While the short term future of Apple may be safe in the wake of Apple luminary and founder Steve Jobs' death, some are concerned that its long-term future may be in jeopardy. An ABC News report on that topic picks the brains of various analysts familiar with the company's culture and way of doing business.
"The board has been preparing for this eventuality," said Michael Gartenberg. "Mr. Cook has shown remarkable leadership in the two times that he has taken the reins when Jobs was out on medical leave. And there is no reason to think he simply won't continue that pattern of excellence."
"Apple is Steve Jobs, Steve Jobs is Apple, and Steve Jobs is innovation," said Trip Chowdhry, an analyst with Global Equities Research. "You can teach people how to be operationally efficient, you can hire consultants to tell you how to do that, but God creates innovation."
Analyst Tim Bajarin of Creative Strategies, Inc., said that Apple typically plans three to five years in advance, so the near-term future is set already. The real concern for everyone is what happens after those plans have been rolled out.
Now that Steve Jobs has died, Apple will not immediately change, according to unnamed people who knew him, his company and the way he did business. But where will it go in coming years without him remains a real serious question.
Source: ABC News
Comments
Re: ABC: Where Does Apple Go Without Steve Jobs?
Haven't they been Jobs free for weeks now?
Re: ABC: Where Does Apple Go Without Steve Jobs?
The reality is that Apple is a massive corporate entity, with a lot of momentum. They'll barrel along for probably about another 5-7 years without too much trouble. But if Steve Jobs was their primary innovator -- which seems to be the case -- they need to replace his creative vision and direction.
Mimicking his past directions will not be sufficient; eventually a competitor will out-market or out-innovate, and produce something that competes beyond what Apple is producing -- some are suggesting that Samsung is doing that already. At that point, staying the course will no longer be enough, and praying to Steve's ghost won't save them.
Re: ABC: Where Does Apple Go Without Steve Jobs?
Answer: Down the gutter. Steve may rest in peace, but the death of Apple was a long time coming even with him.