Quotable Business News & Stats
From the iPad to the State University System, there's some interesting trends in the business world right now
Business Arena: Dec/Jan 2010 Complied by Linda Kleindienst Originally published in the Dec 2010/Jan 2011 issue of 850 Business Magazine
The iPad phenomenon
“People are loving iPad as it becomes a part of their daily lives. We’re working hard to get this magical product into the hands of even more people around the world,” said Steve Jobs, Apple CEO. “The more that time passes, the more I’m convinced that we’ve got a tiger by the tail here,” he told Wall Street analysts during an October conference call on Apple earnings.
So, just how popular is this mobile device that everyone’s been talking about since it was introduced in April? For some answers we turned to YUDU media, which is keeping track of the iPad’s trends and statistics. Check out the numbers:
16 million: Number of iPads that Apple is expected to sell in the first year — putting it on track to become the world’s most popular mobile device, according to Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty.
30–54 years old: Average age range of iPad users, according to a Yahoo survey.
10 million: U.S. consumers who already own or intend to buy an iPad.
3.3 million: Number of iPads sold within the first three months.
$2.17 billion: Revenue generated April to June (14 percent of Apple’s total income that quarter).
Top reasons for wanting an iPad:
- Entertainment
- Cool Factor
- Convenience
- Brand (Apple)
Rethinking the role of work:
Widespread layoffs and other job changes associated with the Great Recession have caused workers to question career-related sacrifices, including time away from family, less leisure time and fewer self-improvement activities.
Those are some of the findings of a recent study conducted by Wayne Hochwarter, the Jim Moran Professor of Business Administration in the Florida State University College of Business, and research associates Tyler Everett and Stuart Tapley. They examined the recession’s role in changing employees’ thoughts about work, commitment to their families and the pursuit of a more balanced lifestyle.
Opinions gathered from more than 1,100 full-time employees, across a range of occupations and career stages, showed the following:
48% reported that the recession increased their appreciation of family; 37% reported that the recession promoted thoughts that work isn’t as important as it once was in the grand scheme of things; 49% admitted that the recession helped them recognize the value of people over things; 23% indicated that the recession increased awareness of an over-commitment to work at the expense of family and recreation; 42% confirmed that most of what happens at work is out of one’s control regardless of commitment and effort; and 43% agreed that the recession increased motivation to be a better person rather than just a better employee. More than 7% acknowledged that most days at work “seem like they will never end” — a commonly held belief in work settings where increasingly more time and output is expected with less support and fewer guaranteed rewards.
Commercialization from Florida’s state universities:
Mobili-T Rover is a wheelchair that allows people who can’t walk to dance. Developed and patented by a dance teacher and then a student-formed company from the University of South Florida engineering college.
Taxol, developed by Florida State University researchers, was recognized by the FDA in the late 1990s and is now used globally to fight breast and ovarian cancer.
Gatorade, developed by University of Florida researchers in the mid-1960s, has become one of the most recognizable brands in the world. Now owned by PepsiCo, it is available in 30 flavors and sold in more than 80 countries, with billions of dollars in annual sales.
NovaMin, when added to toothpaste, strengthens and whitens teeth and kills bacteria that causes gum disease. Developed at the University of Florida and recently acquired by United Kingdom-based pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline (owners of Aquafresh and Sensodyne) for $135 million.
Gossamer Wind Series, developed at the University of Central Florida, uses about half the electricity of conventional ceiling fans and keeps rooms comfortable even with a 2F to 4F higher air-conditioning setting. A half million sold in U.S. to date.
Source: State University System of Florida
We’re the tops!
Florida has been ranked No. 1 in the nation for its work force by CNBC. The ranking came in CNBC’s fourth annual America’s Top States for Business rankings — a study of all 50 states that examines 10 different categories, including work force, to measure each state’s ability to attract businesses. Florida moved up from the No. 3 spot in 2009, reclaiming the top ranking the state held in 2008.
