Apple CEO Tim Cook: Health Industry is 'Ripe for Simplicity and a New View'

[MacRumors]

Apple CEO Tim Cook spoke this morning at Startup Fest Europe, a festival geared towards helping startups grow, where he gave some sage business advice and shared some insight into Apple's future plans in the television and healthcare industries.

Some of Cook's most interesting comments were on healthcare, which has been a focus for Apple in recent years with ResearchKit, HealthKit, and the Apple Watch. According to Cook, healthcare could be significantly improved through the use of apps and it's one area where the App Store has potential for growth.

Cook went on to say that health is something that interests Apple because it's an area where hardware, software, and services can come together into "something that's magical." Apple said health is a "huge problem in the world" that's ripe for a revamp.

The things that interest us the most are things where we can bring our ability to integrate hardware, software, and services into something that's magical and enriches people in some way. If you look at some of the things we're doing that do not drive revenue but they have massive interest in them from our teams - health is very much one of those. [...]

The net of that is we believe that health is something that is a huge problem in the world, a huge issue, and we think it is ripe for simplicity and sort of a new view and we'd like to contribute to that. So that's an area where we're very focused.

He also made some predictions on the Apple Watch, once again stating that people will one day look back at the watch and wonder how they lived without it. The "holy grail" of the watch, he says, is being able to monitor more and more of what's going on in the body, something that's not possible today, but will be possible in the future. He likened the future of healthcare and monitoring devices to the systems available in cars.

For those of you that own a car. You get in your car, you crank it up, you drive for a while. If it gets a little too hot a light comes on and says you know pull over or check out. If you need an oil change, it comes on and says check the oil. It has all of these things in it that alert you that you need to do something. What is the equivalent for the body?

Well, it's our minds, but our minds unfortunately convince all of us all too often not to seek help. And many times, we don't even know. There's no symptom. So if you could have a device that knew so much about you, it would be pretty incredible and would extend life and extend quality. I'm not saying one device will do all of that, but when you solve such a big problem it takes several contributions. That's the way I feel here.

Other tidbits of information from the interview included Apple's stance on becoming a carrier, to which Tim Cook said the company's expertise "doesn't extend to the network," and Apple's interest in the entertainment industry and its desire to be a catalyst for change.

We also believe in the entertainment realm that apps are the future of TV and so we've launched our new Apple TV product, but it's clear to us as we pull that string that there's a lot left to do, and we'd like to be a catalyst in changing the world of entertainment and so we're continuing to work on that.

When it comes to business advice, Cook ended the interview by saying companies shouldn't be worried about cannibalizing their products and shouldn't compromise. "Don't get full of yourself. Don't smoke your own exhaust. Don't worry about cannibalizing yourself," he said. "I think being hungry -- not being driven by money, but being driven by some higher purpose and building great products -- is really key. Never do something strictly for money. Do it for love, do it for passion."

Article Link: Apple CEO Tim Cook: Health Industry is 'Ripe for Simplicity and a New View'

 

[Juicy Box]

He also made some predictions on the Apple Watch, once again stating that people will one day look back at the watch and wonder how they lived without it.

I am not quite there yet Tim.

 

[Asarien]

How will Apple change the health, television and automotive industries when they can't even figure out a useable UI for Apple Music and iTunes Match?

 

[niun]

I stopped at, "If you look at some of the things we're doing that do not drive revenue".

 

[bpeeps]

I am not quite there yet Tim.

Same, but I also said that about the iPad upon release. And that's probably one of my most used devices at home now.
[doublepost=1464114823][/doublepost]

How will Apple change the health, television and automotive industries when they can't even figure out a useable UI for Apple Music and iTunes Match?

How to compare unrelated things:

Step 1. Join MacRumors.
Step 2. Post.

 

[Logic368]

The problem with the health industry is the bureaucracy involved in getting anything done. Really hoping Apple, with its power can do that. Maybe Apple is doing somewhat of the right thing, getting its fingers ever so slightly in the rotten pie. Politics, healthcare, law, equality; some of the hardest things to change, but in a way, that's what technology was always meant to do.

 

[jdillings]

The Apple Watch will never take off unless they simplify the lineup and eliminate its dependence on the iPhone.

 

[H2SO4]

This was the bit that made me laugh. And cry.

"Never do something strictly for money."

 

[MacFather]

Deleted.

 

[phillipduran]

"I think being hungry -- not being driven by money, but being driven by some higher purpose and building great products -- is really key. Never do something strictly for money. Do it for love, do it for passion."

This is what I have been saying about Apple for a long time. People love to come on here and say it's all about the money. That a business will do whatever it is that makes them the most money. That's what the competition does with their plastic baloney they put out. Apple has always put a quality product first. I know they have some current issues, but this for the most part, is what their product philosophy is. Quality first.

 

[a.gomez]

Unless they embrace web services a lot more Apple will go nowhere in the Health Care industry.

 

[niun]

is what their product philosophy is. Quality first.

Sadly it's what their product philosophy was.

 

[Nunyabinez]

I am not quite there yet Tim.

That's because the watch is not there yet.

 

[npmacuser5]

I am not quite there yet Tim.

I am, works great especially for a first generation product.

 

[i5pro]

Geez..."magical" why is everything "magical?" It's time to retire that term magical.

 

[dk001]

Tim is just starting to get into the world of "regulatory" from a medical perspective. Oh joy

 

[Rocketman]

When Apple got into pay they didn't build a POS system. It is hardware, software and services. Medical equipment is hardware, software and services. Medical records is SAAS. They don't do that either. They have a display device, apps, and it can communicate.

Apple does not seem to want to be a VAR in any venue they operate except cell phones, but stay away from the network!

Not even with an off-budget subsidiary which would at least earn more than cash.

 

[npmacuser5]

The Apple Watch will never take off unless they simplify the lineup and eliminate its dependence on the iPhone.

Just what I need, another device to pay phone and data charges on, NOT. More independence in some areas nice to have but elimination could never work for battery life alone. Google Glass learned that lesson very quickly. I actually like the watch being an extension of the iPhone. Makes a small functional device very powerful.

 

[Nunyabinez]

says the man who approved 5400 RPM spinning disk in an almost 2-Grand computer.

I'm so sick of this comment. And the 16GB iPhone one too. Did someone force you to take it with the HD instead of the Fusion or SSD? Upgrade it and then it is a just over 2-Grand machine with a SSD drive. Then decide if it's worth it.

It's the same thing auto makers have done for years. Air conditioning on many cars is a option. Who in their right mind buys a car without air conditioning. Answer: Almost no one. They OPT for it. It just allows the car company to say the base price is such and such and then you add what you need.

 

[thekeyring]

The Apple Watch will never take off unless they simplify the lineup and eliminate its dependence on the iPhone.

The lineup isn't complicated.

Step 1: pick a size.

The rest is just aesthetics. All are technically the same product: same internals, battery life, functionality...

 

[Thunderhawks]

Just don't order that artificial iHeart 1 with beta HeartOS 1.0 without waiting for Ming Ring Dingeling Kuo to tell you which supplier it should be from.

And lets make sure it has more than one blood pumping port.

Seriously, maybe Apple can invent a reasonably priced artificial heart.

I'd even take a rosegold version.

 

[IJ Reilly]

This was the bit that made me laugh. And cry.

"Never do something strictly for money."

Years ago I heard a very successful entrepreneur speak about his business. When it got to the questions and answers, somebody asked him a "bottom line" question. I will always remember his answer, which went something like this: "I don't worry about the bottom line. If you worry about the customers, the bottom line takes care of itself." Probably the simplest and wisest single piece of business advice I have ever heard.

 

[discounteggroll]

says the man who approved 5400 RPM spinning disk in an almost 2-Grand computer.

combo/super drive decisions...

 

[RogerWilco]

"Don't smoke your own exhaust"

LOL -- but from what I've seen coming out of Cupertino lately it's OK for the design staff to smoke rope.

 

[Rocketman]

The problem with the health industry is the bureaucracy involved in getting anything done.

Maybe they could start with the VA and TSA and expand from there repairing bureaucracies.