Yesterday I read the following off Business Week:
Ten Likely Events in 2008:
Finally, Internet TV
For years, gearheads have dreamed of getting all that video from the Internet onto the big 52-inch screen in the den. But it’s a pain. Look for that to change in 2008. While Apple TV has been a dud, Steve Jobs & Co. will make an aggressive play this year for the most important screen in the house. Perhaps Apple will even make a gorgeous TV itself, with all the necessary Net capabilities inside. And if Apple can’t do it, someone else will.
It made me think: this is far closer to reality than we think. Then today I read this:
Avon CEO Andrea Jung joins Apple Board.
What does Jung bring to the table at Apple? Experience building and maintaining a powerful and storied brand, but also expanding it internationally in up-and-coming markets. As you’ll read in the March 12 profile, Jung has seen close up what happens when expansion into international markets goes right and when it goes wrong. I think that one of Apple’s important strategic imperatives for 2008 and beyond will be to beef up sales of its computers outside North America, and I think China will be an important market. The first Apple Store in China will open in Beijing this year, and that will go a long way toward exposing that country’s growing consumer class to the Apple brand. Jung’s insight will come in handy.
Andrea, of course, is Vudu CEO Mark Jung’s sister (yeah, if I were their parents, I’d be disappointed too… what is wrong with our education system?), who happens to be my old boss (when his IGN bought my old employer). Could we be getting a Vudu/Apple partnership soon?
What does Vudu do?
What if a sleek black box could deliver thousands of movies and your favorite TV shows instantly? Without a computer? What if the selection was constantly updated? What if the video were high-def so you could skip the HD format war? Introducing VUDU — your TV has a new best friend. Instant access to thousands of movies, HD films, and TV Shows from any Television.
Not that crazy? Actually, depending on how you slice it, Vudu and Apple are either about to compete or cooperate… but interesting nonetheless… and certainly a good addition to Apple’s board as it moves more and more into consumer electronics. But then again, Google and Apple compete and cooperate and Eric Schmidt sits on Apple’s board, too.
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