Course Code: BBA 2533 Program: Bachelor in Business Administration

Course: Management Information System Year/ Semester: III Year /V Semester

1. Compare the business models and areas of strength of Apple, Google,

and Microsoft.

Apple: It has the basis of creating a very strong hardware base for the internet future
and thus logically they play their role in this battle by laying emphasis on the
hardware that facilitates mobile computing. Apple has gone into the stance that
applications, one of the major earners for tablet and phone manufacturers, should be
device restricted. For example, one application should be unique to the brand of the
device and should be allowed to function in another device from another separate
brand. They even stopped Google in its plans to allow Google applications to work on
Apple products. Thus by doing this Apple is trying to capitalize on their loyal
customer base and create an Apple weds Apple scenario.

Google: Google is the believer in the concept that in the future the devices used to run
the applications and other internet options should be a fraction of what they are being
charged now and instead the revenues generated should be from the in-app
advertisements. Google even bought Ad Mob, an application advertisements
development company, to work on such a concept. This future, Google and Microsoft
have tried their hand at going hardware friendly but they still do not put the same
emphasis on the hardware as Apple.

Microsoft: Microsoft has laid its bet on the operating system on which the mobile
computing devices shall run. Microsoft also has announced plans to develop the
hardware for mobile computing, something it has not done so far, and thus has entered
into the field of both Google and Apple. By integrating the hardware and software
deal Microsoft has actually change the dynamics of the whole market. And this can be
problem some for Google and Apple as they shall have to change their own
perspective and outlook towards the level of competition that they shall have to face
in the coming years in mobile computing.

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Course Code: BBA 2533 Program: Bachelor in Business Administration
Course: Management Information System Year/ Semester: III Year /V Semester

2. Why is mobile computing so important to these three firms? Evaluate the

mobile platform offerings of each firm.

Mobile computing is basically doing the activities which involve internet without
being fixed to a particular place. The importance of mobile computing for all the three
mentioned firms which is Apple , Google and Microsoft as it is the future of the
internet technology and for these firms to flourish and expand they need to be very
effective with mobile computing.

APPLE: The mobile platform that Apple provides with its products is “ios”. This
mobile platform is the closed platform that is it is applicable for apple products and
only apple apps could work on this. There is also an up gradation of the apple maps
app which is very impressive.

GOOGLE: The mobile platform that Google provides is “Android”. This mobile
platform is a universal platform or you can say it’s an open platform when compared
to the mobile platform offered by Apple. The new feature is GOOGLE NOW in
which the preferences are chosen based on the data like the time location and personal
history and over this the search results are provided

MICROSOFT: Microsoft is entering this market recently by launching the tablet

named “Surface tablet”. The mobile platform that Microsoft is offering is the
Windows Phone 8(Kevin K, 2012). This operating system will be compatible with the
laptops and the desktops.

3. What is the significance of mobile application, app stores, and closed

versus open app standards to the success or failure of mobile computing?

Any computer software that performs specific tasks is called Applications. They can
range from large business computer programs such as “Sun Systems” for processing
large accounting problems to a simple program that can be used to order something as
simple as a pizza, in today’s world applications have become a part and parcel of the
day today.

Today’s mobile and tablet users are becoming more and more inclined towards a
product which has more number of application than the other product option.
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Course Code: BBA 2533 Program: Bachelor in Business Administration
Course: Management Information System Year/ Semester: III Year /V Semester

Although it can be said that such a thing has happened because of the fact that the
devices today have become so specified that a certain range of products shall have the
same specs regardless of their make. This change can be determined as a major shift
in the consumer psyche and even the big three have not underestimated this change.

The development of applications and software’s to match these expectations is a task

that all the companies in the fray to be the leader in the mobile computing market,
wither it be Apple, Google, Microsoft or any other new player, shall have to look into
great detail and precision.

The importance of mobile applications can be justified on this basis itself that Google
has based their future growth prediction on the very same. Mobile applications have
such a great scope of growth in the future that they can one day eclipse the sales of the
hardware part of mobile computing and form a major market themselves here players
like Google and apple shall have tough competition even from small fray players if a
common platform for application usage is formed, the very same reason why Apple is
resisting Google’s repeated efforts for a common mobile platform.

Mobile applications are even today a big part of the on the go access market. Finish
mobile giant Nokia too has a say in the application future as it still has the lion’s share
in the applications that are used in its mobile phones, which in spite of the recent drop
are a very big number. Applications and app stores are also being viewed as a source
of major entertainment by many users of mobile computing devices, with games like
angry birds and temple run taking the market by storm it is very evident that
applications and app stores are a thing for the future.

Lastly it can be said that although all three firms have great opportunity in the market
which is still young and in its infancy, the first mover shall have very definitive
advantage to take control of this veritable goldmine.

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Course Code: BBA 2533 Program: Bachelor in Business Administration
Course: Management Information System Year/ Semester: III Year /V Semester

4. Which company and business model do you think will prevail in this epic
struggle? Explain your answer.

Google Company will prevail in this epic struggle because it has huge edge of market
advertising in the internet experience. It is aggressively following the eyeballs and has
a strong size of advertising network with the impending shift towards mobile
computing looming; it’s no certainty that it will be able to maintain its dominant
position in search. That’s why the online business companies are developing in
mobile operating system. Google in the meantime is moving aggressively to support
manufactures of handsets that run its android operating system. It spreads its
advertising network onto these devices to make a profit. Google really has no
precedent in the history of computing platforms.

Google Company has entered into all the three basic markets of mobile computing
including hardware, operating system and the application stores. Google has high
potential market to share its advertising in the global world. In context of three basic
elements Google seems to have the more potential than Apple and Microsoft. Google
is generally used by the millions of people in their daily uses. They are generally used
for search, email, maps and other services. Google is successful in its business
because it creates products that solve problems and create the tremendous value for its
users. The products that delivers a great user experience and improved people’s lives
tend to become habit forming. Google has became the first choice for millions people
for search, email, maps and many other services that people use daily. The Company
has entered into all the three basic markets of mobile computing including hardware,
operating system and the application stores. Their hardware is something which a few
competitors can best, however the Android operating system has taken the market by
storm and the app store which comes with it is a mean bully in itself. Google has also
bet on of the most time relevant feature of the mobile computing market, the App
store, and this is the biggest advantage which the Google business model gives it and
makes it the prime contender for the number one position. With hundreds of
applications already online and hundreds more in the development stage Google has
started to take a sort of lead on the other players in the race to be number one. And
this may not be decisive right now but with Google’s recent acquisition of application

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Course Code: BBA 2533 Program: Bachelor in Business Administration
Course: Management Information System Year/ Semester: III Year /V Semester

developers and their heavy R&D expenditure on the same, it is just a matter of time
before it will take out companies like Apple and Microsoft.

Thus it can be said that Google does have a lot of positives that can help it in the
market and if it can take care of the negatives and maybe tweak the one platform
stance, it can just pull ahead of Apple and Microsoft in this battle of the behemoth.

5. What difference would it make to a business or to an individual consumer

if Apple, Google, or Microsoft dominated the Internet experience?
Explain your answer.

Consumers would be forced to buy only one product and use only one service. They
would create a monopoly and the positive would be they would create standard. This
would affect quality; prices would be as high as possible because they would have no
competition. No competition means nobody could force monopolist from the outside
to improve products, diversify rang or products and lower price. Right now it is too
early to tell who would dominate the internet experience but it is good to have
competition than just one market leader.

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Course Code: BBA 2533 Program: Bachelor in Business Administration
Course: Management Information System Year/ Semester: III Year /V Semester

Reference

 https://mohammadosmangoni.wordpress.com/2014/10/18/case-10-apple-
google-and-microsoft-battle-for-your-internet-experience/
 https://www.academia.edu/10028675/Case_Study_6_Apple_Google_and_
Microsoft_Battle_for_Your_Internet_Experience
 https://www.scribd.com/document/408043159/Case-Study-6-Apple-
Google-and-Microsof
 https://www.chegg.com/homework-help/apple-google-microsoft-battle-
internet-experiencecase-studyt-chapter-7-problem-1csq-solution-
9780133840520-exc
 https://www.scribd.com/document/422266305/Google-Apple-and-
Microsoft

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