14 DAY TRIAL // Today Microsoft has revealed its financial results for the second quarter of FY 2015, announcing revenues of $26.5 billion (€23.6 billion) and a growth of 8 percent of the Devices and Consumers business to $12.9 billion (€11.4 billion).
The Phone Hardware revenue reached $2.3 billion (€2 billion), Microsoft says, as a total of 10.5 million Lumia phones were sold during the quarter. This is an increase of 1.2 million devices as compared to the previous quarter, when only 9.3 million phones were shipped to buyers.
The hardware business also improved when it comes to Xbox console sales, which reached 6.6 million units during the quarter.
“Microsoft is continuing to transform, executing against our strategic priorities and extending our cloud leadership,” said Satya Nadella, chief executive officer of Microsoft.“We are taking bold steps forward across our business, and specifically with Windows 10, to deliver new experiences, new categories, and new opportunities to our customers.”
Windows OEM sales declined during the quarter
One particular business that declined during the quarter was Windows OEM sales, which dropped for both Pro and non-Pro sectors by 13 percent. Microsoft says that this happened because the business PC market returned to “pre-Windows XP EOS sales.”
Microsoft ended support for Windows XP in April 2014, so last year, Windows OEM sales were increased because more people were looking for new computers running a modern version of Windows.
A similar increase is expected to take place in the next couple of quarters, as Microsoft is getting ready to debut Windows 10, a new operating system that's likely to spawn a new computer upgrade program for many organizations and users worldwide.
Surface sales increased in Q2 2015
The Redmond-based tech company has revealed that Surface revenue was up $1.1 billion (€974 million) during the quarter, which is an increase of 24 percent as compared to the previous quarter.
The company claims that it's all because of the Surface Pro 3 and the accessories that have reached the web lately. Figures are likely to drop in the next quarter, as no new tablet has been launched since then.