INTERNATIONAL EXPANSION

Apple-International Business Expansion



Table of Contents

Thesis Statement3

Introduction3

Apple-Company overview3

Rationale for considering the foreign expansion8

Country Apple Is Going To Enter Westr Indies9

Business Risks Associated With The New Venture9

Legal And Political Risks Of Its Planned International Expansion14

Financial Risk Associated With The Proposed Expansion16

Issues Associated With Working, Dealing, And Living With People Of Different Cultures21

Summary Of The Findings24

Conclusion27

References29

Apple - International Business Expansion

Thesis Statement

Apple is considering to expand its businees to foreign coutry i.e. WestIndies.

Introduction

Apple is selected company that is featured in the list of the "100 Fasted Growing Technology Companies" published annually by Business 2.0. Apple rank is 12th in this list.

Apple has been using strategic alliances for years to help gain valuable resources not found in Apple. (Arpan, 2007) Apple needed to form strategic alliances to have the support of their business partners. Forming strategic alliances can give Apple resources not found within the company. Without these alliances, Apple would have a more difficult time regaining its lost market share (Ladd).

Apple-Company overview

Apple was started by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak in 1976 to market the Apple I a computer they designed and built in Jobs's garage, to compete against the IBM computers. After they were incorporated in 1977, Apple introduced the Apple II, a computer that was able to generate graphics and had its own keyboard. (Michael, 2006)

Apple's innovations started when they hired some people from the Xerox Company who had some ideas of the new Graphical User Interface (GUI) and the mouse driver that company was working on. Steve Jobs visited Xerox Palo Alto Research Center to see more about these two innovations and decided to pay Xerox in order to gain the rights of using the GUI and the mouse driver on their new computers. (Ray, 2005)

In 1984, Apple introduced the Macintosh computer which had also a GUI that made the computer easy to operate. Unfortunately in 1985 the poor sales and the company's internal fights led to the firing of Steve Jobs.

With Apple approach and their Functional and Global Strategy of Operations, Marketing and R&D, are been able to bring to the market products in kind unique, revolutionizing the market of gadgets and electronics. (Lennie, 2005) Apple's competitive advantage is their desired to be the best wanted product in the market, with the latest technology, this is known as Differentiation Strategy. Today having an iPhone is considered having the best advance product in the market, leading the way phones communication should or will be. Apple Incorporated is a manufacturing based consumer electronics and related Software Corporation. (Fayerweather, 2008) Headquarters in Cupertino, California, Apple develops, sells, and supports a series of personal computers, portable media players, computer software, and computer hardware accessories. Apple is also constantly involved in the creation of new technology concepts, such as the iPhone, Apple TV, and many features of its new, upcoming operating system, Mac OSX "Leopard."Apple operates an online store for hardware and software purchases as well as the iTunes Store, a comprehensive offering of digital downloadable music, audio books, games, music videos, ...