(AOF) – Microsoft’s profits came out above expectations, as did the growth of Azure (cloud) against a backdrop of the rise of artificial intelligence. In the second quarter, ended at the end of December, the IT giant saw its net profit jump 33% to $21.9 billion, or $2.93 per share. Revenue increased 18% to $62 billion. It increased by 16% at constant exchange rates. Analysts polled by Bloomberg anticipated $2.78 per share and $61.1 billion respectively.
“This is a record quarter, driven by the continued strength of the Microsoft Cloud, which exceeded $33 billion in revenue, up 24%. We have moved from a conversation about AI to an application of AI. “AI at scale,” said CEO Satya Nadella.
Azure on a cloud
The Redmond (Washington) firm continued to benefit from the dynamism of its Intelligent Cloud division, which oversees products and services related to servers, such as Windows Server, SQL Server and Azure (commercial cloud). Its sales jumped 20% to $25.9 billion.
Highly monitored by analysts because it has been the driving force of the group in recent years, Azure has seen its sales increase by 30% in raw data. They increased by 28% at constant exchange rates, as in the previous quarter. Growth was supported by 7 points by artificial intelligence services. The Visible Alpha consensus stood at 27.7%.
At the press conference with analysts, CFO Amy Hood said she expects Azure’s growth to stabilize this quarter.
AOF – LEARN MORE
Learn more about the Software Publishers industry
Beautiful dynamic
According to the latest Truffle 100 ranking, the sector’s total turnover in France jumped 15% last year to cross the 25 billion euro mark. The sector has benefited from an unprecedented growth rate and confirms its recovery after the health crisis. The average annual growth over fifteen years is 12 times higher than that of GDP! Dassault Systèmes retains first place with more than 5.6 billion euros in revenue last year. Cegid, specialist in software for accountants, and the fintech Murex are placed in second and third position with respectively 791 and 711 million euros in turnover. Polarization is one of the characteristics of the sector: the gap in turnover between the 50th and the 100th publisher has increased further in 2022 to reach almost 28 million euros. Performance was improved as the profitability rate (as a percentage of turnover) increased from 9.1% to 10.4%. The outlook is good because artificial intelligence, seen as revolutionary, is expected to drive the market in 2023, as is cybersecurity.