Expanding past the traditional consumer base, Apple wants to make an impact in the small business market. Instead of focusing on corporate programs, Apple seeks to work with businesses looking to use Macs for business-focused operations.
MacRumors reports,
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.
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 sees an appropriate business opportunity by providing personal consulting and support to local customers managing a business. I had this experience first hand when I purchased iPads for Federico and I on behalf of MacStories, and was urged to give out an employee contact if I ever needed assistance or business advice from a specialist at that Apple Store. A few days later, I had gotten an email confirming our relationship with my local Apple store. I didn’t think anything of it at the time, and perhaps Apple has done this all along with customers (in which case I was simply unaware of existing practices). Now it seems, they plan to deliver a far more enriching experience for business customers in the store than they have before.
[via MacRumors]