Stock-based compensation expense and its related tax impact. The Company incurs expense related to stock-based compensation included in its GAAP presentation of cost of software licenses; cost of maintenance and service; research and development expense; and selling, general and administrative expense. Stock-based compensation expense (benefit) incurred in connection with the Company's deferred compensation plan held in a rabbi trust includes an offsetting benefit (charge) recorded in other income (expense). Although stock-based compensation is an expense of the Company and viewed as a form of compensation, management excludes these expenses for the purpose of calculating non-GAAP operating income, non-GAAP operating profit margin, non-GAAP net income and non-GAAP diluted earnings per share when it evaluates the continuing operational performance of the Company. Management similarly excludes income (expense) related to assets held in a rabbi trust in connection with the Company's deferred compensation plan. Specifically, the Company excludes stock-based compensation and income related to assets held in the deferred compensation plan rabbi trust during its annual budgeting process and its quarterly and annual assessments of the Company's and management's performance. The annual budgeting process is the primary mechanism whereby the Company allocates resources to various initiatives and operational requirements. Additionally, the annual review by the board of directors during which it compares the Company's historical business model and profitability to the planned business model and profitability for the forthcoming year excludes the impact of stock-based compensation. In evaluating the performance of senior management and department managers, charges related to stock-based compensation are excluded from expenditure and profitability results. In fact, the Company records stock-based compensation expense into a stand-alone cost center for which no single operational manager is responsible or accountable. In this way, management is able to review, on a period-to-period basis, each manager's performance and assess financial discipline over operational expenditures without the effect of stock-based compensation. The Company believes that these non-GAAP financial measures are useful to investors because they allow investors to (a) evaluate the Company's operating results and the effectiveness of the methodology used by management to review the Company's operating results, and (b) review historical comparability in the Company's financial reporting as well as comparability with competitors' operating results. 

Restructuring charges and the related tax impact. The Company occasionally incurs expenses for restructuring its workforce included in its GAAP presentation of cost of software licenses; cost of maintenance and service; research and development expense; and selling, general and administrative expense. Management excludes these expenses for the purpose of calculating non-GAAP operating income, non-GAAP operating profit margin, non-GAAP net income and non-GAAP diluted earnings per share when it evaluates the continuing operational performance of the Company, as it generally does not incur these expenses as a part of its operations. The Company believes that these non-GAAP financial measures are useful to investors because they allow investors to (a) evaluate the Company's operating results and the effectiveness of the methodology used by management to review the Company's operating results, and (b) review historical comparability in the Company's financial reporting as well as comparability with competitors' operating results. 

Transaction costs related to business combinations. The Company incurs expenses for professional services rendered in connection with business combinations, which are included in its GAAP presentation of research and development expense and selling, general and administrative expense. These expenses are generally not tax-deductible. Management excludes these acquisition-related transaction expenses, derived from closed acquisitions, for the purpose of calculating non-GAAP operating income, non-GAAP operating profit margin, non-GAAP net income and non-GAAP diluted earnings per share when it evaluates the continuing operational performance of the Company, as it generally would not have otherwise incurred these expenses in the periods presented as a part of its operations. The Company believes that these non-GAAP financial measures are useful to investors because they allow investors to (a) evaluate the Company's operating results and the effectiveness of the methodology used by management to review the Company's operating results, and (b) review historical comparability in the Company's financial reporting as well as comparability with competitors' operating results. 

Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The Company recorded charges in its income tax provision related to the enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, including charges for the transition tax related to unrepatriated cash and the impacts of the tax rate change on net deferred tax assets. In addition, the Company was not able to realize a tax benefit related to foreign earnings repatriation due to the enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Management excludes these charges and the unrealized benefit for the purpose of calculating non-GAAP net income and non-GAAP diluted earnings per share when it evaluates the continuing operational performance of the Company, as (i) the charges are not expected to recur as part of its normal operations and (ii) both the charges and unrealized tax benefit resulted from the extremely infrequent event of major U.S. tax reform, the last such reform having occurred in 1986. The Company believes that these non-GAAP financial measures are useful to investors because they allow investors to (a) evaluate the Company's operating results and the effectiveness of the methodology used by management to review the Company's operating results, and (b) review historical comparability in the Company's financial reporting. 

Non-GAAP financial measures are not in accordance with, or an alternative for, GAAP. The Company's non-GAAP financial measures are not meant to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for comparable GAAP financial measures, and should be read only in conjunction with the Company's consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP. 

The Company has provided a reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures as listed below: 

About ANSYS, Inc.

If you’ve ever seen a rocket launch, flown on an airplane, driven a car, used a computer, touched a mobile device, crossed a bridge, or put on wearable technology, chances are you've used a product where ANSYS software played a critical role in its creation. ANSYS is the global leader in Pervasive Engineering Simulation. We help the world's most innovative companies deliver radically better products to their customers. By offering the best and broadest portfolio of engineering simulation software, we help them solve the most complex design challenges and create products limited only by imagination. Founded in 1970, ANSYS employs thousands of professionals, many of whom are expert M.S. and Ph.D.-level engineers in finite element analysis, computational fluid dynamics, electronics, semiconductors, embedded software and design optimization. Headquartered south of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.A., ANSYS has more than 75 strategic sales locations throughout the world with a network of channel partners in 40+ countries. Visit www.ansys.com for more information.

Forward-Looking Information

Certain statements contained in this press release regarding matters that are not historical facts, including, but not limited to, statements regarding our projections for the first quarter of 2018 and fiscal year 2018 (both GAAP and non-GAAP to exclude acquisition accounting adjustments to deferred revenue, acquisition-related amortization, stock-based compensation expense and acquisition-related transaction costs with related tax impacts); statements regarding management's use of non-GAAP financial measures; statements regarding investing in the business; statements regarding the strength of customer demand for our products; statements regarding our pipeline of opportunities; statements regarding ANSYS 19, its features and their respective impact on our customers; statements related to our intent to move forward with investments in our core products, high-growth adjacent markets and our business infrastructure; and statements regarding the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act are "forward-looking" statements (as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995). Because such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements in this press release are subject to risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, the risk that adverse conditions in the global and domestic markets will significantly affect ANSYS’ customers’ ability to purchase products from the Company at the same level as prior periods or to pay for the Company’s products and services; the risk that declines in ANSYS’ customers’ business may lengthen customer sales cycles; the risk of declines in the economy of one or more of ANSYS’ primary geographic regions; the risk that ANSYS’ revenues and operating results will be adversely affected by changes in currency exchange rates or economic declines in any of the countries in which ANSYS conducts transactions; the risk that the assumptions underlying ANSYS' anticipated revenues and expenditures will change or prove inaccurate; the risk that ANSYS has overestimated its ability to maintain growth and profitability, and control costs; uncertainties regarding the demand for ANSYS' products and services in future periods; uncertainties regarding customer acceptance of new products; the risk of ANSYS’ products' future compliance with industry quality standards and its potential impact on the Company’s financial results; the risk that the Company may need to change its pricing models due to competition and its potential impact on the Company’s financial results; the risk that ANSYS' operating results will be adversely affected by possible delays in developing, completing or shipping new or enhanced products; the risk that enhancements to the Company's products or products acquired in acquisitions may not produce anticipated sales; the risk that the Company may not be able to recruit and retain key executives and technical personnel; the risk that third parties may misappropriate the Company’s proprietary technology or develop similar technology independently; the risk of unauthorized access to and distribution of the Company’s source code; the risk of the Company’s implementation of its new IT systems; the risk of difficulties in the relationship with ANSYS’ independent regional channel partners; the risk of ANSYS’ reliance on perpetual licenses and the result that any change in customer licensing behavior may have on the Company’s financial results; the risk that ANSYS may not achieve the anticipated benefits of its acquisitions or that the integration of the acquired technologies or products with the Company’s existing product lines may not be successful; the risk of periodic reorganizations and changes within ANSYS’ sales organization; the risk of industry consolidation and the impact it may have on customer purchasing decisions; and other factors that are detailed from time to time in reports filed by ANSYS, Inc. with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including ANSYS, Inc.'s 2017 Annual Report on Form 10-K. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether changes occur as a result of new information or future events, after the date they were made.