APPLE INC.

Apple Inc And Global Tablet And Smartphone Industry



Apple Inc And Global Tablet And Smartphone Industry

Question 01: Provide an in-depth analysis of the competitive forces and strategic issues shaping the Smartphone & Tablet industry from 2011 onwards. 1,000

The business organizations are run on various long and short term strategies of various types. In order to manage any sort of business, irrespective of its nature, size and scope, it is necessary for the management of the organization to outline and formulate sophisticated strategies. These help the organizations move further and direct them to achieve their mission and accomplish their goals (Fierro 2006 pp.35). Strategy is a word most commonly known in the corporate world with reference to the management of any business organization. In this context, the term 'strategy' pertains to a broader perspective regarding the tactics which can be undertaken to perform certain business and organizational functions. Many authors and management experts define the term as the effective achievement of the objectives along with the identification of the sources of values that are applied for the addition of value to a product company or firm. It also involves in it the analysis of the competitors and anticipating the marketing strategies adopted by the counterparts in the similar fields (IDT & TTF, 2009, Online).

One lesson that the first Apple II allowed us to shoot, was the importance of open architecture. The expansion slots that allowed any card to take control of the bus, helped start an industry-independent production of cards (Farber 2008 pp.23). A large quantity of products was well developed, and users had the freedom to create systems ultimately more powerful and useful (lower cost) than anything Apple would have then been able to produce, if he preferred a proprietary system. Subsequently, Apple failed to equip its first Macintosh models of such open architecture, which was a major handicap for their popularization. Released at the same time, the IBM PC enjoyed for its open architecture, which contributed greatly to its success, though, IBM failing to prevent the creation of clones, he was eventually eclipsed by competitors such as Dell, Compaq Hewlett-Packard and Gateway (Evans 2005 pp.73).

Porter's Five Force Model

Dr. Michael Porter of Harvard University had developed the Five Forces Model which serves as the structure for observing and examining the competition that exceeds the technology, industries and the management approaches. The basic principles of the competition exceed the particular ways in which the individual companies go about competing (i.e. Strengths Weaknesses-Opportunities-Threats (SWOT) analysis; the 4P's of marketing: product, price, place, promotion). The underpinning of this framework is the analysis of the five competitive forces acting upon an industry and their strategic implication (Evans and Wurster, 2001, pp. 84).

These are some competitive strategies out of many which are very effective such as:

Industrial structure model and competitive strategy

Strategic position and Generic strategy for competitive advantage

Resource base strategy

Blue ocean strategy

Many scholars have discussed about the famous Porter model (five competitive strategy), which involves organization five forces that influence the ...