Aug 31, 2021 | Business
pple today announced it has acquired Primephonic, the renowned classical music streaming service that offers an outstanding listening experience with search and browse functionality optimized for classical, premium-quality audio, handpicked expert recommendations, and extensive contextual details on repertoire and recordings.
With the addition of Primephonic, Apple Music subscribers will get a significantly improved classical music experience beginning with Primephonic playlists and exclusive audio content. In the coming months, Apple Music Classical fans will get a dedicated experience with the best features of Primephonic, including better browsing and search capabilities by composer and by repertoire, detailed displays of classical music metadata, plus new features and benefits.
We love and have a deep respect for classical music, and Primephonic has become a fan favorite for classical enthusiasts, said Oliver Schusser, Apples vice president of Apple Music and Beats. Together, were bringing great new classical features to Apple Music, and in the near future, well deliver a dedicated classical experience that will truly be the best in the world.
Bringing the best of Primephonic to Apple Music subscribers is a tremendous development for the classical music industry, said Thomas Steffens, Primephonics co-founder and CEO. Artists love the Primephonic service and what weve done in classical, and now we have the ability to join with Apple to deliver the absolute best experience to millions of listeners. We get to bring classical music to the mainstream and connect a new generation of musicians with the next generation of audience.
Primephonic was founded to ensure that classical music will stay relevant for future generations, said Gordon P. Getty, a major shareholder of Primephonic. Primephonic and Apple together can realize that mission and take classical to a worldwide audience. Primephonic is no longer available for new subscribers and will be taken offline beginning September 7. Apple Music plans to launch a dedicated classical music app next year combining Primephonics classical user interface that fans have grown to love with more added features. In the meantime, current Primephonic subscribers will receive six months of Apple Music for free, providing access to hundreds of thousands of classical albums, all in Lossless and high-resolution audio, as well as hundreds of classical albums in Apple Musics Spatial Audio, with new albums added regularly.
About Apple
Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple TV. Apples five software platforms iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, and iCloud. Apples more than 100,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth, and to leaving the world better than we found it.
Aug 28, 2021 | Business
Apple today introduced the News Partner Program, a new slate of initiatives to expand Apples work with and support for journalism. The News Partner Program aims to ensure Apple News customers maintain access to trusted news and information from many of the worlds top publishers, while supporting publishers financial stability and advancing efforts to further media literacy and diversity in news coverage and newsrooms.
The News Partner Program is designed for subscription news publications that provide their content to Apple News in Apple News Format (ANF). ANF enables an exceptional reading experience on Apple News and unlocks the full benefit of the platform for publishers, and empowers publishers to create brand-forward stories, immersive issues, and audio stories, with designs that scale seamlessly across Apple devices. ANF also supports advertising, and publishers keep 100 percent of the revenue from advertising they sell within Apple News. To support publishers who optimize more of their content in ANF, Apple News is offering a commission rate of 15 percent on qualifying in-app purchase subscriptions from day one.
Providing Apple News customers with access to trusted information from our publishing partners has been our priority from day one, said Eddy Cue, Apples senior vice president of Services. For more than a decade, Apple has offered our customers many ways to access and enjoy news content across our products and services. We have hundreds of news apps from dozens of countries around the world available in the App Store, and created Apple News Format to offer publishers a tool to showcase their content and provide a great experience for millions of Apple News users.
Publishers may apply for the News Partner Program beginning today. Eligibility and Requirements
- Participants must maintain a robust Apple News channel in Australia, Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom, and publish all content to that channel in ANF. For publishers based outside of these regions and who do not publish in ANF, they must share content via an RSS feed as permitted by their rights.
- The primary function of a publisher app must be to deliver original, professionally authored news content.
- Publishers apps must be available on the App Store and allow users to purchase auto-renewable subscriptions through Apples in-app purchase system.
- Publishers must agree to a separate addendum to the Apple Developer Program License Agreement. The News Publisher Program is available to Apple Developer Program members globally.
Publishers can learn more about and apply for the News Partner Program at developer.apple.com/programs/news-partner.
Apple is also announcing a recommitment of support to three leading nonprofit organizations Common Sense Media, the News Literacy Project, and Osservatorio Permanente Giovani-Editori that offer nonpartisan, independent media literacy programs. Apple has been supporting the work of these organizations over the past two years as part of ongoing efforts to empower young people with critical thinking skills.
The News Partner Program will also support, fund, and collaborate with additional leading organizations globally that educate news consumers on media literacy and further efforts to diversify news coverage and newsrooms. Specific projects the News Partner Program will support will be announced at a later date, and will represent organizations doing critical and impactful work on these issues.
About Apple
Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple TV. Apples five software platforms iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, and iCloud. Apples more than 100,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth, and to leaving the world better than we found it.
Aug 18, 2021 | Business
Apple today unveiled its first class of 15 Black- and Brown-owned businesses on the cutting edge of green technology and clean energy, who will join the companys Impact Accelerator to support equity and opportunity in the environmental sector. Part of Apples Racial Equity and Justice Initiative, this program will help to combat systemic barriers to opportunity, while also advancing innovative solutions for communities most impacted by climate change.
The 15 businesses are based across the US from Silicon Valley in California, to Detroit, Michigan, to tribal nations across the Midwest and driving innovation in energy efficiency, solar, green chemistry, recycling, and other environmental areas. Many share a specific focus on bringing clean energy, opportunity, and vital services to vulnerable and underserved communities.
We are thrilled to welcome our first Impact Accelerator class, and look forward to seeing how these innovative businesses will expand their work to protect the planet and our communities, said Lisa Jackson, Apples vice president of Environment, Policy, and Social Initiatives. On our journey to our 2030 carbon neutral goal for our supply chain and products, were determined to help create a greener and more equitable future for all people. The businesses were partnering with today are poised to become tomorrows diverse and innovative industry leaders, creating ripples of change to help communities everywhere adapt to the urgent challenges posed by climate change.
Selected companies will participate in customized training, and have access to Apple experts and an alumni community. The Impact Accelerator is tailored to support Black-, Brown-, and Native American and Indigenous-owned businesses that share Apples focus on innovation and commitment to the environment as they achieve their next stage of development. Following the three-month virtual program, the companies will be considered for opportunities to act as suppliers to Apple as it works to become carbon neutral for its supply chain and products by 2030.
Meet the Companies
BlocPower
Founder and CEO: Donnel Baird
Climate Technology Company in Brooklyn, NY
BlocPower aims to make American cities greener, smarter, and healthier by turning aging, inefficient buildings into state-of-the-art structures. Since its founding in 2014, BlocPower has retrofitted more than 1,200 buildings in disadvantaged communities across 26 cities with smart, eco-friendly, electric heating and cooling systems.
Mosaic Global Transportation
Founder, President, and CEO: Maurice H. Brewster
Transportation Firm in San Jose, CA
Mosaic Global Transportation is a minority-owned, multimillion-dollar international ground transportation company that specializes in employee shuttles, commuter services, and meeting and events businesses. Aiming to replace gasoline-operated vehicles that are used for these programs with electric vehicles, the company is deeply committed to giving back to the community.
Volt Energy Utility
Co-Founder and CEO: Gilbert Campbell III
Utility-Solar Energy Development Firm in Washington, D.C.
Volt Energy Utility develops, finances, and operates utility-scale solar projects for private and public clients. One of the firms unique offerings is the Environmental Justice Power Purchase Agreement which serves as a funding source for various programs dedicated to expanding the benefits of clean energy to underserved communities and constituencies. Campbell co-founded Volt Energy over 10 years ago, which developed several distributed generation projects. He founded Volt Energy Utility with the clear intent to provide services and expertise to satisfy the increased demands for utility-scale solar.
Bench-Tek Solutions
Founder and CEO: Maria Castellon
Manufacturing and Automation Company in Santa Clara, CA
Bench-Tek Solutions is a Silicon Valley-based manufacturing company that specializes in making laboratory and industrial workbenches. They focus on building ergonomic and environmentally friendly furniture for different types of workspaces. Maria Castellon founded the company in 2002 after immigrating to the US from Mexico for college. She found work as a janitor at IBM, which led her to launch her career at a workbench manufacturing company and ultimately start her own business. Today, Bench-Tek operates with a diverse workforce, serves a vast clientele, and maintains a strong standing in the manufacturing industry.
GreenTek Solutions
Founder and CEO: Anuar Garcia
Recycling and Reuse Company in Houston, TX
GreenTek Solutions is committed to repurposing, refurbishing, recycling, and reusing technology products and offering extensive IT asset services for buying, selling, and liquidating equipment. The company is consistently finding ways to anticipate future tech trends, environmental concerns, and client needs.
Diversified Chemical Technologies, Inc.
President and Chief Financial Officer: Karl Johnson
Chemical Safety Firm in Detroit, Michigan
Diversified Chemical Technologies, Inc. is a technology, specialty chemicals, and services company with manufactured product lines in adhesives, process chemicals, CIP/COP cleaners, facility cleaners, metal working fluids and lubricants, and MRO service solutions. The company operates on the Diversified 1 Systems model to promote excellence, stewardship, and sustainability in their leadership and throughout the company, believing it creates value for their stakeholders, reduces their carbon footprint, and keeps them socially responsible. The company is a manufacturer of janitorial chemicals and has evolved to supplying the largest consumer products, healthcare, automotive, and general manufacturing companies with a broad spectrum of custom-developed product solutions.
Oceti Sakowin Power Authority
Chairman and Head of the Board of Directors: Lyle Jack
Clean Energy Developer in Tribal Regions Across the Dakotas
The Oceti Sakowin Power Authority is an independent, nonprofit governmental entity formed by six Sioux tribes to jointly develop tribal renewable energy resources by financing, developing, constructing, and operating power generation and transmission facilities for the wholesale market. Their mission is to work together to deliver power and sustainable development, bringing jobs and economic development to their reservation communities, and preserving the earth for future generations. This power project is on track to create large-scale wind and solar power developments in the country with plans to produce up to 2 gigawatt hours of emissions-free electricity in the Midwest.
Vericool, Inc.
Founder and CEO: Darrell Jobe
Packaging and Shipment Company in Livermore, CA
Vericool is a company focused on making sustainable, environmentally friendly packaging that can replace expanded polystyrene (EPS) and other petroleum-based foam packaging for shipments that need to stay protected. Vericool produces patented, high-performing packaging solutions made from natural ingredients that revolutionize the way cold chain products are shipped. Vericool is committed to a diverse workforce and reducing prison recidivism by providing equal employment opportunities to those in need of a second chance.
Dunamis Clean Energy Partners
Founder and CEO: Natalie King
Environmental Solutions Company in Southfield, MI
Dunamis Clean Energy Partners is a technology, manufacturing, and engineering firm focused on energy efficiency and environmental service solutions. Dunamiss founder and CEO, Natalie King, led the company to become a multimillion-dollar corporation with over 150 employees throughout Southeastern Michigan.
VMX International
Founder, President, and CEO: Vickie Lewis
Environmental Services Company in Detroit, MI
As an environmental services company, VMX International provides solid waste collection, recycling, regulatory, and project management services to government, commercial, industrial, and construction customers across the US and Canada. Since it was founded in 2001, VMX International has grown and diversified to a staff of over 50 full-time employees stationed across the nation.
Argent Associates
Founder, President, and CEO: Beatriz Manetta
Technology Consultancy in Plano, TX
Founded in 1998, Argent Associates has built its legacy by creating innovative supply chain solutions while keeping its commitment to environmental protection. Manetta immigrated to the US from Argentina as a young girl and worked for 20 years in corporate America. She used her learnings to launch her own business where she is now president and CEO. Today, Argents emphasis on a diverse technology-driven ecosystem has won the company numerous awards for their work, leadership, and diversity in the workforce.
Inspectorio
Co-Founder and CEO: Carlos Moncayo
Supply Chain Solutions Firm in Minneapolis, MN
Inspectorio is a cloud-based SaaS solution focused on creating dynamic and risk-based quality and compliance programs with the goal of building an interconnected, sustainable, and transparent supply chain. Today it is used by over 15,000 network participants across the globe, including some of the largest brands and retailers in the world. Moncayo was the youngest Latin American CEO to join the Group of Fifty and was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum.
Group O
CEO: Gregg Ontiveros
Supply Chain Solutions Firm in Milan, IL
Founded in 1974 as a small Midwest packaging distributor, Group O has grown into one of the largest Latino-owned businesses in the United States. As an end-to-end business process outsourcer serving some of the worlds largest brands, Group O specializes in integrated supply chain solutions designed to optimize operations while reducing waste. They are committed to environmental stewardship through several programs and policies that reduce not only their own carbon footprint, but that of their clients. As a certified MBE, Group O is dedicated to building a diverse workforce in addition to working with and mentoring other minority-owned businesses and suppliers.
RFG-MPW Environmental & Facility Services
Chairman and CEO: Roderick Rickman
Industrial Cleaning and Environmental Service Firm in Detroit, MI
RFG-MPW is the leading provider of integrated, technology-based industrial cleaning, facility management, water purification, container management, and environmental services in North America. The company assists in enhancing operational efficiencies, improving reliability, and minimizing costs to ensure their clients have a safer and cleaner work environment to deliver high-quality products.
L2S Engineering, LLC
Founder: Laurie Ann Sibani
Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing Engineering Design Firm in Leesburg, VA and Apollo Beach, FL
L2S Engineering, LLC is a Native American-, woman-owned mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineering design firm that provides services in multiple states. Its mission is to achieve new heights in engineering excellence by providing services that will help their clients achieve their sustainable environmental goals and reduce their carbon footprint. Sibani is an electrical engineer with extensive design and project management experience, and prides herself on developing efficient solutions for her clients.
About Apple
Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple TV. Apples five software platforms iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, and iCloud. Apples more than 100,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth, and to leaving the world better than we found it.
Apr 29, 2021 | Business
at apple.com/investor/earnings-call. This webcast will also be available for replay for approximately two weeks thereafter.
Apple periodically provides information for investors on its corporate website, apple.com, and its investor relations website, investor.apple.com. This includes press releases and other information about financial performance, reports filed or furnished with the SEC, information on corporate governance, and details related to its annual meeting of shareholders.
Consolidated Financial Statements
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This press release contains forward-looking statements, within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include without limitation those about the Companys expectations regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic; anticipated revenue, gross margin, operating expenses, other income/(expense), and tax rate; plans for return of capital; our goal of maintaining a net cash neutral position; and our investment plans and environmental initiatives. These statements involve risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially from any future results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Risks and uncertainties include without limitation: the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Companys business, results of operations, financial condition, and stock price; the effect of global and regional economic conditions on the Companys business, including effects on purchasing decisions by consumers and businesses; the ability of the Company to compete in markets that are highly competitive and subject to rapid technological change; the ability of the Company to manage frequent introductions and transitions of products and services, including delivering to the marketplace, and stimulating customer demand for, new products, services, and technological innovations on a timely basis; the effect that shifts in the mix of products and services and in the geographic, currency, or channel mix, component cost increases, increases in the cost of acquiring and delivering content for the Companys services, price competition, or the introduction of new products or services, including new products or services with higher cost structures, could have on the Companys gross margin; the dependency of the Company on the performance of distributors of the Companys products, including cellular network carriers and other resellers; the risk of write-downs on the value of inventory and other assets and purchase commitment cancellation risk; the continued availability on acceptable terms, or at all, of certain components, services, and new technologies essential to the Companys business, including components and technologies that may only be available from single or limited sources; the dependency of the Company on manufacturing and logistics services provided by third parties, many of which are located outside of the US and which may affect the quality, quantity, or cost of products manufactured or services rendered to the Company; the effect of product and services design and manufacturing defects on the Companys financial performance and reputation; the dependency of the Company on third-party intellectual property and digital content, which may not be available to the Company on commercially reasonable terms or at all; the dependency of the Company on support from third-party software developers to develop and maintain software applications and services for the Companys products; the impact of unfavorable legal proceedings or government investigations; the impact of complex and changing laws and regulations worldwide, which expose the Company to potential liabilities, increased costs, and other adverse effects on the Companys business; the ability of the Company to manage risks associated with the Companys retail stores; the ability of the Company to manage risks associated with the Companys investments in new business strategies and acquisitions; the impact on the Companys business and reputation from information technology system failures, network disruptions, or losses or unauthorized access to, or release of, confidential information; the ability of the Company to comply with laws and regulations regarding data protection; the continued service and availability of key executives and employees; political events, international trade disputes, war, terrorism, natural disasters, public health issues, and other business interruptions that could disrupt supply or delivery of, or demand for, the Companys products; financial risks, including risks relating to currency fluctuations, credit risks, and fluctuations in the market value of the Companys investment portfolio; and changes in tax rates and exposure to additional tax liabilities. More information on these risks and other potential factors that could affect the Companys business and financial results is included in the Companys filings with the SEC, including in the Risk Factors and Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations sections of the Companys most recently filed periodic reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q and subsequent filings. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements or information, which speak as of their respective dates.
Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple TV. Apples five software platforms iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, and iCloud. Apples more than 100,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth, and to leaving the world better than we found it.
