Item 1A. Risk Factors

The following important factors could cause our actual business and financial results to differ materially from our current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections. These forward-looking statements contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K or made elsewhere by management from time to time are subject to important risks, uncertainties and assumptions which are difficult to predict. The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only risks and uncertainties facing us. Additional risks not currently known to us or that we currently believe are immaterial may also impair our operating results, financial condition and liquidity. Our business is also subject to general risks and uncertainties that affect many other companies. The risks discussed below are not necessarily presented in order of importance or probability of occurrence.

The length of our sales cycle can fluctuate significantly which could result in significant fluctuations in revenues being recognized from quarter to quarter

The decision by a customer to license our software products or purchase our services often involves a comprehensive implementation process across the customer's network or networks. As a result, the licensing and implementation of our software products and any related services may entail a significant commitment of resources by prospective customers, accompanied by the attendant risks and delays frequently associated with significant technology implementation projects. Given the significant investment and commitment of resources required by an organization to implement our software products, our sales cycle may be longer compared to other companies within our own industry, as well as companies in other industries. Also, because of changes in customer spending habits, it may be difficult for us to budget, forecast and allocate our resources properly. In weak economic environments, it is not uncommon to see reduced information technology spending. It may take several months, or even several quarters, for marketing opportunities to materialize. If a customer's decision to license our software or purchase our services is delayed or if the implementation of these software products takes longer than originally anticipated, the date on which we may recognize revenues from these licenses or sales would be delayed. Such delays and fluctuations could cause our revenues to be lower than expected in a particular period and we may not be able to adjust our costs quickly enough to offset such lower revenues, potentially negatively impacting our business, operating results and financial condition.

Our success depends on our relationships with strategic partners, distributors and third party service providers and any reduction in the sales efforts by distributors, cooperative efforts from our partners or service from third party providers could materially impact our revenues

We rely on close cooperation with strategic partners for sales and software product development as well as for the optimization of opportunities that arise in our competitive environment. A portion of our license revenues is derived from the licensing of our software products through third parties. Also, a portion of our service revenues may be impacted by the level of service provided by third party service providers relating to Internet, telecommunications and power services. Our success will depend, in part, upon our ability to maintain access to existing channels of distribution and to gain access to new channels if and when they develop. We may not be able to retain a sufficient number of our existing distributors or develop a sufficient number of future distributors. Distributors may also give higher priority to the licensing or sale of software products and services other than ours (which could include competitors' products and services) or may not devote sufficient resources to marketing our software products and services. In addition, potential changes or renegotiations of the North American Free

Trade Agreement (NAFTA) as well as tariff changes between the U.S. and Canada could impact our relationships with distributors. The performance of third party distributors and third party service providers is largely outside of our control, and we are unable to predict the extent to which these distributors and service providers will be successful in either marketing and licensing or selling our software products and services or providing adequate Internet, telecommunication and power services so that disruptions and outages are not experienced by our customers. A reduction in strategic partner cooperation or sales efforts, a decline in the number of distributors, a decision by our distributors to discontinue the licensing of our software products or a decline or disruption in third party services could cause users and the general public to perceive our software products and services as inferior and could materially reduce revenues.

If we do not continue to develop technologically advanced products that successfully integrate with the software products and enhancements used by our customers, future revenues and our operating results may be negatively affected

Our success depends upon our ability to design, develop, test, market, license, sell and support new software products and services and enhancements of current products and services on a timely basis in response to both competitive threats and marketplace demands. The software industry is increasingly focused on cloud computing, mobility, social media and SaaS among other continually evolving shifts. In addition, our software products, services, and enhancements must remain compatible with standard platforms and file formats. Often, we must integrate software licensed or acquired from third parties with our proprietary software to create or improve our products. If we are unable to achieve a successful integration with third party software, we may not be successful in developing and marketing our new software products, services, and enhancements. If we are unable to successfully integrate third party software to develop new software products, services, and enhancements to existing software products and services, or to complete the development of new software products and services which we license or acquire from third parties, our operating results will materially suffer. In addition, if the integrated or new products or enhancements do not achieve acceptance by the marketplace, our operating results will materially suffer. Moreover, if new industry standards emerge that we do not anticipate or adapt to, or with rapid technological change occurring, if alternatives to our services and solutions are developed by our competitors, our software products and services could be rendered less competitive or obsolete, causing us to lose market share and, as a result, harm our business and operating results, and our ability to compete in the marketplace.

If our software products and services do not gain market acceptance, our operating results may be negatively affected

We intend to pursue our strategy of being a market leading consolidator for cloud-based EIM solutions, and growing the capabilities of our EIM software offerings through our proprietary research and the development of new software product and service offerings, as well as through acquisitions. In response to customer demand, it is important to our success that we continue to enhance our software products and services and to seek to set the standard for EIM capabilities. The primary market for our software products and services is rapidly evolving which means that the level of acceptance of products and services that have been released recently, including Release 16 and Magellan, or that are planned for future release to the marketplace is not certain. If the markets for our software products and services fail to develop, develop more slowly than expected or become subject to increased competition, our business may suffer. As a result, we may be unable to: (i) successfully market our current products and services, (ii) develop new software products and services and enhancements to current software products and services, (iii) complete customer implementations on a timely basis, or (iv) complete software products and services currently under development. In addition, increased competition could put significant pricing pressures on our products which could negatively impact our margins and profitability. If our software products and services are not accepted by our customers or by other businesses in the marketplace, our business, operating results and financial condition will be materially adversely affected.

Our existing customers might cancel contracts with us, fail to renew contracts on their renewal dates, and/or fail to purchase additional services and products, and we may be unable to attract new customers

We depend on our installed customer base for a significant portion of our revenues. We have significant contracts with our license customers for ongoing support and maintenance, as well as significant service contracts that provide recurring services revenues to us. In addition, our installed customer base has historically generated additional new license and services revenues for us. Service contracts are generally renewable at a customer’s option and/or subject to cancellation rights, and there are generally no mandatory payment obligations or obligations to license additional software or subscribe for additional services.

If our customers fail to renew or cancel their service contracts or fail to purchase additional services or products, then our revenues could decrease and our operating results could be materially adversely affected. Factors influencing such contract terminations and failure to purchase additional services or products could include changes in the financial circumstances of our customers, dissatisfaction with our products or services, our retirement or lack of support for our legacy products and services, our customers selecting or building alternate technologies to replace us, the cost of our products and services as compared to

the cost of products and services offered by our competitors, our ability to attract, hire and maintain qualified personnel to meet customer needs, consolidating activities in the market, changes in our customers’ business or in regulation impacting our customers’ business that may no longer necessitate the use of our products or services, general economic or market conditions, or other reasons. Further, our customers could delay or terminate implementations or use of our services and products or be reluctant to migrate to new products. Such customers will not generate the revenues we may have anticipated within the timelines anticipated, if at all, and may be less likely to invest in additional services or products from us in the future. We may not be able to adjust our expense levels quickly enough to account for any such revenue losses.

Our investment in our current research and development efforts may not provide a sufficient, timely return

The development of EIM software products is a costly, complex and time-consuming process, and the investment in EIM software product development often involves a long wait until a return is achieved on such an investment. We are making, and will continue to make, significant investments in software research and development and related product and service opportunities. Investments in new technology and processes are inherently speculative. Commercial success depends on many factors, including the degree of innovation of the software products and services developed through our research and development efforts, sufficient support from our strategic partners, and effective distribution and marketing. Accelerated software product introductions and short product life cycles require high levels of expenditures for research and development. These expenditures may adversely affect our operating results if they are not offset by revenue increases. We believe that we must continue to dedicate a significant amount of resources to our research and development efforts in order to maintain our competitive position. However, significant revenues from new software product and service investments may not be achieved for a number of years, if at all. Moreover, new software products and services may not be profitable, and even if they are profitable, operating margins for new software products and services may not be as high as the margins we have experienced for our current or historical software products and services.

Product development is a long, expensive and uncertain process, and we may terminate one or more of our development programs

We may determine that certain software product candidates or programs do not have sufficient potential to warrant the continued allocation of resources. Accordingly, we may elect to terminate one or more of our programs for such product candidates. If we terminate a software product in development in which we have invested significant resources, our prospects may suffer, as we will have expended resources on a project that does not provide a return on our investment and we may have missed the opportunity to have allocated those resources to potentially more productive uses and this may negatively impact our business, operating results and financial condition.

Failure to protect our intellectual property could harm our ability to compete effectively

We are highly dependent on our ability to protect our proprietary technology. We rely on a combination of copyright, patent, trademark and trade secret laws, as well as non-disclosure agreements and other contractual provisions to establish and maintain our proprietary rights. We intend to protect our intellectual property rights vigorously; however, there can be no assurance that these measures will, in all cases, be successful. Enforcement of our intellectual property rights may be difficult, particularly in some countries outside of North America in which we seek to market our software products and services. While U.S. and Canadian copyright laws, international conventions and international treaties may provide meaningful protection against unauthorized duplication of software, the laws of some foreign jurisdictions may not protect proprietary rights to the same extent as the laws of Canada or the United States. The absence of internationally harmonized intellectual property laws makes it more difficult to ensure consistent protection of our proprietary rights. Software piracy has been, and is expected to be, a persistent problem for the software industry, and piracy of our software products represents a loss of revenue to us. Where applicable, certain of our license arrangements have required us to make a limited confidential disclosure of portions of the source code for our software products, or to place such source code into escrow for the protection of another party. Despite the precautions we have taken, unauthorized third parties, including our competitors, may be able to copy certain portions of our software products or reverse engineer or obtain and use information that we regard as proprietary. Our competitive position may be adversely affected by our possible inability to effectively protect our intellectual property. In addition, certain of our products contain open source software. Licensees of open source software may be required to make public certain source code, to license proprietary software for free or to make certain derivative works available to others. While we monitor and control the use of open source software in our products and in any third party software that is incorporated into our products, and we try to ensure that no open source software is used in such a way as to require us to disclose the source code to the related product or service, there can be no guarantee that such use could not inadvertently occur. If this happened it could harm our intellectual property position and have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Other companies may claim that we infringe their intellectual property, which could materially increase costs and materially harm our ability to generate future revenues and profits

Claims of infringement are common in the software industry and increasing as related legal protections, including copyrights and patents, are applied to software products. Although most of our technology is proprietary in nature, we do include certain third party and open source software in our software products. In the case of third party software, we believe this software is licensed from the entity holding the intellectual property rights. While we believe that we have secured proper licenses for all third-party intellectual property that is integrated into our products, third parties have and may continue to assert infringement claims against us in the future, including the sometimes aggressive and opportunistic actions of non-practicing entities whose business model is to obtain patent-licensing revenues from operating companies such as us. Any such assertion, regardless of merit, may result in litigation or may require us to obtain a license for the intellectual property rights of third parties. Such licenses may not be available or they may not be available on commercially reasonable terms. In addition, as we continue to develop software products and expand our portfolio using new technology and innovation, our exposure to threats of infringement may increase. Any infringement claims and related litigation could be time-consuming, disruptive to our ability to generate revenues or enter into new market opportunities and may result in significantly increased costs as a result of our defense against those claims or our attempt to license the intellectual property rights or rework our products to avoid infringement of third party rights. Typically our agreements with our partners and customers contain provisions which require us to indemnify them for damages sustained by them as a result of any infringement claims involving our products. Any of the foregoing infringement claims and related litigation could have a significant adverse impact on our business and operating results as well as our ability to generate future revenues and profits.

The loss of licenses to use third-party software or the lack of support or enhancement of such software could adversely affect our business

We currently depend upon a limited number of third-party software products. If such software products were not available, we might experience delays or increased costs in the development of our own software products. For a limited number of our product modules, we rely on software products that we license from third parties, including software that is integrated with internally developed software and which is used in our products to perform key functions. These third-party software licenses may not continue to be available to us on commercially reasonable terms and the related software may not continue to be appropriately supported, maintained, or enhanced by the licensors. The loss by us of the license to use, or the inability by licensors to support, maintain, or enhance any of such software, could result in increased costs, lost revenues or delays until equivalent software is internally developed or licensed from another third party and integrated with our software. Such increased costs, lost revenues or delays could adversely affect our business.

Current and future competitors could have a significant impact on our ability to generate future revenues and profits

The markets for our software products and services are intensely competitive and are subject to rapid technological change and other pressures created by changes in our industry. The convergence of many technologies has resulted in unforeseen competitors arising from companies that were traditionally not viewed as threats to our marketplace. We expect competition to increase and intensify in the future as the pace of technological change and adaptation quickens and as additional companies enter our markets, including those competitors who offer solutions similar to ours, but offer it through a different form of delivery. Numerous releases of competitive products have occurred in recent history and are expected to continue in the future. We may not be able to compete effectively with current competitors and potential entrants into our marketplace. We could lose market share if our current or prospective competitors: (i) develop technologies that are perceived to be substantially equivalent or superior to our technologies, (ii) introduce new competitive products or services, (iii) add new functionality to existing products and services, (iv) acquire competitive products and services, (v) reduce prices, or (vi) form strategic alliances or cooperative relationships with other companies. If other businesses were to engage in aggressive pricing policies with respect to competing products, or if the dynamics in our marketplace resulted in increasing bargaining power by the consumers of our software products and services, we would need to lower the prices we charge for the products and services we offer. This could result in lower revenues or reduced margins, either of which may materially adversely affect our business and operating results. Additionally, if prospective consumers choose other methods of EIM delivery different from that which we offer, our business and operating results could also be materially adversely affected.

Acquisitions, investments, joint ventures and other business initiatives may negatively affect our operating results

The growth of our Company through the successful acquisition and integration of complementary businesses is a critical component of our corporate strategy. In light of the continually evolving marketplace in which we operate, we regularly evaluate acquisition opportunities on an ongoing basis and at any time may be in various stages of discussions with respect to such opportunities. We plan to continue to pursue acquisitions that complement our existing business, represent a strong strategic fit and are consistent with our overall growth strategy and disciplined financial management. We may also target

future acquisitions to expand or add functionality and capabilities to our existing portfolio of solutions, as well as add new solutions to our portfolio. We may also consider, from time to time, opportunities to engage in joint ventures or other business collaborations with third parties to address particular market segments. These activities create risks such as: (i) the need to integrate and manage the businesses and products acquired with our own business and products; (ii) additional demands on our resources, systems, procedures and controls; (iii) disruption of our ongoing business; and (iv) diversion of management's attention from other business concerns. Moreover, these transactions could involve: (i) substantial investment of funds or financings by issuance of debt or equity or equity-related securities; (ii) substantial investment with respect to technology transfers and operational integration; and (iii) the acquisition or disposition of product lines or businesses. Also, such activities could result in charges and expenses and have the potential to either dilute the interests of existing shareholders or result in the issuance or assumption of debt, which could have a negative impact on the credit ratings of our outstanding debt securities. Such acquisitions, investments, joint ventures or other business collaborations may involve significant commitments of financial and other resources of our Company. Any such activity may not be successful in generating revenues, income or other returns to us, and the resources committed to such activities will not be available to us for other purposes. In addition, while we conduct due diligence prior to consummating an acquisition, joint venture or business collaboration, such diligence may not identify all material issues associated with such activities. We may also experience unanticipated challenges or difficulties identifying suitable new acquisition candidates that are available for purchase at reasonable prices. Even if we are able to identify such candidates, we may be unable to consummate an acquisition on suitable terms. Moreover, if we are unable to access capital markets on acceptable terms or at all, we may not be able to consummate acquisitions, or may have to do so on the basis of a less than optimal capital structure. Our inability (i) to take advantage of growth opportunities for our business or for our products and services, or (ii) to address risks associated with acquisitions or investments in businesses, may negatively affect our operating results and financial condition. Additionally, any impairment of goodwill or other intangible assets acquired in an acquisition or in an investment, or charges associated with any acquisition or investment activity, may materially impact our results of operations and financial condition which, in turn, may have a material adverse effect on the market price of our Common Shares or credit ratings of our outstanding debt securities.

Businesses we acquire may have disclosure controls and procedures and internal controls over financial reporting, cybersecurity and compliance with data privacy laws that are weaker than or otherwise not in conformity with ours

We have a history of acquiring complementary businesses of varying size and organizational complexity. Upon consummating an acquisition, we seek to implement our disclosure controls and procedures, our internal controls over financial reporting as well as procedures relating to cybersecurity and compliance with data privacy laws and regulations at the acquired company as promptly as possible. Depending upon the nature and scale of the business acquired, the implementation of our disclosure controls and procedures as well as the implementation of our internal controls over financial reporting at an acquired company may be a lengthy process and may divert our attention from other business operations. Our integration efforts may periodically expose deficiencies in the disclosure controls and procedures and internal controls over financial reporting as well as procedures relating to cybersecurity and compliance with data privacy laws and regulations of an acquired company that were not identified in our due diligence undertaken prior to consummating the acquisition. If such deficiencies exist, we may not be in a position to comply with our periodic reporting requirements and, as a result, our business and financial condition may be materially harmed.

We may be unable to successfully integrate acquired businesses or do so within the intended timeframes, which could have an adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and business prospects

Our ability to realize the anticipated benefits of acquired businesses will depend, in part, on our ability to successfully and efficiently integrate acquired businesses and operations with our own. The integration of acquired operations with our existing business will be complex, costly and time-consuming, and may result in additional demands on our resources, systems, procedures and controls, disruption of our ongoing business, and diversion of management’s attention from other business concerns. Although we cannot be certain of the degree and scope of operational and integration problems that may arise, the difficulties and risks associated with the integration of acquired businesses may include, among others:  

As a result of these difficulties and risks, we may not accomplish the integration of acquired businesses smoothly, successfully or within our budgetary expectations and anticipated timetables, which may result in a failure to realize some or all of the anticipated benefits of our acquisitions.

We may not generate sufficient cash flow to satisfy our unfunded pension obligations

Through our acquisitions, we have assumed certain unfunded pension plan liabilities. We will be required to use the operating cash flow that we generate in the future to meet these obligations. As a result, our future net pension liability and cost may be materially affected by the discount rate used to measure these pension obligations and by the longevity and actuarial profile of the relevant workforce. A change in the discount rate may result in a significant increase or decrease in the valuation of these pension obligations, and these changes may affect the net periodic pension cost in the year the change is made and in subsequent years. We cannot assure that we will generate sufficient cash flow to satisfy these obligations. Any inability to satisfy these pension obligations may have a material adverse effect on the operational and financial health of our business.

For more details see note 11 "Pension Plans and Other Post Retirement Benefits" to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Consolidation in the industry, particularly by large, well-capitalized companies, could place pressure on our operating margins which could, in turn, have a material adverse effect on our business

Acquisitions by large, well-capitalized technology companies have changed the marketplace for our software products and services by replacing competitors which are comparable in size to our Company with companies that have more resources at their disposal to compete with us in the marketplace. In addition, other large corporations with considerable financial resources either have products and/or services that compete with our software products and services or have the ability to encroach on our competitive position within our marketplace. These companies have considerable financial resources, channel influence, and broad geographic reach; thus, they can engage in competition with our software products and services on the basis of price, marketing, services or support. They also have the ability to introduce items that compete with our maturing software products and services. The threat posed by larger competitors and their ability to use their better economies of scale to sell competing products and services at a lower cost may materially reduce the profit margins we earn on the software products and services we provide to the marketplace. Any material reduction in our profit margin may have a material adverse effect on the operations or finances of our business, which could hinder our ability to raise capital in the public markets at opportune times for strategic acquisitions or general operational purposes, which may then prevent effective strategic growth, improved economies of scale or put us at a disadvantage to our better capitalized competitors.

We must continue to manage our internal resources during periods of company growth or our operating results could be adversely affected

The EIM market in which we compete continues to evolve at a rapid pace. Moreover, we have grown significantly through acquisitions in the past and expect to continue to review acquisition opportunities as a means of increasing the size and scope of our business. Our growth, coupled with the rapid evolution of our markets, has placed, and will continue to place, significant strains on our administrative and operational resources and increased demands on our internal systems, procedures and controls. Our administrative infrastructure, systems, procedures and controls may not adequately support our operations. In addition, our management may not be able to achieve the rapid, effective execution of the product and business initiatives necessary to successfully implement our operational and competitive strategy. If we are unable to manage growth effectively, our operating results will likely suffer which may, in turn, adversely affect our business.

If we lose the services of our executive officers or other key employees or if we are not able to attract or retain top employees, our business could be significantly harmed

Our performance is substantially dependent on the performance of our executive officers and key employees. We do not maintain “key person” life insurance policies on any of our employees. Our success is also highly dependent on our continuing ability to identify, hire, train, retain and motivate highly qualified management, technical, sales and marketing personnel. In particular, the recruitment and retention of top research developers and experienced salespeople, particularly those with specialized knowledge, remains critical to our success, including providing consistent and uninterrupted service to our customers. Competition for such people is intense, substantial and continuous, and we may not be able to attract, integrate or retain highly qualified technical, sales or managerial personnel in the future. In our effort to attract and retain critical personnel,

we may experience increased compensation costs that are not offset by either improved productivity or higher prices for our software products or services. In addition, the loss of the services of any of our executive officers or other key employees could significantly harm our business, operating results and financial condition.

Loss of key personnel could impair the integration of acquired businesses, lead to loss of customers and a decline in revenues, or otherwise could have an adverse effect on our operations

Our success as a combined business with any prior or future acquired businesses will depend, in part, upon our ability to retain key employees, especially during the integration phase of the businesses. It is possible that the integration process could result in current and prospective employees of ours and the acquired business to experience uncertainty about their future roles with us, which could have an adverse effect on our ability to retain or recruit key managers and other employees. If, despite our retention and recruiting efforts, key employees depart or fail to continue employment with us, the loss of their services and their experience and knowledge regarding our business or an acquired business could have an adverse effect on our future operating results and the successful ongoing operation of our businesses.

Our compensation structure may hinder our efforts to attract and retain vital employees

A portion of our total compensation program for our executive officers and key personnel includes the award of options to buy our Common Shares. If the market price of our Common Shares performs poorly, such performance may adversely affect our ability to retain or attract critical personnel. In addition, any changes made to our stock option policies, or to any other of our compensation practices, which are made necessary by governmental regulations or competitive pressures could adversely affect our ability to retain and motivate existing personnel and recruit new personnel. For example, any limit to total compensation which may be prescribed by the government or applicable regulatory authorities or any significant increases in personal income tax levels levied in countries where we have a significant operational presence may hurt our ability to attract or retain our executive officers or other employees whose efforts are vital to our success. Additionally, payments under our long-term incentive plan (the details of which are described in Item 11 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K) are dependent to a significant extent upon the future performance of our Company both in absolute terms and in comparison to similarly situated companies. Any failure to achieve the targets set under our long-term incentive plan could significantly reduce or eliminate payments made under this plan, which may, in turn, materially and adversely affect our ability to retain the key personnel who are subject to this plan.

Unexpected events may materially harm our ability to align when we incur expenses with when we recognize revenues

We incur operating expenses based upon anticipated revenue trends. Since a high percentage of these expenses are relatively fixed, a delay in recognizing revenues from transactions related to these expenses (such a delay may be due to the factors described elsewhere in this risk factor section or it may be due to other factors) could cause significant variations in operating results from quarter to quarter and could materially reduce operating income. If these expenses are not subsequently matched by revenues, our business, financial condition, or results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

We may fail to achieve our financial forecasts due to inaccurate sales forecasts or other factors

Our revenues and particularly our new software license revenues are difficult to forecast, and, as a result, our quarterly operating results can fluctuate substantially. We use a “pipeline” system, a common industry practice, to forecast sales and trends in our business. By reviewing the status of outstanding sales proposals to our customers and potential customers, we make an estimate as to when a customer will make a purchasing decision involving our software products. These estimates are aggregated periodically to make an estimate of our sales pipeline, which we use as a guide to plan our activities and make internal financial forecasts. Our sales pipeline is only an estimate and may be an unreliable predictor of actual sales activity, both in a particular quarter and over a longer period of time. Many factors may affect actual sales activity, such as weakened economic conditions, which may cause our customers and potential customers to delay, reduce or cancel IT related purchasing decisions and the tendency of some of our customers to wait until the end of a fiscal period in the hope of obtaining more favorable terms from us. If actual sales activity differs from our pipeline estimate, then we may have planned our activities and budgeted incorrectly and this may adversely affect our business, operating results and financial condition. In addition, for newly acquired companies, we have limited ability to immediately predict how their pipelines will convert into sales or revenues following the acquisition and their conversion rate post-acquisition may be quite different from their historical conversion rate.

Our revenue and operating cash flows could be adversely affected in the short term as we continue to see more customers transition to our cloud offerings

Should we continue to see more of our customers selecting our subscription pricing and managed service offerings, with payments made over time rather than a perpetual license with upfront fees, this could, in some cases, result in instances where reported revenue and cash flow could be lower in the short term when compared to our historical perpetual license model, as well as varying between periods depending on our customers' preference to license our products or subscribe to our subscription-based or managed service offerings. While we expect that, over time, the transition to a cloud and subscription model will help our business to generate revenue growth by attracting new users and keeping our user base current as subscriptions allow users to receive the latest product updates and thereby increase recurring revenue per user, there is no guarantee that our short term revenue and operating cash will not be adversely affected during any ongoing transition period.

The restructuring of our operations may adversely affect our business or our finances and we may incur restructuring charges in connection with such actions

We often undertake initiatives to restructure or streamline our operations, particularly during the period post acquisition. We may incur costs associated with implementing a restructuring initiative beyond the amount contemplated when we first developed the initiative and these increased costs may be substantial. Additionally, such costs would adversely impact our results of operations for the periods in which those adjustments are made. We will continue to evaluate our operations, and may propose future restructuring actions as a result of changes in the marketplace, including the exit from less profitable operations or the decision to terminate products or services which are not valued by our customers. Any failure to successfully execute these initiatives on a timely basis may have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results and financial condition.

Fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates could materially affect our financial results

Our Consolidated Financial Statements are presented in U.S. dollars. In general, the functional currency of our subsidiaries is the local currency. For each subsidiary, assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated into U.S dollars at the exchange rates in effect at the balance sheet dates and revenues and expenses are translated at the average exchange rates prevailing during the month of the transaction. Therefore, increases or decreases in the value of the U.S. dollar against other major currencies affect our net operating revenues, operating income and the value of balance sheet items denominated in foreign currencies. In addition, unexpected and dramatic devaluations of currencies in developing, as well as developed, markets could negatively affect our revenues from, and the value of the assets located in, those markets.  Transactional foreign currency gains (losses) included in the Consolidated Statements of Income under the line item “Other income (expense) net” for Fiscal 2018, Fiscal 2017 and Fiscal 2016 were $4.8 million , $3.1 million , and $(1.9) million , respectively. While we use derivative financial instruments to attempt to reduce our net exposure to currency exchange rate fluctuations, fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates, particularly the strengthening of the U.S. dollar against major currencies or the currencies of large developing countries, could continue to materially affect our financial results. These risks and their potential impacts may be exacerbated by Brexit and any policy changes resulting from the new U.S. administration. See “-The vote by the United Kingdom to leave the European Union (EU) could adversely affect us.”

Our international operations expose us to business, political and economic risks that could cause our operating results to suffer

We intend to continue to make efforts to increase our international operations and anticipate that international sales will continue to account for a significant portion of our revenues. These international operations are subject to certain risks and costs, including the difficulty and expense of administering business and compliance abroad, differences in business practices, compliance with domestic and foreign laws (including without limitation domestic and international import and export laws and regulations), costs related to localizing products for foreign markets, costs related to translating and distributing software products in a timely manner, and economic or political instability and uncertainties. International operations also tend to be subject to a longer sales and collection cycle. In addition, regulatory limitations regarding the repatriation of earnings may adversely affect the transfer of cash earned from foreign operations. Significant international sales may also expose us to greater risk from political and economic instability, unexpected changes in Canadian, United States or other governmental policies concerning import and export of goods and technology, regulatory requirements, tariffs and other trade barriers including potential renegotiations of NAFTA. As of the date of filing of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, the results of the renegotiations, including the possibility of U.S. withdrawal from NAFTA, remain unclear. Our business, operating results and financial condition may be adversely impacted by any changes resulting from the NAFTA renegotiations. Additionally, international earnings may be subject to taxation by more than one jurisdiction, which may materially adversely affect our effective tax rate. Also, international expansion may be difficult, time consuming, and costly. These risks and their potential impacts may be exacerbated by Brexit and any policy changes resulting from the new U.S. administration. See “-The vote by the United Kingdom to leave the EU could adversely affect us.” As a result, if revenues from international operations do not

offset the expenses of establishing and maintaining foreign operations, our business, operating results and financial condition will suffer.

The vote by the United Kingdom to leave the EU could adversely affect us

The June 2016 United Kingdom referendum on its membership in the EU resulted in a majority of United Kingdom voters voting to exit the EU (Brexit). We have operations in the United Kingdom and the EU, and as a result, we face risks associated with the potential uncertainty and disruptions that may follow Brexit, including with respect to volatility in exchange rates and interest rates and potential material changes to the regulatory regime applicable to our operations in the United Kingdom. Brexit could adversely affect European or worldwide political, regulatory, economic or market conditions and could contribute to instability in global political institutions, regulatory agencies and financial markets. For example, depending on the terms of Brexit, the United Kingdom could also lose access to the single EU market and to the global trade deals negotiated by the EU on behalf of its members. Disruptions and uncertainty caused by Brexit may also cause our customers to closely monitor their costs and reduce their spending budget on our products and services. Any of these effects of Brexit, and others we cannot anticipate or that may evolve over time, could adversely affect our business, operating results and financial condition.

Our software products and services may contain defects that could harm our reputation, be costly to correct, delay revenues, and expose us to litigation

Our software products and services are highly complex and sophisticated and, from time to time, may contain design defects, software errors, hardware failures or other computer system failures that are difficult to detect and correct. Errors may be found in new software products or services or improvements to existing products or services after delivery to our customers. If these defects are discovered, we may not be able to successfully correct such errors in a timely manner. In addition, despite the extensive tests we conduct on all our software products or services, we may not be able to fully simulate the environment in which our products or services will operate and, as a result, we may be unable to adequately detect the design defects or software or hardware errors which may become apparent only after the products are installed in an end-user's network, and after users have transitioned to our services. The occurrence of errors and failures in our software products or services could result in the delay or the denial of market acceptance of our products and alleviating such errors and failures may require us to make significant expenditure of our resources. Customers often use our services and solutions for critical business processes and as a result, any defect or disruption in our solutions, any data breaches or misappropriation of proprietary information, or any error in execution, including human error or intentional third-party activity such as denial of service attacks or hacking, may cause customers to reconsider renewing their contract with us. The errors in or failure of our software products and services could also result in us losing customer transaction documents and other customer files, causing significant customer dissatisfaction and possibly giving rise to claims for monetary damages. The harm to our reputation resulting from product and service errors and failures may be material. Since we regularly provide a warranty with our software products, the financial impact of fulfilling warranty obligations may be significant in the future. Our agreements with our strategic partners and end-users typically contain provisions designed to limit our exposure to claims. These agreements regularly contain terms such as the exclusion of all implied warranties and the limitation of the availability of consequential or incidental damages. However, such provisions may not effectively protect us against claims and the attendant liabilities and costs associated with such claims. Any claims for actual or alleged losses to our customers’ businesses may require us to spend significant time and money in litigation or arbitration or to pay significant settlements or damages. Defending a lawsuit, regardless of merit, can be costly and would divert management’s attention and resources. Although we maintain errors and omissions insurance coverage and comprehensive liability insurance coverage, such coverage may not be adequate to cover all such claims. Accordingly, any such claim could negatively affect our business, operating results or financial condition.

Our software products rely on the stability of infrastructure software that, if not stable, could negatively impact the effectiveness of our products, resulting in harm to our reputation and business

Our development of Internet and intranet applications depends on the stability, functionality and scalability of the infrastructure software of the underlying intranet, such as the infrastructure software produced by Hewlett-Packard, Oracle, Microsoft and others. If weaknesses in such infrastructure software exist, we may not be able to correct or compensate for such weaknesses. If we are unable to address weaknesses resulting from problems in the infrastructure software such that our software products do not meet customer needs or expectations, our reputation, and consequently, our business may be significantly harmed.

Risks associated with the evolving use of the Internet, including changing standards, competition, and regulation and associated compliance efforts, may adversely impact our business

The use of the Internet as a vehicle for electronic data interchange (EDI), and related services currently raises numerous issues, including reliability, data security, data integrity and rapidly evolving standards. New competitors, which may include

media, software vendors and telecommunications companies, offer products and services that utilize the Internet in competition with our products and services and may be less expensive or process transactions and data faster and more efficiently. Internet-based commerce is subject to increasing regulation by Canadian, U.S. federal and state and foreign governments, including in the areas of data privacy and breaches, and taxation. Laws and regulations relating to the solicitation, collection, processing or use of personal or consumer information could affect our customers’ ability to use and share data, potentially reducing demand for Internet-based solutions and restricting our ability to store, process, analyze and share data through the Internet. Although we believe that the Internet will continue to provide opportunities to expand the use of our products and services, we cannot ensure that our efforts to exploit these opportunities will be successful or that increased usage of the Internet for business integration products and services or increased competition, and regulation will not adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Business disruptions, including those related to data security breaches, may adversely affect our operations

Our business and operations are highly automated and a disruption or failure of our systems may delay our ability to complete sales and to provide services. Business disruptions can be caused by several factors, including natural disasters, terrorist attacks, power loss, telecommunication and system failures, computer viruses, physical attacks and cyber-attacks. A major disaster or other catastrophic event that results in the destruction or disruption of any of our critical business or information technology systems, including our cloud services, could severely affect our ability to conduct normal business operations. We operate data centers in various locations around the world and although we have redundancy capability built into our disaster recovery plan, we cannot ensure that our systems and data centers will remain fully operational during and immediately after a disaster or disruption. We also rely on third parties that provide critical services in our operations and despite our diligence around their disaster recovery processes, we cannot provide assurances as to whether these third party service providers can maintain operations during a disaster or disruption. Any business disruption could negatively affect our business, operating results or financial condition.

In addition, if data security is compromised, this could materially and adversely affect our operating results given that we have customers that use our systems to store and exchange large volumes of proprietary and confidential information and the security and reliability of our services are significant to these customers. We have experienced attempts by third parties to identify and exploit product and service vulnerabilities, penetrate or bypass our security measures, and gain unauthorized access to our or our customers' or service providers' cloud offerings and other products and systems. If our products or systems, or the products or systems of third-party service providers on whom we rely, are attacked or accessed by unauthorized parties, it could lead to major disruption or denial of service and access to or loss, modification or theft of our and our customers' data which may involve us having to spend material resources on correcting the breach and indemnifying the relevant parties which could have adverse effects on our reputation, business, operating results and financial condition.

Unauthorized disclosures and breaches of data security may adversely affect our operations

Most of the jurisdictions in which we operate have laws and regulations relating to data privacy, security and protection of information. We have certain measures to protect our information systems against unauthorized access and disclosure of personal information and of our confidential information and confidential information belonging to our customers. We have policies and procedures in place dealing with data security and records retention. However, there is no assurance that the security measures we have put in place will be effective in every case. Breaches in security could result in a negative impact for us and for our customers, adversely affecting our and our customers' businesses, assets, revenues, brands and reputations and resulting in penalties, fines, litigation, regulatory proceedings and other potential liabilities, in each case depending on the nature of the information disclosed. Security breaches could also affect our relations with our customers, injure our reputation and harm our ability to keep existing customers and to attract new customers. Some jurisdictions have enacted laws requiring companies to notify individuals of data security breaches involving certain types of personal data, and in some cases our agreements with certain customers require us to notify them in the event of a data security incident. Such mandatory disclosures could lead to negative publicity and may cause our current and prospective customers to lose confidence in the effectiveness of our data security measures. These risks to our business may increase as we expand the number of web-based and cloud-based products and services we offer and as we increase the number of countries in which we operate.

Our revenues and operating results are likely to fluctuate, which could materially impact the market price of our Common Shares

We experience significant fluctuations in revenues and operating results caused by many factors, including:

A general weakening of the global economy or a continued weakening of the economy in a particular region or economic or business uncertainty could result in the cancellation of or delay in customer purchases. A cancellation or deferral of even a small number of license sales or services or delays in the implementation of our software products could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results and financial condition. As a result of the timing of software product and service introductions and the rapid evolution of our business as well as of the markets we serve, we cannot predict whether patterns or trends experienced in the past will continue. For these reasons, you should not rely upon period-to-period comparisons of our financial results to forecast future performance. Our revenues and operating results may vary significantly and this possible variance could materially reduce the market price of our Common Shares.

Our sales to government clients expose us to business volatility and risks, including government budgeting cycles and appropriations, early termination, audits, investigations, sanctions and penalties

We derive revenues from contracts with U.S. and Canadian federal, state, provincial and local governments, and other foreign governments and their respective agencies, which may terminate most of these contracts at any time, without cause. There is increased pressure on governments and their agencies, both domestically and internationally, to reduce spending. Further, our U.S. federal government contracts are subject to the approval of appropriations made by the U.S. Congress to fund the expenditures under these contracts. Similarly, our contracts with U.S. state and local governments, Canadian federal, provincial and local governments and other foreign governments and their agencies are generally subject to government funding authorizations. Additionally, government contracts are generally subject to audits and investigations which could result in various civil and criminal penalties and administrative sanctions, including termination of contracts, refund of a portion of fees received, forfeiture of profits, suspension of payments, fines and suspensions or debarment from future government business.

Changes in the market price of our Common Shares and credit ratings of our outstanding debt securities could lead to losses for shareholders and debt holders

The market price of our Common Shares and credit ratings of our outstanding debt securities are subject to fluctuations. Such fluctuations in market price or credit ratings may continue in response to: (i) quarterly and annual variations in operating results; (ii) announcements of technological innovations or new products or services that are relevant to our industry; (iii) changes in financial estimates by securities analysts; (iv) changes to the ratings or outlook of our outstanding debt securities by rating agencies; or (v) other events or factors. In addition, financial markets experience significant price and volume fluctuations that particularly affect the market prices of equity securities of many technology companies. These fluctuations have often resulted from the failure of such companies to meet market expectations in a particular quarter, and thus such fluctuations may or may not be related to the underlying operating performance of such companies. Broad market fluctuations or any failure of our operating results in a particular quarter to meet market expectations may adversely affect the market price of our Common Shares or the credit ratings of our outstanding debt securities. Occasionally, periods of volatility in the market price of a company's securities may lead to the institution of securities class action litigation against a company. If we are subject to such volatility in our stock price, we may be the target of such securities litigation in the future. Such legal action could result in substantial costs to defend our interests and a diversion of management's attention and resources, each of which would have a material adverse effect on our business and operating results.

We may become involved in litigation that may materially adversely affect us

From time to time in the ordinary course of our business, we may become involved in various legal proceedings, including commercial, product liability, employment, class action and other litigation and claims, as well as governmental and other regulatory investigations and proceedings. Such matters can be time-consuming, divert management's attention and resources and cause us to incur significant expenses. Furthermore, because litigation is inherently unpredictable, the results of any such actions may have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results or financial condition.

Our provision for income taxes and effective income tax rate may vary significantly and may adversely affect our results of operations and cash resources

Significant judgment is required in determining our provision for income taxes. Various internal and external factors may have favorable or unfavorable effects on our future provision for income taxes, income taxes receivable, and our effective income tax rate. These factors include, but are not limited to, changes in tax laws, regulations and/or rates, including the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act which was enacted in the United States on December 22, 2017, results of audits by tax authorities, changing interpretations of existing tax laws or regulations, changes in estimates of prior years' items, the impact of transactions we complete, future levels of research and development spending, changes in the valuation of our deferred tax assets and liabilities, transfer pricing adjustments, changes in the overall mix of income among the different jurisdictions in which we operate, and changes in overall levels of income before taxes. Changes in the tax laws of various jurisdictions in which we do business could result from the base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS) project being undertaken by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The OECD, a coalition of member countries, has been developing recommendations for international tax rules to address different types of BEPS, including situations in which profits are shifted (or payments are made) from higher tax jurisdictions to lower tax jurisdictions. Adoption of these recommendations (or other changes in law or policy) by the countries in which we do business could adversely affect our provision for income taxes and our effective tax rate. Furthermore, new accounting pronouncements or new interpretations of existing accounting pronouncements (such as those that may be described in note 2 “Recent Accounting Pronouncements” in our notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K ), and/or any internal restructuring initiatives we may implement from time to time to streamline our operations, can have a material impact on our effective income tax rate. In July 2016, we implemented a reorganization of our subsidiaries worldwide with the view to continuing to enhance operational and administrative efficiencies through further consolidated ownership, management, and development of our intellectual property (IP) in Canada, continuing to reduce the number of entities in our group and working towards our objective of having a single operational legal entity in each jurisdiction.

Tax examinations are often complex as tax authorities may disagree with the treatment of items reported by us and our

transfer pricing methodology based upon our limited risk distributor model, the result of which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. Although we believe our estimates are reasonable, the ultimate outcome with respect to the taxes we owe may differ from the amounts recorded in our financial statements, and this difference may materially affect our financial position and financial results in the period or periods for which such determination is made.

On December 22, 2017, the United States enacted tax reform legislation through the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which significantly changed the existing US tax laws, including a reduction in the federal corporate tax rate from 35% to 21% , and the transition of US international taxation from a worldwide tax system to a partially territorial tax system. As a result of the enactment of the legislation, the Company incurred a provisional one-time tax expense of $19.0 million for the year ended June 30, 2018 , primarily related to the transition tax on accumulated foreign earnings and the re-measurement of certain deferred tax assets and liabilities. The portion of this anticipated increase to tax expense attributable to the transition tax is payable over a period of up to eight years . The impact of the $19.0 million adjustment resulting from the US legislation on the effective tax rate is an increase of 4.9% for the year ended June 30, 2018 . The $19.0 million is a provisional amount in respect of Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT), and transition tax on accumulated foreign earnings in accordance with Staff Accounting Bulletin 118 “Income Tax Accounting Implications of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act” (SAB 118). The finalization of the provisional one-time amount is pending finalization of considerations related to undistributed foreign earnings and evaluating whether any portion of our existing AMT credit carryforwards are not expected to be refundable as a result of the repeal of corporate AMT, which may result in changes to the provisional amount during the SAB 118 measurement period. The Company continues to assess the impact of the new law on its consolidated financial statements and anticipates finalizing the determination on or before December 22, 2018 in accordance with SAB 118.

For more details of tax audits to which we are subject and the impact of the recently enacted Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in the United States, see notes 13 "Guarantees and Contingencies" and 14 "Income Taxes", respectively, to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K .

As part of a tax examination by the United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS), we have received a Notice of Proposed Adjustment (NOPA) proposing a material increase to our taxes arising from the reorganization in Fiscal 2010 and an additional NOPA proposing a material increase to our taxes arising in connection with our integration of Global 360 in Fiscal 2012 into the structure that resulted from our reorganization. An adverse outcome of these tax examinations could have a material adverse effect on our financial position and results of operations.

As we have previously disclosed, the United States IRS is examining certain of our tax returns for our fiscal year ended June 30, 2010 (Fiscal 2010) through our fiscal year ended June 30, 2012 (Fiscal 2012), and in connection with those examinations is reviewing our internal reorganization in Fiscal 2010 to consolidate certain intellectual property ownership in Luxembourg and Canada and our integration of certain acquisitions into the resulting structure. We also previously disclosed that the examinations may lead to proposed adjustments to our taxes that may be material, individually or in the aggregate, and that we have not recorded any material accruals for any such potential adjustments in our Consolidated Financial Statements.

We previously disclosed that, as part of these examinations, on July 17, 2015 we received from the IRS an initial Notice of Proposed Adjustment (NOPA) in draft form proposing a one-time approximately $280 million increase to our U.S. federal taxes arising from the reorganization in Fiscal 2010, plus penalties and interest, and that we expected to receive an additional NOPA proposing an increase to our U.S. federal taxes for Fiscal 2012 arising from the integration of Global 360 Holding Corp. into the structure that resulted from the reorganization, accompanied by proposed penalties and interest. We also previously disclosed that the draft NOPA could be changed before the final NOPA is issued, including because the IRS reserved the right in the draft NOPA to increase the adjustment by assigning a higher value to our intellectual property.

On July 11, 2018 , we received from the IRS a revised draft NOPA proposing an increase to our U.S. federal taxes for Fiscal 2010 (the 2010 NOPA) and a draft NOPA proposing an increase to our U.S. federal taxes for Fiscal 2012 (the 2012 NOPA), respectively. A NOPA is an IRS position and does not impose an obligation to pay tax. After evaluation of these NOPAs, we continue to strongly disagree with the IRS’ positions and intend to vigorously contest the proposed adjustments to our taxable income.

We currently estimate our potential aggregate liability, as of June 30, 2018 , in connection with these ongoing matters with the IRS, including additional state income taxes plus penalties and interest that may be due, to be approximately $725 million , comprised of approximately $455 million in U.S. federal and state taxes, approximately $105 million of penalties, and approximately $165 million of interest, as further described in Note 13 "Guarantees and Contingencies" to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Based on our discussions with the IRS and the fact that the adjustments proposed in these NOPAs reflect the IRS’ own asserted valuations of our intangible property, we do not expect the IRS to further revise the NOPAs to increase any of their proposed adjustments to our U.S. federal income taxes (subject to the continued accrual of interest, as noted above).

We strongly disagree with the IRS’ position and intend to vigorously contest the proposed adjustments to our taxable income. We are examining various alternatives available to taxpayers to contest the proposed adjustments. Any such alternatives could involve a lengthy process and result in the incurrence of significant expenses. As of the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, we have not recorded any material accruals in respect of these examinations in our Consolidated Financial Statements. An adverse outcome of these tax examinations could have a material adverse effect on our financial position and results of operations.

For details of this and other tax audits to which we are subject, see notes 13 "Guarantees and Contingencies" and 14 "Income Taxes" to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

The declaration, payment and amount of dividends will be made at the discretion of our Board of Directors and will depend on a number of factors

We have adopted a policy to declare non-cumulative quarterly dividends on our Common Shares. The declaration, payment and amount of any dividends will be made pursuant to our dividend policy and is subject to final determination each quarter by our Board of Directors in its discretion based on a number of factors that it deems relevant, including our financial position, results of operations, available cash resources, cash requirements and alternative uses of cash that our Board of Directors may conclude would be in the best interest of our shareholders. Our dividend payments are subject to relevant contractual limitations, including those in our existing credit agreements and to solvency conditions established by the Canada Business Corporations Act (CBCA), the statute under which we are incorporated. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that any future dividends will be equal or similar in amount to any dividends previously paid or that our Board of Directors will not decide to reduce, suspend or discontinue the payment of dividends at any time in the future.

Our operating results could be adversely affected by any weakening of economic conditions

Our overall performance depends in part on worldwide economic conditions. Certain economies have experienced periods of downturn as a result of a multitude of factors, including, but not limited to, turmoil in the credit and financial

markets, concerns regarding the stability and viability of major financial institutions, declines in gross domestic product, increases in unemployment, volatility in commodity prices and worldwide stock markets, excessive government debt and disruptions to global trade. The severity and length of time that a downturn in economic and financial market conditions may persist, as well as the timing, strength and sustainability of any recovery, are unknown and are beyond our control. Recently, Brexit and its impact on the United Kingdom and the EU, as well as any policy changes resulting from the new U.S. administration, have raised additional concerns regarding economic uncertainties. Moreover, any instability in the global economy affects countries in different ways, at different times and with varying severity, which makes the impact to our business complex and unpredictable. During such downturns, many customers may delay or reduce technology purchases. Contract negotiations may become more protracted or conditions could result in reductions in the licensing of our software products and the sale of cloud and other services, longer sales cycles, pressure on our margins, difficulties in collection of accounts receivable or delayed payments, increased default risks associated with our accounts receivables, slower adoption of new technologies and increased price competition. In addition, deterioration of the global credit markets could adversely impact our ability to complete licensing transactions and services transactions, including maintenance and support renewals. Any of these events, as well as a general weakening of, or declining corporate confidence in, the global economy, or a curtailment in government or corporate spending could delay or decrease our revenues and therefore have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results and financial condition.

Risks associated with data privacy issues, including evolving laws and regulations and associated compliance efforts, may adversely impact our business

Our business depends on the processing of personal data, including data transfer between our affiliated entities, to and from our business partners and customers, and with third-party service providers. The laws and regulations relating to personal data constantly evolve, as federal, state and foreign governments continue to adopt new measures addressing data privacy and processing (including collection, storage, transfer, disposal and use) of personal data. Moreover, the interpretation and application of many existing or recently enacted privacy and data protection laws and regulations in the European Union, the U.S. and elsewhere are uncertain and fluid, and it is possible that such laws and regulations may be interpreted or applied in a manner that is inconsistent with our existing data management practices or the features of our products and services. Any such new laws or regulations, any changes to existing laws and regulations and any such interpretation or application may affect demand for our products and services, impact our ability to effectively transfer data across borders in support of our business operations, or increase the cost of providing our products and services. Additionally, any actual or perceived breach of such laws or regulations may subject us to claims and may lead to administrative, civil, or criminal liability, as well as reputational harm to our Company and its employees. We could also be required to fundamentally change our business activities and practices, or modify our products and services, which could have an adverse effect on our business.

In the U.S., various laws and regulations apply to the collection, processing, transfer, disposal, unauthorized disclosure and security of personal data. For example, data protection laws passed by most states within the U.S. require notification to users when there is a security breach for personal data. Additionally, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and many state attorneys general are interpreting federal and state consumer protection laws as imposing standards for the online collection, use, transfer and security of data. The U.S. Congress and state legislatures, along with federal regulatory authorities have recently increased their attention to matters concerning personal data, and this may result in new legislation which could increase the cost of compliance. In addition to government regulation, privacy advocacy and industry groups may propose new and different self-regulatory standards that either legally or contractually apply to us or our clients.

In the European Union, some of our operations are subject to the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which took effect from May 25, 2018. The GDPR introduces a number of new obligations for subject companies and we will need to continue dedicating financial resources and management time to GDPR compliance in the coming months. The GDPR enhances the obligations placed on companies that control or process personal data including, for example, expanded disclosures about how personal data is to be used, new mechanisms for obtaining consent from data subjects, new controls for data subjects with respect to their personal data (including by enabling them to exercise rights to erasure and data portability), limitations on retention of personal data and mandatory data breach notifications. Additionally, the GDPR places companies under new obligations relating to data transfers and the security of the personal data they process. The GDPR provides that supervisory authorities in the European Union may impose administrative fines for certain infringements of the GDPR of up to EUR 20,000,000 or 4% of an undertaking’s total, worldwide, annual turnover of the preceding financial year, whichever is higher. Individuals who have suffered damage as a result of a subject company’s non-compliance with the GDPR also have the right to seek compensation from such company. Given the breadth of the GDPR, compliance with its requirements is likely to continue to require significant expenditure of resources on an ongoing basis, and there can be no assurance that the measures we have taken for the purposes of compliance will be successful in preventing breach of the GDPR. Given the potential fines, liabilities and damage to our reputation in the event of an actual or perceived breach of the GDPR, such a breach may have an adverse effect on our business and operations.

Outside of the U.S. and the European Union, many jurisdictions have adopted or are adopting new data privacy laws that may impose further onerous compliance requirements, such as data localization, which prohibits companies from storing outside the jurisdiction data relating to resident individuals. The proliferation of such laws within the jurisdictions in which we operate may result in conflicting and contradictory requirements, particularly in relation to evolving technologies such as cloud computing. Any failure to successfully navigate the changing regulatory landscape could result in legal liability or impairment to our reputation in the marketplace, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Privacy-related claims or lawsuits initiated by governmental bodies, customers or other third parties, whether meritorious or not, could be time consuming, result in costly regulatory proceedings, litigation, penalties and fines, or require us to change our business practices, sometimes in expensive ways, or other potential liabilities. Unfavorable publicity regarding our privacy practices could injure our reputation, harm our ability to keep existing customers or attract new customers or otherwise adversely affect our business, assets, revenue, brands and reputation .

Stress in the global financial system may adversely affect our finances and operations in ways that may be hard to predict or to defend against

Financial developments seemingly unrelated to us or to our industry may adversely affect us over the course of time. For example, material increases in LIBOR or other applicable interest rate benchmarks may increase the debt payment costs for our credit facilities. Credit contraction in financial markets may hurt our ability to access credit in the event that we identify an acquisition opportunity or require significant access to credit for other reasons. Similarly, volatility in the market price of our Common Shares due to seemingly unrelated financial developments could hurt our ability to raise capital for the financing of acquisitions or other reasons. Potential price inflation caused by an excess of liquidity in countries where we conduct business may increase the cost we incur to provide our solutions and may reduce profit margins on agreements that govern the licensing of our software products and/or the sale of our services to customers over a multi-year period. A reduction in credit, combined with reduced economic activity, may adversely affect businesses and industries that collectively constitute a significant portion of our customer base such as the public sector. As a result, these customers may need to reduce their licensing of our software products or their purchases of our services, or we may experience greater difficulty in receiving payment for the licenses and services that these customers purchase from us. Any of these events, or any other events caused by turmoil in world financial markets, may have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results, and financial condition.

Our indebtedness could limit our operations and opportunities.

Our debt service obligations could have an adverse effect on our earnings and cash flows for as long as the indebtedness is outstanding, which could reduce the availability of our cash flow to fund working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions and other general corporate purposes.

As of June 30, 2018 , our credit facilities consisted of a $1 billion term loan facility (Term Loan B) and a $450 million committed revolving credit facility (the Revolver). Borrowings under Term Loan B and the Revolver, if any, are or will be secured by a first charge over substantially all of our assets.

Repayments made under Term Loan B are equal to 0.25% of the original principal amount in equal quarterly installments for the life of Term Loan B, with the remainder due at maturity. The terms of Term Loan B and the Revolver include customary restrictive covenants that impose operating and financial restrictions on us, including restrictions on our ability to take actions that could be in our best interests. These restrictive covenants include certain limitations on our ability to make investments, loans and acquisitions, incur additional debt, incur liens and encumbrances, consolidate, amalgamate or merge with any other person, dispose of assets, make certain restricted payments, including a limit on dividends on equity securities or payments to redeem, repurchase or retire equity securities or other indebtedness, engage in transactions with affiliates, materially alter the business we conduct, and enter into certain restrictive agreements. Term Loan B and the Revolver includes a financial covenant relating to a maximum consolidated net leverage ratio, which could restrict our operations, particularly our ability to respond to changes in our business or to take specified actions. Our failure to comply with any of the covenants that are included in Term Loan B and the Revolver could result in a default under the terms thereof, which could permit the lenders thereunder to declare all or part of any outstanding borrowings to be immediately due and payable.

As of June 30, 2018, we also have $800 million in aggregate principal amount of our 5.625% senior unsecured notes due 2023 (Senior Notes 2023) and $850 million in aggregate principal amount of our 5.875% senior unsecured notes due 2026 (Senior Notes 2026, and with the Senior Notes 2023, the Senior Notes) outstanding, both respectively issued in private placements to qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act and to certain persons in offshore transactions pursuant to Regulation S under the Securities Act. Our failure to comply with any of the covenants that are included in the indentures governing the Senior Notes could result in a default under the terms thereof, which could result in all or a portion of the Senior Notes to be immediately due and payable.

The risks discussed above would be increased to the extent that we engage in acquisitions that involve the incurrence of material additional debt, or the acquisition of businesses with material debt, and such incurrences or acquisitions could potentially negatively impact the ratings or outlook of the rating agencies on our outstanding debt securities.

For more details see note 10 "Long-Term Debt" to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Changes in generally accepted accounting principles may materially adversely affect our reported results of operations or financial position.

From time to time, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issues new accounting principles. For example, in May 2014, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, with amendments in 2015, 2016 and 2017, which creates new Accounting Standards Codification Topic 606 (Topic 606) that will replace most existing revenue recognition guidance in U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) when it becomes effective for us in the first quarter of Fiscal 2019. Under Topic 606, more judgment and estimates will be required within the revenue recognition process than are required under existing GAAP. In connection with our adoption of Topic 606, we are developing new policies and processes based on the changes in revenue recognition guidance and implementing a new revenue recognition accounting system. Such changes and any difficulties implementing such changes could materially adversely affect our reported financial results and the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting.

For more details see note 2 "Accounting Policies and Recent Accounting Pronouncements" to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Certain of our products may be perceived as, or determined by the courts to be, a violation of privacy rights and related laws. Any such perception or determination could adversely affect our revenues and results of operations.

Because of the nature of certain of our products, including those relating to digital investigations, potential customers and purchasers of our products or the public in general may perceive that use of these products may result in violations of their individual privacy rights. In addition, certain courts or regulatory authorities could determine that the use of our software solutions or other products is a violation of privacy laws, particularly in jurisdictions outside of the United States. Any such determination or perception by potential customers, the general public, government entities or the judicial system could harm our reputation and adversely affect our revenues and results of operations.

Item 1B.    Unresolved Staff Comments

None.

Item 2.    Properties

Our properties consist of owned and leased office facilities for sales, support, research and development, consulting and administrative personnel, totaling approximately 336,000 square feet of owned facilities and approximately 2,501,000 square feet of leased facilities.

Owned Facilities

Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

Our headquarters is located in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, and it consists of approximately 232,000 square feet. The land upon which the buildings stand is leased from the University of Waterloo for a period of 49 years beginning in December 2005, with an option to renew for an additional term of 49 years. The option to renew is exercisable by us upon providing written notice to the University of Waterloo not earlier than the 40th anniversary and not later than the 45th anniversary of the lease commencement date.

Brook Park, Ohio, United States

We also own a building, along with its land, located in Brook Park, Ohio, that consists of approximately 104,000 square feet. This building is used primarily as a data center.

Leased Facilities

We lease approximately 2,501,000 square feet both domestically and internationally. Our significant facilities include the following:

Due to restructuring and merger integration initiatives, we have vacated approximately 354,000 square feet of our leased properties. The vacated space has either been sublet or is being actively marketed for sublease or disposition.

In addition, we also maintain a customer briefing centre and management office in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Item 3.    Legal Proceedings

In the normal course of business, we are subject to various legal claims, as well as potential legal claims. While the results of litigation and claims cannot be predicted with certainty, we believe that the final outcome of these matters will not have a materially adverse effect on our consolidated results of operations or financial conditions.

For more information regarding litigation and the status of certain regulatory and tax proceedings, please refer to Part I, Item 1A "Risk Factors" and to note 13 “Guarantees and Contingencies” to our Consolidated Financial Statements, which are set forth in Part IV, under Item 15 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Item 4.    Mine Safety Disclosures

Not applicable.