Apple Completed 15 'Strategic' Acquisitions in Fiscal 2013

[MacRumors]

During today's fourth quarter earnings call, Tim Cook announced that Apple has completed a total of 15 "strategic" acquisitions during the course of fiscal 2013, which equates to one acquisition every three to four weeks.

Over the course of the year, Apple has focused on purchasing quite a few mapping companies, with the aim of improving its mapping services. Acquisitions have included Embark, HopStop, WifiSLAM, and Locationary.

Apple has also recently acquired data compression startup AlgoTrim, personal assistant app Cue, wireless chip developer Passif Semiconductor, and discovery and recommendation startup Matcha.tv.

While quite a few of Apple's acquisitions have been made public, a number of deals have clearly remained under the radar and may come to light as Apple works to unveil products in new categories over the course of 2014.

According to Tim Cook, Apple has "great products" coming in categories that Apple does not currently participate in, potentially alluding to its iWatch or upcoming advances in the television industry.

Article Link: Apple Completed 15 'Strategic' Acquisitions in Fiscal 2013

 

[Dulcimer]

I'm looking forward to the future of Apple. Can't wait to see what's in store for us in 2014!

 

[JayCee842]

I can't wait to see the new categories!

Also hope that if they do end up going with a watch they don't pull of a Samsung. Don't rush the product entirely, but get it close to perfection.

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I'm looking forward to the future of Apple. Can't wait to see what's in store for us in 2014!

Macbook Air with Retina display? Hopefully.

 

[Aye]

I can't wait to see the new categories!

Also hope that if they do end up going with a watch they don't pull of a Samsung. Don't rush the product entirely, but get it close to perfection.

Oh you meant the ugliest product of the year? *cough Samsung Galaxy Gear ... The year's ugliest & useless biggest flop!*

 

[BlueParadox]

Great. Apple - just be sure to make those acquisitions before Google and the like. And while you're at it, please "acquire" more people for your mapping service, particularly as you've now released a desktop Maps app (problems I've sent in are yet to be fixed... 1 year on!!).

 

[macchiato2009]

this year's acquisitions prove that Apple is running out of innovation

the only solution when you no longer have good ideas is to buy others'

 

[PracticalMac]

Some of those acquisitions should have been made last year.

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this year's acquisitions prove that Apple is running out of innovation

the only solution when you no longer have good ideas is to buy others'

*cough* patents *cough*

 

[LagunaSol]

Over the course of the year, Apple has focused on purchasing quite a few mapping companies, with the aim of improving its mapping services.

You know how else they could improve its mapping services? Fix the friggin' misspelled street name in my neighborhood that I've reported via the Maps app at least a half-dozen times over the last year.

Seriously, does anyone even look at those user reports?

** Correction: two misspelled street names in my neighborhood I've reported multiple times. **

 

[Tankmaze]

Oo yeahh iwatch and itv! Or maybe cook refering to cars or boat.. Idk

 

[SusanK]

iCar

Oo yeahh iwatch and itv! Or maybe cook refering to cars or boat.. Idk

Will it be necessary to restart in high speed traffic?

 

[cambox]

How funny that reports like this dont reach these pages! The Guardian ‏@guardian 1m
Apple earnings expected to disappoint after iPhone 5C gamble falls flat http://gu.com/p/3kvx8/tw

 

[thekev]

this year's acquisitions prove that Apple is running out of innovation

the only solution when you no longer have good ideas is to buy others'

This is a silly comment, because it suggests that the purchase of cool small companies is a new thing for Apple when every major success from the last 15 years relied heavily on buyouts, even if the final products didn't align with the original business plans of the acquired companies.

 

[gnasher729]

this year's acquisitions prove that Apple is running out of innovation

the only solution when you no longer have good ideas is to buy others'

Desperate attempt to put a negative spin on things.

Buying a company is the same thing as hiring a new employee, just at a bigger scale. Do you think Apple shouldn't hire any new employees either?

 

[PowerBook-G5]

You know how else they could improve its mapping services? Fix the friggin' misspelled street name in my neighborhood that I've reported via the Maps app at least a half-dozen times over the last year.

Seriously, does anyone even look at those user reports?

** Correction: two misspelled street names in my neighborhood I've reported multiple times. **

The maps STILL seem to think that the hiking trails in the state forest behind my house are car-accessible. Every time I try to get drections, I have to skip over the first route because the car can't go though the woods....

 

[MWPULSE]

"but apples not innovated in years, its like they are totally dead inside... they shouldn't be buying more companies cos they need to refind their passion"

"why didnt apple buy as many companies this year, as they did last year. Apple suck, they don't know what their customers want in their phones, or laptops. Can't they just buy google so my maps app will work"

uhhhmmmmm... I think we can all agree that Apples strategic acquisitions department seems to be paying off at the moment

 

[Bubba Satori]

I'm looking forward to the future of Apple. Can't wait to see what's in store for us in 2014!

 

[Glenny2lappies]

Better they spend their money in the computer industry than throwing it away for the greedy Mr Buffet.

 

[BarryL]

Can't wait to see what's in store for next 12mo

 

[goobot]

this year's acquisitions prove that Apple is running out of innovation

the only solution when you no longer have good ideas is to buy others'

Or you know, get employees that you know are good for the job and work good together very fast and easy or you could just teach your employees that work on camera stuff and teach them to work on mapping stuff instead, seems logical.

 

[\-V-/]

Image

I'd buy it.

 

[9000]

Desperate attempt to put a negative spin on things.

Buying a company is the same thing as hiring a new employee, just at a bigger scale. Do you think Apple shouldn't hire any new employees either?

Perfect response. What is a company anyway? (rhetorical question)

 

[jaison13]

I'd like to see apple, and if not another company get into the digitizer market to compete with wacom. Their products are great be cost way too much!!

 

[Terrin]

Better they spend their money in the computer industry than throwing it away for the greedy Mr Buffet.

Actually Mr. Buffet said Apple management is great and should just keep doing what they are doing. Perhaps you mean another greedy billionaire.

 

[djtech42]

I hope Apple actually uses them, unlike Google that just buys companies and never does anything with them.

 

[macs4nw]

Image

Whaaat? No 'wireless' version?