Tag: apple

  • Top 15 Tech Companies in the World

    With steady growth, the tech industry is growing at an impressive 5.3% rate. The industry occupied around 35% of the total market base. And the count of tech companies is increasing with a high amount. For instance, the highest count of tech companies is based in the United States, with a count of more than 500 thousand.

    And it’s true that regardless of their origin industry, the means of technology is acquired by everyone, and so is every industry. Technology covers all sectors, including hardware, software, online services, tools, and cybersecurity solutions.

    Speaking of the tech industry, we are here to make you familiar with the top tech companies in the world, with their market capital and total revenue. So, let’s get started with the article!

    List of Top Tech Companies in the world

    The tech industry comprises many companies, among which are some of the most valuable in the world. And here’s the list of those and the top tech companies worldwide:

    1. Apple
    2. Microsoft
    3. Google Alphabet
    4. META
    5. Tesla (TSLA)
    6. Amazon
    7. Samsung Electronics
    8. Tencent Holdings
    9. Alibaba Group
    10. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (TSMC)
    11. Dell Technologies
    12. Oracle Corporation
    13. Foxconn
    14. Huawei
    15. Adobe

    1. Apple

    Company Apple
    Founded 1976
    Market Cap $2421 B (2022)
    Revenue $387.54 B (2022)
    Top Products Apple iPad, Apple Mac Book, Apple Watch, Apple iPhone Mobile
    Website www.apple.com

    Apple Website
    Apple Website

    With the highest market capitalization of USD 2421 billion, Apple has an enormous presence in the world’s tech market, making it a giant in the industry. Apple specializes in software, electronics, and online services, with an employee account of over 1,608,000.

    Apple is an integral part of BIG FIVE, which includes Google, Amazon, Meta, Apple, and Microsoft. These five companies are the most valuable public corporations in the world based on their market capitalization.

    This tech giant was founded in 1976 by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne. Since then, Apple has been on a progressive growth producing various kinds of tech devices, from computers to wearables.

    Moreover, Apple is the largest technology company based on its revenue, USD 387.54 billion in 2022. And ranked the fourth largest personal computer vendor based on its unit sale in 2021. Its popular products are AirPods, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch.

    2. Microsoft

    Company Microsoft
    Founded 1975
    Market Cap $1825 B (2022)
    Revenue $198.27 B (2022)
    Top Products Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Office Suite, Micrsoft Azure, Internet Explorer
    Website www.microsoft.com

    Microsoft Website
    Microsoft Website

    Being the most prominent tech giant in the world and the largest software company, Microsoft is one of the oldest tech companies mentioned in this list. It was founded in 1976 and released to the public in 1986. It is best known for its Windows operating system, Azure cloud services, LinkedIn social media platform, and Xbox gaming system.

    Moreover, Microsoft is ranked first in the list of BIG FIVE tech giants. The company reported a 12.3% revenue growth in 2022, whose main credit goes to Microsoft’s Azure and other cloud services. Also, at the start of 2022, it announced its deal to acquire the video gaming publisher Activision Blizzard Inc. (ATVI).

    3. Google Alphabet

    Company Google Alphabet
    Founded 1998
    Market Cap $1346 B (2022)
    Revenue $278.13 B (2022)
    Top Products Google Search, Google Maps, Google Assistant, Gmail, Android
    Website www.abc.xyz

    Next, with a whopping market capital of 1346 billion dollars, Alphabet Inc. is an American-based multinational company that originated from Google LLC and many other subsidiaries.

    Google Inc. is considered a unanimous leader in the search engine sector across the world, whose market share is around 91.9%. Regarding the FIVE GIANTS, Google has always been a genuinely innovative and trustworthy tech giant, founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin in 1998.

    Google Alphabet always has a keen eye for investing in innovative projects such as life extension R&D company Calico, self-driving cars, the smart home project Nest, and many more.

    4. META

    Company Meta
    Founded 2004
    Market Cap $545.44 B (2022)
    Revenue $117.929B (2021)
    Top Products Facebook, Meta Audience Network, Meta Business Tool
    Website www.about.meta.com

    MEta Website
    Meta Website

    When it comes to top tech companies across the world, META can never be off the table. The company is the parent company of the most powerful social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Whatsapp.

    Mark Zuckerberg founded the company when he was still a student at Harvard University in 2004. META succeeded with an advanced graph, and as of today, the company has reached nearly 3 billion active users monthly.

    In competing with Snapchat and Tiktok, META has introduced several innovative features that have made it a leader in online advertising.

    The global tech industry is roughly valued at $5.2 trillion. The above graph shows the global tech industry distribution by the market share in percentage.
    The global tech industry is roughly valued at $5.2 trillion. The above graph shows the global tech industry distribution by the market share in percentage.

    5. Tesla (TSLA)

    Company Tesla
    Founded 2003
    Market Cap $656.57B (2022)
    Revenue $74.863B (2022)
    Top Products Tesla Electric Car, Tesla Model X, Tesla Model 3
    Website www.tesla.com

    Tesla Website
    Tesla Website

    Tesla is a true leader in electric vehicle development and production. Even though the prices of vehicles offered by Tesla are too high, and it takes a lot of time to deliver them, consumers prefer them over everything else.

    Tesla was founded by Elon Musk who is also the current CEO of the Tesla Company. The unique thing about Tesla is its business model, which does not use the traditional dealership model of selling vehicles.

    6. Amazon

    Company Amazon
    Founded 1994
    Market Cap $1258 B (2022)
    Revenue $485.90 B (2022)
    Top Products Amazon.com, Alexa, Amazon Prime, Amazon Music, Amazon Pay
    Website www.amazon.com

    Amazon Website
    Amazon Website

    With a market capitalization of USD 1258 billion US dollars, Amazon is counted among the most valuable tech companies in the world founded by Jeff Bezos in 1994.

    Initially, the company was limited to online marketing only, but with time, it started developing its technological devices and also offered cloud services to consumers. With such an innovative mindset, Amazon is ranked the 6th largest company by Forbes among the list of top 25 techs and IT companies.

    7. Samsung Electronics

    Company Samsung Electronics
    Founded 1969
    Market Cap $281.39 B (2022)
    Revenue $250.21 B (2022)
    Top Products Samsung Galaxy Mobile Phones, Samsung Monitors, Samsung Camera
    Website www.samsung.com

    Samsung Electronics Website
    Samsung Electronics Website

    Samsung Electronics is the largest mobile phone manufacturing company and the biggest competitor to Apple Inc in the production of mobile phones.

    The company is based in Seoul, South Korea. Samsung Electronics isn’t limited to producing electronic devices but also ships, turbines, aircraft engines, and life insurance. Its flagship brands are Galaxy S, Z, and note series. They contribute up to 40% of the company’s growth.

    8. Tencent Holdings

    Company Tencent Holdings
    Founded 1998
    Market Cap $389.88 B (2022)
    Revenue $83.64 B (2022)
    Top Products WeChat, PUBG Mobile, QQ Riot Games, Tencent Weibo, Qzone
    Website www.tencent.com

    Tencent Holdings Company
    Tencent Holdings Company

    Tencent Holdings, a Chinese technology conglomerate company, is the first-ever Asian tech company that reaches the mark of $500 billion.

    The company offers web portals, payment systems, e-commerce platforms, mobile games, and social networks. Along with this, it also owns Tencent Music and Tencent Games companies.

    The most successful product of Tencent Holdings is WeChat which has over 1.2 billion monthly active users. The company also provides various marketing solutions and cloud services.

    9. Alibaba Group

    Company Alibaba Group
    Founded 1999
    Market Cap $191.14B (2022)
    Revenue $134.567 B (2022)
    Top Products Alibaba.com, Aliwangwang, Alibaba Cloud, AliGenie
    Website www.alibabagroup.com

    Alibaba Group Website
    Alibaba Group Website

    Another massive Chinese multinational technology company is Alibaba Group. It specializes in retail, e-commerce, the internet, and technology. It offers various profitable services such as web portals, electronic payment services, shopping search engines, and cloud computing.

    Alibaba Group was founded in 1999 and established in Hangzhou, Zhejiang. Regarding retailers and e-commerce companies, Alibaba Group is one of the largest groups of companies in the industry.

    Moreover, the company is ranked fifth among the largest artificial intelligence companies in the world in 2020.

    10. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (TSMC)

    Company Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (TSMC)
    Founded 1987
    Market Cap $330.63 B (2022)
    Revenue $66.691 B (2022)
    Top Products Semiconductors Used in Mobile Devices, Internet of Things, Automotive Electronics
    Website www.tsmc.com

    TSMC Website
    TSMC Website

    Being the largest contract chipmaker in the world, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing produces highly advanced and innovative semiconductors designed by Qualcomm Inc. (QCOM) and Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD).

    In recent years, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing has reported a 43.5% growth in its revenue and a net worth of $7.9 billion. The company was founded in the year 1987 and ever since then; it has been leading the global semiconductor foundry, where it generates a 517% return for investors.


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    11. Dell Technologies

    Company Dell Technologies
    Founded 1984
    Market Cap $27.79 B (2022)
    Revenue $103.12 B (2022)
    Top Products Vostro, Dell EMR, Inspiron, PowerEdge
    Website www.dell.com

    Dell Technologies Website
    Dell Technologies Website

    Another super famous American tech company is Dell Technologies, which specializes in the market of personal computers. It offers a vast range of tech products, such as data storage devices, servers, SmartTV, network switches, computer accessories, cameras, and many more.

    This tech company was founded in 1984 by Michael Dell. Since then, Dell Technologies has been known for its innovative chain supply management and direct sales e-commerce model.

    12. Oracle Corporation

    Company Oracle Corporation
    Founded 1977
    Market Cap $202.40 B (2022)
    Revenue $44.15 B (2022)
    Top Products Oracle Database, Oracle ERP, MySQL, Oracle E-Business Suite
    Website www.oracle.com

    Oracle Corporation Website
    Oracle Corporation Website

    Oracle Corporation, a computer software company, was founded in 1977 in California, United States by Larry Ellison, Bob Miner, and Ed Oates with its corporate office headquartered in Austin, Texas.

    The company has over 400,000 customers across the globe, such as Siemens Healthineers and FedEx. It provides multiple specific solutions for different types of industries.

    Its solutions help manage the modernization of restaurants’ finances, connect HR/product management, secure network infrastructure, and, most importantly, enhance client satisfaction.

    13. Foxconn

    Company Foxconn
    Founded 1974
    Market Cap $44.30 B (2022)
    Revenue $219.11 B (2022)
    Top Products iPad, iPod, Kindle, BlackBerry
    Website www.honhai.com

    Foxconn Website
    Foxconn Website

    Being one of the largest employers, with around 1.29 million employees, Foxconn is known as the biggest private sector employer in China. It is a Taiwanese electronics contract manufacturing company founded in 1974 by Terry Gou.

    Foxconn is spread over to more than 20 countries with its subsidiary count reaching up to 200+ in total. It is also considered the world’s largest electronic manufacturer and a leading science and technology solution provider.

    Its top products in the market are iPhone, Kindle, iPad, Blackberry, Redmi phones, PlayStation, and Nintendo. Foxconn ranked 22nd in the 2021 Fortune Global 500.

    14. Huawei

    Company Huawei
    Founded 1987
    Market Cap $71.2 B (2022)
    Revenue $99.9 B (2021)
    Top Products Huawei MateBook, Huawei Watch, Huawei Mobiles
    Website www.huawei.com

    Huawei Website
    Huawei Website

    Another China-based tech company is Huawei Technologies, a consumer electronics manufacturer. Its designs create and sell telecommunication tools to the top telecom companies worldwide, including British Telecom, Bell Canada, and Vodafone.

    The company was started as a reselling private branch exchange company, founded in 1987 by Ren Zhejiang. Today, Huawei is a telecom behemoth that develops numerous innovative tech gadgets.

    15. Adobe

    Company Adobe
    Founded 1982
    Market Cap $142.43 B (2022)
    Revenue $17.19 B (2022)
    Top Products Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Acrobat, Adobe PDF, Dreamweaver, Adobe Lightroom
    Website www.adobe.com

    Adobe Inc. Website
    Adobe Inc. Website

    Adobe was founded in 1982 as an American-based software company that provides practical solutions for marketing and document management. Its top products in the market are Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Acrobat, and Adobe Creative Cloud.

    Adobe was founded by John Warnock and Charles Geschke in 1982 with its headquarters being placed in San Jose, California (United States). Adobe Inc. also expanded its services in digital marketing software and was considered one of the top global leaders in Customer Experience Management (CXM) in 2021.

    The top three services provided by Adobe are Creative Cloud, Experienced Cloud, and Document Cloud.

    Conclusion

    In conclusion, we can say that the tech industry is increasing and covers some of the most valuable companies in the world. However, it’s essential to know that before investing in any company, you need to do thorough research and, after that, focus on buying an ETF.

    As the industry contains a vast number of tech companies, there are many options for you to invest and earn a profit. The above list includes the top 15 tech companies in the world with some of the

    FAQs

    Which are the top 5 IT companies in the world?

    The top 5 IT companies in the world are Microsoft Corporation, IBM, Accenture, Oracle, and TCS.

    Which is the oldest tech company?

    IBM is considered the oldest tech company in the world. Basically, IBM is counted to be 108 years old company.

    What are the top 3 online businesses?

    The top 3 online businesses are selling digital marketing services, freelancing, and coaching and consulting.

    Who is the market leader in technology?

    Apple is considered the market leader in technology with a marketing capital of about $2.448 T.

  • How Apple Saved Billions of Dollars by Avoiding Taxes: An Interesting Tale

    The power of a Human Mind is astonishing. Just by looking at the past few inventions, one can understand, what the human mind is capable of. In the present age, everything is possible with just a simple click, from shopping to dating. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that we are carrying the whole world in our pockets, thanks to technological advancement. One of the biggest contributors to carrying the world in our pockets is Apple Inc.

    The world’s biggest technology company that deals with electronics and computer software first started its journey in 1976. It was founded by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne.

    Till 2011 Steve Jobs was the CEO of the technology giant. Later in that year, after the death of Steve Jobs, Tim Cook took the charge of Apple. These are just basic facts that almost everyone knows about Apple. Let’s come to the point that makes this article interesting.

    Regardless of how much money we make, taxes are very painful for all of us. But on the one hand, people like you and me sincerely pay our taxes. On the other side, there are companies like Apple, and Google that evaded their taxes by billions of dollars.

    The question is what is this genius tax-evasion strategy and how do they escape the strict laws of governments? Let’s try to understand by using Apple as a case study.

    Bending Rules
    What Is Tax Haven (Heaven)?
    The Tactics Apple Uses For Tax Avoidance

    Challenges Faced By Apple for Avoiding Tax
    Present Condition of Apple and Taxes

    Bending Rules

    With great powers, comes great responsibility, and so do pay taxes to the government of the country they live in. Apple being the biggest tech company is not an exception. It is bound to pay a large sum of amount to the Government in the form of taxes.

    Just like other businesses, Apple is also not that fond of paying billions of bucks in taxes but has no choice but to be responsible to the country. Somehow, Apple used a tactic to avoid paying billions to the Government. Well, the secret is, not so secret. Apple transfers most of its profit to tax haven countries and thus takes advantage of loopholes, the US Government has in its tax-paying system.

    “Play by the rules, but be ferocious”Phil Knight

    As part of its tax avoidance strategy, Apple uses its ‘subsidiaries’ in Tax havens. Now, to understand this more deeply, first let’s try with the term, Tax Haven.


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    What is Tax Haven (Heaven)?

    True to its name, the term ‘Tax Haven’ is used for all those countries that offer, foreign investors the to pay minimal and sometimes even no taxes for their businesses. This is basically a good scheme for the investors to avoid paying taxes to the actual country the individual or business belongs to. Another attractive part of this ‘heaven’ is that they occasionally offer financial secrecy to the investors.

    Some of the top Tax havens are:

    • Ireland
    • Netherlands
    • Switzerland
    • Panama
    • Bermuda
    • The Cayman Islands
    • Luxembourg

    The Tactics Apple Uses For Tax Avoidance

    Every time Apple has stated that it has always played by the rules and has paid taxes to the Government as per the laws. In fact, it considers itself the largest taxpayer in the world. This is somewhat true, in 2017, Apple stated that it had paid over $35 billion dollars in the last three years. However, that amount wasn’t able to make even a small dent in the revenue of Cook’s led multinational company. How?

    Well, the strategy is to transfer their profit, obtain domestically to Tax Haven countries. Apple uses Ireland and Luxembourg as its ‘Haven’ to get away from paying the lump sum.

    Agreement Between Ireland and Apple

    Apple has been operating in Cork, Ireland since 1980 for its overseas operations, and they also set up a manufacturing plant in Holyhill, above Cork.

    In 1990, when Apple’s market share was crumpling worldwide, they wanted to save money. Apple’s CEO John Sculley signed a deal with the Irish government. In 1990, Apple’s team met with the Irish government and drafted an arrangement for how much tax it paid in the country.

    Since then, Apple has been the largest employer in Cork, Ireland, where they had an upper hand. Apple disclosed to the Irish government that the firm is examining its worldwide operations and Apple desires to establish a profit margin on its Irish operations.

    Based on the financial data from 1989, Apple showed $751 million dollars in revenue and $270m in net profit per year. Apple also showed that these profits were made mainly through its technology, marketing, and manufacturing.

    They told the Irish government that they only manufacture in Ireland. Therefore, they should not be taxed on the other two elements of business: marketing and technology. Apple has been in Ireland for 10 years and if they do not strike a deal, they will go somewhere else.

    Apple's revenue generated from India, Europe, and the Middle East is taxed in Ireland
    Apple’s revenue generated from India, Europe, and the Middle East is taxed in Ireland

    The Irish government agreed to the deal offered by Apple in 1991 to tax only certain elements of the business. This made Apple’s taxes suddenly drop to 12.5%, compared to the US (21%). All of Apple’s revenue generated from India, Europe, and the Middle East is taxed in Ireland.

    But an investigation by the EU revealed that Apple has paid only 1% or 0.5% taxes instead of 12.5%. They also accused the Irish government of collusion with Apple, because Ireland does not want Apple the largest employer in the country to leave Ireland.

    Apple’s Strategy of Creating Two Subsidiaries

    Apple's operation strategy before 2017
    Apple’s operation strategy before 2017

    Apple created two subsidiaries in Ireland, “Apple sales International to hold rights of Apple intellectual property to sell and under a “cost-sharing agreement” with Apple Inc. to manufacture outside of South and North America named “Apple Operations Europe“. The Head office of these companies is on paper only and they are controlled by board members mainly based in the US.

    Now, these two companies yearly only pay for research and development to Apple Inc. in America. By doing this Apple sales International kept all the revenues and profits generated from India, Europe, and the Middle East.

    In 2011, According to US Senate, Apple sales International recorded a profit of $22 billion. But under the agreement with the Irish government only $50 million were taxed and it kept decreasing until 2014.

    Before 2017, the US tax system doesn’t put taxes on the profit obtained from the multinational company’s foreign subsidiaries unless they are transferred to the parent company as dividends (changed in 2017). Which is, while compared with the foreign country taxes, is way much higher.

    There is a term called ‘Deferred Tax’, which means the income tax that a company will pay in the near future instead of paying immediately, which might be a big shock to the bank balance.

    Apple has taken that advantage by transferring over 70% of its domestically obtained profit to the tax haven, thus putting those profits in the deferred tax category of the company.

    As per a report from 2017, Apple was avoiding paying almost $78 billion dollars of taxes at that. In Ireland, Apple had three subsidiaries, which played a significant role in the game of Tax Avoidance.

    Apple Foreign Tax Payments
    Apple Foreign Tax Payments

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    Challenges Faced By Apple for Avoiding Tax

    Unfortunately, this game has not been a smooth ride for the technology giant. It has to face some consequences for its tax avoidance strategy.

    In 2013 an investigation revealed that two of the subsidiaries of Apple in Ireland are formed in a way that has helped them in avoiding paying taxes to both the country, U.S. and Ireland.

    • On 29 August 2016 European Commission declared that Apple has used Ireland, and had received illegal tax benefits from the country.
    • The European Commission instructs Apple to pay almost $15 billion dollars along with interest to Ireland for not confiding with the rules and not paying proper taxes.
    • The Irish Government took the side of the tech giant and stated that no tax law has been violated.
    • In the month of November of the same year, Tim Cook appealed against the instruction.
    • In 2018, Apple paid around €14.3 billion in back taxes and interest that was due to Ireland. The money was held in an Escrow fund.

    Present Condition of Apple and Taxes

    After a long battle with the European Commission, in July 2020, the European General Court gave a decision in favor of Apple and the Irish Government.

    This automatically became good news for the Technology giant as it does not have to pay a huge amount. At present, the European Commission has decided to appeal again, and this time in front of the highest court, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU).

    Conclusion

    The bigger the business, the bigger will be the risk. Apple Inc. is not an exception here. As stated before, the human mind is amazing. Companies like Apple will always find a way to deal with complicated matters in legal and sharp ways.

    FAQ

    What is the revenue of Apple?

    As of 2022, Apple has reported its revenue in the USA was 99.8 billion U.S. dollars. While global revenue reported by Apple was 365.82 billion U.S. dollars in 2022.

    Who Is The CEO Of Apple?

    Since August 2011, Tim Cook is the CEO of Apple.

    Which is the best Tax Haven?

    Cayman Island is considered the best country as Tax Haven.

    How Much Does Apple Saved On Taxes?

    Apple saved around $40 billion in Taxes.

  • Biggest Trademark Wars in History – When the Biggest Brands Fought Over Their Names

    A Trademark is an intellectual property consisting of a recognizable sign, design or expression that identifies products or services from a particular source and distinguishes them from others.

    The owner of a trademark can be an individual, business organisation or any legal entity.

    How Can a Trademark Be Used?
    How and Where Is a Trademark Registered?
    What Is a Trademark Infringement?
    Biggest Trademark Wars

    How Can a Trademark Be Used?

    A trademark acts as an identification for a particular brand of product or service. One company’s trademark can also be utilised by others under licensing agreements. A case in point was the license that was purchased by the Lego Group from Lucasfilms which allowed them to launch Lego Star Wars.

    Brand piracy is the unauthorised use of trademarks by producing and trading counterfeit consumer goods. In such a case the owner of the trademark might pursue legal action if the trademark is originally registered and can be proved.

    How and Where Is a Trademark Registered?

    Usually, the owner of the trademark applies to the Patent and Trademark Office to register the trademark. Depending on which country or jurisdiction is the owner applying to, the official body conducts its due diligence within a stipulated time period before issuing or declining the request to register the trademark.

    Once the trademark rights are established within a particular jurisdiction, they are generally enforceable only in that jurisdiction. There is a range of international trademark laws and systems which facilitate the protection of trademarks in more than one jurisdiction.

    What Is a Trademark Infringement?

    This is a violation of the exclusive rights that are attached to the trademark without licenses or the authorisation of the trademark.  When someone uses an identical or confusingly similar trademark that is owned by another party, in relation to identical products or services as listed in the original trademark, this is known as an infringement.

    This activity is deemed criminal and is punishable by law.  History has recorded many such trademark wars and some have received much public coverage.

    Biggest Trademark Wars

    War  I – Skippy Vs. Skippy – The Great Peanut Butter Trademark War

    Skippy Comic vs. Skippy Peanut Butter
    Skippy Comic vs. Skippy Peanut Butter

    In 1923, Percy Crosby created a comic strip called Skippy. It featured a feisty youngster who liked to paint fences. Two years of success saw Crosby, doing business as Skippy Inc.,  register Skippy as a trademark in 1925.

    He, then, licensed the trademark for branded toys, games, trading cards, candy bars, school supplies, clothing and Skippy brand bread. He did not however lend it for Peanut Butter.  So, what happened?

    Californian businessman Joseph L. Rosefield began mass commercial distribution of peanut butter in 1922, in California under the brand name “Luncheon Brand” He changed the brand name to Skippy in 1932 following Skippy comic strip’s Hollywood success.

    Rosefield’s packaging bore an eerie similarity to Crosby’s Skippy with the paint-brush lettering with a slatted fence and a paint bucket

    In 1933, Rosefield tried to register the Skippy mark for his peanut butter but was successfully thwarted by Crosby. Nevertheless, Rosefield kept using the brand name

    By 1945 Crosby’s newspaper contract and the federal trademark expired. Rosefield moved in and registered Skippy peanut butter in 1947 without opposition. Joan Crosby Tibbets, Crosby’s daughter inherited control of Skippy Inc., and control of Skippy Peanut Butter was passed to CPC International, Inc.

    In 1977, Tibbets and CPC negotiated a co-existence contract and CPC was released from liability for trademark Infringement. In 1978, Tibbets re-registered the Skippy mark for cartoons without opposition from CPC

    In 1980, Tibbets sued CPC for trademark infringement in the eastern district of Virginia looking for a seven-figure licencing fee. After a firm refusal from CPC, in 1985 Tibbets licensed the Skippy mark to sell Skippy brand caramel popcorn and peanut snack.

    CPC approached the Virginia court in 1986 and successfully stopped Tibbets stating confusion with the Skippy peanut butter brand. After a decade of silence, the internet era saw Tibbets register Skippy.com in 1997 beating CPC in the race. The website went live in 1998 and launched an all-out attack on CPC

    Following this, CPC went back to court, which passed an order to remove all CPC-related references from the site. In 2000, however, the Fourth Circuit reversed and held that the entire website was protected by the First Amendment, which helped to restore all content.

    In 2002, Tibbets played her final card and petitioned for the cancellation of the Skippy Peanut Butter mark due to the emergence of new evidence. However, the claim was barred by the court in 2004

    Tibbets remains unbowed till today crusading against the Skippy Peanut Butter mark. It is one of the longest trademark wars in history that still carries on.

    War II – Apple Corps vs. Apple Computer (now Apple Inc.)

    Apple Corps vs. Apple Computer
    Apple Corps vs. Apple Computer

    Apple Corps, a holding company founded by the Beatles and owner of their record label, Apple Records, had filed a lawsuit against, then, Apple Computer for trademark infringement.  

    In 1978, Apple Corps filed a lawsuit against Apple Computer for trademark infringement. In 1981 both parties settled the case with a settlement amount of USD 80,000 and the condition that Apple Computer does not enter the music business and Apple Corps not enter the computer business.

    In 1986 Apple Computer added an audio-recording capability to their computers called MIDI leading Apple Corps to sue them again in 1989 citing violation of the 1981 agreement. Apple Corps won the lawsuit ending Apple Computer’s foray into multimedia

    In 1991, Apple Computer again paid a settlement amount of USD 26.5 million to Apple Corps.  This time it was due to the system sound called Chimes that was included in the Macintosh’s operating system. The settlement outlined each company’s trademark right to use the term ‘Apple’. Apple Corps held the right to any creative works whose principal content is music, whereas Apple Company agreed not to package, sell or distribute physical music material

    2003 saw Apple Corps suing Apple Company again for breach of contract in using the Apple logo in the creation and operation of iTunes.

    Apple Corps lost the lawsuit with the judge stating there was no demonstration of any breach of the trademark agreement.

    In January 2007, at the Macworld Conference, Apple Inc. CEO Steve Jobs heavily featured the Beatles in his keynote presentation.  The relations between the two companies seemed to be improving

    In February 2007, the two companies reached a settlement for their trademark dispute which ended their ongoing war

    Conclusion

    Trademark Infringement Wars are a reality in the business world.  In an era of globalization, some of these wars are played out on the world platform.  History has seen its fair share of such Trademark Infringement wars and some have lasted longer than others.  The list is long and growing everyday with new wars being waged.

    What becomes clear is that no company will back down from defending and protecting its trademark rights.

    FAQs

    What is the largest trademark in the world?

    Some of the most valuable trademarks in the world are Amazon – 416 billion dollars, Apple – 352 billion dollars, Microsoft – 327 billion dollars, Google – 324 billion dollars, and Visa – 187 billion dollars.

    What is the world’s oldest trademark?

    Bass Ale triangle is one of the oldest trademarks in the world depicted on beer bottles in 1882.

    What are some of the biggest trademark wars?

    Apple the record label company vs Apple, Skippy comic vs Skippy peanut butter, Instagram vs LitterGram, and Starbucks v Sambucks

  • The Evolution of Apple Ads – How Apple Ads Have Evolved Over the Years?

    Apple is one of the most innovative companies in the world and has a revenue of billion of dollars. The logo of the half-bitten apple has become synonymous with innovation, progress, exploration and growth.

    Steve Jobs once said – “We are here to put a dent in the universe. Otherwise, why else even be here?”.  

    About Apple
    Evolution of Apple Ads
    What is Apple’s Message?

    About Apple

    Initially founded as Apple Computer Company on April 1, 1976 by the genius who was Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne, its primary focus was to develop and sell Wozniak’s Apple I personal computer.  Changed to Apple Computer, Inc. in 1977, the company’s next computer, Apple II was a runaway success and became their best seller.  

    By 1985 the company had developed the original Macintosh and had seen considerable success.  But the high cost of its products and internal power struggles created a rift causing Wozniak and Steve Jobs to leave the company.  They went their separate ways as Wozniak pursued other ventures and Steve Jobs founded the company NeXT.

    The 1990s was the decade when computers were gaining popularity and many other players were entering into the market including Microsoft.  Apple began losing its considerable market share to the low priced operating system of Microsoft called Microsoft Windows.  

    In 1997, weeks away from bankruptcy, struggling and desperate, Apple bought Steve Jobs company NeXT to resolve Apple’s unsuccessful operating system strategy.  The main objective was to entice Steve Jobs back to the Company.  

    The decision proved wise as over the next decade, Jobs displayed his brilliance by guiding the company back to profitability through a number of tactics including launching products like the iMac, iPod, iPad and iPhone.  

    As the CEO of Apple, Steve Jobs expanded the company by opening Apple Store retail chain and acquiring numerous companies to broaden its product portfolio. He also designed some of the most memorable advertising campaigns for the company.  In the year 2011, Steve Jobs resigned from Apple and was succeeded by Tim Cook.

    Today, Apple Inc., is one of the Top Five American Information Technology companies alongside Amazon, Alphabet, Meta and Microsoft.  It specializes in consumer electronics, software and online services and is based out of Cupertino, California, United States.  

    Evolution of Apple Ads

    Apple’s efforts towards effective advertising and marketing for its products has been highly recognised over the last four decades.  Its product advertisements have catchy tunes and eye-popping graphics.

    From print ads to television commercials, Apple ads have garnered attention of its viewers through tears, laughter or even eye-rolling with the thought –“What are they thinking”. Over the years, the advertisements have evolved but the attraction of Apple advertisements sustains.

    1970s – The first Decade

    Apple 1

    Apple 1 Campaign
    Apple 1 Campaign

    The very first Apple campaign came out in 1976. It was for their first computer – Apple I. It looked similar to a flyer and was extremely text-heavy with very little imagery. The advertisement was a testament to the concept of getting ‘money’s worth’. It covered every inch of available space.

    The Garden of Eden

    Apple 'The Garden of Eden' Campaign
    Apple ‘The Garden of Eden’ Campaign

    This one was a laugh riot. The imagery showed a naked man holding a computer called ‘The Garden of Eden’. It was an announcement of a competition – Tell the company what you do with your Apple in a thousand words or less !! The winner was to win a trip for two to Hawaii. It has to be the worst advertisement in Apple’s history.

    1980s – The Second Decade

    Apple Edison, Franklin and Ford Campaign

    Apple Campaign in 1981
    Apple Campaign in 1981

    In 1981, Apple was almost 5 years old and had not done much to improve the quality of its earlier ads. The first advertisement of the decade was similar to the earlier one, being text-heavy with little or no imagery. The attempt was to convince people that they needed an Apple computer. Acclaimed inventors like Henry Ford, Thomas Edison and Ben Franklin were used for these campaigns.

    Apple Super Bowl Campaign

    1984 saw the infamous Super Bowl advertisement campaign of Apple. The campaign was for a product launch and while it was successful, it lacked the Apple flair that we witness today.

    1990s – The Third Decade

    Think Different Campaign

    This was the decade when the shift in the Apple campaigns was first noticed.  It came first with the ‘Think Different’ campaign which was the brainchild of Steve Jobs. The product launch campaign of the iMac featured famous personalities of the day and witnessed tremendous success. This was also the time when advertising campaigns Apple shifted away from being text-heavy to artistic and more product-focused. ‘Think Different’ also became the new slogan for Apple.

    Apple iBooks Campaign

    This campaign also added vibrant colours to Apple’s advertisements. This was because Apple brought bright colours to its line of computers and introduced a new line of laptops – the infamous iBooks. These colours added vibrancy and a fun element to the campaign and saw success among the younger generation.

    2000s – The Fourth Decade

    Apple First iPod Campaign

    2005 was the year when Apple first used the iPod silhouette ads, showing a silhouette dancing to the music from the iPod. The background in the campaign was rich with vibrant and bright colour making it very eye-catching. It was an advertisement that went on to become iconic and, ironically, the first one to enter that realm

    Mac vs. PC Campaign

    It was in 2006 that Apple came out with the Mac vs. PC campaign that starred John Hodgman and Justin Long. Always shot on a white background these commercials were engaging and humorous. It was also Apple’s longest-running campaign – for three consecutive years.  

    Apple Change Campaign

    Just before the Grammy Awards of 2016, Apple came out with a new ad campaign that actually served a dual purpose. Titled ‘Change’ and with a frantic pace, it highlighted the ease of music recording on the iPad.

    The advertisement was also entirely filmed on the iPad. This was a subtle demonstration by Apple of the advancement of their technology. It paid tribute to their genius of using their own product to create every aspect of a project – from writing, and recording music to actually filming.

    Apple 911 Campaign

    With the advent of the Apple iWatch, the company came forth with a few attractive campaigns. Its latest one featuring the latest version of the Apple iWatch is extremely relevant given the circumstances of today’s world.

    It focuses on the newest prowess of the iWatch. The smartwatch is capable of calling emergency services in case such a situation arises. This is Apple’s way of reiterating that the product can save lives. The Verge calls it Apple’s “brilliantly, gruesomely captured” television ad. The advertisement campaign is titled ‘911’.

    What is Apple’s Message?

    Apple’s marketing is built on the simplicity of message and visuals. Most of their advertisement campaigns are free of pricing, feature lists or special effects.

    What the company concentrated on was building a unique and exceptional product line and allowing the product to speak for itself. Apple has never engaged in a price war for selling its products. The company does not compete on price, because, frankly, it doesn’t have to.

    Its effective marketing technique has become a benchmark for other companies who aim to achieve the same level of global popularity, revenue growth and sustaining prowess.

    Conclusion

    Apple has become the first publicly traded company in the US to be valued at over USD 1 trillion in 2018, USD 2 trillion in 2020 and recently USD 3 trillion in January of 2022. It is ranked as one of the world’s most valuable brands and enjoys a large following and brand loyalty.

    Apple shows no signs of slowing down and, in fact, is busily engaged in developing products that are futuristic and display technological brilliance. We have a lot to look forward to when it comes to Apple, its products and its brilliant marketing gimmicks.

    FAQs

    What is the advertising strategy of Apple?

    Apple has a simplistic way of approach, minimal packing design, and beautiful phone design which makes it stand out from its competitors

    What was Apple’s first slogan?

    Think Different” was the first slogan of Apple.

    Why was Apple Get a Mac campaign successful?

    Apple’s ‘Get a Mac’ campaign was successful because it was simple and funny. Also, it was one of the longest-running commercials for Apple.

  • How Big Companies Avoid Tax?

    Tax is a liability that almost every citizen of a country has to bear if he/she makes an income within the taxable limit. Normally, progressive taxation on many taxes such as the income tax is implemented in every country, the more you earn the more you pay in tax.

    So by the above-mentioned logic, a highly successful multinational company, say Apple pays way more amounts of money in tax than an average higher middle-class citizen right? Surprisingly, the answer is surprising No, as a matter of fact, Big Companies avoid paying taxes altogether in many cases

    Is it illegal for them to not pay taxes? If yes, how are they getting away with it? Why the government is not intervening? In order to find the answer to all these questions, we need the answer to a crucial one first which is what exactly is Tax Avoidance and Tax Evasion.

    Difference Between Tax Avoidance and Tax Evasion
    Example: Amazon 2018
    Reasons Behind Tax Avoidance
    Possible Solutions

    Difference Between Tax Avoidance and Tax Evasion

    Although these two terms are always used as a substitute for each other there are a lot of differences between them.

    Tax Avoidance is the use of various loopholes and elements in the tax code to minimize or in some cases completely avoid taxable incomes together. Some examples are using Deductions and Tax Credits as prescribed under the tax code. To sum it all up Tax Avoidance is LEGAL.

    Shifting Subsidiaries to tax-free zones is a practice followed by many MNCs
    Shifting Subsidiaries to tax-free zones is a practice followed by many MNCs

    Tax Evasion is the use of malpractices such as income misrepresentation, deduction inflation, and hiding of income to avoid paying taxes. Tax Evasion is ILLEGAL.

    So the Large MNCs follow Tax Avoidance which is completely legal as it uses loopholes within the tax code to avoid paying taxes. Let’s take an example to better understand the various aspects of Tax Avoidance.

    This shows that the taxing system in a lot of countries is still lacking
    Tax Evasion is a bigger issue than Tax Avoidance

    Example: Amazon 2018

    Amazon paid exactly $0 in federal income tax for the year 2018 on an income of $11 Billion and they did it legally. As per the Tax Code in most countries, companies don’t have to pay taxes if they incur losses for that financial year, and for the first 6 years, Amazon’s business operated entirely on losses as they invested a lot of their earnings into the company growth and research & development overheads which are also nontaxable and acts as tax credits.

    The income tax receipt shows that amazon made revenue of $11.2 billion yet they paid 0$ federal tax as federal taxes are based on profits and not on revenue
    The income tax receipt shows that amazon made revenue of $11.2 billion yet they paid 0$ federal tax as federal taxes are based on profits and not on revenue

    Furthermore, they set up subsidiaries and factories in countries where the corporate tax was much lower than in the USA (which has the highest corporate tax in the world at 21%, reduced from the previous rate of 35%). They also relocated their products to tax-free zones like Bermuda thus avoiding other taxes. After claiming more deductions, their net tax liability amounted to $0.

    Reasons Behind Tax Avoidance

    While the MNCs resort to loopholes in order to avoid paying high rates of taxes, the countries which act as their tax-free subsidiaries also have their own reasons.

    Firstly, having a factory of a company like Apple or Amazon set up in their country is always a welcome sight as it helps in boosting their employment and growth rate and gives them exposure to the latest technological side of the market and after every successful venture more and more companies set up their factories in these countries. Bermuda is a prime example of how helpful it is to have large companies on board.

    Other than being less taxable, these countries also have cheap labor and material costs so naturally, large companies gravitate towards developing nations for subsidiary purposes.

    Possible Solutions

    Although these tactics have a lot of advantages for both parties, there is an extreme amount of taxable income for the parent countries which gets completely nullified due to Tax Avoidance. So what possible solutions are there?

    Lowering corporate tax is the first step, and although this may lead to fewer taxes in the initial stages, this opens up the door for the large companies to set up factories in the home country itself rather than shifting abroad. Let’s take an example to better understand the situation.

    Suppose Company A is a small company that makes $20000 profit per year and pays a corporate tax of 20% which amounts to $4000. Another company B earns a profit of $200000 per year and in order to avoid paying high tax rates, it sets up all its factories in lesser countries and thus pays no tax at all. So the total tax is just $4000.

    Now if the home country lowers its tax rate to 10%, this would encourage the large company B to set its other factories in the home country itself, so the total tax here will be (10% of 4000) + (10% of 200000) which amounts to a total of $24000, which is 6 times the previous amount despite being half the tax rate.

    Another method involves the Unitary Model of Taxation whereby the taxes on charged at the place where the economic activity takes place rather than where it is reported. Many different methods of avoiding tax avoidance are being implemented but as of now, it seems like the situation will stay as it is.

    Countries with the largest tax avoidance amount in the Us billion dollars
    Countries with the largest tax avoidance amount in the Us billion dollars

    How Apple avoided Billions of Dollars of Taxes? | Apple Tax Avoidance Strategy
    Apple being the biggest tech company earns billions of dollars in revenue but it doesn’t pay billions in tax. How? Let’s understand how it avoided taxes.


    Conclusion

    Tax rules differ from country to country with their amount and eligibility criteria also. However, it is one of the main responsibilities handed over to the citizens. Denying to pay the tax can result in criminal offenses and law charges. However, when we talk about the tax paid by multinational companies, it is astounding to notice that their tax is quite different from what we have imagined.

    They take the help of possible loopholes in the tax code and minimize their tax amount. The above article includes information about how multinational companies avoid paying taxes.

    FAQs

    How do companies legally avoid paying taxes?

    There are many ways companies can implement to avoid paying taxes or reduce their tax amount. Some of them can be opening offshore accounts, making use of loopholes in tax codes, getting paid in stocks rather than money, and many others.

    What is not paying taxes called?

    The term used to describe the group of people who deliberately deny paying the tax is known as “Tax Evaders”. And the term that describes the situation is called tax evasion.

    What are tax-free countries?

    Tax-free countries are those countries that have no rule of paying taxes or have a very little amount as their taxes. Some of the tax-free countries across the globe are Oman, Qatar, Panama, etc.

    Which business is tax-free in India?

    India is known for its agriculture business for a very long time. Hence, any business involving agriculture work is tax-free in India. For instance, the selling and processing of agricultural crops are tax-free.

  • Apple – The Development Of iEcosystem

    Company Profile is an initiative by StartupTalky to publish verified information on different startups and organizations. The content in this post has been approved by Apple.

    The Apple logo is very identifiable whether you’re walking down a crowded street in a major city or travelling through the highways. Whenever you spot a MacBook, an iPad, or an iPhone, you immediately recognize the logo and know who built it. Apple has accomplished more than just technological domination. The corporation has achieved something that many people strive for: international name recognition and a reputation that will outlast everyone alive today.

    The company’s tagline from 1997 to 2002, “Think Different,” may have contributed to Apple’s success. While not always hailed as a triumph, it is the result of foresight in the current competitive market. While many of us possess Apple devices, few are familiar with their history. When did Apple get its start, and how popular was it at its inception? When did Apple become well-known? And why did Apple come so close to going bankrupt? However, such achievement does not happen instantly and is difficult to duplicate. So, what is this mysterious Apple sauce? Let’s have a look.

    Apple – Company Highlights

    Startup Name Apple
    Formerly Called Apple Computer Company (1976–1977), Apple Computer, Inc. (1977–2007)
    Industry Consumer electronics, Software, and Online services
    Headquarter 1 Apple Park Way, Cupertino, California, U.S.
    Founders Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne
    Founded April 1, 1976
    CEO Tim Cook
    Areas Served Worldwide
    Website www.apple.com

    About Apple, and How it Works?
    Apple – Industry
    Apple – Name, Logo, and Tagline
    Apple – Founders
    Apple – Startup Story
    Apple – Apple without Jobs
    Apple – The Fall
    Apple – When Did It Become A Big Name?
    Apple – Vision, and Mission
    Apple – Business Model
    Apple – Investments
    Apple – Acquisitions
    Apple – Competitors
    Apple – Future Plans

    About Apple, and How it Works?

    Apple Inc. is a global technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California, that specialises in portable electronics, software applications, and internet services. Apple is the fourth-largest personal computer vendor by unit sales, the world’s second-most valuable company, the largest information technology company by revenue (totalling US$365.8 billion in 2021) and the second-largest mobile phone manufacturer. Along with Amazon, Alphabet, Microsoft, and Meta, it is one of the five American behemoths in information technology businesses.

    Apple Inc. produces, builds, and sells computers and associated computing and communication devices, as well as services, software, networking solutions, and peripherals. Apple distributes its goods through its online shops, retail locations, direct sales representatives, resellers, and third-party wholesalers all around the globe.

    The iPhone is Apple’s series of cell phones that run on Apple’s operating system called iOS. The Mac range of computers is centered also on the business’s macOS operating system.

    The iPad is a range of multi-purpose tablets from Apple that run on the iPad OS operating system. Apple TV, Air Pods, Apple Watch, Home Pod, Beats products, iPod touch, and other Apple-branded and third-party accessories are included under Home, Wearables, and Accessories.

    The Company’s wireless headphones that interface with Siri are known as Air Pods. The Apple Watch is the firm’s smartwatch series. AppleCare, Advertising, Cloud Services, Digital Content, and Payment Services are among its offerings.

    Apple – Industry

    The worldwide economy has been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many end-user sectors, including electronics manufacturing, have been impacted. According to data from an IPC study conducted in March 2020, 40% of global electronics manufacturers and suppliers polled anticipate that the COVID-19 outbreak will have the greatest impact on consumer electronics. Another 24% of respondents said that industrial electronics would be the worst hit, with 19% predicting that the automotive electronics category would be the most brutal damage.

    Electronic computers, such as mainframes, laptops, pcs, workstations, and software services, as well as computer peripheral devices, are manufactured by companies in this business. Apple, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Dell, IBM, Lenovo (Hong Kong), ASUS (Taiwan), and Canon (Japan) are the companies that belong to this sector or industry.

    Annual global unit sales for 2021 hit 340 million units, up 15% from the previous year. With large exports, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, as well as the Asia Pacific, excluding Japan, led to the rise of this industry. During the projected period, which is 2021-2026, the Electronics Manufacturing Services Market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 9%.

    Apple – Name, Logo, and Tagline

    Jobs revealed in his biography written down by Walter Isaacson that he was now on one of his fruitarian diets. He was driving back from an apple farm when he came up with the name for the firm that would transform his life. Steve Wozniak’s book, “iWoz: Computer Geek to Cult Icon,” confirms this. Wozniak, who drove Jobs home from the airport following that trip, claimed that the firm name came to him during the journey. According to Jobs, the “apple orchard” he mentioned was a commune.

    According to Jobs’ biography, he believed the name “Apple Computer” sounded “energetic, fun, and not intimidating” – all crucial elements for a firm that intended to transform computing and make it far more approachable. And, that’s where the logo came from.

    Apple Logo
    Apple Logo

    Apple’s tagline says, “Think Different.”

    Apple – Founders

    Steve Jobs, Ronald Wayne, and Steve Wozniak founded Apple Computers Company as a business deal on April 1, 1976.

    Founders of Apple - Steve Jobs (left) and Steve Wozniak (right)
    Founders of Apple – Steve Jobs (left) and Steve Wozniak (right)

    Steve Jobs

    Steve Jobs was the co-founder and former CEO of Apple and Pixar Animation Studios. Jobs attended Reed College in Portland, Oregon after graduating from Homestead High School in Cupertino, California in 1972. He dropped out after one semester and went on to study philosophy and other cultures.

    Steve Jobs had a keen passion for technology, therefore he went to work for Atari Inc, a major video game producer at the time. He became acquainted with Steve Wozniak, a fellow designer, and attended Homebrew Computer Club meetings with him. On August 24, 2011, Jobs resigned as Apple’s CEO and became Chairman of the Board of Directors. Jobs passed away on October 5, 2011.

    Ronald Wayne

    Ronald G. Wayne is mainly remembered as one of the co-founders of the Apple tech firm, with Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, the company’s primary drivers. It was a brief journey compared to the years he spent inventing and manufacturing slot machines and other professional gaming devices. He’s a skilled innovator with over a dozen US patents under his belt, covering a wide spectrum of essential concepts.

    Steve Wozniak

    For the past three decades, Steve Wozniak has been a Silicon Valley star and philanthropist. His design of Apple’s original line of devices, the Apple I and II, impacted the popular Macintosh.

    With Wozniak’s Apple I personal computer, Wozniak and Steve Jobs launched Apple Computer Inc. in 1976. He unveiled his Apple II personal computer the next year, which had a central processing unit, a keyboard, colour graphics, and a floppy disc drive.

    Wozniak was active in several corporate and humanitarian endeavours after leaving Apple in 1985, concentrating mostly on computer capabilities in schools and emphasising hands-on learning and promoting student creativity.


    Apple vs. Samsung: A Case Study on the Biggest Tech Rivalry
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    Apple – Startup Story

    The garage where Apple-I was developed
    The garage where Apple-I was developed

    Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne created Apple in 1976 to sell Wozniak’s hand-built PC, the Apple 1. The Apple 1 was supplied as a motherboard that had a Central processing unit, RAM, and some rudimentary textual-video chips. It had no built-in keyboard, monitor, casing, or other Human Interface Devices at the time.

    The Apple 1 was released in July 1976 and sold for $666.66. Only a few weeks after the firm was created, Wayne chose to quit. He accepted an $800 check, which was worth about $72 billion forty years later. Wayne was the one who hand-drew the initial Apple logo, which was later replaced with Rob Janoff’s bitten apple symbol in 1977.

    On January 3rd, 1977, Apple Computer Inc. was founded. Mike Markkula, who was interested in the Apple-1, gave the team the necessary funds and commercial acumen. Mike Markkula, the third employee, owned a third of the firm. He nominated Michael Scott as the company’s first president and CEO because he believed Steve was too young and not responsible enough to handle the role.

    The Apple II, designed by Wozniak, was released in 1977. The Apple II computers were able to stay on top of market leaders Tandy and Commodore PET thanks to VisiCalc (the world’s first ‘killer-app’), a revolutionary spreadsheet and computing software. Because of its office compatibility, VisiCalc provided customers with another reason to acquire the Apple II. The Apple II was able to change the computer industry by introducing colour graphics. Apple had a genuine office with many workers by 1978, as well as an Apple II production sector.

    Revenues for Apple doubled every four months in the following years. Between September 1977 and September 1980, their annual revenues increased from $775,000 to $118 million (an average annual growth rate of 533 per cent).

    On December 12, 1980, Apple came out publicly for $22 per share. Apple’s $4.6 million shares sold out very instantly, raising more money than just about any other IPO since Ford Motor Company in 1956. Steve Jobs, the largest shareholder, gained $217 million from the IPO. The company’s IPO also made 300 additional people millionaires overnight.

    Apple – Apple without Jobs

    As tensions between Jobs and John Sculley, the company’s third CEO, developed, Jobs sought to depose Sculley through a revolt, which collapsed. Apple’s board of directors sided with Sculley and relieved Jobs of his work responsibilities. Jobs subsequently left his position and started NeXT, a firm that makes powerful workstations. Around the same time, Steve Wozniak sold most of his stock, and left the company, claiming that the firm was heading in the wrong way.

    With Jobs gone, the board members were willing to decide what type of computers Apple might create. They chose to sell more costly Macs to high-end clients. Because Steve Jobs was resistant to raising prices, this strategy could not be implemented until after he had departed. They concluded that even if lesser units are sold, profitability will be comparable or greater. This approach was known as “55 or die,” and Jean-Louis Gassée required that the Macintosh II had to make at least 55% profit per unit. Sculley hired Gassée to take the role of Steve Jobs.

    Although Apple computers were more costly than other computers on the market, they offered advantages such as the UI that attracted customers. In 1991, Apple released the PowerBook laptop with the System 7 operating system. System 7 was responsible for providing the Macintosh OS colour, and it was utilised until 2001 when OS X was introduced.

    Apple attempted to expand into new areas throughout the 1990s. Gassée was also involved in the creation of innovative products like the eMate and the Newton MessagePad, with the hope that they would propel the business to an unprecedented level.


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    As we all know Apple is a trillion-dollar company but here are a few failed products of Apple that Apple wants you to forget.


    Apple – The Fall

    When IBM clones became inexpensive and Microsoft’s influence grew in the latter part of the decade, Apple’s “55 or die” strategy failed. Even while Macs had an extensive software library, they were constrained. On the other hand, Windows 3.0 was on sale for low-cost commodity machines.

    Apple intended to re-enter the industry, so they released a new range of devices called the Quadra, Centris, and Performa. Because Apple computers were only accessible by mail or authorised dealers at the time, the Performa was designed to be a stocking item for lifestyle merchants and department stores. Back then, there has been no Apple Stores. Customers, on the other hand, were confused by this since they didn’t comprehend the differences among the variants.

    Apple has tried portable CD audio players, digital cameras, speakers, TV appliances, and other items, but they all failed. Apple’s stock price and market share dropped sharply. To compound the error, Sculley spent a significant amount of time and money porting System 7 to the new IBM/ Motorola PowerPC CPU rather than the Intel processor. Apple had no luck regaining market share since most software was designed on Intel CPUs, which were cheaper.

    The Apple board had enough with the very disappointing line of devices and the pricey choice to switch to PowerPC. Sculley was then replaced as CEO by Michael Spindler, a German expatriate who had worked with Apple since the 1980s. Gil Amelio succeeded Spindler as CEO in 1996.

    Amelio implemented significant reforms, including mass layoffs and cost reductions. His term was also marred by the shares of Apple hitting a 12-year low. In February 1997, Amelio chose to buy Jobs’ NeXT Computer for $429 million, bringing Steve Jobs back to Apple.

    Apple – When Did It Become A Big Name?

    The iPod, another Apple invention, was introduced in 2001. It was advertised as having thousands of music tracks worth of memory on its 5GB hard drive, which was an astonishing accomplishment for an MP3 player at that very time.

    In 2003, Apple launched the iTunes Music Store to augment this. This followed the introduction two years before of iTunes, Apple’s digital music software solutions. In 2003, Apple introduced a variant for Windows, and over the next several years, it began moving out to the rest of the globe. The iTunes Music Store was a convenient method for US residents to legally purchase music online; in 2006, it changed its name to the iTunes Store to include video services too. In 2005, Apple computers had Intel chips, allowing them to run Windows. All Apple PC hardware, including iMacs and MacBook Pros, will be Intel-based in the future.

    In 2007, Apple Computer Inc. changed its name to Apple Inc. to reflect its expanded product line. 270,000 iPhones were ordered during the first 30 hours after its release, earning it the moniker “Apple’s destiny changer.”

    The debut of the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad devices were met with overwhelming success. Apple introduced the App Store in July 2008 to offer third-party iPhone and iPod-Touch software. The App Store sold 60 million apps in a month and generated an average daily income of $1 million. Because of the iPhone’s success, Apple became the world’s third-largest mobile device provider.

    In October 2010, Apple stock achieved an all-time high of $300. On August 24, 2011, Steve Jobs stepped down from his role as CEO owing to health concerns and was succeeded by Tim Cook. Jobs died on October 5, 2011, bringing an end to a great period for Apple and a major shift in the company’s history.

    Apple, on the other hand, continues to dominate the market with ground-breaking technical marvels.


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    Apple – Vision, and Mission

    Apple’s mission is “to bring the best user experience to its customers through its innovative hardware, software, and services.”

    Apple – Business Model

    Apple’s business model is divided into two parts: products and services. In 2021, Apple earned more than $365 billion in revenue, with $191.9 billion coming from iPhone sales, and $38.3 billion from accessories and wearables (AirPods, Apple TV, Apple Watch, Beats products, Home Pod, iPod touch, and accessories),  $35.2 billion from Mac sales, $31.86 billion from iPad sales, and $68.4 billion from services.

    • Products – iPhone, Mac, iPad, as well as wearables, home, and accessory devices, are among the product lines (Air Pods, Apple-Watch and more)
    • Services –  AppleCare+, Digital Content Stores and Streaming Services, and the AppleCare Protection Plan, Apple’s Cloud Services, Licensing, and other services like Apple ArcadeTM, Apple News+, Apple CardTM, and Apple Pay, a cashless payment service, are all part of the services business.

    Apple – Investments

    Date Organization Name Round Amount
    May 5, 2022 CNote Corporate Round $25M
    Dec 6, 2021 Trala Venture Round $6.9M
    Nov 4, 2021 Lime Convertible Note $418M
    Aug 26, 2021 VamosVentures Corporate Round
    Aug 26, 2021 SweetBio Corporate Round
    Jun 22, 2021 Alabama A & M University Grant $1.3M
    Jun 17, 2021 Morgan State University Grant $6.3M
    May 7, 2021 II-VI Post-IPO-Equity $410M
    Mar 31, 2021 UnitedMasters Series B $50M
    May 7, 2020 Copan Diagnostics Grant $10M

    Apple – Acquisitions

    Acquiree Name About Acquiree Date Amount
    Joby Aviation Joby Aviation is an aerospace transportation company developing electric aircrafts. Apr 1, 2022
    Credit Kudos Credit Kudos is a credit bureau that uses financial behavior and data through open banking to measure creditworthiness. Mar 23, 2022 $150M
    AI Music Exploring the relationship between music and AI to enable a new age of music consumption Feb 7, 2022
    Paws, Inc Paws, Inc., was founded in 1981 by cartoonist Jim Davis, as a creative house to support Garfield licensing. Aug 30, 2021
    SourceDNA SourceDNA is a code similarity engine enabling companies that make or sell code to track what’s inside apps. May 6, 2021
    Vilynx Vilynx increases engagement, efficiency, and insight with leading products for Publishers in the digital world. Oct 27, 2020 $50M
    Scout FM Scout FM is a hand-curated podcast radio stations personalized with the power of data and artificial intelligence. Sep 24, 2020
    Spaces SPACES designs VR, AR and MR experiences for theme parks, retail, and other public locations worldwide. Aug 24, 2020
    Mobeewave Mobeewave is a Canadian-based startup that allows any mobile app to accept in-person payments with no extra hardware. Aug 1, 2020 $100M
    Fleetsmith Fleetsmith puts Apple device management and security on auto-pilot. Jun 24, 2020

    Apple – Competitors

    Microsoft, Samsung, Lenovo, Dell, Sony, HP, Xiaomi, Asus, Huawei, and Oppo are the top competitors of Apple.

    Apple – Future Plans

    Every year in June, Apple has its global Annual Developers Conference, and in 2022, the keynote will be held on June 6. Apple will use the event to debut its next-generation software, which will be available in the autumn.

    Apple is said to be developing a folding iPhone with a screen size of 7.5 to 8 inches and a release date of 2023 at the utmost. Apple is reported to be working on interactive virtual goggles with an inbuilt processor, dedicated high-end displays, and a Reality Operating System. The gadget will combine hand gestures, touch panels, and voice activation for interaction, and it is projected to cost around $3,000. In 2023, the AR/VR headset is projected to be released.

    Apple is working on upgraded 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M2 Pro and M2 Max processors. The M2 Max processor will include a 12-core CPU and a 38-core GPU, and the new computers will be available in 2023.

    The storyline of Apple’s electric vehicle research has undergone numerous plot twists, but reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims that the company is still targeting a completely autonomous automobile, instead of just a technology offering, with a launch date between 2023 and 2025.

    Apple – FAQs

    What does Apple do?

    Apple Inc. is a global software company headquartered in Cupertino, California, that specialises in portable electronics, software applications, and internet services

    When was Apple founded?

    Steve Jobs, Ronald Wayne, and Steve Wozniak founded Apple Computers Company as a business deal on April 1, 1976.

    Which companies do Apple compete with?

    Microsoft, Samsung, Lenovo, Dell, Sony, HP, Xiaomi, Asus, Huawei, and Oppo are some of the companies Apple competes with.

  • Interesting Facts You Probably Didn’t Know About Sony

    As one of the largest manufacturers of consumer and professional electronic products, the largest video game console company and the largest video game publisher in the world, it should come as no surprise that Sony has started with selling rice cookers. But fully failed on the market. There are nuggets of information that you perhaps haven’t heard of. Here’s a short collection of the 6 most interesting facts about Sony.

    Interesting Facts About Sony

    1. The Story behind Sony
    2. Sony Walkman revolutionized the Music world
    3. The Story of Sony PlayStation
    4. Sony Bizarre Creations
    5. Sony is famous for Innovations
    6. Sony’s Staff Uniforms in the 70s and 80s

    15 Facts About Sony

    The Story behind Sony

    Akio Morita and Masaru Ibuka are the one who made Sony.
    Akio Morita and Masaru Ibuka are the one who made Sony.

    Sony was founded by Akio Morita and Masaru Ibuka in 1946. Initially, the company was called TTK or Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo. But later the name “Sony” was chosen for the brand as a mix of two words: one was the Latin word sonus, which is the root of sonic and sound, and the other was sonny, a common slang term used in 1950s America to call a young boy. While on the contrary, “sonny boys” is a loan word used in 1950s Japan to call smart and presentable young men.

    There was a student because of whom Sony became what it is today. But do you know how it started to focus its efforts to make its audio reception and quality better? All the credit can be given to an opera student at the Tokyo Academy of Art. This student complained to the founders about the bad quality of its first batch of sound recorders. The founders were impressed with him and happy about the critique. They eventually hired the boy to make an improvement in the product.

    Sony Walkman revolutionized the Music world

    Sony Walkman - Facts about Sony
    Sony Walkman

    The idea of Walkman was never something that any executive at Sony was keen for. This was a product that revolutionized music world. It changed the way we hear music. This was the reason it went on ‘to be sold’ for 31 years. The Walkman was sold as “Soundabout” in the US, “Stowaway” in the United Kingdom, and “Freestyle” in Australia.

    The reason behind this was that overseas sales companies thought the name as Japanese-English. Sony America initially suggested the name “Sony Disco Jogger”.

    Sony is not just a company that makes for the living rooms but has also produced electronics for those who are behind bars. This issue is known as the prison-issue Walkman SRF-39FP. FP stands for Federal Prison.

    It comes with a transparent body. A see-through case prevents the inmates from hiding any contraband inside. But despite their inability to store devices. These small boxes were capable to pick up radio signals through the walls along with a battery backup of 40 hours.

    The company started producing pocket radios in the late 1950s and claimed it was the world’s smallest radio. However, the problem which the company faced was the radios were too big to fit in shirt pockets. To get around this obstacle, custom-made shirts with larger pockets were ordered for its salesmen, to make the radios look pocket-fit.


    Sony Failed Products
    Sony is a popular brand that provides electronics & consumer goods, but they made some significant disasters. Know about failed products of Sony.


    The Story of Sony PlayStation

    Sony PlayStation - Facts about Sony
    Sony PlayStation

    Nintendo actually signed an agreement with Sony to manufacture an add-on device that could play CDs (Compact Disks) for their Nintendo console. But there were some complications between Nintendo and Sony over software licensing for the newly developed add-on device. So, the partnership fell off all of a sudden.

    Then, Sony went ahead and worked on the new console on its own. It was 1994 when Sony released the first PlayStation console. And, the rest is history.

    Sony Bizarre Creations

    Sony Chorocco

    One of the bizarre creations that Sony could never make it to the market was Chorroco, a mini plastic VW campervan that sat on the vinyl record and played music through its speaker as it drove around it.

    In 1998, Sony made a fool of itself by releasing a camcorder with night vision. What was so special about this? The camera could be used to see through the clothes. Anyone who wore dark clothes would be exposed. It used Infra-Red light. The company however recalled the product despite selling over 70,000 pieces.

    Sony is famous for Innovations

    Sony was famous for its inventions. They always looked towards developing newer things. Sony was the developer of compact disks and floppy disks in association with other companies. Sony had some impacts on the development of flask drives.


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    Sony’s Staff Uniforms in the 70s and 80s

    Issey Miyake is one of the famous fashion designers of Japan known for his technology-driven clothing designs.
    Issey Miyake is one of the famous fashion designers of Japan known for his technology-driven clothing designs.

    Let me tell you one of the fun facts about Sony. Sony had implemented a dress code during the late ’70s and early ’80s. Issey Miyake, a fashion designer in Japan, designed the uniform for all the staff of Sony.

    Interestingly, the iconic black turtlenecks worn by Steve Jobs were also designed by Issey Miyake. And, getting inspired by the idea of Sony uniform, Steve Jobs actually tried to implement a new dress code for his Apple employees as well. But nobody liked the idea of a uniform at Apple.

    Conclusion

    It would be hard to find anyone that doesn’t know about Sony or has not even heard of it. If you have read the post above, then you will know that Sony has gone through a lot of breakthroughs and setbacks.

    Despite being surrounded by naysayers, Sony is making highly innovative technologies and products available to us on a consistent basis. We hope they will continue to do so.

    FAQs

    What is unique about Sony?

    Sony is an electronics manufacturer who has gone above what many other electronic companies value, as such Sony has brought us many great inventions which have benefited mankind. Sony continues to innovate and be a world-class leader in reliable electronics, with that elegant and ergonomic Sony style.

    What is Sony famous for?

    Sony designs and sells electronic equipment, consumer electronics products, home entertainment products, mobile communication devices and imaging products and services.

    How did Sony get its name?

    Sony, which became the official name for the company in January 1958, was derived from the Latin word “sonus” (sound) and was conceived to be an international and not a Japanese term.

    Which country made Sony?

    Sony is a Japanese company.

    Why did Sony fail?

    The high price tag is undoubtedly a major flaw in Sony’s phones. They have poor battery life and charging speed. Low specs even for flagships. Poor sound quality and damn signal plus weird design.

    Who founded Sony?

    Sony was founded by Akio Morita and Masaru Ibuka in 1946.

    What was first product of Sony?

    The TR-55 was the first product to be labeled with the brand name as Sony.

  • 12 Interesting Facts about Apple You Never Knew Before

    Everyone is fascinated by the multimillion-dollar Apple company. The fact that no other electronics company has a fan base larger than Apple, is noteworthy. Apple is a brand, a symbol of high standard and elegance used by several pop stars. The exorbitant price tags of Apple products do not deter its customers from buying them.

    Read on to find out the hidden facts dug up from the archives of Apple’s past.

    People thought Apple sold organic products
    Steve Jobs primarily wanted the original iPhone to be used as a regular phone
    The First Apple Logo Featured Isaac Newton
    The Apple I Costed around $666.66
    Apple has a ‘No Smoking’ policy near its products
    The Name "Mac" Was Inspired by an Apple
    Apple is extremely successful
    Apple Watch was intended to be Rectangular
    Apple sold more watches in 2019 than the whole Swiss watch industry
    Apple made a $17,000 sold Gold Apple Watch
    The Name "iPod" Was Inspired By 2001: A Space Odyssey
    The First iPod Had A Secret Easter Egg
    FAQ

    People thought Apple sold organic products

    When the company had just launched, people thought the name ‘Apple’ came from founder Steve Jobs and resembles the organic product. In truth, it was only the fruit that Jobs was very fond of and named the company after that.

    Steve Jobs primarily wanted the original iPhone to be used as a regular phone

    Because of the ease of texting and social media integration, it’s not an exaggeration to say that the iPhone transformed cellphones into highly functional mini-computers. Although it may come as a surprise, the original iPhone was designed primarily as a phone.

    The absolute first Apple logo highlighted Sir Isaac Newton sitting under a tree, with an apple going to hit his head. The Newton logo was shaped by the less acknowledged Apple founder Ronald Wayne.

    Apple First Logo
    Apple First Logo

    The rainbow apple, planned by Rob Janoff, replaced Sir Isaac and was in use for a long time until the new monochromatic logo came out.

    The Apple I Costed around $666.66

    Apple’s customers aren’t deterred by its high prices. Apple PC prices have skyrocketed in recent years, causing concern among many apple buyers. Even today’s 17-inch MacBook Pro or MacBook Air are more expensive than the first Apple PC.

    Apple First Computer
    Apple First Computer

    The Apple I was evaluated at $666.66, as Steve Wozniak once clarified at a news conference, “I was into repeating digits,” he said and clarified that the discount cost to stores was $500, and adding a third to get the retail cost made it around $667, which Woz changed to every one of the one rehashing digit — $666.66 — “was only simpler to type.”

    Apple has a ‘No Smoking’ policy near its products

    Mac has a “no smoking” policy in regards to their PCs. As ludicrous as it sounds, yet if you smoke while using an Apple PC, you void the guarantee – you’ve been cautioned!. Apple has would not fix the PCs of buyers that were found to have tar soot from cigs, proclaiming it a “biohazard” to its employees.

    The Name “Mac” Was Inspired by an Apple

    Where did the name “Mac” come from? Apple representative Jef Raskin is liable for instituting the machine after his #1 assortment of apples, insightfully tying the entire natural product topic together. Mac was only a code-name.

    In any case, Raskin unmistakably knew a decent name when he generated it, as Macintosh just had a lot of strength and adhered right to the end of the product cycle.

    Apple is extremely successful

    Apple has twice the amount of cash as the U.S. Depository!. Apple is effective to such an extent that in the primary quarter of 2014, it got more cash flow than Amazon, Google, and Facebook consolidated. Around $150 billion of Apple’s excess capital is held in bank accounts. Netflix, Twitter, Tesla, and Facebook, for example, are all possible targets for acquisition by the organization.

    Apple Watch was intended to be Rectangular

    Apple Watch
    Apple Watch

    Round cases bode well for watches throughout the globe. Yet, Apple went the opposite way and made the Apple Watch rectangular. Until this point, Apple Watches have a rectangular touchscreen face with adjusted corners and a turning crown button for scrolling over.

    Apple sold more watches in 2019 than the whole Swiss watch industry

    The Apple Watch surpassed the whole Swiss watch industry in 2019, as per research firm Strategy Analytics. As indicated by the UK-based counseling firm Strategy Analytics, Apple sold 30.7 million watches in 2019, contrasted with 21.1 million sold by the Swiss Watch industry.

    Although Swiss watches are luxurious and have several buyers of their own, Apple watches have occupied a special place in the market.

    Apple made a $17,000 sold Gold Apple Watch

    Apple 18-Karat Gold Watch
    Apple 18-Karat Gold Watch

    Close by the original Apple Watch what began at $349, Apple additionally disclosed a watch evaluated at $17,000. The very good quality “Release”, was valued somewhere in the range of $10,000 and $17,000 and was produced using custom composites of rose or yellow 18-karat gold. The “Release” watch was designated at the Chinese market.

    The Name “iPod” Was Inspired By 2001: A Space Odyssey

    Sharp publicist Vinnie Chieco is acknowledged for thinking of the iPod name as a component of a new gadget. The story goes that Jobs had effectively chosen the MP3 player’s slogan was to be “1,000 tunes in your pocket,” which left naming choices open since it wouldn’t need to expressly allude to something music-related.

    The First iPod Had A Secret Easter Egg

    Apple Breakout Game
    Apple Breakout Game

    Mac’s first iPod accompanied somewhat secret — an Easter egg — as a game that could be gotten to if you knew the right blend of catches to press.

    Go to the ‘About’ menu, hold down the middle catch for around three seconds, and you’ll get a Breakout (Pong) game to play while you tune in.”

    Breakout, the secret game itself, is eminent in Apple’s set of experiences when Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak worked together where legend has it Jobs cheated Wozniak out of thousands of dollars of bonus money.

    FAQ

    How much is Apple in debt?

    According to the Apple’s most recent financial statement, total debt of the company is at $112.04 billion, with $99.28 billion in long-term debt and $12.76 billion in current debt.

    What is Apple’s net worth?

    The total net worth of Apple is $2 Trillion in 2021.

    What is Apple’s slogan?

    Apple’s slogan is “Think Different” which is one of the most recognizable slogans of the 21st Century. The idea was first introduced in the 1997 TV commercial.

  • List of All the Companies That Suspended Operations in Russia Due to Ukraine Invasion

    A business can be spread when it will be able to entice the audience which will result in potential customers becoming actual customers.  A business grows only when its customers indulge themselves with it. Every company has some social responsibility that they need to fulfil, towards the world, nature and its people.

    The world is seeing some of the greatest humanitarian crises in the last few weeks, once again. The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has intensified when the latter declared war. Some of the most famous brands from different sectors, realising the depth of the issue started pulling out from Russia and freezing their activities there.

    All the major companies seem to condemn the invasion of Russia and the violence that its people are facing in Ukraine and they have done that by suspending their operation in the country. This is mainly done to create pressure in the Russian economy so that they can back off from this disaster called war.

    In this article, we will talk about the major firms that have ceased their operations in Russia due to the country’s invasion of Ukraine. Let’s take a look at the list of the companies leaving Russia.

    “You only have to do a few things right in your life so long as you don’t do too many things wrong.” – Warren Buffett

    List of all the major firms that suspended operations in Russia

    Apple
    Microsoft
    Dell
    Google
    YouTube
    Mastercard
    H&M Group
    Visa
    Meta
    PayPal
    Airbus
    Samsung
    Puma
    Nike
    Disney
    Netflix
    Ford Motor
    Adidas
    Adobe
    Amazon
    BMW
    Accenture
    Spotify
    McDonald’s
    Intel and AMD
    PepsiCo
    Coca-Cola
    Starbucks
    Oracle
    SAP
    Electronic Arts (EA)
    Carlsberg
    SONY
    TikTok
    Warner Bros
    Snapchat
    FIFA
    UEFA
    American Express
    Uber
    KPMG
    FedEx
    Airbnb
    Harley-Davidson
    Shell
    ExxonMobil
    General Motors
    Porsche
    Toyota
    Mercedes-Benz
    Infosys
    Tata Steel

    Apple

    This American multinational tech giant Apple stopped the sales of their popular products like iPhone, Ipad and others in Russia and started restricting most of the services like Apple pay that the company used to provide to the people of Russia. Apart from that, they have also blocked the access of the app store in the country. Although there is no physical stores of Apple in the country but the products used to get sold through third-party retailers.

    Microsoft

    Like its above acquaintance, the American multinational technology company Microsoft chose the same path and suspended all their activities in Russia. It includes their new products and services sale in the country. The company is also closely monitoring the situation and is on the lookout for the safety of its employees in Ukraine.

    Dell

    Texas-based technology company, Dell took a step forward and halted the sales of their products in both the countries Russia and Ukraine.

    Google

    The largest company that provides internet-related services in response to Russia’s behaviour towards Ukraine took down RT News and Sputnik from the Google Play Store in Europe. Google has also decided to stop monetizing any Russia funded media present on their platform

    YouTube

    The online video streaming platform, YouTube decided to block Russian channels from monetizing and the company said in a statement they are taking a number of actions against Russia.

    Mastercard

    After the devastating effects of the war on Ukraine by Russia, Mastercard Inc. one of the most popular financial service corporations, has suspended all its activities and has frozen every kind of transaction. The company stated that any cards issued by Russian banks will not be supported.

    H&M Group

    Clothing brand H&M halt their sales in Russia and said that the brand will refrain from doing any activities till the situation is resolved.

    Visa

    Another major financial corporation Visa stopped its operations and has decided to cease all their transaction in the coming days in Russia following its war against Ukraine.

    Meta

    Meta formerly known as Facebook decided to stop all the advertising in Russia, they have already blocked the advertisement and Russia owned media channels on their owned platforms like Facebook and Instagram.

    PayPal

    The major financial technology company PayPal especially dealing with online money transfers has halted their services in Russia and has also barred Russian users to use their services.

    Airbus

    The multinational aerospace corporation of Europe known for making products related to aerospace, Airbus has decided to stop functioning in the country. Airbus has been a companion of Russia for 30 years but the violence against Ukraine by the country has forced Airbus to pull out from the country. It was a big blow to the aviation industry in Russia.

    Samsung

    The tech giant Samsung famous for its electronic products has decided to stop the shipment of its products to Russia. Any kind of products like smartphones, semiconductors and other consumers electronics will no longer be shipped to Russia due to the current situation.

    Puma

    German multinational athletic sportswear brand stopped all its activities in Russia and has shown solidarity to Ukraine, Puma has over 100 stores in Russia. This decision has led to the suspension of that store and its products.

    Nike

    The athletic sportswear brand from America, Nike has decided to follow the steps of all other big western brands and halted its activities in Russia and closed all its stores.

    Disney

    American multinational entertainment company, Disney decided to halt all their theatre release and production in Russia amidst the Russian invasion of Ukraine, they are the first ones to do that. Disney also stated that its future business in the country will depend on the situation.

    Netflix

    Streaming platform giant Netflix has stopped all its services in Russia after their invasion of Ukraine. It has decided to part away from all the future projects and collaboration scheduled to happen with the country. The shooting of Russian shows under Netflix has been put on hold due to the situation.

    Ford Motor

    Ford Motor has decided to stop its activities in Russia. The popular multinational automobile manufacturer was been a partner of Russia for a long time but the invasion has resulted in the ceasing of all operations in the country. Ford has also decided to donate money that will use for the Ukrainian refugees.

    Adidas

    The German multinational athletic sportswear brand has decided to suspend all its activities. They stopped all their online shop in Russia, apart from that, all the physical stores got shut down as well. Although the company is closed until further notice, Adidas claimed they will continue paying the employees there.

    Adobe

    One of the most prominent multinational software companies of America, Adobe has also decided to cut ties with Russia and has decided to stop all their sales in the country. They have also stopped Russia’s access to Adobe Creative Cloud and said that it will refrain from providing any service to Russia now.


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    Amazon

    The biggest cloud computing and e-commerce company in the world, Amazon also decided to stop all its activities in Russia and Belarus, it has stopped accepting customers from the two and has decided to not provide its web services to these two countries.

    BMW

    The Russian invasion of Ukraine has led to the decision of luxury car brand BMW to put a halt to their sales in the country. They have also stopped manufacturing products in the country and stopped their shipments as well.

    Accenture

    The Ireland-based multinational company, Accenture which deals with IT Services and consulting has decided to cut ties with Russia and stopped their services after Russia’s violence against Ukraine.

    Spotify

    Music streaming platform, Spotify has ceased all its services in Russia, after the country invaded Ukraine.

    McDonald’s

    Global fast-food chain brand McDonald’s has suspended their operation temporarily in Russia and has decided to close its outlets. It has over 850 stores in Russia.

    Intel and AMD

    Intel and AMD stopped their shipments of industrial chips in Russia, it has happened after the US Government lodged new export restrictions after Russia’s invasion continues.

    PepsiCo

    PepsiCo has suspended their sales and production of soft drinks in Russia amidst the Russia-Ukraine crisis.

    Coca-Cola

    Following the steps of its competitor, Coca-Cola has stopped selling their soda in Russia. The company also showed support to the people of Ukraine.

    Starbucks

    Starbucks, one of the world’s biggest chains of coffee houses has decided to stop its activities in Russia.

    Oracle

    The American multinational company that deals with computer technology has decided to stop all their operation and has suspended their sales in Russia and showed their solidarity to Ukraine.

    SAP

    The software and technology company that deals with software for developing enterprises have decided to stop their all activities and function in Russia.

    Electronic Arts (EA)

    The American Video Game company has cut their ties with Russia and has decided to stop selling its games and content in the country.

    Carlsberg

    Danish Brewer Carlsberg has decided to stop every kind of investment in Russia and has decided to provide aid to Ukraine at the time of the crisis. They halted and stopped all their exports of beverages in Russia.

    SONY

    Sony has made its decision to not launch its latest game Gran Turismo 7 in Russia, which was said to release worldwide but was suspended after its conflict with Ukraine intensified.

    TikTok

    One of the most popular videos sharing sites, TikTok has limited its services in Russia and banned content creation in Russia following its war with Ukraine.

    Warner Bros

    The multinational entertainment conglomerate Warner Bros has decided to stop all their theatrical release of their films in Russia.

    Snapchat

    Snapchat another popular social media platform has temporarily disabled its service called heatmap in Russia due to the ongoing war with Ukraine.

    FIFA

    The international governing body of the Football Association has kicked out Russia from World Cup. They got disqualified after the country launched a war against Ukraine.

    UEFA

    The Union of European Football Association has banned Russia from all international football competitions.

    American Express

    The multinational payment card service provider, AmEx has joined the list of companies and has shut down all its activities in Russia.

    Uber

    Uber after the escalation of the war on Ukraine by Russia has cut ties with a Russian ride-sharing service named Yandex.

    KPMG

    The Global network of professional firms for audit, Tax and other services has decided to end their services in Russia to show support against the war going on in Ukraine.

    FedEx

    The global express delivery service FedEx has informed that they are halting their shipment service in Russia as a result of the ongoing geopolitical conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

    Airbnb

    Airbnb, an American company that provides services for tourism activities like homestay, food and lodging has suspended all its services in Russia.

    Harley-Davidson

    The luxury bike brand Harley-Davidson has suspended its business in Russia after Russia invaded Ukraine.

    Shell

    One of the major oil companies, Shell has decided to stop buying crude from Russia as a result of the ongoing war with Ukraine.

    ExxonMobil

    Another oil company ExxonMobil decided to leave Russia and stop all the activities of oil production there.

    General Motors

    General Motors, the multinational automotive manufacturing company has stopped their activities in Russia and has suspended its business in the country as of now.

    Porsche

    The invasion of Ukraine by Russia has also caused one of the leading luxury car brands, Porsche to halt their production in the territory of Russia.

    Toyota

    Toyota has stopped their production in Russia and has informed their staff to return to Japan as Russia’s war intensifies with Ukraine.

    Mercedes-Benz

    Luxury car manufacturing company, Mercedes Benz has stopped their activities including the production of cars in Russia following its conflict with Ukraine.

    Infosys

    The Indian multinational company Infosys, which is the second-largest IT company in the country has decided to shut down their office in Russia.

    Tata Steel

    One of the biggest steel manufacturing plants Tata Steel has decided to stop doing business in Russia. They have decided to suspend and end ties with the country.


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    Conclusion

    The war invasion by Russia has led to some of the biggest companies and brands backing out from the country, most of the brands are American and European and this has been done to create a financial strain in the country. The future of all these companies in Russia depends on the situation now.

    FAQs

    Is McDonald’s closing stores in Russia?

    Yes, McDonald’s has suspended its operations in Russia and temporarily closed its 850 restaurants.

    Is Coca-Cola still operating in Russia?

    Coca Cola has ceased operations in Russia amidst Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

    What are some of the major companies that are leaving Russia?

    Mcdonalds, Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Starbucks, Nike, Puma, Adidas, Accenture, KPMG, Ford, Mercedes Benz, Shell, Harley Davidson, Mobil, General Motors, Airbnb, Toyota, Porsche, EA, Oracle, AmEx, Uber, TikTok, Intel, AMD, Amazon, Netflix, PayPal, H&M, Disney, Visa, Mastercard, Samsung, Apple, Adobe, BMW, Spotify, Shell, Google, Microsoft, Dell, Airbus, Meta, Sony, FIFA, UEFA, Carlsberg, and Warner Bros are some of the major companies that suspended their operation in Russia.

  • Innovations Caused by COVID-19 Pandemic

    The COVID-19 pandemic has changed every aspect of work and life this outbreak has resulted in many concerns all over the world. The pandemic is having a direct or indirect impact on many sectors such as airline profitability is getting impacted by low seat occupancy, supply chains are getting disrupted globally and retail stores are running out of dry goods and toilet paper in many countries which are eventually leading to an economic slowdown.

    The Covid-19 has already resulted in early signs of a shift in how consumers and businesses behave. For instance, pre-coronavirus crisis, only a few people had the experience of working remotely. But Coronavirus spread during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic led many organizations to recommend their staff to work from home full-time. Some of these changes are direct, short-term responses to the crises which will revert to regular levels once Covid-19 is contained. However, some of these shifts will continue even after the coronavirus is contained such as creating a long-term digital disruption that will shape businesses for decades to come.

    History is evident that every economic recession and pandemic that happened in the past has changed the trajectory of governments, economies and businesses’ work culture which resulted in altering the course of history for years to come. The Black Death in the 1300s broke their conventional feudal system in Europe and replaced it with the more modern employment contract. Similarly, the great economic recession kick-started a major innovation drive that radically improved agricultural productivity.

    The COVID-19 pandemic has already changed many things in the corporate and business world, it is also going to shape the future of many businesses, startups, and governments in the coming future. Over the last few years, as the coronavirus has swept across the globe, we have all had to adjust our daily lives. The technologies which came into the limelight after the pandemic are taking over many conventional methods. Some of the Coronavirus innovations which are likely to come are discussed below.

    More Digitization in Learning
    Digital Administration will become Mainstream
    In-home Diagnostics
    Grocery E-commerce

    More Digitization in Learning

    Digitization in Learning

    COVID-19 is acting as a catalyst for educational institutions worldwide to search for innovative solutions in a relatively short period. Due to the lockdown, closure of many schools, colleges and institutions have started online teaching via interactive apps. The use of online learning platforms has increased massively. Students can take classes at their convenience and it is also helping their teachers to solve their queries, doubts effectively. Students are also making and sending their videos of athletic training and sports to their teachers as homework, making students do things differently.

    The interaction among students and teachers has increased. This slow pace of change in academic institutions globally is likely to take over old lecture-based approaches to teaching, conventional institutional classrooms. Currently, various creative solutions are being implemented around the globe. This has led the innovators to find more tools and technology to be used for educational purposes.

    With 5G technology becoming more prevalent in countries such as China, US and Japan, we will see learners and solution providers truly embracing the ‘learning anywhere, anytime’ concept of digital education in a range of formats. Thus, E-learning could become a habit that is integrated into daily routines.

    Digital Administration will become Mainstream

    The Covid-19 breakout has caused government administrators to take action quicker than ever before. South Korea drove rapid testing of over 200,000 of its citizens and used smartphones to tag the movement of the infected — alerting the non-infected of those movements via real-time updates. All of these efforts, as well as transparency of biological impact, could have been improved if there were more smart cities in the world.

    As governments learn from the Covid-19 experience, it will shift investment in favour of smart cities as it would be critical to have them in order better manage the pandemic event. Today also, many key players benefiting from this shift in gears would be smart governments, focused companies such as Cisco, Microsoft and Siemens as well as digital city startups across Europe and the US.

    It is straightforward to predict that the Covid-19 is going to be an accelerant for remote working as well as online education. This shift will likely impact the efficiency, productivity and mental health of workers throughout the globe and businesses need to prepare for it.

    For companies looking to add the human touch digitally to their workplace, the choices are limited today — with Humu, a startup by ex-google HR chief Laszlo Bock. A handful of other tech companies, such as Github and Automattic, which run predominately on a remote collaboration model can also choose to productize their insights and capabilities to help other companies cope. This will create many opportunities to develop such platforms that connect people from remote places and let them work remotely with more efficiency.

    In-home Diagnostics

    Though the trend of wearables has been growing in popularity over the past 5 years, driven mainly by Fitbit and Apple, there is some limitation in their features. However, new features are emerging as sensor technology continues to advance. The pandemic will potentially change this space forever.

    Today neither the Apple Watch nor the Fitbit measure body temperature. However, there is a bigger opportunity, outside of wearables will be the in-home diagnostics market. There will be a bigger shift towards virtual doctor appointments as a result of this.

    However, virtual doctor appointments don’t completely replace the need for in-person visits when patients need to take the standard flu test, strep test, or have their vitals read. But surely there will be more research in this field which provides many remedies in house only. The amount of new investment and focus on this space will accelerate the progress.

    Grocery E-commerce

    Ordering Groceries Online

    Before the coronavirus crisis, though there was a good demand for online shopping surprisingly there was a tiny demand for grocery e-commerce. According to sources, only 4% of Americans ordered groceries online before this crisis but in India, this demand is even lesser. But since stay-in-place orders went into effect, shoppers are shifting their grocery shopping online.

    This has meant a significant increase in demand for grocery retailers who relied on e-commerce as a small percentage of sales. Suddenly they’re dealing with many times their normal volume.  The consumer is learning that ordering online isn’t as challenging as once thought, and the retailer is learning to properly staff and fulfil these orders at scale.

    As the reliability of customers on online retailing is speeding up, there is going to be demand for online grocery shopping even after coronavirus is contained. So, this is likely to create opportunities for startups to develop more technologies that help in easing the grocery e-commerce experience. However, if the crisis does last longer, retailers will catch up to demand, the experience will improve, and shopping habits will be altered.

    Conclusion

    The Covid-19 pandemic has changed our perspective towards many things. This pandemic led people to think out of the box to make their lives easier which led to the discovery of many things. It has created opportunities for people to explore different fields and come up with something new.