QUESTION 8 The vendor’s contract with its customer is the same as in question 7, except that as part of the installation service the software is to be substantially customized in order to add significant new functionality to enable the software to interface with other software already being used by the customer. The customized installation service can be provided by a number of unrelated vendors. Whether it is a distinct contact?

ANSWER 8

Given the change in conditions, where the installation service now includes substantial customization of the software, the nature of the performance obligations might change.

  1. The customer can benefit from each of the goods or services either on its own or together with other resources that are readily available to the customer - As before, the software license, installation service, and technical support each provide benefit to the customer. However, the installation now involves customization that is specifically designed to interface with the customer's existing software. This customization might not have the same benefits if separated from the software license.
  2. The entity’s promise to transfer the goods or services to the customer is separately identifiable from other promises in the contract - While the software license, technical support, and updates are still separately identifiable, the installation service has become integral to the functionality of the software license due to the substantial customization. This suggests that the installation service and the software license are not separately identifiable in this context.

Thus, in this scenario, it appears that the software license and the installation service would be considered as a single performance obligation as they are not distinct within the context of the contract. The vendor would still have separate performance obligations for the technical support and updates.

Here is how it would look in a table:

Again, keep in mind that IFRS 15 requires judgement and the conclusion could change depending on the specific facts and circumstances.





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