We've all heard of Apple. It's a fruit, a company that makes Mac's, the iPod, and the iPhone. The rate at which they expand and bring new technology out, marketable technology, is amazing. But what can stop their march of success? What can slow them down? We'll figure it out right here.
The first thing that might threaten their success is if vulnerabilities are found in their operating systems. Now I know most of you are probably thinking, "Pah! This isn't Microsoft man." Well, one of the reasons vulnerabilities haven't been found in Mac operating systems is because of their small user base. There will always be more hackers in Windows just because of the larger user base. But as the Mac OS popularity grows, you're going to see more and more hackers trying to get around the security features of Apple's systems. Just because no one hasn't found a weakness, doesn't mean it isn't there. There was one such example when some Windows users were testing Safari on Windows, they found a whole lot of holes in the security of Safari itself. While, it was on a Windows based machine, it is possible to find flaws in security on the Apple systems.
The odds of this happening are about 55%. I don't know the complete security features of Apple systems, but as more and more people use it, more and more people will try to crack it. It is inevitable that people will take cracks at it. But finding a weakness? Well, we'll have to see how long it takes the hackers.
The thing Apple can do to deal with this is just test and test and test. They don't have a whole lot of options regarding it but just be on top of it as their popularity increases. Maybe hiring some hackers to blow through their system might be a good idea...
Another thing that could become a potential problem for Apple is if a company makes a strong competitor to the iPod. iPod is Apple's money maker, so if something threatened iPod...it'd be pretty bad for Apple. What could come out that would threaten iPod? Well...not much other than an iPod ripoff or one that offers more features. But there are other MP3 players out there that offer better sound quality and don't require the usage of a program to install music. A lot more offer the plug & play option.
The odds of this occurring are about 25%. Not many companies out there can package as many features into a small little machine like Apple can.
Not to say Apple shouldn't be wary of a ripoff or any competitors. But they should focus on making the sound quality just a little bit better to compete with the sound offered by many other MP3 players. Perhaps a specially designed set of headphones for the iPod to make the sound quality better? Maybe making the iPod more user friendly to plug & play options? The options are endless for the expansion of features on the iPod.
Now another problem that Apple might face is over-expansion. Right now, Apple has about 3 product lines. Computers, music players, and the iPhone. I'm sure that the company is pondering what else they can expand into and make a big impact. Steve Jobs has done a good job of directing the company towards markets that Apple is strong in and making sure to effectively become a dominant player in that particular market. But what if the company expands into something that just is not for them? I'm sure we all remember when Apple used to be down in the dumps when Steve Jobs wasn't there.
The likelihood of this occurring in the present is pretty low at 5-10%. However, long term I think it is more of a possibility and jumping to 75% chance.
In order to survive this possible threat, Apple needs to train good managers and people who understand the markets, current trends, among other things. Someone similar to Steve Jobs would probably do a really good job. But let's face it, not everyone is Steve Jobs. So what else can Apple do if this happens? Take a look back at their history and see how the company has done and where it has faltered. If the product is popular but just not hitting the target audience from the right angle, they could do a lot more market research and determine how to better market the product. Now of course if the product is a complete flop, the company should recognize to pull out sooner rather than later.
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3 comments:
Good post. I agree that for Apple two major areas to worry about right now are their operating system and ipods. For operating system I think a very smart move was to start offering computers that run both Mac and Windows. In terms of security concerns... I think that if they really start selling volume they'll invest into that - Apple is a very responsible company and they care about their users a lot.
Hey Jonathan, great to see another apple post...lol. I also feel that Apple needs better management. I think they are too "free" over there. It is also a good idea that there is software that lets you open windows documents as well. Very helpful!! By the way, great job on the presentation!
Well, I also wrote about apple, but I haven't thought about the threats you mentioned. They are really good. You are giving me a really good idea. I should think about my own post and do more research next time. The threats you mentioned are likely happen. Actually, I know iphone is being hacked by a lot of people. The phones are unlocked and sold in many places...
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