Business

Ballmer says MSFT not immune to financial crisis

Steve Ballmer was asked about the financial crisis and its effect on the IT industry last week and he didn't seem too concerned. But today, speaking at a press conference in Norway he appears to have changed his view.

Written by Tom Foremski, Contributor Sept. 30, 2008 at 5:30 a.m. PT

Financial issues are going to affect both business spending and consumer spending, and particularly ... spending by the financial services industry," Ballmer told reporters on the sidelines of a news conference in the Norwegian capital.

"We have a lot of business with the corporate sector as well as with the consumer sector and whatever happens economically will certainly effect itself on Microsoft," he told Reuters.

"I think one has to anticipate that no company is immune to these issues," he said, but declined to be more specific.

Wall Street analysts, on average, expect the Redmond, Washington-based company to generate an 8 percent rise in revenue to just under $15 billion in its first-quarter ending in September.

"There are parts of our every business which are probably 'safe' in the sense that it's not like our business would go to zero," he said in an interview.

"On the other hand, when businesses have less money -- they can borrow less money, they can spend less money -- that can't be good. When consumers feel the economic pinch, house prices come down. That can't be good," Ballmer said.

Microsoft shares rose 2.9 percent to $25.73 at 11:17 a.m. EDT in a broader U.S. market rebound following a sharp slide on Monday.

But Ballmer's comments weighed on the shares of German software maker SAP AG (SAPG.DE), which fell 2.0 percent and were among the heaviest fallers in Germany's DAX index (.GDAXI).

Here is what Mr Ballmer said last week:

http://www.blip.tv/file/1308910

Here is the entire Steve Ballmer talk: