Microsoft said on Thursday that net profit in the second quarter rose 60 percent to US$6.66 billion on record-high revenue driven by demand for new Windows 7 operating system.
Microsoft reported that its revenue surge 14 percent to US$19.02 billion in the fiscal quarter that ended on Dec. 31.
“Exceptional demand for Windows 7 led to the positive top-line growth for the company,” chief financial officer Peter Klein said of the new personal computer operating system released in October by the US software giant.
The net income amounted to US$0.74 per share, up 57 percent from the same quarter a year earlier.
The milestone was hit with help from a one-time boost of US$1.71 billion that came from deferred revenue.
Microsoft said it has sold or licensed more than 60 million copies of Windows 7, which was launched with Windows Server 2008 R2 software in late October.
“This is a record quarter for Windows units,” Microsoft chief operating officer Kevin Turner said. “We are thrilled by the consumer reception to Windows 7 and by business enthusiasm to adopt Windows 7.”
The consumer-oriented side of Microsoft’s technology empire drove the quarter’s strong showing, while businesses continued to be tight with spending, Klein said.
“With Windows 7 we have tremendous consumer momentum and a great product for the enterprise market when it recovers,” Microsoft general manager of investor relations Bill Koefoed said.
Software sales grew at double digit percentages in emerging markets while climbing “single digits” in mature markets, Microsoft said.
Klein predicted spending on information technology would rise this year.
“IT spending should improve from the recessionary levels of 2009,” Klein said. “We expect the business hardware refresh cycle to begin this year and continue gradually for several years.”
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