25
Thu, Apr
1 New Articles

European Commission Fine Dings Microsoft's Investors

Trends
Typography
  • Smaller Small Medium Big Bigger
  • Default Helvetica Segoe Georgia Times

Microsoft Corp. has announced third-quarter revenue, operating income, and diluted earnings per share of $14.45 billion, $4.41 billion, and 47 cents, respectively. Operating income and earnings per share results included a charge of $1.42 billion, or 15 cents per share, for the European Commission fine, the company said.

(The European Commission in 2004 found Microsoft to be violating anti-trust regulations and ordered the company to make available interoperability information for work group servers and fined it $740 million. Three years later, it found Microsoft was still non-compliant with the order when it determined the fees Microsoft was charging for that information were unreasonable. The Commission then fined the company approximately $1.3 billion (exact amount depends on currency exchange rates) for non-compliance with its order. See Microsoft Fine).

Income taxes were reduced by 15 cent per share for the resolution of a tax audit, the company said.

"Our third-quarter results demonstrate the benefit of our diversified business model," said Chris Liddell, chief financial officer of Microsoft. "Our broad span across geographies, product categories, and customer segments is a tremendous asset and supports our outlook for double-digit revenue, operating income, and earnings per share growth for this fiscal year and also for fiscal year 2009."

Entertainment and Devices revenue for the quarter grew 68 percent over the comparable period last year driven by robust demand for Xbox 360 consoles. Cumulative console sales surpassed 19 million during the quarter, up 74 percent from a year ago. Server and Tools revenue growth of 18 percent added to its string of consecutive double-digit revenue growth quarters, which now stands at 23.

"The breadth of our product offerings and our ability to provide solutions across a range of customer and partner needs paid off again this quarter. The third quarter also kicked off the largest enterprise platform launch in our company history, which highlights Windows Server 2008, SQL Server 2008, and Visual Studio 2008," said Kevin Turner, chief operating officer of Microsoft. "These new products strengthen our ability to help business customers and partners save money, optimize their people, processes and technology, and position IT as a strategic asset for their businesses."

Business Outlook

Microsoft management offers the following guidance for the quarter ending June 30, 2008:

-- Revenue is expected to be in the range of $15.5 billion to $15.8 billion.

-- Operating income is expected to be in the range of $5.8 billion to $6.2 billion.

-- Diluted earnings per share are expected to be in the range of $0.45 to $0.48.

Management offered the following preliminary guidance for the full fiscal year ending June 30, 2009:

-- Revenue is expected to be in the range of $66.9 billion to $68.0 billion.

-- Operating income is expected to be in the range of $26.7 billion to $27.4 billion.

-- Diluted earnings per share are expected to be in the range of $2.13 to $2.19.

Additional details on fiscal year 2009 guidance will be provided in the fourth-quarter earnings announcement and during the company's Financial Analyst Meeting on July 24. 

Adjusted Financial Results

Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Measures: The financial results for the third quarter of fiscal year 2007 contained the recognition of $1.67 billion of revenue and operating income that had been deferred from the first half of the year related primarily to technology guarantee programs. Operating income also included $154 million of legal charges. Diluted earnings per share included $0.12 per share associated with the technology guarantee program, $0.01 for legal charges and $0.02 for tax benefits.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) is a worldwide leader in software, services, and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is a worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

At Microsoft, we're motivated and inspired every day by how our customers use our software to find creative solutions to business problems, develop breakthrough ideas, and stay connected to what's most important to them.

We run our business in much the same way, and believe our five business divisions offer the greatest potential to serve our customers. They are:

• Windows & Windows Live Division: Includes the Windows product family and is responsible for our relationships with personal computer manufacturers as well as online software and services through Windows Live.

• Server and Tools: Software server products, services and solutions, including: Windows Server operating system, Microsoft SQL Server, Visual Studio, Silverlight, System Center products, Forefront security products, Biz Talk Server, and Microsoft Consulting Services.

• Online Services Division: Consists of an online advertising platform with offerings for publishers and advertisers, and online information offerings such as Bing and the MSN portals and channels.

• Microsoft Business Division: Includes the Microsoft Office suites, desktop programs, servers, and services and solutions; Microsoft Dynamics; and Unified Communications business solutions.

• Entertainment and Devices Division: Consists of the Xbox video game system, including consoles and accessories, Xbox Live operations, Zune digital music and entertainment device; Mediaroom, mobile and embedded device platforms, Surface computing platform, and Windows Automotive.

We are committed long term to the mission of helping our customers realize their full potential. Just as we constantly update and improve our products, we want to continually evolve our company to be in the best position to accelerate new technologies as they emerge and to better serve our customers.

BLOG COMMENTS POWERED BY DISQUS

LATEST COMMENTS

Support MC Press Online

$0.00 Raised:
$

Book Reviews

Resource Center

  • SB Profound WC 5536 Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application. You can find Part 1 here. In Part 2 of our free Node.js Webinar Series, Brian May teaches you the different tooling options available for writing code, debugging, and using Git for version control. Brian will briefly discuss the different tools available, and demonstrate his preferred setup for Node development on IBM i or any platform. Attend this webinar to learn:

  • SB Profound WP 5539More than ever, there is a demand for IT to deliver innovation. Your IBM i has been an essential part of your business operations for years. However, your organization may struggle to maintain the current system and implement new projects. The thousands of customers we've worked with and surveyed state that expectations regarding the digital footprint and vision of the company are not aligned with the current IT environment.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT Generic IBM announced the E1080 servers using the latest Power10 processor in September 2021. The most powerful processor from IBM to date, Power10 is designed to handle the demands of doing business in today’s high-tech atmosphere, including running cloud applications, supporting big data, and managing AI workloads. But what does Power10 mean for your data center? In this recorded webinar, IBMers Dan Sundt and Dylan Boday join IBM Power Champion Tom Huntington for a discussion on why Power10 technology is the right strategic investment if you run IBM i, AIX, or Linux. In this action-packed hour, Tom will share trends from the IBM i and AIX user communities while Dan and Dylan dive into the tech specs for key hardware, including:

  • Magic MarkTRY the one package that solves all your document design and printing challenges on all your platforms. Produce bar code labels, electronic forms, ad hoc reports, and RFID tags – without programming! MarkMagic is the only document design and print solution that combines report writing, WYSIWYG label and forms design, and conditional printing in one integrated product. Make sure your data survives when catastrophe hits. Request your trial now!  Request Now.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericForms of ransomware has been around for over 30 years, and with more and more organizations suffering attacks each year, it continues to endure. What has made ransomware such a durable threat and what is the best way to combat it? In order to prevent ransomware, organizations must first understand how it works.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericIT security is a top priority for businesses around the world, but most IBM i pros don’t know where to begin—and most cybersecurity experts don’t know IBM i. In this session, Robin Tatam explores the business impact of lax IBM i security, the top vulnerabilities putting IBM i at risk, and the steps you can take to protect your organization. If you’re looking to avoid unexpected downtime or corrupted data, you don’t want to miss this session.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericCan you trust all of your users all of the time? A typical end user receives 16 malicious emails each month, but only 17 percent of these phishing campaigns are reported to IT. Once an attack is underway, most organizations won’t discover the breach until six months later. A staggering amount of damage can occur in that time. Despite these risks, 93 percent of organizations are leaving their IBM i systems vulnerable to cybercrime. In this on-demand webinar, IBM i security experts Robin Tatam and Sandi Moore will reveal:

  • FORTRA Disaster protection is vital to every business. Yet, it often consists of patched together procedures that are prone to error. From automatic backups to data encryption to media management, Robot automates the routine (yet often complex) tasks of iSeries backup and recovery, saving you time and money and making the process safer and more reliable. Automate your backups with the Robot Backup and Recovery Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAManaging messages on your IBM i can be more than a full-time job if you have to do it manually. Messages need a response and resources must be monitored—often over multiple systems and across platforms. How can you be sure you won’t miss important system events? Automate your message center with the Robot Message Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAThe thought of printing, distributing, and storing iSeries reports manually may reduce you to tears. Paper and labor costs associated with report generation can spiral out of control. Mountains of paper threaten to swamp your files. Robot automates report bursting, distribution, bundling, and archiving, and offers secure, selective online report viewing. Manage your reports with the Robot Report Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAFor over 30 years, Robot has been a leader in systems management for IBM i. With batch job creation and scheduling at its core, the Robot Job Scheduling Solution reduces the opportunity for human error and helps you maintain service levels, automating even the biggest, most complex runbooks. Manage your job schedule with the Robot Job Scheduling Solution. Key features include:

  • LANSA Business users want new applications now. Market and regulatory pressures require faster application updates and delivery into production. Your IBM i developers may be approaching retirement, and you see no sure way to fill their positions with experienced developers. In addition, you may be caught between maintaining your existing applications and the uncertainty of moving to something new.

  • LANSAWhen it comes to creating your business applications, there are hundreds of coding platforms and programming languages to choose from. These options range from very complex traditional programming languages to Low-Code platforms where sometimes no traditional coding experience is needed. Download our whitepaper, The Power of Writing Code in a Low-Code Solution, and:

  • LANSASupply Chain is becoming increasingly complex and unpredictable. From raw materials for manufacturing to food supply chains, the journey from source to production to delivery to consumers is marred with inefficiencies, manual processes, shortages, recalls, counterfeits, and scandals. In this webinar, we discuss how:

  • The MC Resource Centers bring you the widest selection of white papers, trial software, and on-demand webcasts for you to choose from. >> Review the list of White Papers, Trial Software or On-Demand Webcast at the MC Press Resource Center. >> Add the items to yru Cart and complet he checkout process and submit

  • Profound Logic Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application.

  • SB Profound WC 5536Join us for this hour-long webcast that will explore:

  • Fortra IT managers hoping to find new IBM i talent are discovering that the pool of experienced RPG programmers and operators or administrators with intimate knowledge of the operating system and the applications that run on it is small. This begs the question: How will you manage the platform that supports such a big part of your business? This guide offers strategies and software suggestions to help you plan IT staffing and resources and smooth the transition after your AS/400 talent retires. Read on to learn: