Apple’s mergers and acquisitions department has been very busy over the past 18 months, snapping up everything from startups to search engines across the globe.
The company, however, is also interested in other – relatively untapped – sectors for consumer electronics manufacturers such as cars and medical devices, according to SFGate.
Rumours suggest that the company’s mergers and acquisitions chief Adrian Perica, met with electric car giant Tesla CEO Elon Musk last spring around the same time analysts suggested Apple acquire the manufacturer.
SFGate has also reported that Apple is heavily exploring medical devices, specifically sensor technology that can help predict heart attacks. Led by audio engineer Tomlinson Holman, inventor of THX and 10.2 surround sound, Apple is exploring ways to predict heart attacks by studying the sound blood makes at it flows through arteries.
The company has also been beefing up its health care expertise, hiring doctors and lawyers with experience in lobbying the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
In December, a high-level Apple team led by SVP Operations Jeff Williams met with FDA chief Dr. Margaret Hamburg and Dr. Jeffrey Shuren, who oversees agency approval for medical devices, to discuss ‘mobile medical applications’, according to FDA records.
Commentators and investors are treating the news with caution as many believe that the company should not move away from the traditional devices it is known for.
Source: SFGate