Microsoft, the world's largest software firm, has posted better-than-expected earnings for the October-to-December quarter, according to BBC News.

The firm reported a net income of $6.56bn for the quarter, up from $6.38bn a year earlier.

Its earnings were boosted by strong sales of its new Xbox game console and its Surface tablets during the holiday season. The company also saw strong demand from businesses for its cloud services.

Overall, the firm's revenue rose 14% during the quarter to $24.5bn.