Microsoft profits soar by 60%

Microsoft’s profits soared by 60% in the final quarter of 2009. The company cited the success of a heavyweight marketing camapign for Windows 7 as a core contributor to its success.

Windows 7

In its quarterly results, the company reported a net profit of $6.66bn (£4.13bn) for the three months to 31 December 2009, up from the $4.18bn it made in the same period a year earlier. It also reported record revenues of $19.2bn.

Kevin Turner, chief operating officer, says: “We are thrilled by the consumer reception to Windows 7. This is a record quarter for Windows units.”

Microsoft released Windows 7 in October last year, backed by a heavyweight global marketing camapign. The operating system has proved to be Microsoft’s best-selling operating system to date after the disappointing Vista. It will soon face competition from Google, who have revealed details of Chrome OS this week.

Microsoft says it was helped by a rebound in personal computer sales in the run-up to Christmas, but the company did not make any specific profit or sales forecasts, after making the decision to stop doing so in January 2009, citing market volatility.

Microsoft is the latest technology company to report earnings results. Yahoo! and Apple both announced higher profits earlier this week, while Google reported strong figures last week.

On Wednesday, rivals Apple revealed their first ever portable tablet device, the iPad, which will be launched in March.

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