Microsoft in first loss as public company Microsoft reported its first loss since becoming a public company in 1986 as it wrote down the value of its online business and deferred revenues expected when users upgrade to its forthcoming Windows 8 operating system. The quarterly net loss of $492m, or 6 cents per share, compared with net income of $5.9bn, or 69 cents per share, in the same period last year. Apart from these exceptional items, the world's largest software maker reported record fourth-quarter sales, sending its shares up 2.5 per cent to $31.44 in after-hours trading. While the PC industry has reported weak consumer demand, the Redmond, Washington-based company said orders from businesses were driving its results. Fourth-quarter sales of $18.6bn, including the deferred revenues, were up 7 per cent on a year earlier. During its new fiscal year starting this month, Microsoft plans to release Windows 8, Windows Phone 8, Windows Server 2012 and its Office 2013 productivity suite. online advertising company aQuantive a $6.2bn writedown in its Online Services Division "The acquisition did not accelerate growth to the degree anticipated," said Microsoft. Online Services, which also includes the Bing search service, has been losing money for more than five years. This will allow buyers of new Windows 7 PCs to purchase the Windows 8 operating system for a discounted $15 after it goes on sale on October 26. The company predicted it would have $1bn-$1.2bn in deferred revenues for Windows 8 in its September quarter. Microsoft said Windows was performing in line with the PC market, which was flat in the June quarter with around 85m units shipped. But it expected Windows to trail the market in the current quarter, ahead of Windows 8. With no major game releases this quarter, the company expected revenues to decline in a percentage in the high teens for its entertainment and devices division, compared with a year earlier when its Gears of War title was released. Microsoft was upbeat about its social, collaborative, video and voice efforts for large corporate and government customers, including its Lync communication tools and Skype and Yammer acquisitions. The deal for the latter messaging system closed on Thursday. Lync revenues grew more than 45 per cent year-on-year. "We believe unified communications is a huge market opportunity," the company said.