Case Study 1- Apple Inc Essay examples

Overall in the past few years Apple has become more and more successful through preparing for the growth of E-Business for today’s society. The company has taken in and analysed competitors behaviour in order to remain market leaders and stay at the forefront of high end products such as IPhone and there IMacs range. Apple have tried to create a unique feel for their products when compared with Microsoft they have been trying to play catch up with Apple in all the same categories they both operate in. Apple use very different marketing techniques compared to Microsoft which has made Apple the number one brand in the world.

It’s quite clear that the actual strategy of Steve Jobs and Apple goes toward a biggest share of the computer markets, although it’s never sure in which way they plan to improve/achieve such a goal. Another key issue in up-to-today Apple strategy is it’s entrance on mobile markets, due to the big importance the telecommunications and their integration with all the other existing electronic devices (VOIP, UMTS, mobile broadband internet etc) has in shaping a so-called digital era/revolution.

Obviously in a technology based industry there is a huge emphasis placed on technological advancements. As stated earlier, technology can be related to international business but technologies within Apple’s products are the reason why they continue to leave their competitors in their wake. The combination of the iPod with iTunes has been a huge success for Apple. On the 1st of September 2010, it was announced that Apple had sold 275 million iPods, making it the biggest selling digital music player of all time. Then when technology was advancing toward touch-screen devices, Apple came out with the iPod touch, iPhone and most recently, the iPad. Apple’s ability to constantly stay one step ahead of its competitors is the driving force behind their success.

For every profit oriented industry to survive in the globalize market; they must employed competition strategies that suit their operations and also keep in mind their competitors and target set to be achieved. This makes every company feel the pressure to be successful and to maintain leading the industry. This pressure plays significant role in the survival of industry in the competitive market. The effect of pressure faced by industries can either positive for the leading industry or negative when overpowered by rivals. Apple has gone into the technological mobile devices industry with a blast and

Apple’s hits have been executed through first mover advantages, technological advances, and innovative strategies. Based on Apple’s current product positions, their success can continue into the next decade; however, it will be much harder for Apple

introduction of the Apple II, to the Mac, to its more recent iTunes and iPhone, Apple has managed to maintain a competitive advantage and in recent years been able

3.     Bargaining Power of Buyers: Recently Apple has received tremendous growth when it introduced the Apple i-Pod, a new product that allowed users to download music to a portable player. Being first to market allowed Apple to enjoy a temporary competitive advantage allowing no bargaining power of consumers until other competitors began offering similar products. Apple also offers unique products in its software and hardware designs that offer different goods than Microsoft or Dell.

Apple Corporation was initially operating into the personal computer arena but later diversified into other segments. The change was brought by changes in management and differences in views that were coupled with missed opportunities resulting in loss of competitive advantages. The company currently operates in the music and personal computer industry as part of its initiative to continue providing innovative products for its customers. Despite venturing into different industries to enhance competitive advantages, the corporation is still confronted by intense opposition across all its business segments or industries. The aggressive competition is mainly because the markets for personal computers, mobile communication devices, consumer electronics, and digital music services are increasingly competitive. The competitiveness of these markets is also attributed to the rapid technological advancements that constantly increase the capabilities of these devices. In light of the increased competition, the Apple Corporation needs to develop and establish measures for sustaining competitive advantage with evolving external environment and executive succession.

Apple OS is behind its competitors which is equivalent to the competitors but not a leader.

As the market growth shifts to emerging markets, Apple 's price positioning will impact competitiveness. Throught the integration model, both horizontally and vertically, the company was able to build non replicable and sustainable competitive advantages .Is engaged in design, development and marketing of personal computers,media devices, and portable digital musical players.

1. Does it make good strategic sense for Apple to be a competitor in the computer, digital music player, and mobile phone industries? Are the value chain activities that Apple performs in computers, digital music players, and mobile phones very similar and “compatible” or are there very important differences from product to product? Which of the three products lines —computers, digital music players, or mobile phones—do you think is most important to Apple’s future growth and profitability? Why?

The major strength of Apple has its strong market position and consumer trustworthiness which in turn to increases company’s competitive advantage. Second, Apple has a full variety of software, products and apps which are interlinked and maintain each other. Third, iTV and other new products will be released soon.

Apple has created a unique and powerful reputation and product line that continues to be innovative and fresh to the consumer for the last 30 plus years. Apple has continued to be an industry leader for hardware and in the recent years faces the extremely fast-paced market of media and software products including the global marketplace.

It is beyond all doubt that Apple Inc is one of the most successful and well-known companied all over the world nowadays. What’s more, the company is considered to be the leader of the industry The Apple products are of high quality and in high demand on all the markets. Apple services and stores are the gold standards for all the followers and niche players of the industry. Moreover, the majority of Apple customers are extremely loyal to the brands. Once they started using its high-technical products they keep doing it. At the same time the market share of the company is increasing constantly. Probably all the competitors are questioning what is the key to Apple Company’s success. It is important to note that the whole strategy determines the success of the business and the strategic analysis of the company can help to identify the main criteria. Thus, the object of the research paper is to develop a strategic analysis of Apple Inc, including its internal and external environment.

Apple operates with fierce competition in the consumer electronics segment which comes in many different forms. There are a large number of competitors in the different market niches who offer many similar products. Furthermore, many of these competitors' products are priced much less than an Apple branded products. Just as soon as Apple releases a new product, major companies begin imitating it immediately. In the personal computer industry, market pressure is continuously being exerted from such companies such as IBM, Dell, HP, and Toshiba (Wildstrom, 2009). Furthermore, with its flagship product the IPhone, Apple competes with companies like HTC, Palm, Blackberry, and Motorola (Wortham, 2011). Apple has had significant success despite the competitive environment because Apple commands a brand loyalty and dedication to innovation that few companies have ever achieved.