, and of other international tax law changes effective for fiscal 2020 and beyond, will likely require us to respond by making change(s) to our international trading structure. The net impact of such change(s) is uncertain but is anticipated to adversely affect our effective income tax rate and cash flows in years beyond fiscal 2020.
See Note 10 of our Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for further information on our provision for income taxes.
Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes
The gross liabilities for unrecognized tax benefits excluding interest and penalties were $173.3 million, $196.2 million and $172.9 million for fiscal 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively. If the total unrecognized tax benefits at November 29, 2019, November 30, 2018 and December 1, 2017 were recognized, $127.0 million, $145.2 million and $135.0 million would decrease the respective effective tax rates.
The combined amount of accrued interest and penalties related to tax positions taken on our tax returns were approximately $25.1 million and $24.6 million for fiscal 2019 and 2018, respectively. These amounts were included in long-term income taxes payable in their respective years.
The timing of the resolution of income tax examinations is highly uncertain as are the amounts and timing of tax payments that are part of any audit settlement process. These events could cause large fluctuations in the balance sheet date, ifclassification of our tax assets and liabilities. We believe that within the next 12 months, it is reasonably possible that either certain foreign earnings previously treated as permanently reinvested are repatriated, the related U.S. tax liability may be reduced by any foreign income taxes paidaudits will conclude or statutes of limitations on these earnings.
Ourcertain income tax expense has differedexamination periods will expire, or both. Given the uncertainties described above, we can only determine a range of estimated potential decreases in underlying unrecognized tax benefits ranging from the tax computed at the U.S. federal statutory income tax rate due primarily$0 to discrete itemsapproximately $20 million.
In addition, in countries where we conduct business and to earnings considered as permanently reinvested in foreign operations. Unanticipated changes in our tax rates could affect our future results of operations. Our future effective tax rates could be unfavorably affected by changes in the tax rates in jurisdictions where our income is earned, by changes in or our interpretation of tax rules and regulations in the jurisdictions in which we do business,are subject to tax, including those covered by unanticipated decreases in the amount of earnings in countries with low statutorygoverning bodies that enact tax rates, by unexpected negative changes in business and market conditions that could reduce certain tax benefits, or by changes in the valuation of our deferred tax assets and liabilities.
In addition, in the United States,laws applicable to us, such as the European Commission countries inof the European Union, and other countries where we do business, we are subject to potential changes in relevant tax, accounting and other laws, regulations and interpretations, including changes to tax laws applicable to corporate multinationals such as Adobe. These countries, and other governmental bodies and intergovernmental economic organizations such as the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, have or could make unprecedented assertions about how earningstaxation is determined in their jurisdictions might be determined that are contrary to the way in which we have interpreted and historically applied the rules and regulations described above in our income tax returns filed in such jurisdictions. In the current global tax policy environment, any changes in laws, regulations and interpretations related to these assertions could adversely affect our effective tax rates or result in other costs to us which could adversely affect our operations and financial results.
Moreover, we are subject to the continual examination of our income tax returns by the IRS and other domestic and foreign tax authorities. These tax examinations are expected to focus on our intercompany transfer pricing practices as well as other matters. We regularly assess the likelihood of outcomes resulting from these examinations to determine the adequacy of our provision for income taxes and have reserved for adjustments that may result from these examinations. We cannot provide assurance that the final determination of any of these examinations will not have an adverse effect on our operating results and financial position.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
See Note 1 of our Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for information regarding recent accounting pronouncements that are of significance, or potential significance to us.

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Overview of 2017
For fiscal 2017, we reported strong financial results consistent with the continued execution of our long-term plans for our two strategic growth areas, Digital Media and Digital Marketing, while continuing to market and license a broad portfolio of products and solutions.

In our Digital Media segment, we are a market leader with Creative Cloud, our subscription-based offering for creating and publishing content and applications. Creative Cloud delivers value through frequent product updates, storage and access to user files stored in the cloud with syncing of files across users’ machines, access to marketplace, social and community-based features with our Adobe Stock and Behance services, app creation capabilities and affordable pricing for cost-sensitive customers.

We offer Creative Cloud for individuals, students, teams and enterprises. We expect Creative Cloud will drive sustained long-term revenue growth through a continued expansion of our customer base by acquiring new users on account of Creative Cloud’s low cost of entry and delivery of additional features and value, as well as keeping existing customers current on our latest release. We have also built out a marketplace for Creative Cloud subscribers to enable the delivery and purchase of stock content in our Adobe Stock service. Overall, our strategy with Creative Cloud is designed to enable us to increase our revenue with users, attract more new customers, and grow a recurring and predictable revenue stream that is recognized ratably.

We continue to implement strategies that will accelerate awareness, consideration and purchase of subscriptions to our Creative Cloud offerings. These strategies include increasing the value Creative Cloud users receive, such as offering new mobile applications, as well as targeted promotions and offers that attract past customers and potential users to try out and ultimately subscribe to Creative Cloud. Because of the shift towards Creative Cloud subscriptions and Enterprise Term License Agreements (“ETLAs”), revenue from perpetual licensing of our Creative products has been immaterial to our business.

We are also a market leader with our Adobe Document Cloud offerings built around our Adobe Acrobat family of products, the Adobe Reader and a set of integrated cloud-based document services, including Adobe Sign. Acrobat provides reliable creation and exchange of electronic documents, regardless of platform or application source type. Document Cloud, which we believe enhances the way people manage critical documents at home, in the office and across devices, includes Adobe Acrobat DC and Adobe Sign, and a set of integrated services enabling users to create, review, approve, sign and track documents whether on a desktop or mobile device. Adobe Acrobat DC, with a touch-enabled user interface, is offered both through subscription and perpetual licenses.

Annualized Recurring Revenue (“ARR”) is currently the key performance metric our management uses to assess the health and trajectory of our overall Digital Media segment. ARR should be viewed independently of revenue, deferred revenue and unbilled deferred revenue as ARR is a performance metric and is not intended to be combined with any of these items. We adjust our reported ARR on an annual basis to reflect any material exchange rates changes. Our reported ARR results in fiscal 2017 are based on currency rates set at the start of fiscal 2017 and held constant throughout the year. We calculate ARR as follows:

Creative ARR
Annual Value of Creative Cloud Subscriptions and Services
+
Annual Digital Publishing Suite Contract Value
+
Annual Creative ETLA Contract Value
Document Cloud ARR

Annual Value of Document Cloud Subscriptions and Services
+
Annual Document Cloud ETLA Contract Value

Digital Media ARR
Creative ARR
+
Document Cloud ARR


Creative ARR exiting fiscal 2017 was $4.63 billion, up from $3.52 billion at the end of fiscal 2016. Document Cloud ARR exiting fiscal 2017 was $600 million, up from $472 million at the end of fiscal 2016. Total Digital Media ARR grew to $5.23 billion at the end of fiscal 2017, up from $3.99 billion at the end of fiscal 2016. Revaluing our ending ARR for fiscal 2017 using currency rates at the beginning of fiscal 2018, our Digital Media ARR at the end of fiscal 2017 would be $5.39 billion or approximately $154 million higher than the ARR reported above.

Our success in driving growth in ARR has positively affected our revenue growth. Creative revenue in fiscal 2017 was $4.17 billion, up from $3.18 billion in fiscal 2016 and representing 31% year-over-year growth. Document Cloud revenue in fiscal 2017 was $836.7 million, up from $764.9 million in fiscal 2016 and representing 9% year-over-year revenue growth as we continue to transition Document Cloud to a subscription-based model. Total Digital Media segment revenue grew to $5.01 billion in fiscal 2017, up from $3.94 billion in fiscal 2016 and representing 27% year-over-year growth.

We are a market leader in the fast-growing category addressed by our Digital Marketing segment. Our Digital Marketing business provides comprehensive solutions that include analytics, social marketing, targeting, media optimization, digital experience management, cross-channel campaign management, audience management, premium video delivery and monetization. These comprehensive solutions enable marketers to measure, personalize and optimize marketing campaigns and digital experiences across channels for optimal marketing performance. In March 2017, we migrated our hierarchy of solutions under what was formerly known as Adobe Marketing Cloud to our next generation offering referred to as Adobe Experience Cloud.

Adobe Experience Cloud consists of the following cloud offerings:

Adobe Marketing Cloud—provides an integrated set of solutions to help marketers differentiate their brands and engage their customers, helping businesses manage, personalize, and orchestrate campaigns and customer journeys; includes Adobe Experience Manager (“AEM”), Adobe Campaign, Adobe Target, Adobe Social and Adobe Primetime.

Adobe Analytics Cloud—enables businesses to move from insights to actions in real time by uniquely integrating audiences as the core system of intelligence for the enterprise; makes data available across all Adobe clouds through the capture, aggregation, rationalization and understanding of vast amounts of disparate data and then translating that data into singular customer profiles; includes Adobe Analytics and Adobe Audience Manager.

Adobe Advertising Cloud—delivers an end-to-end platform for managing advertising across traditional TV and digital formats, and simplifies the delivery of video, display and search advertising across channels and screens; combines capabilities from Adobe Media Optimizer (“AMO”) and Adobe’s acquisition of TubeMogul during the first quarter of fiscal 2017.

In addition to chief marketing officers and digital marketers, users of our Adobe Experience Cloud solutions include advertisers, campaign managers, digital marketers, publishers, data analysts, content managers, social marketers and marketing executives. These customers often are involved in workflows that utilize other Adobe products, such as our Digital Media offerings. By combining the creativity of our Digital Media business with the science of our Digital Marketing business, we help our customers to more efficiently and effectively make, manage, measure and monetize their content across every channel with an end-to-end workflow and feedback loop.

We utilize a direct sales force to market and license our Adobe Experience Cloud solutions, as well as an extensive ecosystem of partners, including marketing agencies, systems integrators and independent software vendors that help license and deploy our solutions to their customers. We have made significant investments to broaden the scale and size of all of these routes to market, and our recent financial results reflect the success of these investments. We achieved record Adobe Experience Cloud revenue of $2.03 billion in fiscal 2017, which represents 24% year-over-year growth.

Financial Performance Summary for Fiscal 2017

Total Digital Media ARR of approximately $5.23 billion as of December 1, 2017 increased by $1.24 billion, or 31%, from $3.99 billion as of December 2, 2016. The change in our Digital Media ARR was primarily due to strong adoption of our Creative Cloud and Adobe Document Cloud offerings.

Creative revenue of $4.17 billion increased by $997.8 million, or 31%, during fiscal 2017, from $3.18 billion in fiscal 2016. The increase was primarily due to the increase in subscription revenue associated with our Creative Cloud offerings.


Adobe Experience Cloud revenue of $2.03 billion increased by $398.9 million, or 24%, during fiscal 2017, from $1.63 billion in fiscal 2016. The increase was primarily due to increases in revenue associated with our Advertising Cloud offerings, including TubeMogul which we acquired in the first quarter of fiscal 2017, and increases in subscription revenue associated with our Adobe Marketing Cloud offerings, including AEM and Adobe Campaign.

Our total deferred revenue of $2.49 billion as of December 1, 2017 increased by $479.8 million, or 24%, from $2.01 billion as of December 2, 2016. The increase was primarily due to increases in Creative Cloud team and individual subscriptions, and new contracts and the timing of renewals for our Adobe Experience Cloud services.

Cost of revenue of $1.01 billion increased by $190.6 million, or 23%, during fiscal 2017, from $819.9 million in fiscal 2016. The increase was primarily due to increases in media costs associated with our Advertising Cloud offerings, data center and hosting costs and increased headcount.

Operating expenses of $4.12 billion increased by $582.0 million, or 16%, during fiscal 2017, from $3.54 billion in fiscal 2016. The increase was primarily due to increased headcount and stock based compensation expense.

Net income of $1.69 billion increased by $525.2 million, or 45%, during fiscal 2017 from $1.17 billion in fiscal 2016 primarily due to increases in subscription revenue.

Net cash flow from operations of $2.91 billion during fiscal 2017 increased by $713.1 million, or 32%, from $2.20 billion during fiscal 2016 primarily due to higher net income.
Revenue (dollars in millions)
Revenue for fiscal 2016 benefited from an extra week in the first quarter of fiscal 2016 due to our 52/53 week financial calendar whereby fiscal 2016 was a 53-week year compared with fiscal 2017 and 2015, which were 52-week years.

  Fiscal
2017
 Fiscal
2016
 Fiscal
2015
 % Change
2017-2016
 % Change
2016-2015
Subscription $6,133.9
 $4,584.8
 $3,223.9
 34 % 42 %
Percentage of total revenue 84% 78% 67%    
Product 706.7
 800.5
 1,125.1
 (12)% (29)%
Percentage of total revenue 10% 14% 24%    
Services and support 460.9
 469.1
 446.5
 (2)% 5 %
Percentage of total revenue 6% 8% 9%    
Total revenue $7,301.5
 $5,854.4
 $4,795.5
 25 % 22 %
Our subscription revenue is comprised primarily of fees we charge for our subscription and hosted service offerings including Creative Cloud and certain of our Adobe Experience Cloud and Document Cloud services. We recognize subscription revenue ratably over the term of agreements with our customers, beginning with commencement of the service.
We have the following reportable segments—Digital Media, Digital Marketing and Print and Publishing. Subscription revenue by reportable segment for fiscal 2017, 2016 and 2015 is as follows (dollars in millions):
  Fiscal
2017
 Fiscal
2016
 Fiscal
2015
 % Change
2017-2016
 % Change
2016-2015
Digital Media $4,480.8
 $3,370.8
 $2,264.7
 33% 49%
Digital Marketing 1,609.5
 1,180.4
 937.0
 36% 26%
Print and Publishing 43.6
 33.6
 22.2
 30% 51%
Total subscription revenue $6,133.9
 $4,584.8
 $3,223.9
 34% 42%

Our services and support revenue is comprised of consulting, training and maintenance and support, primarily related to the licensing of our enterprise offerings and the sale of our hosted Adobe Experience Cloud services. Our support revenue also includes technical support and developer support to partners and developer organizations related to our desktop products. Our maintenance and support offerings, which entitle customers to receive desktop product upgrades and enhancements or technical support, depending on the offering, are generally recognized ratably over the term of the arrangement.

Segments
In fiscal 2017, we categorized our products into the following reportable segments:
Digital Media—Our Digital Media segment provides tools and solutions that enable individuals, small and medium businesses and enterprises to create, publish, promote and monetize their digital content anywhere. Our customers include traditional content creators, web application developers and digital media professionals, as well as their management in marketing departments and agencies, companies and publishers. Our customers also include knowledge workers who create, collaborate and distribute documents.
Digital Marketing—Our Digital Marketing segment provides solutions and services for how digital advertising and marketing are created, managed, executed, measured and optimized. Our customers include digital marketers, advertisers, publishers, merchandisers, web analysts, chief marketing officers, chief information officers and chief revenue officers.
Print and Publishing—Our Print and Publishing segment addresses market opportunities ranging from the diverse authoring and publishing needs of technical and business publishing to our legacy type and OEM printing businesses.
Segment Information (dollars in millions)
  Fiscal
2017
 Fiscal
2016
 Fiscal
2015
 % Change
2017-2016
 % Change
2016-2015
Digital Media $5,010.6
 $3,941.0
 $3,095.2
 27 % 27 %
Percentage of total revenue 69% 67% 65%    
Digital Marketing 2,120.0
 1,736.6
 1,508.9
 22 % 15 %
Percentage of total revenue 29% 30% 31%    
Print and Publishing 170.9
 176.8
 191.4
 (3)% (8)%
Percentage of total revenue 2% 3% 4%    
Total revenue $7,301.5
 $5,854.4
 $4,795.5
 25 % 22 %
Fiscal 2017 Revenue Compared to Fiscal 2016 Revenue
Digital Media
Revenue from Digital Media increased $1.07 billion during fiscal 2017 as compared to fiscal 2016, primarily driven by increases in revenue associated with our creative offerings.

Revenue associated with our creative offerings, which includes our Creative Cloud, perpetually licensed creative and stock photography offerings, increased during fiscal 2017. The increase was primarily due to an increase in subscription revenue associated with our Creative Cloud offerings driven by increases in individual, team and enterprise subscriptions. Also contributing to the increase in revenue was revenue growth associated with our Creative Cloud Photography Plan subscription offering.

Adobe Document Cloud revenue, which includes our Acrobat product family and Adobe Sign service, increased during fiscal 2017 as compared to fiscal 2016 primarily due to increases in Document Cloud subscriptions revenue, offset in part by expected declines in revenue associated with our perpetually licensed Acrobat offering. Also contributing to the increase in Document Cloud revenue was an increase in Adobe Sign revenue.

Digital Marketing
Revenue from Digital Marketing increased $383.4 million during fiscal 2017, as compared to fiscal 2016 primarily due to subscription revenue growth associated with our Adobe Experience Cloud. The increase in subscription revenue was driven by strong performance with our Adobe Marketing Cloud offerings, which include AEM and Adobe Campaign, and our Adobe Analytics Cloud offerings, which includes Audience Manager. Also contributing to the increase in Adobe Experience Cloud revenue were increases in revenue associated with our Adobe Advertising Cloud offerings, including Tubemogul which we acquired in the first quarter of fiscal 2017.

Fiscal 2016 Revenue Compared to Fiscal 2015 Revenue
Digital Media
Revenue from Digital Media increased $845.8 million during fiscal 2016 as compared to fiscal 2015, primarily driven by increases in revenue associated with our creative offerings.

Revenue associated with our creative offerings, which includes our Creative Cloud, perpetually licensed creative and stock photography offerings, increased during fiscal 2016 as compared to fiscal 2015 primarily due to the increase in subscription revenue associated with our Creative Cloud offerings driven by increases in the number of paid Creative Cloud individual and team subscriptions, and continued adoption of our ETLAs. To a lesser extent, increases in revenue associated with our Creative Cloud Photography Plan subscription offering and stock photography offerings also contributed to the increase in revenue associated with our creative offerings. Increases associated with our creative offerings were slightly offset by expected declines in revenue associated with our perpetual creative offerings and distribution of third-party software downloads.

Document Cloud revenue, which includes our Acrobat product family and Adobe Sign service, decreased slightly during fiscal 2016 as compared to fiscal 2015, primarily due to expected decreases in revenue associated with our Acrobat perpetual license offering. Decreases were partially offset by increases in revenue associated with our Document Cloud subscription offerings as we continue to migrate more customers to our Document Cloud, along with increases in Adobe Sign revenue.

Digital Marketing
Revenue from Digital Marketing increased $227.7 million during fiscal 2016, as compared to fiscal 2015 primarily due to continued revenue growth associated with our Adobe Experience Cloud, which increased 20% year over year. Increases in Adobe Experience Cloud revenue were largely driven by the continued adoption of our AEM offerings and, to a lesser extent, the increase in revenue associated with Adobe Campaign. Also contributing to the increase in Digital Marketing revenue was the increase in Adobe Analytics Cloud revenue.
Geographical Information (dollars in millions)
  Fiscal
2017
 Fiscal
2016
 Fiscal
2015
 % Change
2017-2016
 % Change
2016-2015
Americas $4,216.5
 $3,400.1
 $2,788.1
 24% 22%
Percentage of total revenue 58% 58% 58%    
EMEA 1,985.1
 1,619.2
 1,336.4
 23% 21%
Percentage of total revenue 27% 28% 28%    
APAC 1,099.9
 835.1
 671.0
 32% 24%
Percentage of total revenue 15% 14% 14%    
Total revenue $7,301.5
 $5,854.4
 $4,795.5
 25% 22%
Fiscal 2017 Revenue by Geography Compared to Fiscal 2016 Revenue by Geography
Overall revenue during fiscal 2017 increased in all geographic regions as compared to fiscal 2016 primarily due to increases in Digital Media and Digital Marketing revenue. Within each geographic region, the fluctuations in revenue by reportable segment were attributable to the factors noted in the segment information above. Further, the overall increase in EMEA revenue was slightly offset by declines due to the relative strength of the U.S. Dollar against EMEA currencies as discussed below.
Fiscal 2016 Revenue by Geography Compared to Fiscal 2015 Revenue by Geography
Overall revenue during fiscal 2016 increased in all geographic regions as compared to fiscal 2015 primarily due to increases in Digital Media and Digital Marketing revenue, slightly offset by a decrease in Print and Publishing revenue. Within each geographic region, fluctuations in revenue by reportable segment were attributable to the factors noted in the segment information above. Further, the overall increase in EMEA revenue was partially offset by declines due to the relative strength of the U.S. Dollar against EMEA currencies as discussed below.

Included in the overall change in revenue for fiscal 2017 and fiscal 2016 were impacts associated with foreign currency as shown below. Our currency hedging program is used to mitigate a portion of the foreign currency impact to revenue.
(in millions)Fiscal
2017
 Fiscal
2016
Revenue impact: Increase/(Decrease)
Euro$(2.3) $(50.2)
British Pound(46.1) (36.2)
Japanese Yen4.0
 15.0
Other currencies6.1
 (21.7)
Total revenue impact(38.3) (93.1)
Hedging impact:   
Euro13.7
 4.2
British Pound7.1
 14.5
Japanese Yen12.1
 0.1
Total hedging impact32.9
 18.8
Total impact$(5.4) $(74.3)
During fiscal 2017, the U.S. Dollar strengthened against the British Pound, which negatively impacted revenue in EMEA measured in U.S. Dollar equivalents. The net foreign currency impact to revenue was offset in part by hedging gains from our EMEA and Japanese Yen currencies hedging programs during fiscal 2017.
During fiscal 2016, the U.S. Dollar strengthened against the Euro and British Pound which negatively impacted revenue in EMEA measured in U.S. Dollar equivalents. This impact was partially offset by hedging gains from our EMEA currencies hedging programs during fiscal 2016. During fiscal 2016, the U.S. Dollar weakened against the Japanese Yen, the impact of which was offset by the impact of the U.S. Dollar strengthening against other Asian currencies.
See Note 17 of our Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for further geographic information.
Backlog
Deferred revenue on our consolidated balance sheet consists of billings and payments received in advance of revenue recognition for our products and solutions and does not represent the total contract value of existing annual or multi-year, non-cancelable commercial subscription, SaaS and managed services agreements or government contracts with fiscal funding clauses. Unbilled deferred revenue represents expected future billings that are contractually committed under our existing subscription, SaaS and managed services agreements that have not been invoiced and are not recorded in deferred revenue within our financial statements. Our presentation of unbilled deferred revenue backlog may differ from that of other companies in the industry. As of December 1, 2017, we had unbilled deferred revenue backlog of approximately $3.94 billion of which approximately 40% to 50% is not reasonably expected to be billed during fiscal 2018. Comparatively, we had unbilled deferred revenue backlog of approximately $3.42 billion as of December 2, 2016, of which approximately 40% to 50% was not reasonably expected to be billed during fiscal 2017.

We expect that the amount of unbilled deferred revenue backlog will change from period to period due to certain factors, including the timing and duration of large customer subscriptions, SaaS and managed service agreements, varying billing cycles of these agreements, the timing of customer renewals, the timing of when unbilled deferred revenue backlog is to be billed, changes in customer financial circumstances and foreign currency fluctuations. Additionally, the unbilled deferred revenue backlog for multi-year subscription agreements that are billed annually is typically higher at the beginning of the contract period, lower prior to renewal and typically increases when the agreement is renewed. Accordingly, fluctuations in unbilled deferred revenue backlog may not be a reliable indicator of future business prospects and the related revenue associated with these contractual commitments.

Cost of Revenue (dollars in millions)
  Fiscal
2017
 Fiscal
2016
 Fiscal
2015
 % Change
2017-2016
 % Change
2016-2015
Subscription $623.0
 $461.9
 $409.2
 35 % 13 %
Percentage of total revenue 9% 8% 9%    
Product 57.1
 68.9
 90.0
 (17)% (23)%
Percentage of total revenue 1% 1% 2%    
Services and support 330.4
 289.1
 245.1
 14 % 18 %
Percentage of total revenue 5% 5% 5%    
Total cost of revenue $1,010.5
 $819.9
 $744.3
 23 % 10 %
Subscription
Cost of subscription revenue consists of third-party royalties and expenses related to operating our network infrastructure, including depreciation expense and operating lease payments associated with computer equipment, data center costs, salaries and related expenses of network operations, implementation, account management and technical support personnel, amortization of certain intangible assets and allocated overhead. We enter into contracts with third parties for hosting services and use of data center facilities. Our data center costs largely consist of the amounts we pay to these third parties for rack space, power and similar items. Cost of subscription revenue also includes media costs related to impressions purchased from third-party ad inventory sources for our Adobe Advertising Cloud offerings.
Cost of subscription revenue increased due to the following:
 % Change
2017-2016
 % Change
2016-2015
Media costs9
 
Hosting services and data center costs7
 9
Royalty costs6
 2
Base compensation and related benefits associated with headcount6
 2
Incentive compensation, cash and stock based5
 
Amortization of purchased intangibles2
 (4)
Depreciation expense(1) 2
Various individually insignificant items1
 2
Total change35 % 13 %
Media costs increased during fiscal 2017 as compared to fiscal 2016 primarily due to our TubeMogul advertising platform offerings, which are part of the Adobe Advertising Cloud and were acquired through our acquisition of TubeMogul in the first quarter of fiscal 2017. Royalty costs increased due to increases in obligations to certain key vendors for technology use.
Hosting services and data center costs increased in all periods presented primarily due to the continued increase in transaction volumes in our Adobe Experience Cloud and Creative Cloud offerings.
The increase in cost of subscription revenue during fiscal 2016 compared to fiscal 2015 were partially offset by decreases in amortization of purchased intangibles driven by the decrease in amortization expense associated with intangible assets purchased through our acquisitions of Omniture and Efficient Frontier that became fully amortized in the latter part of fiscal 2015.

Product
Cost of product revenue includes product packaging, third-party royalties, excess and obsolete inventory, amortization related to localization costs, purchased intangibles and acquired rights to use technology and the costs associated with the manufacturing of our products.
As a result of redirecting our focus and development efforts towards our Creative Cloud and Adobe Experience Cloud subscription offerings, our cost of product revenue declined in all periods presented due to the following:
 % Change
2017-2016
 % Change
2016-2015
Amortization of purchased intangibles(7)% (16)%
Localization costs % (10)%
Royalty costs(8)% 10 %
Cost of sales(2)% (2)%
Excess and obsolete inventory
 (3)
Various individually insignificant items
 (2)
Total change(17)% (23)%
The decrease in cost of product revenue during fiscal 2016 as compared to fiscal 2015 was partially offset by an increase in royalty payments related to our stock photography perpetual offering.
Services and Support
Cost of services and support revenue is primarily comprised of employee-related costs and associated costs incurred to provide consulting services, training and product support.
Cost of services and support revenue increased due to the following:
 % Change
2017-2016
 % Change
2016-2015
Base compensation and related benefits associated with headcount13 % 9%
Incentive compensation, cash and stock based1
 6
Professional and consulting fees(3) 3
Various individually insignificant items3
 
Total change14 % 18%
Compensation costs increased during fiscal 2017 and fiscal 2016 as compared to the corresponding year ago periods primarily due to increases in headcount resulting from decreased usage of outside consultants that were providing consulting and training services to customers.
Operating Expenses (dollars in millions)
  Fiscal
2017
 Fiscal
2016
 Fiscal
2015
 % Change
2017-2016
 % Change
2016-2015
Research and development $1,224.1
 $976.0
 $862.7
 25 % 13%
Percentage of total revenue 17% 17% 18%    
Sales and marketing 2,197.6
 1,910.2
 1,683.2
 15 % 13%
Percentage of total revenue 30% 33% 35%    
General and administrative 624.7
 576.2
 533.5
 8 % 8%
Percentage of total revenue 9% 10% 11%    
Amortization of purchased intangibles 76.5
 78.5
 68.7
 (3)% 14%
Percentage of total revenue 1% 1% 1%    
Total operating expenses $4,122.9
 $3,540.9
 $3,148.1
 16 % 12%

Research and Development, Sales and Marketing and General and Administrative Expenses
Research and development, sales and marketing and general and administrative expenses increased during fiscal 2017 as compared to fiscal 2016 primarily due to increases in compensation costs driven by headcount increases and stock-based compensation expense.
Research and development, sales and marketing and general and administrative expenses increased during 2016 as compared to fiscal 2015 primarily due to increases in compensation and related benefits associated with headcount increases.
Research and Development
Research and development expenses consist primarily of salary and benefit expenses for software developers, contracted development efforts, related facilities costs and expenses associated with computer equipment used in software development.
Research and development expenses increased due to the following:
 % Change
2017-2016
 % Change
2016-2015
Base compensation and related benefits associated with headcount11% 6 %
Incentive compensation, cash and stock based9
 4
Professional and consulting fees4
 4
Various individually insignificant items1
 (1)
Total change25% 13 %
We believe that investments in research and development, including the recruiting and hiring of software developers, are critical to remain competitive in the marketplace and are directly related to continued timely development of new and enhanced offerings and solutions. We will continue to focus on long-term opportunities available in our end markets and make significant investments in the development of our subscription and service offerings, applications and tools.
Sales and Marketing
Sales and marketing expenses consist primarily of salary and benefit expenses, sales commissions, travel expenses and related facilities costs for our sales, marketing, order management and global supply chain management personnel. Sales and marketing expenses also include the costs of programs aimed at increasing revenue, such as advertising, trade shows, public relations and other market development programs.
Sales and marketing expenses increased due to the following:
 % Change
2017-2016
 % Change
2016-2015
Base compensation and related benefits associated with headcount5% 5%
Incentive compensation, cash and stock based2
 2
Professional and consulting fees2
 1
Marketing spending related to product launches and overall marketing efforts4
 4
Various individually insignificant items2
 1
Total change15% 13%
General and Administrative
General and administrative expenses consist primarily of compensation and benefit expenses, travel expenses and related facilities costs for our finance, facilities, human resources, legal, information services and executive personnel. General and administrative expenses also include outside legal and accounting fees, provision for bad debts, expenses associated with computer equipment and software used in the administration of the business, charitable contributions and various forms of insurance.

General and administrative expenses increased due to the following:
 % Change
2017-2016
 % Change
2016-2015
Base compensation and related benefits associated with headcount2% 3%
Incentive compensation, cash and stock based3
 3
Professional and consulting fees1
 1
Facilities and telecom2
 1
Total change8% 8%
Amortization of Purchased Intangibles
During the last several years, we have completed a number of business combinations and asset acquisitions. As a result of these acquisitions, we purchased intangible assets that are being amortized over their estimated useful lives ranging from one to fourteen years.
Amortization expense remained relatively consistent during fiscal 2017 as compared to fiscal 2016. The decreases associated with certain fully amortized acquired intangible assets from previous acquisitions were offset by increases associated with intangible assets purchased through our acquisition of TubeMogul in the first quarter of fiscal 2017.
Amortization expense increased during fiscal 2016 as compared to fiscal 2015 primarily due to the write-off of certain acquired intangible assets from a previous acquisition and the increase in amortization expense associated with intangible assets purchased in fiscal 2016.
Non-Operating Income (Expense), Net (dollars in millions)
  Fiscal
2017
 Fiscal
2016
 Fiscal
2015
 
% Change
2017-2016
 
% Change
2016-2015
Interest and other income (expense), net $36.4
 $13.5
 $33.9
 170 % (60)%
Percentage of total revenue **
 **
 **
    
Interest expense (74.4) (70.4) (64.2) 6 % 10 %
Percentage of total revenue (1)% (1)% (1)%    
Investment gains (losses), net 7.5
 (1.6) 1.0
 *
 *
Percentage of total revenue **
 **
 **
    
Total non-operating income (expense), net $(30.5) $(58.5) $(29.3) (48)% 100 %
_________________________________________
(*)    Percentage is not meaningful.
(**)    Percentage is less than 1%.

Interest and Other Income (Expense), Net
Interest and other income (expense), net consists primarily of interest earned on cash, cash equivalents and short-term fixed income investments. Interest and other income (expense), net also includes gains and losses on fixed income investments and foreign exchange gains and losses other than any gains recorded to revenue from our hedging programs.
Interest and other income (expense), net increased in fiscal 2017 as compared to fiscal 2016 due to higher average invested balances and interest rates and a decline in foreign exchange hedging costs.
Interest and other income (expense), net decreased in fiscal 2016 as compared to fiscal 2015 due to a gain on the sale of certain property assets that occurred in fiscal 2015 and an increase in foreign exchange hedging costs, offset in part by an increase in interest income due to higher average invested balances and interest rates.
Interest Expense
Interest expense primarily represents interest associated with our senior notes and interest rate swaps. Interest on our senior notes is payable semi-annually, in arrears, on February 1 and August 1. Floating interest payments on the interest rate swaps are paid monthly. The fixed-rate interest receivable on the swaps is received semi-annually concurrent with the senior notes interest payments. See Notes 5and 15 of our Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for further details regarding our interest rate swaps.

Interest expense increased during fiscal 2017 as compared to fiscal 2016 primarily due to higher short-term floating interest rates on interest rate swaps.
Interest expense increased during fiscal 2016 as compared to fiscal 2015 primarily due to higher short-term floating interest rates on interest rate swaps and higher average debt balances.
Investment Gains (Losses), Net
Investment gains (losses), net consists principally of unrealized holding gains and losses associated with our deferred compensation plan assets which are classified as trading securities, and gains and losses associated with our direct and indirect investments in privately held companies.

Provision for Income Taxes (dollars in millions)
  Fiscal
2017
 Fiscal
2016
 Fiscal
2015
 % Change
2017-2016
 % Change
2016-2015
Provision $443.7
 $266.4
 $244.2
 67% 9%
Percentage of total revenue 6% 5% 5%    
Effective tax rate 21% 19% 28%    
As described in Note 1 of our Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, we early adopted the updated accounting standard for share-based payment accounting during fiscal 2017. As a result, we recorded deferred tax attributes that we were previously tracking pursuant to the rules that preceded this standard. The deferred tax asset recorded with the adoption was offset by the establishment of a valuation allowance.

Our effective tax rate increased by approximately two percentage points during fiscal 2017 as compared to fiscal 2016. The increase was partially related to a one-time tax cost associated with licensing acquired company assets to our trading subsidiaries, offset in part by the recognition of excess tax benefits due to our adoption of new accounting guidance related to stock-based compensation and the completion of certain income tax examinations. In addition to the above noted items, the effective tax rate for fiscal 2016 included tax benefits recognized as a result of the completion of certain income tax examinations, and to a lesser extent, a one-time tax benefit related to the retroactive reinstatement of the fiscal 2015 U.S. Research and Development credit.

Our effective tax rate decreased by approximately nine percentage points during fiscal 2016 as compared to fiscal 2015. The decrease was primarily due to tax benefits recognized as a result of the completion of certain income tax examinations and the permanent extension of the U.S. Research and Development credit for 2015 and onward. The reinstatement of the credit was retroactive to January 1, 2015. A tax benefit for the credit relating to fiscal 2015 was reflected in its entirety in the first quarter of fiscal 2016. The decrease was partially offset by stronger domestic profits for fiscal 2016. In addition, the fiscal 2015 effective tax rate included one-time tax costs associated with licensing acquired company assets to Adobe’s trading companies, offset by tax benefits for the temporary reinstatement of the U.S. Research and Development credit in December 2014.

We are a United States-based multinational company subject to tax in multiple U.S. and foreign tax jurisdictions. A significant portion of our foreign earnings for the current fiscal year was earned by our Irish subsidiaries. In addition to providing for U.S. income taxes on earnings from the United States, we provide for U.S. income taxes on the earnings of foreign subsidiaries unless the subsidiaries’ earnings are considered permanently reinvested outside the United States. While we do not anticipate changing our intention regarding permanently reinvested earnings as of the balance sheet date, if certain foreign earnings previously treated as permanently reinvested are repatriated, the related U.S. tax liability may be reduced by any foreign income taxes paid on these earnings. Currently, there is a significant amount of foreign earnings upon which U.S. income taxes have not been provided.

See Note 9 of our Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further information on our provision for income taxes.

Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes
The gross liabilities for unrecognized tax benefits excluding interest and penalties were $172.9 million, $178.4 million and $258.7 million for fiscal 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively, of which, $135.0 million, $144.5 million and $220.2 million if recognized, would affect our effective tax rates for fiscal 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively, which were net of the estimated $37.9 million, $33.9 million and $38.5 million federal benefits related to deducting certain payments on future federal and state tax returns for fiscal 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

The combined amount of accrued interest and penalties related to tax positions taken on our tax returns were approximately $23.6 million and $22.4 million for fiscal 2017 and 2016, respectively. These amounts were included in non-current income taxes payable in their respective years.

The timing of the resolution of income tax examinations is highly uncertain as are the amounts and timing of tax payments that are part of any audit settlement process. These events could cause large fluctuations in the balance of current and non-current assets, liabilities and income taxes payable. We believe that within the next 12 months, it is reasonably possible that either certain audits will conclude or statutes of limitations on certain income tax examination periods will expire, or both. Given the uncertainties described above, we can only determine a range of estimated potential decreases in underlying unrecognized tax benefits ranging from $0 to approximately $40 million.

LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
This data should be read in conjunction with our Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows.
As ofAs of
(in millions)December 1, 2017 December 2, 2016November 29, 2019 November 30, 2018
Cash and cash equivalents$2,306.1
 $1,011.3
$2,650.2
 $1,642.8
Short-term investments$3,513.7
 $3,750.0
$1,526.8
 $1,586.2
Working capital$3,720.4
 $3,028.1
$(1,696.0) $555.9
Stockholders’ equity$8,459.9
 $7,424.8
$10,530.2
 $9,362.1
Working Capital
Working capital as of November 29, 2019 and November 30, 2018 was $1.70 billion of a deficit and $555.9 million of a surplus, respectively. The decrease was primarily due to the reclassification of $3.15 billion total carrying value of our $2.25 billion term loan due April 30, 2020 (“Term Loan”) and $900 million 4.75% senior notes due February 1, 2020 (“2020 Notes”) to current liabilities. We intend to refinance our Term Loan and 2020 Notes on or before the due dates.
A summary of our cash flows is as follows:
(in millions)Fiscal
2017
 Fiscal
2016
 Fiscal
2015
2019 2018 2017
Net cash provided by operating activities$2,912.9
 $2,199.7
 $1,469.5
$4,421.8
 $4,029.3
 $2,912.9
Net cash used for investing activities(442.9) (960.0) (1,488.4)(455.6) (4,685.3) (442.9)
Net cash used for financing activities(1,183.7) (1,090.7) (200.7)(2,946.1) (5.6) (1,183.7)
Effect of foreign currency exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents8.5
 (14.2) (21.2)(12.7) (1.7) 8.5
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents$1,294.8
 $134.8
 $(240.8)$1,007.4
 $(663.3) $1,294.8
Our primary source of cash is receipts from revenue.revenue and, to a lesser extent, proceeds from participation in the employee stock purchase plan. The primary uses of cash are payroll relatedour stock repurchase program as described below, payroll-related expenses, general operating expenses including marketing, travel and office rent, and cost of revenue. Other sources of cash are proceeds from participation in the employee stock purchase plan. Other uses of cash include our stock repurchase program, which is described below, business acquisitions, and purchases of property and equipment. equipment and payments for taxes related to net share settlement of equity awards.
Cash Flows from Operating Activities
For fiscal 2017,2019, net cash provided by operating activities of $2.91$4.42 billion was primarily comprised of net income plusadjusted for the net effect of non-cash items. The primary working capital sources of cash were net income coupled with increasesan increase in deferred revenue, which was offset in large part by cash outflows due to an increase in prepaid expenses and accrued expenses.other assets. The increase in deferred revenue was primarily due to increased subscriptions for our Creative Cloud offerings and increases in Digital Marketing hosted services. The increase in accrued expenses is primarily due to the increase in accruals for compensation costs and employee benefits driven by headcount growth,increases related to Digital Media offerings with cloud-enabled services and increased accrued media costs associated with our Advertising Cloud offerings, including TubeMogul.Digital Experience hosted services. The primary working capital usesuse of cash werewas due to increases in trade receivables,prepaid expenses with certain vendors, sales commissions paid and capitalized, advanced payments of trade payables assumed as part of the TubeMogul acquisition, and a decrease inrelated to income taxes payable. Trade receivables increased primarily due to revenue linearity, higher revenue levels, and increased media rebill receivables attributable to TubeMogul. Income taxes payable decreased primarily due to taxes paid in excess of the tax provision increase.
For fiscal 2016, net cash provided by operating activities of $2.20 billion was primarily comprised of net income plus the net effect of non-cash items. The primary working capital sources of cash were net income coupled with increases in deferred revenue and accrued expenses. The increase in deferred revenue was primarily due to increased subscriptions for our Creative Cloud offerings and increases in Digital Marketing hosted services. The increase in accrued expenses is primarily due to the increase in accruals for compensation costs and employee benefits driven by the increase in headcount. The primary working capital uses of cash were increases in trade receivables, prepaid expenses and other current assets, and a decrease in income taxes payable. Trade receivables increased primarily due to higher revenue levels. Prepaid expenses and other current assets increased

primarily due to advanced tax payments made in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2016. Income taxes payable decreased primarily due to the completion of certain income tax audits in fiscal 2016, offset in part by increases to the tax provision in excess of taxes paid.
For fiscal 2015, net cash provided by operating activities of $1.47 billion was primarily comprised of net income plus the net effect of non-cash items. The primary working capital sources of cash were net income coupled with increases in deferred revenue, income taxes payable and trade payables. The increase in deferred revenue was primarily due to increased subscriptions for our team, individual and enterprise Creative Cloud offerings and increases in Digital Marketing hosted services. The increase in income taxes payable was primarily due to higher taxable income levels during fiscal 2015. Trade payables increased primarily due to the timing of payments to web services vendors as certain invoices were received in the final weeks of fiscal 2015. The primary working capital uses of cash were increases in trade receivables which were principally due to higher revenue levels.long-term contract assets.
Cash Flows from Investing Activities
For fiscal 2017,2019, net cash used for investing activities of $442.9$455.6 million was primarily due to purchases of short-term investments and our acquisition of TubeMogul. Other uses of cash included purchases of property and equipment, including the Almaden Tower and long-term investments and other assets. These cash outflows were offset in part by sales and maturities of short-term investments.
For fiscal 2016, net cash used for investing activities of $960.0 million was primarily due to purchases of short-term investments. Other uses of cash represented purchases of property and equipment, purchases of long-term investments and other assets, and an immaterial acquisition. These cash outflows were offset in part by sales and maturities of short-term investments.
For fiscal 2015, net cash used for investing activities of $1.49 billion was primarily due to purchases of short-term investments and our acquisition of Fotolia. Other uses of cash during fiscal 2015 represented purchases of property and equipment and long-term investments and other assets.our acquisition of the remaining equity interest in Allegorithmic. These cash outflows were offset in partprimarily by proceeds from sales and maturities of short-term investments, and proceeds received from the salenet of certain property assets.
purchases. See Note 2 and Note 63 of our Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for more detailed information regarding our acquisitions and the Almaden Tower purchase, respectively.acquisitions.
Cash Flows from Financing Activities
For fiscal 2017,2019, net cash used for financing activities of $1.18was $2.95 billion was primarily due to payments for our treasury stock repurchases and costs associated with the issuancetaxes related to net share settlement of equity awards, which were offset by proceeds from re-issuance of treasury stock offset in part by proceeds from the issuance of treasury stock.
For fiscal 2016, net cash used for financing activities of $1.09 billion was primarily due to payments for our treasuryemployee stock repurchases and costs associated with the issuance of treasury stock, offset in part by proceeds from the issuance of treasury stock and excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation.

In January 2015, we issued $1 billion of 3.25% senior notes due February 1, 2025 (the “2025 Notes”). Our proceeds were approximately $989.3 million which is net of an issuance discount of $10.7 million. In addition, we incurred issuance costs of $7.9 million. Both the discount and issuance costs are being amortized to interest expense over the term of the 2025 Notes using the effective interest method. The 2025 Notes rank equally with our other unsecured and unsubordinated indebtedness.

We used $600 million of the proceeds from the 2025 Notes offering to repay the outstanding balance plus accrued and unpaid interest of the $600 million 3.25% senior notes due February 1, 2015 (“2015 Notes”). The remaining proceeds were used for general corporate purposes. See Note 15 of our Consolidated Financial Statements for more detailed information.

In addition to the 2025 Notes issuance and 2015 Notes repayment, other financing activities during fiscal 2015 included payments for our treasury stock repurchases and costs associated with the issuance of treasury stock, offset in part by proceeds from the issuance of treasury stock and excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation. purchase plan. See the section titled “Stock Repurchase Program” discussed below.

We expect to continue our investing activities, including short-term and long-term investments, venture capital, facilities expansion and purchases of computer systems for research and development, sales and marketing, product support and administrative staff. Furthermore, cash reserves may be used to repurchase stock under our stock repurchase program and to strategically acquire companies, products or technologies that are complementary to our business.

Other Liquidity and Capital Resources Considerations
Our existing cash, cash equivalents and investment balances may fluctuate during fiscal 20182020 due to changes in our planned cash outlay, including changes in incremental costs such as direct costs and integration costs related to our acquisitions. Our cash and

investments totaled $5.82 billion as of December 1, 2017. Of this amount, approximately 89% was held by our foreign subsidiaries and subject to material repatriation tax effects. As of our balance sheet date, our intent is to permanently reinvest a significant portion of our earnings from foreign operations, and current plans do not anticipate that we will need funds generated from foreign operations to fund our domestic operations. In the event funds from foreign operations are needed to fund operations in the United States and if U.S. tax has not already been previously provided, we would provide for and pay additional U.S. taxes in connection with repatriating these funds.
Subsequent to December 1, 2017, the “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act” (the “Act”) was enacted and included broad tax reforms that are applicable to Adobe. Under the provisions of the Act, the U.S. corporate tax rate decreased from 35% to 21% effective January 1, 2018, our undistributed foreign earnings amount of approximately $4 billion are subject to taxation in fiscal 2018 and are available for repatriation, and our future foreign earnings are subject to U.S. taxation. These changes will require us to remeasure our deferred tax assets and liabilities and reclassify approximately $380 million of deferred tax liabilities related to undistributed foreign earnings to long-term income taxes payable due over eight years. In addition, based on preliminary estimates, we anticipate a tax provision charge of approximately $85 million in fiscal 2018 predominately due to the taxation of undistributed foreign earnings.
Cash from operations could also be affected by various risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, the risks detailed in Part I, Item 1A titled “Risk Factors.” However, based on our current business plan and revenue prospects, we believe that our existing cash, cash equivalents and investment balances, our anticipated cash flows from operations and our available credit facility will be sufficient to meet our working capital and operating resource expenditure requirements for the next twelve months.
On March 2, 2012, we entered intoWe have a five-year $1 billion senior unsecured revolving credit agreement (the “Credit(“Revolving Credit Agreement”), with a syndicate of lenders, providing for loans to us and certain of our subsidiaries. On March 1, 2013, we exercised our option under the Credit Agreement to extend the maturity date of the Credit Agreement by one year to March 2, 2018. On July 27, 2015, we entered into an amendment to further extend the maturity date of the Credit Agreement to July 27, 2020 and reallocated the facility among the syndicate of lenders that are parties to the Credit Agreement.subsidiaries through October 17, 2023. As of December 1, 2017,November 29, 2019, there were no outstanding borrowings under this Credit Agreementcredit agreement and the entire $1 billion credit line remains available for borrowing.
As of December 1, 2017, the amountNovember 29, 2019, we have a $2.25 billion Term Loan outstanding under ourand $1.9 billion senior notes was $1.9 billion,outstanding, consisting of $900 million of 4.75% senior notes due February 1,our 2020 (the “2020 Notes”)Notes and $1 billion of 3.25% senior notes due February 1, 2025 (together(the “2025 Notes,” and together with the 2020 Notes, the “Notes”). The Notes and Term Loan rank equally with our other unsecured and unsubordinated indebtedness.
During the first quarter of fiscal 2019, we reclassified the 2020 Notes as current debt in our Consolidated Balance Sheets. During the second quarter of fiscal 2019, we reclassified the Term Loan as current debt in our Consolidated Balance Sheets. As of November 29, 2019, the carrying value of the 2020 Notes was $899.6 million which includes the fair value of the related interest rate swap and is net of debt issuance costs, and the carrying value of the Term Loan was $2.25 billion, net of unamortized original issuance discount. We intend to refinance the Term Loan and 2020 Notes on or before the due dates.
During the third quarter of fiscal 2019, in anticipation of refinancing our Term Loan and 2020 Notes, we entered into Treasury lock agreements with large financial institutions which fixed benchmark U.S. Treasury rates for an aggregate notional amount of $1 billion of our future debt issuance. These derivative instruments hedge the impact of changes in the benchmark interest rate to future interest payments and will be terminated upon debt issuance.
Our short-term investment portfolio is primarily invested in corporate bonds and commercial paper, U.S. Treasurydebt securities, foreign governmentasset-backed securities, municipal securities and asset-backedU.S. Treasury securities. We use professional investment management firms to manage a large portion of our invested cash.

investment portfolio.
Stock Repurchase Program
To facilitate our stock repurchase program, designed to return value to our stockholders and minimize dilution from stock issuances, we may repurchase shares in the open market or enter into structured repurchase agreements with third parties. In January 2017,May 2018, our Board of Directors approved a new stock repurchase program grantinggranted us an authority to repurchase up to $2.5$8 billion in common stock through the end of fiscal 2019.2021.
During fiscal 2017, 20162019, 2018 and 2015,2017, we entered into several structured stock repurchase agreements with large financial institutions, whereupon we provided them with prepayments totaling $1.10$2.75 billion, $1.08$2.05 billion, and $625 million,$1.10 billion, respectively. We enter into these agreements in order to take advantage of repurchasing shares at a guaranteed discount to the Volume Weighted Average Price (“VWAP”) of our common stock over a specified period of time. We only enter into such transactions when the discount that we receive is higher than our estimate of the expected foregone return on our cash prepayments to the financial institutions. There were no explicit commissions or fees on these structured repurchases. Under the terms of the agreements, there is no requirement for the financial institutions to return any portion of the prepayment to us.
The financial institutions agree to deliver shares to us at monthly intervals during the contract term. The parameters used to calculate the number of shares deliverable are: the total notional amount of the contract, the number of trading days in the contract, the number of trading days in the interval and the average VWAP of our stock during the interval less the agreed upon discount. During fiscal 2017, we repurchased approximately 8.2 million shares at an average price per share

The following is a summary of $134.20 throughour structured repurchase agreements entered intostock repurchases executed with large financial institutions during fiscal 20172019, 2018, and fiscal 2016. During fiscal 2016, we repurchased approximately 10.4 million shares at an average price per share of $97.16 through structured repurchase agreements entered into during fiscal 2016 and fiscal 2015. During fiscal 2015, we repurchased approximately 8.1 million shares at an average price per share of $77.38 through structured repurchase agreements entered into during fiscal 2015 and fiscal 2014.2017:

(shares in thousands and total cost in millions) 2019 2018 2017
Board approval dates Shares Average per share Shares Average per share Shares Average per share
January 2015 
 $
 
 $
 4,263
 $118.00
January 2017 
 $
 8,686
 $230.43
 3,923
 $151.80
May 2018 9,883
 $270.23
 
 $
 
 $
Total shares 9,883
 $270.23
 8,686
 $230.43
 8,186
 $134.20
Total cost $2,671 $2,002 $1,099
For fiscal 2017, 20162019, 2018 and 2015,2017, the prepayments were classified as treasury stock on our Consolidated Balance Sheets at the payment date, though only shares physically delivered to us by November 29, 2019, November 30, 2018 and December 1, 2017 December 2, 2016 and November 27, 2015 were excluded from the computation of earnings per share. As of December 1, 2017, $101.5November 29, 2019, $229.2 million of prepayments remained under the agreement.
Subsequent to December 1, 2017, as part of the 2017 stock repurchase authority,November 29, 2019, we entered into a structured stock repurchase agreement with a large financial institution whereupon we provided them with a prepayment of $300$850 million. This amount will be classified as treasury stock on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. Upon completion of the $300$850 million stock repurchase agreement, $1.6$4.25 billion remains under our currentMay 2018 authority.
See Item 5, Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities for share repurchases during the quarter ended December 1, 2017.November 29, 2019.
Summary of Stock Repurchases for Fiscal 2017, 2016 and 2015
(in thousands, except average amounts)
Board Approval
Date
 
Repurchases
Under the Plan  (1)
 2017 2016 2015
  Shares Average Shares Average Shares Average
April 2012 Structured repurchases 
 $
 
 $
 3,255
 $73.83
January 2015 Structured repurchases 4,263
 $118.00
 10,428
 $97.16
 4,849
 $79.76
January 2017 Structured repurchases 3,923
 $151.80
 
 $
 
 $
Total shares 8,186
 $134.20
 10,428
 $97.16
 8,104
 $77.38
Total cost $1,098,595 $1,013,131 $627,082
_________________________________________
(1)
Stock repurchase agreements executed with large financial institutions. See Stock Repurchase Program above.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements and Aggregate Contractual Obligations
Our principal commitments as of December 1, 2017November 29, 2019 consist of obligations under operating leases, royalty agreements and various service agreements. See Note 1416 of our Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information regarding our contractual commitments.
Contractual Obligations
The following table summarizes our contractual obligations as of December 1, 2017 (in millions):November 29, 2019:
  
  Payment Due by Period
  Total 
Less than
1 year
 1-3 years 3-5 years 
More than
5 years
Notes, including interest $2,250.6
 $75.3
 $1,061.6
 $65.0
 $1,048.7
Operating lease obligations 525.1
 57.5
 120.5
 95.6
 251.5
Purchase obligations  695.3
 449.8
 245.5
 
 
Total $3,471.0
 $582.6
 $1,427.6
 $160.6
 $1,300.2
Other
Subsequent to December 1, 2017, we purchased land near our headquarters in San Jose, California for a total purchase price of $68 million.


Senior Notes
(in millions) 
  Payment Due by Period
  Total 
Less than
1 year
 1-3 years 3-5 years 
More than
5 years
Term Loan and Notes, including interest $4,373.3
 $3,227.0
 $65.0
 $65.0
 $1,016.3
Operating lease obligations, net 711.5
 88.7
 158.0
 126.9
 337.9
Purchase obligations  2,036.5
 545.0
 935.8
 555.7
 
Total $7,121.3
 $3,860.7
 $1,158.8
 $747.6
 $1,354.2
As of December 1, 2017,November 29, 2019, our outstanding notesTerm Loan’s carrying value was $2.25 billion. At our election, the Term Loan will bear interest at either (i) the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) plus a margin, based on our debt ratings, ranging from 0.500% to 1.000% or (ii) a base rate plus a margin, based on our debt ratings, ranging from 0.040% to 0.110%. Interest is payable consistperiodically, in arrears, at the end of each interest period we elect. Based on the LIBOR rate at November 29, 2019, our estimated maximum commitment for interest payments was $23.2 million for the remaining duration of the 2020 Notes and 2025 Notes with a totalTerm Loan.
As of November 29, 2019, the carrying value of $1.88our Notes payable was $1.89 billion. Interest on our senior notesNotes is payable semi-annually, in arrears on February 1 and August 1. At December 1, 2017,November 29, 2019, our maximum commitment for interest payments under the Notes was $350.6$200.1 million for the remaining duration of our Notes. In June 2014, we entered into interest rate swaps that effectively converted the fixed interest rate on our 2020 Notes to a floating interest rate based on the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) plus a fixed number of basis points through February 1, 2020.
Covenants
Our credit facility contains aTerm Loan and Revolving Credit Agreement contain similar financial covenantcovenants requiring us not to exceed a maximum leverage ratio. As of December 1, 2017,November 29, 2019, we were in compliance with this covenant. We believe this covenant will not impact our credit or cash in the coming fiscal year or restrict our ability to execute our business plan. Our Notessenior notes do not contain any financial covenants.

Under the terms of our credit agreement,Term Loan and Revolving Credit Agreement, we are not prohibited from paying cash dividends unless payment would trigger an event of default or if one currently exists. We do not anticipate paying any cash dividends in the foreseeable future.
Transition Taxes Liability
As a result of the Tax Act enacted on December 22, 2017, an accrued transition tax liability of approximately $427.1 million as of November 29, 2019 is payable in installments through fiscal 2026. The Tax Act provides an exemption from federal income taxes for distributions from foreign subsidiaries made after December 31, 2017, including certain earnings that were not subject to the one-time transition or global intangible low-tax income tax. As we repatriate the undistributed foreign earnings for use in the U.S., the distributions will generally not be subject to further U.S. federal tax. 
Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes
See Results of Operations - Provision for Income Taxes above and Note10 of our Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for our discussion on accounting for uncertainty in income taxes.
Royalties
We have certain royalty commitments associated with the licensing of certain offerings and products.offerings. Royalty expense is generally based on a dollar amount per unit sold or a percentage of the underlying revenue.
Indemnifications
In the normal course of business, we provide indemnifications of varying scope to customers and channel partners against claims of intellectual property infringement made by third parties arising from the use of our products and from time to time, we are subject to claims by our customers under these indemnification provisions. Historically, costs related to these indemnification provisions have not been significant and we are unable to estimate the maximum potential impact of these indemnification provisions on our future results of operations.
To the extent permitted under Delaware law, we have agreements whereby we indemnify our directors and officers for certain events or occurrences while the director or officer is or was serving at our request in such capacity. The indemnification period covers all pertinent events and occurrences during the director’s or officer’s lifetime. The maximum potential amount of future payments we could be required to make under these indemnification agreements is unlimited; however, we have director and officer insurance coverage that limits our exposure and enables us to recover a portion of any future amounts paid.
ITEM 7A.  QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
All market risk sensitive instruments were entered into for non-trading purposes.
Foreign Currency Risk
Foreign Currency Exposures and Hedging Instruments
In countries outside the United States, we transact business in U.S. Dollars and various other currencies, which subject us to exposure from movements in exchange rates. We may use foreign exchange purchased options or forward contracts to hedge our foreign currency revenue. Additionally, we hedge our net recognized foreign currency monetary assets and liabilities with foreign exchange forward contracts. We hedge these exposures to reduce the risk that our earnings and cash flows will be adversely affected by changes in exchange rates.

Our significant foreign currency revenue exposures for fiscal 2017, 20162019, 2018 and 20152017 were as follows (in millions, except Japanese Yen):
Fiscal
2017
 Fiscal
2016
 Fiscal
2015
(in millions, except Japanese Yen)2019 2018 2017
Euro1,044.7
 825.6
 589.6
1,603.2
 1,309.9
 1,044.7
Japanese Yen (in billions)¥51.0
 ¥38.7
 ¥29.7
¥73.2
 ¥60.8
 ¥51.0
British Pounds£338.4
 £263.5
 £192
£503.3
 £423.1
 £338.4
As of December 1, 2017,November 29, 2019, the total absolute value of all outstanding foreign exchange contracts, including options and forwards, was $1.24$1.90 billion, which included the notional equivalent of $618.4$927.0 million in Euros, $225.3$431.0 million in British Pounds, $244.5$341.3 million in Japanese Yen and $148.9$201.8 million in other foreign currencies. As of December 1, 2017,November 29, 2019, all contracts were set to expire at various dates through June 2018.2020. The bank counterparties in these contracts could expose us to credit-related losses that would be largely mitigated with master netting arrangements with the same counterparty by permitting net settlement

transactions. In addition, we enter into collateral security agreements that provide for collateral to be received or posted when the net fair value of these contracts fluctuates from contractually established thresholds. In addition, we enter into master netting arrangements that have the ability to further limit credit-related losses with the same counterparty by permitting net settlement transactions.
A sensitivity analysis was performed on all of our foreign exchange derivatives as of December 1, 2017.November 29, 2019. This sensitivity analysis measures the hypothetical market value resulting from a 10% shift in the value of exchange rates relative to the U.S. Dollar. For option contracts, the Black-Scholes option pricing model was used. A 10% increase in the value of the U.S. Dollar and a corresponding decrease in the value of the hedged foreign currency asset would lead to an increase in the fair value of our financial hedging instruments by $79.7$113.6 million. Conversely, a 10% decrease in the value of the U.S. Dollar would result in a decrease in the fair value of these financial instruments by $23.6$33.4 million.
As a general rule, we do not use foreign exchange contracts to hedge local currency denominated operating expenses in countries where a natural hedge exists. For example, in many countries, revenue in the local currencies substantially offsets the local currency denominated operating expenses.

We also have long-term investment exposures consisting of the capitalization and retained earnings in our non-U.S. Dollar functional currency foreign subsidiaries. As of December 1, 2017November 29, 2019 and December 2, 2016,November 30, 2018, this long-term investment exposure totaled an absolute notional equivalent of $190.5$385.2 million and $70.2$292.3 million, respectively.respectively, with the year-over-year increase primarily driven by earnings growth. At this time, we do not hedge these long-term investment exposures.
We do not use foreign exchange contracts for speculative trading purposes, nor do we hedge our foreign currency exposure in a manner that entirely offsets the effects of changes in foreign exchange rates. We regularly review our hedging program and assess the need to utilize financial instruments to hedge currency exposures on an ongoing basis.

Cash Flow Hedging—Hedges of Forecasted Foreign Currency Revenue
We may use foreign exchange purchased options or forward contracts to hedge foreign currency revenue denominated in Euros, British Pounds and Japanese Yen. We hedge these cash flow exposures to reduce the risk that our earnings and cash flows will be adversely affected by changes in exchange rates. These foreign exchange contracts, carried at fair value, may have maturities between one and twelve months. We enter into these foreign exchange contracts to hedge forecasted revenue in the normal course of business and accordingly, they are not speculative in nature.

We record changes in the intrinsicfair value of these cash flow hedges of foreign currency denominated revenue in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) until the forecasted transaction occurs. When the forecasted transaction occurs,affects earnings, we reclassify the related gain or loss on the cash flow hedge to revenue. In the event the underlying forecasted transaction does not occur, or it becomes probable that it will not occur, we reclassify the gain or loss on the related cash flow hedge from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) to interest and other income, net on our Consolidated Statements of Income at that time.revenue. For the fiscal year ended December 1, 2017,November 29, 2019, there were no net gains or losses recognized in other incomerevenue relating to hedges of forecasted transactions that did not occur.
Balance Sheet Hedging—HedgingNon-Designated Hedges of Foreign Currency Assets and Liabilities
WeOur derivatives not designated as hedging instruments consist of foreign currency forward contracts that we primarily use to hedge exposures related to our net recognized foreign currencymonetary assets and liabilities with foreign exchange forward contractsdenominated in non-functional currencies to reduce the risk that our earnings and cash flows will be adversely affected by changes in foreign currency exchange rates. These foreign exchange contracts are carried at fair value with changes in the fair value of these contracts recorded asto interest and other income net.(expense), net in our Consolidated Statements of Income. These foreign exchange contracts do not subject us to material balance sheet risk due toreduce the impact of currency exchange rate movements because

gains and losses on these contracts are intended to offset gains and losses on theour assets and liabilities being hedged.liabilities. At December 1, 2017,November 29, 2019, the outstanding balance sheet hedging derivatives had maturities of 180 days or less.
See Note 56 of our Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for information regarding our hedging activities.derivative financial instruments.

Interest Rate Risk
Short-Term Investments and Fixed Income Securities
At December 1, 2017,November 29, 2019, we had debt securities classified as short-term investments of $3.51$1.53 billion. Changes in interest rates could adversely affect the market value of these investments. The following table separates these investments, based on stated maturities, to show the approximate exposure to interest rates (in millions):
Due within one year$1,023.7
Due between one and two years1,289.3
Due between two and three years812.8
Due after three years387.9
Total$3,513.7
A sensitivity analysis was performed on our investment portfolio as of December 1, 2017.November 29, 2019. The analysis is based on an estimate of the hypothetical changes in market value of the portfolio that would result from an immediate parallel shift in the yield curve of various magnitudes.
The following tables present the hypothetical fair values of our debt securities classified as short-term investments assuming immediate parallel shifts in the yield curve of 50 basis points (“BPS”), 100 BPS and 150 BPS. The analysis is shown as of December 1, 2017November 29, 2019 and December 2, 2016 (dollars in millions):November 30, 2018:
(dollars in millions) (dollars in millions)          
-150 BPS-150 BPS -100 BPS -50 BPS Fair Value 12/1/17 +50 BPS +100 BPS +150 BPS-150 BPS -100 BPS -50 BPS Fair Value 11/29/19 +50 BPS +100 BPS +150 BPS
$3,595.2
 $3,568.1
 $3,540.9
 $3,513.7
 $3,486.5
 $3,459.3
 $3,432.1
1,544.8
 $1,538.8
 $1,532.8
 $1,526.8
 $1,520.7
 $1,514.7
 $1,508.7
-150 BPS-150 BPS -100 BPS -50 BPS Fair Value 12/2/16 +50 BPS +100 BPS +150 BPS-150 BPS -100 BPS -50 BPS Fair Value 11/30/18 +50 BPS +100 BPS +150 BPS
$3,828.5
 $3,805.9
 $3,778.4
 $3,750.0
 $3,721.6
 $3,693.2
 $3,664.8
1,617.5
 $1,607.1
 $1,596.6
 $1,586.2
 $1,575.7
 $1,565.3
 $1,554.8
Term Loan
As of November 29, 2019, our Term Loan’s carrying value was $2.25 billion. At our election, the Term Loan will bear interest at either (i) LIBOR plus a margin, based on our debt ratings, ranging from 0.500% to 1.000% or (ii) a base rate plus a margin, based on our debt ratings, ranging from 0.040% to 0.110%. Interest is payable periodically, in arrears, at the end of each interest period we elect. An immediate hypothetical 50 basis points increase or decrease in market interest rates would not have a significant impact on our results of operations.
Senior Notes
As of December 1, 2017,November 29, 2019, the amount outstanding under our senior notesNotes was $1.9 billion. In June 2014, we entered into interest rate swaps that effectively converted the fixed interest rate on our 2020 Notes to a floating interest rate based on the LIBOR plus a fixed number of basis points through February 1, 2020. Accordingly, our exposure to fluctuations in market interest rates is on the hedged fixed-rate debt of $900 million. An immediate hypothetical 50 basis points increase or decrease in market interest rates would not have a significant impact on our results of operations.
As of December 1, 2017,November 29, 2019, the total carrying amount of the Notes was $1.88$1.89 billion and the related fair value based on observable market prices in less active markets was $1.98$1.96 billion.

Other MarketCash Flow Hedges of Interest Rate Risk
Privately Held Long-Term Investments
The privately held companiesIn June 2019, in anticipation of refinancing our $2.25 billion Term Loan due April 30, 2020 and $900 million notes payable due February 1, 2020, we entered into Treasury lock agreements with large financial institutions which we invest can still be consideredfixed benchmark U.S. Treasury rates for an aggregate notional amount of $1 billion of our future debt issuance. These derivative instruments hedge the impact of changes in the start-up or development stages which are inherently risky. The technologies or products these companies have under development are typicallybenchmark interest rate to future interest payments and will be terminated upon closing of our anticipated refinancing. We record changes in the early stagesfair value of these cash flow hedges of interest rate risk in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) until the anticipated refinancing. Upon refinancing and may never materialize, which could result in a losstermination of a substantial partthe derivative instruments, their fair value will be amortized over the term of our initial investment in these companies. The evaluation of privately held companies is based on information that we request from these companies, which is not subjectnew debt to the same disclosure regulations as U.S. publicly traded companies, and as such, the basis for these evaluations is subject to the timing and accuracy of the data received from these companies. We have immaterial exposure on our long-term investments in privately held companies as these investments were insignificant as of December 1, 2017 and December 2, 2016.interest expense.



ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
 Page No.
All financial statement schedules have been omitted, since the required information is not applicable or is not present in amounts sufficient to require submission of the schedule, or because the information required is included in the Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes thereto.

ADOBE SYSTEMS INCORPORATEDINC.
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(In thousands, except par value)
December 1,
2017
 December 2,
2016
November 29,
2019
 November 30,
2018
ASSETS      
Current assets:      
Cash and cash equivalents$2,306,072
 $1,011,315
$2,650,221
 $1,642,775
Short-term investments3,513,702
 3,749,985
1,526,755
 1,586,187
Trade receivables, net of allowances for doubtful accounts of $9,151 and $6,214, respectively1,217,968
 833,033
Trade receivables, net of allowances for doubtful accounts of $9,650 and of $14,981, respectively1,534,809
 1,315,578
Prepaid expenses and other current assets210,071
 245,441
783,140
 312,499
Total current assets7,247,813
 5,839,774
6,494,925
 4,857,039
Property and equipment, net936,976
 816,264
1,293,015
 1,075,072
Goodwill5,821,561
 5,406,474
10,691,199
 10,581,048
Purchased and other intangibles, net385,658
 414,405
Investment in lease receivable
 80,439
Other intangibles, net1,720,565
 2,069,001
Other assets143,548
 139,890
562,696
 186,522
Total assets$14,535,556
 $12,697,246
$20,762,400
 $18,768,682
      
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY      
Current liabilities: 
  
 
  
Trade payables$113,538
 $88,024
$209,499
 $186,258
Accrued expenses993,773
 739,630
1,398,548
 1,163,185
Debt3,149,343
 
Deferred revenue3,377,986
 2,915,974
Income taxes payable14,196
 38,362
55,562
 35,709
Deferred revenue2,405,950
 1,945,619
Total current liabilities3,527,457
 2,811,635
8,190,938
 4,301,126
Long-term liabilities:      
Debt and capital lease obligations1,881,421
 1,892,200
Debt988,924
 4,124,800
Deferred revenue88,592
 69,131
122,727
 137,630
Income taxes payable173,088
 184,381
616,102
 644,101
Deferred income taxes279,941
 217,660
140,498
 46,702
Other liabilities125,188
 97,404
173,056
 152,209
Total liabilities6,075,687
 5,272,411
10,232,245
 9,406,568
      
Commitments and contingencies

 



 


      
Stockholders’ equity: 
  
 
  
Preferred stock, $0.0001 par value; 2,000 shares authorized; none issued
 

 
Common stock, $0.0001 par value; 900,000 shares authorized; 600,834 shares issued;
491,262 and 494,254 shares outstanding, respectively
61
 61
Common stock, $0.0001 par value; 900,000 shares authorized; 600,834 shares issued;
482,339 and 487,663 shares outstanding, respectively
61
 61
Additional paid-in-capital5,082,195
 4,616,331
6,504,800
 5,685,337
Retained earnings9,573,870
 8,114,517
14,828,562
 11,815,597
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)(111,821) (173,602)(188,034) (148,130)
Treasury stock, at cost (109,572 and 106,580 shares, respectively), net of reissuances(6,084,436) (5,132,472)
Treasury stock, at cost (118,495 and 113,171 shares, respectively), net of re-issuances(10,615,234) (7,990,751)
Total stockholders’ equity8,459,869
 7,424,835
10,530,155
 9,362,114
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity$14,535,556
 $12,697,246
$20,762,400
 $18,768,682
See accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

ADOBE SYSTEMS INCORPORATEDINC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
(In thousands, except per share data)
Years EndedYears Ended
December 1,
2017
 December 2,
2016
 November 27,
2015
November 29,
2019
 November 30,
2018
 December 1,
2017
Revenue:          
Subscription$6,133,869
 $4,584,833
 $3,223,904
$9,994,463
 $7,922,152
 $6,133,869
Product706,767
 800,498
 1,125,146
647,788
 622,153
 706,767
Services and support460,869
 469,099
 446,461
529,046
 485,703
 460,869
Total revenue7,301,505
 5,854,430
 4,795,511
11,171,297
 9,030,008
 7,301,505
Cost of revenue:
          
Subscription623,048
 461,860
 409,194
1,222,520
 807,221
 623,048
Product57,082
 68,917
 90,035
39,625
 46,009
 57,082
Services and support330,361
 289,131
 245,088
410,575
 341,769
 330,361
Total cost of revenue1,010,491
 819,908
 744,317
1,672,720
 1,194,999
 1,010,491
Gross profit
6,291,014
 5,034,522
 4,051,194
9,498,577
 7,835,009
 6,291,014
Operating expenses:
          
Research and development1,224,059
 975,987
 862,730
1,930,228
 1,537,812
 1,224,059
Sales and marketing2,197,592
 1,910,197
 1,683,242
3,244,347
 2,620,829
 2,197,592
General and administrative624,706
 576,202
 533,478
880,637
 744,898
 624,706
Amortization of purchased intangibles76,562
 78,534
 68,649
Amortization of intangibles175,244
 91,101
 76,562
Total operating expenses4,122,919
 3,540,920
 3,148,099
6,230,456
 4,994,640
 4,122,919
Operating income
2,168,095
 1,493,602
 903,095
3,268,121
 2,840,369
 2,168,095
Non-operating income (expense):
          
Interest and other income (expense), net36,395
 13,548
 33,909
42,255
 39,536
 36,395
Interest expense(74,402) (70,442) (64,184)(157,214) (89,242) (74,402)
Investment gains (losses), net7,553
 (1,570) 961
51,579
 3,213
 7,553
Total non-operating income (expense), net(30,454) (58,464) (29,314)(63,380) (46,493) (30,454)
Income before income taxes2,137,641
 1,435,138
 873,781
3,204,741
 2,793,876
 2,137,641
Provision for income taxes443,687
 266,356
 244,230
253,283
 203,102
 443,687
Net income$1,693,954
 $1,168,782
 $629,551
$2,951,458
 $2,590,774
 $1,693,954
Basic net income per share$3.43
 $2.35
 $1.26
$6.07
 $5.28
 $3.43
Shares used to compute basic net income per share493,632
 498,345
 498,764
486,291
 490,564
 493,632
Diluted net income per share$3.38
 $2.32
 $1.24
$6.00
 $5.20
 $3.38
Shares used to compute diluted net income per share501,123
 504,299
 507,164
491,572
 497,843
 501,123
See accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.



ADOBE SYSTEMS INCORPORATEDINC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
(In thousands)
Years EndedYears Ended
December 1,
2017
 December 2,
2016
 November 27,
2015
November 29,
2019
 November 30,
2018
 December 1,
2017
Increase/(Decrease)Increase/(Decrease)
Net income$1,693,954
 $1,168,782
 $629,551
$2,951,458
 $2,590,774
 $1,693,954
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of taxes:          
Available-for-sale securities:          
Unrealized gains / losses on available-for-sale securities(2,503) (1,618) (9,226)29,409
 (24,464) (2,503)
Reclassification adjustment for recognized gains / losses on available-for-sale securities(947) (1,895) (2,955)124
 10,650
 (947)
Net increase (decrease) from available-for-sale securities(3,450) (3,513) (12,181)29,533
 (13,814) (3,450)
Derivatives designated as hedging instruments:          
Unrealized gains / losses on derivative instruments6,917
 35,199
 29,795
294
 74,080
 6,917
Reclassification adjustment for recognized gains / losses on derivative instruments(31,973) (16,425) (55,535)
Reclassification adjustment for realized gains / losses on derivative instruments(44,334) (48,981) (31,973)
Net increase (decrease) from derivatives designated as hedging instruments(25,056) 18,774
 (25,740)(44,040) 25,099
 (25,056)
Foreign currency translation adjustments90,287
 (19,783) (123,065)(25,397) (47,594) 90,287
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of taxes61,781
 (4,522) (160,986)(39,904) (36,309) 61,781
Total comprehensive income, net of taxes$1,755,735
 $1,164,260
 $468,565
$2,911,554
 $2,554,465
 $1,755,735
See accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

ADOBE SYSTEMS INCORPORATEDINC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
(In thousands)
 
  Common Stock
 
Additional
Paid-In
Capital
 
Retained
Earnings
 
Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
Income (Loss)
  Treasury Stock   
  Common Stock
 
Additional
Paid-In
Capital
 
Retained
Earnings
 
Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
Income (Loss)
  Treasury Stock  
 Shares Amount Shares Amount Total Shares Amount Shares Amount Total
Balances at November 28, 2014 600,834
 $61
 $3,778,495
 $6,924,294
 $(8,094) (103,350) $(3,918,851) $6,775,905
Net income 
 
 
 629,551
 
 
 
 629,551
Other comprehensive income (losses), net of taxes 
 
 
 
 (160,986) 
 
 (160,986)
Re-issuance of treasury stock under
stock compensation plans
 
 
 
 (300,414) 
 8,429
 278,311
 (22,103)
Tax benefit from
employee stock plans
 
 
 68,133
 
 
 
 
 68,133
Purchase of treasury stock 
 
 
 
 
 (8,104) (625,000) (625,000)
Equity awards assumed for
acquisition
 
 
 677
 
 
 
 
 677
Stock-based compensation 
 
 337,578
 
 
 
 
 337,578
Value of shares in deferred
compensation plan
 
 
 
 
 
 
 (2,175) (2,175)
Balances at November 27, 2015 600,834
 $61
 $4,184,883
 $7,253,431
 $(169,080) (103,025) $(4,267,715) $7,001,580
Net income 
 
 
 1,168,782
 
 
 
 1,168,782
Other comprehensive income (losses), net of taxes 
 
 
 
 (4,522) 
 
 (4,522)
Re-issuance of treasury stock under
stock compensation plans
 
 
 7,365
 (307,696) 
 6,872
 209,628
 (90,703)
Tax benefit from employee stock
plans
 
 
 75,102
 
 
 
 
 75,102
Purchase of treasury stock 
 
 
 
 
 (10,427) (1,075,000) (1,075,000)
Stock-based compensation 
 
 348,981
 
 
 
 
 348,981
Value of shares in deferred
compensation plan
 
 
 
 
 
 
 615
 615
Balances at December 2, 2016 600,834
 $61
 $4,616,331
 $8,114,517
 $(173,602) (106,580) $(5,132,472) $7,424,835
 600,834
 $61
 $4,616,331
 $8,114,517
 $(173,602) (106,580) $(5,132,472) $7,424,835
Net income 
 
 
 1,693,954
 
 
 
 1,693,954
 
 
 
 1,693,954
 
 
 
 1,693,954
Other comprehensive income (losses), net of taxes 
 
 
 
 61,781
 
 
 61,781
 
 
 
 
 61,781
 
 
 61,781
Re-issuance of treasury stock under
stock compensation plans
 
 
 1,768
 (234,601) 
 5,194
 151,058
 (81,775) 
 
 1,768
 (234,601) 
 5,194
 151,058
 (81,775)
Purchase of treasury stock 
 
 
 
 
 (8,186) (1,100,000) (1,100,000) 
 
 
 
 
 (8,186) (1,100,000) (1,100,000)
Equity awards assumed for
acquisition
 
 
 10,348
 
 
 
 
 10,348
 
 
 10,348
 
 
 
 
 10,348
Stock-based compensation 
 
 453,748
 
 
 
 
 453,748
 
 
 453,748
 
 
 
 
 453,748
Value of shares in deferred
compensation plan
 
 
 
 
 
 
 (3,022) (3,022) 
 
 
 
 
 
 (3,022) (3,022)
Balances at December 1, 2017 600,834
 $61
 $5,082,195
 $9,573,870
 $(111,821) (109,572) $(6,084,436) $8,459,869
 600,834
 $61
 $5,082,195
 $9,573,870
 $(111,821) (109,572) $(6,084,436) $8,459,869
Net income 
 
 
 2,590,774
 
 
 
 2,590,774
Other comprehensive income (losses), net of taxes 
 
 
 
 (36,309) 
 
 (36,309)
Re-issuance of treasury stock under stock compensation plans 
 
 (1,125) (348,729) 
 5,087
 147,651
 (202,203)
Purchase of treasury stock 
 
 
 
 
 (8,686) (2,050,000) (2,050,000)
Equity awards assumed for
acquisition
 
 
 2,784
 
 
 
 
 2,784
Stock-based compensation 
 
 601,483
 
 
 
 
 601,483
Value of shares in deferred
compensation plan
 
 
 
 
 
 
 (3,966) (3,966)
Impacts of the U.S. Tax Act 
 
 
 (318) 
 
 
 (318)
Balances at November 30, 2018 600,834
 $61
 $5,685,337
 $11,815,597
 $(148,130) (113,171) $(7,990,751) $9,362,114
Impacts of adoption of the new revenue standard 
 
 
 442,319
 
 
 
 442,319
Net income 
 
 
 2,951,458
 
 
 
 2,951,458
Other comprehensive income (losses), net of taxes 
 
 
 
 (39,904) 
 
 (39,904)
Re-issuance of treasury stock under stock compensation plans 
 
 48,686
 (380,812) 
 4,559
 125,074
 (207,052)
Purchase of treasury stock 
 
 
 
 
 (9,883) (2,750,000) (2,750,000)
Stock-based compensation 
 
 770,777
 
 
 
 
 770,777
Value of shares in deferred
compensation plan
 
 
 
 
 
 
 443
 443
Balances at November 29, 2019 600,834
 $61
 $6,504,800
 $14,828,562
 $(188,034) (118,495) $(10,615,234) $10,530,155
See accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

ADOBE SYSTEMS INCORPORATEDINC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(In thousands)
Years EndedYears Ended
December 1,
2017
 December 2,
2016
 November 27,
2015
November 29,
2019
 November 30,
2018
 December 1,
2017
Cash flows from operating activities:          
Net income$1,693,954
 $1,168,782
 $629,551
$2,951,458
 $2,590,774
 $1,693,954
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:          
Depreciation, amortization and accretion325,997
 331,535
 339,473
736,669
 346,492
 325,997
Stock-based compensation451,451
 349,912
 335,859
787,705
 609,562
 454,472
Deferred income taxes51,605
 24,222
 (69,657)2,707
 (468,936) 51,605
Gain on the sale of property
 
 (21,415)
Unrealized (gains) losses on investments(5,494) 3,145
 (9,210)
Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation
 (75,105) (68,153)
Unrealized losses (gains) on investments, net(47,626) 793
 (5,494)
Other non-cash items4,625
 2,022
 1,216
13,835
 7,193
 4,625
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of acquired assets and
assumed liabilities:
          
Trade receivables, net(187,173) (160,416) (79,502)(187,826) (1,983) (187,173)
Prepaid expenses and other current assets28,040
 (71,021) (7,701)
Prepaid expenses and other assets(531,054) (77,225) 28,040
Trade payables(45,186) (6,281) 22,870
23,129
 54,920
 (45,186)
Accrued expenses154,125
 64,978
 (22,564)171,705
 43,837
 151,104
Income taxes payable(34,493) 43,115
 97,934
4,152
 479,184
 (34,493)
Deferred revenue475,402
 524,840
 320,801
496,959
 444,693
 475,402
Net cash provided by operating activities2,912,853
 2,199,728
 1,469,502
4,421,813
 4,029,304
 2,912,853
Cash flows from investing activities: 
  
   
  
  
Purchases of short-term investments(1,931,011) (2,285,222) (2,064,833)(699,893) (566,084) (1,931,011)
Maturities of short-term investments759,737
 769,228
 371,790
699,540
 765,860
 759,737
Proceeds from sales of short-term investments1,393,929
 860,849
 1,176,476
86,137
 1,709,480
 1,393,929
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired(459,626) (48,427) (826,004)(100,704) (6,314,382) (459,626)
Purchases of property and equipment(178,122) (203,805) (184,936)(394,479) (266,579) (178,122)
Proceeds from sale of property
 
 57,779
Purchases of long-term investments, intangibles and other assets(29,918) (58,433) (22,779)(48,735) (18,513) (29,918)
Proceeds from sale of long-term investments2,134
 5,777
 4,149
Proceeds from sale of long-term investments and other assets2,550
 4,923
 2,134
Net cash used for investing activities(442,877) (960,033) (1,488,358)(455,584) (4,685,295) (442,877)
Cash flows from financing activities: 
  
   
  
  
Purchases of treasury stock(1,100,000) (1,075,000) (625,000)(2,750,000) (2,050,000) (1,100,000)
Proceeds from issuance of treasury stock158,351
 145,697
 164,270
Proceeds from re-issuance of treasury stock232,932
 190,990
 158,351
Taxes paid related to net share settlement of equity awards(240,126) (236,400) (186,373)(439,984) (393,193) (240,126)
Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation
 75,105
 68,153
Proceeds from debt issuance
 
 989,280
Repayment of debt and capital lease obligations(1,960) (108) (602,189)
Debt issuance costs
 
 (8,828)
Proceeds from debt issuance, net of costs
 2,248,342
 
Other financing activities, net11,008
 (1,707) (1,960)
Net cash used for financing activities(1,183,735) (1,090,706) (200,687)(2,946,044) (5,568) (1,183,735)
Effect of foreign currency exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents8,516
 (14,234) (21,297)(12,739) (1,738) 8,516
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents1,294,757
 134,755
 (240,840)1,007,446
 (663,297) 1,294,757
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year1,011,315
 876,560
 1,117,400
1,642,775
 2,306,072
 1,011,315
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year$2,306,072
 $1,011,315
 $876,560
$2,650,221
 $1,642,775
 $2,306,072
Supplemental disclosures: 
     
    
Cash paid for income taxes, net of refunds$396,668
 $249,884
 $203,010
$352,478
 $210,369
 $396,668
Cash paid for interest$69,430
 $66,193
 $56,014
$152,075
 $81,258
 $69,430
Non-cash investing activities:          
Investment in lease receivable applied to building purchase$80,439
 $
 $
$
 $
 $80,439
Issuance of common stock and stock awards assumed in business acquisitions$10,348
 $
 $677
$
 $2,784
 $10,348
See accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

ADOBE SYSTEMS INCORPORATEDINC.


NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS


 
NOTE 1.  BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Operations
Founded in 1982, Adobe Systems IncorporatedInc. is one of the largest and most diversified software companies in the world. We offer a line of products and services used by creative professionals, marketers, knowledge workers, students, application developers, enterprises and consumers for creating, managing, delivering, measuring, optimizing, engaging and engagingtransacting with compelling content and experiences across personal computers, devices and media. We market and license our products and services directly to enterprise customers through our sales force and local field offices. We license our products to end users through app stores and our own website at www.adobe.com. We offer many of our products via a Software-as-a-Service (“SaaS”) model or a managed services model (both of which are referred to as a hosted or cloud-based) as well as through term subscription and pay-per-use models. We also distribute certain products and services through a network of distributors, value-added resellers, (“VARs”), systems integrators, (“SIs”), independent software vendors, (“ISVs”), retailers, software developers and original equipment manufacturers (“OEMs”). In addition, we license our technology to hardware manufacturers, software developers and service providers for use in their products and solutions. Our products run on personal and server-based computers, as well as on smartphones, tablets and other devices, depending on the product. We have operations in the Americas, Europe, Middle East and Africa (“EMEA”), and Asia-Pacific (“APAC”).
Basis of Presentation
The accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements include those of Adobe and its subsidiaries, after elimination of all intercompany accounts and transactions. We have prepared the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) and pursuant to the rules and regulations of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”).
Use of Estimates
In preparing Consolidated Financial Statements and related disclosures in conformity with GAAP and pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC, we must make estimates and judgments that affect the amounts reported in the Consolidated Financial Statements and accompanying notes. Estimates are used for, but not limited to, sales allowances and programs, bad debts, stock-based compensation, determining the fair value of acquired assets and assumed liabilities, excess inventory and purchase commitments, facilities lease losses, impairment of goodwill and intangible assets, litigation and income taxes and investments.taxes. Actual results may differ materially from these estimates.
Fiscal Year
Our fiscal year is a 52- or 53-week year that ends on the Friday closest to November 30. Our financial results for fiscal 2016 benefited from an extra week in the first quarter of fiscal 2016 due to our 52/53 week financial calendar whereby fiscal 2016 was a 53-week fiscal year compared with fiscalFiscal years 2019, 2018 and 2017 and 2015 which were 52-week fiscal years.
Reclassifications
Certain immaterial prior year amounts have been reclassified to conform to current year presentation in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

ADOBE INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)


Recently Adopted Accounting Guidance
On May 28, 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, Topic 606, requiring an entity to recognize the amount of revenue to which it expects to be entitled for the transfer of promised goods or services to customers. Topic 606 also includes Subtopic 340-40, Other Assets and Deferred Costs - Contracts with Customers, which requires the capitalization of incremental costs to obtain a contract with a customer. The new revenue standard replaces most existing revenue recognition guidance in GAAP and permits the use of either the full retrospective or modified retrospective transition method.
On December 1, 2018, the beginning of our fiscal year 2019, we adopted the requirements of the new revenue standard utilizing the modified retrospective method of transition. Prior period information has not been restated and continues to be reported under the accounting standard in effect for those periods. We applied the new revenue standard to contracts that were not completed as of the adoption date, consistent with the transition guidance. Further, adoption of the new revenue standard resulted in changes to our accounting policies for revenue recognition and sales commissions as detailed below.
We recognized the following cumulative effects of initially applying the new revenue standard as of December 1, 2018:
(in thousands)As of
November 30, 2018
 Topic 606 Adoption Adjustments As of
December 1,
2018
Assets     
Trade receivables, net of allowances for doubtful accounts$1,315,578
 $43,028
 $1,358,606
Prepaid expenses and other current assets312,499
 186,220
 498,719
Other assets186,522
 273,421
 459,943
Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity     
Accrued expenses1,163,185
 30,358
 1,193,543
Deferred revenue, current2,915,974
 (52,842) 2,863,132
Deferred income taxes46,702
 82,834
 129,536
Retained earnings$11,815,597
 $442,319
 $12,257,916

Below is a summary of the adoption impacts of the new revenue standard:
We capitalized $413.2 million of contract acquisition costs comprised of sales and partner commission costs at adoption date (included in prepaid expenses and other current assets for the current portion and other assets for the long-term portion), with a corresponding adjustment to retained earnings. We are amortizing these costs over their respective expected period of benefit.
Revenue for certain contracts that were previously deferred would have been recognized in periods prior to adoption under the new standard. Upon adoption, we recorded the following adjustments to our beginning balances to reflect the amount of revenue that will no longer be recognized in future periods for such contracts: an increase in unbilled receivables (included in trade receivables, net) of $24.8 million, an increase in contract assets (included in prepaid expenses and other current assets for the current portion and other assets for the long-term portion) of $46.4 million and a decrease in deferred revenue of $52.8 million, with corresponding adjustments to retained earnings.
We recorded an increase to our opening deferred income tax liability of $82.8 million, with a corresponding adjustment to retained earnings, to record the tax effect of the above adjustments.
Further, we had other impacts to various accounts which resulted to an immaterial net reduction to our retained earnings.

ADOBE INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)


Adoption of the new revenue standard impacted our Consolidated Statements of Income for the year ended November 29, 2019 as follows:
(in thousands, except per share amounts)As reported Adjustments Balances without Topic 606 adoption impact
Revenue     
Subscription$9,994,463
 $1,440
 $9,995,903
Product647,788
 (101,981) 545,807
Services and support529,046
 (7,431) 521,615
Total revenue11,171,297
 (107,972) 11,063,325
 Operating expenses     
Sales and marketing3,244,347
 11,987
 3,256,334
General and administrative880,637
 (7,646) 872,991
Provision for income taxes253,283
 (6,517) 246,766
Net income$2,951,458
 $(105,953) $2,845,505
Basic net income per share$6.07
 $(0.22) $5.85
Diluted net income per share$6.00
 $(0.21) $5.79

Adoption of the new revenue standard impacted our Consolidated Balance Sheets as of November 29, 2019 as follows:
(in thousands)As reported Adjustments Balances without Topic 606 adoption impact
Assets     
Trade receivables, net of allowances for doubtful accounts$1,534,809
 $(58,140) $1,476,669
Prepaid expenses and other current assets783,140
 (198,692) 584,448
Other assets562,696
 (340,458) 222,238
Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity     
Accrued expenses1,398,548
 (51,918) 1,346,630
Deferred revenue, current3,377,986
 113,432
 3,491,418
Deferred revenue, long-term122,727
 (14,723) 108,004
Income taxes payable, long-term616,102
 (7,112) 608,990
Deferred income taxes140,498
 (88,697) 51,801
Retained earnings$14,828,562
 $(548,272) $14,280,290

There was no net impact to our Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income and Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows.Flows resulting from the adoption of the new revenue standard other than the impact to reported net income as presented above. The impact to our Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity was only to retained earnings, as presented above.
The most significant impact of the new revenue standard relates to our capitalization of certain incremental costs to acquire contracts and the requirement to amortize these amounts over the expected period of benefit. Under the previous standard, we expensed costs related to the acquisition of revenue-generating contracts as incurred. Additionally, there was impact from arrangements with our customers that include on-premise term-based software licenses bundled with maintenance and support. Under the previous standard, revenue attributable to these software licenses was recognized ratably over the term of the arrangement because vendor-specific objective evidence (“VSOE”) did not exist for the undelivered maintenance and support element as it is not sold separately. The requirement to have VSOE for undelivered elements to enable the separation of revenue recognition for delivered software licenses is eliminated under the new revenue standard. Accordingly, under the new revenue standard we recognize as revenue a portion of the arrangement fee upon delivery of the software licenses and classify that recognized revenue as product revenue instead of subscription revenue in our Consolidated Statements of Income.

ADOBE INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)


Other impacts to our policies and disclosures include earlier recognition of revenue for certain contracts due to the elimination of contingent revenue limitations, the requirement to estimate variable consideration for certain arrangements, increased allocation of revenue to and from professional services and other offerings and changes to our financial statement disclosures such as new disclosures related to our remaining performance obligations. However, the timing and pattern of revenue recognition related to our professional services and cloud-enabled offerings, including Creative Cloud and Document Cloud for enterprises, individuals and teams, remain substantially unchanged. When Creative Cloud and Document Cloud are sold with cloud-enabled services, the on-premise/on-device software licenses and cloud-enabled services are so highly interrelated and interdependent that they are not each separately identifiable within the context of the contract and therefore not distinct from each other. Revenue for these offerings continues to be recognized ratably over the subscription period for which the cloud-enabled services are provided.
There have been no other new accounting pronouncements made effective during fiscal 2019 that have significance, or potential significance, to our Consolidated Financial Statements.
Significant Accounting Policies
Revenue Recognition
Our revenue is derived from the subscription, non-software related hosted services,sale of cloud-enabled software subscriptions, cloud-hosted offerings, term-based, royalty, and perpetual licensing of software products,licenses, associated software maintenance and support plans, consulting services, training and technical support. Most of our enterprise customer arrangements are complex, involvinginvolve multiple solutionspromises to our customers.
Revenue is recognized when a contract exists between us and various license rights, bundled with post-contracta customer support and other meaningful rightsupon transfer of control of promised products or services to customers in an amount that together provide a complete end-to-end solutionreflects the consideration we expect to the customer.

receive in exchange for those products or services. We recognize revenue when all four revenue recognition criteria have been met: persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, we have delivered the product or performed the service, the fee is fixed or determinable and collection is probable.

ADOBE SYSTEMS INCORPORATED

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

Determining whether and when some of these criteria have been satisfied often involves assumptions and judgmentsenter into contracts that can haveinclude various combinations of products and services, which may be capable of being distinct and accounted for as separate performance obligations, or in the case of offerings such as cloud-enabled Creative Cloud and Document Cloud, accounted for as a significant impact on the timingsingle performance obligation. Revenue is recognized net of allowances for returns and amount of revenue we report. any taxes collected from customers, which are subsequently remitted to governmental authorities.
Multiple Element ArrangementsProduct, Subscription and Services Offerings
We enter into multiple element revenue arrangements in which a customer may purchase a combination of cloud-enabled subscriptions, cloud-hosted offerings, term-based, royalty, and perpetual software upgrades, maintenance and support, hosted services, and consulting.
For our software and software-related multiple element arrangements, we must: (1) determine whether and when each element has been delivered; (2) determine whether undelivered products or services are essential to the functionality of the delivered products and services; (3) determine the fair value of each undelivered element using vendor-specific objective evidence (“VSOE”); and (4) allocate the total price among the various elements. VSOE of fair value is used to allocate a portion of the price to the undelivered elements and the residual method is used to allocate the remaining portion to the delivered elements. Absent VSOE, revenue is deferred until the earlier of the point at which VSOE of fair value exists for any undelivered element or until all elements of the arrangement have been delivered. However, if the only undelivered element is maintenance and support, the entire arrangement fee is recognized ratably over the performance period. Changes in assumptions or judgments or changes to the elements in a software arrangement could cause a material increase or decrease in the amount of revenue that we report in a particular period.
We determine VSOE for each element based on historical stand-alone sales to third parties or from the stated renewal rate for the elements contained in the initial arrangement. In determining VSOE, we require that a substantial majority of the selling prices for a product or service fall within a reasonably narrow pricing range.
We have established VSOE for ourlicenses, associated software maintenance and support services, custom software development services,plans, consulting services, training and training, when suchtechnical support.
Fully hosted subscription services are sold optionally with(SaaS) allow customers to access hosted software licenses.
For multiple-element arrangements containing our non-softwareduring the contractual term without taking possession of the software. Cloud-hosted subscription services we must: (1) determine whether and when each element has been delivered; (2) determine the fair value of each element using the selling price hierarchy of VSOE of selling price, third-party evidence (“TPE”) of selling price or best-estimated selling price (“BESP”), as applicable; and (3) allocate the total price among the various elements based on the relative selling price method.

For multiple-element arrangements that contain both software and non-software elements, we allocate revenue to software or software-related elements as a group and any non-software elements separately based on the selling price hierarchy. We determine the selling price for each deliverable using VSOE of selling price, if it exists, or TPE of selling price. If neither VSOE nor TPE of selling price exist for a deliverable, we use BESP. Once revenue is allocated to software or software-related elements as a group, we recognize revenue in conformance with software revenue accounting guidance. Revenue is recognized when revenue recognition criteria are met for each element.

We are generally unable to establish VSOE or TPE for non-software elements and as such, we use BESP. BESP is generally used for offerings that are not typicallymay be sold on a stand-alonefee-per-subscription period basis or for newbased on consumption or highly customized offerings. We determine BESP for a product or service by considering multiple factors including, but not limited to major product groupings, geographies, market conditions, competitive landscape, internal costs, gross margin objectives and pricing practices. Pricing practices taken into consideration include historic contractually stated prices, volume discounts where applicable and our price lists. We must estimate certain royalty revenue amounts due to the timing of securing information from our customers. While we believe we can make reliable estimates regarding these matters, these estimates are inherently subjective. Accordingly, our assumptions and judgments regarding future products and services as well as our estimates of royalty revenue could differ from actual events, thus materially impacting our financial position and results of operations.

Subscription and Services and Support Revenueusage.
We recognize revenue ratably over the contractual service term for hosted services that are priced based on a committed number of transactions ratablywhere the delivery and consumption of the benefit of the services occur evenly over time, beginning on the date the services associated with the committed transactions are first made available to the customer and continuing through the end of the contractual service term. Over-usage fees and fees billed based on the actual number of transactions from which we capture data, are billed in accordance with contract terms as these fees are incurred. We record amounts that have been invoicedincurred and are included in accounts receivablethe transaction price of an arrangement as variable consideration. Fees based on a number of transactions or impressions per month, where invoicing is aligned to the pattern of performance, customer benefit and consumption, are typically accounted for utilizing the “as-invoiced” practical expedient. Revenue for subscriptions sold as a fee per period is recognized ratably over the contractual term as the customer simultaneously receives and consumes the benefit of the underlying service.
When cloud-enabled services are highly integrated and interrelated with on-premise software, such as in deferredour cloud-enabled Creative Cloud and Document Cloud offerings, the individual components are not considered distinct and revenue is recognized ratably over the subscription period for which the cloud-enabled services are provided.
Licenses for on-premise software may be purchased on a perpetual basis, as a subscription for a fixed period of time or revenue, dependingbased on whetherusage for certain of our OEM and royalty agreements. Revenue from distinct on-premise licenses is recognized at the point in time the software is available to the customer, provided all other revenue recognition criteria have been met.are met, and classified as product revenue on our Consolidated Statements of Income. Some of our enterprise license arrangements allow customers to

ADOBE SYSTEMS INCORPORATEDINC.


NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)



commit non-cancellable funds. These non-cancellable committed funds are nonrefundable and provide our customers options to either renew monthly on-premise term-based licenses or use some or all funds to purchase other Adobe products or services. Revenue associated with these monthly term-based licenses is classified as subscription revenue.
Our services and support revenue is composed of consulting, training, and maintenance and support, primarily related to the licensing of our enterprise mobile and device products and solutions.offerings. Our support revenue also includes technical support and developer support to partners and developer organizations related to our desktop products.
Our We typically sell our consulting revenue is recognized usingcontracts on a time and materialstime-and-materials basis and is measured monthly based on input measures, suchrecognize the related revenue as hours incurred to date, with consideration given to output measures, such as contract milestones when applicable.
Ourservices are rendered. We typically sell our maintenance and support offerings, which entitle customers to receive product upgrades and enhancementscontracts on a whenflat fee or percentage of associated license fees basis and if available basis recognize the related revenue ratably over the support term as the underlying service is a stand-ready performance obligation.
We exclude from the transaction price sales and other taxes collected from customers on behalf of the relevant government authority. Most of our products are delivered electronically, however in instances where shipping and handling costs are incurred, we treat these amounts as costs to fulfill the contract and they are not considered a performance obligation and the associated fees are not included in the transaction price.
Judgments
Our contracts with customers may include multiple goods and services. For example, some of our offerings include both on-premise and/or technical support, depending onon-device software licenses and cloud services. Determining whether the software licenses and the cloud services are distinct from each other, and therefore performance obligations to be accounted for separately, or not distinct from each other, and therefore part of a single performance obligation, may require significant judgment. We have concluded that the on-premise/on-device software licenses and cloud services provided in our Creative Cloud and Document Cloud subscription offerings are not distinct from each other such that revenue from each offering areshould be recognized ratably over the subscription period for which the cloud services are provided. In reaching this conclusion, we considered the nature of our promise to Creative Cloud and Document Cloud customers, which is to provide a complete end-to-end creative design or document workflow solution that operates seamlessly across multiple devices and teams. We fulfill this promise by providing access to a solution that integrates cloud-based and on-premise/on-device features that, together through their integration, provide functionalities, utility and workflow efficiencies that could not be obtained from either the on-premise/on-device software or cloud services on their own.
Cloud-based features that are integral to our Creative Cloud and Document Cloud offerings and that work together with the on-premise/on-device software include, but are not limited to: Creative Cloud Libraries, which enable customers to access their work, settings, preferences, and other assets seamlessly across desktop and mobile devices and collaborate across teams in real time; shared reviews which enable simultaneous editing and commenting of PDFs across desktop, mobile and web; automatic cloud rendering of a design which enables it to be worked on in multiple mediums; and Sensei, Adobe’s cloud-hosted artificial intelligence and machine learning framework, which enables features such as automated photo-editing, photograph content-awareness, natural language processing, optical character recognition and automated document tagging.
Standalone selling price is established by maximizing the amount of observable inputs, primarily actual historical selling prices for performance obligations where available, and includes consideration of factors such as go-to-market model and geography. Individual products may have multiple values for standalone selling price depending on factors such as where they are sold and what channel they are sold through. Where standalone selling price may not be directly observable (e.g., the performance obligation is not sold separately), we maximize the use of observable inputs by using information that may include reviewing pricing practices, performance obligations with similar customers and selling models.
Capitalized costs to obtain a contract are amortized over the expected period of benefit, which we have determined, based on analysis, to be 5 years. We evaluated qualitative and quantitative factors to determine the arrangement.period of amortization, including contract length, renewals, customer life and the useful lives of our products and acquired products. When the expected period of benefit of an asset which would be capitalized is less than one year, we expense the amount as incurred, utilizing the practical expedient. We regularly evaluate whether there have been changes in the underlying assumptions and data used to determine the amortization period.
Our software subscription offerings,When revenue arrangements include components of third-party goods and services, for example in transactions which may include product upgradesinvolve resale, fulfillment or providing advertising impressions to our end customer, we evaluate whether we are the principal, and enhancementsreport revenues on a whengross basis, or an agent, and report revenues on a net basis. In this assessment, we consider if available basis, hosted services, and online storage, are generally offered to our customers over a specified period of time and we recognize revenue associated with these arrangements ratably over the subscription period.obtain

Product RevenueADOBE INC.
We recognize our product revenue upon shipment, provided all other revenue recognition criteria have been met. Our desktop application product revenue from distributors is subject to agreements allowing limited rights
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)


control of return, rebates and price protection. Our direct sales and OEM salesthe specified goods or services before they are also subject to limited rights of return. Accordingly, we reduce revenue recognized for estimated future returns, price protection and rebates at the time the related revenue is recorded. The estimates for returns are adjusted periodically based upon historical rates of returns, inventory levels in the distribution channel and other related factors.
We recognize OEM licensing revenue, primarily royalties, when OEMs ship products incorporating our software, provided collection of such revenue is deemed probable. For certain OEM customers, we must estimate royalty revenue duetransferred to the timing of securing customer information. This estimateby evaluating indicators such as which party is based on a combination of our generated forecastsprimarily responsible for fulfilling the promise to provide the goods or services, which party has discretion in establishing price and actual historical reporting by our OEM customers. To substantiate our ability to estimate revenue, we review license royalty revenue reports ultimately received from our significant OEM customers in comparisonthe underlying terms and conditions between the parties to the amounts estimated in the prior period.transaction.
Our product-related deferred revenue includes maintenance upgrade revenue and customer advances under OEM license agreements. Our maintenance upgrade revenue for our desktop application products is included in our product revenue line item as the maintenance primarily entitles customers to receive product upgrades. In cases where we provide a specified free upgrade to an existing product, we defer the fair value for the specified upgrade right until the future obligation is fulfilled or when the right to the specified free upgrade expires.
Rights of Return, Rebates and Price Protection
As discussed above, weWe offer limited rights of return, rebates and price protection of our products under various policies and programs with our distributors, resellers and/or end-user customers. We estimate and record reserves for these programs as an offsetvariable consideration when estimating transaction price. Returns, rebates and other offsets to transaction price are estimated at contract inception on a portfolio basis and assessed for reasonableness each reporting period when additional information becomes available.
General Contract Provisions
We maintain revenue reserves for rebates, rights of return and accounts receivable. Below is a summary of each of the general provisions in our contracts:other limited price adjustments.
Distributors are allowed limited rights of return of products purchased during the previous quarter. In addition, distributors are allowed to return products that have reached the end of their lives, as defined by us, and for products that are being replaced by new versions.
We offer rebates to our distributors, resellers and/or end userend-user customers. The amount of revenue thatTransaction price is reduced for distributor and reseller rebates isthese amounts based on actual performance against objectives set forth by us for a particular reporting period, (volume,such as volume and timely reporting, etc.). If mail-in or other promotional rebates are offered,reporting.
On a quarterly basis, the amount of revenue reduced is based on the dollar amount of the rebate, taking into consideration an estimated redemption rate calculated using historical trends.
From time to time, we may offer price protection to our distributors that allow for the right to a credit if we permanently reduce the price of a software product. The amount of revenue that is reduced for price protectionreserved is calculated based on our historical trends and data specific to each reporting period. The primary method of establishing these reserves is to review historical data from prior periods as a percent of revenue to determine a historical reserve rate. We then apply the difference betweenhistorical rate to the old and new pricecurrent period revenue as a basis for estimating future returns. When necessary, we also provide a specific reserve in excess of portfolio-level estimated requirements. This estimate can be affected by the amount of a softwareparticular product on inventory held byin the distributor immediately prior tochannel, the effective daterate of the decrease.

ADOBE SYSTEMS INCORPORATED

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

sell-through, product plans and other factors.
Although our subscription contracts are generally non-cancellable, a limited number of customers have the right to cancel their contracts by providing prior written notice to us of their intent to cancel the remainder of the contract term.term and consumers have a period of time to terminate certain agreements without penalty. In the event a customer cancels itstheir contract, they are generally not entitled to a refund for prior services we have provided to them.
On a quarterly basis, Contracts that include termination rights without substantive penalty are accounted for as contracts only for the amountcommitted period. Periods of revenue that is reservedtime after the right of termination are accounted for future returns is calculated based onas optional purchases when they do not represent material rights. For certain of our historical trendsusage-based license agreements, typically in our royalty and data specific to eachOEM businesses, reporting period. We reviewmay be received after the actual returns evidenced in prior quarters as a percent of revenue to determine a historical returns rate. We then apply the historical rate to the current period revenue as a basis for estimating future returns. When necessary, we also provide a specific returns reserve for product in the distribution channel in excess of estimated requirements. This estimate can be affected by the amountend of a particular product in the channel, the rate of sell-through, product plansfiscal period. In such instances, we estimate and accrue license revenue. We base our estimates on multiple factors, including historical sales information, seasonality and other factors.
Revenue Reserve
Revenue reserve rollforward (in thousands):
  2017 2016 2015
Beginning balance $23,096
 $19,446
 $17,402
Amount charged to revenue 61,031
 55,739
 45,676
Actual returns (62,121) (52,089) (43,632)
Ending balance $22,006
 $23,096
 $19,446
Deferred Revenue
 Deferred revenue consists of billings and payments received in advance of revenue recognitionbusiness information which may impact our estimates. We do not estimate variable consideration for our productssales and solutions described above. We recognize deferredusage-based license royalty agreements, consistent with the associated exception for sales and usage-based royalties for the license of intellectual property under the new revenue as revenue only when the revenue recognition criteria are met.standard.
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts
We maintain an allowance for doubtful accounts which reflects our best estimate of potentially uncollectible trade receivables. The allowance is based on both specific and general reserves. We regularly review our trade receivables allowances by considering such factors as historical experience, credit-worthiness, the age of the trade receivable balances and current economic conditions that may affect a customer’s ability to pay and we specifically reserve for those deemed uncollectible.
(in thousands) 2017 2016 2015
Beginning balance $6,214
 $7,293
 $7,867
Increase due to acquisition 2,391
 77
 326
Charged to operating expenses 4,411
 1,337
 1,472
Deductions(1)
 (3,865) (2,493) (2,372)
Ending balance $9,151
 $6,214
 $7,293
________________________________________
(1)
Deductions related to the allowance for doubtful accounts represent amounts written off against the allowance, less recoveries.
Property and Equipment
We record property and equipment at cost less accumulated depreciation and amortization. Property and equipment are depreciated using the straight-line method over their estimated useful lives ranging from 1 to 520 years for computers and other equipment, as well as server hardware under capital leases,which includes our corporate jet, 1 to 6 years for furniture and fixtures, 5 to 20 years for building improvements and up to 40 years for buildings. Leasehold improvements are amortized using the straight-line method over the lesser of the remaining respective lease term or estimated useful lives ranging from 1 to 15 years.

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Goodwill, Purchased Intangibles and Other Long-Lived Assets
Goodwill is assigned to one or more reporting segments on the date of acquisition. We review our goodwill for impairment annually during our second quarter of each fiscal year.year and between annual tests if an event occurs or circumstances change that would more likely than not reduce the fair value of any one of our reporting units below its respective carrying amount. In performing our goodwill impairment test, we first evaluate goodwill to determine if it is more likely than not that the occurrence of an event or change in circumstances has reduced the fair value ofperform a reporting segment below its carrying value. The qualitative assessment, which requires that we consider events or circumstances that may includeincluding macroeconomic conditions, industry and market considerations, cost factors, overall financial performance, changes in management or key personnel, changes in strategy, changes in customers, changes in the composition or carrying amount of a reporting segments’segment’s net assets and changes in our stock price. If, after assessing the totality of events or circumstances, we determine

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that it is more likely than not that the fair valuevalues of our reporting segments are greater than the carrying amounts, then the two-stepquantitative goodwill impairment test is not performed.

If the qualitative assessment indicates that the two-step quantitative analysis should be performed, we then evaluate goodwill for impairment by comparing the fair value of each of our reporting segments to its carrying value, including the associated goodwill. To determine the fair values, we use the equal weighting of the market approach based on comparable publicly traded companies in similar lines of businesses and the income approach based on estimated discounted future cash flows. Our cash flow assumptions consider historical and forecasted revenue, operating costs and other relevant factors.

We completed our annual goodwill impairment test in the second quarter of fiscal 2017.2019. We determined, after performing a qualitative review of each reporting segment, that it is more likely than not that the fair value of each of our reporting segments substantially exceeds the respective carrying amounts. Accordingly, there was no indication of impairment and the two-step quantitative goodwill impairment test was not performed. We did not identify any events or changes in circumstances since the performance of our annual goodwill impairment test that would require us to perform another goodwill impairment test during the fiscal year.

We amortize intangible assets with finite lives over their estimated useful lives and review them for impairment whenever an impairment indicator exists. We continually monitor events and changes in circumstances that could indicate carrying amounts of our long-lived assets, including our intangible assets, may not be recoverable. When such events or changes in circumstances occur, we assess recoverability by determining whether the carrying value of such assets will be recovered through the undiscounted expected future cash flows. If the future undiscounted cash flows are less than the carrying amount of these assets, we recognize an impairment loss based on any excess of the carrying amount over the fair value of the assets. We did not recognize any intangible asset impairment charges in fiscal 2017, 20162019, 2018 or 2015.2017.

During fiscal 20172019, our intangible assets were amortized over their estimated useful lives ranging from 1 to 1415 years. Amortization is based on the pattern in which the economic benefits of the intangible asset will be consumed or on a straight-line basis when the consumption pattern is not apparent. The weighted average useful lives of our intangible assets were as follows:
 
Weighted Average
Useful Life (years)
Purchased technology5
Customer contracts and relationships910
Purchased technology6
Trademarks89
Backlog2
Acquired rights to use technology9
Localization110
Other intangibles54
Internal Use Software
We capitalize costs associated with customized internal-use software systems that have reached the application development stage. Such capitalized costs include external direct costs utilized in developing or obtaining the applications and payroll and payroll-related expenses for employees who are directly associated with the development of the applications. Capitalization of such costs begins when the preliminary project stage is complete and ceases at the point in which the project is substantially complete and is ready for its intended purpose.

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Income Taxes
We use the asset and liability method of accounting for income taxes. Under this method, income tax expense is recognized for the amount of taxes payable or refundable for the current year. In addition, deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for expected future tax consequences of temporary differences between the financial reporting and tax bases of assets and liabilities, and for operating losses and tax credit carryforwards. We record a valuation allowance to reduce deferred tax assets to an amount for which realization is more likely than not.
Taxes Collected from Customers
We net taxes collected from customers against those remitted to government authorities in our financial statements. Accordingly, taxes collected from customers are not reported as revenue.
Treasury Stock
We account for treasury stock under the cost method. When treasury stock is re-issued at a price higher than its cost, the difference is recorded as a component of additional paid-in-capital in our Consolidated Balance Sheets. When treasury stock is re-issued at a price lower than its cost, the difference is recorded as a component of additional paid-in-capital to the extent that

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there are previously recorded gains to offset the losses. If there are no treasury stock gains in additional paid-in-capital, the losses upon re-issuance of treasury stock are recorded as a reduction of retained earnings in our Consolidated Balance Sheets.
Advertising Expenses
Advertising costs are expensed as incurred. Advertising expenses for fiscal 20172019, 20162018 and 20152017 were $141.7$221.1 million, $135.8173.6 million and $113.6141.7 million, respectively.
Foreign Currency Translation
We translate assets and liabilities of foreign subsidiaries, whose functional currency is their local currency, at exchange rates in effect at the balance sheet date. We translate revenue and expenses at the monthly average exchange rates. We include accumulated net translation adjustments in stockholders’ equity as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss).
Foreign Currency and Other HedgingDerivative Financial Instruments
In countries outside the United States, we transact business in U.S. Dollars and in various other currencies. We may use foreign exchange option and forward contracts forto hedge a portion of our forecasted foreign currency denominated revenue denominatedprimarily in Euros, British Pounds and Japanese Yen. We hedge our net recognized foreign currency assets and liabilities with foreign exchange forward contracts to reduce the risk that our earnings and cash flows will be adversely affected by changes in exchange rates.
We recognize all derivative instruments as either assets or liabilities in our Consolidated Balance Sheets and measure them at fair value. Gains and losses resulting from changes in fair value are accounted for depending on the use of the derivative and whether it is designated and qualifies for hedge accounting. Contracts that do not qualify for hedge accounting are adjusted to fair value through earnings.See Note 5 for information regarding our hedging activities.
Gains and losses fromrelated to changes in the fair value of interest rate swaps and foreign exchange forward contracts which hedge certain balance sheet positions are recorded each period as a component of interest and other income (expense), net in our Consolidated Statements of Income. Foreign exchange option contracts hedging forecasted foreign currency revenue and Treasury lock agreements are designated as cash flow hedges with gains and losses recorded net of tax as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) in stockholders’ equity and reclassified into revenue at the timeour Consolidated Balance Sheets, until the forecasted transactions occur.transaction occurs. When the forecasted transaction affects earnings, we reclassify the related gain or loss on the foreign currency and Treasury lock cash flow hedges to revenue and interest expense, respectively.
Concentration of Risk
Financial instruments that potentially subject us to concentrations of credit risk are short-term fixed-income investments, structured repurchase transactions, foreign currency and interest rate hedge contracts and trade receivables.

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Our investment portfolio consists of investment-grade securities diversified among security types, industries and issuers. Our cash and investments are held and primarily managed by recognized financial institutions that follow our investment policy. Our policy limits the amount of credit exposure to any one security issue or issuer and we believe no significant concentration of credit risk exists with respect to these investments.
We enter into foreign currency hedge contractsmaster netting arrangements to mitigate credit risk in derivative transactions by permitting net settlement of transactions with bank counterparties that could expose us to credit related losses in the event of their nonperformance. This is largely mitigated withsame counterparty. We also enter into collateral security agreements that provide forwith certain of our counterparties to exchange cash collateral to be received or posted when the net fair value of certain financialderivative instruments fluctuates from contractually established thresholds. In addition, we enter into master netting arrangements which have the ability to further limit credit related losses with the same counterparty by permitting net settlement transactions.

The aggregate fair value of foreign currency contracts in net asset positions as of December 1, 2017 and December 2, 2016 was $14.2 million and $38.1 million respectively. These amounts represent the maximum exposure to loss at the reporting date as a result of all of the counterparties failing to perform as contracted. These exposures could be reduced by certain immaterial liabilities included in master netting arrangements with those same counterparties. 
Credit risk in receivables is limited to OEMs, dealers and distributors of hardware and software products to the retail market, customers to whom we license software directly and our SaaS offerings. A credit review is completed for our new distributors, dealers and OEMs. We also perform ongoing credit evaluations of our customers’ financial condition and require letters of credit or other guarantees, whenever deemed necessary. The credit limit given to the customer is based on our risk assessment of their ability to pay, country risk and other factors and is not contingent on the resale of the product or on the collection of payments

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from their customers. Certain contracts with advertising agencies contain sequential liability provisions, under which the agency is not required to pay until payment is received from the agency’s customers. In these circumstances, we evaluate the credit-worthiness of the agency’s customers in addition to the agency itself. If we license our software or provide SaaS services to a customer where we have a reason to believe the customer’s ability and intention to pay is not probable, duethe arrangement is not considered to country risk or credit risk,be a revenue contract. Accordingly, we will not recognize the revenue. We will revert to recognizing theany consideration received as revenue on a cash basis, assuming all other criteria for revenue recognition has been met.
Recently Adopted Accounting Guidance
On March 30, 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standard Update (“ASU”) No. 2016-09, Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting, which simplifies various aspects related to the accounting and presentation of share-based payments. The amendments require entities to record all tax effects related to share-based payments at settlementuntil termination or expiration through the income statement and the windfall tax benefit to be recorded when it arises, subject to normal valuation allowance considerations. Tax-related cash flows resulting from share-based payments are required to be reported as operating activities in the statement of cash flows. The updates relating to the income tax effectssubstantive completion of the share-based payments including the cash flow presentation must be adopted either prospectively or retrospectively. Further, the amendments allow the entities to make an accounting policy election to either estimate forfeitures or recognize forfeitures as they occur. If an election is made, the change to recognize forfeitures as they occur must be adopted using a modified retrospective approach with a cumulative effect adjustment recorded to opening retained earnings. The effective date of the new standard for public companies is for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016 and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted.
We early adopted this standard during the first quarter of fiscal 2017. As required by the standard, excess tax benefits recognized on stock-based compensation expense were reflected in our Consolidated Statements of Income as a component of the provision for income taxes rather than paid-in capital on a prospective basis. Accordingly, we recorded excess tax benefits within our provision for income taxes, rather than additional paid-in capital upon adoption. The cumulative effect to retained earnings from previously unrecognized excess tax benefits, after offset by the related valuation allowance, was not significant to our Consolidated Balance Sheets.
We also elected to prospectively apply the change in presentation of excess tax benefits wherein excess tax benefits recognized on stock-based compensation expense were classified as operating activities in our Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for fiscal 2017. Prior period classification of cash flows related to excess tax benefits were not adjusted in our Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. Presentation requirements for cash flows related to employee taxes paid for withheld shares had no impact to all periods presented as such cash flows have historically been presented as financing activities. Further, we did not elect an accounting policy change to record forfeitures as they occur and thus we continue to estimate forfeitures at each period.

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NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

There have been no other new accounting pronouncements made effective during fiscal 2017 that have significance, or potential significance, to our Consolidated Financial Statements.services.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Effective
On May 28, 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, requiring an entity to recognize the amount of revenue to which it expects to be entitled for the transfer of promised goods or services to customers. The updated standard will replace most existing revenue recognition guidance in U.S. GAAP when it becomes effective and permits the use of either the full retrospective or modified retrospective transition method. In August 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-14, Revenue from Contracts with Customers: Deferral of the Effective Date, which deferred the effective date of the new revenue standard for periods beginning after December 15, 2016 to December 15, 2017, with early adoption permitted but not earlier than the original effective date. Accordingly, the updated standard is effective for us in the first quarter of fiscal 2019. We expect to adopt this updated standard in the first quarter of fiscal 2019 on a modified retrospective basis. We are currently evaluating the effect that the updated standard will have on our Consolidated Financial Statements and related disclosures.
While we are continuing to assess all potential impacts of the new standard, we currently believe that the most significant impact relates to our accounting for arrangements that include on-premise term-based software licenses bundled with maintenance and support. Under current GAAP, the revenue attributable to these software licenses is recognized ratably over the term of the arrangement because VSOE does not exist for the undelivered maintenance and support element as it is not sold separately. The requirement to have VSOE for undelivered elements to enable the separation of revenue for the delivered software licenses is eliminated under the new standard. Accordingly, under the new standard we will be required to recognize as revenue a portion of the arrangement fee upon delivery of the software licenses. We expect revenue related to our professional services and cloud offerings, including Creative Cloud and Document Cloud for business enterprises, individuals and teams, to remain substantially unchanged. When sold with cloud-enabled services, Creative Cloud and Document Cloud require a significant level of integration and interdependency with software and the individual components are not considered distinct. Revenue for these offerings will continue to be recognized over the period in which the cloud services are provided.  Under current GAAP, we expense costs related to the acquisition of revenue-generating contracts as incurred. Under the new standard, we will be required to capitalize certain costs incremental to contract acquisition and amortize them over the expected period of benefit. Due to the complexity of certain of our contracts, the actual accounting treatment required under the new standard for these arrangements may be dependent on contract-specific terms and therefore may vary in some instances.

On February 24, 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases, requiring lessees to recognize a right-of-use asset and a lease liability on the balance sheet for all leases with the exception of short-term leases with a lease term of twelve months or less. For lessees, leases will continue to be classified as either operating or finance leases in the income statement. Lessor accounting is similar to the current model but updated to align with certain changes to the lessee model. Lessors will continue to classify leases as operating, direct financing or sales-type leases. The effective date of the new leases standard for public companies is for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018 and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted. The new standard must be adopted using a modified retrospective transition and requires application of the new guidance at the beginning of the earliest comparative period presented. The updatedleases standard is effective for us beginning in the first quarter of fiscal 2020, and we dodid not planearly adopt.
The new leases standard must be adopted using a modified retrospective transition method and allows for the application of the new guidance at the beginning of the earliest comparative period presented or at the adoption date. In July 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-11, Leases - Targeted Improvements, providing an optional transition method that allows entities to early adopt.initially apply the new leases standard at the adoption date and recognize a cumulative-effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings in the period of adoption. We are currently evaluatingwill adopt the effectnew leases standard using this optional transition method.
We have completed our assessment of the impacts of the standard, and note that the updated standardmost significant impact will havebe the recognition of right-of-use assets and lease liabilities on our Consolidated FinancialBalance Sheets. The standard will not have a material impact to our Consolidated Statements of Income and related disclosures.Cash Flows. We are in the final stages of implementing a new lease accounting system and updating our processes for the adoption of the new leases standard.
On August 28, 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-12, Derivatives and Hedging, requiring expanded hedge accounting for both non-financial and financial risk components and refining the measurement of hedge results to better reflect an entity'sentity’s hedging strategies. For example, adoption would result in reclassification of hedge costs from foreign currency hedges from interest and other income (expense), net to revenue in our Consolidated Statements of Income. The updated standard also amends the presentation and disclosure requirements and changes how entities assess hedge effectiveness. The effective date of the new standard for public companies is for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018 and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted. The new standard must be adopted using a modified retrospective transition with a cumulative effectcumulative-effect adjustment recorded to opening retained earnings as of the initial adoption date. The updated standard is effective for us beginning in the first quarter of fiscal 2020, and we dowill not plan to early adopt. We are currently evaluating the effect that the updated standard will have a material impact on our Consolidated Financial Statements and related disclosures.
With the exception of the new standards discussed above, there have been no other new accounting pronouncements that have significance, or potential significance, to our Consolidated Financial Statements.
NOTE 2.  REVENUE
Segment Information
We report segment information based on the “management” approach. The management approach designates the internal reporting used by management for making decisions and assessing performance as the source of our reportable segments.
Our Chief Executive Officer, the chief operating decision maker, reviews revenue and gross margin information for each of our reportable segments, but does not review operating expenses on a segment by segment basis. In addition, with the exception of goodwill and intangible assets, we do not identify or allocate our assets by the reportable segments. 
Our business is organized into three reportable segments: Digital Media, Digital Experience and Publishing. These segments provide our senior management with a comprehensive financial view of our key businesses. Our segments are aligned around our

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NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)


two strategic growth opportunities as described in the “Business Overview” within Part I, Item 1, placing our Publishing business in a third segment that contains some of our mature products and solutions.
In fiscal 2019, we categorized our products into the following reportable segments:
Digital Media—Our Digital Media segment provides tools and solutions that enable individuals, teams and enterprises to create, publish, promote and monetize their digital content anywhere. Our customers include content creators, experience designers, app developers, enthusiasts, students, social media users and creative professionals, as well as marketing departments and agencies, companies and publishers. Our customers also include knowledge workers who create, collaborate on and distribute documents and creative content.
Digital Experience—Our Digital Experience segment provides products, services and solutions for creating, managing, executing, measuring, monetizing and optimizing customer experiences from advertising to commerce. Our customers include marketers, advertisers, agencies, publishers, merchandisers, merchants, web analysts, data scientists, developers, marketing executives, information management and technology executives, product development executives, and sales and support executives.
Publishing—Our Publishing segment addresses market opportunities ranging from the diverse authoring and publishing needs of technical and business publishing to our legacy type and OEM printing businesses. It also includes our web conferencing and document and forms platforms.
Revenue for fiscal 2019 presented below is in accordance with the new revenue standard that was adopted under the modified retrospective method. Prior period revenue has not been restated.
Our segment revenue and results for fiscal 2019, 2018 and 2017 were as follows:
(dollars in thousands)
Digital
Media
 
Digital
Experience
 Publishing Total
Fiscal 2019       
Revenue$7,706,983
 $3,206,169
 $258,145
 $11,171,297
Cost of revenue289,639
 1,362,886
 20,195
 1,672,720
Gross profit$7,417,344
 $1,843,283
 $237,950
 $9,498,577
Gross profit as a percentage of revenue96% 57% 92% 85%
Fiscal 2018       
Revenue$6,325,315
 $2,443,745
 $260,948
 $9,030,008
Cost of revenue249,386
 922,414
 23,199
 1,194,999
Gross profit$6,075,929
 $1,521,331
 $237,749
 $7,835,009
Gross profit as a percentage of revenue96% 62% 91% 87%
Fiscal 2017       
Revenue$5,010,579
 $2,030,324
 $260,602
 $7,301,505
Cost of revenue239,994
 747,005
 23,492
 1,010,491
Gross profit$4,770,585
 $1,283,319
 $237,110
 $6,291,014
Gross profit as a percentage of revenue95% 63% 91% 86%


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NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)


Revenue by geographic area for fiscal 2019, 2018 and 2017 were as follows:
(in thousands) 2019 2018 2017
Americas:      
United States $5,904,185
 $4,632,469
 $3,830,845
Other 601,721
 484,296
 385,686
Total Americas 6,505,906
 5,116,765
 4,216,531
EMEA 2,975,243
 2,550,062
 1,985,105
APAC:      
Japan 751,542
 609,361
 524,254
Other 938,606
 753,820
 575,615
Total APAC 1,690,148
 1,363,181
 1,099,869
Revenue $11,171,297
 $9,030,008
 $7,301,505

Revenue by major offerings in our Digital Media reportable segment for fiscal 2019, 2018 and 2017 were as follows:
(in thousands) 2019 2018 2017
Creative Cloud $6,482,345
 $5,343,498
 $4,173,964
Document Cloud 1,224,638
 981,817
 836,615
Total $7,706,983
 $6,325,315
 $5,010,579
Subscription revenue by segment for fiscal 2019, 2018 and 2017 were as follows:
(in thousands) 2019 2018 2017
Digital Media $7,208,238
 $5,857,700
 $4,480,745
Digital Experience 2,670,748
 1,949,185
 1,552,536
Publishing 115,477
 115,267
 100,588
Total $9,994,463
 $7,922,152
 $6,133,869

Contract Balances
Trade Receivables
A receivable is recorded when an unconditional right to invoice and receive payment exists, such that only the passage of time is required before payment of consideration is due. Timing of revenue recognition may differ from the timing of invoicing to customers. Certain performance obligations may require payment before delivery of the license or service to the customer. Included in trade receivables on the Consolidated Balance Sheets are unbilled receivable balances which have not yet been invoiced, and are typically related to license revenue or services which are delivered prior to invoicing occurring.
The opening balance of trade receivables, net of allowances for doubtful accounts, as of December 1, 2018 was $1.36 billion, inclusive of unbilled receivables of $105.8 million. As of November 29, 2019, the balance of trade receivables, net of allowances for doubtful accounts, was $1.53 billion, inclusive of unbilled receivables of $149.3 million.

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Allowance for Doubtful Accounts
We maintain an allowance for doubtful accounts which reflects our best estimate of potentially uncollectible trade receivables. The allowance is based on both specific and general reserves. We regularly review our trade receivables allowance by considering factors such as historical experience, credit-worthiness, the age of the trade receivable balances and current economic conditions that may affect a customer’s ability to pay and we specifically reserve for those deemed uncollectible.
During fiscal 2019, 2018 and 2017, our allowance for doubtful accounts activities were as follows:
(in thousands) 2019 2018 2017
Beginning balance $14,981
 $9,151
 $6,214
Increase due to acquisition 10
 5,602
 2,391
Charged to operating expenses 5,324
 5,962
 4,411
Deductions(1)
 (10,665) (5,734) (3,865)
Ending balance $9,650
 $14,981
 $9,151
________________________________________
(1)
Deductions related to the allowance for doubtful accounts represent amounts written off against the allowance, less recoveries.
Contract Assets
A contract asset is recognized when a conditional right to consideration exists and transfer of control has occurred. Contract assets are typically related to subscription and hosted service contracts where the transaction price allocated to the satisfied performance obligations exceeds the value of billings to date. Contract assets are included in prepaid expenses and other current assets for the current portion and other assets for the long-term portion on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. We regularly review contract asset balances for impairment, considering factors such as historical experience, credit-worthiness, age of the balance and other economic or business factors. Contract asset impairments were not significant in fiscal 2019.
The opening balance of contract assets as of December 1, 2018 was $46.4 million. As of November 29, 2019, the balance of contract assets was $63.9 million.
Deferred Revenue and Remaining Performance Obligations
Deferred revenue primarily consists of billings or payments received in advance of revenue recognition from subscription services, including non-cancellable and non-refundable committed funds and deposits. Deferred revenue is recognized as revenue when transfer of control to customers has occurred. Customers are typically invoiced for these agreements in regular installments and revenue is recognized ratably over the contractual subscription period. The deferred revenue balance is influenced by several factors, including seasonality, the compounding effects of renewals, invoice duration, invoice timing, size and new business linearity within the quarter. Deferred revenue does not represent the total contract value of annual or multi-year non-cancellable subscription agreements.
Payment terms and conditions vary by contract type, although terms generally include a requirement of payment within 30 to 60 days. In instances where the timing of revenue recognition differs from the timing of invoicing, we have determined our contracts generally do not include a significant financing component. The primary purpose of our invoicing terms is to provide customers with simplified and predictable ways of purchasing our products and services, such as invoicing at the beginning of a subscription term with revenue recognized ratably over the contract period, and not to receive financing from our customers. Any potential financing fees are considered insignificant in the context of our contracts.
The adjusted opening balance of deferred revenue as of December 1, 2018 was $3.00 billion. As of November 29, 2019, the balance of deferred revenue was $3.50 billion, inclusive of $265.4 million of non-cancellable and non-refundable committed funds and $56.9 million of refundable customer deposits. Arrangements with non-cancellable and non-refundable committed funds provide our customers options to either renew monthly on-premise term-based licenses or use some or all funds to purchase other Adobe products or services. Refundable customer deposits represent arrangements in which the customer has a unilateral cancellation right for which we are obligated to refund amounts paid related to products or services not yet delivered or provided at the time of cancellation on a prorated basis.

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Significant movements in the deferred revenue balance during the period consisted of increases due to payments received prior to transfer of control of the underlying performance obligations to the customer and deferred revenue assumed through business combinations, which were offset by decreases due to revenue recognized in the period. During the year ended November 29, 2019, approximately $2.8 billion of revenue was recognized that was included in the adjusted opening balance of deferred revenue as of December 1, 2018.
Transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations represents contracted revenue that has not yet been recognized, which includes deferred revenue and unbilled amounts that will be recognized as revenue in future periods. Transaction price allocated to the remaining performance obligation is influenced by several factors, including the timing of renewals and average contract terms. We applied practical expedients to exclude amounts related to performance obligations that are billed and recognized as they are delivered, optional purchases that do not represent material rights, sales- and usage-based royalties not yet consumed and any estimated amounts of variable consideration that are subject to constraint in accordance with the new revenue standard.
Remaining performance obligations were approximately $9.82 billion as of November 29, 2019, which includes $776.4 million of non-cancellable and non-refundable committed funds related to some of our enterprise customer agreements. Approximately 74% of the remaining performance obligations, excluding the aforementioned enterprise customer agreements, are expected to be recognized over the next 12 months with the remainder recognized thereafter.
Contract Acquisition Costs
We recognize an asset for the incremental costs of obtaining a contract with a customer if we expect the benefit of those costs to be longer than one year. We have determined that certain sales incentive programs meet the requirements to be capitalized.
The costs capitalized under the new revenue standard are primarily sales commissions paid to our sales force personnel. Capitalized costs may also include portions of fringe benefits and payroll taxes associated with compensation for incremental costs to acquire customer contracts and incentive payments to partners.
Capitalized costs to obtain a contract are amortized over the expected period of benefit, which we have determined, based on analysis, to be 5 years. Amortization of capitalized costs are included in sales and marketing expense in our Consolidated Statements of Income. During fiscal 2019, we amortized $170.9 million of capitalized contract acquisition costs into sales and marketing expense. We did not incur any impairment losses.
The opening balance of capitalized contract acquisition costs as of December 1, 2018 was $413.2 million. As of November 29, 2019, the balance of capitalized contract acquisition costs was $473.7 million, of which $314.7 million was long-term and included in other assets in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. The remaining balance of the capitalized costs to obtain contracts was current and included in prepaid expenses and other current assets.
Revenue Reserve
During fiscal 2019, 2018 and 2017, our revenue reserve activities were as follows:
(in thousands) 2019 2018 2017
Beginning balance $25,425
 $22,006
 $23,096
Impacts of adoption of the new revenue standard (14,733) 
 
Amount charged to revenue 18,276
 65,241
 61,031
Actual returns (22,236) (61,822) (62,121)
Ending balance $6,732
 $25,425
 $22,006


ADOBE INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)


Refund Liabilities
As part of our revenue reserves, we record refund liabilities for amounts that may be subject to future refunds, which include sales returns reserves and customer rebates and credits. Refund liabilities are included in accrued expenses on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. 
The opening balance of refund liabilities as of December 1, 2018 was $75.3 million. As of November 29, 2019, the balance of refund liabilities was $126.1 million.
Significant Customers
For fiscal 2019, 2018 and 2017 there were no customers that represented at least 10% of net revenue. As of fiscal year end 2019 and 2018, no single customer was responsible for over 10% of our trade receivables.
NOTE 2.3.  ACQUISITIONS
Allegorithmic
On January 23, 2019, we completed the acquisition of Allegorithmic, a privately held 3D editing and authoring software company for gaming and entertainment, and integrated it into our Digital Media reportable segment. Prior to the acquisition, we held an equity interest that was accounted for as an equity-method investment. We acquired the remaining equity interest for approximately $106.2 million in cash consideration. The total purchase price, inclusive of the acquisition-date fair-value of our pre-existing equity interest, was approximately $161.1 million.
In conjunction with the Allegorithmic acquisition, we separately recognized an investment gain of approximately $42.0 million, which represents the difference between the $54.8 million acquisition-date fair value of our pre-existing equity interest and our previous carrying amount.
Under the acquisition method of accounting, the total final purchase price was allocated to Allegorithmic’s net tangible and intangible assets based upon their estimated fair values as of the acquisition date. The excess purchase price over the value of the net tangible and identifiable intangible assets was recorded as goodwill. Of the total purchase price, $125.9 million was allocated to goodwill that was non-deductible for tax purposes, $44.8 million to identifiable intangible assets and the remainder to net liabilities assumed.
Pro forma financial information has not been presented for the Allegorithmic acquisition as the impact to our Consolidated Financial Statements was not material.
Marketo
On October 31, 2018, we completed the acquisition of Marketo, a privately held marketing cloud platform company, for approximately $4.73 billion of cash consideration. Adding Marketo’s engagement platform to Adobe Experience Cloud furthers our long-term plan for strategic growth in the Digital Experience segment and enables us to offer a comprehensive set of solutions to enable customers across industries and companies automate and orchestrate their marketing activities. Under the terms of the Share Purchase Agreement (“Purchase Agreement”), we acquired all of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of Milestone Topco, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Topco”) and indirect parent company of Marketo, and other equity interests in Marketo. In connection with the acquisition, each Marketo equity award that was issued and outstanding was cancelled and extinguished in exchange for cash consideration. Also pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, upon closing of the transaction, cash was paid for the settlement of Marketo’s long-term incentive plan, the settlement of Marketo’s indebtedness and the acquisition of all remaining equity interests in Marketo K.K., a Japanese corporation and joint venture.
In connection with the acquisition, we entered into a credit agreement providing for a $2.25 billion senior unsecured term loan (“Term Loan”). The proceeds of the Term Loan were used to fund a portion of the purchase price of the acquisition and pay fees and expenses incurred in connection with the acquisition. The Term Loan funds were received on October 31, 2018 upon closing of the acquisition. See Note 17 for further details regarding our Term Loan.

ADOBE INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)


We integrated Marketo into our Digital Experience reportable segment and have included the financial results of Marketo in our Consolidated Financial Statements beginning on the acquisition date. The amounts of net revenue and net loss of Marketo included in our Consolidated Statements of Income from the acquisition date through November 30, 2018 were not material. The direct transaction costs associated with the acquisition were also not material.
Purchase Price Allocation
Under the purchase accounting method, the total final purchase price was allocated to Marketo’s net tangible and intangible assets based upon their estimated fair values as of the acquisition date. The excess purchase price over the value of the net tangible and identifiable intangible assets was recorded as goodwill.
The table below represents the final purchase price allocation to the acquired net tangible and intangible assets of Marketo based on their estimated fair values as of October 31, 2018 and the associated estimated useful lives at that date. During fiscal 2019, we recorded immaterial purchase accounting adjustments based on changes to management’s estimates and assumptions in regards to total purchase price, intangible assets, deferred revenue, tax liabilities assumed and their related impact to goodwill.
(in thousands)Amount Weighted Average Useful Life (years)
Customer contracts and relationships$577,500
 11
Purchased technology444,500
 7
Backlog105,500
 2
Non-competition agreements12,100
 2
Trademarks328,500
 9
Total identifiable intangible assets1,468,100
  
Net liabilities assumed(194,588) N/A
Goodwill (1)
3,459,256
 N/A
Total purchase price$4,732,768
  
_________________________________________
(1)
Non-deductible for tax-purposes.
Identifiable intangible assets — Customer relationships consist of Marketo’s contractual relationships and customer loyalty related to their enterprise and commercial customers as well as technology partner relationships. The estimated fair value of the customer contracts and relationships was determined based on projected cash flows attributable to the asset. Purchased technology acquired primarily consists of Marketo’s cloud-based engagement marketing software platform. The estimated fair value of the purchased technology was determined based on the expected future cost savings resulting from ownership of the asset. Backlog relates to subscription contracts and professional services. Non-compete agreements include agreements with key Marketo employees that preclude them from competing against Marketo for a period of two years from the acquisition date. Trademarks include the Marketo trade name, which is well known in the marketing ecosystem. We amortize the fair value of these intangible assets on a straight-line basis over their respective estimated useful lives.
Goodwill — Approximately $3.46 billion of goodwill has been allocated entirely to our Digital Experience reportable segment. Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price over the fair value of the underlying acquired net tangible and intangible assets. The factors that contributed to the recognition of goodwill included securing buyer-specific synergies that increase revenue and profits and are not otherwise available to a marketplace participant, acquiring a talented workforce and cost savings opportunities.
Net liabilities assumed — Marketo’s tangible assets and liabilities as of October 31, 2018 were reviewed and adjusted to their fair value as necessary. The net liabilities assumed included, among other items, $102.6 million in accrued expenses, $74.8 million in deferred revenue and $182.6 million in deferred tax liabilities, which were partially offset by $54.9 million in cash and cash equivalents and $71.6 million in trade receivables acquired.
Deferred revenue — Included in net liabilities assumed is Marketo’s deferred revenue which represents advance payments from customers related to subscription contracts and professional services. We estimated our obligation related to the deferred

ADOBE INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)


revenue using the cost build-up approach. The cost build-up approach determines fair value by estimating the direct and indirect costs related to supporting the obligation plus an assumed operating margin. The sum of the costs and assumed operating profit approximates, in theory, the amount that Marketo would be required to pay a third party to assume the obligation. The estimated costs to fulfill the obligation were based on the near-term projected cost structure for subscription and professional services. As a result, we recorded an adjustment to reduce Marketo’s carrying value of deferred revenue to $74.8 million, which represents our estimate of the fair value of the contractual obligations assumed.
Taxes — As part of our accounting for the Marketo acquisition, a portion of the overall purchase price was allocated to goodwill and acquired intangible assets. Amortization expense associated with acquired intangible assets is not deductible for tax purposes. Thus, approximately $348.8 million, included in the net liabilities assumed, was established as a deferred tax liability for the future amortization of the intangible assets, and was partially offset by other tax assets of $166.2 million, which primarily consist of net operating loss carryforwards.
Any impairment charges made in the future associated with goodwill will not be tax deductible and will result in an increased effective income tax rate in the quarter the impairment is recorded.
Unaudited Pro Forma Results
The financial information in the table below summarizes the combined results of operations of Adobe and Marketo, on a pro forma basis, as though the companies had been combined as of the beginning of the periods presented. The pro forma financial information is presented for informational purposes only and is not indicative of the results of operations that would have been achieved if the acquisition had taken place on December 3, 2016 or of results that may occur in the future.
The following unaudited pro forma financial information for fiscal 2018 and 2017 combines the historical results for Adobe for the years ended November 30, 2018 and December 1, 2017 and the historical results of Marketo for the period January 1, 2018 through October 31, 2018 and the year ended December 31, 2017, respectively:
(in thousands)2018 2017
Net revenues$9,338,790
 $7,568,713
Net income$2,362,238
 $1,404,864

Magento
On June 18, 2018, we completed our acquisition of Magento Commerce (“Magento”), a privately held commerce platform company, and integrated it into our Digital Experience reportable segment.
The table below represents the final purchase price allocation to the acquired net assets of Magento based on their estimated fair values as of June 18, 2018 and the associated estimated useful lives at that date. During fiscal 2019, we recorded immaterial purchase accounting adjustments based on changes to management’s estimates and assumptions in regards to net liabilities assumed and their related impact to goodwill.
(in thousands)Amount Weighted Average Useful Life (years)
Customer contracts and relationships$208,000
 8
Purchased technology84,200
 5
In-process research and development (1)
39,100
 N/A
Trademarks21,100
 3
Other intangibles43,400
 3
Total identifiable intangible assets395,800
  
Net liabilities assumed(68,182) N/A
Goodwill (2)
1,316,983
 N/A
Total purchase price$1,644,601
  

ADOBE INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)


_________________________________________
(1)
Capitalized as purchased technology and are considered indefinite lived until the completion or abandonment of the associated research and development efforts. Subsequent to the acquisition, the associated in-process research and development efforts for certain projects were completed and the rest were abandoned. The respective related amortization and write-off were each immaterial.
(2)
Non-deductible for tax purposes.
Pro forma financial information has not been presented for the Magento acquisition as the impact to our Consolidated Financial Statements was not material.
TubeMogul
On December 19, 2016, we completed our acquisition of TubeMogul, a publicly held video advertising platform company. As of the end of fiscal 2017, we are continuing to integrate TubeMogulcompany, and integrated it into our Digital MarketingExperience reportable segment.
Under the acquisition method of accounting, the total final purchase price was allocated to TubeMogul’s net tangible and intangible assets based upon their estimated fair values as of December 19, 2016. During fiscal 2017, we recorded immaterial purchase accounting adjustments based on changes to management’s estimates and assumptions in regards to tangible assets, liabilities assumed, and their related impact to goodwill. The total final purchase price for TubeMogul was $560.8 million of which $348.4 million was allocated to goodwill that was non-deductible for tax purposes, $113.1 million to identifiable intangible assets and $99.3 million to net assets acquired.
FotoliaPro forma financial information has not been presented for the TubeMogul acquisition as the impact to our Consolidated Financial Statements was not material.
On January 27, 2015, we completed our acquisition of privately held Fotolia, a leading marketplace for royalty-free photos, images, graphics and HD videos. During fiscal 2015, we integrated Fotolia into our Digital Media reportable segment.
Under the acquisition method of accounting, the total final purchase price was allocated to Fotolia's net tangible and intangible assets based upon their estimated fair values as of January 27, 2015. During fiscal 2015, we recorded immaterial purchase accounting adjustments based on changes to management’s estimates and assumptions in regards to assumed intangible assets, calculation of deferred tax assets, liabilities and equity awards. The total final purchase price for Fotolia was $807.5 million of which $745.1 million was allocated to goodwill that was non-deductible for tax purposes, $204.4 million to identifiable intangible assets and $142.0 million to net liabilities assumed.Other
We also completed other immaterial business acquisitions during the fiscal years presented. Pro forma information has not been presented for any of our fiscal 2017, 2016 and 2015these acquisitions as the impact to our Consolidated Financial Statements was not material.
NOTE 3.4.  CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS AND SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS
Cash equivalents consist of instrumentsall highly liquid debt investments with remaining maturities of three months or less at the date of purchase. We classify all of our cash equivalents and short-term investments in marketable debt securities as “available-for-sale.” In general, these investments are free of trading restrictions. We carry these investments at fair value, based on quoted market prices or other readily available market information. Unrealized gains and losses, net of taxes, are included in accumulated other comprehensive income, (loss), which is reflected as a separate component of stockholders’ equity in our Consolidated Balance Sheets. Gains and losses are determined using the specific identification method and recognized when realized in our Consolidated Statements of Income. When we have determined that an other-than-temporary decline in fair value has occurred, the amount of the decline that is related to a credit loss is recognized in income. Gains and losses are determined using the specific identification method.

ADOBE SYSTEMS INCORPORATEDINC.


NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)



Cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments consisted of the following as of December 1, 2017 (in thousands):
November 29, 2019:
Amortized
Cost
 
Unrealized
Gains
 
Unrealized
Losses
 
Estimated
Fair Value
(in thousands)
Amortized
Cost
 
Unrealized
Gains
 
Unrealized
Losses
 
Estimated
Fair Value
Current assets:              
Cash$280,488
 $
 $
 $280,488
$466,941
 $
 $
 $466,941
Cash equivalents:              
Corporate debt securities45,703
 2
 (1) 45,704
Money market mutual funds2,006,741
 
 
 2,006,741
2,049,057
 
 
 2,049,057
Time deposits18,843
 
 
 18,843
88,519
 
 
 88,519
Total cash equivalents2,025,584
 
 
 2,025,584
2,183,279
 2
 (1) 2,183,280
Total cash and cash equivalents2,306,072
 
 
 2,306,072
2,650,220
 2
 (1) 2,650,221
Short-term fixed income securities:              
Asset-backed securities98,403
 1
 (403) 98,001
88,584
 146
 (9) 88,721
Corporate bonds and commercial paper2,461,691
 2,694
 (10,125) 2,454,260
Foreign government securities2,396
 
 (8) 2,388
Corporate debt securities1,408,332
 4,251
 (252) 1,412,331
Municipal securities21,189
 8
 (132) 21,065
17,642
 67
 
 17,709
U.S. Treasury securities941,538
 2
 (3,552) 937,988
7,992
 2
 
 7,994
Total short-term investments3,525,217
 2,705
 (14,220) 3,513,702
1,522,550
 4,466
 (261) 1,526,755
Total cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments$5,831,289
 $2,705
 $(14,220) $5,819,774
$4,172,770
 $4,468
 $(262) $4,176,976


Cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments consisted of the following as of December 2, 2016 (in thousands)November 30, 2018:
 (in thousands)
Amortized
Cost
 
Unrealized
Gains
 
Unrealized
Losses
 
Estimated
Fair Value
Current assets:       
Cash$368,564
 $
 $
 $368,564
Cash equivalents: 
      
Money market mutual funds1,234,188
 
 
 1,234,188
Time deposits40,023
 
 
 40,023
Total cash equivalents1,274,211
 
 
 1,274,211
Total cash and cash equivalents1,642,775
 
 
 1,642,775
Short-term fixed income securities:       
Asset-backed securities41,875
 
 (367) 41,508
Corporate debt securities1,546,860
 44
 (24,696) 1,522,208
Foreign government securities4,179
 
 (24) 4,155
Municipal securities18,601
 1
 (286) 18,316
Total short-term investments1,611,515
 45
 (25,373) 1,586,187
Total cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments$3,254,290
 $45
 $(25,373) $3,228,962
 
Amortized
Cost
 
Unrealized
Gains
 
Unrealized
Losses
 
Estimated
Fair Value
Current assets:       
Cash$208,635
 $
 $
 $208,635
Cash equivalents: 
      
Corporate bonds and commercial paper1,249
 
 
 1,249
Money market mutual funds782,210
 
 
 782,210
Municipal securities1,301
 
 
 1,301
Time deposits17,920
 
 
 17,920
Total cash equivalents802,680
 
 
 802,680
Total cash and cash equivalents1,011,315
 
 
 1,011,315
Short-term fixed income securities:       
Asset backed securities111,009
 95
 (190) 110,914
Corporate bonds and commercial paper2,464,769
 3,135
 (9,554) 2,458,350
Municipal securities134,710
 37
 (525) 134,222
U.S. agency securities39,538
 42
 
 39,580
U.S. Treasury securities1,008,195
 194
 (1,470) 1,006,919
Total short-term investments3,758,221
 3,503
 (11,739) 3,749,985
Total cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments$4,769,536
 $3,503
 $(11,739) $4,761,300

See Note 45 for further information regarding the fair value of our financial instruments.

ADOBE SYSTEMS INCORPORATEDINC.


NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)



The following table summarizes the fair value and gross unrealized losses related to available-for-sale securities, aggregated by investment category, that have been in an unrealized loss position for less than twelve months, as of December 1, 2017November 29, 2019 and December 2, 2016 (in thousands)November 30, 2018:
(in thousands)2019 2018
2017 2016
Fair 
Value
 
Gross
Unrealized
Losses
 
Fair 
Value
 
Gross
Unrealized
Losses
Fair 
Value
 
Gross
Unrealized
Losses
 
Fair 
Value
 
Gross
Unrealized
Losses
Corporate bonds and commercial paper$1,338,232
 $(5,459) $1,282,076
 $(9,474)
Corporate debt securities$235,155
 $(183) $538,109
 $(7,966)
Asset-backed securities64,618
 (193) 54,063
 (189)6,651
 (5) 6,696
 (54)
Municipal securities11,805
 (115) 114,810
 (525)3,305
 
 6,599
 (81)
Foreign government securities2,388
 (8) 
 
U.S. Treasury and agency securities593,296
 (2,087) 580,529
 (1,470)
Total$2,010,339
 $(7,862) $2,031,478
 $(11,658)$245,111
 $(188) $551,404
 $(8,101)
There were 894115 securities and 1,052369 securities in an unrealized loss position for less than twelve months at December 1, 2017November 29, 2019 and at December 2, 2016November 30, 2018, respectively.
The following table summarizes the fair value and gross unrealized losses related to available-for-sale securities, aggregated by investment category, that were in a continuous unrealized loss position for more than twelve months, as of December 1, 2017November 29, 2019 and December 2, 2016 (in thousands):November 30, 2018:
 2017 2016
 
Fair 
Value
 
Gross
Unrealized
Losses
 
Fair 
Value
 
Gross
Unrealized
Losses
Corporate bonds and commercial paper$500,689
 $(4,666) $39,162
 $(80)
Asset-backed security32,383
 (210) 1,331
 (1)
Municipal securities598
 (17) 
 
U.S. Treasury securities338,950
 (1,465) 
 
Total$872,620
 $(6,358) $40,493
 $(81)
 (in thousands)2019 2018
 
Fair 
Value
 
Gross
Unrealized
Losses
 
Fair 
Value
 
Gross
Unrealized
Losses
Corporate debt securities$44,300
 $(70) $969,701
 $(16,730)
Asset-backed securities6,754
 (4) 34,812
 (313)
Municipal securities
 
 11,532
 (205)
Foreign government securities
 
 4,154
 (24)
Total$51,054
 $(74) $1,020,199
 $(17,272)
There were 36038 securities and 23577 securities in an unrealized loss position for more than twelve months at December 1, 2017November 29, 2019 and at December 2, 2016,November 30, 2018, respectively.
The following table summarizes the cost and estimated fair value of short-termthe fixed income securities classified as short-term investments based on stated effective maturities as of December 1, 2017 (in thousands):November 29, 2019:
 (in thousands)
Amortized
Cost
 
Estimated
Fair Value
Due within one year$928,472
 $929,616
Due between one and two years394,436
 395,917
Due between two and three years179,468
 180,867
Due after three years20,174
 20,355
Total$1,522,550
 $1,526,755
 
Amortized
Cost
 
Estimated
Fair Value
Due within one year$1,025,894
 $1,023,639
Due between one and two years1,294,919
 1,289,307
Due between two and three years815,254
 812,828
Due after three years389,150
 387,928
Total$3,525,217
 $3,513,702

We review our debt and marketable equity securities classified as short-term investments on a regular basis to evaluate whether or not any security has experienced an other-than-temporary decline in fair value. We consider factors such as the length of time and extent to which the market value has been less than the cost, the financial condition and near-term prospects of the issuer and our intent to sell, or whether it is more likely than not we will be required to sell the investment before recovery of the investment’s amortized cost basis. If we believe that an other-than-temporary decline exists in one of these securities, we write down these investments to fair value. For debt securities, theThe portion of the write-down related to credit loss would be recorded

ADOBE SYSTEMS INCORPORATED

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

to interest and other income (expense), net in our Consolidated Statements of Income. Any portion not related to credit loss would be recorded to accumulated other comprehensive income, (loss), which is reflected as a separate component of stockholders’ equity in our Consolidated Balance Sheets. For equity securities, the write-down would be recorded to investment gains (losses), net in our Consolidated Statements of Income. During fiscal 20172019, 2018 and 2015,2017, we did not consider any of our investments to be other-than-temporarily impaired. During fiscal 2016, we recorded immaterial other-than-temporary impairment losses associated with certain of our fixed income securities and wrote down the securities to fair value.

ADOBE INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)


NOTE 4.5.  FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS
Assets and Liabilities Measured and Recorded at Fair Value on a Recurring Basis
We measure certain financial assets and liabilities at fair value on a recurring basis. There have been no transfers between fair value measurement levels during the year ended December 1, 2017.November 29, 2019.
The fair value of our financial assets and liabilities at December 1, 2017November 29, 2019 was determined using the following inputs (in thousands):inputs:
 Fair Value Measurements at Reporting Date Using
(in thousands) Fair Value Measurements at Reporting Date Using
  
Quoted Prices
in Active
Markets for
Identical Assets
 
Significant
Other
Observable
Inputs
 
Significant
Unobservable
Inputs
  
Quoted Prices
in Active
Markets for
Identical Assets
 
Significant
Other
Observable
Inputs
 
Significant
Unobservable
Inputs
Total (Level 1) (Level 2) (Level 3)Total (Level 1) (Level 2) (Level 3)
Assets:              
Cash equivalents:              
Corporate debt securities$45,704
 $
 $45,704
 $
Money market mutual funds$2,006,741
 $2,006,741
 $
 $
2,049,057
 2,049,057
 
 
Time deposits18,843
 18,843
 
 
88,519
 88,519
 
 
Short-term investments:              
Asset-backed securities98,001
 
 98,001
 
88,721
 
 88,721
 
Corporate bonds and commercial paper2,454,260
 
 2,454,260
 
Foreign government securities2,388
 
 2,388
 
Corporate debt securities1,412,331
 
 1,412,331
 
Municipal securities21,065
 
 21,065
 
17,709
 
 17,709
 
U.S. Treasury securities937,988
 
 937,988
 
7,994
 
 7,994
 
Prepaid expenses and other current assets:   
  
  
   
  
  
Foreign currency derivatives14,198
 
 14,198
 
28,829
 
 28,829
 
Other assets:   
  
  
   
  
  
Deferred compensation plan assets56,690
 2,573
 54,117
 
93,776
 4,348
 89,428
 
Total assets$5,610,174
 $2,028,157
 $3,582,017
 $
$3,832,640
 $2,141,924
 $1,690,716
 $
Liabilities: 
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
Accrued expenses: 
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
Treasury lock derivatives$29,652
 $
 $29,652
 $
Foreign currency derivatives$1,598
 $
 $1,598
 $
2,671
 
 2,671
 
Other liabilities:       
Interest rate swap derivatives1,058
 
 1,058
 
208
 
 208
 
Total liabilities$2,656
 $
 $2,656
 $
$32,531
 $
 $32,531
 $



ADOBE SYSTEMS INCORPORATEDINC.


NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)



The fair value of our financial assets and liabilities at December 2, 2016November 30, 2018 was determined using the following inputs (in thousands):inputs:
 Fair Value Measurements at Reporting Date Using
(in thousands) Fair Value Measurements at Reporting Date Using
  
Quoted Prices
in Active
Markets for
Identical Assets
 
Significant
Other
Observable
Inputs
 
Significant
Unobservable
Inputs
  
Quoted Prices
in Active
Markets for
Identical Assets
 
Significant
Other
Observable
Inputs
 
Significant
Unobservable
Inputs
Total (Level 1) (Level 2) (Level 3)Total (Level 1) (Level 2) (Level 3)
Assets:              
Cash equivalents:              
Corporate bonds and commercial paper$1,249
 $
 $1,249
 $
Money market mutual funds782,210
 782,210
 
 
$1,234,188
 $1,234,188
 $
 $
Municipal securities1,301
 
 1,301
 
Time deposits17,920
 17,920
 
 
40,023
 40,023
 
 
Short-term investments: 
       
      
Asset-backed securities110,914
 
 110,914
 
41,508
 
 41,508
 
Corporate bonds and commercial paper2,458,350
 
 2,458,350
 
Corporate debt securities1,522,208
 
 1,522,208
 
Foreign government securities4,155
 
 4,155
 
Municipal securities134,222
 
 134,222
 
18,316
 
 18,316
 
U.S. agency securities39,580
 
 39,580
 
U.S. Treasury securities 1,006,919
 
 1,006,919
 
Prepaid expenses and other current assets: 
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
Foreign currency derivatives38,112
 
 38,112
 
44,259
 
 44,259
 
Other assets: 
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
Deferred compensation plan assets42,180
 1,831
 40,349
 
68,988
 3,895
 65,093
 
Interest rate swap derivatives13,117
 
 13,117
 
Total assets$4,646,074
 $801,961
 $3,844,113
 $
$2,973,645
 $1,278,106
 $1,695,539
 $
Liabilities: 
  
  
  
Accrued expenses: 
  
  
  
Foreign currency derivatives$816
 $
 $816
 $
Other liabilities:       
Interest rate swap derivatives9,744
 
 9,744
 
Total liabilities$10,560
 $
 $10,560
 $

Liabilities: 
  
  
  
Accrued expenses: 
  
  
  
Foreign currency derivatives$5,246
 $
 $5,246
 $
Total liabilities$5,246
 $
 $5,246
 $


See Note 34 for further information regarding the fair value of our financial instruments. 
Our fixed income available-for-sale debt securities consist of high quality, investment grade securities from diverse issuers with a weighted average credit rating of AA-.A+. We value these securities based on pricing from independent pricing vendors who use matrix pricing valuation techniques including market approach methodologies that model information generated by market transactions involving identical or comparable assets, as well as discounted cash flow methodologies. Inputs include quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or inputs other than quoted prices that are observable either directly or indirectly in determining fair value, including benchmark yields, issuer spreads off benchmark yields, interest rates and U.S. Treasury or swap curves. We therefore classify all of our fixed income available-for-sale securities as Level 2. We perform routine procedures such as comparing prices obtained from multiple independent sources to ensure that appropriate fair values are recorded.

ADOBE SYSTEMS INCORPORATED

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

The fair values of our money market mutual funds and time deposits are based on the closing price of these assets as of the reporting date. We classify our money market mutual funds and time deposits as Level 1.
Our Level 2 over-the-counter foreign currency, Treasury lock and interest rate swap derivatives are valued using pricing models and discounted cash flow methodologies based on observable foreign exchange and interest rate data at the measurement date.
Our deferred compensation plan assets consist of money market mutual funds and other mutual funds.

ADOBE INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)


Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value on a Nonrecurring Basis
We also have direct investments in privately held companies accounted for under the cost and equity method, which are periodically assessed for other-than-temporary impairment. If we determine that an other-than-temporary impairment has occurred, we write down the investment to its fair value. We estimate fair value of our cost and equity method investments considering available information such as pricing in recent rounds of financing, current cash positions, earnings and cash flow forecasts, recent operational performance and any other readily available market data. During fiscal 2017 and 2015, we determined there were no other-than-temporary impairments on our cost and equity method investments. During fiscal 2016, we determined there were immaterial other-than-temporary impairments on certain of our cost method investments and wrote down the investments to fair value.
The fair value of our senior notes was $1.98$1.96 billion as of December 1, 2017,November 29, 2019, based on observable market prices in less active markets and categorized as Level 2. See Note 1517 for further details regarding our debt.
NOTE 5.  DERIVATIVES AND HEDGING ACTIVITIES
Hedge Accounting and Hedging Programs6.  DERIVATIVE FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS
We recognizemay use derivatives to partially offset our business exposure to foreign currency and interest rate risk on expected future cash flows, and certain existing assets and liabilities. We do not use any of our derivative instruments and hedging activities as either assets or liabilitiesfor trading purposes.
We enter into master netting arrangements to mitigate credit risk in our Consolidated Balance Sheets and measure them at fair value. Gains and losses resulting from changes inderivative transactions by permitting net settlement of transactions with the same counterparty. We do not offset fair value are accountedamounts recognized for depending on the use of the derivative and whether it is designated and qualifies for hedge accounting.
instruments under master netting arrangements. We evaluate hedge effectiveness at the inception of the hedge prospectively as well as retrospectively, and record any ineffective portion of the hedging instruments in interest and other income (expense), net on our Consolidated Statements of Income. The net gain (loss) recognized in interest and other income (expense), net for cash flow hedges due to hedge ineffectiveness was insignificant for all fiscal years presented. The time value of purchased contracts is recorded in interest and other income (expense), net in our Consolidated Statements of Income.
The bank counterparties to these contracts expose us to credit-related losses in the event of their nonperformance which are largely mitigated withalso enter into collateral security agreements that provide forwith certain of our counterparties to exchange cash collateral to be received or posted when the net fair value of certain financialderivative instruments fluctuates from contractually established thresholds. In addition, we enter into master netting arrangements which have the ability to further limit credit-related losses with the same counterparty by permitting net settlement of transactions.
Balance Sheet HedgingHedges of Foreign Currency AssetsCollateral posted is included in prepaid expenses and Liabilities
We also hedge our net recognized foreign currency denominatedother current assets and liabilities with foreign exchange forward contracts to reduce the risk that the value of these assets and liabilities will be adversely affected by changescollateral received is included in exchange rates. These contracts hedge assets and liabilities that are denominated in foreign currencies and are carried at fair value with changes in the fair value recorded to interest and other income (expense), net inaccrued expenses on our Consolidated Statements of Income. These contracts do not subject us to material balance sheet risk due to exchange rate movements because gains and losses on these derivatives are intended to offset gains and losses on the assets and liabilities being hedged.
As of December 1, 2017, total notional amounts of outstanding contracts were $333.9 million which included the notional equivalent of $105.0 million in Euros, $34.6 million in British Pounds, $45.4 million in Japanese Yen, $78.0 million in Indian Rupees, and $70.9 million in other foreign currencies. As of December 2, 2016, total notional amounts of outstanding contracts were $313.8 million which included the notional equivalent of $152.8 million in Euros, $33.6 million in British Pounds, $46.5

ADOBE SYSTEMS INCORPORATED

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

million in Japanese Yen, $26.4 million in Indian Rupees, and $54.5 million in other foreign currencies. At December 1, 2017 and December 2, 2016, the outstanding balance sheet hedging derivatives had maturities of 180 days or less.Balance Sheets.
Cash Flow Hedging—Hedges of Forecasted Foreign Currency Revenue
In countries outside the United States, we transact business in U.S. Dollars and in various other currencies. We may use foreign exchange option contracts or forward contracts to hedge certain cash flow exposures resulting from changes in thesea portion of our forecasted foreign currency exchange rates.denominated revenue. These foreign exchange contracts, carried at fair value, have maturities of up to twelve months. We enterAs of November 29, 2019, total notional amounts of outstanding cash flow hedges were $1.20 billion, hedging exposures denominated in Euros, British Pounds and Japanese Yen.
In June 2019, in anticipation of refinancing our $2.25 billion Term Loan due April 30, 2020 and $900 million notes payable due February 1, 2020, we entered into these foreign exchange contracts to hedge a portionTreasury lock agreements with large financial institutions which fixed benchmark U.S. Treasury rates for an aggregate notional amount of $1 billion of our forecasted foreign currency denominated revenuefuture debt issuance. These derivative instruments hedge the impact of changes in the normal coursebenchmark interest rate to future interest payments and will be terminated upon closing of businessour anticipated refinancing. Upon refinancing and accordingly, they are not speculative in nature.termination of the derivative instruments, their fair value will be amortized over the term of our new debt to interest expense.
To receive hedge accounting treatment, all hedging relationships are formally documented at the inception of the hedge, and the hedges must be highly effective in offsetting changes to future cash flows on hedged transactions. We record changes in the intrinsicfair value of these cash flow hedges in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) in our Consolidated Balance Sheets, until the forecasted transaction occurs. When the forecasted transaction occurs,affects earnings, we reclassify the related gain or loss on the foreign currency and Treasury lock cash flow hedgehedges to revenue.revenue and interest expense, respectively. In the event the underlying forecasted transaction does not occur, or it becomes probable that it will not occur, we reclassify the gain or loss on the related cash flow hedge from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) to interest and otherthe same income (expense), net in our Consolidated Statements of Income at that time.statement line item as the hedged item. If we do not elect hedge accounting, or the contract does not qualify for hedge accounting treatment, the changes in fair value from period to period are recorded in the same income statement line item as the hedged item.
We evaluate hedge effectiveness at the inception of the hedge prospectively, and on an ongoing basis both retrospectively and prospectively. We record any ineffective portion of the hedging instruments in interest and other income (expense), net on our Consolidated Statements of Income. The net gain or loss recognized in interest and other income (expense), net due to hedge ineffectiveness was insignificant for all fiscal years presented.
Effective in the third quarter of fiscal 2019, all changes in fair value of our foreign currency cash flow hedges are recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss). Prior to this, we recorded the time value of purchased contracts in interest and other income (expense), net in our Consolidated Statements of Income. The impact of the de-designation of our hedges due to the change in methodology in the third quarter of fiscal 2019 was immaterial.
For fiscal 20172019, 2018, and 2016,2017, there were no net gains or losses recognized in other income relating to hedges of forecasted transactions that did not occur. In fiscal 2015, these net gains or losses were immaterial.

ADOBE INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)


Fair Value Hedging—Hedges of Interest Rate Risks
During the third quarter of fiscal 2014, we entered into interest rate swaps designated as a fair value hedge related to our $900 million of 4.75% fixed interest rate senior notes due February 1, 2020 (the “2020 Notes”). In effect, the interest rate swaps convert the fixed interest rate on our 2020 Notes to a floating interest rate based on the LIBOR.London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”). Under the terms of the swaps, we will pay monthly interest at the one-month LIBOR rate plus a fixed number of basis points on the $900 million notional amount through February 1, 2020. In exchange, we will receive 4.75% fixed rate interest from the swap counterparties. See Note 1517 for further details regarding our debt.
The interest rate swaps are accounted for as fair value hedges and substantially offset the changes in fair value of the hedged portion of the underlying debt that are attributable to the changes in market risk.interest rate. Therefore, the gains and losses related to changes in the fair value of the interest rate swaps are included in interest and other income (expense), net in our Consolidated Statements of Income. TheAs of November 29, 2019, the fair value of the interest rate swaps is reflectedrecognized in accrued expenses on our Consolidated Balance Sheets with a corresponding offset to current debt.
Non-Designated Hedges
Our derivatives not designated as hedging instruments consist of foreign currency forward contracts that we primarily use to hedge monetary assets and liabilities denominated in non-functional currencies. The changes in fair value of these contracts is recorded to interest and other liabilities or other assetsincome (expense), net in our Consolidated Balance Sheets.Statements of Income. Changes in the fair value of the underlying assets and liabilities associated with the hedged risk are generally offset by the changes in the fair value of the related contracts.
As of November 29, 2019, total notional amounts of outstanding foreign currency forward contracts were $702.4 million, primarily hedging exposures denominated in Euros, British Pounds, Japanese Yen and Indian Rupees. As of November 30, 2018, total notional amounts of outstanding contracts were $427.9 million, primarily hedging exposures denominated in Euros, British Pounds, Japanese Yen and Indian Rupees. At November 29, 2019 and November 30, 2018, the outstanding balance sheet hedging derivatives had maturities of 180 days or less.
The fair value of derivative instruments on our Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 1, 2017November 29, 2019 and December 2, 2016November 30, 2018 were as follows (in thousands):follows:
2017 2016
(in thousands)2019 2018
Fair Value
Asset
Derivatives
 
Fair Value
Liability
Derivatives
 
Fair Value
Asset
Derivatives
 
Fair Value
Liability
Derivatives
Fair Value
Asset
Derivatives
 
Fair Value
Liability
Derivatives
 
Fair Value
Asset
Derivatives
 
Fair Value
Liability
Derivatives
Derivatives designated as hedging instruments:              
Foreign exchange option contracts (1)(2)
$12,918
 $
 $34,355
 $
Foreign exchange option contracts (1) (2)
$25,605
 $
 $40,191
 $
Treasury lock (1)

 29,652
 
 
Interest rate swap (3)

 1,058
 13,117
 

 208
 
 9,744
Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments:              
Foreign exchange forward contracts (1)
1,280
 1,598
 3,757
 5,246
3,224
 2,671
 4,068
 816
Total derivatives$14,198
 $2,656
 $51,229
 $5,246
$28,829
 $32,531
 $44,259
 $10,560

ADOBE SYSTEMS INCORPORATED

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)


_________________________________________ 
(1) 
IncludedFair value asset derivatives included in prepaid expenses and other current assets and accrued expenses for asset derivatives andfair value liability derivatives respectively,included in accrued expenses on our Consolidated Balance Sheets.
(2) 
Hedging effectiveness expected to be recognized to income within the next twelve18 months, of which $13.2 millionis expected within the next 12 months.
(3) 
Included in other liabilitiesaccrued expenses and other assets in fiscal 2017 and 2016, respectively,liabilities on our Consolidated Balance Sheets.Sheets as of November 29, 2019 and November 30, 2018, respectively.

ADOBE INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)


The effecteffects of foreign currency derivative instruments designated as cash flow hedges and of foreign currency derivative instruments not designated as hedges in our Consolidated Statements of Income for fiscal 2017, 20162019, 2018 and 20152017 were as follows (in thousands):follows:
 2017 2016 2015
 
Foreign
Exchange
Option
Contracts
 
Foreign
Exchange
Forward
Contracts
 
Foreign
Exchange
Option
Contracts
 
Foreign
Exchange
Forward
Contracts
 
Foreign
Exchange
Option
Contracts
 
Foreign
Exchange
Forward
Contracts
Derivatives in cash flow hedging relationships:           
Net gain (loss) recognized in other comprehensive income, net of tax(1) 
$6,917
 $
 $36,511
 $
 $39,825
 $
Net gain (loss) reclassified from accumulated
other comprehensive income into income, net of tax(2)
$32,852
 $
 $18,823
 $
 $56,336
 $
Net gain (loss) recognized in income(3) 
$(30,243) $
 $(29,169) $
 $(17,423) $
Derivatives not designated as hedging relationships:           
Net gain (loss) recognized in income(4) 
$
 $6,586
 $
 $(1,308) $
 $4,430
 (in thousands)2019 2018 2017
 
Foreign
Exchange
Option
Contracts
 
Foreign
Exchange
Forward
Contracts
 Treasury Lock 
Foreign
Exchange
Option
Contracts
 
Foreign
Exchange
Forward
Contracts
 
Foreign
Exchange
Option
Contracts
 
Foreign
Exchange
Forward
Contracts
Derivatives in cash flow hedging relationships:             
Net gain (loss) recognized in OCI, net of tax (1) 
$16,526
 $
 $(22,684) $74,080
 $
 $6,917
 $
Net gain (loss) reclassified from accumulated OCI into income, net of tax (2) (4)
39,111
 
 (1,228) 48,647
 
 32,852
 
Net gain (loss) recognized in income (3) (4)
(24,269) 
 
 (41,179) 
 (30,243) 
Derivatives not designated as hedging relationships:             
Net gain (loss) recognized in revenue761
 
 
 
 
 
 
Net gain (loss) recognized in interest and other income (expense), net$
 $4,229
 $
 $
 $1,529
 $
 $6,586
_________________________________________ 
(1) 
Net change in the fair value of the effective portion classified in other comprehensive income (“OCI”).
(2) 
Effective portion of the foreign currency and Treasury lock cash flow hedges classified as revenue.revenue and interest expense, respectively.
(3) 
Ineffective portion and amountAmount excluded from effectiveness testing and ineffective portion classified in interest and other income (expense), net.
(4) 
ClassifiedStarting the third quarter of fiscal 2019, all changes in interest andfair value of our foreign currency cash flow hedges are recorded in accumulated other income (expense), net.comprehensive income.

Net gains (losses) recognized in interest and other income (expense), net relating to balance sheetforeign currency derivatives not designated as hedging instruments for fiscal 2017, 20162019, 2018 and 20152017 were as follows (in thousands):follows:
 (in thousands) 2019 2018 2017
Gain (loss) on foreign currency assets and liabilities:      
Net realized gain (loss) recognized in other income $(14,420) $882
 $(6,142)
Net unrealized gain (loss) recognized in other income 8,050
 (3,843) (907)
  (6,370) (2,961) (7,049)
Gain (loss) on hedges of foreign currency assets and liabilities:      
Net realized gain (loss) recognized in other income 6,928
 (2,042) 5,415
Net unrealized gain (loss) recognized in other income (2,699) 3,571
 1,171
  4,229
 1,529
 6,586
Net gain (loss) recognized in interest and other income (expense), net $(2,141) $(1,432) $(463)
  2017 2016 2015
Gain (loss) on foreign currency assets and liabilities:      
Net realized gain (loss) recognized in other income $(6,142) $832
 $(10,952)
Net unrealized gain (loss) recognized in other income (907) (6,070) 3,815
  (7,049) (5,238) (7,137)
Gain (loss) on hedges of foreign currency assets and liabilities:      
Net realized gain recognized in other income 5,415
 174
 5,490
Net unrealized gain (loss) recognized in other income 1,171
 (1,482) (1,060)
  6,586
 (1,308) 4,430
Net gain (loss) recognized in interest and other income (expense), net $(463) $(6,546) $(2,707)


ADOBE SYSTEMS INCORPORATEDINC.


NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)



NOTE 6.7.  PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT
Property and equipment, net consisted of the following as of December 1, 2017November 29, 2019 and December 2, 2016 (in thousands)November 30, 2018:
(in thousands) 2019 2018
Computers and other equipment $1,424,368
 $1,239,033
Buildings 482,797
 485,024
Building improvements 307,396
 285,564
Leasehold improvements 246,244
 181,990
Land 144,871
 145,065
Furniture and fixtures 143,739
 121,206
Capital projects in-progress 112,232
 23,026
Total 2,861,647
 2,480,908
Less accumulated depreciation and amortization (1,568,632) (1,405,836)
Property and equipment, net $1,293,015
 $1,075,072
  2017 2016
Computers and equipment $1,128,264
 $1,051,937
Furniture and fixtures 115,273
 94,243
Capital projects in-progress 5,575
 7,648
Leasehold improvements 120,165
 110,414
Land 77,723
 77,340
Buildings 490,665
 382,364
Building improvements 265,829
 202,266
Total 2,203,494
 1,926,212
Less accumulated depreciation and amortization (1,266,518) (1,109,948)
Property and equipment, net $936,976
 $816,264

Depreciation and amortization expense of property and equipment for fiscal 2019, 2018 and 2017 2016was $173.1 million, $157.1 million and 2015 was $156.9 million, $157.6 million and $146.3 million, respectively.
In March 2017, we exercised our option to purchase the Almaden Tower for a total purchase price of $103.6 million. We capitalized the Almaden Tower as propertyProperty and equipment, on our Consolidated Balance Sheets at $104.2 million, the lessernet, by geographic area as of cost or fair value, which represented the total purchase price plus other direct costs associated with the purchase.November 29, 2019 and November 30, 2018 was as follows:
See Note 14 of our Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information regarding purchase of the Almaden Tower.
(in thousands) 2019 2018
Americas:    
United States $1,126,406
 $882,145
Other 2,735
 30,475
Total Americas 1,129,141
 912,620
EMEA 54,394
 51,033
APAC 109,480
 111,419
Property and equipment, net $1,293,015
 $1,075,072


NOTE 7.8.  GOODWILL AND PURCHASED AND OTHER INTANGIBLES
Goodwill by reportable segment and activity for the years ended December 1, 2017November 29, 2019 and December 2, 2016November 30, 2018 was as follows (in thousands):follows:
 2015 Acquisitions 
Other(1)
 2016 Acquisitions 
Other(1)
 2017
(in thousands) 2017 Acquisitions 
Other(1)
 2018 Acquisitions 
Other(1)
 2019
Digital Media $2,796,302
 $
 $288
 $2,796,590
 $
 $4,501
 $2,801,091
 $2,724,747
 $15,247
 $(2,481) $2,737,513
 $125,899
 $(914) $2,862,498
Digital Marketing 2,312,158
 35,802
 3,502
 2,351,462
 348,352
 62,232
 2,762,046
Print and Publishing 258,421
 
 1
 258,422
 
 2
 258,424
Digital Experience 2,838,390
 4,775,969
 (29,246) 7,585,113
 270
 (15,103) 7,570,280
Publishing 258,424
 
 (2) 258,422
 
 (1) 258,421
Goodwill $5,366,881
 $35,802
 $3,791
 $5,406,474
 $348,352
 $66,735
 $5,821,561
 $5,821,561
 $4,791,216
 $(31,729) $10,581,048
 $126,169
 $(16,018) $10,691,199
_________________________________________ 
(1) 
Amounts primarily consist of foreign currency translation adjustments.
Purchased and other intangible assetsOther intangibles, net, by reportable segment as of December 1, 2017November 29, 2019 and December 2, 2016November 30, 2018 were as follows (in thousands):follows:
(in thousands) 2019 2018
Digital Media $79,483
 $68,280
Digital Experience 1,640,925
 2,000,718
Publishing 157
 3
Other intangibles, net $1,720,565
 $2,069,001
  2017 2016
Digital Media $128,243
 $203,570
Digital Marketing 257,408
 210,823
Print and Publishing 7
 12
Purchased and other intangible assets, net $385,658
 $414,405


ADOBE SYSTEMS INCORPORATEDINC.


NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)



PurchasedCertain goodwill and other intangible assets subjectintangibles were misclassified between Digital Media and Digital Experience in the prior year, which have been recast in the above tables. The impact to amortizationour prior year disclosures was immaterial and there was no impact to the Consolidated Financial Statements resulting from the change in classification.
Other intangibles, net, as of December 1, 2017November 29, 2019 and December 2, 2016November 30, 2018 were as follows (in thousands): follows: 
(in thousands)2019 2018
 Cost Accumulated Amortization Net Cost Accumulated Amortization Net
Customer contracts and relationships$1,219,029
 $(436,545) $782,484
 $1,329,432
 $(416,176) $913,256
Purchased technology759,111
 (223,115) 535,996
 750,286
 (118,812) 631,474
Trademarks384,300
 (73,546) 310,754
 384,855
 (25,968) 358,887
Backlog143,400
 (75,570) 67,830
 147,300
 (13,299) 134,001
Acquired rights to use technology59,524
 (46,823) 12,701
 58,966
 (48,770) 10,196
Other23,745
 (12,945) 10,800
 51,096
 (29,909) 21,187
Other intangibles, net$2,589,109
 $(868,544) $1,720,565
 $2,721,935
 $(652,934) $2,069,001

 2017 2016
 Cost Accumulated Amortization Net Cost Accumulated Amortization Net
Purchased technology$223,252
 $(110,433) $112,819
 $149,253
 $(82,091) $67,162
Customer contracts and relationships$577,484
 $(356,613) $220,871
 $541,366
 $(274,380) $266,986
Trademarks76,255
 (56,094) 20,161
 76,355
 (46,846) 29,509
Acquired rights to use technology71,130
 (54,223) 16,907
 87,403
 (60,929) 26,474
Localization603
 (170) 433
 631
 (177) 454
Other intangibles38,693
 (24,226) 14,467
 38,693
 (14,873) 23,820
Total other intangible assets$764,165
 $(491,326) $272,839
 $744,448
 $(397,205) $347,243
Purchased and other intangible
assets, net
$987,417
 $(601,759) $385,658
 $893,701
 $(479,296) $414,405


In fiscal 2017,2019, and 2018, certain purchased intangibles associated with our acquisitions in prior years and certain other acquired rights to use technology became fully amortized and were removed from the Consolidated Balance Sheets. In fiscal 2016, purchased intangibles associated with our acquisition of EchoSign and certain other acquired rights to use technology became fully amortized and were removed from the Consolidated Balance Sheets.
Amortization expense related to purchased and other intangible assetsintangibles was $153.6$402.3 million, $152.4$182.6 million and $174.5$153.6 million for fiscal 20172019, 20162018 and 20152017 respectively. Of these amounts, $76.1$227.0 million, $71.1$91.3 million and $104.4$76.1 million were included in cost of sales for fiscal 2019, 2018 and 2017 2016 and 2015 respectively.
Purchased and other intangible assetsOther intangibles are amortized over their estimated useful lives of 1 to 1415 years. As of December 1, 2017November 29, 2019, we expect the estimated aggregate amortization expense in future periodsfor each of the five succeeding fiscal years to be as follows (in thousands):follows:
(in thousands) Other Intangibles
2020 $364,683
2021 254,921
2022 222,810
2023 214,188
2024 201,953
Thereafter 462,010
Total expected amortization expense $1,720,565
Fiscal Year 
Purchased
Technology
 
Other Intangible
Assets
2018$37,984
 $97,726
201934,404
 69,733
202032,111
 39,658
20217,203
 17,304
20221,117
 14,297
Thereafter
 34,121
Total expected amortization expense$112,819
 $272,839


ADOBE SYSTEMS INCORPORATEDINC.


NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)



NOTE 8.9.  ACCRUED EXPENSES
Accrued expenses as of December 1, 2017November 29, 2019 and December 2, 2016November 30, 2018 consisted of the following (in thousands):following:
(in thousands)2019 2018
Accrued compensation and benefits$317,897
 $313,874
Accrued bonuses222,333
 216,007
Accrued media costs117,591
 124,849
Accrued building rent98,570
 61,544
Taxes payable82,988
 57,525
Accrued corporate marketing79,937
 66,186
Sales and marketing allowances 74,163
 44,968
Royalties payable61,938
 51,529
Fair value of derivatives32,531
 816
Accrued interest expense28,878
 29,481
Other281,722
 196,406
Accrued expenses$1,398,548
 $1,163,185
 2017 2016
Accrued compensation and benefits$417,742
 $339,487
Accrued media costs134,525
 5,144
Sales and marketing allowances 47,389
 55,681
Accrued corporate marketing72,087
 55,218
Taxes payable49,550
 43,113
Royalties payable46,411
 25,089
Accrued interest expense25,594
 25,805
Other200,475
 190,093
Accrued expenses$993,773
 $739,630

Accrued media costs primarily relate to our advertising platform offerings from TubeMogul, which are part of the Advertising Cloud.offerings. We accrue for media costs related to impressions purchased from third-party ad inventory sources. Other primarily includes general corporate accruals for local and regional expenses. Other is also comprised of deferred rent related to office locations with rent escalationsexpenses and foreign currency liability derivatives.

sales returns reserves.
NOTE 9.10.  INCOME TAXES
Income before income taxes for fiscal 20172019, 20162018 and 20152017 consisted of the following (in thousands):following:
 2017 2016 2015
(in thousands) 2019 2018 2017
Domestic $1,056,156
 $805,749
 $589,371
 $437,603
 $542,948
 $1,056,156
Foreign 1,081,485
 629,389
 284,410
 2,767,138
 2,250,928
 1,081,485
Income before income taxes $2,137,641
 $1,435,138
 $873,781
 $3,204,741
 $2,793,876
 $2,137,641
The provision for income taxes for fiscal 20172019, 20162018 and 20152017 consisted of the following (in thousands):following:
 (in thousands) 2019 2018 2017
Current:      
United States federal $6,563
 $501,272
 $298,802
Foreign 211,174
 140,308
 60,962
State and local 30,893
 28,612
 33,578
Total current 248,630
 670,192
 393,342
Deferred:  
  
  
United States federal 22,528
 (466,113) 48,905
Foreign (11,675) (9,734) (4,242)
State and local (6,200) 8,757
 5,682
Total deferred 4,653
 (467,090) 50,345
Provision for income taxes $253,283
 $203,102
 $443,687
  2017 2016 2015
Current:      
United States federal $298,802
 $94,396
 $204,834
Foreign 60,962
 59,749
 52,125
State and local 33,578
 15,222
 (14,975)
Total current 393,342
 169,367
 241,984
Deferred:  
  
  
United States federal 48,905
 33,924
 (31,011)
Foreign (4,242) (2,751) (9,368)
State and local 5,682
 (9,287) (25,511)
Total deferred 50,345
 21,886
 (65,890)
Tax expense attributable to employee stock plans 
 75,103
 68,136
Provision for income taxes $443,687
 $266,356
 $244,230
See Note 1 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further information on our adoption of ASU No. 2016-09, Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting.

ADOBE SYSTEMS INCORPORATEDINC.


NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)



U.S. Tax Reform
On December 22, 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Tax Act”) was enacted into law, which significantly changed existing U.S. tax law and includes many provisions applicable to us, such as reducing the U.S. federal statutory tax rate, imposing a one-time transition tax on deemed repatriation of deferred foreign income and adopting a territorial tax system. The Tax Act reduced the U.S. federal statutory tax rate from 35% to 21% effective January 1, 2018. For fiscal 2018, our blended U.S. federal statutory tax rate was 22.2%. This was the result of using the tax rate of 35% for the first month of fiscal 2018 and the reduced tax rate of 21% for the remaining eleven months of fiscal 2018. The Tax Act also required us to incur a one-time transition tax on deferred foreign income not previously subject to U.S. income tax at a rate of 15.5% for foreign cash and certain other net current assets, and 8% on the remaining income, in each case reduced by certain foreign tax credits. The Tax Act also included a provision to tax global intangible low-taxed income of foreign subsidiaries, a special tax deduction for foreign-derived intangible income and a base erosion anti-abuse tax measure that may tax certain payments between a U.S. corporation and its subsidiaries. These additional provisions of the Tax Act were effective for us beginning December 1, 2018.
During fiscal 2018, we recorded tax charges for the impact of the Tax Act using the current available information and technical guidance on the interpretations of the Tax Act. The accounting analysis was finalized based on the guidance, interpretations and data available as of November 30, 2018.
Certain international provisions introduced in the Tax Act are effective for us starting in fiscal 2019. As part of these provisions, an accounting policy election is available to either account for the tax effects of certain taxes in the period that is subject to such taxes or to provide deferred taxes for book and tax basis differences that upon reversal may be subject to such taxes. We elected to account for the tax effects of these provisions in the period that it is subject to such tax.
Reconciliation of Provision for Income Taxes
Total income tax expense differs from the expected tax expense (computed by multiplying the U.S. federal statutory rate of 21% in 2019, 22.2% in 2018 and 35% in 2017 by income before income taxes) as a result of the following (in thousands):following:
 (in thousands) 2019 2018 2017
Computed “expected” tax expense $672,996
 $620,240
 $748,174
State tax expense, net of federal benefit 23,510
 25,214
 25,131
Tax credits (99,772) (110,849) (38,000)
Effects of non-U.S. operations (224,214) (384,393) (215,490)
Stock-based compensation, net of tax deduction (85,944) (95,372) (42,512)
Resolution of income tax examinations (39,291) (42,432) (31,358)
Domestic manufacturing deduction benefit 
 (13,098) (32,200)
Impacts of the U.S. Tax Act 2,955
 185,997
 
Tax charge for licensing acquired company technology to foreign subsidiaries 
 
 24,771
Other 3,043
 17,795
 5,171
Provision for income taxes $253,283
 $203,102
 $443,687


ADOBE INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

  2017 2016 2015
Computed “expected” tax expense $748,174
 $502,298
 $305,824
State tax expense, net of federal benefit 25,131
 10,636
 (8,316)
Tax credits (38,000) (48,383) (25,967)
Differences between statutory rate and foreign effective tax rate (215,490) (133,778) (90,063)
Stock-based compensation, net of tax deduction (42,512) 15,101
 9,623
Resolution of income tax examinations (31,358) (68,003) (17,595)
Domestic manufacturing deduction benefit (32,200) (26,990) (16,800)
Tax charge for licensing acquired company technology to foreign subsidiaries 24,771
 5,346
 80,015
Other, net 5,171
 10,129
 7,509
Provision for income taxes $443,687
 $266,356
 $244,230

Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities
The tax effects of the temporary differences that gave rise to significant portions of the deferred tax assets and liabilities as of December 1, 2017November 29, 2019 and December 2, 2016November 30, 2018 are presented below (in thousands):below:
 (in thousands) 2019 2018
Deferred tax assets:    
Acquired technology $4,568
 $9,561
Reserves and accruals 53,796
 59,100
Deferred revenue 12,036
 37,690
Stock-based compensation 106,911
 89,240
Net operating loss carryforwards of acquired companies 137,151
 209,445
Credit carryforwards 252,074
 173,748
Capitalized expenses 44,912
 19,074
Benefits relating to tax positions 47,458
 51,965
Other 32,794
 37,160
Total gross deferred tax assets 691,700
 686,983
Deferred tax asset valuation allowance (244,432) (174,496)
Total deferred tax assets 447,268
 512,487
Deferred tax liabilities:    
Depreciation and amortization 36,458
 40,425
Undistributed earnings of foreign subsidiaries 51,883
 17,556
Prepaid expenses 86,279
 
Acquired intangible assets 413,146
 501,208
Total deferred tax liabilities 587,766
 559,189
Net deferred tax liabilities $140,498
 $46,702
  2017 2016
Deferred tax assets:    
Acquired technology $4,846
 $7,421
Reserves and accruals 48,761
 35,440
Deferred revenue 23,452
 21,039
Unrealized losses on investments 11
 2,391
Stock-based compensation 74,942
 56,353
Net operating loss carryforwards of acquired companies 44,465
 31,305
Credit carryforwards 124,205
 63,315
Capitalized expenses 13,428
 15,571
Benefits relating to tax positions 33,318
 39,492
Other 30,289
 26,439
Total gross deferred tax assets 397,717
 298,766
Deferred tax asset valuation allowance (93,568) (24,265)
Total deferred tax assets 304,149
 274,501
Deferred tax liabilities:    
Depreciation and amortization 84,064
 78,619
Undistributed earnings of foreign subsidiaries 382,744
 292,844
Acquired intangible assets 117,282
 120,698
Total deferred tax liabilities 584,090
 492,161
Net deferred tax liabilities: $279,941
 $217,660

Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the expected future tax consequences of temporary differences between the financial reporting and tax bases of assets and liabilities, and for operating losses and tax credit carryforwards. Included in the deferred tax assets and liabilities for fiscal 20172019 and 20162018 are amounts related to various acquisitions. In assessing the realizability of deferred tax assets, management determined that it is not more likely than not that we will have sufficient taxable income in certain states and foreign jurisdictions to fully utilize available tax credits and other attributes. The deferred tax assets are offset by a valuation allowance to the extent it is more likely than not that they are not expected to be realized.


ADOBE SYSTEMS INCORPORATED

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

We provide U.S. income taxes on the earnings of foreign subsidiaries unless the subsidiaries’ earnings are considered permanently reinvested outside the United States.States or are exempted from taxation as a result of the new territorial tax system. To the extent that the foreign earnings previously treated as permanently reinvested are repatriated, the related U.S. tax liability may be reduced by any foreign income taxes paid on these earnings. As of December 1, 2017,November 29, 2019, the cumulative amount of foreign earnings upon which U.S. income taxes have not been provided, is approximately $5.0 billion. Theand the corresponding unrecognized deferred tax liability, for these earnings is approximately $1.4 billion.not material.

As of December 1, 2017,November 29, 2019, we have net operating loss carryforwards of approximately $118.4$421.6 million for federal, and $52.6$374.5 million for state.state and $82.6 million for foreign. We also have federal, state and foreign tax credit carryforwards of approximately $166.2$44.4 million, $243.8 million and $16.2$15.1 million, respectively. The net operating loss carryforward assets and tax credits will expire in various years from fiscal 20182020 through 2036.2038. The majority of the state tax credit carryforwards and a portion of the federal net operating loss carryforwards can be carried forward indefinitely. The net operating loss carryforward assets and certain credits are reduced by the valuation allowance and are subject to an annual limitation under Internal Revenue Code Section 382, the382. The carrying amount of which aresuch assets and credits is expected to be fully realized.
As of December 1, 2017,November 29, 2019, a valuation allowance of $93.6$244.4 million has been established for certain deferred tax assets related to the impairment of investments and certain federal, state and foreign assets. For fiscal 2017,2019, the total change in the valuation allowance was $69.3 million, of which $55.3 million was related to the deferred tax attributes recorded due to our early adoption of the new accounting guidance related to stock-based compensation.$69.9 million.

ADOBE INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)


Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes
During fiscal 20172019 and 20162018, our aggregate changes in our total gross amount of unrecognized tax benefits are summarized as follows (in thousands):follows:
 (in thousands) 2019 2018
Beginning balance $196,152
 $172,945
Gross increases in unrecognized tax benefits – prior year tax positions 14,850
 16,191
Gross decreases in unrecognized tax benefits – prior year tax positions (2,282) (4,000)
Gross increases in unrecognized tax benefits – current year tax positions 18,526
 60,721
Gross decreases in unrecognized tax benefits – current year tax positions (2,879) 
Settlements with taxing authorities (230) 
Lapse of statute of limitations (49,813) (45,922)
Foreign exchange gains and losses (987) (3,783)
Ending balance $173,337
 $196,152
  2017 2016
Beginning balance $178,413
 $258,718
Gross increases in unrecognized tax benefits – prior year tax positions 3,680
 6,047
Gross decreases in unrecognized tax benefits – prior year tax positions (30,166) (67,870)
Gross increases in unrecognized tax benefits – current year tax positions 24,927
 23,068
Settlements with taxing authorities (3,876) (33,265)
Lapse of statute of limitations (8,819) (8,456)
Foreign exchange gains and losses 8,786
 171
Ending balance $172,945
 $178,413

The combined amount of accrued interest and penalties related to tax positions taken on our tax returns were approximately $23.6$25.1 million and $22.4$24.6 million for fiscal 20172019 and 2016,2018, respectively. These amounts were included in non-currentlong-term income taxes payable in their respective years.

We file income tax returns in the United States on a federal basis and in many U.S. state and foreign jurisdictions. We are subject to the continual examination of our income tax returns by the IRSU.S. Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) and other domestic and foreign tax authorities. Our major tax jurisdictions are Ireland, California and the United States. For Ireland, California and the United States, the earliest fiscal years open for examination are 2008, 20102015 and 2013,2016, respectively. We regularly assess the likelihood of outcomes resulting from these examinations to determine the adequacy of our provision for income taxes and have reserved for potential adjustments that may result from these examinations. We believe such estimates to be reasonable; however, there can be no assurance that the final determination of any of these examinations will not have an adverse effect on our operating results and financial position.

The timing of the resolution of income tax examinations is highly uncertain as are the amounts and timing of tax payments that are part of any audit settlement process. These events could cause large fluctuations in the balance sheet classification of currentour tax assets and non-current assets, liabilities and income taxes payable.liabilities. We believe that within the next 12 months, it is reasonably possible that either certain audits will conclude or statutes of limitations on certain income tax examination periods will expire, or both. Given the uncertainties described above, we can only determine a range of estimated potential decreases in underlying unrecognized tax benefits ranging from $0 to approximately $40$20 million.


ADOBE SYSTEMS INCORPORATED

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

Subsequent to December 1, 2017, the “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act” (the “Act”) was enacted and included broad tax reforms that are applicable to Adobe. Under the provisions of the Act, the U.S. corporate tax rate decreased from 35% to 21% effective January 1, 2018, our undistributed foreign earnings are subject to taxation in fiscal 2018 and are available for repatriation, and our future foreign earnings are subject to U.S. taxation. These changes will require us to remeasure our deferred tax assets and liabilities and reclassify deferred tax liabilities related to undistributed foreign earnings to long-term income taxes payable due over eight years.

NOTE 10.11.  BENEFIT PLANS
Retirement Savings Plan
In 1987, we adopted an Employee Investment Plan, qualified under Section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code, which is a retirement savings plan covering substantially all of our U.S. employees, now referred to as the Adobe Inc. 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan. Under the plan, eligible employees may contribute up to 65% of their pretax or after-tax salary, subject to the Internal Revenue ServiceIRS annual contribution limits. In fiscal 2017,2019, we matched 50% of the first 6% of the employee’s eligible compensation. We contributed $34.3$51.7 million, $33.4$41.0 million and $25.7$34.3 million in fiscal 2017, 20162019, 2018 and 2015,2017, respectively. We are under no obligation to continue matching future employee contributions and, at our discretion, may change our practices at any time.
Deferred Compensation Plan
On September 21, 2006, the Board of Directors approved the Adobe Systems IncorporatedInc. Deferred Compensation Plan, effective December 2, 2006 (the “Deferred Compensation Plan”). The Deferred Compensation Plan is an unfunded, non-qualified, deferred compensation arrangement under which certain executives and members of the Board of Directors are able to defer a portion of their annual compensation. Participants may elect to contribute up to 75% of their base salary and 100% of other specified compensation, including commissions, bonuses, performance-based andperformance awards, time-based restricted stock units and directors’ fees. Participants are able

ADOBE INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)


to elect the payment of benefits to begin on a specified date at least three years after the end of the plan year in which election is made.made or vests. For cash benefit elections, distributions are made in cash and in the form of a lump sum, or five, ten, or fifteen-year annual installments over five years.installments. For stock benefit elections, distributions are settled in stock and in the form of a lump sum payment only. Beginning January 1, 2020, our updated Deferred Compensation Plan will no longer allow participants, except our Board of Directors, to make stock benefit elections.
As of December 1, 2017November 29, 2019 and December 2, 2016,November 30, 2018, the invested amounts under the Deferred Compensation Plan total $56.7$93.8 million and $42.2$69.0 million, respectively and were recorded as other assets on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. As of December 1, 2017November 29, 2019 and December 2, 2016, $67.2November 30, 2018, $108.8 million and $49.084.0 million, respectively, waswere recorded as long-term liabilities to recognize undistributed deferred compensation due to employees.
NOTE 11.12.  STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION
Our stock-based compensation programs are long-term retention programs that are intended to attract, retain and provide incentives for employees, officers and directors, and to align stockholder and employee interests. We have the following stock-based compensation plans and programs:
Restricted Stock Unit PlanUnits
We grantPrior to April 2019, we granted restricted stock units and performance awards to eligible employees under our 2003 Equity Incentive Plan, as amended ((“2003 PlanPlan”). In April 2019, our stockholders approved the 2019 Equity Incentive Plan (“2019 Plan”) which replaced the 2003 Plan.
Beginning January 2019, restricted stock units granted as part of our annual review process or for promotions vest over four years. Restricted stock units granted as part of our annual review process or for promotions with grant dates prior to January 2019 continue to vest annually over three years. Restricted stock units granted to new hires generally vest over four years. Certain grants have other vesting periods approved by our Board of Directors or an authorized committee.
We grant performance awards to officers and key employees under our 2003 Plan which cliff-vest after three years.
As of December 1, 2017,November 29, 2019, we had reserved 183.246.0 million shares of common stock for issuance under our 20032019 Plan and had 93.644.1 million shares available for grant.

ADOBE SYSTEMS INCORPORATED

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

Employee Stock Purchase Plan
Our 1997 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (“ESPP”) allows eligible employee participants to purchase shares of our common stock at a discount through payroll deductions. The ESPP consists of a twenty-four monthtwenty-four-month offering period with four six-month purchase periods in each offering period. Employees purchase shares in each purchase period at 85% of the market value of our common stock at either the beginning of the offering period or the end of the purchase period, whichever price is lower. The ESPP will continue until the earlier of (i) termination by the Board of Directors or (ii) the date on which all of the shares available for issuance under the plan have been issued.
As of December 1, 2017November 29, 2019, we had reserved 93.0 million shares of our common stock for issuance under the ESPP and approximately 7.03.8 million shares remain available for future issuance.
Stock Option Plan
The 2003 Plan allows us to grant options to all employees, including executive officers, outside consultants and non-employee directors. This plan will continue until the earlier of (i) termination by the Board or (ii) the date on which all of the shares available for issuance under the plan have been issued and restrictions on issued shares have lapsed. Option vesting periods used in the past were generally four years and expire seven years from the effective date of grant.
We eliminated the use of stock option grants for all employees effective fiscal 2012, and for all of the non-employee directors effective fiscal 2014, but may choose to issue stock options in the future.
Performance Share Programs
Our 2017, 20162019, 2018 and 20152017 Performance Share Programs aim to help focus key employees on building stockholder value, provide significant award potential for achieving outstanding Company performance and enhance the ability of the Company to attract and retain highly talented and competent individuals. The Executive Compensation Committee of our Board of Directors approves the terms of each of our Performance Share Programs, including the award calculation methodology, under the terms of our 2003 Plan. Shares may be earned based on the achievement of an objective relative total stockholder return measured over a three-year performance period. Performance share awards will be awarded and fully vest upon the later of the Executive Compensation Committee's certification of the level of achievement or the three-year anniversary of each grant. Program participants generally have the ability to receive up to 200% of the target number of shares originally granted.
On January 24, 2017,2018, the Executive Compensation Committee approved the 20172019 Performance Share Program, the terms of which are similar to prior year performance share programs as discussed above.

ADOBE INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)


As of December 1, 2017,November 29, 2019, the shares awarded under our 2017, 20162019, 2018 and 20152017 Performance Share Programs remain outstanding and are yet to be achieved.

Issuance of Shares
Upon exercise of stock options, vesting of restricted stock units and performance shares, and purchases of shares under the ESPP and exercise of stock options, we will issue treasury stock. If treasury stock is not available, common stock will be issued. In order to minimize the impact of on-going dilution from exercises of stock options and vesting of restricted stock units and performance shares, we instituted a stock repurchase program. See Note 1214 for information regarding our stock repurchase programs.
Valuation of Stock-Based Compensation
Stock-based compensation cost is measured at the grant date based on the fair value of the award.
Our performance share awards are valued using a Monte Carlo Simulation model. The fair value of the awards are fixed at grant date and amortized over the longer of the remaining performance or service period. 
We use the Black-Scholes option pricing model to determine the fair value of ESPP shares. The determination of the fair value of stock-based payment awards on the date of grant using an option pricing model is affected by our stock price as well as assumptions regarding a number of complex and subjective variables. These variables include our expected stock price volatility over the expected term of the awards, actual and projected employee stock option exercise behaviors, a risk-free interest rate and any expected dividends.

ADOBE SYSTEMS INCORPORATED

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

The expected term of ESPP shares is the average of the remaining purchase periods under each offering period. The assumptions used to value employee stock purchase rights were as follows:
2017 2016 20152019 2018 2017
Expected life (in years)0.5 - 2.0 0.5 - 2.0 0.5 - 2.00.5 - 2.0 0.5 - 2.0 0.5 - 2.0
Volatility22% - 27% 26% - 29% 26% - 30%30% - 35% 26% - 29% 22% - 27%
Risk free interest rate0.62% - 1.41% 0.37% - 1.06% 0.11% - 0.67%1.78% - 2.47% 1.54% - 2.52% 0.62% - 1.41%
Summary of Restricted Stock Units
Restricted stock unit activity for fiscal 20172019, 20162018 and 20152017 was as follows (in thousands):follows:
  (in thousands)2019 2018 2017
Beginning outstanding balance8,668
 9,304
 8,316
Awarded4,598
 4,012
 5,018
Released(3,847) (3,988) (3,859)
Forfeited(785) (660) (766)
Increase due to acquisition
 
 595
Ending outstanding balance8,634
 8,668
 9,304
 2017 2016 2015
Beginning outstanding balance8,316
 10,069
 13,564
Awarded5,018
 4,440
 4,012
Released(3,859) (5,471) (6,561)
Forfeited(766) (722) (946)
Increase due to acquisition595
 
 
Ending outstanding balance9,304
 8,316
 10,069

 
The weighted average grant date fair values of restricted stock units granted during fiscal 2019, 2018 and 2017 2016were $253.91, $208.73 and 2015 were $120.33, $89.87 and $75.47, respectively. The total fair value of restricted stock units vested during fiscal 2019, 2018 and 2017 2016was $969.6 million, $837.3 million and 2015 was $472.0 million, $499.8 million and $495.1 million, respectively.


ADOBE INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)


Information regarding restricted stock units outstanding at November 29, 2019, November 30, 2018 and December 1, 2017, December 2, 2016 and November 27, 2015 is summarized below:
 
Number of
Shares
(thousands)
 
Weighted
Average
Remaining
Contractual
Life
(years)
 
Aggregate
Intrinsic
Value(*)
(millions)
2017     
Restricted stock units outstanding9,304
 1.11 $1,670.2
Restricted stock units vested and expected to vest8,608
 1.05 $1,545.3
2016 
    
Restricted stock units outstanding8,316
 1.11 $829.4
Restricted stock units vested and expected to vest7,613
 1.04 $759.3
2015     
Restricted stock units outstanding10,069
 0.93 $928.0
Restricted stock units vested and expected to vest9,267
 0.86 $842.9
 
Number of
Shares
(thousands)
 
Weighted
Average
Remaining
Contractual
Life
(years)
 
Aggregate
Intrinsic
Value(*)
(millions)
2019     
Restricted stock units outstanding8,634
 1.12 $2,672.6
Restricted stock units expected to vest7,987
 1.05 $2,472.2
2018 
    
Restricted stock units outstanding8,668
 1.06 $2,174.7
Restricted stock units expected to vest8,049
 1.01 $2,019.5
2017     
Restricted stock units outstanding9,304
 1.11 $1,670.2
Restricted stock units expected to vest8,608
 1.05 $1,545.3
_________________________________________ 
(*) 
The intrinsic value is calculated as the market value as of the end of the fiscal period. As reported by the NASDAQ Global Select Market, the market values as of November 29, 2019, November 30, 2018 and December 1, 2017, December 2, 2016 were $309.53, $250.89 and November 27, 2015 were $179.52, $99.73 and $92.17, respectively.

ADOBE SYSTEMS INCORPORATED

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

Summary of Performance Shares
In the first quarter of fiscal 2017, the Executive Compensation Committee certified the actual performance achievement of participants in the 2014 Performance Share Program. Actual performance resulted in participants achieving 198% of target or approximately 0.6 million additional shares. The shares granted and achieved under the 2014 Performance Share Program fully vested on the three-year anniversary of the grant on January 24, 2017, if not forfeited.

In the first quarter of fiscal 2016, the Executive Compensation Committee certified the actual performance achievement of participants in the 2013 Performance Share Program. Actual performance resulted in participants achieving 198% of target or approximately 0.7 million additional shares. The shares granted and achieved under the 2013 Performance Share Program fully vested on the three-year anniversary of the grant on January 24, 2016, if not forfeited. As of December 1, 2017, the shares awarded under our 2017, 2016 and 2015 Performance Share Programs are yet to be achieved.

Performance share activity for fiscal 20172019, 20162018 and 20152017 was as follows (in thousands): follows: 
 (in thousands)2019 2018 2017
 
Shares
Granted (1)
 
Maximum
Shares Eligible
to Receive
 
Shares
Granted (2)
 
Maximum
Shares Eligible
to Receive
 
Shares
Granted
(3)
 Maximum
Shares Eligible
to Receive
Beginning outstanding balance1,148
 2,296
 1,534
 3,068
 1,630
 3,261
Awarded722
 614
 837
 628
 1,082
 1,040
Achieved(830) (830) (1,050) (1,053) (1,135) (1,147)
Forfeited(82) (164) (173) (347) (43) (86)
Ending outstanding balance958
 1,916
 1,148
 2,296
 1,534
 3,068

 2017 2016 2015
 
Shares
Granted
 
Maximum
Shares Eligible
to Receive
 
Shares
Granted
 
Maximum
Shares Eligible
to Receive
 Shares
Granted
 Maximum
Shares Eligible
to Receive
Beginning outstanding balance1,630
 3,261
 1,940
 3,881
 1,517
 3,034
Awarded1,082
(1) 
1,040
 1,206
(2) 
1,053
 671
 1,342
Achieved(1,135)
(3) 
(1,147) (1,373)
(3) 
(1,387) 
 
Forfeited(43) (86) (143) (286) (248) (495)
Ending outstanding balance1,534
 3,068
 1,630
 3,261
 1,940
 3,881
_________________________________________ 
(1) 
IncludedShares awarded during fiscal 2019 include 0.4 million additional shares awarded for the final achievement of the 2016 Performance Share Program which was certified in the 1.1first quarter of fiscal 2019. The remaining awarded shares were for the 2019 Performance Share Program. Shares achieved during fiscal 2019 resulted from 200% achievement of target for the 2016 Performance Share Program.
(2)
Shares awarded during fiscal 2018 include 0.5 million additional shares awarded for the final achievement of the 2015 Performance Share Program which was certified in the first quarter of fiscal 2018. The remaining awarded shares were for the 2018 Performance Share Program. Shares achieved during fiscal 2018 resulted from 200% achievement of target for the 2015 Performance Share Program.
(3)
Shares awarded during fiscal 2017 wereinclude 0.6 million additional shares awarded for the final achievement of the 2014 Performance Share program.Program which was certified in the first quarter of fiscal 2017. The remaining awarded shares were for the 2017 Performance Share Program.
(2)
Included in the 1.2 million shares awarded Shares achieved during fiscal 2016 were 0.7 million additional shares awarded for the final achievement of the 2013 Performance Share program. The remaining awarded shares were for the 2016 Performance Share Program.
(3)
Shares achieved under our 2014 and 2013 Performance Share programs which2017 resulted from 198% achievement of target for both programs.the 2014 Performance Share Program.
The total fair value of performance awards vested during fiscal 2017, 20162019, 2018 and 20152017 was $203.8 million, $208.2 million and $127.4 million, $123.1 million and $26.1 million, respectively.

ADOBE INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)


Summary of Employee Stock Purchase Plan Shares
The weighted average subscription date fair value of shares under the ESPP during fiscal 20172019, 20162018 and 20152017 were $29.86, $72.98, $24.8453.12 and $20.8129.86, respectively. Employees purchased 1.91.5 million shares at an average price of $77.63, 1.9$150.55, 1.8 million shares at an average price of $66.13104.94, and 2.11.9 million shares at an average price of $52.37, respectively,77.63 for fiscal 20172019, 20162018 and 2015.2017, respectively. The intrinsic value of shares purchased during fiscal 20172019, 20162018 and 20152017 was $97.7$178.8 million, $54.3198.9 million and $53.997.7 million, respectively. The intrinsic value is calculated as the difference between the market value on the date of purchase and the purchase price of the shares.

ADOBE SYSTEMS INCORPORATED

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

Summary of Stock Options
As of December 1, 2017 and December 2, 2016, we had 0.3 million and 0.6 million stock options outstanding, respectively.
Grants to Executive Officers
All equity awards granted to executive officers are made after a review by and with the approval of the Executive Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors.
Grants to Non-Employee Directors
Although the 2003 Plan providesand 2019 Plans provide for the granting of non-qualified stock options and restricted stock units to non-employee directors, restricted stock units are the primary form of our grants to non-employee directors since fiscal 2014.directors. The initial equity grant to a new non-employee director is adirectors and annual equity grants to existing non-employee directors are restricted stock unit awardawards, each grant having an aggregate value of $0.3$0.3 million based on the average stock price over the 30 calendar days ending on the day before the date of grant and vest 100% on the day preceding the next annual meeting. The actual target grant value of initial equity grants will be prorated based on the number of days remaining before the next annual meeting or the date of the first anniversary of our last annual meeting if the next annual meeting is not yet scheduled.
Annual equity grants to non-employee directors in the form of restricted stock units shall have an aggregate value of $0.3 million as based on the average stock price over the 30 calendar days ending on the day before the date of grant and vest 100% on the day preceding the next annual meeting.
Restricted stock units granted to directors for fiscal 2017, 20162019, 2018 and 20152017 were as follows (in thousands):follows:
  (in thousands)2019 2018 2017
Annual equity grants to existing directors10
 11
 18
Initial equity grants to new directors1
 1
 
 2017 2016 2015
Restricted stock units granted to existing directors18
 25
 41

Compensation Costs
We recognize the estimated compensation cost of restricted stock units, net of estimated forfeitures, on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period of the entire award, which is generally the vesting period. The estimated compensation cost is based on the fair value of our common stock on the date of grant.
We also recognize the estimated compensation cost of performance shares, net of estimated forfeitures, on a straight-line basis over the requisite performance period or service period of the entire award. The fiscal 2017, 2016 and 2015award, whichever is longer. Our performance share awards are earned upon achievement of an objective total stockholder return measure at the end of the three-year performance period, as described above.
We estimate forfeitures at the time of grant and revise those estimates in subsequent periods if actual forfeitures differ from those estimates. We use historical data to estimate forfeitures and record stock-based compensation expense only for those awards that are expected to vest.
As of December 1, 2017November 29, 2019, there was $708.3 million$1.36 billion of unrecognized compensation cost, adjusted for estimated forfeitures, related to non-vested stock-based awards and purchase rights which will be recognized over a weighted average period of 1.81.9 years. Total unrecognized compensation cost will be adjusted for future changes in estimated forfeitures. 

ADOBE SYSTEMS INCORPORATEDINC.


NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)



Total stock-based compensation costs that have been included in our Consolidated Statements of Income for fiscal 2017, 20162019, 2018 and 20152017 were as follows (in thousands):follows:
 
  Income Statement Classifications
 
Cost of
Revenue–
Subscription
 
Cost of
Revenue–
Services and Support
 Research and Development 
Sales and
Marketing
 General and Administrative 
 
Total(1)
Option Grants and Stock
Purchase Rights
           
2017$180
 $6,661
 $20,126
 $18,592
 $4,973
 $50,532
2016$1,474
 $5,514
 $13,932
 $16,534
 $4,371
 $41,825
2015$1,449
 $5,185
 $14,082
 $18,360
 $4,790
 $43,866
Restricted Stock Units and Performance
Share Awards
 
  
  
  
  
  
2017$16,792
 $9,602
 $161,366
 $139,047
 $77,133
 $403,940
2016$6,632
 $7,522
 $109,249
 $113,757
 $70,312
 $307,472
2015$6,481
 $6,446
 $104,624
 $109,908
 $66,709
 $294,168
  (in thousands)
  Income Statement Classifications
 
Cost of
Revenue–
Subscription
 
Cost of
Revenue–
Services and Support
 Research and Development 
Sales and
Marketing
 General and Administrative 
 
Total (1)
Restricted Stock Units and Performance
Share Awards
 
  
  
  
  
  
2019$22,822
 $18,535
 $338,483
 $206,371
 $98,886
 $685,097
2018$17,515
 $12,111
 $253,078
 $178,548
 $77,462
 $538,714
2017$16,792
 $9,602
 $161,366
 $139,047
 $77,133
 $403,940
Stock Purchase Rights and Options           
2019$5,823
 $7,271
 $36,663
 $42,405
 $10,446
 $102,608
2018$4,102
 $8,286
 $23,918
 $27,252
 $7,290
 $70,848
2017$180
 $6,661
 $20,126
 $18,592
 $4,973
 $50,532
_________________________________________ 
(1) 
During fiscal 20172019, 20162018 and 20152017, we recorded tax benefits related to stock-based compensation costs of $153.2$248.4 million, $71.7222.4 million and $68.8153.2 million, respectively.
NOTE 12.  STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY13.  ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)
Comprehensive Income (Loss)
The components of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) and activity, net of related taxes, for fiscal 20172019 were as follows (in thousands):follows:
December 2,
2016
 Increase / Decrease Reclassification Adjustments December 1,
2017
(in thousands)November 30,
2018
 Increase / Decrease Reclassification Adjustments November 29,
2019
Net unrealized gains / losses on available-for-sale securities:              
Unrealized gains on available-for-sale securities$3,499
 $878
 $(1,673) $2,704
$44
 $4,594
 $(171) $4,467
Unrealized losses on available-for-sale securities(11,565) (3,381) 726
 (14,220)(25,374) 24,815
 295
 (264)
Total net unrealized gains / losses on available-for-sale securities(8,066) (2,503) (947)
(1 
) 
(11,516)(25,330) 29,409
 124
(1 
) 
4,203
Net unrealized gains / losses on derivative instruments designated as hedging instruments21,689
 6,917
 (31,973)
(2 
) 
(3,367)21,732
 294
 (44,334)
(2 
) 
(22,308)
Cumulative foreign currency translation adjustments(187,225) 90,287
 
 (96,938)(144,532) (25,397) 
 (169,929)
Total accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net of taxes$(173,602) $94,701
 $(32,920) $(111,821)$(148,130) $4,306
 $(44,210) $(188,034)
_________________________________________ 
(1) 
Reclassification adjustments for gains / losses on available-for-sale securities are classified in interest and other income (expense), net.
(2) 
Reclassification adjustments for gains / losses on other derivative instrumentsforeign currency hedges are classified in revenue.revenue and reclassification adjustments for gains / losses on Treasury lock hedges are classified in interest expense.


ADOBE INC.
ADOBE SYSTEMS INCORPORATED

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)



The following table sets forth the taxes related to each component of other comprehensive income for fiscal 2017, 20162019, 2018 and 2015 (in thousands):2017:
(in thousands) 2019 2018 2017
Available-for-sale securities:      
Unrealized gains / losses $
 $
 $663
Reclassification adjustments 
 
 (491)
Subtotal available-for-sale securities 
 
 172
Derivatives designated as hedging instruments:      
Unrealized gains / losses 6,968
 
 
Reclassification adjustments (383) (1,946) (732)
Subtotal derivatives designated as hedging instruments 6,585
 (1,946) (732)
Foreign currency translation adjustments 
 (1,742) 3,005
Total taxes, other comprehensive income (loss) $6,585
 $(3,688) $2,445

  2017 2016 2015
Available-for-sale securities:      
Unrealized gains / losses $663
 $(299) $(154)
Reclassification adjustments (491) 108
 
Subtotal available-for-sale securities 172
 (191) (154)
Derivatives designated as hedging instruments:      
Unrealized gains on derivative instruments*
 
 
 6,147
Reclassification adjustments*
 (732) (552) (550)
Subtotal derivatives designated as hedging instruments (732) (552) 5,597
Foreign currency translation adjustments 3,005
 24
 (3,378)
Total taxes, other comprehensive income (loss) $2,445
 $(719) $2,065

_________________________________________
(*)
Taxes related to derivative instruments other than the interest rate lock agreement were zero based on the tax jurisdiction where these derivative instruments were executed.
Stock Repurchase Program
NOTE 14.  STOCK REPURCHASE PROGRAM
To facilitate our stock repurchase program, designed to return value to our stockholders and minimize dilution from stock issuances, we may repurchase shares in the open market or enter into structured repurchase agreements with third parties. In January 2017,May 2018, our Board of Directors approved a new stock repurchase program grantinggranted us an authority to repurchase up to $2.5$8 billion in common stock through the end of fiscal 2019. The new stock repurchase program approved by our Board of Directors is similar to our previous stock repurchase programs.2021.
During fiscal 2017, 20162019, 2018 and 2015,2017, we entered into several structured stock repurchase agreements with large financial institutions, whereupon we provided them with prepayments totaling $1.10$2.75 billion, $1.08$2.05 billion, and $625 million,$1.10 billion, respectively. We enter into these agreements in order to take advantage of repurchasing shares at a guaranteed discount to the Volume Weighted Average Price (“VWAP”) of our common stock over a specified period of time. We only enter into such transactions when the discount that we receive is higher than our estimate of the expected foregone return on our cash prepayments to the financial institutions. There were no explicit commissions or fees on these structured repurchases. Under the terms of the agreements, there is no requirement for the financial institutions to return any portion of the prepayment to us.
The financial institutions agree to deliver shares to us at monthly intervals during the contract term. The parameters used to calculate the number of shares deliverable are: the total notional amount of the contract, the number of trading days in the contract, the number of trading days in the interval and the average VWAP of our stock during the interval less the agreed upon discount. DuringWe repurchased approximately 9.9 million shares at an average price of $270.23 per share in fiscal 2017, we repurchased approximately2019, 8.7 million shares at an average price of $230.43 per share in fiscal 2018, and 8.2 million shares at an average price of $134.20 per share of $134.20 through structured repurchase agreements entered into duringin fiscal 2017 and fiscal 2016. During fiscal 2016, we repurchased approximately 10.4 million shares at an average price per share of $97.16 through structured repurchase agreements entered into during fiscal 2016 and fiscal 2015. During fiscal 2015, we repurchased approximately 8.1 million shares at an average price per share of $77.38 through structured repurchase agreements entered into during fiscal 2015 and fiscal 2014.2017.
For fiscal 2017, 20162019, 2018 and 2015,2017, the prepayments were classified as treasury stock on our Consolidated Balance Sheets at the payment date, though only shares physically delivered to us by November 29, 2019, November 30, 2018 and December 1, 2017 December 2, 2016 and November 27, 2015 were excluded from the computation of earnings per share. As of December 1, 2017, $101.5November 29, 2019, $229.2 million of prepayments remained under the agreement.
Subsequent to December 1, 2017, as part of the 2017 stock repurchase authority,November 29, 2019, we entered into a structured stock repurchase agreement with a large financial institution whereupon we provided them with a prepayment of $300$850 million. This amount will be classified as treasury stock on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. Upon completion of the $300$850 million stock repurchase agreement, $1.6$4.25 billion remains under our currentMay 2018 authority.

ADOBE SYSTEMS INCORPORATEDINC.


NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)



NOTE 13.15.  NET INCOME PER SHARE
Basic net income per share is computed using the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the period, excluding unvested restricted stock units and performance awards. Diluted net income per share is based upon the weighted average common shares outstanding for the period plus dilutive potential common shares, including unvested restricted stock units, purchase rights, performance share awards and stock options using the treasury stock method.
The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted net income per share for fiscal 20172019, 20162018 and 2015 (in thousands, except per share data)2017:
(in thousands, except per share data) 2019 2018 2017
Net income $2,951,458
 $2,590,774
 $1,693,954
Shares used to compute basic net income per share 486,291
 490,564
 493,632
Dilutive potential common shares:      
Restricted stock units and performance share awards 4,875
 7,142
 7,161
Stock purchase rights and options 406
 137
 330
Shares used to compute diluted net income per share 491,572
 497,843
 501,123
Basic net income per share $6.07
 $5.28
 $3.43
Diluted net income per share $6.00
 $5.20
 $3.38
       
Anti-dilutive potential common shares (1)
 175
 209
 141

  2017 2016 2015
Net income $1,693,954
 $1,168,782
 $629,551
Shares used to compute basic net income per share 493,632
 498,345
 498,764
Dilutive potential common shares:      
Unvested restricted stock units and performance share awards 7,161
 5,455
 7,389
Stock options 330
 499
 1,011
Shares used to compute diluted net income per share 501,123
 504,299
 507,164
Basic net income per share $3.43
 $2.35
 $1.26
Diluted net income per share $3.38
 $2.32
 $1.24
_________________________________________
For fiscal 2017, 2016, and 2015 there were no options to purchase shares of common stock with exercise prices greater than the average fair market value of our stock of $138.71, $96.39, and $79.22, respectively, that would have been anti-dilutive.
(1)
Potential common stock equivalents not included in the calculation of diluted net income per share as the effect would have been anti-dilutive.
NOTE 14.16.  COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
Lease Commitments
We lease certain of our facilities and some of our equipment under non-cancellable operating lease arrangements that expire at various dates through 2031. We also have one land lease that expires in 2091. Rent expense includes base contractual rent and variable costs such as building expenses, utilities, taxes, insurance and equipment rental. Rent expense for these leases was approximately $170.5 million,$137.2 million and $115.4 million in fiscal 2019, 2018 and 2017, and $92.9 million in both fiscal 2016 and 2015.respectively. Our sublease income was immaterial for all periods presented.
We occupy three office buildings in San Jose, California where our corporate headquarters are located. We reference these office buildings as the Almaden, East and West Towers.
In March 2017, we exercised our option to purchase the Almaden Tower for a total purchase price of $103.6 million. Upon purchase, our investment in the lease receivable of $80.4 million was credited against the total purchase price. We capitalized the Almaden Tower as property and equipment on our Consolidated Balance Sheets at $104.2 million, the lesser of cost or fair value, which represented the total purchase price plus other direct costs associated with the purchase.
As of December 1, 2017, we own the buildings and the underlying land that make up our corporate headquarters in San Jose, California, including the Almaden Tower.
Unconditional Purchase Obligations
Our purchase obligations consist of agreements to purchase goods and services entered into in the ordinary course of business.

ADOBE SYSTEMS INCORPORATED

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

The following table summarizes our non-cancellable unconditional purchase obligations and operating leases for each of the next five years and thereafter as of December 1, 2017 (in thousands):November 29, 2019:
  (in thousands)   
 Operating Leases
Fiscal Year 
Purchase
Obligations
 
Future
Minimum
Lease
Payments
 
Future
Minimum
Sublease
Income
2020 $545,042
 $98,200
 $9,523
2021 407,528
 91,866
 9,000
2022 528,266
 81,493
 6,362
2023 555,658
 68,539
 2,327
2024 
 60,691
 
Thereafter 
 337,903
 
Total $2,036,494
 $738,692
 $27,212


ADOBE INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

     
 Operating Leases
Fiscal Year  
Purchase
Obligations
 
Future
Minimum
Lease
Payments
 
Future
Minimum
Sublease
Income
2018 $449,823
 $60,464
 $3,001
2019 245,087
 62,307
 2,903
2020 410
 63,341
 2,286
2021 
 53,670
 2,036
2022 
 44,016
 
Thereafter 
 251,544
 
Total $695,320
 $535,342
 $10,226
Other
Subsequent to December 1, 2017, we purchased land near our headquarters in San Jose, California for a total purchase price of $68.0 million.


Royalties
We have royalty commitments associated with the licensing of certain offerings and products. Royalty expense is generally based on a dollar amount per unit or a percentage of the underlying revenue. Royalty expense, which was recorded under our cost of revenue on our Consolidated Statements of Income, was approximately $100.9$153.7 million, $79.8$119.1 million and $62.3$100.9 million in fiscal 2017, 20162019, 2018 and 2015,2017, respectively.
Indemnifications
In the ordinary course of business, we provide indemnifications of varying scope to customers and channel partners against claims of intellectual property infringement made by third parties arising from the use of our products and from time to time, we are subject to claims by our customers under these indemnification provisions. Historically, costs related to these indemnification provisions have not been significant and we are unable to estimate the maximum potential impact of these indemnification provisions on our future results of operations.
To the extent permitted under Delaware law, we have agreements whereby we indemnify our officers and directors for certain events or occurrences while the officer or director is or was serving at our request in such capacity. The indemnification period covers all pertinent events and occurrences during the officer’s or director’s lifetime. The maximum potential amount of future payments we could be required to make under these indemnification agreements is unlimited; however, we have director and officer insurance coverage that reduces our exposure and enables us to recover a portion of any future amounts paid. We believe the estimated fair value of these indemnification agreements in excess of applicable insurance coverage is minimal.
Legal Proceedings
In connection with disputes relating to the validity or alleged infringement of third-party intellectual property rights, including patent rights, we have been, are currently and may in the future be subject to claims, negotiations or complex, protracted litigation. Intellectual property disputes and litigation may be very costly and can be disruptive to our business operations by diverting the attention and energies of management and key technical personnel. Although we have successfully defended or resolved past litigation and disputes, we may not prevail in any ongoing or future litigation and disputes. Third-party intellectual property disputes could subject us to significant liabilities, require us to enter into royalty and licensing arrangements on unfavorable terms, prevent us from licensing certain of our products or offering certain of our services, subject us to injunctions restricting our sale of products

ADOBE SYSTEMS INCORPORATED

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

or services, cause severe disruptions to our operations or the markets in which we compete, or require us to satisfy indemnification commitments with our customers including contractual provisions under various license arrangements and service agreements.
In addition to intellectual property disputes, we are subject to legal proceedings, claims and investigations in the ordinary course of business, including claims relating to commercial, employment and other matters. Some of these disputes and legal proceedings may include speculative claims for substantial or indeterminate amounts of damages. We consider all claims on a quarterly basis in accordance with GAAP and based on known facts assess whether potential losses are considered reasonably possible, probable and estimable. Based upon this assessment, we then evaluate disclosure requirements and whether to accrue for such claims in our financial statements. This determination is then reviewed and discussed with our Audit Committee and our independent registered public accounting firm.
We make a provision for a liability when it is both probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. These provisions are reviewed at least quarterly and adjusted to reflect the impacts of negotiations, settlements, rulings, advice of legal counsel and other information and events pertaining to a particular case. Unless otherwise specifically disclosed in this note, we have determined that no provision for liability nor disclosure is required related to any claim against us because: (a) there is not a reasonable possibility that a loss exceeding amounts already recognized (if any) may be incurred with respect to such claim; (b) a reasonably possible loss or range of loss cannot be estimated; or (c) such estimate is immaterial.
All legal costs associated with litigation are expensed as incurred. Litigation is inherently unpredictable. However, we believe that we have valid defenses with respect to the legal matters pending against us. It is possible, nevertheless, that our consolidated financial position, cash flows or results of operations could be negatively affected by an unfavorable resolution of one or more of such proceedings, claims or investigations.

ADOBE INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)


In connection with our anti-piracy efforts, conducted both internally and through organizations such as the Business Software Alliance, from time to time we undertake litigation against alleged copyright infringers. Such lawsuits may lead to counter-claims alleging improper use of litigation or violation of other laws. We believe we have valid defenses with respect to such counter-claims; however, it is possible that our consolidated financial position, cash flows or results of operations could be negatively affected in any particular period by the resolution of one or more of these counter-claims.
NOTE 15.17.  DEBT
Our long-term debt as of December 1, 2017November 29, 2019 and December 2, 2016November 30, 2018 consisted of the following (in thousands):following:
(in thousands)2019 2018
Current debt:   
Term loan$2,249,784
 $
Notes899,767
 
Fair value of interest rate swap(208) 
Current debt3,149,343
 
Long-term debt:   
Term loan
 2,248,427
Notes988,924
 1,886,117
Fair value of interest rate swap
 (9,744)
Long-term debt988,924
 4,124,800
Total carrying value of debt$4,138,267
 $4,124,800

 2017 2016
Notes$1,882,479
 $1,879,083
Fair value of interest rate swap(1,058) 13,117
Adjusted carrying value of Notes1,881,421
 1,892,200
Term Loan Credit Agreement
In October 2018, we entered into a credit agreement providing for an up to $2.25 billion senior unsecured term loan for the purpose of partially funding the purchase price for our acquisition of Marketo and the related fees and expenses incurred in connection with the acquisition. The Term Loan funds were received on October 31, 2018 upon closing of the acquisition and will mature 18 months following the initial funding date. In addition, we incurred issuance costs of $0.7 million which are amortized to interest expense over the term using the straight-line method. The Term Loan ranks equally with our other unsecured and unsubordinated indebtedness. There are no scheduled principal amortization payments prior to maturity and the Term Loan may be prepaid and terminated at our election at any time without penalty or premium. At our election, the Term Loan will bear interest at either (i) LIBOR plus a margin, based on our debt ratings, ranging from 0.500% to 1.000% or (ii) a base rate plus a margin, based on our debt ratings, ranging from 0.040% to 0.110%. Interest is payable periodically, in arrears, at the end of each interest period we elect. During fiscal 2019, we made interest payments on our Term Loan totaling $69.9 million. The Term Loan credit agreement contains customary representations, warranties, affirmative and negative covenants, events of default and indemnification provisions in favor of the lenders similar to those contained in the Revolving Credit Agreement, including the financial covenant. As of November 29, 2019, we were in compliance with all covenants. During the second quarter of fiscal 2019, we reclassified the Term Loan as current debt in our Consolidated Balance Sheets. As of November 29, 2019, the carrying value of the Term Loan was $2.25 billion which is net of debt issuance costs. We intend to refinance the Term Loan on or before the due date.
Senior Notes
In February 2010, we issued $900 million of 4.75% senior notes due February 1, 2020 (the “2020 Notes”).2020. Our proceeds were $900approximately $894.5 million and werewhich is net of an issuance discount of $5.5 million. In addition, we incurred issuance costs of $6.4 million. Both the discount and issuance costs are being amortized to interest expense over the term of the 2020 Notes using the effective interest method. The 2020 Notes rank equally with our other unsecured and unsubordinated indebtedness. The effective interest rate including the discount and issuance costs was 4.92%. Interest is payable semi-annually, in arrears, on February 1 and August 1, and commenced on August 1, 2010.
In June 2014, we entered into interest rate swaps with a total notional amount of $900 million designated as a fair value hedge related to our 2020 Notes. The interest rate swaps effectively convert the fixed interest rate on our 2020 Notes to a floating interest rate based on LIBOR. Under the terms of the swap, we will pay monthly interest at the one-month LIBOR interest rate

ADOBE INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)


plus a fixed number of basis points on the $900 million notional amount. In exchange, we will receive 4.75% fixed rate interest from the swap counterparties. The fair value of the interest rate swaps is included in the carrying value of our debt in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. See Note 56 for further details regarding our interest rate swap derivatives.


ADOBE SYSTEMS INCORPORATED

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

In January 2015, we issued $1 billion of 3.25% senior notes due February 1, 2025 (the “2025 Notes”). Our proceeds were approximately $989.3 million which is net of an issuance discount of $10.7 million. In addition, we incurred issuance costs of $7.9 million. Both the discount and issuance costs are being amortized to interest expense over the term of the 2025 Notes using the effective interest method. The 2025 Notes rank equally with our other unsecured and unsubordinated indebtedness. The effective interest rate including the discount, issuance costs and interest rate agreement is 3.67%. Interest is payable semi-annually, in arrears on February 1 and August 1, and commenced on August 1, 2015. A portion
During the first quarter of fiscal 2019, we reclassified the 2020 Notes as current debt in our Consolidated Balance Sheets. As of November 29, 2019, the carrying value of the proceeds from this offering2020 Notes was used$899.6 million which includes the fair value of the interest rate swap and is net of debt issuance costs. We intend to repay $600 million in aggregate principal amount of previously outstanding senior notes plus accrued and unpaid interestrefinance the 2020 Notes on or before the due February 1, 2015. The remaining proceeds were used for general corporate purposes.

date.
As of December 1, 2017,November 29, 2019, our outstanding notes payable consist of the 2020 Notes and 2025 Notes (the “Notes”) with a total carrying value of $1.88$1.89 billion, which includes the fair value of the interest rate swaps and is net of debt issuance costs. Based on quoted prices in inactive markets, the fair value of the Notes was $1.98$1.96 billion as of December 1, 2017, which excludes the effect of the fair value of the interest rate swaps described above.November 29, 2019.

The Notes rank equally with our other unsecured and unsubordinated indebtedness. We may redeem the Notes at any time, subject to a make-whole premium. In addition, upon the occurrence of certain change of control triggering events, we may be required to repurchase the Notes, at a price equal to 101% of their principal amount, plus accrued and unpaid interest to the date of repurchase. The Notes also include covenants that limit our ability to grant liens on assets and to enter into sale and leaseback transactions, subject to significant allowances. As of December 1, 2017,November 29, 2019, we were in compliance with all of the covenants.
In February and August 2017,During fiscal 2019, we made semi-annual interest payments on our 2020 and 2025 Notes each totaling $37.6$75.3 million.
In June 2019, in anticipation of refinancing our Term Loan and 2020 Notes, we entered into Treasury lock agreements with large financial institutions which fixed benchmark U.S. Treasury rates for an aggregate notional amount of $1 billion of our future debt issuance. These derivative instruments hedge the impact of changes in the benchmark interest rate to future interest payments and will be terminated upon debt issuance. These derivative instruments were designated as cash flow hedges. See Note 6 for further details regarding our Treasury lock agreements.
Revolving Credit Agreement
On March 2, 2012,In October 2018, we entered into a credit agreement (“Revolving Credit Agreement”), providing for a five-year $1 billion senior unsecured revolving credit agreement (the “Credit Agreement”), providingfacility and incurred issuance costs of $0.8 million which are amortized to interest expense over the term using the straight-line method. The Revolving Credit Agreement provides for loans to usAdobe and certain of our subsidiaries.its subsidiaries that may be designated from time to time as additional borrowers. Pursuant to the terms of the Revolving Credit Agreement, we may, subject to the agreement of the applicable lenders requestto provide additional commitments, obtain up to an additional $500 million in commitments, for a maximum aggregate commitment of $1.5 billion. LoansAt our election, loans under the Revolving Credit Agreement will bear interest at either (i) LIBOR plus a margin, based on our public debt ratings, ranging from 0.795% and 1.3%0.585% to 1.015% or (ii) thea base rate, which is defined as the highest of (a) the agent’s prime rate, (b) the federal funds effective rate plus 0.50%0.500% or (c) LIBOR plus 1.00% plus a margin, based on our debt ratings, ranging from 0.00%0.000% to 0.30%0.015%. CommitmentIn addition, facility fees determined according to our debt ratings are payable on the aggregate commitments, regardless of usage, quarterly in an amount ranging from 0.040% to 0.110% per annum. We are permitted to permanently reduce the aggregate commitment under the Revolving Credit Agreement at rates between 0.08% and 0.20% per year, also based on our debt ratings.any time. Subject to certain conditions stated in the Revolving Credit Agreement, weAdobe and any of ourits subsidiaries designated as additional borrowers may borrow, prepay and re-borrow amounts under the revolving credit facility at any time during the term of the Revolving Credit Agreement.
The Revolving Credit Agreement contains customary representations, warranties, affirmative and negative covenants, including a financial covenant, events of default and indemnification provisions in favor of the lenders. The negative covenants include restrictions regarding the incurrence of liens and indebtedness, certain merger and acquisition transactions, dispositions and other matters, all subject to certain exceptions. The financial covenant, based on a quarterly financial test, requires us not to exceed a maximum leverage ratio.
On March 1, 2013, we exercised an option under the Credit Agreement to extend the maturity date of the Credit Agreement to March 2, 2018. On July 27, 2015, we entered into an amendment to further extend the maturity date to July 27, 2020 and reallocated the facility among the syndicate of lenders that are parties to the Credit Agreement.
ADOBE INC.

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)


The facility will terminate and all amounts owing thereunder will be due and payable on the maturity date unless (a) the commitments are terminated earlier upon the occurrence of certain events, including an event of default, or (b) the maturity date is further extended upon our request, subject to the agreement of the lenders.
As of December 1, 2017,November 29, 2019, there were no0 outstanding borrowings under this Credit Agreement and we were in compliance with all covenants. 
NOTE 18.  NON-OPERATING INCOME (EXPENSE)
Non-operating income (expense) for fiscal 2019, 2018 and 2017 included the following:
(in thousands)2019 2018 2017
Interest and other income (expense), net:     
Interest income$68,321
 $92,540
 $66,069
Foreign exchange gains (losses)(26,252) (42,612) (30,705)
Realized gains on fixed income investments171
 655
 1,673
Realized losses on fixed income investments(295) (11,305) (725)
Other310
 258
 83
Interest and other income (expense), net$42,255
 $39,536
 $36,395
Interest expense$(157,214) $(89,242) $(74,402)
Investment gains (losses), net: 
    
Realized investment gains$46,141
 $6,128
 $3,279
Unrealized investment gains5,572
 
 4,274
Realized investment losses(134) 
 
Unrealized investment losses
 (2,915) 
Investment gains (losses), net$51,579
 $3,213
 $7,553
Non-operating income (expense), net$(63,380) $(46,493) $(30,454)


ADOBE SYSTEMS INCORPORATEDINC.


NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)



NOTE 16.  NON-OPERATING INCOME (EXPENSE)
Non-operating income (expense) for fiscal 2017, 2016 and 2015 included the following (in thousands):
  2017 2016 2015
Interest and other income (expense), net:      
Interest income $66,069
 $47,340
 $28,759
Foreign exchange gains (losses) (30,705) (35,716) (20,130)
Realized gains on fixed income investment 1,673
 2,880
 3,309
Realized losses on fixed income investment (725) (985) (354)
Other 83
 29
 22,325
Interest and other income (expense), net $36,395
 $13,548
 $33,909
Interest expense $(74,402) $(70,442) $(64,184)
Investment gains (losses), net:  
    
Realized investment gains $3,279
 $4,964
 $2,760
Unrealized investment gains 4,274
 186
 
Realized investment losses 
 (6,720) (206)
Unrealized investment losses 
 
 (1,593)
Investment gains (losses), net $7,553
 $(1,570) $961
Non-operating income (expense), net $(30,454) $(58,464) $(29,314)
NOTE 17.  INDUSTRY SEGMENT, GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION AND SIGNIFICANT CUSTOMERS
We report segment information based on the “management” approach. The management approach designates the internal reporting used by management for making decisions and assessing performance as the source of our reportable segments.
Our CEO, the chief operating decision maker, reviews revenue and gross margin information for each of our reportable segments, but does not review operating expenses on a segment by segment basis. In addition, with the exception of goodwill and intangible assets, we do not identify or allocate our assets by the reportable segments. 
For fiscal 2017, we have the following reportable segments:

Digital Media—Our Digital Media segment provides tools and solutions that enable individuals, small and medium businesses and enterprises to create, publish, promote and monetize their digital content anywhere. Our customers include traditional content creators, web application developers and digital media professionals, as well as their management in marketing departments and agencies, companies and publishers. Our customers also include knowledge workers who create, collaborate and distribute documents.
Digital Marketing—Our Digital Marketing segment provides solutions and services for how digital advertising and marketing are created, managed, executed, measured and optimized. Our customers include digital marketers, advertisers, publishers, merchandisers, web analysts, chief marketing officers, chief information officers and chief revenue officers.
Print and Publishing—Our Print and Publishing segment addresses market opportunities ranging from the diverse authoring and publishing needs of technical and business publishing to our legacy type and OEM printing businesses.

ADOBE SYSTEMS INCORPORATED

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

Our segment results for fiscal 2017, 2016 and 2015 were as follows (dollars in thousands):
 Digital Media 
Digital
Marketing
 Print and Publishing Total
Fiscal 2017 
    
  
Revenue$5,010,579
 $2,120,032
 $170,894
 $7,301,505
Cost of revenue239,994
 763,468
 7,029
 1,010,491
Gross profit$4,770,585
 $1,356,564
 $163,865
 $6,291,014
Gross profit as a percentage of revenue95% 64% 96% 86%
Fiscal 2016 
    
  
Revenue$3,941,011
 $1,736,585
 $176,834
 $5,854,430
Cost of revenue231,074
 581,093
 7,741
 819,908
Gross profit$3,709,937
 $1,155,492
 $169,093
 $5,034,522
Gross profit as a percentage of revenue94% 67% 96% 86%
Fiscal 2015 
    
  
Revenue$3,095,160
 $1,508,858
 $191,493
 $4,795,511
Cost of revenue210,587
 525,309
 8,421
 744,317
Gross profit$2,884,573
 $983,549
 $183,072
 $4,051,194
Gross profit as a percentage of revenue93% 65% 96% 84%

Effective in the first quarter of fiscal 2018, we plan to move our legacy enterprise offeringsAdobe Connect web conferencing platform and Adobe LiveCycle, an enterprise document and forms platform, from our Digital Marketing segment into Print and Publishing, in order to more closely align our Digital Marketing business with the strategic growth opportunity. We will adjust our reportable segments at the beginning of fiscal 2018 to reflect these changes as we enter into the new fiscal year.
The tables below list our revenue and property and equipment, net, by geographic area for fiscal 2017, 2016 and 2015 (in thousands). With the exception of property and equipment, we do not identify or allocate our assets (including long-lived assets) by geographic area.
Revenue 2017 2016 2015
Americas:      
United States $3,830,845
 $3,087,764
 $2,548,024
Other 385,686
 312,371
 240,020
Total Americas 4,216,531
 3,400,135
 2,788,044
EMEA 1,985,105
 1,619,153
 1,336,448
APAC:      
Japan 524,254
 401,205
 347,740
Other 575,615
 433,937
 323,279
Total APAC 1,099,869
 835,142
 671,019
Revenue $7,301,505
 $5,854,430
 $4,795,511


ADOBE SYSTEMS INCORPORATED

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

Property and Equipment 2017 2016 2015
Americas:      
United States $753,393
 $642,823
 $621,122
Other 2,797
 559
 427
Total Americas 756,190
 643,382
 621,549
EMEA 54,181
 48,662
 43,943
APAC:      
India 109,051
 106,322
 111,662
Other 17,554
 17,898
 10,267
Total APAC 126,605
 124,220
 121,929
Property and equipment, net $936,976
 $816,264
 $787,421
Significant Customers
For fiscal 2017, 2016 and 2015 there were no customers that represented at least 10% of net revenue. As of fiscal year end 2017 and 2016, no single customer was responsible for over 10% of our trade receivables.

NOTE 18.19.  SELECTED QUARTERLY FINANCIAL DATA (unaudited)
 20172019
(in thousands, except per share data) 
 Quarter Ended
 Quarter Ended
 March 3 June 2 September 1 December 1March 1 May 31 August 30 November 29
Revenue $1,681,646
 $1,772,190
 $1,841,074
 $2,006,595
$2,600,946
 $2,744,280
 $2,834,126
 $2,991,945
Gross profit $1,444,309
 $1,532,830
 $1,578,152
 $1,735,723
$2,203,660
 $2,336,792
 $2,418,163
 $2,539,962
Income before income taxes $460,632
 $492,618
 $541,379
 $643,012
$702,334
 $710,772
 $834,488
 $957,147
Net income $398,446
 $374,390
 $419,569
 $501,549
$674,241
 $632,593
 $792,763
 $851,861
Basic net income per share $0.81
 $0.76
 $0.85
 $1.02
$1.38
 $1.30
 $1.63
 $1.76
Diluted net income per share $0.80
 $0.75
 $0.84
 $1.00
$1.36
 $1.29
 $1.61
 $1.74
 2018
(in thousands, except per share data)
 Quarter Ended
 March 2 June 1 August 31 November 30
Revenue$2,078,947
 $2,195,360
 $2,291,076
 $2,464,625
Gross profit$1,820,045
 $1,914,016
 $1,995,584
 $2,105,364
Income before income taxes$702,502
 $690,799
 $701,358
 $699,217
Net income$583,076
 $663,167
 $666,291
 $678,240
Basic net income per share$1.18
 $1.35
 $1.36
 $1.39
Diluted net income per share$1.17
 $1.33
 $1.34
 $1.37
  2016
(in thousands, except per share data) 
 Quarter Ended
  March 4 June 3 September 2 December 2
Revenue $1,383,335
 $1,398,709
 $1,463,967
 $1,608,419
Gross profit $1,184,763
 $1,196,630
 $1,261,266
 $1,391,863
Income before income taxes $292,307
 $329,830
 $356,301
 $456,700
Net income $254,307
 $244,074
 $270,788
 $399,613
Basic net income per share $0.51
 $0.49
 $0.54
 $0.81
Diluted net income per share $0.50
 $0.48
 $0.54
 $0.80

Our fiscal year is a 52- or 53-week year that ends on the Friday closest to November 30. Each of the fiscal quarters presented were comprised of 13 weeks with the exception of the first quarter of fiscal 2016 which was comprised of 14 weeks.

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
TheTo the Stockholders and Board of Directors and Stockholders
Adobe Systems Incorporated:Inc.:
    
Opinions on the Consolidated Financial Statements and Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Adobe Systems IncorporatedInc. and subsidiaries (the Company) as of December 1, 2017November 29, 2019 and December 2, 2016, andNovember 30, 2018, the related consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income, stockholders’ equity, and cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 1, 2017.November 29, 2019, and the related notes (collectively, the consolidated financial statements). We also have audited Adobe Systems Incorporated’sthe Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 1, 2017,November 29, 2019, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework(2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO)Commission.
In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of November 29, 2019 and November 30, 2018, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended November 29, 2019, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Also in our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of November 29, 2019 based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission.
Change in Accounting Principle
As discussed in Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company has changed its method of accounting for revenue from contracts with customers and sales commissions as of December 1, 2018, due to the adoption of Financial Accounting Standards Board’s Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, and Subtopic 340-40, Other Assets and Deferred Costs -Contracts with Customers. Adobe Systems Incorporated’s
Basis for Opinions
The Company’s management is responsible for these consolidated financial statements, for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting, and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying Management’s Annual Report on Internal ControlControls over Financial Reporting appearing under Itemitem 9A. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on thesethe Company’s consolidated financial statements and an opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States).PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud, and whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects.
Our audits of the consolidated financial statements included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence supportingregarding the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements, assessingstatements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, andas well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statement presentation.statements. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, and testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk. Our audits also included performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinions.
Definition and Limitations of Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable

assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
In our opinion,Critical Audit Matter
The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current period audit of the consolidated financial statements referredthat was communicated or required to above present fairly, in allbe communicated to the audit committee and that: (1) relates to accounts or disclosures that are material respects, the financial position of Adobe Systems Incorporated and subsidiaries as of December 1, 2017 and December 2, 2016, and the results of their operations and their cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 1, 2017, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Also in our opinion, Adobe Systems Incorporated maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 1, 2017, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the COSO.
Adobe Systems Incorporated acquired TubeMogul, Inc. (TubeMogul) on December 19, 2016, as discussed in Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements. As discussedstatements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgment. The communication of a critical audit matter does not alter in Management’s Annual Reportany way our opinion on Internal Control over Financial Reporting appearing under Item 9A, management excluded from its assessment of the effectiveness of Adobe System Incorporated’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 1, 2017, TubeMogul’s internal control over financial reporting associated with consolidated total assets of approximately 1.8% and consolidated total revenues of approximately 2.5%, included in the consolidated financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below, providing a separate opinion on the critical audit matter or on the accounts or disclosures to which it relates.
Assessment of Adobe Systems Incorporatedperformance obligations in cloud-enabled software subscriptions
As discussed in Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements, cloud-enabled services are highly integrated and subsidiariesinterrelated with on-premise or on-device software licenses in the Company’s Creative Cloud and Document Cloud subscription offerings. Because of this, the cloud-based services and the on-premise/on-device software licenses are not considered distinct from each other and the applicable subscription is accounted for as a single performance obligation.
We identified the assessment of and forperformance obligations in these cloud-enabled software subscription offerings as a critical audit matter. A high degree of subjective auditor judgment was required to assess the year ended December 1, 2017. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting of Adobe Systems Incorporated as of December 1, 2017, also excluded an evaluationnature of the Company’s Creative Cloud and Document Cloud offerings, their intended benefit to customers as an integrated offering, and the level of integration that exists between the cloud-enabled services and the on-premise/on-device licenses.
The primary procedures we performed to address this critical audit matter included the following. We tested certain internal controlcontrols over financial reportingthe Company’s revenue recognition process, including controls related to the assessment of TubeMogul.distinct performance obligations. We read the Creative Cloud and Document Cloud subscription offering agreements to understand the contractual terms and conditions. We participated in product demonstrations, examined marketing materials, and performed interviews with the Company’s product and engineering department to both understand and observe specific functionalities of the integrated offering and evaluate the nature of the promise made to the Company’s Creative Cloud and Document Cloud customers. We evaluated the features and functionalities of the Creative Cloud and Document Cloud subscription that can be accessed only when using the on-premise/on-device software while connected to the Adobe cloud to assess that customers receive the intended benefit from each solution only as an integrated offering.

(signed) KPMG LLP

We have served as the Company’s auditor since 1983.
Santa Clara, California
January 22, 201821, 2020

ITEM 9.  CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE
None.
ITEM 9A.  CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
Disclosure Controls and Procedures
Our management has evaluated, under the supervision and with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as of December 1, 2017November 29, 2019. Based on their evaluation as of December 1, 2017November 29, 2019, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) were effective at the reasonable assurance level to ensure that the information required to be disclosed by us in this Annual Report on Form 10-K was (i) recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and regulations and (ii) accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
Our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, does not expect that our disclosure controls and procedures or our internal controls over financial reporting will prevent all errors and all fraud. A control system, no matter how well conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the control system are met. Further, the design of a control system must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints and the benefits of controls must be considered relative to their costs. Because of the inherent limitations in all control systems, no evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that all control issues and instances of fraud, if any, within Adobe have been detected.
Management’s Annual Report on Internal ControlControls over Financial Reporting
Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal controlcontrols over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended). Our management assessed the effectiveness of our internal controlcontrols over financial reporting as of December 1, 2017November 29, 2019. In making this assessment, our management used the criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the COSO.Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. Our management has concluded that, as of December 1, 2017,November 29, 2019, our internal controlcontrols over financial reporting is effective based on these criteria.

We acquired TubeMogul, Inc. (“TubeMogul”) on December 19, 2016, as discussed in Note 2 to the Consolidated Financial Statements. As permitted by the SEC staff’s Frequently Asked Question 3 on Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting and Certification of Disclosure in Exchange Act Periodic Reports (revised September 24, 2007), our management excluded from our assessment of internal control over financial reporting effectiveness as of December 1, 2017, TubeMogul’s internal control over financial reporting associated with consolidated total assets of approximately 1.8% and consolidated total revenues of approximately 2.5%, included in our Consolidated Financial Statements as of and for the year ended December 1, 2017. We will include TubeMogul in our assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting starting fiscal 2018.


KPMG LLP, the independent registered public accounting firm that audited our financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, has issued an attestation report on our internal controlcontrols over financial reporting, which is included herein.


Changes in Internal ControlControls over Financial Reporting
On December 1, 2018, we implemented new and modified existing internal controls based on the adoption of the new revenue standard. This resulted in changes to our processes related to revenue recognition and underlying control activities, including our information systems. There were no changes in our internal controlcontrols over financial reporting during the quarter ended December 1, 2017November 29, 2019 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect our internal controlcontrols over financial reporting.
ITEM 9B.  OTHER INFORMATION
Item 5.02. Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.
(b)
On January 22, 2018, Mark Garrett notified Adobe Systems Incorporated (“Adobe”) of his intent to retire as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Adobe during 2018.  Mike Dillon also notified Adobe of his intent to retire as Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Adobe during 2018.      To ensure an orderly transition and continuity of operations, both Garrett and Dillon will remain in their current roles with Adobe until their respective successors are in place.

Adobe is conducting an internal and external search to fill both roles and both Garrett and Dillon will be active participants in the search for and transition to their successors.
Item 8.01. Other Events.
On January 22, 2018, we issued a press release announcing updated financial targets for fiscal 2018. A copy of this press release is furnished and attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1.None.
PART III
ITEM 10.  DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
The information required by this Item 10 of Form 10-K that is found in our 20182020 Proxy Statement to be filed with the SEC in connection with the solicitation of proxies for the Company’s 20182020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (“20182020 Proxy Statement”) is incorporated herein by reference to our 20182020 Proxy Statement. The 20182020 Proxy Statement will be filed with the SEC within 120 days after the end of the fiscal year to which this report relates. For information with respect to our executive officers, see “Executive Officers” at the end of Part I, Item 1 of this report.
ITEM 11.  EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
The information required by this Item 11 of Form 10-K is incorporated herein by reference to our 20182020 Proxy Statement.

ITEM 12.  SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS
The information required by this Item 12 of Form 10-K is incorporated herein by reference to our 20182020 Proxy Statement.
ITEM 13.  CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE
The information required by this Item13Item 13 of Form 10-K is incorporated herein by reference to our 20182020 Proxy Statement.
ITEM 14.  PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES
The information required by this Item 14 of Form 10-K is incorporated herein by reference to our 20182020 Proxy Statement.
PART IV
ITEM 15. EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES
1.
    Incorporated by Reference**    
Exhibit
Number
 Exhibit Description Form Filing Date Exhibit Number SEC File No. 
Filed
Herewith
             
3.1
  8-K 4/26/11 3.3
 000-15175  
             
3.2
  8-K 9/2/16 3.2
 000-15175  
             
4.1
  10-Q 6/25/14 4.1
 000-15175  
             
4.2
  S-3 2/26/16 4.1
 333-209764  
             
4.3
  8-K 1/26/10 4.1
 000-15175  
             
    Incorporated by Reference    
Exhibit
Number
 Exhibit Description Form Filing Date Exhibit Number SEC File No. 
Filed
Herewith
             
2.1
  8-K 9/21/18 2.1
 000-15175  
             
3.1
  8-K 4/26/11 3.3
 000-15175  
             
3.2
  8-K 10/9/18 3.1
 000-15175  
             
3.3
  8-K 10/9/18 3.2
 000-15175  
             
4.1
  10-K 1/25/19 4.1
 000-15175  
             
4.2
  S-3 2/26/16 4.1
 333-209764  
             
4.3
  8-K 1/26/10 4.1
 000-15175  
             

    Incorporated by Reference**    
Exhibit
Number
 Exhibit Description Form Filing Date Exhibit Number SEC File No. 
Filed
Herewith
             
4.4
  8-K 1/26/15 4.1
 000-15175  
             
10.1A
  10-Q 4/9/10 10.1
 000-15175  
             
10.1B
  10-K 1/23/09 10.3
 000-15175  
             
10.1C
  10-K 1/26/12 10.13
 000-15175  
             
10.2
  10-Q 6/29/16 10.3
 000-15175  
             
10.3A
  8-K 4/13/17 10.1
 000-15175  
             
10.3B
  8-K 12/20/10 99.4
 000-15175  
             
10.3C
  8-K 1/27/17 10.6
 000-15175  
             
10.3D
  10-Q 10/7/04 10.11
 000-15175  
             
10.3E
  8-K 1/28/13 10.2
 000-15175  
             
10.3F
  8-K 1/28/13 10.3
 000-15175  
             
10.3G
  8-K 1/29/14 10.2
 000-15175  
             
10.3H
  8-K 1/29/14 10.3
 000-15175  
             
10.3I
  8-K 1/28/15 10.2
 000-15175  
             
10.3J
  8-K 1/28/15 10.3
 000-15175  
             
10.3K
  8-K 1/29/16 10.2
 000-15175  
             
    Incorporated by Reference    
Exhibit
Number
 Exhibit Description Form Filing Date Exhibit Number SEC File No. 
Filed
Herewith
             
4.4
  8-K 1/26/15 4.1
 000-15175  
             
4.5
          X
             
10.1
  10-Q 6/29/16 10.3
 000-15175  
             
10.2A
  8-K 4/13/18 10.2
 000-15175  
             
10.2B
  8-K 12/20/10 99.4
 000-15175  
             
10.2C
  8-K 1/26/18 10.6
 000-15175  
             
10.2D
  8-K 1/28/19 10.5
 000-15175  
             
10.2E
  10-Q 10/7/04 10.11
 000-15175  
             
10.2F
  8-K 1/27/17 10.2
 000-15175  
             
10.2G
  8-K 1/27/17 10.3
 000-15175  
             
10.2H
  8-K 1/26/18 10.2
 000-15175  
             
10.2I
  8-K 1/26/18 10.3
 000-15175  
             
10.2J
  8-K 1/28/19 10.2
 000-15175  
             
10.2K
  8-K 1/28/19 10.3
 000-15175  
             
10.3A
  8-K 4/12/19 10.1
 000-15175  
             
10.3B
  10-Q 6/26/19 10.35B
 000-15175  
             

    Incorporated by Reference**    
Exhibit
Number
 Exhibit Description Form Filing Date Exhibit Number SEC File No. 
Filed
Herewith
             
10.3L
  8-K 1/29/16 10.3
 000-15175  
             
10.3M
  8-K 12/20/10 99.6
 000-15175  
             
10.3N
  8-K 12/20/10 99.7
 000-15175  
             
10.3O
  8-K 12/20/10 99.8
 000-15175  
             
10.3P
  8-K 1/27/17 10.2
 000-15175  
             
10.3Q
  8-K 1/27/17 10.3
 000-15175  
             
10.4A
  10-Q 6/28/13 10.17
 000-15175  
             
10.4B
  8-K 12/20/10 99.10
 000-15175  
             
10.4C
  8-K 1/28/13 10.7
 000-15175  
             
10.5
  8-K 12/11/14 10.2
 000-15175  
             
10.6
  10-Q 6/26/09 10.12
 000-15175  
             
10.7
  10-K 1/20/15 10.19
 000-15175  
             
10.8A
  8-K 3/7/12 10.1
 000-15175  
             
10.8B
  8-K 7/30/15 10.1
 000-15175  
             

    Incorporated by Reference**    
Exhibit
Number
 Exhibit Description Form Filing Date Exhibit Number SEC File No. 
Filed
Herewith
             
10.9
  10-Q 8/6/09 10.3
 000-52076  
             
10.10
  10-K 2/27/09 10.9
 000-52076  
             
10.11
  10-K 2/27/09 10.10
 000-52076  
             
10.12
  S-8 1/27/11 99.1
 333-171902  
             
10.13
  8-K 1/29/14 10.5
 000-15175  
             
10.14
  8-K 1/28/15 10.5
 000-15175  
             
10.15
  8-K 1/29/16 10.5
 000-15175  
             
10.16
  8-K 1/29/16 10.4
 000-15175  
             
10.17
  8-K 1/27/17 10.5
 000-15175  
             
10.18
  S-8 7/29/11 99.1
 333-175910  
             
10.19
  
S-8

 
10/7/11

 99.1
 333-177229  
             
10.20
  
S-8

 
11/18/11

 99.1
 333-178065  
             
10.21
  
S-8

 
11/18/11

 99.2
 333-178065  
             
10.22
  
S-8

 1/27/12 99.1
 333-179221  
             
10.23A
  S-8 1/23/13 99.1
 333-186143  
             
10.23B
  S-8 1/23/13 99.2
 333-186143  
             
10.24
  S-8 8/27/13 99.1
 333-190846  
             
10.25
  S-8 8/27/13 99.2
 333-190846  
             
10.26
  10-K 1/20/15 10.52
 000-15175  
             
10.27
  10-K 1/19/16 10.32
 000-15175  
             
10.28
  10-K 1/20/17 10.32
 000-15175  
             
10.29
          X
             
10.30A
  S-8 9/26/14 99.1
 333-198973  
             

    Incorporated by Reference**    
Exhibit
Number
 Exhibit Description Form Filing Date Exhibit Number SEC File No. 
Filed
Herewith
             
10.30B
  S-8 9/26/14 99.2
 333-198973  
             
10.30C
  S-8 9/26/14 99.3
 333-198973  
             
10.31
  8-K 12/11/14 10.1
 000-15175  
             
10.32
  S-8 3/13/15 99.1
 
333-202732

  
             
10.33
  S-1 3/26/14 10.2
 333-194817  
             
10.34
  S-1A 7/7/14 10.3
 333-194817  
             
12.1
          X
             
21
          X
             
23.1
          X
             
24.1
          X
             
31.1
       
   X
             
31.2
       
   X
             
32.1
          X
             
32.2
          X
             
99.1
          X
             
101.INS XBRL Instance         X
             
101.SCH XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema         X
             
101.CAL XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation         X
             
    Incorporated by Reference    
Exhibit
Number
 Exhibit Description Form Filing Date Exhibit Number SEC File No. 
Filed
Herewith
             
10.3C
  10-Q 6/26/19 10.35C
 000-15175  
             
10.3D
          X
             
10.4
  8-K 12/11/14 10.2
 000-15175  
             
10.5
  10-Q 6/26/09 10.12
 000-15175  
             
10.6A
  10-K 1/20/15 10.19
 000-15175  
             
10.6B
          X
             
10.7
  8-K 10/19/18 10.1
 000-15175  
             
10.8
  8-K 10/19/18 10.2
 000-15175  
             
10.9
  8-K 12/14/17 10.1
 000-15175  
             
10.10
  8-K 1/28/19 10.4
 000-15175  
             
10.11
  8-K 1/24/19 10.1
 000-15175  
             
21
          X
             
23.1
          X
             
24.1
          X
             
31.1
       
   X
             

    Incorporated by Reference**Reference    
Exhibit
Number
 Exhibit Description Form Filing Date Exhibit Number SEC File No. 
Filed
Herewith
             
101.LAB31.2
 
X
32.1
X
32.2
X
101.INS
Inline XBRL InstanceX
101.SCH
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension SchemaX
101.CAL
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension CalculationX
101.LAB
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Labels         X
             
101.PRE
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation         X
             
101.DEF
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition         X
104
Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as Inline XBRL and contained in Exhibit 101)
___________________________
* Compensatory plan or arrangement. 
**References to Exhibits 10.9 through 10.11 are to filings made by Omniture, Inc.
   
 The certifications attached as Exhibits 32.1 and 32.2 that accompany this Annual Report on Form 10-K, are not deemed filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and are not to be incorporated by reference into any filing of Adobe Systems IncorporatedInc. under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, whether made before or after the date of this Form 10-K, irrespective of any general incorporation language contained in such filing.
   
††
References to Exhibits 10.33 through 10.34 are to filings made by TubeMogul, Inc.



ITEM 16. FORM 10-K SUMMARY
None.

SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
 ADOBE SYSTEMS INCORPORATEDINC.
  
 By:/s/ MARK GARRETTJOHN MURPHY
  Mark GarrettJohn Murphy
  Executive Vice President and
  Chief Financial Officer
  (Principal Financial Officer)
Date: January 22, 201821, 2020




POWER OF ATTORNEY
KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Shantanu Narayen and Mark Garrett,John Murphy, and each or any one of them, his or her lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, for such person in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments to this report and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, hereby ratifying and confirming all that either of said attorneys-in-fact and agent, or substitute or substitutes, may do or cause to be done by virtue hereof. 
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
Signature Title Date
     
     
/s/ SHANTANU NARAYEN   January 22, 201821, 2020
Shantanu Narayen
 
Chairman of the Board of Directors,
President and Chief Executive Officer
(Principal Executive Officer)
  
     
/s/ MARK GARRETTJOHN MURPHY   January 22, 201821, 2020
Mark GarrettJohn Murphy Executive Vice President, and Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer)  
     
/s/ JOHN MURPHYMARK GARFIELD   January 22, 201821, 2020
John MurphyMark Garfield Senior Vice President, Corporate Controller and Chief Accounting Officer (Principal Accounting Officer)  
     
/s/ JAMES DALEY   January 22, 201821, 2020
James Daley Director  
     
/s/ AMY BANSE   January 22, 201821, 2020
Amy BanseDirector
/s/ EDWARD BARNHOLTJanuary 22, 2018
Edward Barnholt Director  

Signature Title Date
     
/s/ ROBERT BURGESSJanuary 22, 2018
Robert BurgessDirector
/s/ FRANK CALDERONI   January 22, 201821, 2020
Frank Calderoni Director  
     
/s/ LAURA DESMOND   January 22, 201821, 2020
Laura Desmond Director  
     
/s/ CHARLES GESCHKE   January 22, 201821, 2020
Charles Geschke Director  
     
/s/ DANIELKATHLEEN OBERGJanuary 21, 2020
Kathleen ObergDirector
/s/ DHEERAJ PANDEYJanuary 21, 2020
Dheeraj PandeyDirector
/s/ DAVID RICKSJanuary 21, 2020
David RicksDirector
/s/ DAN ROSENSWEIG   January 22, 201821, 2020
DanielDan Rosensweig Director  
     
/s/ JOHN WARNOCK   January 22, 201821, 2020
John Warnock Director  
     
     
     
     





SUMMARY OF TRADEMARKS
 The following trademarks of Adobe Systems IncorporatedInc. or its subsidiaries, which may be registered in the United States and/or other countries, are referenced in this Form 10-K:
Acrobat
Acrobat Reader
Adobe
Adobe ConnectAero
Adobe Audition
Adobe CreativeSync
Adobe Dimension
Adobe Experience Cloud
Adobe Fresco
Adobe Marketing Cloud
Adobe Premiere
Adobe Premiere Rush
Adobe Sensei
After Effects
Behance
Creative Cloud
FotoliaDocument Cloud
Illustrator
InCopy
InDesign
Lightroom
LiveCycleMagento
Marketo
Photoshop
PostScript
Premiere Rush
Reader
TubemogulSensei
TypekitTubeMogul


All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.


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