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| Google and Microsoft profits rise | Google and Microsoft profits rise |
| (34 minutes later) | |
| US technology giants Google and Microsoft have both reported rising profits. | US technology giants Google and Microsoft have both reported rising profits. |
| Online advertising revenues helped Google's net profit climb to $3.35bn (£2.19bn) in the first three months of the year, up 16% on a year ago. | Online advertising revenues helped Google's net profit climb to $3.35bn (£2.19bn) in the first three months of the year, up 16% on a year ago. |
| Microsoft said it made $6bn in profit over the same period, up more than 17% from a year ago, despite a lukewarm reception for Windows 8. | |
| It said also announced the departure of its chief financial officer. | It said also announced the departure of its chief financial officer. |
| Peter Klein will leave at the end of June, Microsoft said, ending an 11-year history with the company and becoming the latest in a series of executives to leave the firm. | Peter Klein will leave at the end of June, Microsoft said, ending an 11-year history with the company and becoming the latest in a series of executives to leave the firm. |
| Analysts suggested the move makes the imminent departure of chief executive Steve Ballmer less likely, as Microsoft would not want to lose two senior figures at the same time. | |
| Mr Ballmer has faced questions over his leadership of the company. | |
| The profits came despite falling PC sales, with deferred revenues from sales of Windows 8, Office and its video games operation providing a boost. | The profits came despite falling PC sales, with deferred revenues from sales of Windows 8, Office and its video games operation providing a boost. |
| Windows 8, which is designed to make PCs work more like tablet computers, was released in October last year, but has faced a mixed reception. | |
| Microsoft's Windows division actually showed no growth at all when deferred revenues were excluded. | |
| Microsoft remains the world's largest software manufacturer. | Microsoft remains the world's largest software manufacturer. |
| Meanwhile Google's profits are being driven by growing income from online advertising, which helped boost overall revenues to nearly $14bn for the quarter, up from $10.7bn for the same period last year. | |
| The results also suggest that Google is beginning to build confidence with advertisers. The amount paid per advert is still declining, but at a slower rate than last year. |