...of a company’s assets, business practices, and their way ahead. As a mutual fund investor, I want to invest in a businesses with high return on investments and businesses that need collateral but will not hinder my business. I will conduct a detailed analysis of their brand, stakeholders, customers, products, business ownership, and a SWOT analysis. Background Information Apple was founded by Steven Jobs, Stephen Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne in 1976, they launched their first computer in 1977 in which they earned over $100 million by 1980. In 1984, Apple introduced the Macintosh, the first personal computer with a mouse, which was very unsuccessful in the beginning. Steven Jobs left Apple but returned to work there in 1997. Apple created very innovative products such as the iPod, iMac, iPhone, and iTunes. Apple is known for technologically advanced innovative products, which in return allows them to market their products at high dollar value and create a high demand. With the resignation and death of Steven Jobs, the future of Apple is unpredictable. SWOT Analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) Strengths Apple’s products are leading the way in design, reliability, longevity, uniqueness, and development. Products such as the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and the iPod have become the forefront in their specific arenas. Apple is known for creating innovative products that attract to people of all ages. Unlike many other companies, Apple is involved with every...
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...Runninghead: Apple Inc. Business Analysis |1 | | Apple Inc. Business Analysis Yvette Metzger Mgmt 521 September 12, 2011 Erick Espinosa |Apple Inc. Business Analysis |2 | Many companies in today’s market have become successful through a variety of investors. These investors supply in the businesses needs to fulfill that particular business and provide revenue and profits in the future. As a manager, a business is going to want to ensure all avenues of that business are updated and essentially active to their fullest potential. Many operations of technology are equipped by utilizing various methods to conduct future business decisions to determine their future profits and success. These methods include SWOT analysis, verification of stakeholders, and identifying wants and needs of a business. Of these companies, those that carry advanced modern technology tend to see the change in the market the quickest and yet have high returns. Apple Inc., a technology based company that manufactures professional software has achieved success since its start up with two entrepreneurs high school drop out students. Through many years of study, they developed an analysis that will compete against the technology industry. Apple Company, one of the highest US businesses known for their efficient products providing technology more advancement and capabilities...
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...Mutual Fund Manager (Apple) MGT/521 V5 Management Susan Coke University of Phoenix Online October 3, 2011 Financial statements are historical documents. They tell us what has happened during a particular period. It is essential to try and predict what will happen in the future. Financial ratios help assess the financial health and future prospects of a company. I have reviewed Apple, Hewlett Packard and IBM’s income statements, balance sheets and cash flow. I will review my findings along with their statements that I have included that were found on Yahoo Finance. Apple increased revenue from 32,479,000 in 2008 to 65,225,000 in 2010. Hewlett Packard had an increase in revenue of 118,364,000 in 2008 to 126,033,000 in 2010. IBM’s revenues went from 103,630,000 in 2008 to 99,870,000 in 2010. There is a direct correlation between Apple’s innovative technology and diversified business is a direct contributor to their increased revenues. While Apple spent 782,000 on research in 2007 they spent 1,782,000 in 2010; Hewlett Packard spent 3,543,000 in 2008 compared to 2,959,000 in 2010 and IBM spent 6,337,000 in 2008 and 6,026,000 in 2010. Apple was the only one of the three companies to increase their spending on research in the last few years. Because of increased research they have been able to broaden their spectrum and have more innovative products which in turns lead to increased revenues. One of the concerns I see is that Apple overall seems to increase...
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...Apple Business Model Mini Case Assignment QUESTIONS: 1. In your own words, explain why the author refers to Apple's business model as a roach motel. The author refers to Apple’s business model as a roach motel partly because of the old Raid commercial where the narrator says, “roaches check in, but they can’t check out.” When a customer begins using Apple products, they are set up in a web of content and applications. Every time they download an app, they are committing to the same type of system, or ecosystem, if you will. That makes it very difficult for a customer to switch to something different. When a customer gets used to a certain way of doing things, they are less likely to switch to another way. People generally don’t like change and once they get used to something, they like to stay with it. 2. In 25 words or less, and in your own words, summarize the author's prediction about Apple's future success. Apple’s margins may start to fall sharply but that doesn’t mean they won’t be successful. Bet on Microsoft to put their hat into the ring. 3. Based on the factors discussed in the article (e.g., the rise of HTML5), are future prospects brighter for Apple or Google? Defend your answer. Prospects are brighter for Google, simply because there is more areas in which to grow. The rise of HTML5 makes it less expensive for Google to operate the same principles and that is where they will take advantage. Consumers are looking for lower prices and better deals. Apple...
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...Analysis of Apple Inc. business Strategic Unit (iPad unit) Contents Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 2 1. Strategic position of Apple Inc .................................................................................................................. 2 1.1 Competitive strategic position ............................................................................................................ 2 1.2 Strategic group mapping ......................................................................................................................... 4 2. External drivers of change affecting Apple’s Strategic Business Unit ....................................................... 5 2.1 PEST Analysis ....................................................................................................................................... 5 2.1.1 Political and legal drivers ............................................................................................................. 5 2.1.2 Economic factors .......................................................................................................................... 5 2.1.3 Socio-cultural factors ................................................................................................................... 6 2.1.4 Technology .............................................................................
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...Business Analysis of Apple, Inc. Padma L. Dongre MGT521 Nov 28, 2011 Dr. Stephen McCann Background. Apple Inc. designs, manufactures, and markets personal computers, portable digital music players, and mobile communication devices. It sells a variety of related software, services, peripherals, and networking solutions. The Company sells its products worldwide through its online stores, retail stores, direct sales force, and third-party wholesalers, and resellers. In addition, the Company sells a variety of third-party Macintosh ("Mac"), iPod, iPhone, iPad compatible products, including application software, printers, storage devices, speakers, headphones, and various other accessories and peripherals through its online and retail stores. The Company sells to education, consumer, creative professional, business, and government customers. The Company's fiscal year is the 52 or 53-week period that ends on the last Saturday of September. The Company's strategy also includes expanding its distribution network to effectively reach more of its targeted customers and provide them with a high-quality sales and post-sales support experience. Financial Analysis: Detailed financial statements are available in Appendix A. This information provides immense detail in the financial status of Apple, Inc. over time. Combined with data regarding product sales, much can be derived to analyze Apple’s strength. Revenue rose 40% in 2011...
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...Apple Business Analysis – Part I Apple Business Analysis Apple Inc. is an American multinational corporation that designs and markets consumer electronics, software, and personal computers. Apple was established on April 1, 1976 by three (3) good friends: Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne in Cupertino, California (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Inc.) and incorporated on January 3, 1977 (http://investor.apple.com/faq.cfm?FaqSetID=6). The company has grown from a garage business to the largest publicly traded company in the world by market capitalization and the largest technology company in the world by revenue and profit. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Inc. In the mid 1970s Wozniak created the Apple 1 and Apple II which contributed significantly to the microcomputer revolution of that era. Some of Apple’s greatest known hardware products include Macintosh line of computers, the iPod, the iPhone, and the iPad. In this paper I will share Apple’s mission, conduct a SWOT analysis, identify Apple’s internal and external stakeholders, describe Apple’s wants and needs, explain how Apple is fulfilling their needs, and conclude with whether or not I would invest in Apple Inc. Apple’s Mission Statement According to the Investor Relations section on Apple’s website their mission statement states the following: “Apples designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork, and professional software. Apple leads...
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...Apple Computers Inc. is an American-based multinational company that creates consumer electronics goods and computer software. Known for predominantly manufacturing personal computers and facing rocky sales and low market share during the 1990s; In 2001 the introduction of the iPod music player established Apple as a leader in the consumer electronics industry. Their latest success came when the company expanded its range of products and launched the iPhone, iPod Touch and it newest brainchild the iPad. Among their popular line of products are the iPad, iPhone, and Macintosh computers. The software products include the Mac operating systems, iTunes, iLife suite, and iWork suite. Today, Apple is the largest technology firm in the world, with annual revenues of more than $60 billion. Apple continues to expand its portfolio by branching out into other sectors of the technology industry with development, designing, and creative marketing campaigns of personal computers, communication devices, servers, network solutions, portable digital music devices, and all their related accessories. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Apple Managing the finances of a company such as Apple is not an easy job. The responsibility of the fund manager is to be knowledgeable of the pulse of the market and to ensure the welfare of the their clients to acquire a good returns on their investments. Extensive market research is required to stay abreast of the trends. In some cases, specializations...
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...Apple Inc. Business Analysis -2 Apple Inc. Business Analysis -2 Apple Inc. designs, manufactures, and markets personal computers, mobile communication devices, and portable digital music and video players and sells a variety of related software, services, peripherals, and networking solutions. Tim Worstall, a contributor who writes articles about businesses and Technology in his latest article in Forbes magazine writes that, “Apple’s iPhone business alone is larger than all of Microsoft’s businesses combined”. As per him Apple has not done it by replacing Windows or Office, the things that tie the PC to Microsoft. They’ve done an end run around the end and edge of the whole PC technology. According to him Monopolies tend to fall not when they are beaten in their own market but when their market becomes only a subset of a wider one, when advancing technology makes the monopolist’s position almost irrelevant (Worstall, 2012). For the fourth straight year, Apple tops Fortune's Most Admired list. The company's blistering pace of new product releases has continued to set the bar high for tech companies across the board. Company has reported a total $65,225 million and made profits of $14,013 millions and gained 35th rank in the 2011 Fortune 500 companies list. It has reported a growth of 57.8% in Earnings per Share from the years 2005 to 2010. Apple Inc secured 1st rank in the fast growing companies list in the 5 years comparison...
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...Running Header: APPLE INC. IN 2010 Apple Inc. in 2010 An Analysis of Business Strategy American Military University BUS620 16 February 2014 Running Header: APPLE INC. IN 2010 Abstract 2 Apple Incorporated is an industry leader and this piece will serve to address questions pertaining to Apple’s competition in the Personal Computer (PC), MP3, and smart phone market and how its strategy has evolved along with the evolution of the products. Threats and challenges that Apple faces as is moves forward are also identified. Finally a brief assessment of Apple Incorporated after the exit of Steve Jobs as its Chief Executive Officer and his effectiveness as a strategic manager. Keywords: Personal Computer Running Header: APPLE INC. IN 2010 Apple Inc. in 2010 An Analysis of Business Strategy 3 Apple is extremely competitive in the personal computer (PC) market and has carved out a very specific niche for its brand through an evolution of product development and marketing strategies. The market for personal computing evolved as quickly as technology could be developed and Apple’s approach was to offer the consumer a “plug and play” option, meaning everything needed for desktop publishing and education (from hardware and software to peripherals) were integrated in the Macintosh system and could readily and easily be utilized (Pearce & Robinson, 2013). Apple offers a level of exclusivity for its consumers. The cost of an Apple machine is expensive, but the quality is...
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...1 The volatility and evolution of computer industry Starting from 1976, Apple computer created the personal computer (PC). After IBM transformed the PC from proprietary systems into open structure, PC has been dominated by Wintel (Windows + Intel) structure. Apple insists in adopting proprietary and niche market strategies made them keep losing market share till less than 3% in 2001. However, its strategy with ignoring the market trends makes it lose the market after years. 1.1 Industrial changes: Apple lost PC market because of ignoring industrial changes The PC industry has evolved in the past decades. There are 3 phases. Let’s take a look at these phases and Apple’s position in each phase. Before 1981: Proprietary Systems. Every PC producer had to develop self own hardware and software. It was proprietary. Most buyers were technical people. There were 2 main streams in the market: Apple style machine and IBM style machine. During this period, Apple was the leader. Its strong developing ability made the Apple II became a family commodity. However, Apple didn’t use patent or trade secret to protect its products. Many computer companies re-engineered Apple II and made cheaper similar products to compete in the market. For example, Acer copied Apple II and developed the Little Professor Series. 1981- 1997: Open structure. IBM turned the PC into open structure. Compaq, HP and many other producers started to show in the market to produce IBM compatible PC...
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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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...everyone else by performing different activities that will be hard to duplicate from the competition (Dess, et al., 2005). Sustaining a competitive advantage became hard for Apple Inc. as noticed in the Harvard Business School Premier Case. Therefore, this paper is an analysis of Apple, Inc. based on a 7-year old case written by David Yoffie and Michael Slind published by Harvard Business School (Yoffie, et al., 2008). The following paper examines in detail the strategies utilized by the company as outlined in the strategic management steps. Several recommendations are also proposed to handle the issues surrounding the organization. Summation Apple Inc. was created by two college dropouts, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak and later joined by A.C. Markkula, Jr; they created the company with one circuit board (Apple I) and turned into 200 sales within two months time (Yoffie, et al., 2008). The company developed a premium-price differentiation strategy; in which two years later, Apple II was introduced to the world. Apple II tripled company sales to more than 100,000 in less than two years compared to Apple I (Yoffie, et al., 2008). This paper analyzes and reviews the strategies utilized by Apple Inc. based on my comprehension of strategic management; and propose recommendations for several problems that Apple faced to become a successful billion dollar company. Situation and Pending Decision Analyzing the case presented a huge problem for Steve Jobs and his management team, was...
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...Business Analysis Part I Pamela Lewis Management 521 October 10, 2011 Dr. Melanie Brown Business Analysis Part I The company tasked a mutual fund manager to evaluation Apple Incorporated to determine if this would be a sound investment for the company. The mutual funds manager will conduct a business analysis on Apple Incorporated and present the recommendations to the company. Apple Inc. is a company known for its vibrant line of products and the innovation it brings to those products. A business analysis is the practice of diagnosing the needs of a business and establishing solutions to business dilemmas. This business analysis is simply a collection of information that will aid in deciding if Apple Incorporated has the stability to sustain a profitable portfolio. This analysis will include a SWOTT analysis, an evaluation of the company stakeholders and their needs and wants, and an explanation of how the company is fulfilling those needs. SWOTT Analysis Chart Strengths (Internal) | Weaknesses (Internal) | * Strong brand image provides and edge over competitors * Robust financial performance strengthens investors’ confidence and provides capital for future avenues * Focused Research and Development driving innovation and consolidating its market position | * Patent infringement lawsuit may affect financial condition and operating results * Product recalls may harm Apple’s reputation and add significant warranty and other expenses | Opportunities...
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...The strategy of the mobile phone industry: A comparative analysis of Apple, Sony, Xiaomi The strategy of the mobile phone industry - a comparative analysis of Apple, Sony, Xiaomi I Executive summary The paper sheds lights on the strategy of three mobile phone industry and that task is to perform comparative analysis on Apple, Sony and Xiaomi. The author has first started with the analysis of the macro-environment using strategic analytic tool called PESTLE. The author has used tools such as Porter’s Five Forces and SWOT to analyze the micro-environment of a mobile phone industry and define Key Success Factors that are essential to be included in company’s strategy. Moreover the paper characterizes the comparative analysis such as objectives, strengths, weakness, financial analysis (quantitative), Vario analysis (Qualitative), merger and acquisitions, market share and competitive advantage strategy, of Apple, Sony and Xiaomi. At the end, the author of this assignment has given his recommendation to these three industries and concludes with a set of challenges being faced by mobile phone industry to create and maintain customer values and profit margins for present and future business successes. The strategy of the mobile phone industry - a comparative analysis of Apple, Sony, Xiaomi II Table of Contents LIST OF ABBREVIATION ..................................................................................................................
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