Microsoft claims best ever quarter

Microsoft has recorded the most profitable quarter in its history

Microsoft has become the latest tech giant to claim record profits for the March 2007 quarter. 

Riding on the releases of Office 2007 and Windows Vista, Microsoft recorded $14.4bn in revenue and $4.93bn in net income over the first three months of 2007, a 32 per cent hike on the same period in 2006.  

A company spokesperson confirmed to vnunet.com that it was the most profitable quarter in Microsoft's history. 

Much of the growth was credited to the launches of Vista and Office 2007. In the first week after the two products were released, PC sales rose by 173 per cent.  

Microsoft chief operating officer Kevin Turner used the earnings announcement to talk up the two products, insisting that the company was "delighted with the positive customer response these products have received".

More recently, however, consumer demand has caused some PC vendors, most notably Dell, to reintroduce systems with Windows XP. Microsoft plans to allow sales of new systems with XP until the end of the year.  

The software giant has high hopes for the next quarter as well, anticipating revenues of between $13.1bn and $13.4bn.

Microsoft's announcement comes a day after Apple claimed record revenues of its own, citing rising Mac and iPod sales for a $5.26bn revenue haul.