Astazi se implinesc 5 ani de la lansarea iPhone-ului si desigur ca trebuiau prezentate cateva cifre legate de felul in care a evoluat dispozitivul celor de la Apple de-a lungul timpului. Cei de la Goldman Sachs pun astazi in discutie valoarea fiecarui posesor al unui iDevice, dar si valoarea intregului ecosistem al posesorilor de iDevice-uri. Cei de la Sachs spun ca in momentul de fata ar exista 281 de milioane de iDevice-uri in folosinta, iar pentru Apple un posesor al unui iDevice valoreaza, in medie, aproximativ 1053$. Inmultind cele 281 de milioane de iDevice-uri cu valoarea calculata pentru fiecare posesor in parte, rezulta ca intregul ecosistem al iDevice-urilor valoreaza 295 de miliarde de dolari pentru Apple. Cifra reprezinta jumatate din valoarea capitalizarii bursiere a companiei si este mai mare decat valoarea capitalizarii bursiere a Microsoft, Google sau IBM.
- iOS users are a loyal bunch. 94% are likely or highly likely to stick with Apple for their next smartphone or tablet. More than one in five said there isn’t a discount high enough to persuade them to switch.
- It costs a lot to switch. The explicit switching cost (to replace music, apps, etc.) comes to an average of $122 to $301 per device. The implicit switching costs (the “pain in the neck factor,” losing Apple’s better-than-average customer service, etc.) make the platform even stickier.
- Installed base matters. Shope estimates that by Saturday (when Apple’s third fiscal quarter ends), the installed base of iOS units will exceed 281 million, up 72% from the same quarter last year. Using a blended average selling price reduced by Apple’s gross margin, platform erosion etc., he calculates that the lifetime value to Apple of each iOS customer is $1,053.
- Apple’s greatest value is its customer base. Multiplying 281 million by $1,053, Shope gets a value for Apple’s installed base of roughly $295 billion. That’s about 55% of Apple’s current market capitalization. And that, he adds, “is before taking into consideration Apple’s $110 billion cash balance, the rapid growth of the installed base, the value of the Macintosh and traditional iPod businesses, and the related content, services and peripherals streams.”
Partea cea mai interesanta sta totusi in faptul ca posesorii de iDevice-uri nu planuiesc sa paraseasca prea curand platforma companiei Apple. Intr-un studiu facut de Sachs in SUA, 94% dintre respondenti spun ca viitorul smartphone sau viitoarea tableta vor fi achizitionate tot de la Apple si ca nu exista promotie indeajuns de buna pentru a ii convinge sa treaca pe alta platforma. Mai mult decat atat, s-a calculat ca un utilizator ar trebui sa cheltuiasca intre 122$ – 301$ pentru a inlocui muzica, aplicatiile, filmele si tot continutul cumparat din iTunes, deci au un motiv in plus pentru a ramane la Apple.
Practic Apple are unii dintre cei mai loiali si mai valorosi clienti, acum ramane de vazut daca va sti cum sa ii pastreze si sa ii inmulteasca.