Microsoft third quarter profit down

Microsoft Corp’s third-quarter profit fell 11 per cent from a year earlier, when the software maker reported more than USD 1 billion in deferred revenue tied to delays in the launch of the Windows Vista operating system. Its net profit for the three months ended March 31, 2008 fell to $4.39 billion, or 47 cents per share, from $4.93 billion, or 50 cents per share, in the same period last year. Revenue edged up to $14.45 billion from $14.4 billion in the year-ago quarter.