Chevrolet can't be stopped

   The major competition that General Motors (Chevrolet's mother company) has to deal with consists of both fereign and domestic automotive companies. For the domestic market the major competitors are the mopar companies (Dodge, RAM, Jeep and Chrysler) and the Ford Motor Company (Ford, Lincoln and Mercury). In terms of the foreign market the major players for competition include Toyota (Toyota, Lexus and Scion), Hyundai, Nissan, Mercedes-Benz, BMW and most other mid-level priced cars and trucks to upper-level luxury cars and sports cars. Rather than cover all competition I will focus on the direct competition of Chevrolet's, hybrid vehicles, affordably priced cars, trucks and thier more expensive sports cars. Chevrolet does not manufacture a car classified as luxury as Cadillac (chevrolet's sister company) is General Motors's main luxury company. 

   For  the hybrid category the main competition for the Volt comes from the Toyota Prius line and the Nissan leaf electric car. For the subcompact category Chevrolet's compact Sonic and Cruze get competition from automobiles such as the Ford Fiesta, Ford Focus, Dodge caliber, Nissan Versa, Hyundai Accent, Toyota's Yaris and Matrix as well as other vehicles that fit the subcompact class. The crossovers and SUVs of Chevrolet compete with Ford's Escape, Edge, Explorer and Expedition, Dodge's Caliber and Nitro, Nissan's Rogue, Juke, Pathfinder and Armada, Toyota's 4Runner, Land Cruiser and Sequoia, and many other large SUVs and crossovers. For Chevrolet's full and midsize cars category  Malibu and Impala major competition comes from BMW,  Volkswagen, Chyrsler's 300 and 200, Ford's Fusion and Tarus, Dodge's Charger and Avenger, Nissan's Sentra, Altima and Maxima, Hyundai's Elantra and Sonata, and Toyota's Corolla, Camry and Avalon, in addition to any other foreign auto manufacturer of full size and mid size cars. Chevrolet's Colorado and Silverado competes in the small and fullsize truck category against Ford's Ranger and F-150, RAM's trucks, Nissan's frontier and Titan, and Toyota's Tacoma and Tundra. For the musclecar/pony car category Chevrolet's Camaro competes with only Dodge's Challenger, Ford's Mustang, Nissan's 370 Z and Hyundai's Genesis. For sports cars Chevrolet's Corvette competes with highend automobiles such as Dodge's Viper, Lamborghinis (owned by Volkswagen), Ferraris, Porsches (owned by Volkswagen), Nissan's GTR, BMW and Mercedes-Benz. 

   The corporate structure of Ford and Dodge are similar to General Motors in terms of them consisting of a chain of command of executives. The foreign automakers, however are ran more like regimes. The Asian auto makers Nissan, Hyundai and Toyota are all more of a centralized government structure. This also helps them manage their partnerships better as well as maintain the market shares in other countries. The Asian automakers tend to create partnerships with American Automakers and hire representatives and liaisons to coordinate agreements between both parties. The European Automakers are somewhat ran similar to the American Industry in that they have a chain of command of executives, however the companies are not as free to make decisions. This is due because of the European Manufacturers being so structured from prior that the executives are more like elitists or elected and appointed rather than earning the spot they are more elected. This is true with Mercedes-Benz, Ferrari, and Volkswagen as their executives are appointed, not promoted. Also European automakers tend to buy out other companies opposed to creating partnerships.

 

Sources:

Toyota
Nissan USA

Hyundai USA 

Dodge 

Ford 

Volkswagen AG 

MB USA 

Chrvrolet 

iOutsell My Predecessor

   

   The iPhone 4S was officially released today, October 12, 2011. Many are on thier way to Verizon, Sprint and AT&T stores and pre-order customers. Today's topic is about the number of pre-orders of the iPhone 4S. The new iPhone 4S sold over 1,000,000 in only 24 hours of being anounced. The previous record was 600,000 for the iPhone 4. This is an interesting point because the iPhone 4 was a whole new unit, whereas the iPhone 4S was simply an improvement on an existing product. The new iPhone 4S has a faster processor, longer lasting battery, an improved camera, Siri the smartphone assistant and comes with iOS 5 installed already. Although this is 67% increase over the iPhone 4, it should also be noted that the iPhone 4S was made available to foreign markets as well as the domestic market, a factor that the pre-orders of iPhone 4 lacked.

  The iphone 4 will also be able to update to iOS 5 and have some benefits that the iPhone 4S has. This brings me to my second topic for today's blog. The iOS 5 Update is done by simply plugging ones iPhone 4, iPad, or iTouch into their computer and updating via iTunes. The major issue with this is that the server has been overloaded almost since the update has been out. Error 3200 is wreaking havoc on Apple's idealistic worldwide update of iOS 4 to iOS 5. The problem that Error 3200 is in simple English is the Apple updating servers are becoming overwhelmed by the multiple users trying to update their devices. 

   With the iPhone 4S's high pre-order numbers, this can prove to Apple stockholders that the company is still worth some money. Also the market share in the smartphone industry has shifted to iPhone as more users have signed up and bought the product. The days of RIM's "Crackberry" (Blackberry) are coming to an end and Apple has its targets set for those Android users. As for the iOS 5 error, this is simply a setback for those who want the update now. Once more and more people get their devices updated the demand will drop and the servers will not be overwhelmed. Personally I had to try to update for 30 minutes before I was able to update. Was the wait worth it? I guess I will have to address that question on my next blog. So far it seems to have the benefits of a notification center and a few updated apps that work with the cloud.

Sources:

iPhone Sales

iOS 5 Problems

GM: Chevrolet's Mother Company

   

   Chevrolet is a division of General Motors Company. The structure of General Motors is a centralize hierarchy. The current key players in the North American hierarchy are: Daniel Akerson- CEO, Stephen Girsky- Vice Chairman, Corporate Strategy, Business Development, Global Product Planning, and Global Purchasing and Supply Chain, Thomas Stephens- Vice Chairman Global Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Mark Reuss- Vice President and President, North America, Mary Barra- Senior Vice President, Global Product Development, Daniel Ammann- Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, Cynthia Brinkley- Vice President, Global Human Resources, Nick Cyprus- Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer and Controller, Robert Ferguson- Vice President, Global Public Policy, and Terry Kline- Vice President, Information Technology and Chief Information Officer. There are others within the corporate structure that are key players in the company's sucess but for the global sucess. I wanted to focus on the North American structure. The CEO, Daniel Akerson took his position January 1, 2011, prior to joining General Motors he was a managing director of The Carlyle Group. Akerson's resume displays that he served as chairman, chief executive officer, or president of several major companies, including General Instrument, MCI, Nextel, and XO Communications.

   Chevrolet being a divison has cetrain products that General Motors wanted the company to focus on for a market share. The goal of Chevrolet was to introduce new customers to General Motors products with affordable prices and to give said potential customers the best value for thier money. This strategy leads to gaining loyal customers. General Motors hopes that younger customers or lower class customers will fall in love with thier Chevrolet and as thier incomes grow, the customers will be loyal and  inturn purchase the more expensive General Motors (GM) brands (such as Cadillac). The vehicle line up is as follows:

Cars- Sonic, Camaro, Corvette, Cruze, HHR, Impala, Malibu, and Volt.

Crossovers and Sport Utility Vehicles (SUV)- Equinox, Traverse, Tahoe and Suburban.

 Trucks and Vans- Colorado, Silverado, Avalanche, and Express.

These vehicles are all offered in multiple colors, and with a plentiful number of options that can be added for reasonable prices. Engines range from inline 4, V6 and V8 with intelligent cylinder technologies for fuel efficiency purposes. 

   Due to the North American Free Trade Agreement, some of the vehicles are assembled in both Canada and Mexico. Most of the parts are shipped from factories in the United States, if the vehicles are assembled in the foreign countries. The majority of the vehicles are built in the United States by Americans in the Detroit plants. For example the pickup trucks and SUVs are generally built in Michigan. Also, the proving grounds for their test vehicles is in Arizona, and in my opinion this proves that of all the "American" car brands, GM has the most impact on the American way of life by being one of the biggest employing American Workers. Partnerships are primarily for the purpose of gaining global market share. For example GM has partnerships Daewoo, Wuling, and Jiefang for the Asian Market, Isuzu for the Japanese and Indian market, Holden for the Australian Market, Vauxhall for the United Kingdom Market, and Opel for the European Market. Due to those partnerships, GM can sell their products globally, however those partnerships employ the citizens of the areas in which they are established.

   Financially GM was bankrupt recently and was given assistance by the United States Government, however recently the Company has fully repaid it's debt. Currently a share in the company is worth $21-$22 a piece. Last year according to the financial records (10-k report) GM had a net income of: $6.172 billion and it's total assets were valued at: $138.898 billion. They currently employ 209,000 employees globally. For a recession in the United States, in my opinion although they filled bankrupcy, they are recovering well and display the true spirit of what an American Automobile Industry giant feels during a national hard time.

  

sources:
http://www.gm.com/company/aboutGM/GM_Corporate_Officers.html
http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar
http://investor.gm.com/stockholder-information/

Steve Jobs 1955-2011

Originally I was going to blog about the release of the "iPhone 5" or iPhone 4S but after today's headlines of Steve Jobs passing away I decided to make today's blog in honor of him. . Steve Jobs was 56 years of age when he passed away, he was suffering multiple health issues. His illnesses included pancreatic cancer, hormone imbalances due to medical treatments and a liver transplant. Jobs served as the CEO for Apple, Inc. for 15 years (1996-2011) and was credited for leading the company to the current state it is in via multiple successful products. Among the Apple co-founders company leading achievements: Apple I 1976, Apple Macintosh 1984, iMac 1998, iPod 2001, iPhone 2007, and Macbook 2010. His last statement as CEO when he stepped down in August this year was: “I have always said that if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple’s C.E.O., I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come.” -Mr. Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs was such an influence on the company that upon his resignation as CEO, many of Apple's stockholders began to sell. His selected successor Tim Cook was Job's fill-in CEO while Jobs had pancreatic surgery (2004) and the liver transplant (2011). This event will definitely change the industry in terms of innovation and breakthrough thinking, as Jobs was seen as the forerunner for both. Most companies in the IT/IS industry maintained the status quo when compared to Apple. It is now up to Mr. Cook to carry the torch of Apple and lead the company to similar successes. The first product released under the new CEO was the iPhone 4S. Due to the fact that I dedicated this blog to Steve Jobs rather than my original theme, I felt it necessary to  include a video from Apple on the iPhone 4S:

Also my favorite video blogger talking about Steve Jobs (warning vulgar language but its dedicated):

sources:

NY Times: Steve Jobs Dies at 56

Apple: iPhone 4S 

The Bowtie Brand

   
   Chevrolet was founded on November 3, 1911 by race car driver Louis Chevrolet and William Durant (co-founder of General Motors). At the time that Chevrolet was first created Durant had recently been ousted from the management of General Motors and he desired to prove himself to potentially regain a foothold within the company. He assisted Louis Chevrolet in the design and development of the the first Chevrolet Automobile the Series C Classic Six. It was soon after the production of the Series C that Chevrolet adopted the bowtie emblem (1913). In 1915 Louis Chevrolet had become disgruntled with Durant and decided to sell his shares of Chevrolet Automobiles to Durant. Also around this time the company had become so profitable that in 1916 Durant was able to buy a controlling interest in General Motors Corporation.  In 1917 Chevrolet Automobiles and General Motors Corporation merged and Chevrolet became the first division under the General Motors (GM) Holding Company. By 1918 Chevrolet introduced the V8 engine into production and was the leading seller for V8 powered automobiles with their Model D.  As the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s progressed the most affordable automobiles were Plymouth Ford and Chevrolet, offering the most for the least amount of money. As the GM Holding Company grew, procuring Pontiac, Buick, Oldsmobile, GMC Trucks, Cadillac and other brands, Chevrolet remained the brand that targeted the broadest market offering the most affordable vehicles. The GM business plan was to get people to buy Chevrolet and move up the lineup of divisions progressing to more luxurious brands such as Pontiac and Cadillac. In 1953 the revolutionary Corvette was born and began to represent Chevrolet with performance unmatched by any other brand. Since then and continuing to today, the Chevrolet Corvette is America's super-car. Also notable in 1955 Chevrolet developed the basic small-block V8 design, which has been utilized since its debut each year only with slight modifications, similar to a platform with beta updates in the web 2.0 webspace. In 1966 the Camaro was released to compete with the popular selling Ford Mustang. Also during the muscle car era the Nova, El Camino and Chevelle were released. 

    Today, Chevrolet produces the Silverado pick-up truck, Colorado sub compact pick-up truck, Avalanche mid-size pick-up, Express van, Sonic, Cruze and Aveo sub-compact cars, Malibu and Impala full-size cars, Camaro muscle/pony car, Corvette sportscar, Equinox and Traverse crossovers and the Volt for the growing hybrid market. I currently own a Camaro and it has been the nicest automobile I have owned for the amount of money I paid. My father owns a Silverado that was just as impressive. Chevrolet truly embraces the American Spirit.

iOctober 4....are you iReady?

With the iPhone 5 debut only 7 days away, Apple submitted a few clues to the media through a cleverly created collage of icons. The icons used were the ones from the iPhone OS that everyone who has ever looked at n iPhone is familiar with. The first icon was the calendar icon displaying Tuseday: 4 (indicating Tuesday October 4, 2011). The second icon was the clock icon displaying 10:00, followed by the map icon and a pin on the location of the Apple headquarters (where the event is to be held). The final most misunderstood icon was the phone icon with a red number 1 (usually used to indicate the number of missed calls). Then the words: "Let's talk iPhone."Analysts from digital magazines and online sites have been trying to figure out what this last icon is supposed to indicate. The most accepted theory is that although consumers and carriers have been hoping for a low end iPhone: that could be sold to carriers for cheap and inturn be sold to users for lower prices is still just a dream. Many thought that Apple would release a low end iPhone because it would offer affordable, unsubsidized phones that could potentially be use by carriers to penetrate more target markets. Also most analysts anticipate that the focus of the event on Tuesday October 4, 2011 will be focused on the unveiling of the iPhone 5, its projected A5 processor (same as iPad 2), and its new design features as well as iOS 5 and the cloud computing capabilities of iOS 5.  The final element many believe that Apple will stress is the fact that iPhone 5 will be available for AT&T, Verizon and now Sprint in the US and its availability in China. The "iCollage" can be seen below:

The relevancy to the industry in this case shows that with the release of the iPhone 5 only being the singular subsidized model, Apple is missing the opportunity to get into the lower class market share. If they create a low end model, as suggested by many analysts, both carriers and Apple would benefit. As an iPhone user, i frankly do not feel effected by this as I have Verizon and therefore am bound by contract. 

sources:

What to expect Oct 4 -Apple 2.0 CNN Money
Let's talk: 1 new iPhone, not 2? -Apple 2.0 CNN Money

Decepticons? No Problem!