Apple Case Study

1. Why has Apple been so successful? What do you attribute it to?

Apple became an incredible successful because of the clever long term strategic moves and innovative products. After the co-founder of the company, Steve Jobs returned to the company, he set the core competencies of the company. Steve realized that the success of the business was not built on one product category, but on ecosystem instead. The innovative Ipod could successfully synchronize and use the features of Apple Itunes. Steve set a usability of the operational system as a cornerstone of the design in products as well. I attribute the success of Apple to the leader Steve Jobs, and his creative team.

2. Is there as systematic “approach” to innovation at Apple? If yes, how would you characterize it? Can it be imitated? If no, why not?

Apple has a fundamental “approach” to innovation. Company uses its own OSX operating system, and uses it as a platform for the incremental innovative approach. Apple managed to envision a powerful idea of building an ecosystem, where it is much more efficient for the user to have multiple products of the company. Apple believed that innovative process can be more manageable within its own system, so it can be incrementally improved. I think that Apple’s approach to innovation can be imitated. Companies such as Microsoft has an ecosystem of interconnected products as well, but the hardest part is the imitating Apple’s revolutionary built-in design.

3. What business is Apple in? Computers? Cell phones? Innovation itself?

I think that Apple is in the business of consumer electronics. This is a competitive business with many rivals, where the research and development play a key role. Even though Apple originally started in the computer industry, the development and distribution of cell phones became the most profitable sector for Apple. Company managed to bring innovations to multiple sectors of consumer electronics, building new products on its...