Recent market research has indicated that, because Globaltech’s curren

Question

Recent market research has indicated that, because Globaltech’s current line of cellphones has remained the same over the last few years without adding any cutting-edge features that consumers demand, it has lost considerable market share in the industry. So, in an attempt to regain market share, Globaltech has proposed a new line of cellphones with the capability of synchronizing various household appliances such as computers, light switches, and even toasters.

Which of the following, if true, provides the strongest reason to expect that the proposed line of cellphones will be successful in regaining market share?

(A) Engineers have only recently been able to discover a cost-effective way to remotely control household appliances through cellphones.

(B) An increasing number of countries throughout the world now have more cellphones than people.

(C) The number of appliances that can be remotely controlled through a cellphone signal has more than tripled in the last few years.

(D) Globaltech’s market share began decreasing at the same time as it stopped adding new features to its cellphones.

(E) In today’s economy, the new time-saving ability to remotely control appliances is being demanded by more and more consumers.

This question is a part of QOTD Question Collection

unverifiedvoracity · Accepted Answer

Based on the argument presented, Globaltech market share has dropped because it has not added the cutting-edge features that consumers demand. So, we have to find an answer which states that remotely controlled appliances are indeed a feature demanded by the consumers.

(C) The number of appliances that can be remotely controlled through a cellphone signal has more than tripled in the last few years.

This statement only says that the technology has advanced. So, few years ago, cellphone signal could be used to control 1 appliance, today it's used to control 3 appliances. It does not give any indication about whether consumers demand this feature (or perceive this feature as cutting-edge).

E) In today’s economy, the new time-saving ability to remotely control appliances is being demanded by more and more consumers.

This statement explicitly states that consumers demand this feature.

ynk · Answer

(A) Engineers have only recently been able to discover a cost-effective way to remotely control household appliances through cellphones.-- No mention of cost in the arguments hence reject 
(B) An increasing number of countries throughout the world now have more cellphones than people.-- It does not tell anything about Technology hence reject. 
© The number of appliances that can be remotely controlled through a cellphone signal has more than tripled in the last few years.--Ok.if the no. of appliances using that technology has tripled,it means that these appliances will be needing cellphones which can use this technology.Hence its sales will rise. Correct 
(D) Globaltech’s market share began decreasing at the same time as it stopped adding new features to its cellphones.-- Irrelevant 
(E) In today’s economy, the new time-saving ability to remotely control appliances is being demanded by more and more consumers.-- demanded cannot be transformed into sales and thus cannot be converted into successful regaining of market share.

Please correct me if I am wrong

goforgmat · Answer

+1 E
The underlying assumption is that the feature demanded by the consumers is the facility to control though their cellphones.

Abhishek009 · Answer

Market Research : Lack of innovative products = Globaltech’s lost market share.
Plan : Planning to market a new product with new feature.
result : The firm will regain its market share.

acarpio1 · Answer

I have been confused with E and C, and picked E. I would like to ask for a more explicit explanation as I have no idea why it can be E but not C when they are technically both correct. Is it E because its taking about 'todays economy'?

carcass · Answer

Added the OA. Ask if something is unclear. Hit the kudo button guys.

Regards

law258 · Answer

I got it down to C and E. What I think drove E home over the alternative is the fact that the company needs demand for the product. E gives this to us, while it could be the case with C, but it is not known with certainty and we'd have to make an additional assumption.

Shiv2016 · Answer

Premise: Recent market research has indicated that, because Globaltech’s current line of cellphones has remained the same over the last few years without adding any cutting-edge features that consumers demand, it has lost considerable market share in the industry.

Conclusion: So, in an attempt TO REGAIN MARKET SHARE, Globaltech has proposed a NEW LINE OF CELLPHONES with the capability of synchronizing various household appliances such as computers, light switches, and even toasters.

The logic behind this new line of cellphones could be that there is a market for such cellphones.

Choice E is correct because it states that:
 In today’s economy, the new time-saving ability to remotely control appliances is BEING DEMANDED MORE AND MORE BY THE CONSUMERS.
Exactly matches the pre-thinking.

Choice C is pretty close
The number of appliances that can be remotely controlled through a cellphone signal has more than tripled in the LAST FEW YEARS.
We do not know whether the demand would remain the same or increase in the future or not…….
INCORRECT.

Soul777 · Answer

For (E), how can we be sure that the growing demand will help Globaltech's cellphones be successful in regaining market share?
By choosing E, we assume that there is no competition or that this technology has not been already implemented by competitors.
Please, kindly clarify.

sony1000 · Answer

Good point Soul777, we do not know that there is no competition on this technology all we know is that there is a customer demand, so because this is the only answer that most appropriately addresses a way to success in regaining market share and the other answers do not come this close by POE I had considered this the correct answer.

axzie011 · Answer

Recent market research has indicated that, because Globaltech’s current line of cellphones has remained the same over the last few years without adding any cutting-edge features that consumers demand, it has lost considerable market share in the industry. So, in an attempt to regain market share, Globaltech has proposed a new line of cellphones with the capability of synchronizing various household appliances such as computers, light switches, and even toasters.

Conclusion -- Adding new features to cellphones can regain its dwindling market share 
So the questions says us to strenghten the conclusion

Which of the following, if true, provides the strongest reason to expect that the proposed line of cellphones will be successful in regaining market share?

(A) Engineers have only recently been able to discover a cost-effective way to remotely control household appliances through cellphones.----  engineers discovering cost effective method -- absurd -- so gone 
 
(B) An increasing number of countries throughout the world now have more cellphones than people. --  its just an outside information -- so eliminated

(C) The number of appliances that can be remotely controlled through a cellphone signal has more than tripled in the last few years.--  if this kind of apllications on cellphones has already tripled in last few years -- maybe the company cannot regains its market share -- so eliminated

(D) Globaltech’s market share began decreasing at the same time as it stopped adding new features to its cellphones.--  this is just the information and it doesnt influence the conclusion -- not adding new features can decrease its market share -- in the passage it is given at same time the market started losing its markret share-- maybe after some time the company has curtailed its market share -- and simply it uses the chronology on the option which was not used in the passage -- so gone

(E) In today’s economy, the new time-saving ability to remotely control appliances is being demanded by more and more consumers. --  just focus on the words used in the options -- it simply says that adding new features can increase the cellphone demand -- and it clearly supports the conclusion -- so Bingo

kornn · Answer

Dear VeritasKarishma VeritasPrepBrian , I have a little question on choice D. Can choice D. be inferred from the first sentence of the passage? Recent market research has indicated that, because Globaltech’s current line of cellphones has remained the same over the last few years without adding any cutting-edge features that consumers demand, it has lost considerable market share in the industry. (D) Globaltech’s market share began decreasing at the same time as it stopped adding new features to its cellphones. There seems to be huge huge similarity between the above 2 sentences. However, I am not sure whether we can infer that stopping adding new features happened AT THE SAME TIME as shrinking in market share. Thank you as always

VeritasPrepBrian · Answer

Yeah great point on your capitalization there - if we were asked to draw an inference, (D) might be tempting but it's more specific than we have evidence for. We know that research indicates that general trend of cause/effect (it hasn't added new features, and as a result has lost market share) but to say AT THE SAME TIME goes that extra level of specific that we just don't have the evidence to prove. If you're testing "can I draw this conclusion?" a good test is to come up with a hypothetical situation that would violate the conclusion but stay consistent with the premises. Here you might propose "after adding new features every year at considerable R&D cost they took a year off and things didn't change, so they did that for one more year and it was during the second year that they started to see the decline in market share" - that's totally consistent with the given premises, but would destroy (D) as an inference.

(Note for anyone reading, this question is a STRENGTHEN (the plan) question...I'm just honoring a great question asking about a hypothetical situation if this were an Inference question)

YonuZikky · Answer

I was absolutely unsure of my answer. Thanks to the reasoning on the forum, I understood everything, thank you!

VerbalBot · Answer

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