Executive+Summary

 e x e c u t i v e s u m m a r y

Apple Incorporated has matured over a lengthy timeline from the beginning of the company in 1976 to the current date. Over the years the previously Apple Computer Company has changed its title to Apple incorporated to show the expansion to other electronics in the consumer market. To stay competitive in a market always changing and furthering itself Apple had to diversify its product line to include technological innovations such as laptops, tablet PC’s, cell phones and media playing devices. These later on turned into staple Apple products such as the Macbook, iPad, iPhone and iPod.

As one of the most powerful companies in the world, and if not the most important electronics company, Apple has surpassed all other competitors including Microsoft. The company has grown into a fortune 500 company and has been deemed one of the most desired companies in the world. Apple now is a company with immense technological power, market knowledge, and has a market share that ranks high amongst any other company.

As a company that capitalizes on innovation, an information technology product and service duo that our group has come up with is that Apple service provider. The main factor in our IT product/service is capitalizing on the service provider market which seems to be under some stress at the given time. As many other smaller companies have entered the market in recent months such as mobilicity, public mobile and wind mobile, it may be a good time for Apple to enter the market as well.

The Apple service provider is an idea that will capitalize on the market that Apple Inc. should already be profiting on. Apple Inc.’s iPhone is an industry power house that competes with other brand name phone distributors such as blackberry and HTC in the wireless phone industry. Since launching the iPhone in 2007, the overall sales have hit 100 million say Steve Jobs in a recent March 2nd 2011 presentation of the iPad2, meaning that a considerable amount of consumers in the market have or know about iPhones. As the number of iPhone users grow the need for Apple Incorporated to further its product line and become a service provider for its phones is necessary.

Apple would benefit greatly in providing service for its phone products and would gain control over 100 percent of the product. The Apple iPhone would be controlled 100 percent from the beginning of the production line to the end consumer. Removing the iPhone product from Rogers, Bell, Telus, AT&T and etc would help Apple control the marketing of the product as well, allowing for the advertisements on service plans to be completely marketed by Apple. This would also strengthen the brand by creating unity in the advertisement of any Apple product. As wireless providers advertise all of their products in a generic advertisement, this may not be beneficial for Apple who design advertisements which are chic, clean and emotional.

The Apple iConnect’s cell phone provider is only one part of a two part service provider. The second service provided will be home internet. As an existing product called the airport extreme base acts as a router for homes, the need for a modem existed. With the iConnect product which is a Apple home modem that connects with the router, internet connection from Apple is possible. Along with the basics of a home modem, the additional power of adding blue tooth to the router would allow for more possibilities within the house.

With additional power within the home we decided to integrate technology within the product that allows personal network file sharing allowing all Apple products to gain access to the information held within each singular product. Another benefit with an Apple modem would be having an Apple IP address, that allows for an iPhone to be programmed to see what objects are using the router and modem at any given time. Also allowing the phone to control information and adding information onto other products. Esentially the iPhone can be used as a remote control in transferring information on Mac products. This ability would be mobile as well allowing for customers to control the information flow in their house from outside their homes. This would be possible due to IP internet controls. The use for blue tooth products would also have the same benefit. This would allow for products that do not have wi-fi and only blue tooth to transfer files to other products connected to the modem and router.

The iConnect is a product of many orientations. The end it product and service would need to be oriented towards all 3 orientations. As iConnect is a product some focus would need to be used in creating a product of need and desire. As a newer product the marketing and advertisement need to support the product allowing for consumers to find out about the product. Finally sales of the product must be high to grouse a profit margin, as in the end what is a product if it is not generating revenue.