A Summary On Intel

Intel operates in an industry, which is comprised of products involving high research and development costs, continuous product improvement and new innovations. The companies in the industry are having high economies of scale and are knowledge based. It helps both the service and manufacturing sectors in the growth process. Intel is positioned as a leading company with its ability to adapt to technological changes and its strong relations with other businesses who are major buyers of integrated circuits. The industry in which it operates is very competitive and comes with high risks as

From pioneering in memory DRAM semicon to exiting the low-margin DRAM market – Intel was primarily a Memory semicon manufacturer before it entered microprocessors in 1980s. Its added value in the memory industry in 1970s was very high because of its advances in MOS process to produce DRAM. However, with increase in competition and the advancement of Japanese conglomerates in the memory industry Intel was forced to play a chasing game to improve performance and reduce costs. In the mid-1980s, Intel’s market share in the core memory business was <1%, however it was continuing to invest in this domain. They finally exited the DRAM market, which was more of a cash burner with low-margins.

PC computing was the center of computing during the 1990s, but the internet took over the next decade. Cellphones are sold more than PCs, and that is because they can access the Net. Network and communication became more important to people, whether it is in the home, small business or enterprise. Intel response to the changes in the environment by investing a lot of money in four areas, client platforms, server platforms, cellular and wireless, and communication and networking. Despite the fact that Intel took several steps toward making a position for it in the mobile and internet market, the threat of being behind

This case traces the strategic decisions of Intel Corporation which defined its evolution from being a start-up developer of semiconductor memory chips in 1968 to being the industry leader of microprocessors in 1997 when it ranked amongst the top five American companies and had stock market valuation of USD 113 billion.

Apple Computers is a well-established and highly profitable company that has several leading technology- and computer-based products on the market, and that retains a highly loyal consumer base in its niche personal computing market (Yahoo Finance, 2012; Hoovers, 2012). Though the company faltered for some time in its history, it has again reached the pinnacle of innovation and progress in the computing and technology industries, and its product rollouts constitute some of the most anticipated and avidly watched events each year by early adopters and investors alike (Yahoo Finance, 2012; Hoovers, 2012). Despite the recent passing of Steve Jobs, one of the company's founders and the company's CEO and public face during the company's resurgence over the past decade-and-a-half, most projections for the company are optimistic in both the short and long terms (Yahoo Finance, 2012).

America was not buying into that claim and 90% of computers used are Intel based. (Lai, E. (2007) Vista, Mac Use Both Increase. Retrieved January 9, 2008, from PCWorld Web site http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,140422-page,1/article.html).

There is a point in ones life where they are confronted with the arduous task of deciding what computer is best for them, this decision process is usually decided on a few factors which are price, reliability, security, storage space and of course the computers speed. In today’s economy buying a machine of value that works is hard to come by but one company has it figured out; it is time to invest in Apple computer. Apple is a company that was founded in 1976 by Steve Wozniak, Steve Jobs, and Ron Wayne in the hopes of making the PC personal again. The Apple revolution began in 1984 when Macintosh was introduced.

Intel Corporation is a technology company out of Santa Clara, California and is one of the world's highest valued chipmakers and very well known microprocessors. A micro-processer is to a computer what a brain is to a person. They were investigated for antitrust behavior after there were reports that that Intel was paying Dell large sums of money so that they would force customers not use a specific original equipment manufacturer Advanced Micro Device on their computers. Intel of course denies any and all reports of wrongdoing and even justified their actions to be beneficial to consumers. This was not the first or last time the multi billion-dollar company was told they are not playing a business fair monopoly. Even the Federal trade commission has accused Intel of abusing their market power.

Apple, Inc. (formerly known as Apple Computer, Inc.) was incorporated in the State of California in 1977. Apple currently designs, manufactures, and markets a variety of computer and personal electronic products, including Macintosh computers, and the iPod digital music player. AppleÕs key markets are consumers, creative professionals, educational institutions, and business users.

First, Apple introduced a new OS in 2001. Second, Apple shifted to Intel chips and by the following year all Macintosh line ran on Intel making laptops run faster for less power. The third strategy was the development of proprietary set of applications. The fourth strategy in becoming the “digital hub” was to come up with a new distribution strategy: the Apple retail store, where customers can have a direct use and experience of Apple’s product and software.

Apple's main competitors are Microsoft, Dell, Sony, Toshiba, Acer, HP, Nokia, etc. These all are highly specialized in their respective products. Today, the biggest challenge for

Apple Inc. is an American multinational technology business headquartered in Cupertino, California, established by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne on April 1, 1976, to sketch, fabricate, and sell consumer electronics, computer software, and online services. Apple is the world 's second-largest information technology company after Samsung electronics, the world 's largest technology company by total assets. On November 25, 2014, Apple became the first U.S. Company to be treasured at over 700 billion dollars, besides being the largest publicly traded corporation in the world by market capitalization. Apple is a very successful producer of computer software and hardware, however it has demonstrated internal and external areas that need enhancement along with other areas that prove to be profitable.

Intel excels at top-down innovation, where highly differentiated components and electronics command a high gross margin relative to competitors, enabling faster design wins with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and development partners. This top-down innovation flow within Intel is so dominant, that the product design teams are significantly more productive than even the most advanced business process management teams (Segerstrom, 2007). Microprocessors and the follow-on Internet, networking, security and integrated motherboard products are all predicated on this top-down innovation cycle that leads to product line proliferation in Intel (Zimmerman, 2010). DRAMS were undifferentiated in structure, lacked industry standards that could create differentiated performance or compatibility based on adherence or alignment to standards or customer requirements (Nicholson, 1997). Intel chose to compete on the only other area of their core strength as a company, which is quality management and yield levels (Clark, Walz, Turner, Miszuk, 1993). Getting the yields for DRAMS to 60%, which for a brief period of time lead the global industry, only served to accelerate a very high level of commoditization in the industry (Voss, 1998).

As indicated in the table above, Dell and HP are the strongest players in the computer industry. These results are also supported by the market share statistics presented in case Exhibit 3. Conversely, the table above indicates Acer as the industry’s weakest rival in part because it focuses on producing low priced computers,

Intel, also known as Integrated Electronics, is a company that manufactures and sells various types of electronic equipment and hardware. It was founded by Gordon Moore and Robert Noyce in 1968 and has since grown to be a commonly used consumer brand. Intel must ensure that its products are consistently well-made, especially when its products affect the consumer’s experience with the technology he or she is using. Because Intel must implement quality in a wide variety of products, the best practice for the company is to have a physical separation between its departments and to focus on the quality of each individual aspect of its product creation; this will allow each department to specialize in their work functions and allow the company to separate each task effectively.