Apple
Where is the Killer App for “The Connected Home”?
The “Connected Home”, a concept we talked about in class as part of the disruptive innovation section, currently has a low household penetration rate. According to this article on USAToday, NextMarket Insights reports that only 1.48 million American households had smart home systems by the beginning of 2014; this number, however, is projected to skyrocket to 15.03 households by 2019.As innovative as the idea is, not many Americans are aware of the concept and the technologies that currently back it. Apple, Samsung, Nest, and Google are among a slew of companies releasing dedicated technologies aiming to connect the home through “The Internet of Things” (and debuted many of these at this year’s CES conference, such as Apple’s HomeKit and Samsung’s SmartThings platform), but herein lies the problem: there is no standard method of connecting household appliances. Each company offers their own proprietary solutions, which doesn’t help when mixing and matching appliances and technologies; in other words, the different components of a connected home won’t necessarily be compatible with each other.
In order for these technologies to truly disrupt the market and gain a widespread adoption rate, many feel the need for a “Killer App“ to sway the majority of consumers into investing into the technology: one that is easy to use and provides a high level of standardization.
- What components do you guys think will be required in a “killer app” for a Connected Home, and who do you think is capable of pulling this off?
- Is there any established technology out there, such as Apple’s HomeKit (which allows hands-free Siri communication), that you think will eventually dominate the market?
- What is still missing in this sector that consumers have a need for that isn’t being provided?
- Lastly, do you agree with the household penetration projection for 2019?
Will Apple Disrupt the Luxury Watch Market?
This article talks about how Apple’s new Apple Watch could disrupt various industries, including the fitness wearable and luxury watch industries. Apple’s low-end Apple Watch Sport will likely disrupt the fitness wearable industry, while the higher end Apple Watch and Apple Watch Edition will be more likely be disruptors for the luxury watch industry. Tim Cook is not just looking to create another smartwatch; he sees this as a move for Apple to enter the luxury fashion industry.
It appears that the luxury watch industry does not feel threatened by Apple’s newest device. Sebastian Vivas, director of a watch museum maintained by Swiss watch manufacturer, Audemars Piguet, says “We’re not afraid; we’re just a little bit smiling.”
Is the luxury watch industry underestimating the threat of the Apple Watch? Do you think there are other industries that should also prepare to be disrupted by the Apple Watch?
Is Apple pursuing a strategic move/big investment at the right time?
Apple Orders More Than 5 Million Watches for Initial Run – Digits – WSJ
As we discussed in class proper execution of a product, service, or application can make or break a company. I found this short article about Apple ordering more than 5 million watches for it’s initial run. Now, that may not seem like a huge number for a company like Apple, but we need to keep in mind that this is the first all-new product since the I-Pad. These watches will do much more than just tell time. They can stream live weather reports, reminder notifications, upcoming calender events and more. The base model watch will run around $350+, and the high end model that comes encased in gold looks like it will cost upwards of $4000+. With all that being said I think this watch is an awesome innovative product and if I had the money I eventually would probably purchase one of the low end models. What are your guys thoughts, and also I have a view questions listed below to be answered.
1. What do you think of Apples strategic production forecasting “plan of record?” Do you believe this is what keeps Apple from going under?
2. Do you think Apple is eager to stretch beyond their current abilities?
3. Does Apple understand other people’s constraints and concerns within the market place?
4. Will Apple recover well from setbacks or failures?
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