Case Study : Apple Inc.

Apple is a global company represented in many parts of the world, but born in the United States by computer wizards by the names of Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak who founded the company back in 1976 (Capon, 2008). The organization deals with the design and sale of computer hardware, software and offers tech support to its customers. Examples of the hardware the company manufactures and sells include mobile phones, personal computers, iPads, tablets and iTunes with associated brands, like the MacBook and iPhones that represent Apple’s driving force towards its success. It is recognized as a brand leader in consumer electronics by the world in terms of quality and customer satisfaction and despite the wide product range, Apple manages each product in a distinct way that is a single business unit (Mittan, 2010).

Apple Inc. started off as a small computer company and rose to prominence over the following years. They faced great challenges and obstacles to evolve and become one of the top notch corporations today. Having a great CEO, Steve Jobs, is credited for the success of Apple. Under the leadership of Steve Jobs, Apple was able to innovate industry changing technology.

In the last decade Apple Inc. has yielded exponential growth. As a company, the imaginative and invocative approaches of technological product advancements have enable Apple, Inc. to achieve an elite status among technology companies throughout the world. Apple, Inc. serves as an inspiration to many companies through higher benchmark standards they created. Though their product margin is not as vast as most technological competitors, Apple, Inc. innovates and releases a new product to consumers. Apple, Inc. has proven to able to move and create new markets with one product that allows Apple, Inc. to rain as the elite player in technology.

The TMA of B301A is about Apple Company. It has a case study and has many information about it and its history. I will answer all tow question. First question is about the strategy of Apple. However the second question is about Nokia Company and its strategy also why Nokia goes down and what strategy should use.

Based in Cupertino, California, Apple Inc. has become one of the titans of the technological industry in the 39 years since it was created in the spring of 1976. This growing company employees over 115,000 people and has 450 retail stores in 16 different countries. With an annual revenue of $233 billion in 2015 Apple Inc. is the most prosperous technological company in the world. Along with its many retail locations Apple also runs the online Apple Store making it a truly global brand. Over the years Apple has expanded their product line; in its infancy the company specialized in personal computers but more recently the main product line is phones and tablets. Apple’s other significant products include computer software and other consumer electronics (iPod, Apple Watch, and Apple computers).

Apple Inc., formerly Apple Computer, Inc., is a multinational corporation that designs, manufactures and markets mobile communication and media devices, personal computers, and portable digital music players, including a variety of related software, services, peripherals, networking solutions, and third-party digital content and applications. Its most popular hardware products are the series of Mac computers, the iPod, the iPhone, and the iPad. Its software includes the OS X for Mac computers and iOS operating systems for mobile devices, the iTunes media browser, the Safari web browser, and the iLife and iWork creativity and production suites.

Founded in 1977 Apple Inc. has provided an extended range of products and services to meet the increasing demands of consumers worldwide. Apple has multiple lines of consumer goods including. Computer software and cell phones along with consumer electronic products globally Apple values their shareholders and consistently creates new goods and ideas is a way of life for Apple. Apple has over 300 locations across ten different countries giving them a significant presence in the market. Apple has become a prime example of a prosperous business organization that is thriving globally. Apple is known for their high levels of customer satisfaction and retention and is one of the most well known global organizations (Graziano,2013).

Apple Company Incorporated was founded on April 1, 1976. Apple was established by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. Both Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak sought to create computers small enough to be placed in households and workplaces. Furthermore, they wanted a “user friendly”computer . The first Apple product was built in Job’s garage. Moreover, the first Apple computer was sold and Apple’s sales jumped from $7.8 million in 1978 and to $117 million in 1980. The first computers were a triumph. However, Wozniak left the company in 1983. But Jobs made a deal with Adobe, a small company and the creator of the PDF (Portable Document Format). Together, Jobs and Adobe introduced desktop publishing. IBook, a personal laptop, was introduced by jobs and a while later MP3players ,more commonly known as iPods, were announced. Later, the media player software, iTunes was presented. Later, the iPhone and Apple TV were created. In January 2010, the first iPad was released. One year later on October 5, 2011, Steve Jobs died.Yet his legacy, Apple, continues.

This research portfolio is about Apple Inc., a multinational company that has many operating locations in the world, such as China, Taiwan, Japan, Ireland, Europe, Australia and so on. This paper will focus on Apple 's background information, its global operations and lastly, its employees and suppliers that help with the success of its daily operations.

Apple Inc. case study tells the history of the company, where and who had control in decision making to make the company increase in revenue. From the cofounders, Steve Jobs and Steven Wozniak all the way to replacement CEOs that the board members would appoint if predict profits were not where they expected. Apple’s only mission was success and producing better quarterly earnings. But everything comes with a price and Apple has seen their share of reported losses. John Sculley, Michael Spindler, and Gil Amelio had their turn in the CEO position put proved insufficient while running the head of operations.

Nowadays, Apple has positioned itself to be an innovator in the personal computer industry and Apple has developed by offering modern products compared to its competitors. According to Apple’s mission statement last year, “Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App store, and is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices with iPad.” (Business Management,

Apple Inc. is a globally recognised pioneer in the tech industry. It is a corporation that designs, develops and sells electronic products such as tablets, computers and phones. Founded by Ronald Wayne, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak in 1976, it is a multinational corporation with headquarters in Cupertino, California. Tim Cook has been CEO since Jobs’ passing in 2011.

Apple Inc. has launched its iPhone in January 2007 (telegraph) as a new product in the market with latest technology and it was the first multi touch smartphone adding the feature of iPod and received an overwhelmed response by selling 270000 units. It had created a new record for a new company like apple, iPhone had laid a stepping stone for the success of Apple and till this time iPhone is the best seller product of Apple Inc. during first quarter of 2016 apple has sold over 74 million iPhones worldwide. (statista, 2016).

This paper presents a case study of Apple Inc. Apple Inc. is a technology based corporation with emphasis on computer software and hardware (MAC and Apps), tablets (IPad), smart phones (IPhone), and mp3 plays, (ITouch). Apple Inc. has grown tremendously over the years and ever since 2001 has expanded its brand and retail stores to over 375 stores/outlets globally. The business has seventy two thousand eight hundred employees in thirty eight countries. Apple Inc. has truly become one of the most efficacious corporations within its field behind or competing with Microsoft and Google Inc.

Apple Inc. is the most revered corporation of the USA, both in terms of brand equity and market capitalization. The company’s international competitive strategy is focused on the innovative product development, which Apple controls through its eight business segments: Portables, Desktops, iPads, iPhones, Music related products and services, peripherals and hardware (Lam et al. 2005).