Your Move, Mr. Jobs

“We think the Intel transition is going to generate new business,” Oh said. He sees a big opportunity for resellers that provide small and midsize accounts with business-class consulting services around the Macintosh platform. No doubt there is going to be a wave of questions and potential site assessments from businesses that are intrigued by these new systems.

Of course, one key to ensuring its success at capitalizing on the potential for a larger audience with the new Intel systems is for Apple to embrace the channel. That&'s no small matter given the somewhat standoffish attitude Apple has taken toward resellers like Boston-based Tech Superpowers, which closed 2005 with a 25 percent increase in sales to $2.6 million. That includes a 17 percent increase in consulting business.

What Apple has to realize is that Tech Superpowers and other resellers like it are going to be able to deliver complex SAN and server-based business solutions in multivendor environments, something the folks at Apple stores couldn&'t even begin to take on. The consumer market Apple is serving with these stores is an entirely different market than the one being served by resellers. Jobs last week said he was interested in getting 5 percent of Windows users to switch to the Mac. That requires a rethinking of Apple&'s channel strategy.

By the way, Oh is hiring new staff and hoping to best the 25 percent increase in sales his company achieved in 2005. It&'s going to be a lot easier to hit that number if Apple embraces its partners rather than continuing to treat them as unwanted stepchildren.

At the end of the day, the channel charge will have to come from the top. So, Mr. Jobs, do you really want that 5 percent increase in computer market share? Or are you content to rule the consumer roost with more iPods? It&'s your move.

What do you think Mr. Jobs&' next move will be? Let me know at (781) 839-1221 or via e-mail at [email protected].