Xbox 360, Windows Server drive 13% growth for Microsoft in Q3

Redmond (WA) - In preliminary figures released by Microsoft this afternoon, prior to its quarterly conference call, the company credited strong demand for Xbox 360 consoles, as well as - from the opposite end of its market base - unusually strong demand for its Windows Server operating system, and continued strong support for SQL Server, for driving an impressive 13% growth in revenue in the company’s third fiscal quarter of 2006.

The company reported operating revenues of $10.9 billion in Q3, with operating income rising to $3.89 billion - up 17% over fiscal Q3 2005. But in the early going, analysts are saying that Microsoft’s profit projections for Q4 are coming in below their expectations. More information expected shortly.