March 12, 2007
Apple Computer
Elizabeth Kerr, Ph.D.
Director, Science and Technology Markets, Worldwide Pro Markets
How has your company adapted and responded to the changing economic climate in the past five years when so many others companies did not?
Apple continues to be one of the most innovative companies in the world. We respond to the market with products that meet the evolving needs of the bio-IT community and do so in a cost-effective way.
What is your vision for the future of the life sciences market over the next several years?
I think the way that scientists communicate with each other and with the rest of the world will become more and more important, especially with regard to visualization. As the data load continues to grow, scientific visualization technologies will need to adapt to enable more advanced visual communication: with the data, between scientists and with the general public.
What products and services does your company provide and what special capabilities do they offer the life sciences market?
Mac OS X is at the heart of what Apple brings to this community. It’s UNIX at its core, which brings standards, flexibility and stability. A platform to build whatever you need. In addition Apple continues to lead the way with world-class graphics and display technologies, as well as the fastest and most beautifully designed computers in the industry.
Partnerships are an effective way to track life science advances and ensure that your company delivers timely products and services. Which life sciences companies or organizations have you partnered with or invested in and why?
We work with the developer community as a whole to try to ensure that there is a rich environment of applications available for our Mac users. We also consider our customer base our partners. We are constantly looking to them for feedback on their needs and on how our products are meeting those needs.
What are your most exciting products and initiatives in development, and how will they improve life science research?
Well, we’re Apple and don’t talk about products before they’re launched. Stay tuned and I think you’ll continue to see our commitment to this very important market.