Sun Microsystems Inc of Mountain View, California saw turnover for fiscal 1990 up 40% at $2,470m while profits rose 83% to $111m. Scott McNealy, Sun’s president said that more than 34,000 units were shipped in the fourth quarter, bringing the company’s worldwide installed base to more than 285,000 units. He added that Sun had record bookings during the quarter and ended the period with a record backlog of orders. Over the year Sun’s turnover per employee reached a record $215,000, a 24% increase over last year’s numbers. The company ended the fourth quarter with $394m in cash, a sizable increase over the $54m reported a year ago. Short-term debt was reduced by $104m from the level a year before. Sun reduced inventory levels to $205m at the end of the fourth quarter from $309m a year ago as a result of improved management over inventory supply and demand, procurement processes and from increased component commonality. More than 50% of Sun’s business is now done outside the US. Meanwhile the US business was stronger than expected during the fourth quarter; turnover reached record levels and orders increased over the prior quarter due largely to strong demand for new products. During the fourth quarter, Sparc-based systems accounted for 90% of Sun’s system business growing from a share of just 37% one year ago.
