corresp
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fidelity National Information Services, Inc.
601 Riverside Avenue, Jacksonville, FL 32204
tel: 904.854.8547 fax: 904.357.1036
email: Todd.Johnson@fnf.com
|
|
Todd C. Johnson
Senior Vice President and
Corporate Secretary |
January 8, 2008
VIA EDGAR CORRESPONDENCE FILING
Mail Stop 3561
United States Securities and Exchange Commission
100 F Street NE
Washington, D.C. 20549
|
|
|
Attention:
|
|
Michael Moran
Accounting Branch Chief |
|
|
|
Re:
|
|
Fidelity National Information Services, Inc.
Form 10-K for the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2006
Forms 10-Q for the Fiscal Quarters Ended March 31, 2007,
June 30, 2007 and September 30, 2007
File No. 1-16427 |
Dear Mr. Moran:
This letter responds to the Staffs letter to Fidelity National Information Services, Inc.
(the Company), dated December 12, 2007, setting forth your comments to the Companys Form 10-K
and Forms 10-Q referenced above. Each response follows the Staffs comments in bold below.
Form 10-K for the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2006
General
|
1. |
|
Where a comment below requests additional disclosure to be included, please show us
in your supplemental response what your revised disclosures will look like. These
additional disclosures should be included in your future filings. |
The Company notes the comment and has addressed it accordingly in its responses below.
Item 1. Business
Products and Services, page 11
|
2. |
|
We note your disclosure that you derive revenue from several types of products and
different types of services. Please disclose in tabular form for each period presented the
amount or percentage of total revenue contributed by each class of similar products or
services. See Item 101(c)(1)(i) of Regulations S-K. |
The Company has considered the guidance in Item 101(c)(1)(i) of Regulation S-K and has determined
that substantially all of its revenues are earned by providing processing and other services to
customers. The large majority of our contracts with financial institutions relating to our core
processing, credit and debit card processing and mortgage processing services involve per
transaction or per item charges which the Company believes are appropriately classified as
processing and other services revenue. While the Company does earn revenues from other classes of
services, including software license and maintenance service agreements, professional and
development service agreements and default management and property data and other real estate
related services, none of these categories constitutes more than 10% of consolidated revenues.
However, the Company does believe that providing a summary in the business section of revenue
generated by each component of the Companys reporting segments would be useful to investors and
plans to include the following in its 2007 Form 10-K:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Transaction Processing Services |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Segment (TPS) |
|
2007 |
|
|
2006(a) |
|
|
2005(a) |
|
Enterprise Solutions |
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
979,116 |
|
|
$ |
580,552 |
|
Integrated Financial Solutions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,058,265 |
|
|
|
477,639 |
|
International |
|
|
|
|
|
|
430,344 |
|
|
|
169,826 |
|
Other |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(10,900 |
) |
|
|
(19,602 |
) |
Total TPS Revenues |
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
2,456,825 |
|
|
$ |
1,208,415 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Lender Processing Services |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Segment(LPS) |
|
2007 |
|
|
2006(a) |
|
|
2005(a) |
|
Mortgage Processing |
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
371,418 |
|
|
$ |
360,594 |
|
Information Outsourcing |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,172,332 |
|
|
|
1,079,241 |
|
Other |
|
|
|
|
|
|
44,452 |
|
|
|
43,210 |
|
Total LPS Revenues |
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
1,588,202 |
|
|
$ |
1,483,045 |
|
|
(a) |
|
These revenues are presented consistent with 2007
classifications and business descriptions, and exclude
revenues relating to operations that were initially presented as a discontinued operations
in Q3 07 and therefore may not tie to the 2006 Form 10-K. |
In addition, the Company does not derive any significant amount of revenue from the sale of
tangible products. The reference to products mentioned in its business section disclosures relate
to items such as tax and flood certifications, credit reports and appraisals that are part of our
Lender Processing Services offerings. Although such items result in the delivery of a report to
the customer, the inherent value of such deliverables lies in the underlying services provided to
produce the report. To make it clear that the Company does not earn any significant revenues from
the sale of tangible products, the Company will remove any references to different products in
future filings.
Item 7. Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
Critical Accounting Policies, page 26
|
3. |
|
We note your disclosure that you consider that areas discussed as critical to
understanding your financial statements since their application places the most
significant demands on management due to their uncertainty. However, your disclosure
generally does not provide investors with quantitative disclosure of sensitivity to
change. Please expand your disclosure to quantify the effect that each significant
estimate and assumption has on your financial condition and operating results for each of
the years presented to provide greater insight into the quality and variability of
reported financial information. Please be sure that your disclosure specifically discusses
the factors you use to arrive at each estimate, why your estimates are difficult to
measure and how accurate each estimate and assumption has been in the past. For example,
please disclose the amounts of estimated reserves recorded for card processing and check
guarantee losses at each balance sheet date and the impact of significant changes in the
estimates on your operating results for the periods presented. Your discussion should
indicate how sensitive each estimate and assumption is to change, and based on other
outcomes that are reasonably likely to occur, what the impact of these potential changes
could have on your results of operations. For example, with respect to estimates relating
to your lending processing services segment, please identify how recent negative trends in
the housing and mortgage industries could impact your estimates in future periods. In
addition, please identify those critical accounting estimates that have not had a
significant effect on your financial condition and operating results in the past, but are
reasonably likely to change and have a significant effect on your operating results in
future periods. Refer to Section V of Release No. 33-8350. |
The Company has reviewed the staffs comments and in turn fully reconsidered its Critical
Accounting Policies disclosure in connection with the suggested guidance. Through this
reconsideration the Company assessed the appropriateness of certain of the items included in its
previous disclosures due to either the materiality of the item or to the determination of whether
there were any truly critical estimates, judgments or assumptions as part of the process. The
result of this review was to include additional
detail that provides the user insight into managements true estimates and judgments and
reduce or even remove disclosure in certain circumstances where appropriate. Certain accounting
policies which the Company deems to be critical, such as revenue recognition and accounting for
income taxes, relate more to the important judgments or assumptions that are required to apply the
accounting policy rather than to the use of a numerical estimate. For critical polices which
require significant judgments or assumptions, the Company has provided more detail about the
specifics of the judgment or assumption that is used and the important factors that the Company
considers in making such judgments. For certain critical accounting policies that involve a
numerical estimate, the Company has determined whether a quantified sensitivity analysis is
appropriate and has included such disclosure or has provided additional qualitative discussion
about the potential impact that the use of a different numerical estimate could have on the
Companys financial position or results of operations.
In addition, the Company has considered whether the impact of negative trends in the housing
and mortgage industries could impact any estimates or judgments in future periods. In our Lender
Processing Services segment, the majority of our revenues are recorded based on transaction volume
and do not rely significantly on management estimates or judgments. However these trends both
negatively and positively impact the transaction volume for several of our mortgage related
businesses. For example, decreased refinancing activities can result in decreased revenues in our
mortgage origination activities and conversely increasing mortgage default rates can positively
impact our default management businesses. Since these impacts relate to transaction volumes and
related revenues, and not changes in estimates or judgments, we believe this discussion is more
appropriate for the business trends and conditions section of managements discussion and analysis
section and we will continue to address this topic in that section in our 2007 Form 10-K.
Based on the foregoing, the Company intends to provide the following disclosure of critical
accounting policies in its 2007 Form 10-K:
|
|
Critical Accounting Policies |
The accounting policies described below are those we consider critical
in preparing our Consolidated and Combined Financial Statements. These policies
require management to make estimates, judgments and assumptions that affect the
reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures with respect to
contingent liabilities and assets at the date of the Consolidated and Combined
Financial Statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the
reporting periods. Actual amounts could differ from those estimates. See Note 3 of
Notes to the Consolidated and Combined Financial Statements for a more detailed
description of the significant accounting policies that have been followed in
preparing our Consolidated and Combined Financial Statements.
We recognize revenues in accordance with Securities and Exchange
Commission (SEC) Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 104 (SAB No. 104), Revenue
Recognition and related interpretations, Financial Accounting Standards Board
(FASB) Emerging
Issues Task Force No. 00-21 (EITF 00-21), Revenue
Arrangements with Multiple Deliverables, American Institute of Certified Public
Accountants SOP No. 97-2 Software Revenue Recognition (SOP 97-2), SOP No.
98-9 Modification of SOP No. 97-2, Software Revenue Recognition, with Respect to
Certain Transactions (SOP 98-9), and SOP No. 81-1, Accounting for Performance
of Construction Type and Certain Production-Type Contracts (SOP 81-1).
Recording revenues under the provisions of these pronouncements requires judgment,
including determining whether or not an arrangement includes multiple elements,
whether any of the elements are essential to the functionality of any other
elements, and whether evidence of fair value exists for those elements. Customers
receive certain contract elements over time and changes to the elements in an
arrangement, or in our ability to identify fair value for these elements, could
materially impact the amount of earned and unearned revenue reflected in our
financial statements.
The primary judgments relating to our revenue recognition are determining
when all of the following criteria are met under SAB 104: (1) persuasive evidence
of an arrangement exists; (2) delivery has occurred or services have been
rendered; (3) the sellers price to the buyer is fixed or determinable; and (4)
collectibility is reasonably assured. Under EITF 00-21, judgment is also required
to determine whether an arrangement involving more than one deliverable contains
more than one unit of accounting and how the arrangement consideration should be
measured and allocated to the separate units of accounting.
If the deliverables under a contract are software related as determined
under SOP 97-2 or SOP 98-9, we apply these pronouncements and related
interpretations to determine the appropriate units of accounting and how the
arrangement consideration should be measured and allocated to the separate units.
This determination, as well as managements ability to establish vendor specific
objective evidence (VSOE) for the individual deliverables, can impact both the
amount and timing of revenue recognition under these agreements. The inability to
establish VSOE for each contract deliverable results in having to record deferred
revenues and/or applying the residual method as defined in SOP 98-9. For
arrangements where we determine VSOE for software maintenance using a stated
renewal rate within the contract, we use judgment to determine whether the renewal
rate represents fair value for that element as if it had been sold on a
stand-alone basis. For a small percentage of revenues, we use contract
accounting, as required by SOP No. 97-2, when the arrangement with the customer
includes significant customization, modification, or production of software. For
elements accounted for under contract accounting, revenue is recognized in
accordance with SOP 81-1, Accounting for Performance of Construction Type and
Certain Production-Type Contracts, using the percentage-of-completion method
since reasonably dependable estimates of revenues and contract hours applicable to
various elements of a contract can be made.
Occasionally, we are party to multiple concurrent contracts with the same
customer. These situations require judgment to determine whether the individual
contracts should be aggregated or evaluated separately for purposes of revenue
recognition. In making this determination we consider the timing of negotiating
and executing the contracts, whether the different elements of the contracts are
interdependent and whether any of the payment terms of the contracts are
interrelated.
Due to the large number, broad nature and average size of individual
contracts we are a party to, the impact of judgments and assumptions that we apply
in recognizing revenue for any single contract is not likely to have a material effect on
our consolidated operations. However the broader accounting policy assumptions
that we apply across similar arrangements or classes of customers could
significantly influence the timing and amount of revenue recognized in our
historical and future results of operations or financial position.
|
|
Reserves for Check Guarantee Losses |
In our check guarantee business, if a guaranteed check presented to a
merchant customer is dishonored by the check writers bank, we reimburse our
merchant customer for the checks face value and pursue collection of the amount
from the delinquent check writer. Loss reserves and anticipated recoveries are
primarily determined by performing a historical analysis of our check loss and
recovery experience and considering other factors that could affect that
experience in the future. Such factors include the general economy, the overall
industry mix of our customer volumes, statistical analysis of check fraud trends
within our customer volumes, and the quality of returned checks. Once these
factors are considered, we establish a rate for check losses that is calculated by
dividing the expected check losses by dollar volume processed and a rate for
anticipated recoveries that is calculated by dividing the anticipated recoveries
by the total amount of related check losses. These rates are then applied against
the dollar volume processed and check losses, respectively, each month and charged
to costs of revenues. The estimated check returns and recovery amounts are subject
to risk that actual amounts returned and recovered may be different than our
estimates. We had accrued claims payable and accrued claims recoverable balances
of $____million and $____million at December 31, 2007 and $30.0 million and $39.4
million at December 31, 2006, respectively.
Historically, such estimation processes have proven to be materially
accurate; however, our projections of probable check guarantee losses and
anticipated recoveries are inherently uncertain, and as a result, we cannot
predict with certainty the amount of such items. Changes in economic conditions,
the risk characteristics and composition of our customers, and other factors could
impact our actual and projected amounts. We recorded check guarantee losses, net
of anticipated recoveries excluding service fees, of $____million and $102.9
million, respectively, for the years ended December 31, 2007 and 2006. A one
percent increase in our gross check guarantee loss rate coupled with
a one percent decrease in our estimated
recovery rate in 2007 could impact 2007 net earnings by up to approximately $____million
after-tax.
Computer software includes the fair value of software acquired in
business combinations, purchased software and capitalized software development
costs. As of December 31, 2007 and December 31, 2006, computer software, net of
accumulated amortization was $____million and $640.8 million, respectively.
Purchased software is recorded at cost and amortized using the straight line
method over its estimated useful life and software acquired in business
combinations is recorded at its fair value and amortized using straight line and
accelerated methods over their estimated useful lives, ranging from 3 to 10
years. In determining useful lives, management considers historical results and
technological trends which may influence the estimate. Amortization expense for
computer software was $____million, $130.2 million and $91.7 million in 2007, 2006
and 2005, respectively. We also assess the recorded value of computer software
for impairment on a regular basis by comparing the carrying value to the
estimated future cash flows to be generated by the underlying software asset.
There are inherent uncertainties in determining the expected useful life or cash flows
to be generated from computer software. We have not historically
experienced significant changes in these estimates but could be
subject to such
changes in the future.
|
|
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets |
We have significant intangible assets that were acquired through
business acquisitions. These assets consist of purchased customer relationships,
contracts, and the excess of purchase price over the fair value of identifiable
net assets acquired (goodwill).
As of December 31, 2007 and December 31, 2006, goodwill was $____billion and
$3.7 billion, respectively. The process of determining whether or not an asset,
such as goodwill, is impaired or recoverable relies on projections of future cash
flows, operating results and market conditions. Such projections are inherently
uncertain and, accordingly, actual future cash flows may differ materially from
projected cash flows. In evaluating the recoverability of goodwill, we perform an
annual goodwill impairment test on our reporting units based on an analysis of the
discounted future net cash flows generated by the reporting units underlying
assets. Such analyses are particularly sensitive to changes in future business
trends and economic conditions which can significantly influence our estimates
of future net cash flows and discount rates. Changes to these estimates might
result in material changes in the fair value of the reporting units and
determination of the recoverability of goodwill potentially leading to charges
against earnings and a reduction in the carrying value of our goodwill.
As of December 31, 2007 and December 31, 2006, intangible assets, net
of accumulated amortization, were $____billion and $1.0 billion respectively,
which consist primarily of purchased customer relationships and trademarks. The
valuation of these assets involves significant estimates and assumptions
concerning matters such as customer retention, future cash flows and discount
rates. If any of these assumptions change, it could affect the recoverability of
the carrying value of these assets. Purchased customer relationships are
amortized over their estimated useful lives using an accelerated method which
takes into consideration expected customer attrition rates over a ten-year
period. All intangible assets that have been determined to have indefinite lives
are not amortized, but are reviewed for impairment at least annually in
accordance with SFAS No. 142. During 2005, we recorded a pre-tax impairment
charge of $9.3 million to write off the carrying value of customer relationships
at one subsidiary in the Lender Processing Services segment which were
terminated. The determination of estimated useful lives and the allocation of the
purchase price to the fair values of the intangible assets require significant
judgment and may affect the amount of future amortization on the intangible
assets other than goodwill. Amortization expense for intangible assets other than
goodwill was $____million, $175.6 million and $125.4 million in 2007, 2006 and
2005, respectively. There is an inherent uncertainty in determining the expected
useful life or cash flows to be generated from intangible assets. We have not
historically experienced significant changes in these estimates but could be
subject to them in the future.
|
|
Accounting for Income Taxes |
As part of the process of preparing the consolidated financial statements,
we are required to determine income taxes in each of the jurisdictions in which
we operate. This process involves estimating actual current tax expense together with
assessing temporary differences resulting from differing recognition of items for
income tax and accounting purposes. These differences result in deferred income
tax assets and liabilities, which are included within the Consolidated Balance
Sheets. We must then assess the likelihood that deferred income tax assets will
be recovered from future taxable income and, to the extent we believe that
recovery is not likely, establish a valuation allowance. To the extent we
establish a
valuation allowance or increase this allowance in a period, we must
reflect this increase as an expense within income tax expense in the statement of
earnings. Determination of the income tax expense requires estimates and can
involve complex issues that may require an extended period to resolve. Further,
changes in the geographic mix of revenues or in the estimated level of annual
pre-tax income can cause the overall effective income tax rate to vary from
period to period. We believe that our tax positions comply with applicable tax
law and that we adequately provide for any know tax contingencies. We believe
the estimates and assumptions used to support our evaluation of tax benefit
realization are reasonable. However, final determination of prior-year tax
liabilities, either by settlement with tax authorities or expiration of statutes
of limitations, could be materially different than estimates reflected in assets
and liabilities and historical income tax provisions. The outcome of these final
determinations could have a material effect on our income tax provision, net
income or cash flows in the period that determination is made.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Cash Requirements, page 38
|
4. |
|
Please revise to discuss and summarize for investors the overall impact of your
merger during 2006 with Certegy Inc. on your liquidity and cash requirements in future
periods. Refer to Item 303(a)(1) of Regulation S-K. |
The major impacts from the merger with Certegy Inc. were the long-term debt assumed, the inherited
dividend policy and other contractual obligations, all of which are noted or included in the
consolidated amounts in our 2006 Liquidity and Capital Resources Section in the appropriate area.
The Company believes that as of December 31, 2006 the impacts of the Certegy merger had been
adequately incorporated throughout its overall Liquidity and Capital Resources Disclosures section
and that those impacts were also properly addressed in the 2005 Form 10-K as this acquisition was
completed prior to the filing of that document. The Company will make sure to consider Item
303(a)(1) in connection with any 2007 acquisitions in its 2007 Form 10-K.
Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
Consolidated and Combined Financial Statements
Notes to Consolidated and Combined Financial Statements
Note 3. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, page 52
General
|
5. |
|
Please disclose in a footnote the types of amounts you include in the cost of
revenues and selling, general and administrative expense line items. |
The Company will incorporate the following paragraph in future filings with the SEC, including our
Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007.
Cost of revenue includes payroll, employee benefits, occupancy costs and other costs
associated with personnel employed in customer service roles, including program design and
development and professional services. Cost of revenue also includes data processing costs,
amortization of software, customer relationship intangible assets and depreciation on operating
assets. Selling, general, and administrative expenses include payroll, employee benefits, occupancy
and other costs associated with personnel employed in sales, marketing, human resources and finance
roles. Selling, general, and administrative expenses also includes depreciation on non-operating
corporate assets, advertising costs and other marketing-related programs.
Note 13 Long-term Debt, page 74
|
6. |
|
Please disclose the existence of any cross-default provisions on your credit
facilities, along with any assets securing these loans. Refer to Rule 4-08 of Regulation
S-X. |
The Companys outstanding debt at the time its 2006 Form 10-K was filed included its Credit
Agreement and its 4.75% notes (the Notes). The Credit Agreement was entered into on January 18,
2007 and replaced the registrants prior credit agreement (referred to in the Form 10-K as the BOA
Credit Agreement), which was in effect on December 31, 2006.
Neither the Credit Agreement nor the Notes was secured at the time the 2006 Form 10-K was
filed. They both subsequently became secured in September 2007 in connection with additional
borrowings made under the Credit Agreement to fund the Companys acquisition of eFunds Corporation.
Both the Credit Agreement and the Notes contain a cross-default provision.
Accordingly, subject to any future changes in the terms of these obligations, the disclosure
the Company intends to include in our 2007 Form 10-K on these points would read as follows:
1. In the second to last paragraph on page 75, the Company would add a new second to last
sentence, reading: These events of default include a cross-default provision that permits the
lenders to declare the Credit Agreement in default if (i) the Company fails to make any payment
after the applicable grace period under any indebtedness with a principal amount in excess of $150
million or (ii) the Company fails to perform any other term under any such indebtedness, as a
result of which the holders thereof may cause it to become due and payable prior to its maturity.
2. We would add a new paragraph before the last paragraph on page 75, reading: Both the
Credit Agreement and the 4.75% notes referred to below are equally
and ratably secured by a pledge of equity interests in the Companys subsidiaries, subject to
certain exceptions for subsidiaries not required to be pledged. As of December 31, 2007, the
shares of subsidiaries representing less than [to be completed when known]% of the Companys net
assets were subject to such pledge.
3. At the end of the first paragraph on page 76, we would add the following: The notes
include customary events of default, including a cross-default provision that permits the trustee
or the holders of at least 25% of the Notes to declare the Notes in default if (i) the Company
fails to make any payment after the applicable grace period under any indebtedness with a principal
amount in excess of $10 million or (ii) the Company fails to perform any other term under any such
indebtedness, as a result of which the holders thereof have caused it to become due and payable
prior to its maturity.
As a result of the eFunds acquisition on September 12, 2007, our Companys consolidated
indebtedness now also includes notes previously issued by eFunds (the EFD Notes). The EFD Notes
are unsecured but do include a cross-default provision. We currently intend to redeem the EFD
Notes prior to the date we file our 2007 Form 10-K, but if they are still outstanding on that date,
we will include any relevant disclosure required by S-X 4-08 in the Form 10-K.
|
7. |
|
You disclose that your debt covenants include restrictions on dividends. Please
revise your disclosure to include the specific nature of the restrictions on dividends by
you as required by Rule 4-08(e)(1) of Regulation S-X. Also, please tell us the specific
restrictions on any transfer of assets of your subsidiaries to you in the form of loans,
advances or cash dividends without the consent of a third party. If so, please provide us
with the detailed computations you performed demonstrating that the restricted assets do
not exceed the 25% threshold. If restricted assets exceed the 25% threshold, please revise
your financial statements to include the disclosures required by Rule 4-08(e)(3) of
Regulation S-X and Schedule I, which are discussed under Rules 5-04 and 12-04 of
Regulation S-X. |
Under our Credit Agreement, the only limit on dividends is that the registrant may not pay
dividends if an event of default is outstanding or would result therefrom. We propose to disclose
this in our 2007 Form 10-K by replacing the words limitations on dividends and other restricted
payments with the words a prohibition on the payment of dividends and other restricted payments
if an event of default has occurred and is continuing or would result therefrom. There are no
requirements that the registrant maintain minimum levels of working capital, net tangible assets or
net assets or other financial measures relevant to the payment of cash dividends. Our Notes do not
contain any limit on dividends. Further, neither our Credit Agreement nor the Notes restricts the
ability of our subsidiaries (other than any foreign subsidiary designated as an unrestricted
subsidiary under the Credit Agreement, of which there are none now and were none at December 31,
2006) to transfer cash to us in the form of dividends, loans or advances.
Note 16 Employee Benefit Plans
Defined Benefit Plans, page 87
|
8. |
|
We note that you do not disclose information on the percentage of fair value of plan
assets by major category such as equity securities, debt securities, real estate and any
other assets categories. Please revise your disclosure to include the applicable
information about your plan assets as required by paragraph 5(d) of SFAS 132(R). |
As disclosed at the bottom of Page 86 of the Form 10-K for 2006, all pension assets were being
held in U.S. Treasury Bonds due to the short duration until final payment. Since all assets were
in one category, the Company did not present this information in tabular form and believes that it
has met the requirements of paragraph 5(d) of SFAS 132(R).
Index to Exhibits, page 99
Exhibits 32.1 and 32.2
|
9. |
|
We note that the disclosure under the second item provides a certification on the
financial condition and results of operations of Certegy Inc. which is not the correct
name of the registrant, and does not properly reference the registrant which is Fidelity
National Information Services, Inc. Since the name of registrant is not correct in the
certification, a full amendment of Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006
is required. Please amend Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006 in its
entirety and provide all the new currently dated 302 and 906 certifications that reference
the correct name of the registrant. |
Fidelity National Information Services, Inc., was named Certegy Inc. until it changed its name
to Fidelity National Information Services, Inc. in 2006. Through inadvertence, the new name was
not changed in one place in the Section 906 certifications. However, there was at the time of the
certifications no other company named Certegy Inc. (nor is there today), and it is clear that the
certificate refers to the registrant. As a matter of law, it is the same entity, and under these
circumstances we believe there is no reason to re-file the certifications or the Form 10-K.
In addition to the reasons above, filing a full amendment with new currently dated 302 and 906
certifications would be excessively burdensome for our Company at this time, for the following
reason. On August 31, 2007, we sold our Property Insight division, which provided property records
data to title insurance companies and other third parties. We are concerned that we would not be
able to give the full Section 302 and 906 certifications dated as of todays date (unless the
certifications were deemed to
speak as of their original filing dates) without revising the financial statements and the
MD&A in the Form 10-K to present Property Insight as a discontinued operation. In turn, our
auditors would have to perform additional procedures related to the presentation of discontinued
operations in order to permit their audit opinion to be included with the revised financial
statements. All of this activity would not add any value in terms of
investor protection.
Property Insight was a small operation compared to our Company as a whole. For 2006, its revenues
were approximately $90 million, compared to our consolidated revenues of $4.1 billion; and at
December 31, 2006, its net assets were approximately $10 million, compared to our stockholders
equity of $3.1 billion. We have presented Property Insight as a discontinued operation for the
three and nine month periods ended September 30, 2007 in our recent Form 10-Q for the third quarter
of 2007.
Further, in our Form 10-K for 2007, which will be filed before March 1, 2008, Property Insight
will be presented for all historical periods (including periods, other than 2004, covered by our
2006 Form 10-K) as discontinued operations. Therefore, the historical presentation of Property
Insight as discontinued operations for 2005 and 2006 will soon be available to the public. The
typographical error in our 906 certification will of course not be repeated in our 2007 Form 10-K
* * *
In connection with this response, the Company acknowledges that:
|
|
|
the Company is responsible for the adequacy and accuracy of the disclosures in the
filing; |
|
|
|
|
staff comments or changes to disclosure in response to staff comments and do not
foreclose the Commission from taking any action with respect to the filing; and |
|
|
|
|
the Company may not assert this action as a defense in any proceeding initiated by the
Commission or any person under the federal securities laws of the United States. |
Please do not hesitate to contact me at 904-854-8547 with further questions or comments.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Very truly yours,
|
|
|
/s/ Todd C. Johnson
|
|
|
Todd C. Johnson |
|
|
Senior Vice President and Secretary |
|
|