The tech group is putting a stronger focus on the cloud business.
(Photo: AP)
san francisco Bubbling sales from the Azure cloud division have boosted Microsoft’s business. From October to December, sales climbed by a fifth to $51.7 billion, as the Redmond-based US group announced on Tuesday after the market closed.
That was above analysts’ expectations. Profit increased by 21 percent to 18.8 billion dollars. The world’s largest software group is benefiting from the trend towards hybrid working – the combination of working from home and in the office. In order to realize this, companies need storage space and applications in the cloud that everyone can access from anywhere.
Microsoft made headlines last week when it acquired Call of Duty maker Activision Blizzard. The group wants to put 69 billion dollars on the table for the computer games manufacturer.
More: Economically, the timing of the deal is perfect. But the consequences of an image scandal of the kind that burdens the game developer can hardly be calculated.
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