NIKE BECOMES A TECHNOLOGY COMPANY
Named for the Greek goddess of victory, Nike is the biggest sports footwear and apparel company in the world. Nike designs, develops, and sells a variety of products and services to help in playing basketball and soccer, as well as in running, men’s and women’s training, and other action sports. Nike also markets sports-inspired products for children and various competitive and recreational activities, such as baseball, golf, tennis, volleyball, and walking. Nike is known for its leading-edge technologies to make its products more appealing and enhance user performance, including the advanced technology used to support the sports superstars associated with Nike as well as the technology used in the running shoes you can buy online. For example, Nike Air technology uses “super gases” encased in urethane plastic to provide superior cushioning for running shoes that minimizes stress on runners’ joints each time their feet hit the ground. The make-up of the gas, the strength of the plastic, and their placement within the shoe give great cushioning without losing performance. Nike Air was the first major piece of shoe technology to come out of Nike and it has influenced every other running shoe since. Of course, Nike has been using information technology in the design and manufacture of these leading-edge products, and now it is embracing information technology in new, more far-reaching ways. Some of Nike’s most recent offerings are actually information technology products. Take the Nike+ Fuel Band, for example. The Fuel Band is an activity tracker that is worn on the wrist and is used with an Apple iPhone or iPad device. The Fuel Band enables its wearers to track their physical activity, steps taken daily, and amount of calories burned. The information from the wristband is integrated into the Nike+ online community and phone application, allowing wearers to set their own fitness goals, monitor their progress on the LED display, and compare themselves to others part of the community. And with Bluetooth4.0 wireless technology, the Fuel Band stays constantly connected, syncing
How much of an edge does Nike have over its competitors? Explain your answer.