The Delta Group operates over 10,000 shops worldwide, primarily across Europe. Below are extracts on intangible assets - software assets - from The Annual Report of the Delta Group 2018. This is, presumably, the computer software that is used in the various stores to process all the customer transactions as well as monitor stock levels to ensure appropriate levels are held at each location. It is important to realize that all the software capitalized here is most likely already being used by the company to improve its processes. 9. Intangible fixed assets Cost At 1 January 2018 Additions Disposals Exchange differences At 31 December 2018 Amortization At 1 January 2018 Expense for the year Disposals Exchange differences At 31 December 2018 Net book value At 31 December 2018 At 31 December 2017 Software 000 Other Intangibles Total 000 000 14,912 4,399 (37) 13,702 113 19,290 14,257 28,614 442 4,841 (37) 129 33,547 8,413 5,102 10,970 19,383 194 5,296 (37) (37) 90 98 13,486 11,254 24,740 5,804 3,003 8,807 6.499 2,732 9.231 (a) Based on the information from the extracts above, explain whether the useful economic life of software appears to be long or short and why there is no carrying value of software that has been disposed of in 2018. [8 marks] (b) Many companies spend a large amount of capital on intangible investment, which is mainly developed within the company, thus may not be valued or even separately identified for accounting purposes. Discuss the potential issues that investors may have with the capitalisation of development expenditure. [22 marks]