Microsoft sees digital reboot from coronavirus pandemic

Microsoft said Wednesday profits rose sharply in the just-ended quarter which forced the technology giant to scramble to keep its customers connected during the coronavirus lockdowns.

The US technology giant said the full impact of the pandemic was not reflected in its results for the fiscal third quarter to March 31.

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But it said it was forced to adapt quickly as businesses and consumers moved into lockdown due to the global health emergency.

"We've seen two years' worth of digital transformation in two months," chief executive Satya Nadella said.

"From remote teamwork and learning, to sales and customer service, to critical cloud infrastructure and security -- we are working alongside customers every day to help them adapt and stay open for business in a world of remote everything."

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Microsoft, the most valuable tech firm, said profits in the quarter rose 22 percent from a year ago to $10.8 billion.

Revenue rose 15 percent to $35 billion with "minimal net impact" from the COVID-19 outbreak, the company said.

Microsoft, which has shifted its focus in recent years from consumer to business services, said it saw gains in its Office commercial and cloud revenues of 13 percent.

Its "intelligent cloud" which includes its Azure platform for enterprise, saw a 27 percent jump in revenue to $12.3 billion.