Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or market, with cost computed using standard cost, which approximates actual cost, on a first-in, first-out basis. Ciena records a provision for excess and obsolete inventory when an impairment has been identified.

Long-lived assets include: equipment, furniture and fixtures; intangible assets; and maintenance spares. Ciena tests long-lived assets for impairment whenever triggering events or changes in circumstances indicate that the asset's carrying amount is not recoverable from its undiscounted cash flows. An impairment loss is measured as the amount by which the carrying amount of the asset or asset group exceeds its fair value. Ciena's long-lived assets are assigned to asset groups that represent the lowest level for which cash flows can be identified.

Substantially all of Ciena's cash and cash equivalents are maintained at a small number of major U.S. financial institutions. The majority of Ciena's cash equivalents consist of money market funds. Deposits held with banks may exceed the amount of insurance provided on such deposits. Because these deposits generally may be redeemed upon demand, management believes that they bear minimal risk.

Additionally, Ciena's access to certain materials or components is dependent upon sole or limited source suppliers. The inability of any of these suppliers to fulfill Ciena's supply requirements, or significant changes in supply cost, could affect future results. Ciena relies on a small number of contract manufacturers to perform the majority of the manufacturing for its products. If Ciena cannot effectively manage these manufacturers and forecast future demand, or if these manufacturers fail to deliver products or components on time, Ciena's business and results of operations may suffer.

Ciena recognizes revenue when all of the following criteria are met: persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists; delivery has occurred or services have been rendered; the price to the buyer is fixed or determinable; and collectibility is reasonably

Software revenue is recognized when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, delivery has occurred, the fee is fixed or determinable, and collectibility is probable. In instances where final acceptance criteria of the software are specified by the customer, revenue is deferred until there are no uncertainties regarding customer acceptance.

Ciena limits the amount of revenue recognition for delivered elements to the amount that is not contingent on the future delivery of products or services, future performance obligations or subject to customer-specified return or refund privileges.

Revenue for multiple element arrangements is allocated to each unit of accounting based on the relative selling price of each delivered element, with revenue recognized for each delivered element when the revenue recognition criteria are met. Ciena determines the selling price for each deliverable based upon the selling price hierarchy for multiple-deliverable arrangements. Under this hierarchy, Ciena uses vendor-specific objective evidence ("VSOE") of selling price, if it exists, or third party evidence ("TPE") of selling price if VSOE does not exist. If neither VSOE nor TPE of selling price exists for a deliverable, Ciena uses its best estimate of selling price ("BESP") for that deliverable. For multiple element software arrangements where VSOE of undelivered maintenance does not exist, revenue for the entire arrangement is recognized over the maintenance term.

VSOE, when determinable, is established based on Ciena's pricing and discounting practices for the specific product or service when sold separately. In determining whether VSOE exists, Ciena requires that a substantial majority of the selling prices for a product or service fall within a reasonably narrow pricing range. Ciena has been unable to establish TPE of selling price because its go-to-market strategy differs from that of others in its markets, and the extent of customization and differentiated features and functions varies among comparable products or services from its peers. Ciena determines BESP based upon management-approved pricing guidelines, which consider multiple factors including the type of product or service, gross margin objectives, competitive and market conditions, and the go-to-market strategy, all of which can affect pricing practices.

Ciena provides for the estimated costs to fulfill customer warranty obligations upon recognition of the related revenue. Estimated warranty costs include estimates for material costs, technical support labor costs and associated overhead. Warranty is included in cost of goods sold and is determined based upon actual warranty cost experience, estimates of component failure rates and management's industry experience. Ciena's sales contracts do not permit the right of return of the product by the customer after the product has been accepted.

Ciena's allowance for doubtful accounts is based on its assessment, on a specific identification basis, of the collectibility of customer accounts. Ciena performs ongoing credit evaluations of its customers and generally has not required collateral or other forms of security from its customers. In determining the appropriate balance for Ciena's allowance for doubtful accounts, management considers each individual customer account receivable in order to determine collectibility. In doing so, management considers creditworthiness, payment history, account activity and communication with the customer. If a

Ciena accounts for income taxes using an asset and liability approach that recognizes deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences attributable to differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and their respective tax bases, and for operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. In estimating future tax consequences, Ciena considers all expected future events other than the enactment of changes in tax laws or rates. Valuation allowances are provided if, based upon the weight of the available evidence, it is more likely than not that some or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized.

In the ordinary course of business, transactions occur for which the ultimate outcome may be uncertain. In addition, tax authorities periodically audit Ciena's income tax returns. These audits examine significant tax filing positions, including the timing and amounts of deductions and the allocation of income tax expenses among tax jurisdictions. Ciena is currently under audit in India for 2008 through 20122013 and in Canada for 2010 through 2012. Management does not expect the outcome of these audits to have a material adverse effect on Ciena's consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows. Ciena's major tax jurisdictions and the earliest open tax years are as follows: United States (2011), United Kingdom (2012), Canada (2009) and India (2008). However, limitedLimited adjustments can be made to Federal U.S. tax returns in earlier years in order to reduce net operating loss carryforwards. Ciena classifies interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions as a component of income tax expense. All of the uncertain tax positions, if recognized, would decrease the effective income tax rate.

Ciena has not provided for U.S. deferred income taxes on the cumulative unremitted earnings of its non-U.S. affiliates, as it plans to indefinitely reinvest cumulative unremitted foreign earnings outside the U.S., and it is not practicable to determine the unrecognized deferred income taxes. These cumulative unremitted foreign earnings relate to ongoing operations in foreign jurisdictions and will be usedare required to fund foreign operations, capital expenditures and any expansion requirements.

Ciena recognizes windfall tax benefits associated with the exercise of stock options or release of restricted stock units directly to stockholders' equity only when realized. A windfall tax benefit occurs when the actual tax benefit realized by Ciena upon an employee's disposition of a share-based award exceeds the deferred tax asset, if any, associated with the award that Ciena had recorded. When assessing whether a tax benefit relating to share-based compensation has been realized, Ciena follows the tax law “with-and-without” method. Under the with-and-without method, the windfall is considered realized and recognized for financial statement purposes only when an incremental benefit is provided after considering all other tax benefits including Ciena's net operating losses. The with-and-without method results in the windfall from share-based compensation awards always being effectively the last tax benefit to be considered. Consequently, the windfall attributable to share-based compensation will not be considered realized in instances where Ciena's net operating loss carryover (that is unrelated to windfalls) is sufficient to offset the current year's taxable income before considering the effects of current-year windfalls.

Ciena is subject to the possibility of various losses arising in the ordinary course of business. These may relate to disputes, litigation and other legal actions. Ciena considers the likelihood of loss or the incurrence of a liability, as well as Ciena's ability to reasonably estimate the amount of loss, in determining loss contingencies. An estimated loss contingency is accrued when it is probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of loss can be reasonably estimated. Ciena regularly evaluates current information available to it in order to determine whether any accruals should be adjusted and whether new accruals are required.

Fair value for the measurement of financial assets and liabilities is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. As such, fair value is a market-based measurement that should be determined based on assumptions that market participants would use in pricing an asset or liability. Ciena utilizes a valuation hierarchy for disclosure of the inputs for fair value measurement. This hierarchy prioritizes the inputs into three broad levels as follows:

By distinguishing between inputs that are observable in the marketplace, and therefore more objective, and those that are unobservable and therefore more subjective, the hierarchy is designed to indicate the relative reliability of the fair value measurements. A financial asset's or liability's classification within the hierarchy is determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement.

From time to time, Ciena uses foreign currency forwardsforward contracts to hedge certain balance sheet exposures. These forwardsforward contracts are not designated as hedges for accounting purposes, and any net gain or loss associated with these derivatives is reported in interest and other income (loss), net on the Condensed Consolidated StatementsStatement of Operations. Interest and other income (loss), net reflects a gain of $0.9 million for the nine months ended July 31, 2013 and a loss of $11.7 million related to foreign currency forward contracts for the nine months ended July 31, 2014. See Note 12 below.

Ciena records derivative instruments in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows within operating, investing, or financing activities consistent with the cash flows of the hedged items.

Ciena develops software for sale to its customers. GAAP requires the capitalization of certain software development costs that are incurred subsequent to the date technological feasibility is established and prior to the date the product is generally available for sale. The capitalized cost is then amortized straight-line over the estimated life of the product. Ciena defines technological feasibility as being attained at the time a working model is completed. To date, the period between Ciena achieving technological feasibility and the general availability of such software has been short, and software development costs qualifying for capitalization have been insignificant. Accordingly, Ciena has not capitalized any software development costs.

As of the dates indicated, short-term and long-term investments are comprised of the following (in thousands):

As of the date indicated, the assets and liabilities above were presented on Ciena’s Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet as follows (in thousands):

The following table summarizes the activity in Ciena’s accrued warranty for the fiscal periods indicated (in thousands):

Ciena expects the variable rate payments to be received under the terms of the interest rate cap and the interest rate swap to exactly offset the forecasted variable rate payments on the equivalent notional amounts of the Term Loan. These derivative contracts have been designated as cash flow hedges.