Key activities of Apple
Apple’s Lines of Business
The company divides its own product lines into iPhone, iPad, Mac, iPod, iTunes, Software, and Services, and Accessories. I will group these as three lines of business: Computing Hardware & Software, Mobile Devices, and the iTunes Store.
Computing Hardware & Software
Apple’s longest running line of business is that of computer hardware and software. The company has always believed that hardware is only as useful as its software, and the importance of full software and hardware integration cannot be underestimated. This dedication to owning the full integrated product has allowed Apple to focus on quality and usability, at the cost of market share with its Mac line of products.
Macs are sold through the mass market retail channel with Apple employing three different business models. First, Apple acts as wholesaler to a small group of retailers that are authorized Mac retailers. Second, Apple applies the manufacturer direct model by selling Macs direct to consumers through its website. Finally, Apple takes on the role of traditional retailer itself by selling Macs through its own bricks-and-mortar retail stores.
Mobile Devices
The company’s signature in the post-1996 era is its development of mobile devices and its dominance of the cell phone and tablet industries. Beginning with the iPod music player, Apple has steadily focused on ease of use, quality construction, and customer experience to develop its hardware, software, and cloud service integration into a powerful mobile platform. The iPod evolved into the iPhone by incorporating cellular technology and the app store, which evolved into the iPad product line.
The Business plan on Strategic Plan For Apple Computer
... percent of our CPU business to people who do not own a Mac, said Greg Joswiak, Apple's director of hardware marketing. That is a ... products proprietary and innovative.Since they control the platform and the software, Apple has been able to insist on the higher quality ... reformulate a company's strategies and get a company back in line. Realizing the changing personal computer industry, Jobs was able ...
The company’s approach to selling mobile devices is similar to that of its computer business. Apple sells iPhones and iPads through the traditional retail channel, through partners and through its own retail and web channels. Through its cellular partners, it also layers in a the freemium business model by offering free or discount phones in return for long-term contracts. A final component of the mobile device product line is the recurring revenue coming in from the app store, which is a variation of the razors & blades business model.
iTunes Store
Originally launched in support of the iPod, the iTunes store has become the primary e-commerce engine for media consumption on Apple devices. As the company’s products have expanded beyond music, so has the iTunes store, moving from music to video to apps, and books.
The iTunes store enables several innovative digital business models for Apple as well as its developer community. From Apple’s perspective, everything sold through the store is sold at a simple mark-up of about 30%, so Apple itself is benefiting as a cost-plus retailer. As mentioned above, recurring revenue comes in with the razors & blades model. App developers are able to use the iTunes store pricing model to employ the freemium as well as razors & blades models to entice customers with free or low cost apps, earning future revenue through in-app purchases.
The Essay on Evaluate the Information Processing Models to Learning, Distingush the Main Features of the Multi-Store Model
The main thrust of this assertion is to give an evaluation of the information processing models to learning and paying particular attention to features of the multi-store model. According to Ashcraft (1994) information processing model is a framework used by cognitive psychologists to explain and describe mental processes. The multi-stores model propounded by Atkinson and Shiffrin(1968) is a ...
