...SWOT analysis for Apple Inc. Cornelius Morgan Kaplan University GB 540, Section 04N Professor Fahlino Sjuib August 27, 2013 SWOT analysis for Apple Inc. A SWOT analysis takes a look at the internal and external factors that affect a given company. SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. Strengths and weaknesses are the internal factors. Opportunities and Threats are the external factors. The SWOT analysis provides an easy to look at set of information that shows how a company can best match its resources and abilities to be competitive in a given market. (Bradford & Duncan, 2011) A SWOT analysis is an important resource to have for any company. James Higgins once said, “Innovation is the secret to competitive advantage in today’s rapidly changing environment.” (Higgins, 1995) Having been around since the mid- 1970s, Apple has been a leader in innovation in the electronics and computing industry for quite a while. Their products; Mac Computers, iPods, iPads, the iPad mini, iPhones and other innovations are highly sought after all over the globe. There is no concrete way to determine what will happen to Apple in the future, especially after the death of its visionary and founder, Steve Jobs, in late 2011. A SWOT analysis, when done properly, can help the company formulate the proper strategy to move forward and make the best use of its resources and increase the overall market share that the company owns. Apple is a brand name...
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...SWOT Analysis of Apple, Inc. Name Institution Affiliation SWOT Analysis of Apple, Inc. Company Overview: Apple Inc. Apple Inc. was co-founded by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak on April 1, 1976 (Johnson, 2012). Originally, the duo sought to develop a simple micro-computer board that could be offered to small and businesses. However, since its conception, Apple exhibited unprecedented growth in the ICT industry with its initial products, including Apple I, Apple II and Macintosh becoming the first commercially successful personal computers that assisted Apple to develop into a profitable, well-regulated firm that has come to be today. Today, the company focuses on the design, manufacture and marketing of a wide variety of consumer electronic products, including personal computers, smartphones, and portable music players, coupled with related computer software, applications, services and peripherals (Laugesen & Yuan, 2010). Apple has global supply chain with more than 250 retail stores distributed worldwide (Johnson et al., 2012). Starting with delivering music only, Apple has ventured into other entertainment content such as videos, television shows, films as well as audio books that are distributed via its ITunes Store (West & Mace, 2010). The current market environment features significant market players with relatively stronger and long established brands such as Microsoft, IBM, Google, Amazon, HP, Lenovo, and Dell (Zairi, 2013). Strengths Apple has several strengths over...
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...Business Analysis Part 1: Apple, Inc. Apple is a highly innovated business that entered the business world making computers back in the 1980s. They ventured out in the 2000s making non-PC devices and by the spring of 2010 had a market capitalization of $220 billion dollars. As a mutual fund manager, I have performed a SWOT analysis to determine whether or not to invest in this company. I will identify internal and external stakeholders, evaluate their needs and see how the organization measures up when it comes to satisfying those needs. Strengths Apple Inc. has been ranked number one on Fortune Magazine’s Most Admired list for the fourth year in a row according to CNNMoney (DuBois, 2011). The "The American Customer Satisfaction Index" (2012) website shows Apple with a score of 87 out of 100 points on a scale of 0-100 at the national level, this was a 13% increase from the first year in 1995. Personal Computers and HP both came in second with a score of 78 out of 100. Apple has intensive employee training in order to provide exemplementry customer service. They focus on understanding what the customer needs and provide a solution, which may be their key to innovating new products. They have an extensive beautifully designed product line that shares functionality. The Apple trademark, apple with a piece missing illuminates when the computer is on which makes it stand out as an apple product. There is a light under the keyboard making it easy to type in the...
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...Business Analysis of Apple Inc Apple Computer Company originated on April 1, 1976 by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, dropped out of high school. At the time of forming their partnership, Steve Jobs worked for Atari and Steve Wozniak worked at Hewlett-Packard. Their company initially started in Steve Jobs’ garage. The first computer was the Apple I, followed by Apple II which launched in 1977. By 1980, Apple III was released and they were able to employ several thousand people. Apple or “the company” is engaged in design, development and marketing of personal computers, media devices, and portable digital music players (Research and, M. 6). The company also sells a variety of related software, services, peripherals, networking solutions, and third-party digital content and applications. The two master minds behind the Apple branding has lead to $65.23 billion dollars in sales in 2010. The amount of technical devices this company has produced over the years has earned superior creditability in the technology field for stationery and portable devices. Today Apple’s annual review is more than 60 billion, making them the largest technology company in the world. Apple aims to continually invest in research and development for products that best serve the needs of the market. It is very important in the role as a mutual fund manager, to evaluate the business analysis of Apple Inc. before making the decision of whether or not to invest into this company...
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...of accomplishing quality objectives by providing ample services to the public. Apple, Inc. is a widely known organization that successfully gained customer appreciation from start-up, to the slumps, and rising again to global domination. It is through innovation and hard work that Apple, Inc. made a name for them in a highly competitive world. To understand how an organization achieves this level of total quality management, one must understand how vision and mission support an organizations goal. Performance of a SWOT analysis is a way to capture a snapshot of the organizations strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Furthermore, a SWOT analysis provides data for an organization, like Apple, Inc., to create strategic plans, appropriating resources and developing tools or actions to bring about continued success. Vision Technology and innovation are essential to the growing demand for people around the world and should have a means for the best of both. Mission To lead the world into the next realm of technology and communication, by creating the perfect and top quality products to meet the needs of all individuals participating in a society demanding the attention of people from all directions and providing connections that very few can match. SWOT Analysis for Apple, Inc. According to Data Monitor (2008), a major strength of the Apple Corporation is its strong brand image. Apple is well known for producing quality products in the technology industry. The company’s...
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...Organizational Planning Business Analysis Part I Apple Inc. The Company Apple Inc. was established in California on April 1, 1976. It was later incorporated in the year 1977. Born in America, this multinational company designs and sells consumer electronics. Apple is the world’s third biggest mobile phone producer. The company has most admired hardware products are the Macintosh computers, the iPhone, the iPod and the iPad. Other consumer products designed by Apple include computer software like OSX and iOS operating systems and personal computers. Apple Inc. was listed as the most admired organization in the world (2008-2012) and in the United States (2008). Even though Apple’s popularity is growing in leaps, the company has been in the news for its familiar criticism for its contractors' industry practices, and for its environmental and trade practices. Apple has more than 368 retail stores in 13 countries. It is the leading public trading corporation in the world with an estimated value of US $626 billion as of September 2012. It is the largest technology corporation in the world by income and profit. The company has more than 60,450 permanent full-time recruits and over 2,990 temporary full-time employees globally and its global yearly profits exceed $110 billion. SWOT Analysis As a mutual fund Manager, my role is to decide if investing in the company is a good option. The SWOT analysis is performed to help me get a better understanding of the company and assist in decision-making...
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...employees. This paper illustrates Apple Inc.’s SWOTT analysis and how the company develops its vision, mission, and guiding principles based on this analysis. This paper also reviews how Apple’s strategic plans and objectives define quality as a core principle. Finally, an assessment of some tools Apple uses to measure customer satisfaction and how these measurements can enhance quality. Apple Inc. Apple designs, develops and markets personal computers, media devices, and portable digital music players. Founded in 1979 by Steve Wozniak and Steven Jobs, Apple has become a world leader in the personal electronic entertainment industry. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online stores. The company reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and application stores, and has recently introduced its magical iPad that is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices. The organization built this empire by sustaining the Four Basic Values establish from its conception. Honesty; Ensures Apple demonstrate honesty and high ethical standards in all business dealings. Respect; Treat customers, suppliers, employees, and others with respect and courtesy. Confidentiality; Protect the confidentiality of Apple’s information and the information of our customers, suppliers, and employees. Compliance; Ensure that business decisions comply with all applicable laws and regulations. These simple values have transformed Apple from a two...
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...Business Analysis for Apple Inc Robert A Smith II MGT 521 May 9, 2011 Mary Jo Payne, Ph.D. Business Analysis for Apple, Inc As children many people are taught that the only way to earn income is by obtaining a job, and a way to get more money is by logging additional hours on the job. This ideology is true, but for people who also value possessing the free time to enjoy life while in pursuit of financial success this way of life is also very wearing. Investing is a fiscal tool people can use to send their money to work. True investors understand that making their money work presents some risks, but with guidance and thorough analysis they can maximize their earning potential whether or not they receive a raise, decide to work overtime or look for a higher paying job (Investopedia, 2011). With many investment vehicles to choose from such as bonds, mutual funds, and company stocks, the most important thing to remember before investing is to do research and only invest money when there is a realistic probability of revenue. In this paper a Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, and Threat (SWOT) analysis of Apple Inc. was performed to determine if this electronic computer corporation giant is a worthy investment. SWOT Analysis |Strengths |Weaknesses |Opportunities |Threats | |Reputation |Product weaknesses |iPhones ...
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...Apple Inc. is a very successful producer of computer software and hardware that leads in its competitive industry. To evaluate the progress, success, and faults of the company, the SWOT analysis is used. SWOT analysis stands for Strength, Weakness, Opportunity and Threat for a particular organization, which can help in formulating a strategy for its business and can also help in analyzing its internal environment (Strengths & Weakness) and external environment (Opportunities & Threats). First of all, according to the article “Apple Inc. : Services - Company Profile, SWOT & Financial Report”, the author states that strong R&D capabilities and great brand image are the biggest strengths of the company. Apple’s strength relies on focusing Research and Development, “In the last three years, the company invested more than $7,592m in research and development. The R&D team of the company executed several projects to enhance and develop various products and technologies.” (“Apple Inc. : Services - Company Profile, SWOT & Financial Report” 19). R&D helps the company to create innovative products and stand out from its competitors. Apple expenditure trend shows that the money spent for R&D increases year after year. Apple’s return of investment on R&D paid off with innovative products and with company’s revenues. Moreover, Apple’s brand image is highly recognizable and holds brand awareness to the majority of consumers. This solid brand image can increase the sales of the new products compared...
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...Abstract This essay will explain the importance of a SWOT analysis for a business. It will research Apple, Inc., and explain their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. The paper will show how these aspects impact the company. It will provide methods that management can use to overcome their weaknesses and threats, as well as how to take advantage of opportunities and strengths. The importance of a SWOT analysis A SWOT analysis is important to an organization because it analyzes the climate of the company overall. It provides a candid look at the strengths and weaknesses of the organization. This allows management teams to decide how to best use the strengths of the company, and how to improve the weaknesses. When goal setting and long-term planning, these are areas that either can be exploited, or need improvement. When reviewing opportunities and threats, an organization must look at its corporate environment. The opportunities are aspects of the environment that a company can take advantage of such as a way to expand or grow customers. Threats to an organization can come in many forms. A company must make every effort to avoid or minimize threats to its bottom line, or even its mere existence. A SWOT analysis helps to identify what is good and what needs improvement in a company. While strengths and weaknesses are the internal indicators of an organization’s need for improvement, opportunities and threats are the external forces that determine needed...
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...Balochistan University of information techonology engineering and management sciences | Implementing Strategic Management | APPLE Inc. | Rabia Iftikhar 12285 | MBA 5th B | Jun 24, 2013 | | | | | | Ma'am Mehwish Shahid Think Different ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Praise and thanks to “ALLAH” Almighty, the one testing us all at all times and making decisions about what we don’t know and can’t know. The report being submitted today is a result of collective effort. There are innumerous helping hands behind who have guided us on our way. Writing this report appeared to be a great experience to us. It added a lot to our knowledge. This report is one of our memorable experiences in student life. Though words are inadequate in offering thanks to our teacher but we owe our profound gratitude to Ma’am Mehwish Shahid for stimulating our creative abilities by assigning this project to us and for her able guidance and useful suggestions, which helped us in completing the project in time. Whatever we have learnt from her and this project report has put indelible impression on our minds and it is our conviction that this learning experience will always be a source of help in our practical life and professional career. Finally, yet importantly, we would like to express our heartfelt thanks to our beloved parents, for cooperation, help, kindness...
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...---------------4 Mission statement-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------5 Objectives-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------6 Internal analysis * SWOT analysis-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------7 External analysis * PESTEL analysis---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------8 Strategy-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------10 Other relevant aspects-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------11 Conclusion----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------12 Recommendation-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------13 Bibliography--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------14 Word count: 998 Executive Summary This report provides a specific strategy to Apple for selling IPhone5 by directly price-cutting, and proved strategy by internal (SWOT) analysis: * Strength High performance of...
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...Running Head: APPLE INC. Apple Inc. Eric Walker 02/26/14 Abstract Apple Inc. has been a successful company for many years since its downfall in 1996. Records show how profitable they have been with their new technology advances and innovation. Despite their success in the technology world against many competitors, Apple has issues in internal affairs that must be addressed. With a new CEO since the passing of Steve Jobs, the corporation’s mission statement has become weak and unclear. The technology they use in general has not been compatible for years with other product lines, which is a turn off for customers more and more as the competition raises their game. From the outside looking in, Apple Inc. seems to be a successful, profitable organization that continues to dominate. However, taking a look deeper into their company from the inside we can see how certain factors could be a downfall to their success in the technology field. Table of Contents I. Introduction 4 II. Current situation 4-6 III. Corporate Governance 6 IV. External Environment 6-7 V. Internal Environment 7-9 VI. SWOT Analysis 9-10 VII. Implementation 10 VIII. Conclusion 10-11 IX. References 12 X. Appendix A 13-15 Introduction Apple Inc. began as a small company, formerly known as Apple Computer. Steve Jobs and his...
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...Apple SWOT analysis 2014 Your best insight into Apple's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats this year. Company background Name | Apple Inc. | Industries served | Computer hardware Computer software (iOS, OS X, Safari, iLife, iWork, iMovie, iPhoto) Consumer electronics (iPod, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and Mac products) Digital distribution (iTunes store, iCloud, App StoreSM, Mac App Store) | Geographic areas served | Worldwide (retail stores in 14 countries and online stores in 39 countries)[1] | Headquarters | Cupertino, California, United States | Current CEO | Timothy Donald "Tim" Cook | Revenue | $170,910 billion (2013) 9.2% increase over $156,508 billion (2012)[2] | Profit | $37,037 billion (2013) 12.26% decrease over $ 41,733 (2012)[2] | Employees | 80,300 (2013) | Main Competitors | Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Amazon.com, Inc., International Business Machines Corporation, Cisco Systems, Inc., Google Inc., Microsoft Corporation, Dell Inc., LG Electronics, Lenovo Group Limited, Hewlett-Packard Company, Sony Corporation and many others. | Business description This is an Apple business description taken from company’s financial report: “The Company designs, manufactures, and markets mobile communication and media devices, personal computers, and portable digital music players, and sells a variety of related software, services, peripherals, networking solutions, and third-party digital content and applications. The Company’s products and...
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...------------------------------------------------- Apple Inc. Business Analysis Category: Business Autor: Mike 26 July 2010 Words: 3002 | Pages: 13 Business Analysis of Apple Inc. On April 1, 1976 Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne joined together to form Apple Computer Incorporated. The concept behind their company was the creation of an inexpensive, simple to use personal computer kit. Working out of Jobs' garage in Cupertino, California the trio designed and manufactured their first product in three months. They named this product the Apple I and it went on sale in July 1976 for $666.66. Six months after the release of the Apple I, Ronald Wayne opted to sell his share of the company back to Jobs and Wozniak for a meager $800. Soon thereafter multimillionaire Mike Markkula joined Apple and on January 3, 1977 the company was incorporated. Apple continued to gain momentum and was one of the fastest growing companies by the end of 1978. With the introduction of the Apple II plus, the company enjoyed a 400 percent increase in sales in 1979. In December of 1980 the company went public and within minutes the 4.6 million shares sold out at a price of $22 per share. An additional 2.6 million shares was also sold out by May 1981. However, the firm suffered its first major fallback with the release of the Apple III in September of 1980. The newest version had not undergone necessary testing due to time constraints and pressure from upper management. This proved to be extremely costly mistake and by 1984 the Apple III...
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