Microsoft reaches another vista

I've been using Vista and don't like it. But it doesn't really matter. Basically, as seen with yesterday's earnings announcement, Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) is running on all cylinders.

Revenues spiked 30% to $16.37 billion and net income zoomed 79% to $4.71 billion, or $0.50 per share. And yes, a big boost came from plentiful sales of the Windows Vista operating system.

What's more, it looks like the good times will continue. Full-year guidance is for earnings of $1.85-1.88 per share, which is up from the prior forecast of $1.78-1.81.

Then again, Microsoft has a broad global footprint, with more than 60% of sales coming from foreign markets. In fact, the company is getting lots of traction from developing economies as has been the case for other biggies, such as Nokia and IBM.

Other positives: the Xbox is showing operating profits; the SharePoint collaboration tool is selling like gangbusters; and the aQuantive deal is providing some momentum in the online ad segment.

Microsoft is also making inroads in combating piracy. With more sales coming from foreign markets, this could certainly make a big difference over the long haul.

Tom Taulli is the author of various books, including The Complete M&A Handbook and The Edgar Online Guide to Decoding Financial Statements. He also operates DealProfiles.com.