Apple Inc. 1. How has Apple performed in the PC industry? What is your evaluation of its performance in the PC business?
Apple, like many successful companies, has gone through the business lifecycle multiple times. Apple went from introduction in Steve Job’s garage to a steep decline into near bankruptcy. The have most recently rode a new wave of growth and are now sitting in a mature stage as the most one of the most highly valued publicly traded companies. Apple has continued to be a laggard in the PC industry. Since inception Apple has taken a higher-end, less mainstream approach to their product offering. Thus, they have consistently lagged behind in global dominance of the industry. Although Apple was the disruptive force that
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However, Apple’s innovations, although radical at first, continuously aimed to keep the consumer attached with small incremental innovations. Although that strategy worked for a short while, after a period of immense growth that vaulted Apple to the top, they seem to be coming into a mature stage. Their inventions, once the radical innovations in the market, have become only incremental additions to their once strong products. As the text states, “the purchasing power of the early majority subsides. Their demand was satisfied in the growth stage, and they are now making only replacement or repeat purchases.” Apple’s once unheralded success seems to be eroding. Their share price has dropped 16.5% in the last 6 months, while Google’s has risen 15% (Exhibit A). Additionally, although they just won a large lawsuit against Samsung, the Korean phone electronics company has taken over as the world’s No.1 mobile phone maker. Apple’s has shown chinks in the once impenetrable armor. The marketplace has caught up with Apple and their markets are being saturated with other companies’ products that are cheaper, faster, and more user friendly than Apple’s. Therefore, I would recommend that Apple move away from continuous incremental innovations and focus their efforts to unveil a new radical innovation that can springboard them back to the top—Apple TV in their future!?
Exhibit A: (Fidelity Investments: e-research) move to
Apple Incorporation is one of the largest organizations dealing into Information Technology. Apple has a host of products ranging from Laptops, Desktops, Mobile Phones and Multimedia Devices. The company has been extremely innovative in the field of multimedia and it owes it success to one of the greatest innovators, Steve Jobs. The company has always believed in innovation and that is the major reason why it has been so successful in the mobile phone segment. In recent years Apple is second only to Samsung in the Global Mobile Phone industry. However the operations have been largely based in the United States and in times of recession any organization needs to focus on economies of scale and thus focus on growth
3. What are the major obstacles and conceptual blocks that face Apple right now? What do employees need to watch out for?
A competitive strength assessment reveals that Apple’s success is unmatched. They have been able to maintain the leading industry position while developing and introducing new products. Stock price is continuously rising and products are always improving. The current products are improved with software updates and new products are improved by
Apple is an American multinational corporation which designs, manufactures and markets a range of consumer electronics and software products (Apple Inc., 2008). At the end of last fiscal year, Apple’s worldwide annual sales amounted to $32.5 billion, an increase of 35% from 2007 (Apple Inc., 2008). Not surprisingly then, was Apple voted America’s most admired company, also topping the global survey (Fortune,
Since 1976 Apple’s innovation has helped the company become a market leader in computer and mobile electronics. Through this time the company has faced a number of challenges either it be an internal power struggles or criticism from the media for certain aspects of their business model. This report covers five different issues that the company is facing or may face in the future.
Apple Inc. commonly known as Apple has effectively managed to be a successful company in a very competitive consumer electronics industry by been innovative and differentiating the company’s products with similar products in the markets by offering high quality products and good customer service while the actual manufacturing of the products is outsourced to trusted third party suppliers. On a wider perspective, the company has set high standards that even the company itself has to be on its level best to maintain the standards that it has set. Over the last few years, the consumer electronics market has
Based on the video, fast forward to current day and give your opinion on whether or not Apple’s product strategy should change given its current rate of success and potential competing companies (i.e. Samsung, etc.) operating
I learned that Apple is a juggernaut when it comes to their technological products and marketing goals. Apple focuses on the needs of customer’s light years ahead of their competition and even before most consumers have realized they want Apple’s products. Through their innovative marketing involving social media, word of mouth, Apple Stores they have convinced consumers about the high value of their product even lending to the formation of a “Mac cult” for its diehard fans. The way ahead for Apple is not to lose sight of its brand loyalty and continue to service the customers and entice them with the brand’s prestige. Even with the death of Steve Jobs, I believe Apple forge ahead to differentiate itself from the markets they are in.
Apple Inc. has been dedicated to innovation ever since the company was first formed. Apple's recent breakthroughs were a result of a new technologies convergence upon the "digital hub" strategy (Mortensen, 2010). This strategy has served Apple well; especially during the last few years. The iPad, iPod, and iPhone were all born from this strategy. Furthermore, producing these innovative, user friendly, and design oriented products has earned them a considerable amount of customer loyalty.
Issue 03: The weak area of Apple Inc. is the fact that most of its products are all available in the market. Consumers around the world have many options to popular hardware and software devices and operating systems. Since PCs are the one that are
We chose to research Apple Incorporated, one of the most innovative companies of our generation. It is safe to say that nearly every one in the US and many foreign countries have used or at least heard of Apple products. We will be looking at the macroeconomic variables that impact Apple’s business as well as how the current developments in the industry have impacted Apple’s financials and we will also look at how Apple competes with other firms in the same industry.
Established in 1976, Apple ignited the personal computer revolution with the Apple II and the Macintosh. Today, Apple designs, manufactures and markets personal computers, portable digital music players and mobile communication devices as well as related software, services, peripherals and network solutions. Apple sells its products worldwide through its online stores, retail stores, direct sales forces and third party distributors to its core customers—consumers,
Even though Apple has encountered many setbacks, it continues to bring new and improve products to the market. Apple’s competitive strategy has been innovation. They have made an extraordinary effort developing, implementing, and executing its very unique strategy through innovation which has resulted in new product, and the enrichment of the existing ones. More specifically, Apple attempts to meet and supply the needs of a global market, by offering eager and enthusiastic consumers with innovated and high-quality products and services. Apple has employed a differentiation strategy linked to innovation with its three core products (computers, personal media player, mobile phones, tablets and other accessories). A key piece of their strategy involves meeting the needs of the converging digital electronics and computer markets. Apple has elected to implement its strategy by designing and developing proprietary operating systems and software technologies, thus allowing for strict protection of its intellectual rights.
Nowadays, Apple has positioned itself to be an innovator in the personal computer industry and Apple has developed by offering modern products compared to its competitors. According to Apple’s mission statement last year, “Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App store, and is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices with iPad.” (Business Management,
Introduction The intention of presenting this report is to give a full strategic appraisal and evaluation of Apple Inc. In 1976, the company was founded in a garage in Santa Clara, California. The American multinational corporation mainly involves in designing and marketing consumer electronics, computer software and as well as personal computers. Differentiation is the current strategy position of Apple Inc. There are five main firms in the PC industry and among them; the world’s leading brand is Dell. Apple’s major target is to sustain their present strategic position and to take over the market position as a leader. The key stakeholders include Steve Jobs, employees, lenders and the government.