The iPhone iPad and Apple Inc

¶ … companies leave an indelible mark on people. Apple Inc. is one of those companies. It is a technology company that has grown to become a leader and innovator in the smartphone and music industry. What first started as a personal computer company, it branched out into handhelds and smartphones. Eventually, it began to increase online services, and now their latest launch, the smartwatch.

Apple Inc. was founded April 1, 1976 and is an American multinational technology business with headquarters in Cupertino, California. Most Americans now, especially the new generation, identify Apple Inc., from the iPhone and iPad. However, the company has been around for decades and sells computer software, consumer electronics, and online services. Aside from the smartphone and handheld technology, Apple Inc. makes the Mac personal computer as well as the Apple Watch smartwatch. The Apple Watch smartwatch is their latest innovation with many other companies following suit.

Some of the consumer software Apple Inc. makes is the well-known iTunes media player, iLife, the Safari web browser, iWork, iOS operating systems, and OS X. The iCloud and the iTunes Store, plus the Mac App and iOS App Stores round out their online service capabilities. Before January 9, 2007, Apple Inc. was formerly named Apple Computer, Inc. Being the world's biggest information technology company via revenue, and total assets, it is also the world's second-biggest mobile phone manufacturer.

I chose Apple Inc. because it is one of the most well-known and recognizable companies in the world. People all over know what an iPhone is and the word Mac. For decades Apple Inc. has led the innovation trail and produced some ground-breaking products. Steve Jobs was at the forefront of the innovation and with two biographical movies already made of him, it shows the level of accomplishment him and the company have achieved. Before the invention of the iPhone, people did not really use their phones all that much.

Once the smartphone became a reality and people began using the iPhone to create apps that people could use to track their calories, listen to music, take videos, social media exploded. I wholeheartedly believe that the smartphone created what social media is now. If people look at how giant social media has become and how many people make millions of dollars off of social media, it is crazy to think it all began with the smartphone, and with Apple Inc. They even started the smart watch craze that people have been trying to replicate for last year now.

Apple Inc. is always at the forefront of innovation. While their designs have suffered since the loss of Steve Jobs, they have still managed to continue to grow their product lines successfully. That is something to be admired since so many companies end up losing their traction eventually. While this fate may happen for Apple Inc. It does not seem like it will happen any time soon. If I were to create a business and head a company, I would like it to have the level of success and longevity that Apple Inc. has.

That success had to do with a great corporate strategy which began with choosing their target demographic. In the late 1990's their target demographic were technologically literate teens, MP3 file traders, and twenty-year-olds due to their release of digital music players. Then in 2003 they release the iTunes Music Store following the easy-to-access music trend. Seven years later in 2010, Apple Inc. sold over 297 million iPods, with a continued maintenance of over 70% global market share. By digitizing music, and providing legal access to songs customers loved, they made more revenue the more music became easier to access and store.

However, their biggest advance and what has made Apple Inc. what it is today is the iPhone release in 2007 and the App Store in 2008. Here, they reconstructed the mobile phone industry by introducing the world's first smartphone. The stylish new phone, with a simple, clean design and ease of use lured millions of customers and continue to do so because things run smoothly with an iPhone compared to other smartphones and they are always ahead with innovative ideas. The latest being motion-capture photos.

Apple Inc. was not that concerned with the environment in the past. However, recently, they have generated new solar energy products so Apple Inc. can minimize their carbon footprint. The company's aim is to use 100% renewable energy. They use more than 99% recycled or sustainable paper in their product's packaging. In China, where they manufacture their products, they launch clean energy programs to help stop the dramatic climate change happening on earth. However, in the past, Apple did not have a good environmental record. Their efforts now will at least point them in the right direction when it comes to sustainability and the environment.