Apple

Question 1

When was Apple founded?

Answer 1

1976

Very young company for its size

Question 2

When did it take over MacIntosh?

What did the computers from this brand evolve into?

Answer 2

1982

AppleMac

Question 3

Why has Apple seen huge growth since 2000?

Answer 3

Development of mobile and WiFi services

Question 4

Apple is the ______ largest IT company

Answer 4

Second

Behind Samsung

Question 5

Apple is the _______ largest music retailer

Answer 5

First

Question 6

How many full-time employees does it have?

Answer 6

98,000

Question 7

It has over 450 retail stores in ___ countries

Answer 7

16

Question 8

Reasons for Apple’s success

Answer 8

Innovative, well-designed products
Slick marketing and branding- loyal customers
Highly mobile devices- fits market need
Selling ancillary products i.e. musics and apps

Question 9

Where are 44% of their sales?

Answer 9

USA

Question 10

Why have they seen rapid growth in the last 5 years in the Asia-Pacific market?

Answer 10

Demand for the iPhone

Question 11

Average market profile of a customer?

Answer 11

31
58% graduates
Earn 26% more than the national average

Question 12

When do they see spikes in sales?

Answer 12

Christmas

When competitors fail i.e. Samsung Notes catching fire

Question 13

Where are the products designed?

Answer 13

Silicon Valley

Question 14

Where are the products made?

Answer 14

China (Foxconn)

iMacs in Ireland

Question 15

Why locate research and development in Silicon Valley?

Answer 15

Have well qualified staff
Good communication links
Near to their largest market

Question 16

Where is their customer support and online call centre?

Answer 16

Ireland

Question 17

Why are most of their products produced in China?

Answer 17

Large source of hard-working, skilled workers
Low paid
Companies competed for the contract- went with the lowest price
Special Economic Zone in Shenzen offer incentives to attract foreign investment

Question 18

Name another company using Foxconn

Answer 18

Sony

Question 19

How much to Foxconn staff earn a month?

Answer 19

$150-$200

Above minimum wage

Question 20

Where do most of Foxconn’s workers live?

Answer 20

On site

Question 21

What is Foxconn City dubbed?

Answer 21

China’s Silicon Valley

Question 22

Positives for the USA

Answer 22

Employs 1000’s of highly skilled workers
Shows USA as a leader of technology- attracts investment
Close to the largest market

Question 23

Negatives for the USA

Answer 23

Low skilled workers don’t benefit from jobs
Many staff are not American
Lose tax revenue as some headquarters abroad
Manufacture abroad- makes them look incapable

Question 24

Positives for China

Answer 24

Employs 40,000 directly and more indirectly
Staff receive training and education
Attracts more investment
Pay over the minimum wage

Question 25

Negatives for China

Answer 25

Workers regularly work more than 60 hours a week for little pay
Accused of breaching human rights
50% of a workers’ wage goes on rent for Foxconn
14 worker suicides in 2010
Uses child and student labour to keep costs low
50 workers poisoned in 2010 by chemicals used to clean iPad screens

Question 26

Positives for Ireland

Answer 26

Cork’s largest employer- 4,000 workers (60% Irish)
Low skilled jobs on production line
Some jobs are highly skilled
Generated 2,500 indirect jobs
Attracted other high tech firms
Contributed to infrastructural improvements
Improved Ireland’s reputation

Question 27

Negatives for Ireland

Answer 27

Many highly skilled jobs taken by foreign workers- not created jobs for locals
Second lowest tax in EU- Apple accused of tax avoidance- doesn’t look good on Ireland
Pressure on infrastructure
Not mentioned on packaging- no ‘made in Ireland’ sticker, so Ireland don’t get the credit