Microsoft announced the earnings for their fourth fiscal quarter (ending June 2012) earlier today, and was left delivering its investors some very unfortunate news – they experienced the first quarterly loss ever, at -$0.06 per share.
The loss was mostly due to a $6.2 billion charge resulting from a failed acquisition attempt. As such, the company is not concerned about its potential for growth. Microsoft’s revenue is still up year-over-year, and, as Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer noted in the press release, the company is on the verge of a number of important product launches – namely Microsoft Office 2012, Windows 8, and the Microsoft Surface.
“We delivered record fourth quarter and annual revenue, and we’re fast approaching the most exciting launch season in Microsoft history,” said Steve Ballmer, chief executive officer of Microsoft. “Over the coming year, we’ll release the next versions of Windows, Office, Windows Server, Windows Phone, and many other products and services that will drive our business forward and provide unprecedented opportunity to our customers and partners.”
While this marks a critical moment for Microsoft, the loss is not as concerning as it seems at first – which is a good thing! Microsoft’s continued competition in desktops and portable computers, as well as smartphones, and (with the Microsoft Surface) tablets provide crucial competition in the market. Losing Microsoft as a competitive force would be a great loss for the technology world.
