U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission
SEC Seal
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

OMB APPROVAL
OMB Number: 3235-0631
Expires: Nov 30, 2010
Estimated average burden hours
per response 4.0
Interactive Data Voluntary Program Questionnaire
Instructions

Participants in the Interactive Data Voluntary Program that have used a standard U.S. GAAP taxonomy are asked to provide their views by responding to this questionnaire as soon as their experience under the voluntary program permits, but in any event, by December 31, 2007. Responses may be submitted in three ways:

  • Electronically by completing the form below and submitting it
  • Electronically by e-mail to xbrlprogram@sec.gov
  • By paper to Nancy M. Morris, Secretary, Securities and Exchange Commission, 100 F Street, NE, Washington, DC 20549-1090

All submissions should refer to the Interactive Data Voluntary Program Questionnaire. To help us process and review your responses more efficiently, please use only one method. If you would like assistance in responding to the questionnaire, please contact Brigitte Lippmann in the Division of Corporation Finance (lippmannb@sec.gov or 202-551-3713) or Jeffrey Naumann in the Office of the Chief Accountant (naumannj@sec.gov or 202-551-5352).

The Commission will use the information requested to learn about the voluntary program from the participant perspective. The Commission plans to use the information to help it assess the feasibility and desirability of using tagged data on a more widespread and, possibly, mandated basis in the future. In addition, the information may also be used by the Commission or its staff in connection with public analyses of the responses. Responses to all parts of the questionnaire, regardless whether in question form, are voluntary and will not be kept confidential. Accordingly, participants should feel free to skip all or any parts of the questionnaire to which they prefer not to respond and should not send confidential or sensitive information.

The Commission estimates that it will take up to four hours to respond to the questionnaire. Any member of the public may direct to the Commission any comments concerning the accuracy of this burden estimate and any suggestions for reducing this burden. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid control number. This collection of information has been reviewed by OMB in accordance with the clearance requirements of 44 U.S.C. 3507.


Interactive Data Questions for Test Group Participants

  1. Background Information:

    1. Address of principal executive offices:







    1. Point of contact:




    1. Type of filer at most recent FYE:
    1. Foreign private issuer?


    1. Securities traded on (check all that apply):







  1. Interactive Data Creation and Submission Information:
    1. Do you submit XBRL data on EDGAR directly or do you use a filing agent?
    1. Did you or your filing agent create the XBRL files?
    1. Which standard U.S. GAAP taxonomy did you use primarily to prepare the XBRL data?
      If you used more than one, indicate the other taxonomies used?
    1. Did you use extensions to the standard U.S. GAAP taxonomy to create your financial statements in the XBRL format?
      1. If so, how extensive was the use of extensions (1 - Very Minimal, 5 - Very Extensive)?
      1. Did you use one of the standard plug-ins (extension taxonomies), such as for MD&A or the auditor's report?

        Did you create additional extensions?

      1. If you used extension files, what type(s) did you use?
      1. If you did not tag your financial footnotes in their entirety, would you have done so if a comprehensive taxonomy was available?"

        Do you plan to tag footnotes in future submissions?
    1. Do you currently map your accounting database with XBRL?
      1. If so, how?
      1. Does your accounting package support XML/XBRL schemas?




    1. Did your independent public accounting firm perform attestation procedures as to the XBRL data?
      If so, did that firm render an attestation report?
    1. Do you believe adequate safeguards are currently in place at the company to ensure that the XBRL data is prepared and submitted to the Commission correctly?
  1. Potential Benefits or Issues:
    1. Evaluate your ability to use the XBRL technology
      1. Overall, was it difficult or easy to create and transmit XBRL data (1 - Very Easy, 5 - Most Difficult)?
        After the initial submission how difficult or easy was it to create and transmit subsequent filings (1 - Very Easy, 5 - Most Difficult)?
      1. Were you able to use XBRL data for internal analysis?
        If so, did you or third parties develop the analysis software?


      1. Were you able to convert the XBRL information into a human readable financial statement presentation?
        If so, did you or third parties develop the software?

      1. Was sufficient software available?
        How easy was it to use (1 - Very Easy, 5 - Most Difficult)?
      1. Did you encounter significant problems?


      1. Were you or would you be able to free resources from manual reporting to do work that adds value to your business?
      1. Were you or would you be able to lower the cost of producing information through automation?
      1. Did or could help improve your internal or financial reporting processes?

        Did or could using XBRL help you streamline reporting or help solve or uncover issues?

      1. Did or could tagging data assist your independent public accountants in their financial statement reviews or audits?

      1. Do you see future benefits from using XBRL technology for internal managerial or internal financial reporting purposes?

      1. Do you foresee uses for reporting with other federal or state regulators?
    1. Do you believe that your investors or analysts would find XBRL data useful?



    1. Do you plan to continue to submit XBRL data on EDGAR?


  1. Costs:
    1. Quantify the approximate cost for each of the following types of software that you used relating to XBRL





    1. For each of your submissions of XBRL data -


      1. Did you use a filing agent or software or other type of consultant?



      1. Did you use an independent public accountant?

      1. Did you incur any other types of internal (such as labor or software) or external (such as attorney) costs or fees?




  1. Future XBRL Development and Use:
    1. Standard Taxonomies and Extensions:

      1. Do extensions benefit or hinder the ability to use XBRL?

    1. Attestation/Validation:
      1. Should companies have internal controls to ensure that the correct taxonomy is being used and that items are being properly tagged?

      1. Should the independent public accountants have a role?

      1. Should independent public accountants and/or filers provide certifications as to the accuracy of the tagged data?


    1. Replacing HTML with XBRL Format for Official EDGAR Filings:
      1. If XBRL were available as an alternative official filing format on the EDGAR system, would you choose to report in this format?

      1. If XBRL were available as an alternative official filing format, would you be more likely to choose this format if only the face of the financial statements (i.e., excluding the related footnotes) were required in XBRL format and the footnotes and other report sections would continue to be filed in the current HTML format?

    1. Based on your experience to date, do you think it would be advisable for the Commission to continue to explore the feasibility and desirability of the use of interactive data on a more widespread and, possibly, mandated basis?


  1. May we contact you to follow up on your responses to this questionnaire?
 

http://www.sec.gov/cgi-bin/XBRL_Questionnaire


Modified: 08/05/2008