Apple, resellers battle

Apple is slowly driving its resellers and other partners out of business, which may be part of a larger plan to control the Apple experience, according to a VARBusiness article that examines the . "The fate of these and other Apple partners begs an interesting question: At a time when Apple is on the rise, why are the Apple businesses of so many Apple partners falling down? The answer, some believe, is a master plan by Apple to control as much of the Apple market as possible. That includes everything from where customers large and small buy products, their experiences with the Apple brand, how they are serviced and the types of solutions they eventually deploy."

The article notes that even resellers whose businesses have not been impacted should be wary, as Apple continues its retail expansion as well as its push for direct contact beyound the consumer markets.



"What all this means, simply, is this: Those partners who have felt insulated from Apple's encroaching ways because they don't cater to foot traffic or compete in areas outside Apple's perceived sphere of influence are soon going to have to come to grips with the fact that Apple is planning on directly engaging customers in more ways and in more places than ever before. Couple that with the fact that Apple is increasing its service business--it was up 13 percent year-over-year in fiscal 2004--and it's no wonder why more partners feel pinched by Apple's strategies and policies."

by MacNN Staff