Apple
Inc.
Maker of Macintosh
computers, iPhone and iPod music players.
Headquarters:
1 Infinite Loop
Cupertino, CA 95014
Employees: 32,000
CEO: Steve Jobs
Stock Symbol: AAPL
Website:
http://www.apple.com
Career
Site
Apple Inc. is the manufacturer of Macintosh computers that run on its own operating system known as OS X. The company also makes the popular iPod digital music players, iPhone, servers and software.
Known for its very loyal customers, Apple is one of the most innovative companies in technology and praised for its brilliant design and quality of products.
Founder and CEO Steve Jobs is a business icon who is both a charismatic showman and fabulous salesman. Jobs has not appeared in public since 2008 and reportedly had a liver transplant. Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook has been running the company in Jobs' absence.
Apple is a very secretive company and has
spawned numerous websites that offer rumors and gossip on products
it is working on.
On June 19, 2009, Apple introduced the iPhone 3G S, a new version of the portable phone and Internet device. The iPhone 3G S retails for $199 and has exclusive service in the U.S. with AT&T. The 3G S iPhone has a faster processor, 3 megapixel camera, video recording and a digital compass. Apple has sold over 20 million iPhones worldwide since its debut in June 2007.
Apple has also sold more than 200 million iPods to date since its introduction in 2001. The iPod comes in various sizes and lets users listen to music downloaded online or from CDs. Some iPods also offer video playback. Apple operates the iTunes store, which sells music starting at 99 cents, along with TV shows and movies.
Apple also operates about 200 retail stores in the U.S., England, Australia, China and Japan that are located in high-traffic locations in cities and shopping malls. The stores offer Apple products and individual customer support areas called Genius Bars. The company opened a 24-hour store on NYC's Fifth Avenue in May 2006 which is the highest-grossing Apple store in the world.
Apple has an estimated 5-10% market share for its computers in an industry dominated by Microsoft Windows. Apple has a strong user base in publishing, video production and graphic design industries.
For fiscal 2008, Apple generated record revenues of $32.4 billion and profits of $4.8 billion. The company has over $24.4 billion in cash and short-term investments available.
Apple has seen a surge in sales for its
Macintosh computers -- particularly laptops -- during the past
year. The company has been hiring thousands of workers over the
past few years and is also looking for more office space near
its Cupertino headquarters.
History
Apple was founded by Steve Jobs and Steve
Wozniak in 1976 with the development of the first Apple personal
computer. The Apple IIe was launched in 1983. The first Macintosh
computer shipped in 1984 which featured a graphical user interface
-- making computers easier to use.
Jobs was fired by Apple in 1985 after clashing
with then-CEO John Sculley. He would return to the company in
1997 as a consultant and advisor. This was a period where Apple
was in bad shape financially, losing hundreds of millions of
dollars as Microsoft's Windows operating system exerted its dominance
in the PC industry.
Jobs would take over as interim CEO and
helped the company develop the iMac in 1998, an all-in-one Macintosh
computer that quickly brought Apple back to profitability.
The iPod, introduced in 2001, has been one of the hottest products the company has ever released and lets users store and listen to digital music. Available for both Macintosh and Windows users, Apple has sold nearly 200 million iPods to date and more than one billion songs on its iTunes digital music service.
In addition to being CEO of Apple, Jobs
is Walt Disney company's largest shareholder after he sold his
company, Pixar Entetainment, to Disney in 2006.
In January 2006, the company began shipping
new iMacs with new Intel Core Duo processors. The company made
the transition to Intel chips after using IBM/Freescale processors.
The company changed its name from Apple
Computer to Apple Inc. in 2007 to reflect its expansion beyond
computers.
Benefits
Apple benefit packages vary by location
and employment status. The company provides health and dental
insurance and flexible spending accounts.
The company also offers 401(k) and investment
plans. Apple matches up to 6% of eligible pay at 50% initially
and up to 100% after five years of service. Matching contributions
vest immediately.
For health and fitness, the company has
fitness centers located in Cupertino headquarters; Sacramento,
CA; and Austin, TX.
Most employees work at the main Cupertino
campus which has six buildings and includes a conference center,
Apple Company store and full-service cafeteria. Apple's Austin
campus is home to the company's operations, sales and Apple Care
divisions. European headquarters are located in Cork, Ireland.
Asia-Pacific headquarters are in Singapore.
Updated June 20, 2009
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