Apple designs, manufactures and markets personal computers, servers, network solutions, peripherals, mobile communication devices, portable digital music players, and related accessories, software and services. The company’s product portfolio comprises Mac computer systems, iPod portable digital music and video players, iPhone mobile phones, iPad portable multimedia, and Xsan and Mac OS servers. The company’s applications include Mac OS, iTunes, iLife, iWork, iClould, Safari, QuickTime, MobileMe and others.
Apple mainly operates in the United State and manages its business primarily on geographic structure. It develops global market through five operating segments: the Americas, Europe, Japan, Asia-Pacific and retails. The company sells its products through online stores, retail stores, direct sale forces, and third-party resellers. It is headquartered in Cupertino, California and currently employs 49,400 employees globally. Apple Inc. became the largest company in the tech universe on May 26, 2010 (Manjoo & Caplan, 2010). The company recorded revenues of $65,225 million during the financial year ending September 2010, an increase of 52% over 2009. The revenues derived from strong sales of iPhone, iPad and laptops. Its net income reached $14,013 million in 2010, making a huge increase of 70.2% over 2009. This exceptional growth is supported by its competitive advantages of its brand, management, technology
Bibliography: • Datamonitor (2010). Company profile: Apple Inc. Datamonitor.com • Dowling, Steve (2011) • Dowling, Steve (2010). Apple reports fourth quarter results. Apple Inc. • Interbrand (2010). Best Global Brand 2010. Interbrand website. • iPhone Sales Help Profit and Revenue at Verizon (2011) • Jacobsson, Sarah (2011). Kid sells kidney for iPad 2, regrets transaction. PC World. • Manjoo, F., & Caplan, J. (2010), Apple nation. Fast Company • Munchbach, Andrew (2010) • Nielsen (2011). Good news for music industry. MyceBeta. • Research and markets (2009) • Research and markets (2010). In 2013, the global computer hardware market is forecast to have a value of $239.1 billion, an increase of 22% since 2008. United States, New York: Business Wire. • Slivka, Eric (2011) • Spike, Jonathan (2011). Apple pays to settle Nokia patent infringement lawsuit. Broadband Expert. • Strategy analytics (2010) • Strategy analytics (2010). Apple iPhone owners most likely to repeat purchase. United States, New York: Business Wire. • Stone, B., & Burrows, P. (2011). Apple, with or without Steve Jobs. Business Week. • Wolfe, Bryan (2011). Apple tops Google in annual brand awareness survey. Brandz. • Zaky, Andy (2011). 2012: The 115 Million iPhone Year. Seeking Alpha.