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The World's 50 Most Innovative Companies
Businessweek Online ^ | 05/03/2007

Posted on 05/04/2007 8:46:04 AM PDT by Swordmaker

Not so long ago, no conversation about innovation would be complete without the story of 3M inventor Art Fry’s eureka moment that led to the Post-it Note. Today, that tale, which verges on cliche, has been almost universally replaced by the story of the iPod, Apple’s omnipresent icon of design.

It should come as little surprise, then, that Apple tops the BusinessWeek-Boston Consulting Group’s list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies for the third year in a row. That sort of staying power speaks volumes about the sort of innovation that matters today. Unlike the Post-it Note, which proves the value of lone inventors, the iPod epitomizes today’s innovation sensibilities. These include the ascendance of design, the focus on the user’s experience, and the power of ecosystems: The iPod is a hit because it works so seamlessly with the iTunes software. The company’s much-anticipated iPhone, which launches in June, will likely keep Apple high on our list next year too.

There are some surprises this year, including four new companies in the top 25—Disney, Boeing, Genentech, and Cisco Systems. In other cases, the resilience of corporate reputation was surprising. Wal-Mart Stores suffers from slow growth, but still commands respect for its supply-chain innovations. Dell wears the brand halo of an innovator for its efficient direct-to-consumer model, though it suffered through a management shakeup and fell from No. 14 to No. 22. And what of 3M? It fell too, from No. 3 in 2006 to No. 7 this year.

(Excerpt) Read more at bwnt.businessweek.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy
KEYWORDS:
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1 posted on 05/04/2007 8:46:06 AM PDT by Swordmaker
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To: 1234; 50mm; 6SJ7; Abundy; Action-America; af_vet_rr; afnamvet; akatel; Alexander Rubin; Amadeo; ...
Apple us BusinessWeek's most innovative company for the third year in a row.... PING!

If you want on or off the Mac Ping List, Freepmail me.

2 posted on 05/04/2007 8:47:36 AM PDT by Swordmaker (Remember, the proper pronunciation of IE is "AAAAIIIIIEEEEEEE)
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To: Swordmaker


Number 39 = NINTENDO
3 posted on 05/04/2007 9:03:55 AM PDT by elizabetty (Why is Rudy concerned about 3000 dead Amercans but NOT 50,000,000 dead American Babies?)
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To: Swordmaker

I don’t see how Nintendo ranks so low given they put out the Wii, the most innovative console in, well, forever.


4 posted on 05/04/2007 9:04:30 AM PDT by antiRepublicrat
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To: Swordmaker

Daimler Chrysler? Must be the Daimler half.


5 posted on 05/04/2007 9:09:31 AM PDT by relictele
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To: antiRepublicrat
I don’t see how Nintendo ranks so low given they put out the Wii, the most innovative console in, well, forever.

39th ain't bad... considering there are millions of companies in the world...

6 posted on 05/04/2007 9:12:14 AM PDT by Swordmaker (Remember, the proper pronunciation of IE is "AAAAIIIIIEEEEEEE)
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To: relictele

Chrysler paid back a government loan. That was pretty innovative. :)


7 posted on 05/04/2007 9:13:05 AM PDT by P-40 (Al Qaeda was working in Iraq. They were just undocumented.)
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To: relictele

The Daimler half showed how innovative it was when it closed down US plants, moved more production to Mexico, and last but not least, made almost the entire product line look like Third Reich staff cars. Yeah, really innovative.


8 posted on 05/04/2007 9:13:11 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (I last updated my profile on Thursday, May 3, 2007. https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: Swordmaker

SAIC?


9 posted on 05/04/2007 9:17:30 AM PDT by patton (19yrs ... only 4,981yrs to go ;))
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To: Swordmaker

Daimler Chrysler at #30? BWAHAHAHA!


10 posted on 05/04/2007 9:18:25 AM PDT by CholeraJoe (I don't give a rat's a$$ where in the world Matt Lauer is.)
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To: P-40
Chrysler paid back a government loan. That was pretty innovative. :)

First dole recipient in history to do so, eh?

11 posted on 05/04/2007 9:19:11 AM PDT by relictele
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To: Swordmaker
39th ain't bad... considering there are millions of companies in the world...

39th is bad when you've revolutionized both handheld and console gaming, and come from being the underdog in the previous console generation to being clearly on top in this one through innovation. Aside from the actual innovation in the Wii, they've even managed to bring in a new demographic for console gaming. So we have both technical and marketing innovation.

A company like that, leading innovation in its industry, needs to be higher.

12 posted on 05/04/2007 10:12:10 AM PDT by antiRepublicrat
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To: patton

SAIC

Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC).

A leading systems, solutions and technical services company, offers a broad range of expertise in defense modernization efforts, intelligence, homeland security, logistics and product support, health and life sciences, space and earth sciences and global commercial services.

Translation = Beltway Bandit.

I haven’t met too many folks that like working for them, esp the companies they have Borged.


13 posted on 05/04/2007 10:20:17 AM PDT by ASOC (Yeah, well, maybe - but can you *prove* it?)
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To: ASOC

LOL. I can change your opinion, but it will cost you.


14 posted on 05/04/2007 10:23:29 AM PDT by patton (19yrs ... only 4,981yrs to go ;))
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To: patton

LOL yourself.

Had a bud working 5ESS training when his unit got Borged by SAIC. THe newsletter they published/sent out before the deal was done had a line that freaked out many

“Slackers need not apply” To a bunch of old school Bell System employees. Talk about psyops!


15 posted on 05/04/2007 10:33:57 AM PDT by ASOC (Yeah, well, maybe - but can you *prove* it?)
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To: ASOC

Yes.


16 posted on 05/04/2007 10:36:09 AM PDT by patton (19yrs ... only 4,981yrs to go ;))
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To: patton

ROTFLMAO

Had a chance years ago to stay in the ‘black’ side of things and work for the likes of EG&G special projects or Esystems or some other cowboy outfit.

Chose the light and moved to AK, haven’t looked back.

SAIC falls in the cowboy group.


17 posted on 05/04/2007 10:44:24 AM PDT by ASOC (Yeah, well, maybe - but can you *prove* it?)
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To: antiRepublicrat
39th is bad when you've revolutionized both handheld and console gaming...

Maybe that's an indication of the relative importance of gaming.

18 posted on 05/04/2007 10:48:46 AM PDT by Oberon (What does it take to make government shrink?)
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To: ASOC

Yes.

(Have you noticed I am agreeing with you?)

Sometimes the country needs cowboys, and some of them wear white hats.

Cowboys bring an agressive, can-do attitude, and often scream, “Damn the rules, full speed ahead!”

Of course, these self-same cowboys often wind up in jail for just that...

I’m just sayin’...


19 posted on 05/04/2007 10:49:59 AM PDT by patton (19yrs ... only 4,981yrs to go ;))
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To: Swordmaker

Heya SM,

Looking for a Mac HTML editor. iWeb is great, except I don’t want a .Mac account yet. Any suggestions?


20 posted on 05/04/2007 10:59:59 AM PDT by IslandJeff (Who the hell are we gonna nuke!?)
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