
Trends in the modern IT market and Apple Inc
Apparently the IT market has changed a lot since obvious trends appeared on it (not typical for the 1990s, for example):
One of them is the active participation of large companies in OpenSource projects;
And the second , obvious one is that today large companies no longer specialize in narrow market areas, but strive to do complex customer service themselves: Supply of Iron + Software + Services for servicing the entire IT system of the client.
1. IBM for many years, most of the profits from the IBM Global Services (former consulting division of the audit company PricewaterhouseCoopers), which provides integrated IT services for enterprises - see: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM
2.Last year, Hewlett-Packard (HP) bought Electronic Data Systems (EDS) and now the EDS an HP Company division is actively competing with IBM Global Services - see: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HP
3. This year, Cisco surprised everyone offering customers in the complex their Network equipment + Servers + Software, launching Unified Computing System modules on the market - see: “Cisco Servers: official announcement”
4. It is apparently not surprising if Oracle Software Company buying Sun Microsystems starts offering its customers in the Iron + complex Software + Service!
Likely Oracle decided that they are no longer afraid of competition with IBM and HP and they will be able to cope with them :)
To my regret, such a large IT company as Apple Inc. does not fit into the indicated trends. Which in the 1980s and 90s tried to compete with IBM and HP, and today is completely inactive in the corporate market. Apple does not occupy any significant share of the corporate market - the market for "adult" IT companies :(
(unfortunately, because I personally consider Mac OS X Server to be one of the most successful server OSs)
Today Apple is still producing standard Intel x86 servers .
But the server Apple Xserve (x86) / Mac OS X server is more a competitor Dell (x86) / Red Hat Linux-servers, Sun than large corporate servers (Sparc) / Solaris or IBM (Power) / AIX.
The release of Intel x86-servers involved 100 companies, and unfortunately Apple is not even one of the top 10 leaders in this market segment.
And the fact that it was Rackable Systems that bought Silicon Graphics (see: “Silicon Graphics: the last chapter is written in the history of the legend” ), and not Apple only confirms that Apple’s corporate market is of little interest (to the point that after the discontinuation of Apple Xserve RAID , I won’t be surprised if Apple stops releasing Apple Xserve themselves) :(
If you look back and trace the evolving situation in the market of large RISC / UNIX servers, then Apple Xserve (Power / x86) / Mac OS X Server made a significant contribution to the selection market share and the ruin of specifically the Silicon Graphics platform (MIPS / Itanium) / IRIX servers.
And in connection with the latter, to be honest, it was Apple that should have absorbed Silicon Graphics, which worked hard to ruin its market share in Apple by dragging an entire army of professional TV / Video editors onto its Apple Mac OS X platform.
And there would be enough money (just $ 600 million) to buy SGI from Apple, since in the fall of 2008 Steve Jobs hinted that more than $ 20 billion accumulated by Apple would be spent soon!
I wonder what?
And the conclusion suggests itself: Apple is increasingly moving away from its sworn competitors in the IT market - IBM and HP, and is becoming more and more similar to such consumer companies as, for example, Sony, working mainly in the market of popular (pop) home electronics for the people. And in the future, Apple can expect development in only two directions:
1. The release of home TVs, music centers and kitchen appliances (the benefit of Apple is an edible brand that is very suitable for the kitchen).
And in this case, Apple in the future will inevitably take over Sony Corporation (totaling ~ $ 50 billion);
2.And the second, in my opinion, the best option is the gradual abandonment of the release of its classic computer hardware (Xserve, MacPro, MacBook) and switching from the close market of IBM PC (Intel x86) -compatible computers to the new markets invented by Apple:
+ Market for iPhone-compatible devices (focusing on I-net),
+ Concentration on the release of Softʻa (focusing on I-net),
+ Of course, the Internet business is now fashionable.
And in this case, Apple will spend the accumulated money on the takeover of companies such as:
Adobe, Yahoo !, Amazon.
PS: Don’t take it to heart :)
For I (maybe like you) worry about Apple’s fate and sincerely wish it prosperity :)
And at the same time I’m trying to understand: Well, why didn’t Apple buy Sun Microsystems, or at least Silicon Graphics, why didn’t they stubbornly want to get involved in the competition with IBM, HP and Dell in the corporate market - the market for “adult” IT companies?
One of them is the active participation of large companies in OpenSource projects;
And the second , obvious one is that today large companies no longer specialize in narrow market areas, but strive to do complex customer service themselves: Supply of Iron + Software + Services for servicing the entire IT system of the client.
1. IBM for many years, most of the profits from the IBM Global Services (former consulting division of the audit company PricewaterhouseCoopers), which provides integrated IT services for enterprises - see: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM
2.Last year, Hewlett-Packard (HP) bought Electronic Data Systems (EDS) and now the EDS an HP Company division is actively competing with IBM Global Services - see: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HP
3. This year, Cisco surprised everyone offering customers in the complex their Network equipment + Servers + Software, launching Unified Computing System modules on the market - see: “Cisco Servers: official announcement”
4. It is apparently not surprising if Oracle Software Company buying Sun Microsystems starts offering its customers in the Iron + complex Software + Service!
Likely Oracle decided that they are no longer afraid of competition with IBM and HP and they will be able to cope with them :)
To my regret, such a large IT company as Apple Inc. does not fit into the indicated trends. Which in the 1980s and 90s tried to compete with IBM and HP, and today is completely inactive in the corporate market. Apple does not occupy any significant share of the corporate market - the market for "adult" IT companies :(
(unfortunately, because I personally consider Mac OS X Server to be one of the most successful server OSs)
Today Apple is still producing standard Intel x86 servers .
But the server Apple Xserve (x86) / Mac OS X server is more a competitor Dell (x86) / Red Hat Linux-servers, Sun than large corporate servers (Sparc) / Solaris or IBM (Power) / AIX.
The release of Intel x86-servers involved 100 companies, and unfortunately Apple is not even one of the top 10 leaders in this market segment.
And the fact that it was Rackable Systems that bought Silicon Graphics (see: “Silicon Graphics: the last chapter is written in the history of the legend” ), and not Apple only confirms that Apple’s corporate market is of little interest (to the point that after the discontinuation of Apple Xserve RAID , I won’t be surprised if Apple stops releasing Apple Xserve themselves) :(
If you look back and trace the evolving situation in the market of large RISC / UNIX servers, then Apple Xserve (Power / x86) / Mac OS X Server made a significant contribution to the selection market share and the ruin of specifically the Silicon Graphics platform (MIPS / Itanium) / IRIX servers.
And in connection with the latter, to be honest, it was Apple that should have absorbed Silicon Graphics, which worked hard to ruin its market share in Apple by dragging an entire army of professional TV / Video editors onto its Apple Mac OS X platform.
And there would be enough money (just $ 600 million) to buy SGI from Apple, since in the fall of 2008 Steve Jobs hinted that more than $ 20 billion accumulated by Apple would be spent soon!
I wonder what?
And the conclusion suggests itself: Apple is increasingly moving away from its sworn competitors in the IT market - IBM and HP, and is becoming more and more similar to such consumer companies as, for example, Sony, working mainly in the market of popular (pop) home electronics for the people. And in the future, Apple can expect development in only two directions:
1. The release of home TVs, music centers and kitchen appliances (the benefit of Apple is an edible brand that is very suitable for the kitchen).
And in this case, Apple in the future will inevitably take over Sony Corporation (totaling ~ $ 50 billion);
2.And the second, in my opinion, the best option is the gradual abandonment of the release of its classic computer hardware (Xserve, MacPro, MacBook) and switching from the close market of IBM PC (Intel x86) -compatible computers to the new markets invented by Apple:
+ Market for iPhone-compatible devices (focusing on I-net),
+ Concentration on the release of Softʻa (focusing on I-net),
+ Of course, the Internet business is now fashionable.
And in this case, Apple will spend the accumulated money on the takeover of companies such as:
Adobe, Yahoo !, Amazon.
PS: Don’t take it to heart :)
For I (maybe like you) worry about Apple’s fate and sincerely wish it prosperity :)
And at the same time I’m trying to understand: Well, why didn’t Apple buy Sun Microsystems, or at least Silicon Graphics, why didn’t they stubbornly want to get involved in the competition with IBM, HP and Dell in the corporate market - the market for “adult” IT companies?