Just as he did last year after the financial results for the first fiscal quarter of 2012 were released, Tim Cook met again with Apple employees on the company's campus in Cupertino (California) to talk about a variety of issues.
Assembly: Ars Technica.
The first thing Cook did was to congratulate everyone on the result of the last quarter, which broke the company's record and was the best in history among companies in the technological sector. In fact, the only company that has ever made more money than Apple in three months was Exxon Mobil. The executive then pricked the oil giant, saying "I don't know about you, but I don't want to work for these companies".
Again, despite showing dissatisfaction with Ma's stock prices, Cook reinforced the idea that this is not a priority for Apple and will never be. What drives the company to make the best products in the world, and the profits are just a consequence of that. He further said that, regardless of what they do, there are people who will never understand the company and who will continue to criticize, even if it succeeds according to its own standards.
Cook also announced that the employee discount program (Employee Purchase Plan, or EPP) has gained a nice boost: in addition to Macs and iPads, workers can now purchase unlocked iPhones at reduced prices. New products like iMacs and iPad mini will soon also be available through the program.
Talking about the company's supply chain and partners, Cook demands from everyone the same ethical and transparent posture that Ma has. Regarding the recent announcement that taking part of Mac production to the United States, Cook said it was not a marketing movement, but something to improve / increase Mac production. And anyone who thinks that Macs are in decline is mistaken. Cook made it clear that the numbers were below expectations just because Apple was unable to produce enough Macs. In addition, Cook announced that all of the company's data centers will be powered by renewable energy by the end of 2013.
Quickly, Cook talked about the company's stores and acknowledged that satisfaction dropped slightly during the command of John Browett (former vice president of retail who left the company last December) the focus now on improving the environment and making employees happy again. Cook commented that the search for a new boss continues and many (store) employees are hoping Steve Cano will take over.
The war against Android in the countryside, not on the carpet (courts) was also the theme of the meeting. Cook discussed integration, usage experience and fragmentation, and found that Android could gain in number of devices sold something normal given the plethora of devices that leave the factory with Google's mobile operating system, but that iOS wins from washed when it comes to browsing the web, proving that users of iPads and iPhones / iPods touch use their devices much more.
For the Apple CEO, everything Android wants market share and to do that, it has an ecosystem with low-cost devices, while Apple products focus on hardware, superior experience and software quality. Proving his point, Cook again compared the iPhone division (alone, as if it were a company) with industry giants like Microsoft. China was also in the chat with Cook employees and said that the Chinese simply love Apple products, showing once again the importance of the country for Cook and the company.
Apparently this meeting between Cook and his subordinates will become a tradition.
(via 9to5Mac)
