????蘋果公司（Apple）無疑是目前全球最有價值的科技公司。這家總部位于加利福尼亞州庫比蒂諾市的公司員工總數超過12,000人。它具備超凡的能力，每一款新產品的發布都能讓整個科技行業的發展軌跡發生改變。現在，史蒂夫?喬布斯永遠地離開了蘋果。現任CEO蒂姆?庫克領銜的精英管理團隊將擔負起率領蘋果繼續創新，維持蘋果市場支配地位的重任。不過，蘋果公司完全具備充足的資源和人力來完成這個任務。蘋果要繼續向前發展必須做到以下四點：

取悅用戶

????蘋果全球聯絡部副總裁卡蒂?科頓近期在接受美國科技博客AllThingsD采訪時說：“蘋果及其文化在全世界是獨一無二的。我們要努力將這種獨特性傳承下去。”她還強調說，在庫克的領導下，蘋果公司將堅持既定發展戰略，“我們會繼續生產世界上最出色的產品，讓我們的顧客為之欣喜，讓我們的員工為之驕傲。”

????這話聽起來也許缺乏新意，但卻包含著至關重要的一點——取悅客戶。利用新產品激發消費者永不滿足的購買欲望或許是蘋果最重要的天賦，從產品的發布到出現在專賣店的貨架，或通過郵件將產品信息發到潛在消費者的郵箱等等，蘋果的每一個環節體現了這一點。現成的證據是，據全球市場資訊公司JD Power and Associates進行的顧客滿意度調查顯示，蘋果iPhone手機已經連續六次位居榜首。

????部分媒體對于蘋果iPhone4S手機的發布反應冷淡，甚至有一些媒體已經開始質疑該公司“取悅”客戶的能力——至少新產品的發布情況令人大失所望。無疑，庫克及其團隊缺乏喬布斯的舞臺魅力，但這只是部分原因；另一重要原因在于iPhone4S本身。盡管這款新品與之前的iPhone4相比內部組件有較大程度的升級，但外觀卻一模一樣，缺乏新意，這對于期盼蘋果另一款驚艷之作的消費者來說，無疑是令人失望的。

????另外，科技媒體也有責任。過去的幾個月中，它就像一臺瘋狂的機器，不知疲倦地散布虛假信息，臆測蘋果新版iPhone實體模型及其他新產品。然而，現在就對蘋果公司做最終的判決還為時尚早。據美國電話電報公司（AT&T）透露，在iPhone4S開始接受預定的前12個小時內，預訂量就達到了20萬臺。這很清楚地表明了消費者對4S的巨大需求，而當他們真正觸摸到蘋果的這款新品時，一定會感到無比滿足。

保持神秘感

????經過多年的發展，蘋果品牌散發出一股讓人捉摸不透的神秘氣息，就連喬布斯的健康狀況也不例外。據CNN消息稱，喬布斯一直到手術之前才向投資者透露了有關他身患癌癥的細節。另外，據報道，蘋果公司對產品開發的情況向來諱莫如深，甚至故意向員工散布虛假情報；而解雇泄密員工的事件也曾發生過。結果就形成了這種局面，外界關于蘋果產品開發的情況知之甚少。當然，去年意外丟失的iPhone原版機另當別論。

????有些人認為，隨著喬布斯的離世，蘋果公司有可能變得更加公開透明。這種情況不太可能發生，事實上，也不應該發生。因為正是這種高度神秘感，使忠實的果粉對蘋果公司的一舉一動都熱情追捧，絲毫不亞于執著的影迷對奧斯卡頒獎典禮的狂熱。消費者對蘋果的這份鐘情，其他科技公司只有羨慕的份兒。既然這一招讓蘋果受益匪淺，何必改弦更張？

擴大明星高管的曝光度

????喬布斯最大的功勞，也許就是在20世紀90年代末將蘋果從瀕臨破產的危機中解救了出來；但他并不是一個人在戰斗。當時，喬布斯招募并提拔了一批有才干的全明星高管，喬布斯的愿景能夠變成現實，他們功不可沒。這些人中就包括原蘋果首席運營官，現任蘋果CEO庫克，工業設計高級副總裁喬納森?艾維，運營高級副總裁杰夫?威廉姆斯（也被成為蘋果的“另一位運營奇才”），iOS軟件部門高級副總裁斯科特?福斯特以及產品營銷高級副總裁菲爾?席勒。

????蘋果公司較為明智的做法讓其更多的高管走入公眾視野；我們看到，蘋果公司似乎正在這樣做。早在喬布斯卸任CEO之前，庫克便是負責運營商威瑞森（Verizon）iPhone活動的指定人選。而今年早些時候，蘋果公司網絡軟件與服務高級副總裁埃迪?庫曾協助新聞集團（News Corp.）董事長魯伯特?默多克在美國紐約推廣iPad版《每日電訊報》（The Daily）。不僅如此，本周早些時候蘋果iPhone4S發布時，庫克也為席勒，福斯特及庫留出了充分的時間亮相。通過這種方式，蘋果不僅向用戶充分推銷了自己，還讓各高管展示了自己最拿手的領域。

進軍新市場

????和其他企業一樣，增長是目前蘋果面臨的關鍵問題。雖然蘋果時下的發展如火如荼（iPad上季度銷售量爆漲183%）；但未來重大的發展機遇仍在于蘋果尚未進入的市場。正如PCMag雜志邁克爾?米勒指出的那樣，喬布斯最大的優勢并非開發新技術，而是在于他總能發現有前景的技術，通過整合包裝，形成新的市場需求，并從中獲益。iPod和之后的iPhone手機，iPad平板電腦，MacBook Air筆記本電腦，iTunes以及蘋果應用商店無一例外，都體現了這一點。而且有趣的是，蘋果所到之處，競爭也會隨之而來【當然最近也出現了一個例外。部分批評人士指出，蘋果公司即將推出的iCloud產品不及亞馬遜（Amazon）及谷歌（Google）最近推出的同類產品】。

????譯者：李淑玉/汪皓

????Apple (AAPL) is now the most valuable technology company in the world, a 12,000-strong organization nestled in Cupertino, Calif. with the exceedingly rare ability to alter the trajectory of an entire industry with a single product release. With Steve Jobs' passing, the onus falls on CEO Tim Cook and a talented executive bench to continue innovating and maintaining the company's market dominance. It has the tools and people in place to do so. Here's what it needs to do moving forward.

Delight users.

????"Apple is a company and culture unlike any other in the world, and we are going to stay true to that," Katie Cotton, Apple VP of Worldwide Communications, recently told AllThingsD, emphasizing that the company would not change under Cook's leadership. "We are going to continue to make the best products in the world that delight our customers and make our employees incredibly proud of what they do."

????It might sound obvious, but keeping customers delighted is key. It's arguably Apple's number one talent: whetting people's insatiable appetites with new devices], from the point that a product is unveiled to the time it arrives in stores (or in your mail) and beyond. Case in point: the iPhone has ranked #1 in JD Power and Associates' customer satisfaction survey -- six consecutive times.

????Based on lukewarm reactions to the iPhone 4S announcement in some corners of the media, some are already questioning the company's ability to "delight," at least when it comes to product launches. Not only did Cook and crew supposedly lack Jobs' onstage flair, but the phone itself – identical to the iPhone 4 on the outside, significantly more advanced inside – disappointed those who were expecting another mind-blowing redesign.

????Some of that disappointment can be blamed on the tech media itself, a frenzied machine that kicked into overdrive over the last few months with false leaks, wet dream mockups and wish lists. Ultimately, it's too early to pass judgment in this department, but based on AT&T's sell-through of 200,000 iPhone 4S units during the first 12 hours of pre-orders, there's clearly demand for the 4S, a device just as likely to satisfy its users once they actually get their mitts on them.

Maintain mystique.

????Over the years, Apple has developed a neigh-impenetrable aura of mystery, one that extended to Jobs' medical condition. According to CNN, Jobs didn't disclose details of his cancer to investors until undergoing an operation. Meanwhile, the company has reportedly been so secretive in the past about product development that it's spread disinformation to employees and fired some in the past for breaking confidentiality. As a result, accurate leaks are exceedingly rare, if unheard of -- unless of course, you factor in last year's lost iPhone prototype bonanza.

????Some have speculated that with the passing of Jobs we might see a more open, transparent Apple. Not likely. Indeed, it probably shouldn't. That same high level of secrecy encourages the Apple faithful to treat each Apple event like it's the Oscars, speculating with a fervor other tech companies can only hope for. The approach has served them well in the past, so why mess with it now?

Play up the executive bench.

????Jobs may be largely credited with rescuing Apple from the brink of oblivion during the late 90s, but he wasn't alone in doing so. Along the way, he recruited and promoted a talented group of senior executive all-stars who have contributed to and executed his vision. That includes COO-turned-CEO Cook, Senior Vice President of Industrial Design Jonathan "Jony" Ive, Senior VP of Operations Jeff Williams (aka Apple's other operations whiz), Scott Forstall, Senior VP of iOS software and Phil Schiller, Senior VP of Product Marketing.

????Apple would be wise to let more of its executives share the limelight, and that's already what it seems to be doing. Even before Jobs stepped down as CEO, Cook was Apple's point man at the Verizon iPhone event, and Senior VP of Internet Software and Services Eddy Cue helped News Corp.'s Rupert Murdoch roll out The Daily earlier this year in New York City. And at the iPhone 4S announcement earlier this week, Cook gave ample time to Schiller, Forstall and Cue. In doing so, the company isn't just introducing more of the company to its users, it's also allowing each executive to proselytize the area they know best.

Enter new markets.

????Like any company, growth is key for Apple. While it continues to do extremely well -- iPad sales grew 183% last quarter, for instance -- the major growth opportunities remain in areas where the company has yet to enter. As PCMag's Michael J. Miller points out, one of Jobs' biggest strengths was not inventing new tech per se but recognizing emerging technologies and packaging them to create and capitalize on new markets. He did that with the iPod and again with the iPhone, iPad, MacBook Air, iTunes and App Store. And where Apple entered, the competition soon followed. (A recent exception? The company's upcoming iCloud, which critics argue lags behind somewhat comparable, recently-launched offerings from Amazon (AMZN) and Google (GOOG).)