04/24/2008, 4:50pm, EDT
Thursday, April 24thMicrosoft earns $14.5B with Xbox 360 help
Microsoft today announced that its latest fiscal quarter earned the company approximately $14.5 billion, or 47 cents per share. The revenue is not a record for the company but is credited in part to the surprising success of the company's Entertainment and Devices Division. Strong sales of the Xbox 360 console helped jump the division's revenue by 68 percent versus the same period a year ago, according to the company. About 19 million examples game system and media hub have now shipped since it launched in November 2005, or about 74 percent more than in early 2007.
The Xbox has seen recurring shortages in the early part of 2008 after Microsoft underestimated demand for the device after the holidays.
The Entertainment and Devices group also includes the Zune, though its unit and revenue sales aren't mentioned in the financial report. Growth in most other divisions of the company is also unmentioned; in software, the company primarily touts the release of Windows Server 2008, as well as companion SQL Server and Visual Studio apps, as contributing to an 18 percent year-over-year growth in the Server and Tools group. Vista sales are notably absent.
Microsoft also says it took the short-term but significant impact of a $1.4 billion European Commission fine during the quarter for allegedly failing to properly document and support some aspects of Windows and Office.
Filed under: industry
Other story tags: Microsoft, Xbox 360, Zune
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SCNR ;-)
What? Ignoring the "examples game system" goof, the way the numbers are expressed is very confusing.
Presumably, it's trying to say that between Nov 2005 and "early 2007" 10.9 million units where sold and then in the past year (5 quarters?) another 8.1 units were sold. Which is, frankly, no big deal since it implies that more units were sold in the first year or so than in the next year or so. But 74% more sounds more impressive I suppose.