Market Share Strategy Introduction Since 1977, Apple Computers, Inc. has been a leader in the computer and technology industry. From the advent of the Apple II to the iPhone, Apple is a company known for innovation, vision, and transformation within the field. What began as a home-based operation in Menlo Park, California has transformed into a multi-billion dollar corporation with influence internationally (Encyclopedia Britannica 2008). The advancement for which much of today’s computer hardware and software are based, were developed by Apple. Currently, Apple is enjoying great success within the technology and PC industry. The Apple brand is one of the most recognized brands in the world and tremendously popular with users (Baxter, 2008), often obtaining repeat business from its customers. Apple is at the top of the list for introducing so many new products to the market. This ranking was compiled by consulting 1,000 senior managers in a survey comparing companies based on the level of innovation. Apple also integrated seven types of technology in order to secure this ranking (McGregor, Arndt & Berner, 2006). Despite an impressive reputation and an illustrious history as a business leader, Apple must ever be watchful of increasing competition and well as the market forces surrounding it. Problem Statement The technology field is constantly transforming. In spite of near limitless opportunity for growth, there are still numerous obstacles which threaten the continued success and stability of the technology industry as a whole. Even with its current standing as a media and technological front-runner, Apple still faces threats not only from competitors within the technology field, but like every corporation, market forces as well. Since the time shortly after it was founded, Apple has been besieged by rival companies like IBM and Microsoft. At one time the Apple was the sole company offering personal computer systems for household use. By 1992, however, Apple was fending off the advancement of the more user-friendly Microsoft Windows. Even though the company still enjoyed high returns, its market share was falling rapidly (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008). After reviewing the current data concerning Apple’s revenues for this quarter, it seems that Apple is doing well within its sector. According to its first quarter results released January 22, 2008, the company posted a net quarterly profit of $1.58 billion. Gross margin was 34.7 percent up from 31.2 percent in the same quarter a year ago (Apple, Investor Relations, 2008). The company second quarter results show a net quarterly profit of $1.
Apple Computer Inc designs, manufactures, and markets personal computers and related personal computing and communication solutions. The return of Steve Jobs, the companies founder, as CEO has pulled the company’s stock price up 775-percent through his launch of innovative products such as the iMac computer line. On January 5, 2000, Jobs announced that he was dropping interim from his CEO title and taking the job full-time. With this news and Apple’s new products such as the iBook, a portable pc and Quick TV, an internet television access feature, Apple Computer is headed for success and is sure to increase their share in the computer market.
Apple is one of the leading company in the electronic industry located in Cupertino, California. This electronic giant, at top of Business Weeks Most Innovative Companies list since 2004, had showed itself by doing so well over the years in not only product design but also make a huge amount of money in the past 20 years especially in revenue and margins. According to “Apple Sales”, in the first quarter of 2011, $26.7 billion in revenue, 70% increase from a year before was reported. Apple was established as a computer company in Mountain View, California, on April 1, 1976 by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. But later diversified to a digital entertainment and software company in 2003 by providing iPod and iTunes which made them “invented a whole new category of digital music player that let you put your entire music collection in your pocket and listen to it wherever you go”. In 2007, the company also competing in the cell phone/smartphone industry by releasing iPhone which combined an Internet-enabled smartphone and video iPod. After they released the first iPad in April 2010, this giant becoming a diversified digital entertainment corporation in all three industries, PCs, consumer electronics and music, which made them taking bites out of the competition on all fronts.
Innovation in apple sets high standards that make it difficult for other companies to compete with them. Throughout the recent years Apple has been showing a non-stop development in its innovation strategies, those innovation strategies involve remarkable new products and innovative business models. Apple has been continuously succeeding in providing consumers with what the senior engineering manager in apple Michael Lopp describes as “really good ideas wrapped in really good ideas” and by Looking at apple’s sales since it started releasing its unique products we see that it strongly agrees with this description. Apple’s innovation-friendly ecosystem focuses on manufacturing its own hardware rather than just buying it, and that is one of the most important features that made them who they are today in the market.
Over the last decade, Apple, Inc. has been one of the most successful company in the world. Apple is a multinational corporation that designs the electronic, manufactures, sell a several of related software. It provides many products for example iPhone, iPod, iPad, Mac, Apple TV. The important factors that Apple, Inc. use is technology. Technology with new innovation has the advantage that help an organization to beat with another company. And bring more competitors to the market. Most of the product in electronic industries are based on innovation. Thus, in order to achieve the goal and keep up with their competitors, Apple must frequently introduce new products or services
Apple is known to be the world’s most valuable brand. Over the years, Apple has created new technology to help catch the eyes of many users. Apple has been one of the biggest competitor in the technology world. Here is Apple’s mission statement of the company:
Throughout Apple’s history, the company has experienced an enormous amount of growth in the computer industry with its implementation of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats analysis. It all starts with Apple’s position in the market and how they upheld a competitive advantage against other competitors. Apple’s specific competitive advantage during “1976 to 1990” was based upon the ideals of having a “strong brand image, consistent innovation, and differentiation” (Yoffie). To begin, Steve Jobs provided Apple the building blocks to have a competitive advantage over other competitors. For differentiation and innovation, Apple focuses on products with superior quality, provides an outstanding customer service
Within the last decade Apple has become one of the largest growing companies in the world and the largest valued company in the United States. According to a recent article in The Guardian, a global financial news website, “Apple set a record by becoming the first company to be valued at over $700bn (£446bn).” (Fletcher, N. 2014) This comes as no surprise to the average computer aficionado and shareholder as Apple has been making a name for itself since its inception. From its earliest Macintosh models to today’s iPhones, Apple has been a trailblazer for software, technology and revolutionizing the way we communicate on a Macro level. Their dedication to innovation, quality and service has made them
Up until the nineties, Apple made some of the greatest personal laptops or computers on the market. However, they saw a big decrease in sale because their competition began to increase; at that point the company was struggling to figure out what to do differently to keep their company at the top of the charts. In the year 2001 was an extremely important year for apples sales as they introduced the very first iPod, which had competitors scrambling trying to create something like it to beat apples iPod, though no competitor could create one as ...
In almost every part of the world Apple and at least one of their products is known. The Apple brand started in the 1970s. Three men founded the organization in 1976, to produce a computer that every citizen could use personally (Sohail, 2010). The first item released was the Apple 1 personal computer kit made by Steve Wozniak (Sohail, 2010). Through the 70s, Apple concentrated on developing storing technologies such as the floppy disk and the use of color, graphics, and spreadsheets used for business (Sohail, 2010). Apple was about to have their first major product release with a million dollar ad campaign. This was the release of the Macintosh personal computer, which also led to Apple’s great reputation (Sohail, 2010).
Apple Inc is a multinational organization in America and has its headquarters in California. The organization specializes in the design as well as development of consumer electronics including: computer software 's, and also personal computers. The organization has for long been offering a broad range of communication mobile communication as well as its own company software’s. The organization has quite an upright name in the business world. For a long period it has been producing quality product and their designers really bring out uniqueness in their products (Linzmayer, 2004). Apple Inc has established itself as being the world’s leader in innovation. Thus according to statistics; it is classified as being the fourth most valuable technology
The company not only produces the number of highly technological devices, but also has a great brand ideology lying behind. The following chapters would review each of factors determining Apple`s success.
Taking a step back into Apple's product history, and noticing how ancient the first products seem, compared to the sleek, "cool" products of today, will leave you feeling inspired. Apple has gained technological superiority over its competitors, but how and does Apple plan to continue its advantageous market share in such a rapid, fast-paced technological era? Apple has a cult like following, consumers who are anticipating and ready to purchase new Apple products as soon as they are released. Technology has become second nature and a very important aspect of millions of consumers' lives.
From 1980 to 1996, Apple’s competitive range in the PC industry was rocky. Although Apples products were unique and well built, they were overpriced compared to competing products from IBM and others. As competitor prices dropped, Apple prices stayed the same and the company saw a decline in sales as customers opted to purchase from its competitors. John Sculley, former CEO of Apple, took many steps to improve the company’s competitive advantage. One of those steps was to compete with price by producing a low-cost computers that appealed to a mass-market. The second step was to form an alliance with rivals IBM and Novel in order to create new operating systems and applications...
Apple Inc. was established by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak on April 1, 1976 as a computer designer, developer and seller company. However, the company shifted its focus from only personal computer to include other consumer electronics such as portable media player and mobile phone in 2007. Apple Inc becomes one of the most popular makers in its field since it seems that its popularity has increased according to a report on www.statista.com that Apple Inc’s products sales was generally increasing throughout the first quarter of 2006 to the first quarter of 2014. On the one hand, it has increased its revenue from about 14 billion US dollars to more than 170 billion US dollars in 2013. All in all, the company is highly successful corresponding to its products’ development and their sales growth in world’s market.
Apple has made reasonable management of its human and material resources since its innovational approach demands effective strategic allocation of its resources to the development and utilization of its productive resources to support its innovative investment strategies. Effective strategic control brings power to Apple’s decision-makers to allocate its resources to confront the technological, market, and competitive uncertainties which are inherent in the innovation