Apple Preps Retail Employees for Rollout of 'Joint Venture' Services

[Grouchy Bob]

i know schools are not a small business...but more and more schools are joining the mac world every day and with iPod touch/iPad they are jumping into it faster then ever.

I will give you this much...

*If* Apple can maintain the inroads they've fostered in the education arena... sooner or later the little urchins that spewed from our loins will be running companies OR... find themselves in a position to dictate where tech dollars are spent with said companies.

Still won't be enough of a tidal wave to compete with mass market competition that keeps PC components priced lower though.

And besides, there's nothing wrong with anyone who uses PC's/Androids/Blackberry's in small business. They get the job done just as well - for far less capital

In a nutshell, there is no compelling (read: financial) reason to move to Apple products on any kind even on a small scale. When everything works "basically" the same... the cheapest bid will always win.

I wouldn't be surprised if this "joint venture" crap isn't just something an Apple Exec pulled out of a retail store employee suggestion box.

 

[Thex1138]

The Only Way Is...

Up

From a less than 10% market share in business...

 

[Mattsasa]

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Will apple rule the world in 2041?

 

[JAT]

And besides, there's nothing wrong with anyone who uses PC's/Androids/Blackberry's in small business. They get the job done just as well - for far less capital

Capital, yes. But IT expense? LOL!

 

[thetexan]

I will give you this much...

*If* Apple can maintain the inroads they've fostered in the education arena... sooner or later the little urchins that spewed from our loins will be running companies OR... find themselves in a position to dictate where tech dollars are spent with said companies.

Still won't be enough of a tidal wave to compete with mass market competition that keeps PC components priced lower though.

And besides, there's nothing wrong with anyone who uses PC's/Androids/Blackberry's in small business. They get the job done just as well - for far less capital

In a nutshell, there is no compelling (read: financial) reason to move to Apple products on any kind even on a small scale. When everything works "basically" the same... the cheapest bid will always win.

I wouldn't be surprised if this "joint venture" crap isn't just something an Apple Exec pulled out of a retail store employee suggestion box.

As a system admin I'd be really upset if we got a hotshot executive who wanted us to switch to Apple because he "enjoys his Macbook". Active directory / Exchange / Activesync "just works" and I don't think there is anything else on the market that comes close. Apple may work for certain situations say publishing but for your run of the mill office environment I believe it'd be a disaster.

Besides didn't Apple just kill one of their server lines? Tells me their focus is consumers by far. This joint venture crap is just throwing a bone at the business people.

 

[coleridge78]

As a system admin I'd be really upset if we got a hotshot executive who wanted us to switch to Apple because he "enjoys his Macbook". Active directory / Exchange / Activesync "just works" and I don't think there is anything else on the market that comes close.

Nothing personal. I don't know you, and you're not unique in this. But whenever I read these statements I alternate between laughing and screaming. It "just works" for *you*, because you press buttons on the console and if something doesn't work, you tell the user: "nothing's wrong on my console, I guess you shouldn't do that."

AD/Exchange are far, far from "just working" for the people who actually have to use them. Just ask any of them, or refer to the boatloads of user research that already exists. On the plus side, this "accessing the mainframe with tn3270 is great! what are you complaining about?!?" attitude is exactly why eventually someone--not Apple necessarily, but someone--will eat the "enterprise" lunch that MS has been drooling on for two decades.

 

[Les Kern]

My company provides server / desktop support to businesses of various sizes in our region. We do full spectrum support, as in hardware, software, printing, backups, unique requests, etc.

We charge $125 / hour with 25 hour contracted blocks purchased ahead of time. However we also not only have intimate knowledge of their environment with hardware / license / password tracking and remote management, but we actually know what we are doing.

Geniuses aren't even trained in server support, network management, or professional grade backup. The few that do have proficiency in such things are self taught, and those who have an interest in such things are quickly disappearing as they keep pushing Genius pay down and hiring less qualified people. I can't imagine how a Genius would show up on site and not have to spend excessive amount of time just getting familiar with the environment before they make any decisions.

The sad part about this is I know that we will actually have to compete with this service from unwitting potential clients who don't understand the needs of professional support.

Your business is safe. Seems to me this is for a mid-level support system for business that want some file sharing and maybe some minor server offerings. I don't Apple will do away with their various cash-cow premium packs (which I have purchased STARTING at a whopping 5+K a year), and by the same token I really think YOUR services will see an uptick if Apple's strategy plays out and attracts more businesses.

 

[Salacion]

I'ma start a small business just for this!

 

[thetexan]

Nothing personal. I don't know you, and you're not unique in this. But whenever I read these statements I alternate between laughing and screaming. It "just works" for *you*, because you press buttons on the console and if something doesn't work, you tell the user: "nothing's wrong on my console, I guess you shouldn't do that."

AD/Exchange are far, far from "just working" for the people who actually have to use them. Just ask any of them, or refer to the boatloads of user research that already exists. On the plus side, this "accessing the mainframe with tn3270 is great! what are you complaining about?!?" attitude is exactly why eventually someone--not Apple necessarily, but someone--will eat the "enterprise" lunch that MS has been drooling on for two decades.

We're not a large organization, but for us AD/Exchange just works. I've had one problem when I updated our Exchange 2003 to 2007 and Microsoft's support engineers walked me through the problem quickly. Their enterprise support reps are not pimply faced 22 year olds working a genius bar that happen to pick up the phone either. My Technet subscription allows me two free incidents per year along with a boatload of "free" Microsoft software so I can't complain.

I can't imagine switching us over to Apple at this point, and I use Apple at home. I'd spend a week reteaching the staff how to maximize a window and how to fully close a program.

 

[Xtremehkr]

On the rare occasions that I do take my iMac in I usually get there a bit early.

That usually leaves me seated by the genius bar with nothing to do for a few minutes, so I just kind of tune in to what's going on around me.

Some of the problems that people bring their computers in for are absurd. We're talking basic questions about iTunes and the Mail application. They just have no basic knowledge of how to operate programs.

It seems like there are a lot of computer illiterate people in the world, their entire knowledge of computers is limited to Internet browsing.

 

[jaw04005]

wait did apple care actually come to your house?

AppleCare for desktops (iMac, Mac Pro) includes on-site service and repair. I've had to use it a few times and they're great. It's usually done by an AASP.

 

[ghostlyorb]

Awesome! I know a few small business owners who will be excited to hear this!

 

[bwillwall]

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$500 a year even for 1 Mac? Holy **** apple, holly ****. I'm starting to get tired of this crap. I love ur products but I mean MobileMe, you pay for 1tb of storage and get 20gb, besides who uses that? Then there's the cinema display which is $1000, get that with the cheapest Mac (mini) and it's 1700 in a less convenient package as the iMac starter at 1200 which much better specs. Cmon apple I like your products but really?

 

[Mattsasa]

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I'ma start a small business just for this!

Sounds good. Where can I submit my application?

 

[Buck987]

Wow and I thought Applecare was a rip-off.

yeah..it is quite pricey

 

[some1uDNTknow]

I think it is amazing that Apple can keep such a tight hold on confidential information. The iPad "2" has been in development for months at least, yet not a single peep of factual evidence of it's existence has been leaked.

It's 3 days from the announcement, and no one has gone public with any details.

The only thing we have? This 'JointVenture' leak, which does nothing for regular consumers.

Props to Apple for having such a stable system for preventing leaks.

Imagine how they felt when Gizmodo stole their iPhone 4
But I agree, it is very impressive.

 

[paulypants]

yeah..it is quite pricey

For a business with multiple Macs, I don't think it's too bad at all. If they take their machines' uptime seriously I guess.

 

[swingerofbirch]

Well that is nice about the loaner laptop....I remember when my macbook was being serviced for 5 weeks before they finally replaced it. Though it would be interesting to see what conditions you have to agree to for the loaner...

Wow. I have never heard of AppleCare being that bad. For me they have replaced notebooks for much, much less. I think if a repair had taken up to two weeks, they would replace the unit based on how lenient they have been in the past with me. I guess it depends on whether you ever ask to speak to someone above tier 1 or not. 5 weeks is too long.

 

[bassfingers]

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Yeah, let's get businesses on board!

 

[SandynJosh]

As a system admin I'd be really upset if we got a hotshot executive who wanted us to switch to Apple because he "enjoys his Macbook". Active directory / Exchange / Activesync "just works" and I don't think there is anything else on the market that comes close. Apple may work for certain situations say publishing but for your run of the mill office environment I believe it'd be a disaster.

Besides didn't Apple just kill one of their server lines? Tells me their focus is consumers by far. This joint venture crap is just throwing a bone at the business people.

As a system admin you just disqualified your employer as being 10 employees or less. This is the size of small business customer Apple is aiming at with this joint venture program.

However, that said, Apple is currently making huge inroads into the Fortune 100 and smaller with the iPhone and iPad. These kinds of devices may well knock the PC off the desk the same way the PC knocked the IBM Selectric typewriter off of desks in the late 1970s.

I know, I know, you don't believe it. However the typewriter co0existed and even flourished in corporate environments along with mainframes and mini-computers from the '50s through the late '70s. Suddenly the computer changed its form factor and the typewriter was toast.

 

[Steve121178]

but for us AD/Exchange just works

Same for me & I have 30,000+ users!

 

[layte]

AD/Exchange are far, far from "just working" for the people who actually have to use them. Just ask any of them, or refer to the boatloads of user research that already exists.

Hmm.. I'm sorry, but once setup and running, Exchange really does just sit there working without any real intervention required (maybe the once in a blue moon critical security patch). Obviously the end user bits are never going to be perfect, that is because they are the end user parts, and they get fiddled with and poked at. No piece of software in that regard is going to be perfect, not even the iPhones (which I convinced them to migrate to from WinMo) at one of the sites I look after.

 

[covertsurfer]

Considering AppleCare already offers on-site repairs for iMacs and MacPro's, I don't see the point of this at all. If I ever have a problem with my MacPro, there's absolutely no way I'm lugging it to a store, they're coming here. Same for all the iMacs that have problems at the college I work at, I call Apple and they send somebody to us.

On Site Support - are you sure?

I have an iMac and have not heard of that, its always been drop ot off to us or we'll send a courier!

I'm in the UK so not sure if that makes a difference.

If I could get on site support for a MBP I'd be buying but at the moment I'm stuck with Dell and their on site support. I was hoping this joint venture would bring on site support

 

[adamtailor13]

I am curious as to where this is actually going. For example, if I change my server from IBM, is prepared if I have to pay additional 500 to hook me up with a similar system through the SL server? Will the knowledge needed to offer such support

 

[bigpics]

Nowhere in the story did they say or infer that this is all about Macs or OSX. Apple is heavy in small businesses with iPads and iPhones, and doing better by the quarter with iMacs in small business sector.

Furthermore, developers are falling over themselves writing vertical market software for iDevices. Just recently we heard Tim Cook predicting that the iPad will be a bigger market than PCs.

The future is not about Microsoft or PCs, it's about iDevices and that's where Apple owns the landscape. This JointVenture will help Apple solidify their hold because it extends the Apple ecosystem into an area where HP and BB have been strong. I think it's telling that Apple is making this move before the HP or BB tablets hit the market.

Think ecosystem and you can see what Apple is doing...it's the 900 pound ape that comes with each product.

Thanks for saying most of what I was gonna.

I would add a) when vertical market iDevices need to start communicating with PC's, implementation of the gateway is generally more refined when it's iDevice to Mac, and the Pads and Phones have a halo effect as well - i.e., if they're great and Apple can provide some degree of support, we'll try those too. Also fewer points of service and problems where "HP says it's MS's fault with Win 7 and MS says the problem is in the hardware" end up with a small biz chasing its tail.

b) corporations realize their employees - especially professionals - don't want to have to manage two notebooks - one for work and one for home (especially when employees work at home or on the road, and also want their own files and apps when they're the road. And more and more consumers want Macs, which puts consider pressure on corps to support them.

I don't think Apple's abandoned the business market at all, nor that it's still true that they don't "get" the business market. What they have done is abandoned any vestigial strategy for trying to compete head on against entrenched segments of the SMB and Enterprise markets - like servers. And have replaced it with a brilliant strategy of muscling in on (and even transforming) the fastest-growing parts of the business market, name mobile connectivity on phones, iPads, and MBP's, which is also nascent and where Apple has both little barrier to entry and zero entrenched competition of note.

And this new service initiative is the beginning of leveraging the network of Apple Stores for serving a whole new function without using up much of the square footage, i.e., into serving as equivalent to IBM's service and support teams for enterprise computing.