Apple Strengths
This was based on the Harvard business Case apple in 2002, might be outdated but it is where I think apple is moving. Keep in mind this is before itunes. My teacher liked it...
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The computer industry has become very competitive and specialized with consumers reaching to products far below Apple's price points. In order to maintain a position in the industry, Apple must diversify into new markets and seek sources of revenue outside its core computer market.
It is recommended that Apple leverage its core competencies of R&D and design to generate increased revenue and a larger market through software and technology licensing. Additionally Apple should use R&D to pioneer and create products for home networking solutions while lowering the prices of its products.
EXTERNAL ANALYSIS
The computer industry in 2002 has evolved rapidly in the past 30 years. Currently there are two main options for computer users: an Apple computer running a Mac OS only available from Apple or a PC running Windows from a wide range of sellers including IBM, Dell, and HP. Windows based PC's dominate the market with 90% of new PC's worldwide shipping with Windows and only 3.6% shipping with Apple's OS.
Computer buyers are segmented into four categories business, government, education, and home (see exhibit 1). All segments consider price to be critical in making computer purchases. The majority of computer shipments are made to the United States, but international growth is projected to be much higher with China being the fastest-growing market (see exhibit 2).
The computer industry consists of hardware manufacturers and software developers who are responsible for developing operating systems as well as applications. Currently the trend is for companies to specialize in either hardware or software (see exhibit 3).
In addition to this trend, the industry has also reached two inflections points regarding customer...
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