innovation to day: 2008

The Innovation Bootcamp Jumpstarts Business Innovation And Growth. Unlock Business Creativity, Be An Innovator! Signup Today For Workshops

Creativity And Innovation Driving Business is launching engaging online Innovation Bootcamp Workshops to Jumpstart Business Innovation and Growth starting January, 2009. Learn how the Top Innovators innovate and grow their business successfully time and again. Unblock business creativity, uncover and create game-changing innovations, and make exponential business growth a reality. Signup today for workshops beginning January 2009.

Irvine, CA (PRWEB) December 19, 2008 -- Creativity And Innovation Driving Business is launching engaging online Innovation Bootcamp Workshops to Jumpstart Business Innovation and Profits. Register Today for the Innovation Bootcamp beginning in January, 2009. Learn how the Top Innovators innovate and grow their business successfully time and again, especially during economic cycles. Unblock your creativity, uncover and create game-changing innovations, and make exponential business growth a reality.

The Innovation Bootcamp is delivered live and online using Web conference technology. You only need a computer and 90 minutes a week to engage, interact and collaborate live, at home or at your office.

The Innovation Bootcamp will help you:

1. Become an Innovator at your Organization.
2. Unleash the Creativity of your Team.
3. Accelerate the Growth of your Business.

"Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower. Innovation has nothing to do with how many R&D dollars you have...It's about the people you have, how you're led, and how much you get it." - Steve Jobs, Apple chief executive officer and co-founder.

The Innovation Bootcamp consists of Six Online Interactive Workshops of 90 minutes each:

1. Leading with Innovation (1 session)
    The Business Case for Innovation
    The Current State of Business Innovation
    The Disruptive Innovation Gap
    The Innovation Index - Correlating Stock, Business, Innovation Performance
    Measuring Business Innovation Success

2. Unblocking Creativity and Innovation (1 session)
    The Essential Processes and Skills
    Blocking Creativity and Innovation
    Failures Driving Innovation
    Six Ways to Find Innovation
    Cycles of Innovation
    Leadership Driving Innovation

3. Unleashing Team Innovation (1 session)
    Great Teams Deliver Great Innovations
    Ten Traits of Creative Leaders
    Seven Characteristics of Effective Teams
    Examples of Effective Teams
    Ten Principles to Unleash Team Innovation
    Unlocking Team Creativity

4. and 5. Innovation Case Studies (2 sessions)
    Learn how Top Innovators Lead with Innovation
    Topics include Co-creation, Business Models, Product and Process Innovation
    Apple - What makes it the #1 Innovative Company?
    Google's Innovation Strategy and performance vis-a-vis Yahoo
    Netflix Versus Blockbuster - Winner Takes All.
    Toyota's Innovation Factory - Innovation Assembly Line
    Strategic Innovation at Deloitte - Edge to Core to Edge

6. Building an Innovation Factory (1 session)
    Make Innovation Happen at Your Organization
    Five Principles For Driving Successful Innovation
    Developing your Innovation and Creativity
    Create a Business Case for Innovation
    Implementing Innovation Models at Your Business

The Innovation Bootcamp will help you:
1. Create real strategies, tools, and techniques to unleash innovation at your organizaton.
2. Prepare you and your team to convert ideas and creativity into successful innovation.
3. Enable you to accelerate and grow your business profitably.

Who should register?

Entrepreneurs, Managers, Leaders, Marketers, Product Managers, Technologists, Engineers, Professors, Business and Engineering Professionals, Marketing Executives, Information Executives, Team Leaders, Consultants, Sales Managers, Strategists, Product Marketers, Innovators, Business Development Managers - Anyone who wants to excel at Innovation

Why I should attend?

Challenge your mind. Think different. Be innovative. Create new ideas. Increase your team innovation. Accelerate and grow your business. Become an innovator and entrepreneur. We guarantee that you will be inspired and ready after attending the Innovation Bootcamp to jumpstart new innovations at your business.

The Innovation Bootcamp Schedule

The Innovation Bootcamp Workshop will be delivered live and online on the following dates and time:

2009 Innovation Bootcamps
     Bootcamp One: Wednesdays - January 7, 14, 21, 28, February 4, 11 Time: 11:30 am until 1:00 pm
     Bootcamp Two: Thursdays - January 8, 15, 22, 29, February 5, 12 Time: 9:30 am until 11:00 am
     Bootcamp Three: Fridays - January 9, 16, 23, 30, February 6, 13 Time: 11:30 am until 1:00 pm
     Bootcamp Four: Mondays - January 12, 19, 26, February 2, 9, 16 Time: 9:30 am until 11:00 am
     Bootcamp Five: Tuesdays - January 13, 20, 27, February 3, 10, 17 Time: 11:30 am until 1:00 pm
     Bootcamp Six: Wednesdays - February 18, 25, March 4, 11, 18, 25 Time: 9:30 am until 11:00 am
     Bootcamp Seven: Thursdays - February 19, 26 March 5, 12, 19, 26 Time: 11:30 am until 1:00 pm
     Bootcamp Eight: Fridays - February 20, 27 March 6, 13, 20, 27 Time: 9:30 am until 11:00 am

All times in Pacific time zone. You only need to register for one of the bootcamps. If you miss one session, no worries... you can make up a session in the next bootcamp or watch a recorded session.

An Investment Well Worth the Cost

The Innovation Bootcamp only costs $399. What does $399 give you? Live, online coaching with top innovator in the nation, ultimate Innovation eBook and pertinent materials to help you innovate at work (a $100 value), Innovation Bootcamp certificate from Creativity And Innovation Driving Business, and a paid subscription to our Business Innovation monthly report for one year (a $120 value).

You can Register by Email, Phone or Fax:

Please call us at: 1-949-288-6880 to register. Please include your name, email, phone number, address and Bootcamp number. We will send you an invoice after you register.

You only need a computer with sound card to attend the live, online workshops from your office or home. It is convenient, flexible and effective.

Collaboration with Top University in the Nation

"Focus on building the organizational capabilities that allow a firm to create the capacity for continuous innovation." Leonard Lane, Senior Assistant Dean MBA Programs, University of California, Irvine

Creativity And Innovation Driving Business is honored to partner with University of California, Irvine, The Paul Merage School of Business towards offering the accelerated Innovation Bootcamp as part of the Strategic Innovation Class in 2009.

About Creativity And Innovation Driving Business

The mission of Creativity and Innovation Driving Business is to provide no-nonsense insights, strategy and solutions with proven processes that drive Creativity and Innovation at your business, create real market growth and success for your products and services, and achieve market leadership. We have considerable experience and expertise in working with small, growing and established companies, various departments and distributed teams.

Creativity And Innovation Driving Business
Phone: 949-288-6880

Online: http://www.InnovationMain.com

iPod and iPhone - Successful Business Innovations

Apple introduced Apple iPod in 2001. Apple iPod business generated total revenue of $537 million in Q4, 2004 (three years from launch), and was already 22.8% of Apple's total revenue of $2.35 billion in Q4, 2004 (easily eclipsing the 5% mark - although electronics and computer segments do show higher average percent revenue from new products - check Figure 1 below). Apple iPod business generated total revenue of $1.82 billion in Q2, 2008, (within seven years from launch), about 24.2 % of Apple's total revenue of $7.5 billion in Q2, 2008 (well ahead of the 15% threshold). Apple iPod business has consistent or better margins than Apple's hardware businesses. As a matter of fact, iPod saved Apple and made Apple successful again. iPod delivered 5.5% of total Apple revenue in 2003, within the first three years of launch, and delivered 34.6% of total Apple revenue in 2007, within the first seven years of launch.

What about the newly launched iPhone from Apple? Is iPhone equally successful as iPod, or better? iPhone is off to a fast start. In the latest quarter, iPhone innovation produced net revenue of $419 million, or 5.61% of Apple’s total revenue of $7.4 billion. This is staggering, since iPhone was only introduced one year ago. It took iPod more than two years to achieve the 5% mark; iPhone achieved this mark in just one year. If iPhone continues the momentum, it could achieve the 15% mark before end of 2009.

Business Innovation Monthly Report

Do you want to become an innovator? Do you want to jumpstart your hidden creativity? Do you want to learn how top innovators create new game-changing innovations? What are their best practices? We have something special for you.

Business Innovation Monthly Report

Creativity And Innovation Driving Business publishes an insightful monthly report on the top innovators such as Apple of the Innovation Index, innovations activity, best practices, stock performance, business performance and future outlook. We invite you to subscribe to this detailed monthly report. First month free.

We also offer the Ultimate Innovation eBook, a ready and pertinent resource of the best practices, success stories, and insights at the top innovative companies:

Definitive Guide on Creativity And Innovation in Business

185-page collection of 48 best practices, case studies, and insights on the current state of Creativity and Innovation in Business at Top Innovators including Apple, Google, Netflix, 3M, Frito Lay, Johnson & Johnson, Proctor & Gamble, Toyota, GE, BMW, Deloitte, Southwest, Nike, IBM, Dell and more...Find out more

Can't wait for the monthy reports? We have created one-of-a-kind online bootcamp that will jumpstart innovation at your business. If you have always wanted to become an entrepreneur and innovator, this live workshop is for you!

The Innovation Bootcamp
Creativity And Innovation Driving Business is hosting engaging online business innovation workshops. Jumpstart innovation at your business, unblock your creativity, become an innovator and create game-changing innovations. Bootcamps scheduled in December 08, January, February, March 09. Find out more

About Creativity And Innovation Driving Business

The mission of Creativity and Innovation Driving Business is to provide no-nonsense insights, strategy and solutions with proven processes that drive Creativity and Innovation at your business, create real market growth and success for your products and achieve market leadership. We have considerable experience and expertise in working with small, growing and established companies, various departments and distributed teams. Learn more

Apple iPhone 3G Launches July 11

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) is one of the Top 20 Innovators of the Innovation Index.

iPhone 3G will be launched tomorrow, July 11, at Apple retail stores and AT&T stores nationwide, and 24 countries worldwide. AT&T (NYSE: T) is one of the Top 20 Innovators of the Innovation Index.

iPhone 3G will be available at half the price of the original iPhone at only $199 for the 8GB model in the U.S., and $299 for the 16GB model. And the new iPhone 3G packs twice the punch - it is twice as fast.

The new iPhone 3G packs a powerful mix of new features:
1. Built-in GPS for expanded location based mobile services with real-time mapping and tracking the progress with GPS technology
2. iPhone 2.0 software which includes support for Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync - Push Email, Contacts, Calendar - and runs the hundreds of third party applications.
3. Simultaneously browse the web, get map directions, or check your email while the call is on.
4. New App Store, providing iPhone users with native applications in a variety of categories including games, business, news, sports, health, reference and travel.
5. MobileMe™, a new Internet service that pushes email, contacts, and calendars from an online “cloud” to native applications on iPhone, iPod® touch, Macs and PCs.

Apple made these announcements on the Apple.com website:

Apple Retail Stores

"Only Apple Retail Stores offer Personal Setup for your new iPhone 3G. Let a Specialist help you choose your iPhone, check the network coverage where you live, select a rate plan, review the contract terms, and — best of all — activate your new iPhone in just a few minutes."

AT&T

"iPhone 3G will be available at over 1,800 AT&T locations across the United States. That means there’s probably one in your neighborhood."

Also, iPhone 3G will be launched on July 11 in the following 24 countries including U.S.:

iPhone 3G Launch worldwide

Bottomline:

Apple iPhone 3G is poised to become a global phenomenon owing to lower entry costs, 3G technology, and enhanced features including corporate emails. With the iPhone 3G availability in all the continents, including the fast growing markets in Asia, established markets in Europe, emerging markets in Latin America and South America and other markets, iPhone is poised to eclipse the 10 million mark in 2008. Innovation Index Group had earlier estimated that Apple will sell 12 million new iPhones in 2008. Innovation Index Group raises the estimates based on the launch of the new iPhone 3G: Apple will sell over 13 million iPhones in 2008, and over 25 million iPhones in 2009. The lower price will result in a slight decline in Apple net earnings. However, the topline growth will compensate for the bottomline in 2009.

Apple iPhone may cannibalize the sales of iPods at these price points. Innovation Index Group believes that iPod sales will either remain flat year over year, or even decline with the introduction of the new iPhone unless Apple reduces the iPod prices further. Innovation Index Group had earlier talked about how Apple can turnaround the iPod sales growth. One of the suggestions made was that Apple should provide iPods for free with sales of new Macs - now Apple has started doing this for the students. Apple has a huge business in iPods. Apple needs to at the very least maintain this business, while it surges forward with the iPhone business.

Innovation Index Group has long-term BUY recommendations on the Top 20 Innovators of The Innovation Index with price target of $235 to $250 for Apple in Q4, 2008.

About Innovation Index Group:

Innovation Index Group, Inc. is a new investment management company focused on systematically identifying, tracking and investing in the most innovative publicly traded companies in North America – collectively called the Innovation Index. We have developed the Innovation Index Fund, LLC as our first vehicle to invest in the Innovation Index. Over the past six years, the Innovation Index would have generated a gross average annual return of 40% based on historical model.* The Innovation Index returned 66% in 2007, and the Innovation Index Fund Manager was up 10% in 2008.*

Innovation Index Group, Inc. and Innovation Index Fund LLC are registered California Corporations, and member of the Irvine Chamber of Commerce in Orange County. Further, Innovation Index Fund LLC is an investment management company organized under the California state regulation, and is registered with Department of Corporations and SEC Regulation D.

The Innovation Index Reports:

Invest in The Innovation Index - Innovation Index Fund tracks The Innovation Index
The Innovation Index closes 2007 at 66% - 2007 Annual Report on the Innovation Index
Top 50 Innovative Companies in the world - 2007 Report on Top 50 Innovative Companies
Annual Report - Chapter One - Total Innovation Activity - 2006 Annual Report One
Annual Report - Chapter Two - The Top Innovator - 2006 Annual Report Two
Annual Report - Chapter Three - The Innovation Insights - 2006 Annual Report Insights
Innovation and Stock Performance Correlation - The Innovation Index and Stock Performance

About The Innovation Index

The Innovation Index introduced in December 2006 is a weighted stock price index of the top 20 Innovators in North America.

The Innovation Index returned 66% in 2007 based on performance model, and would have returned 174% over the previous five years (2002-2006) based on historical model*. This assumes equal investment in each stock of The Innovation Index as of December 31, 2001. An average of $100 invested in The Innovation Index on December 31, 2001 returned $454 as of December 31, 2007. By comparison, $100 invested in S & P 500 returned 28% or $129, $100 invested in NASDAQ returned 34% or $136, and $100 invested in the Dow Jones Index returned 30% or $131 through December 31, 2007. The Innovation Index beats the S & P 500, NASDAQ and Dow Jones Index by more than seven times over the past six years.*

Alphabetical list of the Top 20 Innovators of The Innovation Index for 2008 and their stock ticker symbols:

3M Company - (NYSE: MMM)
Amazon.com, Inc. - (NASDAQ: AMZN)
America Movil - (NYSE: AMX)
Apple Inc. - (NASDAQ: AAPL)
AT&T Inc. - (NYSE: T)
Best Buy Co., Inc. - (NYSE: BBY)
Cisco Systems, Inc. - (NASDAQ: CSCO)
Costco Wholesale Corporation - (NASDAQ: COST)
eBay Inc. - (NASDAQ: EBAY)
General Electric Co. - (NYSE: GE)
Google Inc. - (NASDAQ: GOOG)
Hewlett-Packard Co. - (NYSE: HPQ)
Intel Corporation - (NASDAQ: INTC)
International Business Machines Corp. - (NYSE: IBM)
Merck & Co., Inc. - (NYSE: MRK)
McDonald's Corporation (NYSE: MCD)
Microsoft Corporation - (NASDAQ: MSFT)
NIKE, Inc. - (NYSE: NKE)
Research In Motion Limited - (NASDAQ: RIMM)
The Proctor & Gamble Company - (NYSE: PG)

The Innovation Index will analyze the positions and standings of the Top 20 Innovators at the end of each year. For 2008, there will be no further changes in The Innovation Index.

Disclaimer: The Innovation Index Group, Inc. invests in the stocks comprising The Innovation Index.
*Past Performance Does Not Guarantee Future Results

Apple iPhone Goes Global

Steve Jobs, Apple CEO, launched the highly anticipated super fast iPhone 3G at the Apple Developer Connection yesterday. The new iPhone will be available for sale on July 11, 2008.

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) is one of the Top 20 Innovators of the Innovation Index.

The biggest surprise in the Apple announcement: iPhone 3G is available at half the price of the original iPhone at only $199 for the 8GB model in the U.S., and $299 for the 16GB model. And the new iPhone 3G packs twice the punch - it is twice as fast.

The new iPhone 3G packs a powerful mix of new features:
1. Built-in GPS for expanded location based mobile services with real-time mapping and tracking the progress with GPS technology
2. iPhone 2.0 software which includes support for Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync - Push Email, Contacts, Calendar - and runs the hundreds of third party applications.
3. Simultaneously browse the web, get map directions, or check your email while the call is on.
4. New App Store, providing iPhone users with native applications in a variety of categories including games, business, news, sports, health, reference and travel.
5. MobileMe™, a new Internet service that pushes email, contacts, and calendars from an online “cloud” to native applications on iPhone, iPod® touch, Macs and PCs.

More importantly, the new iPhone 3G will be available in 70 countries in 2008, with 22 countries launching it on July 11. iPhone already ships with iPod, Internet, and a host of cool phone features.

Bottomline:

Apple iPhone 3G is poised to become a global phenomenon owing to lower entry costs, 3G technology, and enhanced features including corporate emails. With the iPhone 3G availability in all the continents, including the fast growing markets in Asia, established markets in Europe, emerging markets in Latin America and South America and other markets, iPhone is poised to eclipse the 10 million mark in 2008. Innovation Index Group had earlier estimated that Apple will sell 12 million new iPhones in 2008. Innovation Index Group raises the estimates based on the launch of the new iPhone 3G: Apple will sell over 13 million iPhones in 2008, and over 25 million iPhones in 2009. The lower price will result in a slight decline in Apple net earnings. However, the topline growth will compensate for the bottomline in 2009.

Apple iPhone will cannibalize the sales of iPods at these price points. Innovation Index Group believes that iPod sales will either remain flat year over year, or even decline with the introduction of the new iPhone unless Apple reduces the iPod prices further. Innovation Index Group had earlier talked about how Apple can turnaround the iPod sales growth. One of the suggestions made was that Apple should provide iPods for free with sales of new Macs - now Apple has started doing this for the students. Apple has a huge business in iPods. Apple needs to at the very least maintain this business, while it surges forward with the iPhone business.

Innovation Index Group has long-term BUY recommendations on the Top 20 Innovators of The Innovation Index with price target of $235 to $250 for Apple in Q4, 2008.

About Innovation Index Group:

Innovation Index Group, Inc. is a new investment management company focused on systematically identifying, tracking and investing in the most innovative publicly traded companies in North America – collectively called the Innovation Index. We have developed the Innovation Index Fund, LLC as our first vehicle to invest in the Innovation Index. Over the past six years, the Innovation Index would have generated a gross average annual return of 40% based on historical model.* The Innovation Index returned 66% in 2007, and the Innovation Index Fund Manager is up 10% in 2008.*

Innovation Index Group, Inc. and Innovation Index Fund LLC are registered California Corporations, and member of the Irvine Chamber of Commerce in Orange County. Further, Innovation Index Fund LLC is an investment management company organized under the California state regulation, and is registered with Department of Corporations and SEC Regulation D.

The Innovation Index Reports:

The Innovation Index will analyze the positions and standings of the Top 20 Innovators at the end of each year. For 2008, there will be no further changes in The Innovation Index.

Disclaimer: The Innovation Index Group, Inc. invests in the stocks comprising The Innovation Index.
*Past Performance Does Not Guarantee Future Results

Apple On A Tear - Up more than 50% in 3 months

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) shares have run up more than 50% during the last three months.

Apple is one of the Top 20 Innovators of The Innovation Index.

What is driving the stock price?

1. Apple had an impressive second quarter earnings that beat the Wall Street estimates handily. Apple is poised to continue the earnings momentum in 2008, and beyond. How big has Apple revenue grown over the previous five years? About 300%.

2. Mac business is solid as a rock, growing 50% year over year. Apple has just rolled out new versions of iMac clocking over 3 GHz. And Apple is gaining ground in the laptop segment with the MacBooks.

3. iPhone business is strong, and Apple is on track to sell 10 million or more iPhones in 2008 - we estimate over 12 million. Some estimates track iPhone sales of over 5 million already in 2008.

Apple is introducing the all new iPhone 2.0 aka iPhone 3G next month. Further, Apple has created alliances all over the world to sell millions more iPhones.

Four mobile operators in the Asia-Pacific region introduced partnerships with Apple to bring the iPhone to their regions later this year. SingTel in Singapore, Bharti Airtel Ltd. in India, Globe Telecom Inc. in the Philippines and Optus in Australia. SingTel owns Optus and holds a 30.5 percent stake in Bharti and 44.5 percent in Globe. SingTel has about 2.3 million mobile subscribers in Singapore and around 7 million in Australia, according to data as of Dec. 31, 2007. Bharti currently has about 64 million subscribers, while Globe reported a 21.3 million mobile subscriber base for the quarter ended March 31. Potential Available Subscriber base for the iPhone: Over 95 million.

The top mobile phone operator in Latin America, America Movil SAB, (NYSE: AMX), another Top 20 Innovator, also announced plans to deliver the iPhone to its region. America Movil has 159.2 million subscribers in 16 countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Mexico.

Apple has also signed deals with Rogers Communications Inc. to sell the device in Canada; Milan-based Telecom Italia SpA to sell the iPhone in Italy; and Vodafone Group PLC, the world's biggest mobile company by sales, to sell it in a total of 10 countries, including Australia, India, Italy and Turkey.

Finally, Apple sells iPhone with AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T), another Top 20 Innovator, in the United States, O2 in Britain, T-Mobile in Germany and France Telecom's Orange wireless arm in France.

In short, Apple has available subscriber base in the hundreds of millions for the iPhone - now it's a matter of time before Apple launches the new 3G iPhone, and potentially expands the market for the iPhone to tens of millions a year beginning in 2009.

The Innovation Index Fund Manager, that invests in Apple, is up 10% in 2008. The Top 20 Innovators of The Innovation Index have rebounded well in the 2nd quarter of 2008 to cause The Innovation Index Fund Manager to have double-digit gain for the year.

Innovation Index Group believes that the U.S. economy will recover significantly in the 2nd half of 2008, and the Top Innovators of The Innovation Index will reward the patient, long-term investor.

Innovation Index Group has BUY recommendations on the Top 20 Innovators of The Innovation Index, and price target of $235 - $250 for Apple in Q4, 2008.

About Innovation Index Group:

Innovation Index Group, Inc. is a new investment management company focused on systematically identifying, tracking and investing in the most innovative publicly traded companies in North America – collectively called the Innovation Index. We have developed the Innovation Index Fund, LLC as our first vehicle to invest in the Innovation Index. Over the past six years, the Innovation Index would have generated a gross average annual return of 40% based on historical model.* The Innovation Index returned 66% in 2007, and the Innovation Index Fund Manager is up 10% in 2008.*

Innovation Index Group, Inc. and Innovation Index Fund LLC are registered California Corporations, and member of the Irvine Chamber of Commerce in Orange County. Further, Innovation Index Fund LLC is a private placement investment partnership organized under the California state regulations.

Disclaimer: The Innovation Index Group, Inc. invests in the stocks comprising The Innovation Index.
*Past Performance Does Not Guarantee Future Results

All Eyes On Apple - AAPL - Apple delivers big

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) is one of the Top 20 Innovators of The Innovation Index, and the number one Innovator in the world. Innovation Index Group, Inc. has a BUY recommendation for Apple with Q4, 2008 price target of $235 to $250.

Analysts were expecting Apple to earn $1.07 on revenue of $6.96 billion - earnings growth of 23% and revenue growth of 32% year over year.

How many iPods will Apple sell in the quarter? How many iPhones? Will Apple announce the new iPhone availability today? How about the growth of Mac sales?

Last quarter which is normally Apple's best quarter owing to the holiday season, "Apple shipped 2,319,000 Macintosh® computers, representing 44 percent unit growth and 47 percent revenue growth over the year-ago quarter. The Company sold 22,121,000 iPods during the quarter, representing five percent unit growth and 17 percent revenue growth over the year-ago quarter. Quarterly iPhone™ sales were 2,315,000."

For the first quarter of 2007 (one year ago quarter), Apple "shipped 1,517,000 Macintosh® computers and 10,549,000 iPods during the quarter, representing 36 percent growth in Macs and 24 percent growth in iPods over the year-ago quarter." Apple iPhone was not shipping yet.

If Apple were to grow at least 15% year over year, Apple should ship at least 1,744,000 new Macintosh computers and 12,131,000 new iPods; and if Apple iPhone were to hit 12 million unit sales in 2008, Apple should ship at least 2 million iPhones in the first quarter.

All eyes will be on Apple as the quarterly earnings are announced.

Earnings Announcement

Apple Inc. "announced financial results for its fiscal 2008 second quarter ended March 29, 2008. The Company posted revenue of $7.51 billion and net quarterly profit of $1.05 billion, or $1.16 per diluted share. Apple revenue increased by 43%, and net profit increased by 36%. These results compare to revenue of $5.26 billion and net quarterly profit of $770 million, or $.87 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter. Gross margin was 32.9 percent, down from 35.1 percent in the year-ago quarter. International sales accounted for 44 percent of the quarter's revenue.

Apple shipped 2,289,000 Macintosh(R) computers during the quarter, representing 51 percent unit growth and 54 percent revenue growth over the year-ago quarter. The Company sold 10,644,000 iPods during the quarter, representing one percent unit growth and eight percent revenue growth over the year-ago quarter. Quarterly iPhone(TM) sales were 1,703,000"

Great Earnings Report from Apple. Although Apple had provided a very conservative quarterly forecast in January, 2008, Apple beat the high end estimates on revenue, and came on the high end estimates on earnings for the quarter. Apple once again gave a conservative outlook for the future. The street should get an idea now. Mac business is solid. iPod volume business is stalling, however Apple is selling higher priced iPods. iPhone business is strong, and Apple is on track to sell 10 million or higher iPhones in 2008.

Is Apple winning marketshare against Windows Vista? Apple had a strong surge in Mac business. Can Apple reclaim the position, slowly but surely, in the PC business? Apple has a really long way to go.... but if Apple can get to the 10% marketshare of the overall PC business worldwide, this would mark a significant milestone and signal a shift.

Watch out for Apple in Q4, 2008!

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) iPhone 2.0 software scores a trifecta
Nike and Apple iPod working out at a Gym near you
Why Apple will hit $250 by December 2008?
Apple Creativity and Innovation in Business Case Studies
Apple iPod - Apple's Best Innovation
Apple introduces new iPhone and new iTouch
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) Kicks Off 2008 with Bold...

About Innovation Index Group:

Innovation Index Group, Inc. is a new investment management company focused on systematically identifying, tracking and investing in the most innovative publicly traded companies in North America – collectively called the Innovation Index. We have developed the Innovation Index Fund, LLC as our first vehicle to invest in the Innovation Index.

Innovation Index Group, Inc. and Innovation Index Fund LLC are registered California Corporations, and member of the Irvine Chamber of Commerce in Orange County. Further, Innovation Index Fund LLC is a private placement investment partnership organized under the California state regulations.

The Innovation Index Reports:

About The Innovation Index

The Innovation Index introduced in December 2006 is a weighted stock price index of the top 20 Innovators in North America.

The Innovation Index returned 66% in 2007, and returned 174% over the previous five years (2002-2006). This assumes equal investment in each stock of The Innovation Index as of December 31, 2001. An average of $100 invested in The Innovation Index on December 31, 2001 returned $454 as of December 31, 2007. By comparison, $100 invested in S & P 500 returned 28% or $129, $100 invested in NASDAQ returned 34% or $136, and $100 invested in the Dow Jones Index returned 30% or $131 through December 31, 2007. The Innovation Index beats the S & P 500, NASDAQ and Dow Jones Index by more than seven times over the past six years.*

Alphabetical list of the Top 20 Innovators of The Innovation Index for 2008 and their stock ticker symbols:

3M Company - (NYSE: MMM)
Amazon.com, Inc. - (NASDAQ: AMZN)
America Movil - (NYSE: AMX)
Apple Inc. - (NASDAQ: AAPL)
AT&T Inc. - (NYSE: T)
Best Buy Co., Inc. - (NYSE: BBY)
Cisco Systems, Inc. - (NASDAQ: CSCO)
Costco Wholesale Corporation - (NASDAQ: COST)
eBay Inc. - (NASDAQ: EBAY)
General Electric Co. - (NYSE: GE)
Google Inc. - (NASDAQ: GOOG)
Hewlett-Packard Co. - (NYSE: HPQ)
Intel Corporation - (NASDAQ: INTC)
International Business Machines Corp. - (NYSE: IBM)
Merck & Co., Inc. - (NYSE: MRK)
McDonald's Corporation (NYSE: MCD)
Microsoft Corporation - (NASDAQ: MSFT)
NIKE, Inc. - (NYSE: NKE)
Research In Motion Limited - (NASDAQ: RIMM)
The Proctor & Gamble Company - (NYSE: PG)

The Innovation Index will analyze the positions and standings of the Top 20 Innovators at the end of each year. For 2008, there will be no further changes in The Innovation Index.

Disclaimer: The Innovation Index Group, Inc. invests in the stocks comprising The Innovation Index.
*Past Performance Does Not Guarantee Future Results

Zero to Sixty in 2.09 Seconds - Safari 3.1

2.09 Safari 3.1 - First

3.62 Firefox 2 - Second

4.00 Internet Explorer 7 - Third

5.95 Opera 9 - Fourth

Blazing performance.

The fastest web browser on any platform, Safari loads pages up to 1.9 times faster than Internet Explorer 7 and up to 1.7 times faster than Firefox 2.

Safari loads web pages in 2.09 seconds - "0 to 60 in 2.09 seconds flat!"

And it executes JavaScript up to 6 times faster than Internet Explorer 7 and up to 4 times faster than Firefox 2. What does all that mean for you? Less time loading pages and more time enjoying them.

- Performance measured in seconds. Testing conducted by Apple in March 2008 on a 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo-based iMac system running Windows XP Professional SP2, configured with 1GB of RAM and an ATI Radeon HD 2600 with 256MB of VRAM. HTML and JavaScript benchmarks based on VeriTest’s iBench Version 5.0 using default settings. Testing conducted with a beta version of Safari; all other browsers were shipping versions. Performance will vary based on system configuration, network connection, and other factors.

Bottomline:

Can Safari become The Web Browser?

Would FireFox users convert to Safari?

Would Internet Explorer users convert to Safari?

What would it take for new users to embrace Safari, and old users to convert to Safari?

Apple claims Safari as the fastest and easiest-to-use browser. Give Safari a test-drive and find out yourself.

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) is one of the Top 20 Innovators of The Innovation Index, and the number one Innovator in the world.

“Safari 3.1 for Mac and Windows is blazingly fast, easy to use and features an elegant user interface,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “And best of all, Safari supports the latest audio, video and animation standards for an industry-leading Web 2.0 experience.”

References:
Apple Press Releases

innovation to day

Blog Archive

The Innovation Bootcamp Jumpstarts Business Innovation And Growth. Unlock Business Creativity, Be An Innovator! Signup Today For Workshops

iPod and iPhone - Successful Business Innovations

Business Innovation Monthly Report

Apple iPhone 3G Launches July 11

AT&T

iPhone 3G Launch worldwide

Apple iPhone Goes Global

Apple On A Tear - Up more than 50% in 3 months

All Eyes On Apple - AAPL - Apple delivers big

Zero to Sixty in 2.09 Seconds - Safari 3.1

Blazing performance.

Elegant user interface.

Easy bookmarks.

Pop-up blocking.

Find.

Tabbed browsing.

SnapBack.

Forms AutoFill.

Built-in RSS.

Resizable text areas.

Private browsing.

Security.

Graphics and fonts.