Business briefs

CUPERTINO — Apple Inc. said Thursday users have downloaded more than 1 million copies of the Windows version of its Safari Internet browser in the first 48 hours it was available.

The computer and consumer electronics company launched the Web browser on Monday, setting off another layer of competition with its archrival, Microsoft Corp.

Safari had about 5 percent of the market share for Internet browsers with more than 18 million users when it was previously available only for Macintosh computers, according to Apple.

To grab more than 1 million downloads so quickly is notable given how there are already at least two popular browsers in use on the Windows platform, namely Microsoft’s predominant Internet Explorer and Mozilla’s Firefox.

Several researchers wasted no time in pointing out security vulnerabilities they found on the Windows-version of Safari, and Apple issued an update to the browser on Thursday to fix those earlier reported bugs.

Shares rose 5 cents to $118.80 in after-hours electronic trading, having earlier closed up $1.25 at $118.75 in the regular session.

Yahoo Japan will send traffic to Apple’s iTunes

SAN FRANCISCO — Yahoo Japan’s Web site will begin sending visitors interested in downloading music to Apple Inc.’s iTunes store, where more than 4 million songs are on sale.

Under the partnership announced Thursday, Yahoo Japan will provide a direct link in its music section to iTunes, which has emerged as one of the world’s largest music retailers. Apple says iTunes has sold more than 2.5 billion songs. Most of the songs available through iTunes cost 150 yen, or about $1.25.

Tokyo-based Yahoo Japan and Cupertino-based Apple also will team up to offer exclusive recordings.

The alliance is expected to help Apple extend its influence in Japan, a market where the company has been hoping to expand.

The deal doesn’t include Yahoo Inc.’s Web site in the United States. Yahoo Japan operates independently, although Sunnyvale-based Yahoo owns a 34 percent stake in the company.

Adobe’s 2Q profit surges 24 percent, beats expectations

SAN FRANCISCO — Adobe Systems Inc. reported a 24 percent surge in second-quarter profit Thursday, setting a record in revenue and exceeding Wall Street expectations as the software company embarked on its biggest-ever product launch.

Net income for the three months ending June 1 was $152.5 million, or 25 cents a share, up from $123.1 million, or 20 cents a share, in the same quarter of last year.

Second-quarter sales were a record $745.6 million, up 17 percent from $635.5 million in the second quarter of 2006, the previous overall record.

Excluding costs for expenses, such as restructuring charges related to the December 2005 acquisition of Macromedia Inc., profit was $223.2 million, or 37 cents per share, compared with $189.4 million, or 31 cents per share, in the year-ago quarter.

On that basis, analysts were expecting Adobe to earn $216.6 million, or 35 cents per share, on revenue of $729.3 million, according to a Thomson Financial survey.

The San Jose-based company, which employs about 6,400 people and makes graphic design, publishing and imaging software, has $902 million in cash and more than $6.14 billion in total assets.