...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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...International Business Strategy II 1. Liu Shu 6509037 Introduction Google and Apple are giants in technology industry. These two companies provide innovate products or service and have unique organizational structure and culture. Under the increasing pressure of cost reduction and local responsiveness caused by globalization development, both Google and Apple are transforming into transnational organizations. This report will critically evaluate the comparative transnational effectiveness of Google and Apple in terms of motivation means and mentalities, layers of competitiveness, across boundaries management and corporation social responsiveness (CSR). 2. Motivations Means and Mentalities Initial incentives of Apple and Google expansion were different because of their distinct business focuses. Apple generates its profits by selling cutting-edge electronic devices, whereas Google even though has its own products such as some newly invented wearable devices, its benefit basically comes from their advertising. Therefore, Google do not have to secure key supply, and access to low-cost market. Nevertheless, seeking boarder market seems to be very important for both of these to enterprises. Moreover, the emerging motivations for Google and Apple are quite similar. After they began to expand, the forces which triggered the expansion in the first place, may turn into secondary when they make emerging global...
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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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... ASSIGNMENT 2 FIRM ANALYSIS REPORT: APPLE INC. ------------------------------------------------- GROUP # 4 Sonny Nguyen || Brittany Krammes Larisa Zenokhova || Bryan Berduo Table of Contents Page # SECTION I – INTRODUCTION3 SECTION II – BUSINESS LEVEL STRATEGY3 SECTION III – VRIO FRAMEWORK OF RESOURCES & CAPABILITIES4 SECTION IV – VALUE CHAIN ANALYSIS6 SECTION V- INTERNAL WEAKNESSES7 SECTION VI –STRATEGIC ACTION RECOMMENDATION 7 A. REFERENCES…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….8 B. EXHIBITS………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……….11 SECTION I – INTRODUCTION For this analysis, we chose Apple Inc. because of its impact on the smartphone industry in the United States. First, the report will identify the business level strategy that the company has pursued and key factors that attribute to its success. Next, the report will use the VRIO framework to analyze Apple Inc.’s tangible and intangible resources, and capabilities. Then, a value chain analysis is provided to evaluate how Apple Inc. creates value for their customers, followed by a brief explanation of three internal weaknesses. Finally, based on what our group knows about the mobile industry in the United States and Apple Inc., we recommended strategic actions the company should take in order to maintain its position in the industry. SECTION II-BUSINESS LEVEL STRATEGY Apple Inc.’s existing business-level strategy within the U.S. branded mobile phone manufacturing...
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...Alternative strategies to achieve goal and objectives of the Apple 4 1. Evaluation according to the methods of growth. 4 2. Evaluating the strategies according to market- product strategies. 6 3. Evaluation the strategies according to the diversification 8 4. Evaluation the strategies according to the potential risks. 9 5. Evaluation according to the benefits and costs of the strategies. 11 II. Selection the strategy 12 1. The advantage and disadvantages of the strategies. 12 2. Suitability, feasibility and acceptability to stakeholders of the strategies 14 3. Ranking and scoring the strategy. 16 III. Compare the roles and responsibilities for strategy 20 IV. Identify and evaluate resource requirements to implement a new strategy for Apple Inc. 24 V. Propose targets and timescales for achievement in Apple Inc. to monitor a given strategy 28 Conclusion 36 Reference 36 Executive Summary Business Strategy is a subject to develop the learner’s ability to evaluate and select strategies appropriate to business organizations. This will involve an analysis of the impacts of the external operating environment and the need to plan organization strategies to ensure effective business performance. (Business Strategy course book, BPP professional education, 2004). The report is to address the following areas: This is a continuation of your previously prepared report for Assignment 1-Strategic plan. It reviews the previously prepared report on Apple Inc., the...
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...| | |CORPORATE LEVEL STRATEGY | |APPLE COMPUTER, INC | | | |PREPARED BY: | |TETY JUANITA MOHD KAMAL | |WONG WAI SIONG | |LAI CHOON HOONG | |WAN HAZIRA WAN MUHAMMAD | |WAN HAMIZA WAN MUHAMMAD | |7/31/2010 ...
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...Introduction The current global and virtual business environment shapes the business strategy for the aim of competing by knowledge and expertise to win the market share in the long run. Apple Inc. is one of the major leading hardware manufacturers, originates from the United States and is popular among the world. Its long-term direction could be strengthening the research, design, development and manufacturing phases. The success of this company relies its competitive strategy, which integrates its core resources, company structure and business process and stimulates targeted customers effectively as well as attracts more customers. In the meanwhile, the success of Apple Inc. is due to the support from strategic marketing. This report for Apple Inc. will analyze strategically about Apple in terms of its business description first with company profile, financial description and future direction in it. Furthermore, the sustainable business strategies that Apple adopts will be described in detail and the effectiveness of them will also be proposed one by one. The author also makes use of one of the classic tools, SWOT analysis, to give all-around insight of its competiveness strategies in terms of advantages and disadvantages. Some suggestions will appear in the end of this report as well. Business Description Company Profile The business description comes from its financial report: “The Company designs, manufactures, and markets mobile communication and media...
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...Apple Inc. Apple Inc. formerly Apple Computer, Inc., is an American multinational corporation headquartered in Cupertino, California that creates and retails consumer electronics, computer software, and personal computers. Apple’s mission and vision summarizes its committed efforts in bringing the best user experience to its customers through its advanced hardware, software, peripherals, and services along with a unique ability to design and develop its own operating system, hardware, application, software, and services, in order to provide its customers new products and solutions with superior case-of-use, seamless integration, an innovative design (“Apple Inc. Form 10-K Annual Report”, 1, 2012). Company’s mission and vision statements against the performance of the organization Apple’s mission and vision statements and objectives are neither interchangeable nor autonomous. Without objectives, the mission and vision statements are impractical. Without the mission and vision statement the objectives have no relevance. Both statements are too broad to be measurable, and the objectives are too definite to provide the big picture. When properly coordinated they strike a balance that helps to shape the business operations and service strategy. Apple Inc.'s mission statement is as follows - Apple is committed to bringing the best personal computing experience to students, educators, creative professionals and consumers around the world through innovative hardware, software and...
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...OF BUSINESS NILAI UNIVERSITY BACHELOR OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION BM 3319 BUSINESS SYNOPTIC 1 TITLE: Case Study: APPLE (Apple’s Profitable but risky Strategy) Prepared by: LAM SOON LIANG BBAMGT 00009666 Date of Submission: 8th December 2014 Question 1: With reference to the case study, provide one example with a paragraph of not more than 5 lines, which clearly illustrates a link between topics or concepts drawn from at least 2 modules you studied. Launched in late 2001, the iPod was followed by the iTunes Music Store in 2003 in the USA and 2004 in the Europe – the Music Store being a most important and innovatory development. iTunes was essentially an agreement with the world’s five leading record companies to allow legal downloading of music tracks using the internet for 99 cents each. This was a major coup for Apple – it had persuaded the record companies to adopt a different approach to the problem of music piracy. With the slogan "Thinnovation" (2008), apple has become the world's most valuable company and one of the world's most valuable brands. Apple has brought three main marketing strategies that help the company to maintain their competitive advantage which can assemble to empathy, focus, and impute (Christine Moorman, 2008). Innovative Competitive strategy is a tool that companies use to achieve competitive advantages which consists of three main strategy low-price, differentiation and focus (Maria, 2012). Low-price strategy focuses...
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...APPLE’S PROFITABLE BUT ISKY STRATEGY Case Study [Type the author name] CASE STUDY ON PROFITABLE BUT RISKY STRATEGY OF APPLE INTRODUCTION: A long term plan and action that is formulated to help a company to setback and achieve a competitive advantage against its competitor and rival is called competitive strategy. This type of strategy is frequently used in marketing, promotion and advertising operations by somehow questioning the rivalry's service or product. Competitive strategies are vital to businesses which are competing in markets for the leading position, the market which is deeply saturated with substitutes for consumers. (Porter,2008). This case study is truly about the competitive strategy of Apple. Apple was founded in 1976 by two Steve Job and Steve Wozniak. Apple initiated its early reputation by making user friendly personal computers and keeping the price high against those made by the competitors. Their first computer was the Apple Macintosh (MAC). It was launched in 1984. From the very first, Apple’s strategy was innovative and profitable. Innovation brings risk with it. So Apple always followed innovative, risky but a highly profitable strategy. Apple is a front line company in industry of electronics whether in cell phones, tablets, personal computers and music devices etc. Apple’s software is actually the one which is greatly designed and programmed. Apple charge premium and comparatively high price from the consumers when compared with prices...
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...Useful Questions Decisions to invest “A little more than a decade ago, Apple was on the brink of bankruptcy” (Baltzan and Phillips, 2012, pg. 28); if top executives had not supported investments in iPods, Apple would have more than likely went into bankruptcy. By not taking a chance on this investment the company would have collapsed its competitors; however, by supporting this product, Apple was able to have the first mover advantage. Baltzan and Phillips (2012) state that “when a company is the first to market with a competitive advantage, it gains a particular benefit, such as Apple did with its iPod” (pg. 14) and this advantage allowed Apple to survive and thrive in its industry. Open versus Closed systems In earlier technological developments, each company had its own proprietary hardware and software. Through time, Apple moved into “industry standard Intel chips, it adopted PC standards such as USB, and made its disk operating system files compatible with the PC world” (Foremski, 2010). However in recent years, and with the development of the iPod, iPhone and even the iPad, Apple is beginning to be more closed. For example, the iPad and iPhone do not support Adobe Flash or Microsoft Silverlight; which interferes with video streaming from Hulu or Netflix. Apple appears to stay in closed systems because of its lucrative nature. Although their customer base consists of people who prefer open standards and open platforms, Apple’s closed system has not deterred consumers...
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...Apple Inc Financial Strategy ------------------------------------------------- 窗体顶端 Search 窗体底端 * Home Page » * Business and Management Apple Inc Financial Strategy In: Business and Management Apple Inc Financial Strategy Apple Readers of this blog know that I’m not a huge fan of Apple, but that’s neither here nor there. No matter what you read in the press or business press about Apple and innovation, marketing, or product development, the fundamental business strategy at Apple is a financial one. Apple’s fundamental strategy is to squeeze as much profit as humanly possible from every sale it makes. Apple’s financial strategy, then, is to maximize its margins, a financial strategy it has pursued single-mindedly since Steve Jobs returned to the company. This foundational financial strategy informs every other aspect of its business model. Product development — to maximize margins, Apple has to offer products that consumers can buy nowhere else. This involves one part cutting-edge design, one-part unique, hard-to-emulate features, and several parts marketing. Always be launching – A standard truth about marketing is that early adopters are willing to pay the highest prices – and highest margins. The Apple launch strategy involves super-hyping products in order to build the largest army of early adopters possible. All those nice people who stood in line for an iPad on the day of its launch were willing to pay a pretty penny to get their hands on the device....
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...focus on the future. Effective strategic planning articulates not only where an organization is going and the actions needed to make progress, but also how it will know if it is successful. History Apple Inc: Apple Inc formerly known as Apple Computer Inc which provides corporate Server, MAC OS Systems and Operating System. Apples core product lines are the iPhone, iPod and Macintosh System. Steve Jobs and Steve Wozaniak, The founder of Apple has created the Apple Computer on 1st April 1976 and integrated in the company on 3rd January 1977, in Cupertino California. It has driven the Computer manufacturing market for more than two decades. Mr. Steve Jobs who was expelled in 1985 was return as CEO of the APPLE Inc in 1996 with new Ideas and corporate philosophy. With introduction of successful IPod Player in to 2001 Apple has again proved itself as a Market leader in consumer electronics. Latest era of extraordinary success of the company is in iOS based Apple products like I Phone, IPod slim, I Pad and now I Pad 2. Now a day’s Apple is a biggest technology corporation in the planet with the profits of more than $65 billion. It has about 49,400 employs all over the world. Fortune Magazine most Admired company in United State in 2008 and in the world in 2008, 2009 and 2010. Apple has over 240 Store all over the world...
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...Apple Computer, Inc.; Maintaining the Music Business While Introducing iPhone and Apple TV Roxanna Farris Professor: Shereen Turner Business Administration Capstone October 29, 2011 Apple Computer, Inc.; Maintaining the Music Business While Introducing iPhone and Apple TV 1. Describe key strategic challenges facing Apple Computer. The key strategic challenges will be focus around the company’s commitment to gain a competitive edge. Apple was not satisfied with the Apple’s Tunes Online Music Store which reached millions; they worked on capitalizing the market by the release of the personal computer. After the release of the personal computer and a change in management the public voiced the concern for a more compatible system (Hitt, 2011). Apple launched a new product and merged with another company with the intention of gaining a competitive edge. However, the results were less than favorable. So, a key strategic challenge was to change the sales strategy, making the Mac the “hub” of digital lifestyle (Hitt, 2011). Another challenge was to increase the profit margin, to outline the graphic location; that will be served, the needs of the customer, and how to satisfy those needs. 2. Describe the dimensions along which company success can be measured. Apple computer faced the challenge of Steven Jobs severing his relationship with his business partner, John Sculley. This separation was based on differences in business strategy and the direction in which...
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...Matrix Number -132015090022 MSU/MBA “Apple Case Assignment” Questions (1)Do you agree or disagree that Apple’s iTunes, iPhone apps, iPad apps give the company a competitive advantage? Be sure to justify your answer. Yes, I agree that Apple’s iTunes, iPhone apps, iPad apps give the company a competitive advantage. Apple let outsiders offer software for the iPhone and in less than 6 months, more than 10,000 applications had been created. Also, more than 15,000 applications are available at its app store section of iTunes, and they have been downloaded a total of 500 million times. Now, many of the iPhone apps are available for the iPad. Moreover, the unique feature of Apple’s competitive advantage is that they come from customers and users, not employees .All of the above data and facts can justify that those apps have a competitive advantage among. (2)Why are data, information, business intelligence, and knowledge important to Apple? Give an Example of each type in relation to the iPad. Through the strategic use of data, information, business intelligence and knowledge , Apple is able to track the use of it and programs to see if they are being accepted and used by many consumers , or don’t attract attention and fail. Another reason that reason that data and information are very important to Apple is that having the ability to show outside accessory and app companies the usage of Apple products in comparison to others .When Apple can provide statistics that show tablet users...
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