E-Strategy
E-strategy is a process which is used to create or modify a firm’s business model for e-business. The process is iterative because its success comes after several do and learn cycles. The E-strategy focuses on the business and integration of emerging Information technology strategies.
E-Strategy therefore drives the IT strategy. Apple Company is the market leader in smart phone industry. Smart phones are mobile phones which have more advanced computing connectivity and ability than ordinary phones and therefore gives the users the ability to be able to install and run advanced applications on the phone. These phones allow its users to email, install programs, use the internet and store information. Its competitors in the smart phone industries include Blackberry and HTC.
It is quite obvious that Apple Company enjoys a fanatical brand loyalty from the customers (Ogrady, 2009). Apple has well utilized E-strategy by listing abound 4300 applications in the books category which comprises of EBook reading applications, audio books plus self contained eBooks. The development of an iPhone application by Apple Company has enabled it to stay ahead of its competitors because the application allows clients to read and purchaseeBooks directly from Amazon (Ogrady, 2009).Apple Inc. introduced its first iPhone or smart phone in the year 2007 which initially cost $500.
This smart phone was the first one to use a multi-touch interface but unfortunately, it had no 3G support and therefore in July 2008, Apple brought on the market its second generation Smartphone which had a 3G support and had a lower price. Through this E-strategy technologies, Apple Company has been able to create shareholder Value and helped it to identify new business models to compete in the new world which currently comprises internet based ecosystem (Ogrady, 2009). HTC Corporation is a Taiwan based manufacturer of smart phones and it is a strong competitor in the smart phone industry. HTC was accused by Apple in March 2010 for infringing twenty of its patents on smart phones. HTC was the first Company in the United States to launch the first 4G- capable phone and it was named in 2011 as the “Device Manufacturer of the Year”.
Unlike Apple, HTC has not created its own Mobile Operating system .The Fourth Generation smart phone manufactured by HTC Corporation enabled users to perform various applications concerning E-strategy like for instance marketing their goods and services online (Agtmael, 2007).. Blackberry Company gives its users Blackberry Business solutions in which they can be able to connect and collaborate in wherever they are. Blackberries have been known to do much better in E-mail applications than iphones. Blackberries utilize E-strategies by giving users the ability to manage their email accounts from one place unlike the iphones whereby one has to move from one account to the other.
Blackberry Inc. therefore mostly manufacturer Smartphones which are solely used for email purposes. Therefore there Smartphones can best be used for e-strategies since the company can be able to use email applications to be able to market their products on the internet. However, Black Berry Corporation needs to increase the speed at which they move from browser to web page because smart phones manufactured by Apple have been known to be much quicker than that of Blackberries and therefore enhancing e-strategy. The competition for e-mail based Smartphones is therefore very stiff (Hall, 2005).Through their websites, all the three companies, that is Apple, HTC and Blackberry use a combination of their search Engine Combination (SEO) to be able acquire, retain and satisfy their clients through provision of more business through e-strategy.
