The customer reaction to our newly launched products has been fantastic. We feel confident about how we will end the year.

The growth in our core businesses was healthy during the quarter driven by strength in Server and Tools, and the success of our Windows Client products in a robust PC market.

Each of my career decisions has been very much about doing what I wanted to achieve in the role and then finding another challenge.

confidence about the future performance of the company.

As we moves closer to the launch on Office 12 we expect corporate customers to increasingly prefer annuity licensing programs when they evaluate purchases.

A lot of that inherent growth in Australia, and strength in the economy, has helped keep those housing volumes up, but we would say by the end of this year or the beginning of next year, all other things being equal, for it to come off slightly.

So, what genetic disposition do you need to be a CFO? Essentially, you need to be miserable, you need to be the sort of person who takes drinks away from people at the end of a party.

see more of a ramp-up throughout the course of the year.

I've always found diversity more interesting than specialisation. I like mixing it up across years, within days, within weeks - that's what stimulates me, gives me energy.

Engineering is a fantastic base for any career.