Tim Cook Assures Employees Apple is Staying Focused on What It Does Best

[MacRumors]

Apple CEO Tim Cook today addressed Apple employees at a virtual company-wide meeting held to address questions about work-from-home arrangements and when people can expect to return to their jobs in retail stores and corporate offices.

Bloomberg shared details on the meeting, with Tim Cook calling the current health crisis an "uncertain and stressful moment" that Apple will recover from. Apple, said Cook, began the year with a strong balance sheet and will continue investing "in a really significant way" in research and development and future products.

If we stay focused on doing what we do best, if we keep investing, if we manage the business wisely and make decisions collaboratively, if we take care of our teams, if our teams take care of their work, I don't see any reason to be anything but optimistic.

Cook was asked about job cuts, but said that Apple is in a strong financial position and has been paying retail employees unable to work. Cook said that his focus is on running Apple for the long-term rather than the short-term. Cook cited the launch of the MacBook Air, iPad Pro, and iPhone SE as evidence that Apple's product launches are not being disrupted.

There's no word yet on when Apple employees will be able to return to their workplaces, but he said that Apple will likely implement measures like temperature checks and social distancing when employees do go back to work.

Apple's retail staff has started online training and virtual meetings have ramped up ahead of store re-openings, with Apple planning to re-open its first store in South Korea this weekend. U.S. stores are not likely to reopen until May, and even then, will open on a staggered basis with Apple taking into account local conditions and guidelines.

According to Cook, Apple has now sourced and donated more than 30 million N95 masks to healthcare workers around the world and has shipped more than two million of the face shields that it has been working on.

Apple's Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams also spoke, and he said that the health crisis has made Apple's work on health products more important, including the Apple Watch. Apple's development work in health isn't "limited to the wrist," but more governments are now working with Apple to bring the ECG feature to additional countries.

Article Link: Tim Cook Assures Employees Apple is Staying Focused on What It Does Best

 

[nvmls]

Sure Tim, while at it, please polish macOS before putting out any other toys, thanks.

 

[mtneer]

Cook was asked about job cuts, but said that Apple is in a strong financial position and has been paying retail employees unable to work.

There are many times I've been critical of Tim or his decisions, but this is laudable. Credit due to doing the right thing.

 

[Joniz]

Tim Cook Assures Employees Apple is Staying Focused on What It Does Best

Well, looking at the state of their software lately, I’m going to assume it’s not that.

Must be making money.

 

[calzon65]

Apple will certainly suffer some financial impact like many companies, but with all its cash and product momentum, they will be one of the survivors.

 

[Apple Knowledge Navigator]

If he ain’t laser focused, I don’t wanna know

 

[lcseds]

They are focused. They need to be.

 

[B4U]

Staying focus on what it does best...
Sounds like we have more working feature going to be taken away.

 

[RedGala]

Tim gets a lot of flak but he's a good one imo

 

[asterizk]

"virtual company-wide meeting"

Mostly just want to know what software they used for this. Facetime, Zoom, WebEx, ______....

 

[AngerDanger]

Cook cited the launch of the MacBook Air, iPad Pro, and iPhone SE as evidence that Apple's product launches are not being disrupted.

Yeah, everything is A-OK. Nothing could possibly go w—

 

[Mr. Dee]

I do love his belief in the company and optimism about the company's future, but, it still feels empty. Its like, his confidence comes from the company's balance sheet. Rehashing the same products over and over again, to sell them as something new to customers (iPad Pro with A12Z - just one more graphics core, iPhone SE, MacBook Air with a better keyboard ). That doesn't feel like ground breaking to me. The product categories are also messy. Too many iPads to choose from, iPhone is all over the place, you are paying for features, which frankly should not be premium. But, what I ultimately feel is, this virus is going to change our buying habits when it comes to buying new technology.

Apple products are in part status symbols; they turn heads, draw interest, conversation starters. But, I'm afraid, if we continue into this crisis, there is little need for any of us to really be upgrading. I know, my upgrade plans have pretty much been pushed out to 2023 or whenever Apple stops providing OS updates for the devices I already own.
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Yeah, everything is A-OK. Nothing could possibly go w—

View attachment 906554

Seriously, I died!

 

[DribbleCastle]

Apple will certainly suffer some financial impact like many companies, but with all its cash and product momentum, they will be one of the survivors.

If a company like Apple doesn't survive, I'm pretty sure we and the entire economy are all screwed.

 

[DelayedGratificationGene]

Tim Cook is a down to earth, intelligent, shrewd in a positive sense, methodical visionary who is the perfect choice as Steve Jobs said to being Apple CEO. Shareholders and employees could not have a better person at the helm. Thanks Tim and All who work at Apple.

 

[JPack]

Apple's retail staff has started online training and virtual meetings have ramped up ahead of store re-openings, with Apple planning to re-open its first store in South Korea this weekend. U.S. stores are not likely to reopen until May, and even then, will open on a staggered basis with Apple taking into account local conditions and guidelines.

May seems pretty optimistic for the country hardest hit by the virus. It's appropriate perhaps for Europe, but the U.S. should be looking to July at the earliest.

 

[Gero Gerber]

Apple will certainly suffer some financial impact like many companies, but with all its cash and product momentum, they will be one of the survivors.

Sorry, after all whey will be one of the winners not survivor.

 

[Rogifan]

Seems like another one of these Bloomberg/Gurman ‘scoops’ that don’t amount to much of anything. Was there anything newsworthy here?

 

[kagharaht]

Apple have over 200 Billion CASH to fall back on. Something tells me they will be ok.

 

[zilchfox]

This is good stuff to hear.

 

[otozuz]

Cook was asked about job cuts, but said that Apple is in a strong financial position and has been paying retail employees unable to work.

It's good to see that all that cash in the bank, which was often reason of debate in the past 10 years, is now allowing the company to keep all workers safe ?

 

[randfee2]

Apple calls so many of their devices 'pro'(fessional)... during Covid stay-at-home measures one finally sees that there is nothing pro about a lot of it. Talking primarily about software. FaceTime for instace... is a consumer toy.

I wonder what Apple uses for all their employees to work and meet remotely....I'm confident it isn't made by Apple.

 

[bladerunner2000]

Apple will continue to dodge taxes? Cool.

 

[trusso]

I do love his belief in the company and optimism about the company's future, but, it still feels empty. Its like, his confidence comes from the company's balance sheet.

Unfortunately, this is spot-on.

 

[MauiPa]

Well, looking at the state of their software lately, I’m going to assume it’s not that.

Must be making money.

But if you compare it to windows, you see just how great it is
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Ya

Sure Tim, while at it, please polish macOS before putting out any other toys, thanks.

come on Apple, you should be 100 times better than windows, not just a measly 10

 

[Apple Freak]

I found a job posting on their site the other day that seems like a perfect fit for me, unfortunately, the job is located in Austin, TX and I'm in San Diego, CA (unable to relocate). I would love a job where I could work remote/from home supporting Apple. Hope that happens in the future.