By George Ward
Global tech behemoth, Microsoft, recently released its revenue data for September to December 2023. The report shows an 18% year-on-year spike, with the company grossing over $60 billion in revenue. Accordingly, Microsoft moved ahead of Apple Inc. as the world’s most valuable publicly-listed enterprise.
AI Advancement And Profit Surge
Microsoft and Google’s parent company, Alphabet, recently released its fourth-quarter report for 2023. The report shows that significant investments in artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, and other vital sectors comprised the company’s overall financial gains.
In 2023, artificial intelligence became the most trending topic in the ever-changing technological industry. Analysts predict the AI industry will have a market value of approximately $197 billion this year.
It is worth noting that Microsoft and Google’s release of sophisticated, high-level chatbots further established them as leaders in the AI development sector.
Microsoft recorded a boost in sales in Q4 2023, primarily because of the AI technologies it developed. During Microsoft’s fourth-quarter earnings call, Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella talked about the company’s accomplishments in artificial intelligence.
He stated that Microsoft has moved beyond discussing AI to its practical deployment. According to him, the firm’s AI integration caused it to attract new clients and record significant progress in several areas, including production.
Other Metrics
Aside from its AI developments, Microsoft saw a 30% year-on-year gain in sales of its Azure cloud computing services, outperforming industry analysts’ expectations. The company’s Q4 gains increased 33% yearly, hitting an impressive $21.9 billion.
At the start of 2024, Microsoft announced the paid version of their AI chatbot, Copilot, which has advanced capabilities like bespoke GPT creation and seamless connection with Office. However, the corporation became embroiled in a major copyright case with OpenAI and the New York Times.
Meanwhile, Alphabet Inc. cited AI integrations as a key driver in its Q4 success. Sundar Pichai, the company’s CEO, expressed delight with Google Search’s healthy performance and growth from YouTube and Cloud, which already benefit from Alphabet’s significant AI investments and innovation.
Following its technology improvements, the corporation announced a consolidated revenue of $86 billion for Q4, representing a 13% year-on-year gain. Pichai’s optimism suggests that the corporation expects bigger accomplishments this quarter and this year.
Eyeing Future Growth Opportunities
Alphabet Inc.’s President and Chief Investment Officer, Ruth Porat, highlighted the firm’s dedication to adopting a cost-cutting approach to enable investments and explore further growth opportunities. To achieve its goals, including those about artificial intelligence, Google has officially unveiled a strategic blueprint to optimize its processes.
As a result, the tech giant announced a reduction in its global workforce in January 2023 by 6%. Nine months later, the company also laid off over 182,000 employees, especially those in its gaming division.