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Apple ($ NASDAQ: AAPL) started as a hardware company. His first product was a kit: a box of equipment that customers had to assemble themselves. There was no software included. This, again, was the responsibility of the customer.
But what ultimately differentiated Apple is its user-friendly software that made the hardware disappear. Product design has always been a defining element for the business (capacitive touch screen of the iPhone, simple elegance of iPods, thin profile of the MacBook), but as the company projects itself, she's starting to look like a software company.
This argument could be argued simply by reporting its growing activity in the media, but the hard truth lies in Apple's job listings data as they are tracked over time. To date, "Software and Services" (formerly known as Software Engineering) is, for the first time, the most populous category for which Apple is hiring.
Since 2016, the most requested job category at Apple HR has always been hardware engineering. For most of 2016 to 2018, the software has been well above demand.
But in the third quarter of 2018, software engineers became for the first time the most sought after professionals at Apple. This coincides with the moment when Apple began to talk more about its software and services like Apple Music, a new video streaming service and a subscription service to news and editorials.
This makes sense for Apple: its hardware is now not only ubiquitous, but the demand has finally plateaud. By the end of 2018 (just as Apple was starting to actively seek out new software developers), it had become very clear that the iPhone was no longer the Apple meal ticket, as the Sales were lagging behind, followed by a very rare call from Tim Cook.
And now? Lock people in the ecosystem with software and services. How to go there? Hire people who know how to build this walled garden.
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