Microsoft’s quarterly revenues of $16.04 billion exceeded many industry analysts’ expectations, and suggested that the economy –at least the portion of it that purchases software—is indeed slowly reviving from the deepest global recession in a generation. However, a deeper analysis of those results also reveals a peculiar dichotomy: despite Microsoft’s “all in” approach to cloud computing, the company’s fortunes are still very much tied into that most traditional of tech areas, the desktop.
“Microsoft’s messaging around cloud is becoming increasingly aggressive, but its execution in traditional businesses had revenue pouring in during [the quarter],” Allan Krans, an analyst with Technology Business Research, wrote in a July 22 research note. “Windows 7 and Office 2010 have generated significant growth despite the ongoing economic uncertainty.”
Microsoft Partner 
