Navi Now Company agrees to pay $20 million in cash to the four former owners of Traffic Eye for all of its assets and liabilities. These four owners of Traffic Eye developed and patented a technology for real time monitoring of traffic patterns on the nation's top 200 frequently congested highways. Navi Now plans to combine the new technology with its existing global positioning systems and projects a resulting substantial revenue increase.
As part of the acquisition contract, Navi Now also agrees to pay additional amounts to the former owners upon achievement of certain financial goals. Navi Now will pay $8 million to the four former owners of Traffic Eye if revenues from the combined system exceed $100 million over the next three years. Navi-
Now estimates this contingent payment to have a probability adjusted present value of $4 million.
The four former owners have also been offered employment contracts with Navi Now to help with system integration and performance enhancement issues. The employment contracts are silent as to service periods, have nominal salaries similar to those of equivalent employees, and specify a profit sharing component over the next three years (if the employees remain with the company) that Navi Now estimates to have a current fair value of $2 million. The four former owners of Traffic Eye say they will stay on as employees of Navi Now for at least three years to help achieve the desired financial goals.
Should NaviNow account for the contingent payments promised to the former owners of Traffic Eye as consideration transferred in the acquisition or as compensation expense to employees?