Oracle executives signalled on Tuesday that demand for the company’s software had picked up noticeably in recent weeks, suggesting the severe chill that fell over the technology industry during the financial crisis has started to thaw.

The comments, which amount to some of the most optimistic yet from a big technology supplier, came as Oracle reported a 5 per cent dip in revenues and a 7 per cent fall in net income in its latest quarter. However, the company’s business still proved more robust than Wall Street had expected in the face of the downturn, and its shares gained 3 per cent in after-market trading.