Online Services Sluggish In Microsoft Q4

Microsoft (NSDQ:MSFT) raked in a record $60.4 billion in revenue in its fiscal year ended June 30, but its fourth quarter earnings came in just short of what Wall Street analysts were expecting, due in part to weakness in its online services business.Microsoft’s fiscal fourth quarter profit rose 42 percent to $4.3 billion and 46 cents a share, while Wall Street analysts had expected earnings of 47 cents per share. During the same quarter last year, Microsoft reported earnings of $3.0 billion and 31 cents per share.

During the quarter, Microsoft saw strong revenue growth in Windows Server and SQL Server, and also reported solid results in licensing for Office 2007 and Windows Vista, which passed the 180 million mark during the quarter.

However, Microsoft’s Online Services Business continued to underperform, reporting a $488 million loss in operating income, compared to $210 million during the same quarter last year. For the year, the Online Services Division racked up an operating income loss of $1.2 billion, compared to $617 million the previous year.

For its 2009 fiscal first quarter, which ends September 30, Microsoft expects revenue of $14.7 billion to $14.9 billion and earnings of between 47 and 48 cents a share. Wall Street analysts expected revenue of $15.1 billion and earnings of 49 cents per share.

For its full fiscal year, which ends June 30, 2009, Microsoft forecast revenue of $67.3 billion to $68.1 billion and earnings of $2.12 to $2.18 per share. Analysts expected revenue of between $66.9 and $68 billion and earnings of between $2.13 and 2.19 per share.

Microsoft shares were down $1.64 at $25.88 in after-hours trading Thursday.

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Information Card Foundation and How it Can Protect You on Line

Identity theft is a criminal activity that continues to inconvenience online users and, taken to its extremes, it can cause financial disaster to its innocent victims. Several different means exist to help individuals avoid identity theft but no matter how careful a person might be to protect their identity, these internet security problems continue unabated and identity thieves continue to look for ways to outsmart the typical consumer. But there are ways that consumers can remain ahead in the identity theft game and one organization that is ready to help is the Information Card Foundation: A non- profit organization dedicated to reducing the instance of identity theft by securing digital identities in place of traditional logons and passwords. Steering members of the foundation include representatives from Google, Microsoft, PayPal, Oracle Novell and Equifax.

How Does This System Protect the Consumer?

The Information Card Foundation has devised a unique system that protects the consumer by eliminating the need for a logon and password, thereby removing personal information from a web site. It achieves its goal by mimicking the electronic code that is used with debit cards, credit cards, and driver’s licenses, replacing the code with a digital information card. This digital “card” contains the individual’s personal information and each individual will be required to carry several different cards: one for each secured web site that the individual uses.

At present, most all web sites require the establishment of an account by setting up a user name and password. This method is simple, but it isn’t very secure, as any identity thief will point out. All that is necessary to get this personal information is for the identity thief to hack the web sites system and tap into the database containing usernames and passwords. With digital cards, the identity thief is stopped quickly in his/her tracks because these cards are not linked to a web site. Since they are not linked, they are not part of the web site’s database so if a thief successfully hacks a web site, the person who uses these digital cards will not exist in the records.

How Does This Work?

Digital cards are a unique service and they are the key behind the success of this system. Each individual who uses this system must setup a separate digital card for each web site commonly used. These digital cards are then stored on an individual’s personal computer, either in its browser, on the desktop, or on a mobile device. When an individual decides to make an online purchase or enter into a secured site for some other reason, all he/she has to do is click the I- card link within the web site. The individual can then logon without the need for a logon id or password.

What are the Pros and Cons?

The system offered by the Information Card Foundation offers plenty of reasons to consider using it and chief among these is the direct protection against identity theft and phishing. There are many who would like to use the internet for online purchasing, conducting banking transactions, etc., but they avoid using this modern technology because they fear having their identities stolen. With this system, the need for inputting personal information into a web site is eliminated, greatly reducing the chances for the occurrence of identity theft. As a side benefit, this system also eliminates the need to memorize logon ids and passwords.

Even though this system offers great protection against identity theft and phishing, it still has a few issues that prevent it from achieving the level of greatness of which it is capable. The greatest problem with this system is that it only works if the web used by the consumer is participating in the digital card system and accepts I- Cards. If this affiliation is not present, then the digital card is useless. As more and more web sites accept I- Cards, this system will become more and more useful, but until that time, digital cards have limited use.

How Can I Obtain and Install This Service?

The Information Card Foundation offers easy installation of its system. To initiate the setup, a person must establish an Identity Selector on his/her pc. This is usually already available because it often exists on some pc browsers. If it isn’t in the browser, it should be searched for on the computer desktop. Once the identity selector is located, the next step is to setup your own digital cards for use at specific internet web sites. After completing this step, the Information Card Foundation’s system will be installed and ready for use. When a web site is accessed, it will no longer ask for a logon id and password.

Identity theft continues to cause problems for millions of consumers each year but, fortunately, there are many effective software products designed to help stop identity theft before it begins. The Information Card Foundation has devised a very effective means to eliminate or greatly reduce the incidence of identity theft and phishing with its system of digital cards. These cards help protect consumers by eliminating the need for logon ids and passwords, keeping personal information private and well out of reach of cyber- thieves everywhere. It’s a very good product for consumers who worry about shopping or conducting other transactions online.

San Diego Living Trust Attorney

What exactly living trust?

A living trust is just one of many different tools in financial and estate planning. But, living trusts can help you achieve goals not possible with other planning tools. At the same time, they require effort, time and resources.

Living trusts can serve you well while you are alive. They can also serve your family members and others you love long after you are gone. Just like with a will, you can provide for distribution of property after death.

You can find out more details at San Diego living trust by visiting allenbarron.com. There you can find out more related articles and advice from their expert. allenbarron.com have over 500 companies in high-tech manufacturing companies, bio- tech and medical device companies, real estate, start up companies, and individual entrepreneurs.

A living trust allows you to be both the trustee and the beneficiary of a trust while you’re alive. You maintain control of the assets and receive all income and benefits. Upon your death, a designated successor trustee manages and/or distributes the remaining assets according to the terms set in the trust, avoiding the probate process. Living trusts are also an ideal way to provide for management of your financial affairs in the event of incapacity. You, not the courts or an improperly motivated family member, choose who will manage your finances.

So feel free to visit their main site here at allenbarron.com to find out more details about living trust, attorney law, tax and accounting and moch more.