Blaming the softness in the mid-range computer...

Blaming the softness in the mid-range computer market, one of its prime customer segments, Cipher Data Products reported a dip in its fourth-quarter profit on higher revenue. The company also said the “adverse business environment” would cause revenues and earnings to drop in its first quarter ending Sept. 30.

A manufacturer of computer tape drives, a kind of data storage device, Cipher Data said its fourth-quarter profit was $2.2 million on revenue of $60.7 million, compared with a profit of $5.1 million on revenue of $55.9 million for the same quarter a year previous.

For the fiscal year ended June 30, Cipher Data’s profit was $12.2 million on revenue of $217.8 million, up from a profit of $10.4 million on revenue of $185.4 million for the previous fiscal year.