The future of Apple is in televisions with an application store for video games streamed straight to screens, Chartered Financial Analyst Tavis C. McCourt told Belmont University students.
McCourt, of Morgan Keegan, often is featured on CNBC as a top technology analyst and writes stock recommendations for large financial institutions that outsource to investment banks. He shared his thoughts and insights on the future of Apple and the personal and commercial PC/handheld markets during a lecture in the Neely Dining Room on Sept. 9.
“The easy answer to Apple’s success is it makes good products and that is obvious,” McCourt said. He cites the company’s vertical integration, in which it owns and makes its own software, and wealthy customers for Apple’s continued prosperity.
Apple also owns and controls its contacts with media companies and retail stores, avoiding third party companies, which maximizes profits. For instance, the iPhone should retail for $600 but Apple has wireless phone carrier companies subsidize the popular smart phone in exchange for exclusive contracts. Apple also does not profit from iTunes, but the iTunes marketing and retail strategy allows a platform that gives convenience as an incentive for companies and consumers to use Apple hardware, McCourt said.
“This integration of media and hardware allows Apple to by far make the highest profits in the industry,” he said.
Still, the technology company faces threats from Microsoft, Google, Amazon and Samsung. With the departure of former chief executive officer Steve Jobs, Apple will lose top engineers to its competitors.
