Formal proposal

Working in the IT field provides insight into the development needs and the exposure of the public to vulnerabilities of a cyber-attack. In the same way that this problem is recognized, consumers’ disgruntlement comes with the cost of operation that is incurred after initial investments in purchasing a laptop. Therefore, there is a need for more concentration in hardware efficiency improvement and increase mainstreaming of security and protection in the production of a new type of machine for a more preventive approach.

Apple has been among the top companies in today’s PC market who have concentrated on the miniaturization of systems. This means that there has been an increasing lack of concentration based on hardware with more focus on maintaining high quality in the existing visual system. While this strategy is successful in selling luxury and loyalty, the company is quickly losing its customers due to the increase in the perception that “Apple does not allow any other software that is not bought.” This has led to a rise in the customization of Apple PCs after purchase to break that barrier, especially with consideration of the operational cost involved in regular updating.

This proposal explains the pathways to a vulnerability that is created with the strategy that Apple uses and its failure. In this way, it proposes the development of a new type of computer with safety features incorporated an accounted for in the initial investment during purchase.

For years, its loyal consumers have realized trust in Apple products. The focus of the consumer was on purchasing the products, especially in computers and phones as one way to show belonging to a specific isolated group of individuals. The association with class meant that the brand would be recognized as such whenever it is encountered. In this way, the company kept up with the protection of its consumers by increasing the quality of production in every launch. The biggest selling point has been achieving a sleek look, which has meant that some security features in PCs have to be redirected to software development putting more and more pressure on the consumer to purchase their own.

According to a study by Jozwiak and Marczak, (2007) presented in the IEEE conference, piracy involves duplication and installation more that it is authorized. However, there are more than 300 billion PCS and the market is still growing meaning that with more expectations, there is more that is needed in terms of protection. As a result, the possibility of developing a program that in itself given the opportunity for a possibility of it being cracked in the future. Therefore, more reinforcement is necessary for protection from the mechanism development aspect.

The implementation of this at the conception level in PC production means there will be an increase in the ‘dongles’ with hardware key that is external hence the integration of hardware that could be provided by software producers into the computer at manufacturing and production point. In this way, the computer purchase will be more protected through a stronger and more efficient internal real-time clock that provides the date and time of the attack.

The data from this proposal come from a different article presented on the future of cybersecurity, technological advancement, and the experience as a consumer. In addition, working in IT means that I have heard a share in people bringing in their PCs for modification, software updates, security and firewall erection, and generally, to restore their PC after data had been ransomed.

Proposed Plan

Security and demand for the new computer in the market can be attained through

· Conduct research on the PC market to understand customer needs. Most of the time, the selling point of the PC is the idea of luxury, there is a need to recognize that usability and longevity are also a big consideration in the population especially for gamers, and other IT groups. In addition, there is sensitivity to the issue of return of value with the loss of popular culture when it comes to the identification of the capability of a system. Therefore, the functional aspect of PCs plays an important role in enticing consumers to purchase PCs.

· Reduction of the operational cost after the initial investment of the computer. The average initial cost of a Mac computer costs $1,000, which is twice the cost of any other average PC (Frucci, 2008). Updating software every year could cost up to $250 meaning that there is a continuous investment required even after purchase. Incorporating some of these needs into a new computer while with high quality in mind will help in boosting the reachability by an overall assessment of the operational costs. In many ways, it will also justify and rationalize the increased cost of the initial purchase.

· Work on developing the prototype. Creativity on paper has to be translated to the physical product. This means that there is a need for the formulation of a team of like-minded developers to work on the development of a prototype that can be tested to understand the impact of the functionality of this computer.

Available Resources

The resources needed include working office space, a modified PC that runs on testing of the viability of this production, existing documentations with agreements, and the technical skills with a team of 5 people.

In this proposal, we are working on a budget as shown in the table below which has been estimated for the production of the initial prototype. The proposed budget includes equipment and salaries for personnel.

New equipment

Outer casing $200

Inner Built $250

Subtotal $ 450

Research

Market research on the gaps identified by consumers $ 2,000

Research on available market options $ 1,500

Wages and Salaries

Software engineer’s consultation $ 5, 500

Hardware team (2) $ 40,500

Assembling team (2) $ 30,000

Subtotal $ 10,000

Total costs (Prototype Development) $ 89,050

Feasibility

With the increasing strength of the internet, such as the introduction of 5G, it is the best time to come up with a new PC that can easily be accommodated in the new system. At the same time, faster internet means faster connectivity and thus faster systems of security tracking can be incorporated with this period of technological transition. In a population of 300 billion PC users, taking a low estimate of 5 million users in the U.S alone as the market for a new Apple PC, there are already recognized populations that will likely replace their old computers to be up to date with 5G enable equipment. 10% of global PC users use Mac computer, this means there is an existing group of loyal consumers where the strategy of returning old systems for discounted pricing can be used to increase the sale of the new computers (Keizer, 2018).

Conclusion

As the growing need for protection increases in the market, Apple should tap into the growing niche and increase the reachability of its customers. At the same time, with many people owning the Mac PC and other Apple products, the sense of luxury is losing its grasp on the population resulting in its novelty wears off. Therefore, increase interest in the consumer experience through caring about their safety and protection increases the need for the brand. In view of future development, I urge Apple to consider implementation and supporting the development of this new product that will be a blueprint for future developments and expansion.

Works Cited