Microsoft braces for Windows 8 - Know Your Cell

Call it the "profit before the storm," as Microsoft reported a nice first quarterly earnings as multiple, high-profile products are about to hit the market.?

Microsoft reported $16.01 billion in revenues and $5.31 billion in profits and as usual, the Windows Phone division had no noticeable impact on the bottom line. The Entertainment and Devices Division (which Windows Phone is a part of) posted $1.95 billion in revenues mainly due to the growth of Xbox and Skype.?

The earnings come as Microsoft is preparing perhaps its most important products. Over the next few weeks, we'll see the Surface tablet, Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8.?

The Surface tablet will be released next week and it's a major departure from Microsoft's previous business models because it will be producing, marketing and selling the device itself. This potentially puts it in channel conflict with its partners but consumers may not care if this iPad competitor turns out to be as good as it looks.?

Surface will be a showcase for Windows 8, which is a major re-imagination of Windows. This new operating sytem will land in about a week and it features a very touch and tablet-friendly user interface.?

Windows Phone 8?will be launching Oct. 29 and this boosted version of Microsoft's mobile platform will share a kernal with Windows 8 and it will come out with some handsome hardware like the Lumia 910 and the HTC 8X. The mobile market is quickly going to Android and iOS, so Windows Phone 8 will be a strong indicator of whether Microsoft will be a major player in the mobile space at the OS level.?

[Via Microsoft]

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Source: http://www.knowyourcell.com/news/1640242/microsoft_posts_good_quarter_as_windows_8_looms.html

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