Servers represented 56 percent of total license revenues, up from 49 percent in the second quarter.

The results were a penny better than Wall Street expected on a surge in new license revenue, a slightly stronger economy and improved corporate spending.

By the end of 2005 the company achieved 1.1 million USD in license revenue.

By 2002 the license revenue was so great that the island government had no debt and had built up more than £80 million in savings.

Last quarter, the company had forecast that new license revenue for the second quarter would rise at most 7 percent.

Oracle executives said that 36 percent of its license revenue for the quarter were from deals valued at $500,000 or more.

The strong quarter follows a particularly disappointing first quarter, when the company posted a 6.7 percent decline in new license revenue.

Its license revenues generated about € 100 million in revenue for the society in 2005.

Oracle's other software products had new license revenue of $102 million, down 4 percent from the quarter in 2002.

Microsoft could make some money selling songs, and it receives license revenue from the makers of players that use its software.