Microsoft profit soars as pandemic speeds shift to cloud

Microsoft said Tuesday profit rose sharply in the recently ended quarter as the coronavirus pandemic reinforced the shift to relying on services hosted in the cloud for work, play and socializing.

The US technology stalwart reported net income of $15.5 billion in the final three months of last year, a 33 percent jump from the same period in pre-pandemic 2019.

Overall revenue rose 17 percent from a year ago to $43.1 billion, Microsoft said in its update for its fiscal second quarter.