Hires business engineers for retail stores

Apple is putting more concerted effort into attracting small business sales, new retail job listings suggest. About a dozen US Apple Stores are currently hiring engineers, who will be assigned to implement computer systems for small companies. Candidates must be skilled in networking and server technology, rather than just familiar with standard Mac hardware and software.

Two sources allegedly familiar with Apple's strategy claim the company wants to reach a number of local businesses via retail. One of the sources adds that the engineering positions could pay up to $80,000 per year. Apple is, moreover, said to be recruiting its own retail sales workers to create a new team, one involved in negotiating leasing and pricing for business clients. Some stores have already more than doubled their revenue through the program, a source says.

Although Apple Stores usually have at least one person dedicated to business sales, the company has typically sidelined business customers, preferring to focus on consumers. Apple hardware is typically more expensive than the alternatives, leading many larger companies to stick with likes of Windows PCs. The sources say though that while a Cupertino HQ team is handling enterprise clients, more and more responsibility for small- and medium-sized businesses is being delegated to retail. An incentive program is said to be place, assigning new business staff to outlets as they hit revenue targets.

by MacNN Staff