UPDATE 1-VMware CFO comfortable with 2008 rev forecast
(Adds quote from VMware CFO, background, BOSTON dateline)
BOSTON, Nov 18 (Reuters) - VMware Inc's (VMW.N) chief financial officer said Tuesday he is comfortable with a revenue forecast the maker of business software issued a month ago.
VMware shares rose 3.6 percent in light after-hours trade after CFO Mark Peek's comments amid worries that the global financial crisis was hurting sales more than the company anticipated when it drew up its forecast released on Oct 21.
"We haven't seen anything that causes me to back away from the guidance we provided in October," Peek told investors at the UBS Global Technology and Services conference in New York in a presentation broadcast over the web.
VMware said last month it expected revenue to climb 42 percent to 45 percent in 2008. Still, it warned that growth might come in at the low end of that range because of the weak economy and increased competition from rival Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O).
Shares in the Palo Alto, California, company, majority owned by EMC Corp (EMC.N), were quoted at $21.25 in late electronic trading. The stock closed up 3.2 percent to $20.51 on the New York Stock Exchange before the presentation began. (Reporting by Jim Finkle; editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)
