The Important Competitive Strengths Of The Apple

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

The one of the most important competitive strengths of the Apple Inc. is its ability to manufacture the unique and distinct products. Its differentiation strategy has enabled it to capture more market share as well as to achieve the economies of scale. Moreover, Apple’s competitive advantages are its entire control of hardware and software, digital asset management, marketing, retail approach and merchandise differentiation.

Google, because of its innovation, scope and market standing, has many competitive edges over its participants. Its strengths (competitive advantages) are chiefly divided into three key groups involving innovative services, infrastructure, and market fragment. Its amenities would not be probable without their infrastructure which brands it very firm for competitors to copy or even try to rival Google. The incredible value of Google’s services lies in the fact that Google can offer nearly all of their services at zero cost to web users. This is a hard advantage for competitors to overcome; however, Google must continue to innovate in order to make this advantage sustainable.

The main competitive advantage of Microsoft is based on having the smartest and brightest people in the company and inspiring them to be the best, by using the human resources. At Microsoft, the HR department is made accountable for maximizing the value of their people asset to drive business success. Microsoft delivers a holistic business productivity approach to meet your ever-changing business demands. Our infrastructure gives the choice and control you need to respond to evolving business needs.

Q2. You have to demonstrate the reason why mobile computing is important in the entire Internet industry and then to discuss their current situation in mobile computing area by each company (Do not mix them in one paragraph).

Mobile computing has become the competitive necessity for the firms operating in the Internet Industry and it has become essential for them to trail the technology convergence in order to be successful. Moreover, having a computer or access to the work while on the go can help the one to stay better organized and access important information at a moment’s notice. This can help in managing one’s business or employees as well.

The sale of smartphones of Apple has quadrupled, and that of computers has more than doubled if the sales of 2009 and 2011 are compared. Apple realizes the huge revenues that mobile devices can generate and hence keeps trying to increase its market share. Apple’s SIRI for iPhone 4S, a clever personal assistant powered by the iOS, allows to convert user’s voice and swift replies.

On the other hand Google Voice Actions on Galaxy Nexus have been able to achieve even better in the same domain using the Google’s Ice Cream Sandwich and Jelly Bean. Google’s Android operating system poses a strong challenge due to being open source. It can be installed on handset manufacturers’ devices and developers can also use it freely to create applications.

Microsoft also claims its own share in the market with Windows Phone 7. The 7.5 update enables voice commands for opening applications, writing messages and searching. It is a user-friendly platform but has some utilities missing, like visual voice mail and video call, which smartphones and IPhone have.

Q2. You have to show the current and future market value of mobile applications and app 

store. You also have to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of closed app standard strategy 

and open app standard strategies.

The overall world-wide mobile applications market is expected to be of 25 billion dollars by 2015, while lately it has been approximately $6.8 billion, according to the "World Mobile Applications Market (2010 – 2015)" report. Apple’s App Store will expectedly have nearly 20.5 percent of the share. Factors contributing to this growth include progress in network technologies, the decreasing mobile data usage cost, growing global market of smartphones, and increasingly efficient applications. On the dark side, the risk of data theft through spyware in mobile applications is the biggest challenge applications’ and devices’ capabilities. Currently, North America leads the mobile market with a 41.6 percent revenue share while and Asia is the largest market of app store in terms of downloads with 36 percent share. By 2015, the European mobile applications market can be expected becoming the largest. Both closed app standard strategy and open app standard strategy have their own strengths and weaknesses. While closed platforms, development languages and device form factors can sometimes feel like the only way, an open approach enables the person one to lean on his preferences, invest in non-proprietary technology and lower or even eliminate the risk of vendor lock-in. A closed approach would only allow the one to build and deploy to a few of these device types. An open approach supports you to offer your apps on any device without compromise. It is important to note that technologies like HTML5 are also considered to be a channel and could, in the future, define the next level of mobile web. Ensuring that HTML5 is part of your open mobility strategy will future-proof your plans and investments. Devices have all sorts of accessories that users expect to be part of the mobile app experience.

Q3. You have to discuss which (i.e., closed versus open app standard) would be more

appropriate to success in the market. Appropriate cases or facts can be employed to support

your ideas (e.g., Beta and VHS).

The open app approach can prove better in the following ways:

Unique user experience.

Application design is an important factor in choice of a mobile application by users. Organizations which want their mobile applications to enhance customers’ loyalty or even employees’ efficiency should go for open approaches as they ease flexible design decisions. They do not limit the users to a specific OS or other technology options. Therefore attractive widgets can also be added effortlessly to any mobile application.

Versatile support and integration.

Mobile applications penetrated the market when affordable consumer smartphones were released. These devices are the entry point for mobile apps today by both consumers and employees. Companies that use an open approach are able to build and deploy their apps to any channel including smartphones, tablets, and much more. Open standards allow you to extend mobile apps using foreign function interface. This approach allows you include third-party workflows like barcode scanners, augmented reality, and diagnostic sensors in our mobile app experience.

Swiftness and novelty of an organization

Enterprise organizations that take an open approach to their mobility strategy are better equipped to implement a Bring-Your-Own-Device program, which is one of today’s major concerns regarding enterprise mobility.

Q4. You have to discuss about three possible scenarios when one of the three companies

dominates the entire market, from the perspectives of app developers, tablet pc and

smartphone manufacturers, and consumers (or other stakeholders who might be relevant).

Windows will expectedly dominate the tablet-pc market, in the same way as it has been dominating the PC and laptop market. Windows is by large considered a good product and almost every PC and laptop in almost every business and home is powered by Windows. Windows 7 has been the fastest-selling OS of all time. Hence domination of the tablet market is an expectable outcome of the amazing performance behind Windows. In terms of smartphones and app developers, Google is more dominant among these three companies. Google software is running on three out of every four smartphones and tablets sold ahead of Christmas, which has created a huge and growing market for App developers. Devices such as the Galaxy Note II tablet run the Google Android software and now have access to a growing and increasingly impressive library of download. Google and its Android operating system for smartphones and tablets are claiming a victory over rival Apple. Computer software designers responsible for the apps that helped make Apple's iPhone and iPad a global success are beginning to switch their allegiance.