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8-K - 8-K; WORKDAY, INC. - Workday, Inc.q4fy2015feb.htm


Exhibit 99.1

Investor Relations Contact:
Michael Haase
(925) 951-9005
Michael.Haase@Workday.com

Media Contact:
Eric Glass
(415) 432-3056
Eric.Glass@Workday.com


Workday Announces Fourth Quarter and Full Year Fiscal 2015 Financial Results

Fiscal Year 2015 Total Revenue of $787.9 Million, Up 68% Year Over Year; Q4 Total Revenue of
$226.3 Million, Up 59% Year Over Year

Fiscal Year 2015 Subscription Revenue of $613.3 Million, Up 73% Year Over Year; Q4 Subscription Revenue of
$181.9 Million, Up 64% Year Over Year

Operating Cash Flows of $102.0 Million for the Year

PLEASANTON, CALIF. Feb. 25, 2015 — Workday, Inc. (NYSE: WDAY), a leader in enterprise cloud applications for finance and human resources, today announced financial results for the fourth quarter and full fiscal year ended January 31, 2015.

Fiscal Fourth Quarter Results:

Total revenues were $226.3 million, an increase of 59% from the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014. Subscription revenues were $181.9 million, an increase of 64% from the same period last year.

Operating loss was $50.4 million, or negative 22.3% of revenues, compared to an operating loss of $48.0 million, or negative 33.8% of revenues, in the same period last year. Non-GAAP operating loss for the fourth quarter was $8.6 million, or negative 3.8% of revenues, compared to a non-GAAP operating loss of $21.0 million last year, or negative 14.8% of revenues.1  

Net loss per basic and diluted share was $0.32 in the fourth quarters of fiscal 2015 and 2014. The non-GAAP net loss per basic and diluted share was $0.06, compared to a non-GAAP net loss per basic and diluted share of $0.13 during the same period last year.1 

Operating cash flows were $48.3 million and free cash flows were $10.6 million.2 

Fiscal Year 2015 Results:

Total revenues were $787.9 million, an increase of 68% from fiscal 2014. Subscription revenues were $613.3 million, an increase of 73% from the same period last year.

Operating loss was $215.7 million, or negative 27.4% of total revenues, compared to an operating loss of $153.3 million, or negative 32.7% of total revenues, last year. Non-GAAP operating loss was $53.2 million, or negative 6.7% of total revenues, compared to a non-GAAP operating loss of $87.0 million, or negative 18.6% of total revenues, last year.1 

Net loss per basic and diluted share was $1.35, compared to a net loss per basic and diluted share of $1.01 in fiscal 2014. The non-GAAP net loss per basic and diluted share was $0.33, compared to a non-GAAP net loss per basic and diluted share of $0.54 last year.1 

Operating cash flows were $102.0 million and free cash flows were a negative $1.6 million.2 






Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities were approximately $1.9 billion as of January 31, 2015. Total unearned revenue was $632.7 million, a 53% increase from last year.

“The fourth quarter ended another very successful year for Workday, which was marked by strong customer growth and product innovation,” said Aneel Bhusri, co-founder and CEO, Workday. “We increased customer adoption across our entire suite of applications, announced the next wave of analytics capabilities with Workday Insight Applications, and grew our presence in Germany and Japan – all while delivering our third consecutive year of 97% customer satisfaction. In the year ahead, we will focus on strategic initiatives including continued investment in our financial management product, growth of our presence in the education and government industries, and expansion of the business globally.”
 
“Workday finished an outstanding fiscal 2015 with a great fourth quarter,” said Mark Peek, chief financial officer, Workday. “Total revenues for the year increased 68% to $788 million and we generated $102 million in operating cash flows. Looking ahead to our fiscal 2016, first quarter revenues are expected to be in the range of $242 to $245 million, or growth of 51% to 53% compared to the prior year period. Total revenues for the year are anticipated to be in the range of $1.115 and $1.140 billion, or growth of 42% to 45%.”

Recent Highlights

Workday continued business momentum in Europe and unveiled its plans to provide German customers with a modern cloud alternative to legacy enterprise software. Workday now has seven offices across Europe with more than 170 customers using Workday in Germany today.
Workday announced an expanded presence in Japan to address the growing customer demand for cloud-based enterprise applications. Japan is one of four major markets for Workday in the Asia Pacific region, and the company today supports well-known global companies headquartered in Japan, including Nissan, Sony and Fast Retailing.
Workday has appointed former PeopleSoft Co-President Phil Wilmington as worldwide head of the company’s sales organization, responsible for driving customer adoption and building global teams. Phil will report to Workday President and Chief Operating Officer Mike Stankey.
Workday plans to host a conference call today to review its fourth quarter and full year fiscal 2015 financial results and to discuss its financial outlook. The call is scheduled to begin at 2:00 p.m. PT/ 5:00 p.m. ET and can be accessed via webcast or through the company’s Investor Relations website at www.workday.com/investorrelations. The webcast will be available live, and a replay will be available following completion of the live broadcast for approximately 45 days.

1 Non-GAAP operating loss and net loss per share for the fiscal fourth quarters and full years of 2014 and 2015 exclude share-based compensation, employer payroll tax-related items on employee stock transactions and debt discount and issuance costs associated with convertible notes, and, for the fiscal fourth quarter and full year of 2015, also include amortization expense for acquisition-related intangibles. See the section titled “About Non-GAAP Financial Measures” following the accompanying financial tables for further details.
2 Free cash flows are defined as operating cash flows minus capital expenditures, assets acquired under a capital lease and purchased other intangible assets. See the section titled “About Non-GAAP Financial Measures” following the accompanying financial tables for further details.

About Workday
Workday is a leading provider of enterprise cloud applications for finance and human resources. Founded in 2005, Workday delivers financial management, human capital management, and analytics applications designed for the world's largest companies, educational institutions, and government agencies. Hundreds of organizations, ranging from medium-sized businesses to Fortune 50 enterprises, have selected Workday.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures
Reconciliations of non-GAAP financial measures to Workday’s financial results as determined in accordance with GAAP are included at the end of this press release following the accompanying financial data. For a description of these non-GAAP financial measures, including the reasons management uses each measure, please see the section following the accompanying financial tables titled “About Non-GAAP Financial Measures.”

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements including, among other things, statements regarding Workday’s first quarter and full year fiscal 2016 revenue projections, and our expectations for future applications. The words “believe,” “may,” “will,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “expect,” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions. If the risks materialize or assumptions prove incorrect, actual results could differ materially from the results implied by these forward-looking statements. Risks include, but are not limited to: (i) breaches in our security measures, unauthorized access to our customers’ data or disruptions in our data center operations; (ii) our ability to manage our growth effectively; (iii) competitive factors, including but not limited to pricing pressures, industry consolidation, entry of new competitors and new applications





and marketing initiatives by our competitors; (iv) the development of the market for enterprise cloud services; (v) acceptance of our applications and services by customers; (vi) adverse changes in general economic or market conditions; (vii) delays or reductions in information technology spending; (viii) our limited operating history, which makes it difficult to predict future results; and (ix) changes in sales may not be immediately reflected in our results due to our subscription model. Further information on risks that could affect Workday’s results is included in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including our Form 10-Q for the quarter ended October 31, 2014 and our future reports that we may file with the SEC from time to time, which could cause actual results to vary from expectations. Workday assumes no obligation to, and does not currently intend to, update any such forward-looking statements after the date of this release.

Any unreleased services, features, or functions referenced in this document, our website or other press releases or public statements that are not currently available are subject to change at Workday's discretion and may not be delivered as planned or at all. Customers who purchase Workday services should make their purchase decisions based upon services, features, and functions that are currently available.

© 2015. Workday, Inc. All rights reserved. Workday and the Workday logo are registered trademarks of Workday, Inc. All other brand and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.










Workday, Inc.
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
(in thousands)
(unaudited)
 
January 31,
 
2015
 
2014(1)
Assets
 
 
 
Current assets:
 
 
 
Cash and cash equivalents
$
298,192

 
$
581,326

Marketable securities
1,559,517

 
1,305,253

Accounts receivable, net
188,357

 
92,184

Deferred costs
20,471

 
16,446

Prepaid expenses and other current assets
42,502

 
28,449

Total current assets
2,109,039

 
2,023,658

Property and equipment, net
140,136

 
77,664

Deferred costs, noncurrent
20,998

 
20,797

Goodwill and acquisition-related intangible assets, net
34,779

 
8,488

Other assets
53,681

 
45,658

Total assets
$
2,358,633

 
$
2,176,265

Liabilities and stockholders’ equity
 
 
 
Current liabilities:
 
 
 
Accounts payable
$
10,623

 
$
6,212

Accrued expenses and other current liabilities
24,132

 
17,999

Accrued compensation
56,152

 
55,620

Capital leases
3,207

 
9,377

Unearned revenue
547,151

 
332,682

Total current liabilities
641,265

 
421,890

Convertible senior notes, net
490,501

 
468,412

Capital leases, noncurrent
-

 
3,589

Unearned revenue, noncurrent
85,593

 
80,883

Other liabilities
15,299

 
14,274

Total liabilities
1,232,658

 
989,048

Stockholders’ equity:
 
 
 
Common stock
186

 
181

Additional paid-in capital
1,948,300

 
1,761,156

Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)
(140
)
 
269

Accumulated deficit
(822,371
)
 
(574,389
)
Total stockholders’ equity
1,125,975

 
1,187,217

Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity
$
2,358,633

 
$
2,176,265

 
 
 
 
(1) Amounts as of January 31, 2014 were derived from the January 31, 2014 audited financial statements.
 
 
 

 
 








Workday, Inc.
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations
(in thousands, except per share data)
(unaudited)

 
Three Months Ended
 
Year Ended
January 31,
January 31,
2015
 
2014
2015
 
2014
Revenues:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Subscription services
$
181,866

 
$
110,715

 
$
613,328

 
$
354,169

Professional services
44,407

 
31,151

 
174,532

 
114,769

Total revenues
226,273

 
141,866

 
787,860

 
468,938

Costs and expenses(1):
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
        Costs of subscription services
29,218

 
19,862

 
102,476

 
69,195

Costs of professional services
40,737

 
30,904

 
162,327

 
107,615

Product development
88,963

 
55,317

 
316,868

 
182,116

Sales and marketing
88,469

 
60,808

 
315,840

 
197,373

General and administrative
29,270

 
22,951

 
106,051

 
65,921

Total costs and expenses
276,657

 
189,842

 
1,003,562

 
622,220

Operating loss
(50,384
)
 
(47,976
)
 
(215,702
)
 
(153,282
)
Other expense, net
(8,271
)
 
(6,921
)
 
(30,270
)
 
(17,549
)
Loss before provision for income taxes
(58,655
)
 
(54,897
)
 
(245,972
)
 
(170,831
)
Provision for income taxes
811

 
1,085

 
2,010

 
1,678

Net loss
$
(59,466
)
 
$
(55,982
)
 
$
(247,982
)
 
$
(172,509
)
Net loss per share attributable to common stockholders, basic and diluted
$
(0.32
)
 
$
(0.32
)
 
$
(1.35
)
 
$
(1.01
)
Weighted-average shares used to compute net loss per share attributable to common stockholders
185,696

 
175,194

 
183,702

 
171,297

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(1)    Costs and expenses include share-based compensation as follows:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Costs of subscription services
$
1,431

 
$
962

 
$
6,053

 
$
2,408

Costs of professional services
2,959

 
1,983

 
12,890

 
4,818

Product development
17,142

 
9,240

 
63,938

 
21,644

Sales and marketing
7,068

 
4,700

 
29,875

 
12,131

General and administrative
10,784

 
8,084

 
43,292

 
20,850


 







Workday, Inc.
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
(in thousands)
(unaudited)

 
Three Months Ended
 
Year Ended
 
January 31,
 
January 31,
2015
 
2014
2015
 
2014
Cash flows from operating activities
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Net loss
$
(59,466
)
 
$
(55,982
)
 
$
(247,982
)
 
$
(172,509
)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Depreciation and amortization
16,526

 
10,714

 
59,205

 
34,695

Share-based compensation expenses
39,384

 
24,969

 
156,048

 
61,851

Amortization of deferred costs
5,175

 
3,770

 
19,288

 
12,219

Amortization of debt discount and issuance costs
6,166

 
5,841

 
24,171

 
14,395

Other
269

 
422

 
2,924

 
678

Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of business combinations:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Accounts receivable
(69,824
)
 
(5,363
)
 
(96,876
)
 
(25,037
)
Deferred costs
(9,278
)
 
(8,622
)
 
(23,514
)
 
(21,071
)
Prepaid expenses and other assets
(7,011
)
 
(13,082
)
 
(15,524
)
 
(25,876
)
Accounts payable
(483
)
 
(2,016
)
 
1,120

 
3,547

Accrued expense and other liabilities
2,204

 
12,346

 
3,964

 
35,066

Unearned revenue
124,613

 
61,796

 
219,179

 
128,305

Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities
48,275

 
34,793

 
102,003

 
46,263

Cash flows from investing activities
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Purchases of marketable securities
(247,436
)
 
(357,752
)
 
(1,737,840
)
 
(1,587,240
)
Maturities of marketable securities
282,998

 
150,135

 
1,419,454

 
983,242

Sales of available-for-sale securities
45,044

 
-

 
53,182

 
-

Business combination, net of cash acquired
-

 
-

 
(26,317
)
 
-

Purchases of property and equipment
(37,665
)
 
(12,341
)
 
(103,646
)
 
(60,725
)
Purchase of cost method investment
-

 
(2,000
)
 
(10,000
)
 
(2,000
)
Purchase of other intangible assets
-

 
(15,000
)
 
-

 
(15,000
)
Other
-

 
(1,000
)
 
1,000

 
(910
)
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities
42,941

 
(237,958
)
 
(404,167
)
 
(682,633
)
Cash flows from financing activities
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Proceeds from follow-on offering, net of issuance costs
-

 
592,241

 
-

 
592,241

Proceeds from borrowings on convertible senior notes, net of issuance costs
-

 
-

 
-

 
584,291

Proceeds from issuance of warrants
-

 
-

 
-

 
92,708

Purchase of convertible senior notes hedges
-

 
-

 
-

 
(143,729
)
Proceeds from issuance of common stock from employee equity plans
15,459

 
14,380

 
36,239

 
23,692

Principal payments on capital lease obligations
(1,474
)
 
(2,624
)
 
(9,759
)
 
(12,129
)
Shares repurchased for tax withholdings on vesting of restricted stock
-

 
-

 
(8,291
)
 
-

Other
1,115

 
(2,948
)
 
1,266

 
(3,464
)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities
15,100

 
601,049

 
19,455

 
1,133,610

Effect of exchange rate changes
(266
)
 
(18
)
 
(425
)
 
(72
)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents
106,050

 
397,866

 
(283,134
)
 
497,168

Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of period
192,142

 
183,460

 
581,326

 
84,158

Cash and cash equivalents at the end of period
$
298,192

 
$
581,326

 
$
298,192

 
$
581,326


 







Workday, Inc.
Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Data
Three Months Ended January 31, 2015
(in thousands, except per share data)
(unaudited)

 
GAAP
 
Share-Based Compensation
 
Other Operating Expenses (2)
 
Amortization of Debt Discount and Issuance Costs
 
Non-GAAP
Costs and expenses:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Costs of subscription services
$
29,218

 
$
(1,431
)
 
$
(103
)
 
$ -

 
$
27,684

Costs of professional services
40,737

 
(2,959
)
 
(247
)
 
-

 
37,531

Product development
88,963

 
(17,142
)
 
(1,123
)
 
-

 
70,698

Sales and marketing
88,469

 
(7,068
)
 
(424
)
 
-

 
80,977

General and administrative
29,270

 
(10,784
)
 
(514
)
 
-

 
17,972

Operating loss
(50,384
)
 
39,384

 
2,411

 
-

 
(8,589
)
Operating margin
-22.3
 %
 
17.4
%
 
1.1
%
 
-

 
-3.8
 %
Other expense, net
(8,271
)
 
-

 
-

 
6,166

 
(2,105
)
Loss before provision for income taxes
(58,655
)
 
39,384

 
2,411

 
6,166

 
(10,694
)
Provision for income taxes
811

 
-

 
-

 
-

 
811

Net loss
$
(59,466
)
 
$
39,384

 
$
2,411

 
$
6,166

 
$
(11,505
)
Net loss per share, basic and diluted (1)
$
(0.32
)
 
$
0.21

 
$
0.01

 
$
0.04

 
$
(0.06
)
(1)
Calculated based upon 185,696 basic and diluted weighted-average shares of common stock.
(2)
Other operating expenses include employer payroll tax-related items on employee stock transactions and amortization of acquisition-related intangibles.
Workday, Inc.
Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Data
Three Months Ended January 31, 2014
(in thousands, except per share data)
(unaudited)

 
GAAP
 
Share-Based Compensation
 
Other Operating Expenses (2)
 
Amortization of Debt Discount and Issuance Costs
 
Non-GAAP
Costs and expenses:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Costs of subscription services
$
19,862

 
$
(962
)
 
$
(9
)
 
$ -

 
$
18,891

Costs of professional services
30,904

 
(1,983
)
 
(145
)
 
-

 
28,776

Product development
55,317

 
(9,240
)
 
(604
)
 
-

 
45,473

Sales and marketing
60,808

 
(4,700
)
 
(413
)
 
-

 
55,695

General and administrative
22,951

 
(8,084
)
 
(885
)
 
-

 
13,982

Operating loss
(47,976
)
 
24,969

 
2,056

 
-

 
(20,951
)
Operating margin
-33.8
 %
 
17.6
%
 
1.4
%
 
-

 
-14.8
 %
Other expense, net
(6,921
)
 
-

 
-

 
5,841

 
(1,080
)
Loss before provision for income taxes
(54,897
)
 
24,969

 
2,056

 
5,841

 
(22,031
)
Provision for income taxes
1,085

 
-

 
-

 
-

 
1,085

Net loss
$
(55,982
)
 
$
24,969

 
$
2,056

 
$
5,841

 
$
(23,116
)
Net loss per share, basic and diluted (1)
$
(0.32
)
 
$
0.14

 
$
0.01

 
$
0.04

 
$
(0.13
)
(1)
Calculated based upon 175,194 basic and diluted weighted-average shares of common stock.
(2)
Other operating expenses include employer payroll tax-related items on employee stock transactions.







Workday, Inc.
Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Data
Year Ended January 31, 2015
(in thousands, except per share data)
(unaudited)
 

 
GAAP
 
Share-Based Compensation
 
Other Operating Expenses (2)
 
Amortization of Debt Discount and Issuance Costs
 
Non-GAAP
Costs and expenses:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Costs of subscription services
$
102,476

 
$
(6,053
)
 
$
(204
)
 
$ -

 
$
96,219

Costs of professional services
162,327

 
(12,890
)
 
(451
)
 
-

 
148,986

Product development
316,868

 
(63,938
)
 
(3,221
)
 
-

 
249,709

Sales and marketing
315,840

 
(29,875
)
 
(1,420
)
 
-

 
284,545

General and administrative
106,051

 
(43,292
)
 
(1,202
)
 
-

 
61,557

Operating loss
(215,702
)
 
156,048

 
6,498

 
-

 
(53,156
)
Operating margin
-27.4
 %
 
19.8
%
 
0.9
%
 
-

 
-6.7
 %
Other expense, net
(30,270
)
 
-

 
-

 
24,171

 
(6,099
)
Loss before provision for income taxes
(245,972
)
 
156,048

 
6,498

 
24,171

 
(59,255
)
Provision for income taxes
2,010

 
-

 
-

 
-

 
2,010

Net loss
$
(247,982
)
 
$
156,048

 
$
6,498

 
$
24,171

 
$
(61,265
)
Net loss per share, basic and diluted (1)
$
(1.35
)
 
$
0.85

 
$
0.04

 
$
0.13

 
$
(0.33
)
(1)
Calculated based upon 183,702 basic and diluted weighted-average shares of common stock.
(2)
Other operating expenses include employer payroll tax-related items on employee stock transactions and amortization of acquisition-related intangibles.
Workday, Inc.
Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Data
Year Ended January 31, 2014
(in thousands, except per share data)
(unaudited)
 
 
GAAP
 
Share-Based Compensation
 
Other Operating Expenses (2)
 
Amortization of Debt Discount and Issuance Costs
 
Non-GAAP
Costs and expenses:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Costs of subscription services
$
69,195

 
$
(2,408
)
 
$
(17
)
 
$ -

 
$
66,770

Costs of professional services
107,615

 
(4,818
)
 
(656
)
 
-

 
102,141

Product development
182,116

 
(21,644
)
 
(1,544
)
 
-

 
158,928

Sales and marketing
197,373

 
(12,131
)
 
(883
)
 
-

 
184,359

General and administrative
65,921

 
(20,850
)
 
(1,298
)
 
-

 
43,773

Operating loss
(153,282
)
 
61,851

 
4,398

 
-

 
(87,033
)
Operating margin
-32.7
 %
 
13.2
%
 
0.9
%
 
-

 
-18.6
 %
Other expense, net
(17,549
)
 
-

 
-

 
14,395

 
(3,154
)
Loss before provision for income taxes
(170,831
)
 
61,851

 
4,398

 
14,395

 
(90,187
)
Provision for income taxes
1,678

 
-

 
-

 
-

 
1,678

Net loss
$
(172,509
)
 
$
61,851

 
$
4,398

 
$
14,395

 
$
(91,865
)
Net loss per share, basic and diluted (1)
$
(1.01
)
 
$
0.36

 
$
0.03

 
$
0.08

 
$
(0.54
)
(1)
Calculated based upon 171,297 basic and diluted weighted-average shares of common stock.
(2)
Other operating expenses include employer payroll tax-related items on employee stock transactions.
   







Workday, Inc.
Reconciliation of GAAP Cash Flows from Operations to Free Cash Flows
(A Non-GAAP Financial Measure)
(in thousands)
(unaudited)

 
Three Months Ended
 
Year Ended
 
January 31,
 
January 31,
 
2015
 
2014
 
2015
 
2014
GAAP cash flows from operating activities
$
48,275

 
$
34,793

 
$
102,003

 
$
46,263

Capital expenditures
(37,665
)
 
(12,341
)
 
(103,646
)
 
(60,725
)
Property and equipment acquired under capital lease
-

 
-

 
-

 
(115
)
Purchase of other intangible assets
-

 
(15,000
)
 
-

 
(15,000
)
Free cash flows
$
10,610

 
$
7,452

 
$
(1,643
)
 
$
(29,577
)












About Non-GAAP Financial Measures
To provide investors and others with additional information regarding Workday’s results, we have disclosed the following non-GAAP financial measures: non-GAAP operating loss, non-GAAP net loss per share and free cash flows. Workday has provided a reconciliation of each non-GAAP financial measure used in this earnings release to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure. The non-GAAP financial measures non-GAAP operating loss and non-GAAP net loss per share differ from GAAP in that they exclude share-based compensation, employer payroll tax-related items on employee stock transactions, amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets and non-cash interest expense related to our convertible senior notes, as applicable. Free cash flows differ from GAAP cash flows from operating activities in that it treats capital expenditures, assets acquired under a capital lease and purchased other (non-acquisition related) intangible assets as a reduction to cash flows.
Workday’s management uses these non-GAAP financial measures to understand and compare operating results across accounting periods, and for internal budgeting and forecasting purposes, for short- and long-term operating plans, and to evaluate Workday’s financial performance and the ability of operations to generate cash. Management believes these non-GAAP financial measures reflect Workday’s ongoing business in a manner that allows for meaningful period-to-period comparisons and analysis of trends in Workday’s business, as they exclude expenses that are not reflective of ongoing operating results. Management also believes that these non-GAAP financial measures provide useful information to investors and others in understanding and evaluating Workday’s operating results and future prospects in the same manner as management and in comparing financial results across accounting periods and to those of peer companies. Additionally, management believes information regarding free cash flows provides investors and others with an important perspective on the cash available to make strategic acquisitions and investments, to fund ongoing operations and to fund other capital expenditures.
Management believes excluding the following items from the GAAP Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations is useful to investors and others in assessing Workday’s operating performance due to the following factors:
 
Share-based compensation. Although share-based compensation is an important aspect of the compensation of our employees and executives, management believes it is useful to exclude share-based compensation in order to better understand the long-term performance of our core business and to facilitate comparison of our results to those of peer companies. For restricted share awards, the amount of share-based compensation expenses is not reflective of the value ultimately received by the grant recipients. Moreover, determining the fair value of certain of the share-based instruments we utilize involves a high degree of judgment and estimation and the expense recorded may bear little resemblance to the actual value realized upon the vesting or future exercise of the related share-based awards. Unlike cash compensation, the value of stock options and the Employee Stock Purchase Plan, which is an element of our ongoing share-based compensation expenses, is determined using a complex formula that incorporates factors, such as market volatility and forfeiture rates, that are beyond our control.

Other Operating Expenses. Other operating expenses included employer payroll tax-related items on employee stock transactions for the three months and year ended January 31, 2015 and 2014 and amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets for the three months and year ended January 31, 2015. The amount of employer payroll tax-related items on share-based compensation is dependent on our stock price and other factors that are beyond our control and do not correlate to the operation of the business. For business combinations, we generally allocate a portion of the purchase price to intangible assets. The amount of the allocation is based on estimates and assumptions made by management and is subject to amortization. The amount of purchase price allocated to intangible assets and the term of its related amortization can vary significantly and are unique to each acquisition and thus we do not believe it is reflective of the ongoing operations.

Amortization of debt discount and issuance costs. Under GAAP, we are required to separately account for liability (debt) and equity (conversion option) components of the convertible senior notes that were issued in private placements in June 2013. Accordingly, for GAAP purposes we are required to recognize the effective interest expense on our convertible senior notes and amortize the issuance costs over the term of the notes. The difference between the effective interest expense and the contractual interest expense and the amortization expense of issuance costs are excluded from management’s assessment of our operating performance because management believes that these non-cash expenses are not indicative of ongoing operating performance. Management believes that the exclusion of the non-cash interest expense provides investors an enhanced view of the company’s operational performance.
Additionally, we believe that the non-GAAP financial measure, free cash flows, is meaningful to investors because we review cash flows generated from or used in operations after deducting capital expenditures, whether purchased or leased, and purchased other intangible assets, due to the fact that these expenditures are considered to be an ongoing operational component of our business. This provides an enhanced view of cash available to make strategic acquisitions and investments, to fund ongoing operations and to fund other capital expenditures.
The use of non-GAAP operating loss and net loss per share has certain limitations as they do not reflect all items of income and expense that affect Workday’s operations. Workday compensates for these limitations by reconciling the non-GAAP financial measures to the most comparable GAAP financial measures. These non-GAAP financial measures should be considered in addition to, not as a substitute for or in isolation from, measures prepared in accordance with GAAP. Further, these non-GAAP measures may differ from the non-GAAP information used by other companies, including peer companies, and therefore comparability may be limited. Management encourages investors and others to review Workday’s financial information in its entirety and not rely on a single financial measure.