2 http www sec gov edgar searchedgar companysearch html

Guideline to Group Research Project Report

Apple Inc.

Guideline of the report

The report will be divided into three broad categories (Introduction, research content, and a summary of your conclusions and recommendations) and these will contain several important segments. Each category and segment should be clearly labeled. Each of these generic segments is crucial to a logical and professional summary of your discoveries and conclusions.

Introduction:

Apple Inc. is definitely not a new name in the information technology industry. This company has had tremendous success in the production of a wide range of products and has to a large extent dominated the global market in terms of production and sales of its wide array of products. The global success of this company has left only but a few companies, such as Samsung, with the capability to compete at nearly if not at the same level. It therefore follows that in order to get a wholesome grasp of how this company came to meet such great heights, we would need to delve into its history, how it was founded and how it managed to ensure progressive and sustainable growth throughout the years.​Apple Inc. was founded in 1976. The founders included some of the world’s greatest minds in information technology field such as Steve Jobs Ronal Wayne and Steve Wozniak. During these early stages of incorporation, the company started of business with the sale of one product, which was the Apple computer. This product, which was invented by Wozniak gained a competitive advantage over most of the rival products in the market leading to more sales and higher profit margin. These attracted investors such as Mike Markkula a multimillionaire who provided funding of $250000 to the business. Since then Apple Inc. has expanded its operations beyond the United States and has also diversified in the types of products they manufacture from mobile phones to software and television sets.​The reason why apple is such an interesting company is how it has managed to stay ahead of the competition in terms of market dominance and especially considering how during the 1991 to 1997 decline in company sales. This period when the company saw failed attempts to diversify new products was the same period in which rival companies such as Microsoft and Motorola had started to gain substantial market share. Despite this shortfalls, Apple Inc. was able to develop a strategic plan and, from 1997 to 2007, return to profitability and still remains to date one of the largest mobile phone manufactures with the iPhone and also the largest information technology company.​Apple Inc. works amidst stiff competition from a few rival companies in the Information technology and mobile manufacturing industry. Some of its products include computers such as the Mac, iPod, iPhone and Apple television sets. Some of its greatest rivals in the technology industry include Dell, Sony, HP, and Toshiba in the computer manufacturing sector. Others in the mobile phone manufacturing sector include Samsung, HTC, Huawei and others. This companies work under a very antagonistic and cutting throat competitive environment and sometime find themselves in court over patent dispute among other commercial cases. Despite this competitive environment Apple Inc. has been able to maintain a substantial and rather dominating market share. It would be rather interesting to find out how they have managed to do so.

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Chen (4 Pages)

Professor’s comments:

1.

( choose one product of Apple and how they compete with Samsung in this specific product)

This is the essential part of your research report. It should be objective and interpretative. You will report what you have observed and then you will interpret what you believe it means for future operations. The body should be divided into CLEARLY marked sections which are listed below. Although the focus of this section is to present your findings, but your findings need to be supported by evidence. Cite specific details (events, facts, and/or figures) to justify each of your opinions. It is important to include facts and figures (make sure you indicate the source of your data and information). The report should be objective and professional with the appropriate embedding of statistics to instill confidence in the reader of your report.

You may discuss the following aspects of the target firm. Make sure you state your sub-conclusion for each of these discussions:

5. Define the business-level strategy (three generic strategies) that the target firm is adopting.

6. Choose at least one corporate-level strategy (diversification, or M&A, or international or strategic alliance) that the target firm is taking and discuss the outcomes of it.