Aegis Case Analysis Essay Example for Free

Aegis Case Analysis Essay The main question posed in this case is whether Aegis management should continue the relationships with their partners ProPack and POMS, and if they decided to continue with the relationships, how to structure them more effectively. Operating in a slumping economy, Aegis was worried about their level of sales resulting from the partnerships they had entered into. The main goal for Aegis when entering into both partnerships was to bolster sales, and neither company had accomplished that. With the possibility of terminating either relationship, Aegis would have to find another strategy for improved sales. With the absence of this strategy, it will be more productive for the company to restructure their existing relationships. Looking at this case through the concept of strategic alliances will help to find a strategy that will pull Aegis out of its downhill slide. For both relationships, Aegis has entered into licensing and distribution agreements. POMS and ProPack have combined their name with Aegis for separate products, as well as working together to distribute each other’s products. Unfortunately, in this situation economies of scale will not work to lower costs because of the nature of the product and the industry Aegis is competing in. Aegis and its partners have developed a product that is the technological standard for its category, but can continue to add value to the product, making it desirable and useful in the future. In my opinion, the best way to increase the benefits of these relationships is to foster an environment of trust and communication to operate in. This may mean revisiting the contracts that are in place to redefine what each entity wants out of the agreement, and the best way to go about creating sales. If they can do this effectively I believe the companies will work better together, creating more value for potential customers. This will result in an increase in sales for their products.

Gastronomy And Food Within The Tourism Industry Tourism Essay

Gastronomy And Food Within The Tourism Industry Tourism Essay Over the time, the term of gastronomy was defined in many ways and it is constantly changing. There is wide range of definitions but it was initially used to describe sophisticated dishes prepared for the upper class. As Hjalager Richards (2002) show, a different version of the original definition of gastronomy in the early year, the concept is defined as a process of excellence which involve a reflecting eating, cooking and preparation as well as the general presentation and production. As it is generally agreed food is a vital component of our daily life. But as a tourism product, gastronomy is a distinctive experience which involves food and wine tasting of local food and wine productions (Buhalis and Costa, 2006). A tourist has to eat and somewhat participate in local food experiences; therefore, gastronomy has always been part of a tourist experience. In the recent years, the identification of tourism gastronomy has changed in term of the integration within the tourism industry and as a valued asset. Although, that tourists do not always take part of experiencing local food production due to a lack of interest which lay certain limit on tourism gastronomy experience, its represent a real benefit for some destinations. Tourism gastronomy still a new field of research but as a growing development product, it has opened a new special interest products such as wines routes, food fairs and short breaks. The main keys finding of researches on tourism gastronomy were encompassed in two English literature books, that is Tourism and gastronomy by Hjalager A.M. Richards G. (2002) and Food Tourism Around the world, Development, Management and Markets by Hall M.C. et al (2003). The perspective of food in tourism industry is widely disputed but mostly agreed that tourism product specialised on food experiences ameliorate the possibility of enhancing the destination marketing opportunities, the economic relation between agricultural production and tourism as well as traditional activities (Buhalis and Costa, 2006 Roberts and Hall, 2001). Moreover, studies have demonstrated that the gastronomy is the core of tourist experience and a source of identity for most of the post-industrial societies (Roberts Hall, 2001). Van Westering (1999) describes gastronomy has the key of many features of tourism experience and part of the culture which influence other aspects of culture. Furthermore, gastronomy plays a big role in tourism industry as well as cultural development and sustainability of a tourism heritage. The relation between them is a key motivator which influence tourist to travel. Although, the perception of gastronomy is defined as an identity of culture by many authors (Hjalager Corigliano, 2000) and connected to the tourists who use holiday as a way to discover the insight of different cultures. Corriea et al add that gastronomy is not only the central part of culture but an important element of a traditional portfolio of cultural products such as architecture and monuments. Indeed, gastronomy is ranked on the most important attributes of a destination. Due to the implication of gastronomy in decision making of tourist destination, it has become the attention of the marketing of tourist des tination as well as tourism policies (Kivela Crotts 2006 and Du Rand Heath 2006).The gastronomy is part of the culture, heritage and history of a country and those aspects influence the tourist choice to choose is future destination. Hall (2003) shows, that the traditional source of revenue in occurrence agriculture is not sufficient enough whereas food production and tourism are progressively becoming a possible and sustainable source of economy in rural areas. Boyne Hall (2002) cited in Hall (2003) emphasis the contribution of local community in occurrence businesses which have an important role for the sustainability of the development of food tourism within those areas. Wood (2001) cited in Hall et al (2003) further insists on the role of the food tourism which will benefit economically as well as strengthening local identity and community pride. The WTO (2004) describes the sustainability as values which are connected to tourism development in term of economic, socio-cultural a nd environmental aspects. The regions which adopted gastronomy as culture identity often associated to regional culture are part of sustainable development of tourism destinations. Scarpato (2000) cited in Hjalager Richards (2002) shows that the sustainability of gastronomy is the importance of producing environmentally sensitive food and preparing it with excellence in order to nourish the mind and body. In the book Tourism and Gastronomy by Hjalager Richards (2002), tree cases was critically evaluates by Scarpato and she determines that gastronomy researches could provide great influence on communities policies in order to improve sustainable development. This new form of tourism experience has taken shape during the last decades and emerged with the globalisation of foods products, also known as Macdonaldisation (Hall, 2003). Hall (2003) emphasizes that in the post-modern time gastronomy has been affected by the globalisation in term of blurring the boundary of the cultural and notional identity. In fact, the external food imports influence the local level of gastronomy (traditional cuisine). But Urry (1992) states by defending the post-modernism in term of tourist behaviour than tourists are aware that tourism is a series of games with multiple texts and no single, authentic tourist experience. And tourists allow most of the heritage products to avoid vanishing. Controversy, Cohen and Avieli (2004) stat, that local cuisine should be filtered in accordance to the tourism-oriented culinary establishments in order to become a popular attraction. Moreover, new cultural products are created in tourism cuisine, indeed the local cuisine an d foreign dishes are transformed and adapted to the tourist taste by tourism. However, the sustainability of tourism or responsible tourism is neglected if such processes are undertaken in tourism gastronomy. The authenticity of the food experience should be endorsed by the participation of hotels and restaurants by procurement of locally grown product and produce while respecting the protection of the environment. The degree of integration of gastronomy within the tourism industry could be ameliorate and fully accepted as a tourism and cultural resource as gastronomy contribute already to the sustainability of tourism. The implication of tourism organisation, local communities and producers could take a different approach and all stakeholders should cooperate in order to improve the implantation of sustainable tourism. More research in food and gastronomy tourism will help in the future to identify tourist profiles for each destination or specific region in order to conduct more targeted offers. Annotated Bibliography Buhalis, D., Costa, C. (2006): Tourism business frontiers; consumers, products and industry, Oxford, Elsevier LTD Correia, A.,et al (2008), The determinants of gastronomic tourists satisfaction: a second-order factor analysis 19: 3, 164 176 This article helps to understand the degree of importance of tourist satisfaction and how it affects in a destination. Du Rand, G.E., Heath, E. (2006): Towards a framework for food tourism as an element of destination marketing. Current Issues in Tourism 9:206 34. Hall, C.M., et al. (2003): Food Tourism Around the world, Development, Management and Markets. United Kingdom, Butterworth Heinemann Hjalager, A., Richards, G. (2002), Tourism and gastronomy, London/NewYork, Routedge Kivela, J., Crotts, J.C. (2006): Tourism and gastronomy: gastronomys influence on how tourists experience a destination. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research 30:35477. Roberts, L., Hall, D. (2001): Rural tourism and recreation; principle to practice, Wallingford (UK), CABI Publishing Urry, J., (2002): The Tourist Gaze. 2nd Edition, London, Sage Van Westering, J., (1999): Heritage and gastronomy: The pursuits of the new tourist, International Journal of Heritage Studies, 5: 2, 75 81 This article help to understand the relation between gastronomy and heritage and the key motivator which will push the tourist to choose a destination. Xore, A., et al (2006): Tourism quality agro-food products: an opportunity for the Spanish countryside 97: 2, 166 176 This article help to understand the relation between tourism gastronomy and agricultural production and traditional production.

Essay --

Following the publication of the book The Analysis of the Self, Heinz Kohut created a revolutionary theory to represent a new branch of psychoanalysis: self-psychology (O'Leary, Trumpeter, Watson, & Weathington, 2008). The idea of self-psychology is based on a series of adaptations made within adolescence following a general pattern. Firstly, the child must develop the â€Å"self†, which consists of the child’s feelings and thoughts on the surrounding environment. Born with a â€Å"nuclear self†, children are exposed to a â€Å"virtual self† presented by the parental figures. To achieve proper stability and structure, children need to first become narcissistic to develop a sense of worth and permanence, giving way to the â€Å"grandiose self† (Banai, Mikulincer, & Shaver, 2005). Kohut proposed the idea of adaptive narcissism (positive) and maladaptive narcissism (negative), two forms of the same narcissistic tendencies (O'Leary, Trumpeter, Watson, & Weathington, 2008). Kohut believed development of the â€Å"self†, being a new adaptation to Freud’s id/ego/superego theory, took place within three axes: the grandiosity axis, the idealization axis, and the alter ego-connectedness axis. The grandiosity axis refers to the child’s ability to preserve a positive outlook upon life and maintain a balanced self-esteem. A normal, healthy adult possesses the ability to pursue ambitious endeavors, present commitment to worthwhile tasks, and retain assertiveness, if this particular axis is well developed; essentially, this axis is the embodiment of the child’s sense of self-worth. The idealization axis coincides with the wants and desires of a person. The ability to sustain a well-balanced goal system is the key to the development of the idealization axis; a normal, ... ...r, certain circumstances reap negative consequences. Generally speaking, such actions occur subconsciously in response to an unspoken bond or admiration for the subject’s mentor. Often times, things, such as physical appearance, vocal tone or attitude, posture, eye contact, distance, and body language, may be mimicked unwantedly. This adaptation usually leads to a charismatic attitude, persuasive dialect, intimate camaraderie, and an overall positive feel to the relationship. Not all things mimicked will be a positive trait, however, nor will the adaptations always be seen as a good thing. Such adaptations may cause an awkward reaction if the mentor is uncomfortable with the situation. The sudden threat of the mentor’s unique nature may be seen as a social faux pa, causing a coldness to creep into the relationship because of the newfound insecurity (Thompson, 2012).

Oklahoma City Bombing :: essays research papers

Do you remember the conflict that America had in the Persian Gulf a few years back? An incident occurred there where a man drove a truck loaded with explosives into the building where more than 100 Marines were stationed. He blew up the building, along with the Marines. The incident was published by the AP Press soon after. Now do you remember the bombing just four years ago, in Oklahoma City? Suspects Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols drove a Ryder Van loaded with 4,800 pounds of fertilizer and fuel oil to the front of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, where it subsequently exploded, killing 169 people and injuring some 500 others. Of course you do. While both were massive acts of violence involving American citizens, the impact of such acts is always felt the most when it happens right here at home.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   These days, America is filled with those people who disagree with our system of government. Most times, these people suffer silently, expressing their opinions through their votes, or within the discussions that they hold in their own private homes. When these people act upon this anger, and their disagreement, the feelings are brought beyond the point of normal behavior to vigilantism and violence. This animosity, when pushed to these limits, often results in tragedy, a tragedy that we call domestic terrorism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Being the oldest daughter of a Senior ATF Agent, I have been exposed to domestic terrorism all of my life. My father has investigated thousands of bombings, fires, and explosions for more than twenty years now. Many of these incidents were examples of the terrorism that I speak about. His experiences have taught me countless lessons and informed me of many current events. The information that I have obtained from him is far more valuable than anything that the media could ever possibly convey. Though he is always strictly guarded with the confidences of his profession, he has always provided me with a firsthand knowledge of the impact that domestic terrorism has on the citizens and law enforcement. Through him, I learn the facts of these incidents without the media’s exaggerations. Today I will share with you some of these facts. I will talk to you about the impact that domestic terrorism has on our citizens. These impacts include: the monetary damages that terrorism inflicts, along with the injuries to the victims, the shocking repercussions that are embedded into the minds and souls of the people who come to sort through the rubble to find the survivors and the remaining evidence.

Potential Problems When Healthcare Professionals Accept Gifts from Pati

The role of doctors, nurses and physicians in general is to help out their patients and make them healthy. The patients pay for their treatment, but some may feel that their payment is not enough or may want to give extra. This exchange of money for service is extremely personal since this service is the provider of their continued health, or at least genuine attempts to do so. Since it is so personal, patients may feel that they are still in debt to their healthcare providers even if proper payment was done. These patients may give their healthcare professional a gift to show their thanks. Should the healthcare professional accept or reject these gifts? Currently, it seems that the decision is up to the healthcare professional’s discretion. To begin with, some sort of loose definition must be set for the types of gifts that are being discussed. Gifts that would be deemed as just a thanks between a healthcare professional and a patient are also the most common types of gifts (Spence). These are chocolate and liquors, which have low monetary value and cannot be exchanged easily for their face value; meaning, once the healthcare professional receives these gifts they are most likely stuck with them. This is important, because gifts other than money usually have some thought process behind them and requires more effort to go out and accquire them. This would mean that the patient is thinking about the doctor and that their thanks are most likely genuine. There can still be hidden motives behind these ‘genuine’ gifts, but both sides of the argument have to be laid down before it can be further discussed. If a gift were to be accepted it may taint the rest of the healthcare procedure. As Weijer writes: â€Å"The physician-patient rel... ...el Bible. Web. 14 Apr. 2010. . Lavine, Jay. "The Thirteen Principles of Jewish Medical Ethics." Jewish Medicine. 15 Apr. 2008. Web. 28 Apr. 2010. . Meir, Asher. "Self-Respect or False Pride." Aish. 23 Feb. 2008. Web. 28 Apr. 2010. . Proverbs. King James Bible. Online Parallel Bible. Web. 14 Apr. 2010. . Spence, Sean A. "Patients Bearing Gifts: Are There Strings Attached?" British Medical Journal 331.7531 (2005): 1527-529. BMJ. 24 Dec. 2005. Web. 28 Apr. 2010. . Weijer, Charles. "Should Physicians Accept Gifts from Their Patients? Yes" Western Journal of Medicine 175.2 (2001): 77. PubMed. Web. 14 Apr. 2010. .

Analysis of Barbie Doll Essay

The Devastation of Social Pressure One would think that growing up would be a fun, not a worry in the world, happy experience. Yes, that is the way it should be, but that’s not always the case, especially for women. As girls season into women they realize they not only have to face the fact that they’re in a patriarchal society, but also the influences and pressure they face in the social aspect of things, such as their looks and body image. There is so much competition amongst girls, especially when transitioning into a woman and through most of their adulthood. So instead of being able to enjoy life and absorbing the true quality of it, we are side tracked with superficial, stereotypical, shallow thoughts and images of how we think life is supposed to be. Although, who’s to say what’s right and what’s wrong with the way we interpret things? Marge Piercy, who wrote the poem â€Å"Barbie Doll†, has a very strong view of how destructive social pressure can be to a girl through her transitioning stages into a woman. She expresses how the Barbie doll, the toy figurine that woman idealize, is, in fact, a method of corruption to a young girl. First and for most we must understand who the persona is in the poem, which is a woman, and more specifically Marge Piercy herself. She is observing a young girl going from Wolfe 2 childhood, adolescents, adulthood and then death in a roundabout way. Starting with the first stanza, of four, the persona explains of a young girl, and her playing with a doll, the Mattel’s Barbie doll to be precise. This doll is to be described as tall, blonde hair, blue eyes and it has the perfect body. The girl, â€Å"†¦presented dolls that pee-pee/and miniature GE stoves and irons/ and wee lipsticks the color of cherry candy† (2-4). The words iron, stove, and lipstick are all play-things for the girl, but are also identity markers. Such that the doll represents the ideal body image, the iron and stove tells us what type of work is expected of the girl when she becomes an adult (keep in mind that this poem was written in the nineteen seventies and that woman in the work force was still a very small percentage, thus women were still very domesticated) and the lipstick is to imply a sexual innuendo. In the last line in the first stanza the girl goes through puberty and no time is wasted before a classmate judges and criticizes her, â€Å"You have a great big nose and fat legs† (6). Going through puberty is a stage of growth. Adolescents become more aware of their social standing and sexual being. As we read further, the doll, she once played with, will create a major impact on her; in the aspect of her body image and the pressure she faces from her peers. In the second stanza we see how the woman is dissatisfied with herself even though she is â€Å"healthy and tested intelligent/possessed strong arms and back/ abundant sexual drive and manual dexterity† (7-9). The persona continues to say, â€Å"She went to and fro apologizing/Everyone saw a fat nose on thick legs† (10-11). The traits that this woman possesses, is in every way correct; however, she is so sure her physical traits are unacceptable to the culture. No matter what she sees in the mirror or what she hears, this won’t change her opinion about herself image. She has been brainwashed about her looks and she doesn’t think she is good enough. She goes around apologizing to everyone about the person she has become, believing there is no way she can change, at least in a healthy manner. In the third stanza we read how society is forcing the woman to change her healthy ways, physically, into something she isn’t. She does what she can to fit into society by, â€Å"†¦play[ing] coy/ exhorted to come on hearty/ exercise, diet, smile and wheedle† (12-14). She had so much pressure from every direction, she felt obligated to try and conform her body into what society viewed as ideal, which we know of as the Barbie doll toy. This idea was short lived. Instead of standing her grounds and accepting the individual that she is, she drowns. Society got the best of her, â€Å"Her good nature wore out/ like a fan belt† (15-16). She gave up and paid the ultimate price to be accepted in society, â€Å"†¦she cut off her nose and her legs/ and offered them up† (17-18). Now that she has removed her flaws she temporarily relinquishes her depression, weakness, and anxiety. Now that she has met the, impossible, unrealistic, standard, she can permanently wash her existences away and leave her shell of beauty behind. In the final Stanza, Piercy highlights the theme of the poem. Simply put, women aren’t accepted into society unless they represent the ideal woman. Now that the woman is free of body flaws and has had a makeover, she can be accepted into her culture even though we know this isn’t her true self. What must this say about the society she has been exposed to? In order to survive in this specific culture, if we’re not perfect, is to become someone we’re not. So not only do we have to try to live up to a standard that is not comprehendible but we also have to be fake. In the middle of the last stanza Piercy explains, â€Å"with the undertaker’s cosmetics painted on/a turned-up putty nose/dressed in a pink and white nightie† (20-22). The woman now has the superficial , but perfect, looks. She is manipulated (physically) so she can finally be recognized. Letting a society make this woman frail and surrender to being her own individual shows a lack of values and morals within herself. Having our own opinions, life experiences and ethics make us who we are and if we were all the same or are held up to the same expectations what would life be like? Would we all act like robots? Clones? As the woman has been re-configured, shallow talks are amongst her, â€Å"Doesn’t she look pretty? everyone said/Consummation at last/To every woman a happy ending† (23-25). Mission complete, she achieved her goal; she is pretty, unflawed, and looks like the ideal woman.

Dream Company Essay

Technology has taken an uprising since the late 20th century to our world today. Everyone essentially owns some sort of technological device from cellphones to computers. Companies like Microsoft, Xerox and Canon have made our lives simpler and possibly much easier, but there was another company waiting to override the norm and push an industry giant to its limits. Apple Incorporated followed an unconventional path to its recent success in the computer industry, despite being consistently dominated by Microsoft. Apple Inc. s a multinational corporation headquartered in Cupertino, California that designs, develops, and sells consumer electronics, computer software, personal computers and portable digital music players, and mobile communications devices and sell a variety of related software, services, peripherals, and networking solutions. Its best-known hardware products are the Mac line of computers, the iPod, the iPhone, and the iPad. Its software includes the OS X and iOS operating systems, the iTunes, the Safari web browser, and the iLife and iWork creativity and production suites. The company was founded on April 1, 1976, and incorporated as Apple Computer, Inc. on January 3, 1977. The word â€Å"Computer† was removed from its name on January 9, 2007, reflecting its shifted focus towards consumer electronics after the introduction of the iPhone. Apple is the world’s second-largest information technology company by revenue after Samsung Electronics and the world’s third-largest mobile phone maker after Samsung and Nokia. Fortune magazine named Apple the most admired company in the United States in 2008, and in the world from 2008 to 2012. However, the company has received criticism for its contractors’ labor practices, and for Apple’s own environmental and business practices. As of November 2012, Apple maintains 394 retail stores in fourteen countries as well as the online Apple Store and iTunes Store. It is the second-largest publicly traded corporation in the world by market capitalization, with an estimated value of US$ 414 billion as of January 2013. As of September 29, 2012; the company had 72,800 permanent full-time employees and 3,300 temporary full-time employees worldwide. Its worldwide annual revenue in 2012 totaled $156 billion. In May 2013, Apple had made it to the top ten of the Fortune 500 list of companies for the first time, taking the 6 position, 11 places up from the previous year Innovative Products Currently, Apple’s iPhone is the yearning of the modern man. Top-notch product design, an intuitive user-interface as well as fancy multimedia internet based services may contribute to its unique market position. Therefore, if not yet accomplished, many software developers are considering getting into the iPhone platform ASAP, serving the market Industry Leaders  For the past three years Apple has been known by fortune as the world’s most admired company. They are known for elegant product design, innovation, customer loyalty, brand-building marketing, and secrecy. Apple Inc. is considered to be as the industry leaders in innovation, design, versatility and customer satisfaction. The products that they introduce every single year a re the best in the challenge. The contenders may have products that are highly dreamed on by them but at a days end more people tend to shine into Apple’s products. The vision that Apple has to make their wonderful products is carried by none. Their products like the iPhone changed the entire mobile industry. iPhone was innovative that many people as well as the rival companies such as Nokia, Samsung and many other companies were mesmerized by the innovation and technological leap the Apple had achieved by introducing this product. Perks For the past three years Apple has been known by fortune as the world’s most admired company. They are known for elegant product design, innovation, customer loyalty, brand-building marketing, and secrecy. The financial statement projected that the company will continue to grow because of their product design to meet the consumer needs. The company has seen an increase in demand of products and service. Based on the company historical and projected future earnings and cash flow growth rates, any person who is looking for a smart short to medium term investment, Apple stock would be the right decision. Its steady growth in earnings and dividends can be viewed as acquiring moderate to risky equity. On December 29, 1994, Apple inventory increased to $1 billion. That was the inventory turnover for Apple. Their total revenue rose from $9. 8 billion in 1996 to above 19. 3 billion in 2006, which is a substantial increase of 96. 43% (Shlinds, 2007. ) On July 19, 2011 Apple, announced financial results for its fiscal 2011 third quarter ended June 25, 2011. The company earned quarterly revenue of $28. 57 billion and earned a quarterly net profit of $7. 31 billion. Those billions of dollars in sales had much to do with the sales of the Macs, iPhone, and iPad. The company sold 3. 95 million Macs during the quarter, a 14% unit increase over the year-ago quarter. Apple sold 20. 34 million iPhones in the quarter, representing 142% unit growth over the year-ago quarter. They sold 9. 25 million iPads during the quarter, a 183% unit increase over the year-ago quarter. Apple sold 7. 54 million iPod, a 20% unit decline for the year-ago quarter (www. apple. com. ) Macs, iPhone, and iPad sold in numbers greater than the company expect, but the sales from the iPod decreased. Even though the iPod sales dropped, it has dominated the market digital media player and managed to maintain in the United States. This is Apple best quarter ever with revenue up 82% and profits up 125%. Their cash flow has increased 131% year-over-year, with operations of $11. 1 billion. In December 2010, the cost of goods sold of $16. 4 billion was 61. 5% of revenue. The income statement continued to grow at rates rarely seen at a large company. The company continues to deliver to the marketplace and stimulate customer demand for new programs, products, and technological innovations. The company dominant leadership in virtually every product category it competes is an obvious proof of innovation and well-executed market. However, despite its market leadership, Apple management has traditionally under-promised, yet over-delivered on earnings quarter after quarter. This has been the primary means for the stock’s sudden ascent in recent years. Companies that grow faster than the operating cash-flow it generates are usual suspects when it comes to balance sheet maneuvering. Liquidity obviously is not a problem for Apple, but this forces the analysts following the company to scramble and keep raising their targets each time Apple consensus. Cash flow quality and earnings structure better reflect the correlation between stock price and the financial statement. Apple sales growth has been inclining, while Resource and Development spending (excluding previously capitalized software and technology acquired in acquisitions) as a percentage of sales has been declining. Any stock has the potential to be successful, but under-utilized assets or small allocations to develop innovative products which drive future profits would not be helpful on returns on assets/investments. Apple has no competition. Apple creates computers, phones, tablets, music players, operating systems, television set-top boxes, lifestyle and productivity software, professional media software, and wireless routers. They also sell movies and music, and they have an application store that so far has not been challenged. Nokia, Samsung, Sony might compete with Apple hardware, but they depend on Microsoft operating system. Microsoft makes operating system for computers and phones, and they produce office and other software similar to Apple’s, but they lack in hardware. Google with the Android, is not even a single operating system. It is a multitude of operating system versions on multiple devices. If Apple wants to change something on a device, either hardware or operating system, it can just do so. If Nokia, Samsung, or Sony wants to change their operating system, they would have to recieve confirmation from Microsoft. If Microsoft wants to advance their technology, they need buy-in from hardware makers. They make their profits from business-to-business, which mainly consists of selling licenses to its operating system to computer manufacturers and office suites for enterprises. That is not to say that they do not sell to consumers. They have consumer only product lines as the Xbox gaming console, and of course, home user also buy Windows and Office. On the other hand, Apple is primarily a consumer company, and makes most of its profit selling hardware products. This makes the target of Apple’s site much clearer for marketing, selling, and providing support for its products to consumers. The rest of the technology can only play catch up. A quote from Wayne Gretzky who said, â€Å"Good hockey players play where the puck is. Great hockey players skate to where the puck is going to be. Most of the tech industry is struggling to get where the puck was, (Raymond Meyers, 2011. ) In the previous paragraph I mention Apple did not have any competition, but if I had to choose two it would be Microsoft and Google. Apple leads Microsoft and Google in the S&P 500 in this illustration: Apple $401. 82 -$10. 32 (-2. 50%) Google $520. 66 -$18. 54(-3. 44%) Microsoft $ 25. 06 -$0. 93(-3. 50%) Microsoft is steady declining. Microsoft launched windows Vista; Windows users vigorously had rejected that upgrade. Fewer than 10% of windows users had switched and nearly 5% of windows PCs in use were running windows versions older than XP. Mobile device are steady increasing, which Apple has complete control over. Mobile operating systems account for nearly 3% of all Internet. The percentage of Internet usage on mobile devices has been doubling every eight months. The many tasks that PC handled are taking over by mobile devices. Microsoft was ahead almost as long as people were using PC, but technology has advanced into mobile devices. May 26, 2010 illustrated from mobile devices, Microsoft and Apple were about even at a Market cap of $223 billion, but Apple had increased rapidly to $306 billion, while Microsoft decreases to $212 billion. Apple site is generally more user friendly than Microsoft, and offers a much better experience to consumers who use it to check out the latest Apple products. Apple website is much smaller in scale than Microsoft’s site. Apple uses many of white space and subheadings to make everything more readable, yet they keep their website simple by not overusing too many different text. Microsoft hosts many different sites under the Microsoft. com brand, creating a whole ecosystem of sub-sites. Microsoft biggest problem is consistency. There is no global navigation, and there are not many visual clues that tell the user that this is a Microsoft site. Unlike Apple, where the whole site shares one unique visual that mirrors that of their hardware and software, thus creating a powerful brand. Google Android has become the closest smartphone that can stand up to the iPhone dominance. In this graph is shows the sale between smartphones: | Apple has more than three hundred retail stores in ten countries, in addition to an online store that offers its products to the customers across the globe (Apple Inc, 2011). This global network allows the company to develop and launch the products in it markets of America, Asia, and Europe. The company is officially listed as number one company that provides wide range of technology related products in the world after surpassing Microsoft. The company has more than 45,000 employees working on full-time basis and around 3,000 employees worldwide. It was noted that the company had earned the annual sales of around $67 billion US dollars from its worldwide operations (Apple Inc, 2010). The company is listed as one of the most admired companies in the United States and in the World for four consecutive years (Fisher, 2008 Colvin, 2009 Fortune, 2010). Apple products like Mac, iPhone, iPad, and iPod are manufactured in the United States, but the company is outsourcing the production of some of its product parts to the various international and national supply chain partners. For example, iPod are outsourced to its subcontractor in Hong Kong from where it is sent to the outsourced production plant of the company (Linden et al, 2007). The company saves money by outsourcing, but on the other hand, it increases the downsizing and unemployment rate in the United States. Price, place, promotion strategies, product performance, the quality, and reliability of the product, innovative designs as well as the availability of up-to-date software services are factors that can impact the business and profitability of Apple. The focus on manager at this point is the expansion of its smartphones and other media and communication devices. The competitors of Apple have numerous of resources that they can offer the business and consumer products and services similar to Apple’s products at a low price range. Decrease the price on Apple products by creating resources from other companies will attract more customers.