Ballmer provides grim outlook as economy 'resets'

Speaking to financial analysts on the heels of Microsoft's announcement of layoffs and a disappointing second quarter, CEO Steve Ballmer referred to current economic conditions as an entire recalibration that means the economy likely won't return to its previous prosperity.

"As things go down, they reset," Ballmer said on a conference call Thursday. "The economy shrinks and then it doesn't rebound, it rebuilds from a lower base. We're not expecting a bounce."

Ballmer also predicted it could take a year or two for the economy to improve, and that Microsoft is prepared to keep its priorities tight and its costs conservative for the long term.

Microsoft announced its fiscal 2009 second-quarter earnings before markets opened on Thursday instead of waiting for markets to close, as the company typically does. In addition to a quarter in which net income fell 11 percent year-over-year, the company also announced it would lay off 5,000 employees.

However, on the conference call, Ballmer said the company would also add a few thousand jobs, particularly in areas of strategic investment, such as search. "Even as we take out 5,000 jobs, we'll be adding a few thousand jobs as in areas like search, where we see an incredible opportunity to do good work," he said.

Ballmer tried gamely to focus on the positives of the business, while being realistic about the current economic crisis.

"Certainly the size and scope of this economic dislocation is unprecedented," he said. "It may delay some technology adoption in the technology industry at large. But I don't think there's anything stopping the forward march of our industry and Microsoft. The pause in our economy is imposing but will certainly be just that -- it's a pause."

Among the bright spots for Microsoft in an overall disappointing quarter were double-digit growth in revenue from its Office SharePoint and Communications Server products, as well as its Microsoft CRM (customer relationship management) enterprise software. Microsoft's Server and Tools business also had its 26th straight quarter of double-digit growth. And Microsoft's online advertising revenue, long a weak spot for the company, grew 7 percent, although growth in Microsoft's Online Services Business (OSB) was flat overall.

Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices business also was bolstered in the quarter by holiday purchases of its Xbox 360 console, with a record 6 million sold in the quarter, said Microsoft Chief Financial Officer Chris Liddell. However, he warned that there could be a fall-off in sales if consumer spending continues to be down.

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