Company: Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA
Company Description: Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork, and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and has recently introduced iPad 2 which is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices.
Nomination Category: Company / Organization Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Company of the Year - Computer Hardware

Nomination Title: Apple Inc.

Tell the story about what this nominated organization achieved since January 1 2011 (up to 500 words). Focus on specific accomplishments, and relate these accomplishments to past performance or industry norms. Be sure to mention obstacles overcome, innovations or discoveries made, and outcomes:

2011 will go down as one of Apple's most historic periods. Apple did not disappoint and had its best year ever.

Key Events for 2011

In January, Apple launched the Mac App Store and in its first day, downloads quickly topped 1 million. By December , downloads had topped 100 million.

Apple unveiled the iPhone 4 for Verizon and Sprint, ending a nearly four-year exclusivity period for AT&T

Apple released an updated version of its MacBook Pro with the new Thunderbolt I/O technology, which was developed by Intel.

Steve Jobs took his final medical leave, leaving then-COO Tim Cook at the helm for daily operations while remaining active in major strategic decisions.

The iPad 2 was announced, which further propelled it ahead of tablet rivals such as Motorola Mobility and Samsung.

According to an IDG Connect survey, 51 percent of managers with iPads say they “always” use the device at work, and another 40 percent sometimes do. Seventy-nine percent of the respondents use the iPad for business when outside the office. Bloomberg.com

In April, Cupertino launched an all-out patent offensive against Samsung, which also happens to be one of Apple's biggest component suppliers.

In May , Apple named the World's Most Valuable Brand, ended Google's four-year reign as No. 1. Apple's 2011 brand value was $153.29 billion, an increase of 84% from 2010.

In June, Apple introduced iCloud , its answer to cloud music-streaming services such as Google Music and Amazon.com's Cloud Player

In July, Apple released the next major version of Mac OS X, Lion 10.7, and unveiled the new Apple Thunderbolt Display, the world’s first display with Thunderbolt I/O technology

Steve Jobs resigned in August as Apple CEO, shortly after the company's market exceeded that of ExxonMobil to officially become the largest company in the world.

In October , new CEO Tim Cook and other execs would jointly unveil the:

iPhone 4S, which went on to sell 4 million units over its launch weekend, more than double the previous year's 1.7 million unit record launch.

iOs 5, the world’s most advanced mobile operating system with over 200 new features

The next day, Jobs passed away. His official biography's release date was accelerated and quickly became the No. 1 best-selling book for 2011.

Apple’s App Store made big gains in China in 2011

Apple closed out fiscal 2011with the company's first full fiscal year to break the $100 billion revenue, for an astonishing 66% year-over-year increase over fiscal 2010. For the year, unit sales for the iPhone and iPad soared 81% and 334%, respectively, while Mac unit sales jumped 22%, outpacing the broader PC market, whose growth is estimated around 2.8% for 2011.

“To say it was another big year for Apple would be a gross understatement. With the passing of Steve Jobs, questions swirled around the company’s future. But under new CEO Tim Cook’s guidance, Apple continues to prosper” Fortune WORLD'S MOST ADMIRED COMPANIES 2012

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Apple Infiltrates $3.8 Trillion Market With IPad: Tech
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-02-01/apple-invades-3-8t-workplace-market-with-ipad.html
Fortune WORLD'S MOST ADMIRED COMPANIES 2012
http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/most-admired/2012/snapshots/670.html
Apple Introduces iCloud: Free Cloud Services Beyond Anything Offered to Date
http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2011/06/06Apple-Introduces-iCloud.html
Mac App Store Downloads Top One Million in First Day
http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2011/01/07Mac-App-Store-Downloads-Top-One-Million-in-First-Day.html
Apple Unveils All-New iTunes U App for iPad, iPhone & iPod touch
http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2012/01/19Apple-Unveils-All-New-iTunes-U-App-for-iPad-iPhone-iPod-touch.html
Apple’s App Store made big gains in China in 2011
http://gigaom.com/apple/apples-app-store-made-big-gains-in-china-in-2011/
Apple Is World's Most Valuable Brand
http://www.newsinabox.net/1399/apple-no-1-in-top-10-most-valuable-brands-in-2011.html

http://www.thestreet.com/story/11110556/1/apple-ranks-as-worlds-most-valuable-brand.html
Apple’s Mac App Store Downloads Top 100 Million
http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2011/12/12Apples-Mac-App-Store-Downloads-Top-100-Million.html
Apple Launches iPhone 4S, iOS 5 & iCloud
http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2011/10/04Apple-Launches-iPhone-4S-iOS-5-iCloud.html
Lion Downloads Top One Million in First Day
http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2011/07/21Lion-Downloads-Top-One-Million-in-First-Day.html
How Apple Made History This Year
http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/12/26/how-apple-made-history-this-year/

Provide a brief (up to 100 words) biography about the leader of this nominated organization:

Tim Cook, CEO

Before being named CEO in August 2011, Tim was Apple's Chief Operating Officer and was responsible for all of the company’s worldwide sales and operations, including end-to-end management of Apple’s supply chain, sales activities, and service and support in all markets and countries. He also headed Apple’s Macintosh division and played a key role in the continued development of strategic reseller and supplier relationships, ensuring flexibility in response to an increasingly demanding marketplace.