Led by strong performance in its software business, <A HREF="http://www.cio.com/blog_view.html?CID=23141">IBM posted second-quarter profits</A> up 9 percent from last year. The company earned US$2 billion in the quarter that ended June 30, compared to $1.9 billion in the second quarter of 2005. Per-share earnings were $1.30, which marked a 14 percent increase over $1.14 last year.