前身為制作蘋果電腦的蘋果公司作為一家美國跨國公司開始設計、制造和生產市場上多樣化移動通信和媒體設備，電腦以及便攜式數字音樂播放器（蘋果有限公司，10-Q）。此外，蘋果公司還銷售多種的計算機外圍設備，相關軟件、第三方的數字內容和應用程序，以及網絡解決方案設備，并且提供售后服務（蘋果有限公司，10-K）。蘋果的一些產品包括了手機、平板電腦、筆記本電腦、音樂播放器和電視。蘋果為消費者提供了各式各樣的專業應用軟件，自己研發了iOS和OS X操作系統，iCloud，大量配件和他們自身的付費服務、培訓和支持。在2013年1月，蘋果公司的估值是4140億美元，成為世界上第二大的上市集團。蘋果公司在全球范圍內的14個國家中有394家零售店面以及它的網絡在線蘋果商店和iTunes商店。蘋果公司的員工大約有75000名全職員工和3500名臨時的全職員工。

 

Apple Incorporated, formerly Apple Computer, Incorporated, is an American international corporation that designs, manufactures, and then markets numerous mobile communication and media devices, computers, and portable digital music players(Apple Inc. 10-Q). Apple also sells a wide selection of peripherals, services, related software, third party digital content and applications, as well as networking solutions for its devices (Apple Inc. 10-K). Some of Apple's products include the iPhone, iPad, Mac, iPod, and Apple TV. Apple too offers an assortment of consumer and professional software applications, their own iOS and OS X operating systems, the iCloud, a huge array of accessories, and their premium service, training, and support. Apple's estimated value is $414 billion U.S. dollars as of January 2013 and by market capitalization, it is the second largest publicly traded conglomerate in the world. Apple has 394 retail stores across the globe in fourteen countries as well as its online Apple Store and iTunes Store. Apple has a staff of approximately 75,000 full time employees and another 3500 temporary full time employees. In 2012 Apple's annual revenue totaled $156 billion U.S. dollars (Apple Inc. 10-K). Apple is only second to Samsung as an information technology company by revenue, Samsung and Nokia lead Apple but Apple remains the world's third largest mobile phone producer. Apple, in 2008, was named the most admired company in the United States and it received these honors globally beginning in 2008 and lasting through 2012 via Fortune magazine (Apple World's Most Admired). However, Apple has received some disapproval for its contractors' employment practices and for Apple's environmental and business practices from customers and the public (Apple Inc. 10-K). Striving to be the best, Apple is continuously evolving and improving when it comes to its products and its training and support. Because of the extensive training and support that Apple offers they have created many loyal customers and obtained new customers because of what these loyal customers have said about them. Apple provides digital content and applications through its own iTunes Store, iBookstore, App Store, and Mac App Store (Apple Inc. 10-Q). Apple is known and sold worldwide through its online stores, it's very own retail stores, and a direct sales force, as well as wholesalers, retailers, through third party cellular network carriers, and value-added resellers. Apple also sells to a wide selection of third party Mac, iPhone, iPad, and iPod companionable products, including relevant software, and an assortment of accessories, all through its online and retail stores. Apple sells its products to consumers, education, small and mid-sized businesses, enterprise businesses, and government customers. While Apple operates in several distinct industries, the product offerings are technologically related which allows Apple to take advantage of its core competency of providing the most innovative and superior brands with the latest technology and then placing these products within the market at the most opportune time (Apple Inc. 10-K).#p#分頁標題#e#

 

Apple was founded on April 1, 1976 by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak in the garage of Job's parent's home in Los Altos, California (History of Apple Inc.). Jobs and Wozniak effectively created the first personal computer, the Apple Computer on April 1, 1976, with their release of the Apple I computer, and then Apple was incorporated on January 3, 1977, in Cupertino, California (Apple History). Although the company had an unpretentious start in Job's parent's small garage, Job's would later be widely recognized as a charismatic pioneer of the personal computer revolution (History of Apple Inc.). Today, Apple's world corporate headquarters is still located in the middle of Silicon Valley, in Cupertino, California. The Apple headquarters campus, built in 1993, in a six building complex that total 850,000 square feet. Apple, to relieve some of their tax liability, worked and created many subsidiaries in low tax places around the world such as the Netherlands, the British Virgin Islands, Ireland, and Luxembourg. Apple, in the past has, and will continue to pay considerably lower taxes due to its global presence than it would if it had just remained a U.S. company (Apple Inc. 10-K). Apple was among the first technologic companies to specifically select overseas salespeople to work in high tax countries in a way that would allowed Apple to sell on behalf of low tax affiliates on other continents, this allowed them to sidestep some income taxes and become more profitable with each sale. Back in the U.S. early in 2006, Apple started planning and preparation for the building of its second campus on 175 acres; the new campus is about 1 mile east of its current campus. This new facility was built to accommodate up to 13,000 employees in one central four storied circular building surrounded by far reaching natural landscape (Apple Inc. 10-K). The facility also features additional buildings such as research and development facilities, an auditorium, a health center, and a dedicated generating plant, which burns natural gas, as a primary source of electricity for the campus; this was put in place to improve Apple's image as related to their environmental friendliness (Apple and the Environment). As profits continue to increase for Apple they are able to continue to modernize and even build these facilities and continue to add new brick and mortar stores, as well as, kiosk at malls or within the larger retailer stores. All of these expansions work together and continues the intensification and marketing of the apple name and along with that all of the Apple products.

 

One of Apple's biggest strategic assets is its focus on innovation not just improvement but the uniqueness and modernism of its products (Apple Insider). Apple makes every effort and expends its resources to design and develop today what customers don't even know that they will want or even need for tomorrow. Whether it be for business or leisure Apple wants to be in the mix and continues to try and stay one step ahead of the competition. Apple has dedicated much of its money and time to ensuring that it provides the top of the line user experience to all of its customers through its highly innovated hardware, software, peripherals, training, and customer service (Apple Insider). Apple's business strategy leverages its distinctive ability to design and develop its own hardware, operating systems, application software, and other services to provide its customer base with new products and solutions that have the easiest and most simple use, faultless incorporation with other hardware and software packages, and an original design (Apple Wikinvest). Also as a part of its strategy, Apple continues to expand its platform for the development and delivery of its many third party digital applications through its own iTunes Store. Being a part of the iTunes Store, Apple's App Store and iBookstore allow customers to find and download software and books through either a Mac or Windows operating computer or through "iOS devices," specifically the iPhone, iPad, and the iPod touch (Apple Wikinvest). Apple's Mac App Store also allows its customers to readily find, download and install Mac applications (MacWorld). Apple is very supportive of the many communities that develop third party hardware products and software products, the digital content that go with Apple products. Another one of Apple's strategies that drives the business includes the continuous growth of its delivery network, the Apple Store's and Apple kiosk , are successfully reaching more customers and providing them with the highest quality products, and then after sales the highest quality training and support (Apple Wikinvest).

 

Apple is involved in a number of highly competitive markets, including the market for mobile communications and media devices with its iOS devices; personal computers with its Mac computers; portable digital players with the iPod; and the delivery of third party digital applications sold at the App Store, the Mac App Store, the iTunes Store, and the iBookstore (Apple Inc. 10-Q). Apple does business in a exceptionally highly competitive market and continues to be widely recognized as a leader in innovation in its markets; these markets are not only highly competitive but are also subject to aggressive pricing and discounting for the promotion and sale of products to meet very high marketing objectives (ComScore). For Apple to remain the leader in these fiercely competitive markets it believes that persistent investments in research and development as well as marketing and advertising are essential and must endure. Apple makes every effort to develop the most revolutionary technologies and then pushes the sale of these highly modernized products and technologies that can be made available with the technology that they are developing today. The majority of Apple's research and development spending is closely focused and devoted to creating new ideas and of course, the new hardware and software products to further develop its existing products (Apple Inc. 10-Q). Some of the products that Apple spends the most on in these areas are there top products including the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and iPod hardware; OS X and iOS operating systems; and an array of other application software and internet based services that apple offers (Apple Inc. 10-Q).

 

Apple uses a large assortment of direct and indirect delivery channels, such as its online stores, retail stores, a direct sales force, many third party cellular network carriers, retailers, wholesalers, and even value added resellers. Apple has found through experience that sales of its original and distinguished products are highly enhanced by its knowledgeable salespeople that can communicate the true value of the hardware and software incorporation, and can then also demonstrate the unique solutions that are available only from Apple products (Apple Sales Figures). Apple is a firm believer in the fact that as long they continue to maintain direct contact with their targeted customers that they are using the most effective tool in their arsenal and can demonstrate all of the advantages of the Apple products (ComScore). Apple proves to its existing customers and is currently winning new customers because its products beat those of the competition and the fact that they provide a high quality product and the highest quality after sales training and support experience of any other company doesn't hurt their image or sales (Apple has Achieved). Working these advantages together allows Apple to retain its existing customers while also attracting new customers to the Apple family. Apple, to ensure the most high quality buying experience to its customers for any of the Apple products, strive daily to expand and improve its delivery capabilities by increasing the number of its own retail stores across the globe (Apple Sales Figures). Furthermore, Apple has started placing kiosks in malls and other larger retail stores to be more easily accessible to existing and potential customers. By placing high quality Apple fixtures, additional merchandising materials, as well as other Apple resources in their chosen third party reseller locations, Apple is investing and promoting their reseller sales. The Apple Premium Reseller Program enables participates which are third party resellers the capacity to spotlight the Apple platform by affording a high level of incorporation and supporting services, and most importantly to Apple, have the product expertise on site for training and support for the valued Apple customers (Apple Premium Resellers).

 

公司業績 ——Company Performance

 

Over Apple's 35 years of operation, the company has built a reputation of innovation and quality, which is reinforced with the companies' slogans for products such as the iMac "Performance and design. Taken right to the edge" (Apple iMac) and the MacBook Pro "High performance has never been so well defined" (Apple MacBook Pro). Two major competitive advantages that Apple possesses, as a result of its reputation, are its brand image and customer loyalty. Apple is not only recognized within the industries that it operates in, but moreover by people that may have never even used an Apple product. Because the brand image of Apple is very strong, the fact that Apple has a strong marketing network, and the fact that Apple has a very loyal customer following, Apple is able to use these known qualities to advertise and promote their products without much spending of their advertising budget (Apple Wikinvest). Apple customers are loyal to Apple, not only due to the highly innovative and high quality products that they offer, but more importantly the strong Apple Store connection were customers go for assistance with sales, service, training and support that only Apple can offer for their products. The Apple Store connection is yet another competitive advantage that Apple has over its competition and because of this Apple is increasing its store locations and other places where Apple can be purchased. Apple has opened 33 new brick and mortar stores in 2012, 28 of which were outside the United States, bringing the total number of worldwide stores to 394 (Apple Insider). Apple plans to open an additional 33 to 35 stores during its 2013 fiscal year, and 75 percent of these will be located in the U.S. This year the overseas stores will also begin to surge in an attempt to bring them in line with the number of stores Apple has recently built in the U.S. There are 250 Apple Stores in the U.S. today as compared with only 140 international stores (Apple Wikinvest). With Apple currently opening and plans to continue opening new stores as well as from the financial statements we can see that Apple is enjoying steadily increasing sales and increasing profits. Apple's stock is selling for about 435.00 a share as of April 11, 2013. Apple has reported that net sales for the retail segment have increased $4.7 billion during 2012, a 33% increase from 2011, this due to the increased demand for the iPhone, and subsequent release of the iPhone 4S and iPhone 5. (Apple Sales Figures) See Appendix A.

 

Since 2009 Apple have seen net sales increase by a substantial margin each year, with the release of the iPhone it continues to build upon the net sales increases that they are experiencing. Net Profits also continue to grow exponentially as Apple is able to obtain parts and produce their electronic devices much more efficiently and cheaper that it could do in the beginning (Apple Achievements). Revenue growth is also seeing good numbers and as of 2012 Apple is starting to use this revenue for more extensive research and development as they seek out that next technologic innovation that will be there next cash cow, as Apple has experienced before with the iPod in 2007 and the iPhone in 2009 (iPhone Marketshare). The return on net sales also continues to climb as the processes are being revised and business can be done better and cheaper with each passing month then it has in the past. Apple is continues to expand and gain even more market share by going into areas of the world not yet aggressively marketed to by others in the industry and here at home they continue to open more stores and expand kiosks in many convenient locations (History Apple Inc.). Samsung is in first place in selling smart phones with 23 percent of the market share, followed by Nokia who has 17.9 percent of the market share, and then following in third place is Apple who sits at 9.9 percent of the market share. However, in my opinion, Apple has the innovative know how and the research and development already in place that will produce the "next must" have for consumers.

 

Apple is fully dedicated to providing the most pleasant user experience to its customers; it does this through its highly innovative hardware, software, peripherals, and services. Apple's business strategy gives it an advantage because of its unique ability to design and then develop its own hardware, operating systems, application software, and the services needed to provide its customers innovative products and solutions with the superior ease of use, incorporation, and original design (Apple Sales Figures). Apple is also committed to a continual investment in its research and development, marketing and advertising as they are both critical to the development and sale of the innovative products and technologies that consumers have come to expect from the Apple name. As part of its strategy, Apple continues to expand its progress for the enhancement and delivery of is applications and third party digital content through its iTunes Store. One of the most significant features of the iTunes Store, Apple's App Store and iBook Store is that consumers can easily find and download applications and books through either a Mac or Windows operating system or through "iOS devices," namely iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch (Apple Inc. 10-K). Apple's Mac App Store allows customers to easily find, download and install Mac applications. Apple is also very supportive of the communities that develop the third party software and hardware products as well as digital content that complement their Apple hardware and software products. In addition to all of this, Apple's strategy is working to expand its distribution network to efficiently and effectively attain more customers and potential customers and provide them with high quality sales and post sales training and support experience throughout the life of the product (Apple Inc. 10-K).

 

Apple has succeeded and created a high quality buying experience utilizing the most knowledgeable salespeople who can effectively communicate the value of the Apple products and services that greatly enhance its ability to attract new and retain its customers (ComScore). Through its online and retail stores Apple sells its products and resells third party goods in most of its chief markets directly to customers and to small and medium sized businesses. Online business is defiantly in an upswing as customers are not wanting to fight the crowds at the apple store or just trying to save the taxes they would pay in store. Apple continues to invest in programs to improve reseller sales by placing premium Apple fixtures, merchandising materials, and other Apple resources at preferred third party reseller locations worldwide. Apple uses its Apple Premium Reseller Program and certain third party resellers to put focus on the Apple products and provide the high level of product expertise, integration, training and support services that Apple customers have come to expect (Apple Premium Resellers).

 

Apple's retail stores are typically located at very busy commercial locations in quality shopping malls and municipal shopping districts. Because Apple opened its own stores and located them in the most desirable high traffic locations Apple is better positioned to ensure a high quality customer buying experience and also important is to attract new customers (Apple Sales Figures). Apple has also starting using the kiosk approach by setting up Apple kiosks in large department stores and malls, this to improve the Apple image of being available and ready when the customers need them anywhere. Apple stores and kiosks are designed to simplify and increase the appearance and promotion of Apple's merchandise and their associated solutions. By design, retail store configurations have progressed into a variety of sizes to provide accommodation for the market specific demands. Apple believes that providing easy and direct contact with its customers is the most active way to make clear the advantages of its products and services far above that of its competitors (Apple Inc 10-Q). Apple employs only knowledgeable and experienced personnel who provide product advice, service and most importantly support and training, which many new users take full advantage of. Apple stores not only offer Apple hardware, but offer an extensive selection of third party software, hardware, and other accessories and peripherals that complement their Apple products (Apple Wikinvest).

 

Apple with its innovated products such as the iPhone continues to increase in market share and it is now increasing at levels that far exceed its two leading competitors Samsung and Nokia. Apple is staged to take over the smart phone industry and with that it will have plenty of resources to drive other initiatives such as Apple TV, Apple Time Capsule, iWatch, and Apple AirPort Extreme (Apple has Achieved). Apple continues to build its research and development striving daily for the next breakthrough that will be the top of everyone's "must have" list across the globe. Apple also continues to expand its presence throughout the world by adding Apple stores and now Apple kiosks in many more places than once ever dreamed. Apple will continue to thrive and grow their profits and their company if they can stick to the innovation that has brought them thus far. I look forward to seeing what the future holds for the Apple Corporation and what advancements and innovations that they come out with in the coming years, I also look forward to seeing other companies rival Apple and force the limitations to be pushed due to this rivalry. As a consumer we are in a great seat, having the most advance technology in our hands for the least amount of our hard earned money.

 

附錄A  Appendix A
 

Financial period

 

Net sales

(Mil USD)

 

Net profits

(Mil USD)

 

Revenue growth

Return on net sales

 

FY 2009

 

42,905

 

8,235

 

14%

 

19%

 

FY 2010

 

65,225

 

14,013

 

52%

 

21%

 

FY 2011

 

108,249

 

25,922

 

66%

 

24%

 

FY 2012

 

156,508

 

41,733

 

45%

 

27%

 

(History of Apple Inc.)