The Wall Street Journal
Apple Inc. is boosting efforts to appeal to a new type of customer: small businesses.
The consumer electronics giant responsible for the iPhone is seeking to hire engineers in as many as a dozen U.S. retail stores to put together Apple-based computer systems for small businesses, according to recent job postings on Apple's website. The employees would implement computer systems for clients and are expected to be proficient in networking hardware and server platforms.
"Thousands of businesses run on Apple products," the posting reads. "Many more would like to, and that's where you come in."
The new positions mark the latest development in Apple's evolving strategy, which has historically focused on the consumer market and niche businesses, like design and media firms. Now, Apple wants to leverage its popular iPhone and iPad devices, using their appeal as a selling point for more expensive products, including its line of Macintosh computers and servers. (See related article on C10.)
Apple is targeting smaller, local businesses that it can reach through its chain of nearly 300 retail stores, according to two Apple employees familiar with the company's strategy. The new jobs could pay up to $80,000 a year, one of them said.
Each of Apple's stores already has at least one salesman dedicated to managing accounts with local businesses, the employees said. Recently, Apple also began recruiting from within the sales staff to create a specialized team that negotiates leasing and pricing terms for business customers, one of the people said. Some stores have seen revenue more than double after implementing the program, the person added.
An Apple spokeswoman declined to comment.
The focus on smaller businesses is unlikely to push Apple into further competition with big computer makers like Hewlett-Packard Co. and Dell Inc., though it could upset its network of authorized consultants, who often serve local businesses.
Targeting smaller businesses could prove lucrative. North American businesses with fewer than 1,000 employees are expected to spend $310.8 billion on information technology this year, according to industry tracker Gartner. The figure is seen rising roughly 6% to $328.3 billion next year. Capturing part of those sales could boost Apple's annual revenue, which is expected to grow 46% to $62.6 billion this year, according to consensus estimates from Thomson Reuters. "They're well aware of the opportunities in business," said Gleacher & Co. analyst Brian Marshall. "This is something they're focusing on even if they're not talking about it publicly."
Apple has had mixed results trying to crack the business market in the past. Its computers are generally more expensive than comparable PCs, prompting cost-conscious companies to look for cheaper alternatives.
Apple's retail staff historically hasn't provided the hand-holding and on-site support that many businesses expect. Instead, it has cultivated a network of authorized consultants, many of whose customers are referrals from Apple's retail employees.
"Almost half of our new customers come from the Apple Store," said Allen Cleaton, owner of Virginia-based MacPro Solutions. He said local businesses often come to him because Apple's staff generally don't have the level of technical expertise needed to set up and maintain a businesses computer network.However, Mr. Cleaton said that if Apple starts providing a higher level of service, it could threaten local companies like his own.
The Apple employees familiar with the new position said it was a natural progression of recent initiatives. Apple maintains a team at its headquarters to handle big companies and government agencies, but it has increasingly handed responsibility for small and mid-sized business accounts to its retail stores, the people said.
Apple has put an incentive program in place to manage the growth of these new business initiatives, they said, assigning new business sales staff based on revenue targets for each store.
Apple also has designed specialized conference rooms in its newer retail stores, like those in Minneapolis and Shanghai, which are specifically meant for meetings between sales staff and high-level business executives.
The consumer electronics giant responsible for the iPhone is seeking to hire engineers in as many as a dozen U.S. retail stores to put together Apple-based computer systems for small businesses, according to recent job postings on Apple's website. The employees would implement computer systems for clients and are expected to be proficient in networking hardware and server platforms.
"Thousands of businesses run on Apple products," the posting reads. "Many more would like to, and that's where you come in."
The new positions mark the latest development in Apple's evolving strategy, which has historically focused on the consumer market and niche businesses, like design and media firms. Now, Apple wants to leverage its popular iPhone and iPad devices, using their appeal as a selling point for more expensive products, including its line of Macintosh computers and servers. (See related article on C10.)
Apple is targeting smaller, local businesses that it can reach through its chain of nearly 300 retail stores, according to two Apple employees familiar with the company's strategy. The new jobs could pay up to $80,000 a year, one of them said.
Each of Apple's stores already has at least one salesman dedicated to managing accounts with local businesses, the employees said. Recently, Apple also began recruiting from within the sales staff to create a specialized team that negotiates leasing and pricing terms for business customers, one of the people said. Some stores have seen revenue more than double after implementing the program, the person added.
An Apple spokeswoman declined to comment.
The focus on smaller businesses is unlikely to push Apple into further competition with big computer makers like Hewlett-Packard Co. and Dell Inc., though it could upset its network of authorized consultants, who often serve local businesses.
Targeting smaller businesses could prove lucrative. North American businesses with fewer than 1,000 employees are expected to spend $310.8 billion on information technology this year, according to industry tracker Gartner. The figure is seen rising roughly 6% to $328.3 billion next year. Capturing part of those sales could boost Apple's annual revenue, which is expected to grow 46% to $62.6 billion this year, according to consensus estimates from Thomson Reuters. "They're well aware of the opportunities in business," said Gleacher & Co. analyst Brian Marshall. "This is something they're focusing on even if they're not talking about it publicly."
Apple has had mixed results trying to crack the business market in the past. Its computers are generally more expensive than comparable PCs, prompting cost-conscious companies to look for cheaper alternatives.
Apple's retail staff historically hasn't provided the hand-holding and on-site support that many businesses expect. Instead, it has cultivated a network of authorized consultants, many of whose customers are referrals from Apple's retail employees.
"Almost half of our new customers come from the Apple Store," said Allen Cleaton, owner of Virginia-based MacPro Solutions. He said local businesses often come to him because Apple's staff generally don't have the level of technical expertise needed to set up and maintain a businesses computer network.However, Mr. Cleaton said that if Apple starts providing a higher level of service, it could threaten local companies like his own.
The Apple employees familiar with the new position said it was a natural progression of recent initiatives. Apple maintains a team at its headquarters to handle big companies and government agencies, but it has increasingly handed responsibility for small and mid-sized business accounts to its retail stores, the people said.
Apple has put an incentive program in place to manage the growth of these new business initiatives, they said, assigning new business sales staff based on revenue targets for each store.
Apple also has designed specialized conference rooms in its newer retail stores, like those in Minneapolis and Shanghai, which are specifically meant for meetings between sales staff and high-level business executives.
