Thursday reported an increase in first-quarter profit, helped essentially by higher revenues. Adjusted earnings for the quarter came in above analysts’ expectations, as did revenues. Looking ahead, the company also revealed its earnings and revenue outlook for the second quarter.

On a GAAP basis, net income for the quarter increased to $9.6 million or $0.06 per share from $6.0 million or $0.04 per share a year ago.

Non-GAAP net income increased 17% to $18 million or $0.11 per share from $15.4 million or $0.09 per share in the first quarter of fiscal year 2010.

On average, ten analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected the company to earn $0.09 per share for the quarter. Analysts’ estimates typically exclude special items.

The St Paul, Minnesota-based company’s first quarter non-GAAP net income includes the addition of $1.9 million of revenues impacted by purchase accounting adjustments and excludes $11.8 million of amortization of acquired intangibles, non-cash stock-based compensation, non-cash convertible note interest, and amortization of purchased maintenance contracts. These were partly offset by a gain related to modifications of a Norwegian pension plan benefit and restructuring adjustments.

Non-GAAP net income also includes a provision for income taxes based upon a rate of 35% in fiscal 2011, which is applied consistently throughout the year. However, currency exchange rate fluctuations had a positive impact of approximately $0.01 on earnings per share.

Revenues for the quarter increased to $174.7 million from $169 million last year, reflecting the growth in maintenance services. Excluding special items, revenues increased to $176.60 million from $169 million last year. Nine Wall Street analysts estimated a revenue of $171.88 million for the quarter.

Segment-wise, software revenues increased to $119.15 million from $111.36 million last year, helped by a rise in demand for maintenance services. This helped offset the decline in consulting revenue which fell to $55.50 million from $57.62 million a year earlier.

Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the period were $333.10 million, compared with $391.30 million at the end of the year-ago period.

For the second quarter of fiscal year 2011, the company anticipates GAAP earnings to be in the range of $0.04 to $0.05 per share per share.

Second quarter non-GAAP earnings are forecast in the range of $0.11 to $0.12 per share, including revenues impacted by purchase accounting and excluding approximately $14 million of pre-tax expenses related to the amortization of acquired intangible assets, non-cash stock-based compensation, incremental non-cash convertible note interest, and amortization of purchased maintenance contracts.

Source:http://www.rttnews.com/Content/TopStories.aspx?Node=B1&Id=1433873

These days, anytime a new tablet or smartphone is announced, the warring e-book giants start jockeying into position to announce the imminent arrival of their own e-reading software. When Research In Motion announced their new Blackberry Tablet earlier this week, it only took hours for Amazon to announce that their Kindle software would be coming to the Playbook’s QNX operating system… and now competing rival Kobo have announced their own e-reader service for the platform.

Starting from day one, PlayBook owners can expect to avail themselves of Kono’s global e-reader service, which will be preloaded onto every tablet at launch. This will give PlayBook owners immediate access to upwards of 2.2 million books. They’re also announcing an “industry-first” social e-reading application to use BlackBerry Messenger.

What’s the app itself like? Well, it’s standard: you’ll be able to browse through categories, download new books wirelessly, and display all your e-books on a virtual bookshelf. No screenshots yet, but we imagine, given it’s preloaded software, that we’ll start seeing Kobo for PlayBook in early hands-ons soon enough.

Source:http://www.geek.com/articles/news/kobo-e-reading-software-to-come-preloaded-on-every-rim-playbook-20100930/

Lawson Software Inc.’s (LWSN) fiscal first-quarter profit surged 61% as revenue grew and margins improved slightly, helping results top its expectations.

The business-software maker also predicted second-quarter earnings of 11 cents to 12 cents a share on revenue of $185 million to $190 million, excluding purchase accounting adjustments. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters expected 12 cents and $190 million, respectively.

Takeover costs, investment in research and development and marketing–plus the company’s focus on improving margins–have resulted in charges that have weighed on Lawson’s bottom line in recent quarters. But in the most recent period, the impact of such items was equal to year-earlier levels.

In a phone interview with Dow Jones, Chief Financial Officer Stefan Schulz said the company saw good growth from strategic investments in key product lines in the healthcare area and its human resources products.

He added that the economic picture for Lawson hasn’t changed much, saying the company has focused on “targeted markets and leveraging the success we’ve had in recent quarters.”

Lawson, which sells products that can be used to automate business processes, had a profit for the quarter ended Aug. 31 of $9.6 million, or 6 cents a share, up from $6 million, or 4 cents a share, a year earlier. Excluding restructuring and other impacts, earnings grew to 11 cents from 9 cents a share as revenue improved 3.4% to $174.7 million.

In July, the company projected earnings of 8 cents to 9 cents a share on revenue of $170 million to $174 million, a view that missed analysts’ then-estimates.

Gross margin inched up to 57.3% from 57.2%. Schulz said the company has focused on growing revenue and using investments as a means to boost margins.

License fees revenue, an important measure of software growth, dropped 5.5%. Schulz said some bookings from the fiscal fourth quarter of 2008 ended up being recorded to the first quarter a year ago, adding about $5 million. Excluding the delayed bookings, license fees revenue would have been up 14%.

Maintenance revenue was up 11%, while consulting revenue decreased 3.7%.

Shares rose one cent to $8.48 in after-hours trading. The stock is up 27% this year.

Source:http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20100930-716577.html