Commenting on its third quarter and nine month figures (alongside), Redwood City, California-based Oracle Corp notes that during the third quarter, licence sales grew by 30% year-to-year while service revenues expanded by 25%. Growth in Oracle’s Unix and Desktop businesses continued to outstrip older proprietary systems – mainly VAX and ES/9000. Unix licence revenues increased 43% over the third quarter of fiscal 1992, with Desktop licence sales growing 35% over the prior period, and the two together comprised 75% of total licence revenues for the quarter, compared with 69% of total licence revenues a year ago. Geographically, Oracle says its domestic US business improved on a strong second quarter – fuelled by Oracle7 sales, it was up a remarkable 65% on a weak fiscal third quarter 1992, but that the strong dollar limited revenue growth at Oracle Europe to just 4% – but the currency translation was unfavourable by 11%. Oracle Intercontinental revenue grew 37% over the third quarter of fiscal 1992. Pre-tax margins were 18.6% for the quarter, up from just 9.3% a year ago, the company said.
