ECO/365
September 16, 2013
Market Conditions and Competitive Analysis
AT&T began business back in the 19th century when AT&T became the parent company of Bell System. At the time Bell System held a monopoly in telephone service and was considered to be the best in the world. In 1984 Bell broke into eight different organizations and until 1986 AT&T was part of an integrated telecommunication service. Today AT&T is a global leader in the telecommunications and continues to grow (AT&T, 2013). One of the best technological ideas that helped AT&T stay competitive in the market was the introduction of the Apple iPad. The iPad offers different features and options for different ages, and has become one of the top rated mobile devices available. The iPad is equipped with sound, a variety of applications, is lightweight, equipped with Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth capability. However, the technology industry advances rapidly, and it is necessary for businesses like AT&T to continue to advance to stay competitive. This paper will show the factors that affect supply and demand of the iPad, along with issues and opportunities AT&T will face in regard to competitiveness and profitability and last the best recommendations to maximize profit potential to stay successful in the market.
The current market that the Apple iPad is competing in also includes other operating system platforms; the operating system Apple uses on their iPad tablet device is the iOS operating system. Android is the main competing operating system and can be run on various devices and is not specific to one, which is the case with the iPad. The iPad operating system is exclusive to operating on only Apple devices, whereas Android can be run on Amazon’s Kindle Fire, Google’s Nexus device, and other devices. A factor that determines demand for the iPad is the pricing these competing devices are more affordable to the consumer enticing those who want a