國際商業機器公司（International Business Machines））第二季度利潤增長12%，原因是該公司繼續在運營方面下工夫，但銷售額出現下滑，同時這家科技巨頭的業績沒有顯示出企業準備重新投入開支的跡象。

　　IBM同時還上調了全年利潤預期，其利潤增長得益于削減成本以及擴大業務范圍，實現更多的軟件銷售，并納入與其傳統業務相去甚遠的咨詢業務合同，比如說幫助公用事業公司管理電網。IBM傳統上是針對公司數據中心展開銷售。

　　但位于紐約州阿蒙克的這家科技巨頭短期咨詢業務疲弱，硬件銷售收入也較上年同期出現26%的下滑，這表明科技行業總體上仍面臨嚴峻挑戰。

　　各家公司仍然不愿意重新投入開支。

　　科技行業研究公司Gartner Inc.本月下調了2009年科技和電信開支預期。該公司目前預計，全球企業和消費者將在科技產品和服務上支出3.2萬億美元，較2008年的3.4萬億美元下滑6%，而明年可能也只能實現2.3%的增長。

　　由于IBM退出了個人電腦業務，目前專注于針對企業和政府部門的電腦服務及軟硬件，因此該公司的情況好于其他一些科技廠商。IBM第二季度實現利潤31億美元，合每股收益2.32美元，上年同期利潤為27.7億美元，合每股收益1.97美元。當季收入下滑13%，從268.2億美元降至232.5億美元。

　　IBM收入下滑部分原因在于美元走強壓低了海外銷售業績。IBM稱，如果沒有出現匯率波動，收入降幅會在7%.收入下滑絕大多數是在主機和其他電腦硬件銷售方面。

　　美國產業研究機構Broadpoint.AmTech的分析師馬歇爾（Brian Marshall）說，IBM的業績顯示出整體環境仍然充滿挑戰。他指出，IBM過去三個季度收入較上年同期下滑的幅度一直在加劇，但他認為收入下滑在6月份觸底，隨后將開始緩慢好轉。

　　IBM首席財務長勞瑞奇（Mark Loughridge）在與分析師們進行的電話會議上說，下半年硬件銷售的下滑幅度應當會縮小。他表示，最近簽定了一大批外包合同，應當也會開始有利于收入，但他提醒說，短期咨詢合約可能依然會面臨壓力。

　　分析師們說，IBM業績好轉反映出該公司已經改變了業務模式，從服務方面實現更高的利潤率，同時通過龐大的銷售團隊出售利潤率更高的軟件產品。勞瑞奇說，IBM稅前利潤率上升了4.1個百分點，至18.3%.

　　IBM今年早些時候在美國裁員大約1萬人，從而縮減了成本。但IBM管理人員表示，業績的改善在很大程度上反映出更好的經營管理，充分利用價格昂貴的咨詢業務，并將為某個項目開發的軟件和程序重新用在別的項目上。

　　IBM根本的業務是幫助公司處理數據，目前IBM正遠離這方面，轉向幫助城市控制交通擁堵、幫助醫院開發電子病歷，以及幫助公共事業公司運營電網。

　　許多這類項目都可能吸引政府的刺激資金。IBM說，包括醫療、教育以及政府等領域的公共部門業務是本季度最強勁的。

　　IBM將全年收益預期提高到每股9.7美元，此前預期為每股9.2美元。IBM表示，長期外包合約增長了38%，預示未來幾個季度還有增長的余地。

　　勞瑞奇說，IBM計劃2010年每股收益達到至少10-11美元，現在這個計劃已經提前了。

　　International Business Machines Corp.'s second-quarter profit rose 12% as the company continued to hone its operations， but sales fell and the technology giant offered few signs business are prepared to resume spending.

　　IBM， which also raised its profit outlook for the full year， is benefiting from cost-cutting and a shift to a richer business mix that includes more software sales and consulting contracts far removed from its traditional sales to corporate data centers —— such as helping utilities manage electrical grids.

　　But weakness in the Armonk， N.Y.， giant's short-term consulting business and a 26% decline in hardware revenue compared with a year ago indicate that the technology business overall still faces stiff challenges.

　　Companies are still reluctant to resume spending.

　　Tech researcher Gartner Inc. this month reduced its forecast for spending on technology and telecom in 2009. The firm now anticipates that businesses and consumers will spend $3.2 trillion on technology goods and services world-wide， a 6% decline from the $3.4 trillion spent in 2008， with only 2.3% improvement likely next year.

　　IBM is faring better than some other technology vendors because it exited the PC business and now focuses on computer services， software and hardware for businesses and governments. In the second quarter， IBM had a profit of $3.1 billion， or $2.32 a share， up from $2.77 billion， or $1.97 a share. Revenue fell 13% to $23.25 billion from $26.82 billion.

　　IBM's revenue decline was partly due to the strength of the dollar， which depresses results from overseas sales. IBM said revenue would have been down 7% without currency fluctuations. Most of the revenue decline was in sales of mainframes and other computer hardware.

　　Brian Marshall， an analyst with Broadpoint AmTech， said IBM's results 'highlight that it's still a challenging environment out there.' He noted that IBM's revenue decline from the prior year has widened in each of the last three quarters， but he said he thinks 'June represents the bottom and we'll start to slowly recover.'

　　During a conference call with analysts， Mark Loughridge， IBM's chief financial officer， said the decline in hardware sales should narrow in the second half. He said recent strong signings of outsourcing contracts should begin to benefit revenue as well， although he cautioned that short-term consulting contracts are likely to remain under pressure.

　　Analysts said IBM's earnings improvement reflects the way it has changed its business to get better margins from services and sell more high-margin software products through its huge sales force. Mr. Loughridge said the pretax profit margin for the company rose 4.1 points to 18.3%.

　　IBM cut costs earlier this year through layoffs of some 10，000 U.S. workers. But IBM officials said most of the improvement reflects better management to keep expensive consultants fully utilized and to reuse software and processes developed in one project on other ones.

　　IBM is moving far away from its roots in corporate data centers to help cities manage traffic congestion， help hospitals develop electronic heath-care records and help utilities manage electric grids.

　　Many such projects may attract government stimulus money. IBM said that its public-sector business， which includes health care and education as well as government， was its strongest in the quarter.

　　The company raised its earnings outlook for the full year to $9.70 a share， up from its previous forecast of $9.20 a share. It said new signings of long-term outsourcing contracts —— in which IBM takes over technology operations from companies —— rose 38%， indicating a reserve of business for growth in future quarters.

　　Mr. Loughridge said IBM is ahead of pace in its plan to report profit of at least $10 to $11 a share in 2010.

責任編輯：vivien