Microsoft posted record results for the summer that were nonetheless muted. Its profit was up six percent from year to year but was enough to get it a new high of $17.37 billion in pure revenue, up seven percent, and a six percent hike in profit to $5.74 billion. Most of this came from the Business and Server groups, which grew eight and ten points each to make $5.62 billion and $4.25 billion each.
The company downplayed problems with its Windows and Windows Phone​ business. Its desktop Windows group’s revenue grew just two percent, “in line with the PC market,” Microsoft said. As it has for most of 2011, it also declined altogether to mention Windows Phone’s performance, a sign that shipments likely hadn’t improved from the spring. Its group, the Entertainment and Devices division, managed $1.96 billion based mostly on the Xbox 360 and Kinect.
Online services like Bing improved but still lost the company about $500 million, making just $625 million.
The performance is a turnaround from two consecutive quarters of Windows revenue dropping
